Now that the formal reveal has been dropped on the player, Mr. L is going to be formally introduced to Team Bleck in-universe. Presumably, the meeting where the other five met for the first time came before the time to carry out their evil plan.
Nastasia's ability to figure out the perfect "ordinary office environment" line to slip in to make the joke funny never ceases to amaze.
...Although I think this does count as an in-game acknowledgement that Mr. L is Luigi. I suppose you could assume anything from "key competitors", but if anyone was legitimately fooled by that, I'd worry for them.
Mr. L scoffs at the losers he's stuck working with. O'Chunks, I'll give you. Mimi and Dimentio... well, OK, their ability isn't exactly showcased in their work thus far.
The joke is obvious, but if you're referring to your fists as "Fist Jr." and "Slappie", you do kinda betray a sense of not living up to your potential... like, at least call him "Fist Sr."
Mimi, looking like she just came back from the '50s, points out Mr. L is throwing stones from a glass house here. It's worse for L, since he lost twice.
...OK, arguably Dimentio did too, but he also doesn't seem to mind.
O'Chunks literally made the same excuse. Mimi was just beaten by deus ex machina.
No dramatic effects, but he does do the pose again.
Excuse me, we're still doing minion orientation here, loser.
He does actually go wander off. Not the most promising quality in a new minion. "L-ater" sounds like a catchphrase, but I think this is his only time saying it.
Count Bleck isn't counting on him for his quality, but the Dark Prognosticus suggests that red shall have to do battle against green if the Chaos Heart is going to work. Poor Mario. Also poor Luigi, but who knows what he's thinking about this situation.
Team Bleck's understanding of Mario lore is probably not the greatest, but even they probably recognise that Mario and Luigi share a connection because of their identical costumes, apart from the "red and green" specifically highlighted by the Prognosticus. Even if I didn't know anything about Mario, if you told me Luigi was a related character, I'd believe you. Although they did take "related" to mean "opposing" and not "allied".
O'Chunks is not impressed. Admittedly, Bleck and Nastasia are the only members of Team Bleck who definitely saw Luigi in his overalls. Even then, Mr. L still has the hat and 'stache.
...OK, also admittedly, Mr. L isn't wearing much green. His green shirt has been replaced by that black suit.
Now that we're out of new members of Team Bleck to fight, we're doing another lap through the roster, with O'Chunks taking the mantle of "designated Hero harasser" for Chapter 5.
Fist Jr. and Slappie will be on vacation, of course.
Dimentio has Cryptic Villain Nonsense to be getting on with, and excuses himself from the conversation too.
Mimi complains that she doesn't have an excuse to go cause mayhem too.
But she leaves anyway. Possibly she's going to her room to sulk. She doesn't come after us, at least.
...That's not what a whistle-blower does, though. Whistle-blowers tell stories of workplace misconduct to external sources. It's more of a betrayal than merely expressing doubt internally. Hell, technically speaking, I don't think Team Bleck is doing any workplace misconduct. Yes, this whole "wipe out everything ever" plan is definitely "misconduct", but nobody is abusing their colleagues.
...
Yet.
Nastasia has a realistic expectation of Mario's capabilities. Namely, Bleck can send Team Bleck at us all he wants, nothing is stopping the result.
...I guess we have to take your word for it, Bleck.
...Well, that's new. The Count had a change of heart, and this change was "imposed" on him. Although I'm sure both of these have their subtleties.
Count Bleck doesn't want to hear it, of course.
And Nastasia starts mumbling her thoughts instead. Bleck decides he'd rather hear them than go wondering.
...Just one revelation about the Count after another, aren't we? On the list of reasons to destroy the world, "over a girl" is one of them.
Count Bleck turns back around and uses his "shakes head" animation.
Way to make her feel awful, Count. This isn't really abuse, though, more just one man's depression meeting another woman's slightly-different-flavoured depression in an unhealthy way. Albeit sharing a common root.
Bleck lets out a big, dramatic "woe is me" and leaves the room to mope.
Leaving Nastasia to mope as well. Well, that was just depressing.
What seems like an appropriate way to segue from that scene? More depressing content with Blumiere and Timpani!
Fortunately, this one's "lighter". Insomuch as a Blumiere/Timpani interlude can be lighter.
...Timpani was the one who got hurt, not Blumiere. Although perhaps Blumiere's father beat them both at some point. I wouldn't be surprised if Blumiere took some punishment too and just didn't mention it.
Well, eloping is one of the strategies. Not really sure this is a situation to propose to a girl in. "We have no idea where happiness lies, but run away with me and look!"
And Timpani hasn't exactly appreciated being the focal point of the ire of Blumiere's father. She wasn't exactly coerced into trying to turn him down, she genuinely wasn't "just dealing with" him.
But ultimately, she takes her chances.
...So in which world did they meet their end?
Meanwhile, in this one:
Funny you say that after the chapter you honestly help the least. Squirps shooting and low-G didn't agree with what you bring. I'd say only Chapter 7 has a worse Bowser.
Tippi humours him.
Although she goes out of her way to credit Squirps, even though his story is over. It's not like he died or anything.
...She does? The game has really been trying to sell me on this and making it somewhat difficult to perceive. Maybe the Tattles have been getting more pleasant? It's almost too subtle storytelling for a Mario game of this tone, and it's not reflecting a major plot point. I guess sorta one thing...?
Tippi says this, but she also doesn't credit her good mood to us, which makes it sound like the mood is unrelated to the rescue. Which... it may well be.
Although she's taken a dip in TTYD and become a female party member crushing on Mario. Peach is not amused.
One of these days, we're going to come back and say no and things are going to be dire. You do not want to hear any answer except the one you expect.
Tippi's report is interrupted by a flash of light.
And she drops to the ground.
Hey, don't look at me. We don't even know what a Pixl is!
Not that we can do much else, but what are we going to do at your house other than worry?
Merlon pulls up a table for Tippi to rest on while this is going on. This table doesn't actually come out of nowhere: It's the table the Light Prognosticus normally rests on.
The Light Prognosticus, instruction manual on how to avert doomsday, is now being used as a doorstop.
...
Yeah, that. Bowser asks because he doesn't understand, but also what do you mean, Tippi can be not-a-Pixl?
The answer is "Tippi is not actually a Pixl." Well, OK, that still has questions being raised.
Merlon doesn't actually specify what she is. I... don't know if I know. We do find out what that curse is about, though.
...That was the best option you had? Well, I guess she's moving around on her own and talking.
And more importantly, what cursed her?
Unfortunately, the woman now known as Tippi has absolutely nothing to go off, and nothing to tell Merlon.
Promising, but not exactly much help.
You're asking a lot out of us, I'll help her because she needs help, but you're not making a good argument.
I'd say this is a good showcase of Bowser's arms, but not in that direction. Then again, the claw is not posed how you would expect it to be.
Yeah, uh, hard to forget that. We just keep it out of mind because there's nothing we can do about it other than what we are already doing.
I need less of a pessimistic Prognosticus reader.
We have an errand to go do, and no Tippi to help us. But we're at a bit of a crossroads: Flipside's Outskirts don't seem to have much room for a fifth Pillar, let alone the remaining four.
Muffy, surprisingly, is able to point us in the right direction.
Sorry, I normally fix indoor plumbing.
You know, saying the ridiculous situations Mario is put through are impossible doesn't add anything new to the conversation, and just makes you look like you're less invested in your own story.
Aw, little Minnie's reading fortunes now!
...
Look, she's trying her best, OK?
Don't worry, buddy, he's perfectly fine. I think. You know, I haven't checked.
Pook's also taking this "set him free" thing seriously, refusing to even check up on the guy. I mean, I guess it's his choice.
Someone really likes the idea of plain white. I highly disagree with point 2.
Why do I still talk to you...?
I know that feeling, kid. But I can go grind cash.
...No... no, wait, maybe... but I've never heard anybody use the phrase "card debt".
Nope. Haven't found the mangoes yet. And also I can't play Tilt Island.
Problem being, Keel Mangoes are found only on Keelhaul Key and- wait, they're in this game too? The JP name is トãƒãƒ”コマンゴー "Tropic Mango", matching Keelhaul Key's JP name
トãƒãƒ”コアイランド "Tropic Island". The people I blame most for this ludicrous situation are the JP writers who were content to stop at "Tropic Island."
...Well, I mean, I guess the X-Nauts are cute when they're being incompetent. This thing is papering over the whole "destroy the world and enslave it" bit, right? Of course it is.
...No, no, no, and how? I think I preferred it when I didn't talk to these guys.
Got me that Fried Egg at last.
Ultra Shroom Shake is one of the few single-ingredient recipes that'll get you that rainbow "you made something really awesome" effects. Incidentally, there is no good reason not to cook any Ultra Shroom Shake you get with Saffron ASAP- you can use the Ultra Shroom Shake in a handful of recipes, but usually as a substitute for a more readily available mushroom or shake.
And the Shroom Steak is a direct upgrade in every way. I'll be trying not to eat any of these, both for hoarding and also, by the time they're relevant, there's another upgrade that I'll be trying my best to turn them into.
Shooting Star.
And Block Block.
Right, as useful as you might be, I'm not bothering with that.
This is from a purchase I made for certain reasons. Is this my first purchase? There will be many more, especially since it's not just Howzit that's on the network.
What did you just say about Peach? I don't care about your magazine, who even reads that?
The Ancients traveled to many worlds to entrust people with Pure Hearts. It was to keep them safe from destruction or misuse by those with evil hearts. The Pure Hearts were drawn by their own power toward those strong with love. The Ancients used this trait to find suitable guardians in each world. And a few romances also began as a result of these little journeys... Many of the Ancients who found guardians fell in love with those they met. And so they lived their days happily in the world they'd visited out of duty. This is how the legend of the hero was passed down to future generations...
Huh, I guess that covers how we got the one from Tippi in Fort Francis, then. The only romance we know happened between an Ancient and the Guardian is the one for Chapter 6, and I don't think any of the romances we have seen associated with the guardians of the Pure Hearts so far or in the future are because of the journeys. The fact he claims romances came out of the love does kinda weaken the fact a lot of these chapters do focus on more platonic forms, with no explicit connection between the Pure Hearts and romance, just the odd romantic keeper with no matching partner.
I think even you know that's a stretch, kid?
I think the whole point of space is that it doesn't stink.
...
Squirps, I better not smell like your rear end.
I mean, I don't blame you. Chasing asteroids sounds like the most boring space thing you could be doing. This is the equivalent of cleaning up rocks.
Doesn't know, doesn't care. The call of commerce is more important.
At this point, it's their fault for not looking for someone else to take your spot.
That's one way to bounce off that agony. I'll be sorry to disappoint you.
This is the purpose of Fleep. So what's behind this place?
...
How could I not see this?
Welcome to the hall of mirrors, fortunately not so named because the walls are nothing but.
This stained-glass window depicts one of the ancient sages, Merlimbis. This gentle and loving sage is said to have created the Pure Hearts... She is a direct ancestor of the fortune-teller Merluvlee and the charmer Merlee...
This stained-glass window depicts one of the ancient sages, Merlight. He had great knowledge of all the worlds, and is said to have designed Flipside... He is a distant ancestor of Merlon, who still has many of his books at home.
The stained-glass windows in the background depict the four Ancients who created the Purity Heart, with their Tattles telling you most of the information that exists on them. We do, however, get to know which Ancient ancestors are the ones credited with which deeds. Merlee's ancestor did the Purity Heart while Merlon's did Flipside?
Puzzle-wise, hitting these blocks causes a random set of blocks to change whether they are on or off. Well, not random, but there's basically no way of guessing this code.
This stained-glass window depicts one of the ancient sages, Merloo. This sage was very wise and is even said to have written the Light Prognosticus... He was also a great magician who could control dimensions...
This stained-glass window depicts one of the ancient sages, Merlumina... The wisest of the sages, she was a leader of her people... She was also very passionate, inspiring dozens of legends of her romantic adventures...
Bestovius's answer wrote the Prognosticus, showing that the three biggest legacy items don't line up with the three descendants the Ancients left in their wake. Merlumina doesn't have anything tangible to pass down, having left behind a legacy of being good at her job in the living time period. Which is good, because her ghost doesn't seem good for much of anything.
To solve the puzzle, the game provides this clue, and the way you are expected to do this is to hit the black block first, and then hit every other block once each in order. The scrambled way that the lights change is to make it impossible to brute force a sequence other than this.
But, by complete accident, there actually is such an order! Hit blue, green, yellow, orange (5-4-3-2 for colour-blind or people with different colour names in your language) and it also works. I love that this puzzle is so complicated that it has an extra solution the devs missed.
And with that, we go to... OK, what's behind this door? You'd think I'd have saw it earlier...
Welcome to Flopside, now with a slightly different theme!
It's just like Flipside, except... floppy! Does that mean we flop into 3D here?
Either he just wants privacy or someone is in prison. We'll get that key later.
Although this guy is not being very specific with his speculation.
That's Hatch, the visionary... His hobby is to daydream... He visits Carson often to hear about adventures in other lands... He doesn't want to explore... He just likes to daydream about it...
What a hatchet job. Hatch stands in the same place as Patch, who was a window shopper to an irritating extent. Tippi says Patch is very interested in Flimm's shop, which suggests that Hatch might know something about Flimm's Flopside replacement.
Even the grandmother and granddaughter are here, too!
They're a lot different here, though.
That's Mitsy... This very serious little girl is full of very serious questions... She loves her grandmother and hopes to become just like her when she grows up...
That's Ruby... She's Mitsy's slightly strict grandmother... She used to be the Flopside beauty... Her philosophy is to not treat children like children...
Not quite as funny, but still kinda cute how they compare to the Flipside versions.
Poor Helvetica gets someone actually good at her job as her counterpart.
And she even has a more prominent job, too. An actual show writer, not just a magazine contributor. This is probably the less strict deadlines, but higher stakes for producing bad work.
Just rub it in, why don't you...
That's Garamond... He's a well-known, best-selling novelist... He writes books so quickly that there's a popular rumor... that he's multiple people... He's a pro at spinning yarns... You can count on one hand the number of equals he has...
They do say writing is an easier job for a staff of people. He wouldn't happen to be able to help the IS team, right?
The various services Flipside offers have matching counterparts in Flopside: These offer "the same" service, but usually along a different angle. Some upgrades, some sidegrades. Fondest Hopes is an upgrade over Catch a Dream, selling Catch Card SPs instead of just Catch Cards.
And also Catch Cards. You can buy any Catch Card they happen to have in stock, although the price tag is far greater than it is in a Card Bag from Catch a Dream. Good for the end of your search.
Still don't know how much better Catch Card SPs really are, but they're really good.
He'll also buy Catch Cards you're done with for whatever reason. Catch a Dream did this too.
That's Boodin, the card-shop owner... He chats with adult weekend shoppers... He prefers playing cards over collecting them...
Not in this deck, sir.
A sample of the kinds of purchases you can make from Fondest Hopes. There's a few more basic ones on top, but you get the gist. Anyway, the Catch Cards from Chapter 4:
Max HP: 4, Attack: 2. Jelliens drift around the lonely ocean of space. Maybe they've discovered the best way to get around? Intergalactic jiggling: the newest form of space travel.
I mean... in space, there is no air to stop any momentum you might gather.
Max HP: 10, Attack: 2. This space case warps around here and there. It won't bother you. Just let it do its thing.
Except when it steals one of my Catch Card SPs...
Max HP: 10, Attack: 4. This angry audiophile deafens you with sound. Loves loud music, but hates explosions. Go figure.
If you set off Boomer, "-boxer" type enemies get stunned from the loud noise. Hypocritically.
Max HP: 5, Attack: 1. What dark and evil thoughts dwell in this beast's brain? And what's so fuzzy about it anyway? It doesn't look too cuddly.
It's fuzzy, but it's not cuddly. There's a difference. Fuzzy things don't feel that nice to cuddle anyway.
Max HP: 8, Attack: 2. This bouncing bully splits in three when you stomp on it. Stomp your heart out before you get swarmed!
If they ever came in groups.
Max HP: 12, Attack: 1. Longators get in your face. They have no respect for your personal space-bubble.
That face even looks like it's having fun craning its neck into your personal space.
Max HP: 5, Attack: 1. Check out this aerial alien's sweet midair tricks. It can appear and disappear in a flash. Not even fair.
They'd be cooler if it didn't take him five seconds to do. I can do it in one.
Max HP: 15, Attack: 2. This gluey, gloppy animal will stick to any surface. Gluey and gloppy... not the best traits.
Max HP: 10, Attack: 2. This tenaciously sticky beast slides along walls and ceilings. And it even doubles as an industrial adhesive!
Ironically, Tileoid Y makes a good argument against Tileoid R's own description. I'm on Tileoid Y's side- anything is useful if you find the right use case.
Max HP: 4, Attack: 2. A round enemy that wraps itself in a force field. Round face, square shield... Triangle brain?
...I understand it is a tall ask to make all 256 of these funny, but you didn't need to try that hard.
The wall in Flopside comes pre-broken. And... a lot more derelict. There's just a lot more holes in general in Flopside.
The lovebird still sings.
And she's actually aware her husband's always off at the arcade. I think you can find him there.
...This is depressing for other reasons now.
That's Kerrie... She used to be a well-known singer... This unfortunate girl is very talented, but sadly, she has no luck... Ironically, her sadness only makes her singing even more meaningful...
The tragedy of a tragic artist. "I wish your life was better, but also your music could only exist if your life stinks."
The chef here in Flopside is named Dyllis, and sorry Saffron, we're going to be using you a lot less.
...You're supposed to tell us how to cook it. The conventional recipe is Fresh Pasta Bunch + Hot Sauce.
That's Buffy... She's a huge fan of Dyllis's cooking... She especially likes rich food... She loathes her bathroom scale... Her latest hobby is walking around to work up a big appetite...
I wouldn't worry about the number of your weight. That changes based on gravity anyway. Focus more on how your body feels.
The artist house wasn't a service in Flipside. For now, the same is true in Flopside.
This artist is a lot less friendly. I'm told this is a stereotype of the French, but I've honestly seen more jokes about it than actual examples even in fiction. Granted, I don't think I've ever met someone from France, but I'm not in the habit of asking the nationalities of the people I know in real life.
That's Bleu... He's a town painter who searches for the essence of art... He doesn't understand that his stubbornness is limiting his art... His daughter calls him "The Artist" for many reasons...
...Let's see you do better, Tippi.
She says, despite just whipping such a devastating character analysis right at her own father's face. Assuming she understands what it means.
That's Bleu's daughter, Lily... She cares for her stubborn and awkward father... She secretly wants to be an actress and spends her nights practicing lines...
I wonder if Bleu doesn't realise acting is technically art.
Anyway, say hello to Saffron's grumpy counterpart Dyllis. Despite her attitude, she holds no ill will towards Mario and resembles Zess T. only with a surface-level view. I do like how Saffron and Dyllis do kinda reflect Tayce T. and Zess T., but I don't think they made this a habit.
Dyllis has no time for "pleasantries". She is the best chef in town, and goddammit, you are going to appreciate that fact! Now sit down and shut up, dinner is served!
Compared to 64 and TTYD, two-ingredient cooking has been streamlined because Dyllis will only cook two-ingredient recipes. There will be no futzing around with "actually, I just wanted you to cook the one thing" with her. The downside, of course, is that Dyllis is on the other end of town to Saffron.
Show us what you've got.
Dyllis's cooking ditty is identical to Saffron's, but she uses a different animation: She throws her ladle into the air, does all the cooking, and once she's done, she turns back and catches the ladle. It's not like it's an essential cooking ingredient anyway.
...Well, that was a waste of a Dayzee Tear. You can get the same results with Big Egg + Shroom Shake, even! Seeing how much more convenient recipes there are... whew.
YES MA'AM!
If you decide not to cook, Dyllis will berate you, but not as severely as Zess T. would, or even as much as you'd expect her to, given her no-nonsense attitude.
That's Dyllis, the chef... She'll mix two ingredients to make you a dish... She works into the night, experimenting with recipes that customers will enjoy... Her eyes always look mad from lack of sleep...
...OK, "no nonsense" is fine, but you might want to let in a little nonsense...
Dyllis's Dining Specialiser is hooked up to the same network that Saffron's is, and any Cooking Disks you install on one are accessible on the other. Pretty much every other Cooking Disk will be primarily about two-ingredient recipes, and yes, it has been impossible to find any more until Dyllis opened to the player.
This guy is probably my favourite example of the Flipside/Flopside inversions. His counterpart in Flipside, Otto, proudly proclaimed basic game information and urged you to keep it on the quiet. This advice is something new players are not likely to try and is helpful to have on hand. Well, I don't think there's enough one-tile abysses to try this out on here in SPM, but you get the idea. Try it out in the platformers, it opens options up!
That's Ditto... He's a bit of a weakling... He sometimes has valuable information... His laid back personality can be charming... The women around town adore him...
Who doesn't love a man who actually tells you interesting things?
The old man is a lot less jovial, owing to his suspicion that he'll probably die of old age before the Void swallows him whole. I mean... I wasn't going to say it.
Although 80 isn't quite death's door...
That's Harold... It's one struggle after another for this patient 80-year-old... He's old-school and keeps his feelings to himself...
I mean, he made it quite clear how he felt to me just now. Tippi's not talking about that, though.
His wife isn't as happy to see him as Harold's is.
I'd call it a mid-life crisis, but even if 80 isn't horrible, it's not that young. Empty nest is more accurate.
That's Gertrude, Harold's wife... She's endured struggles at her husband's side... This 78 year-old has been thinking more and more about their relationship...
...You got married at 18? I'm impressed you made it to 60 years, but I'm not entirely surprised it wasn't a happy one the whole way through.
The card kid's counterpart is... less enthused about the hobby.
Someone, stop him before he gets trapped in the loop like I am!
That's Patta... This boy takes everything very seriously... He hates trends, but also hates being left behind by them... He feels the need to justify his every move before he can make one...
Considering how obnoxious some trendy people can be, it's not unreasonable to hate being left out of trends. You're basically being screamed at about the new thing regardless.
The counterparts to the Underwhere and Flimm are not accessible in this visit to Flopside. They're the only parts that aren't, and I suspect it's because of the counterpart to the arcade.
Everything else, though? Go right ahead!
...I am morbidly curious, too, but let's not succumb to that urge.
That's Chet... He flirts with girls, gets shot down, and gets depressed... He's working on setting a new record for rejection now, so he's in a foul mood...
...Wow. I guess he makes the best of a bad situation in more situations, but...
This is the counterpart to Muffy the tour guide, Lucy. In the PAL version, where Muffy became Lucy, this girl became Lacy. Which... does kind of feel a bit racy.
We can't get the key now, by the way.
That's Lucy... She's an independent girl who lives by her own rules... People don't always understand her, but she has a noble heart... Her favorite word is "drama!" She's always seeking things to make her heart race...
Sometimes, you get opposites. Other times, you get complements.
So, say hello to Merlon's counterpart.
In addition to being the mirror counterpart, Merlon's signature "oh ho!" laugh has been turned into the far harder to say "ho oh!"
Plot-wise, this is the revelation of what Flopside is, although the player probably got over it a bit after all that time on the first floor.
Unlike the other Ancient descendants, this guy isn't a Merl-. He is purely an inverse of Merlon, with the dumbest name they could've picked. Probably on purpose.
Peach: What in the world?
Bowser: How does THAT make sense?
Bowser is having none of it. I'm not inclined to disagree.
This... is an incredibly weird system of government. Also way to go on never bringing this up, Merlon.
Peach: Who knew this town had such a secret...
Bowser: Urrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggh... I feel like my brain is gonna explode! THIS IS CRAZY TALK!
Once again, I'm with Bowser. Peach warming up to the idea is probably the opinion the game wants us to take. We'll just go with it to save questioning it.
This seems... sound, but more on paper than in practice.
All the Heart Pillars are in the same places that they were in Flipside, but with new puzzles hiding them. The first one, of course, is on 3F.
Well, goodbye then.
That's Nolrem... He's a descendant of the Ancients just like Merlon... He's working with Merlon to decipher the Light Prognosticus... His aura is a little colder and less approachable than Merlon's... But some like that about him, and he's popular among the ladies in town...
Of course he is. I wasn't feeling him already, and it turns out he really is that kind of fellow. We'll be sticking with Merlon, thank you.
Flopside Outskirts is open immediately, although there's some parts blocked off by later abilities.
You misheard. That will be the least of your worries.
That's Karla... This young lady hates things that are not stylish... She has some self-loathing, too... She actually wishes she were more accepting...
Acceptance is the first step on the path towards improvement.
Another one? I really hate dealing with these losers.
This entire conversation is just kinda... viscerally disgusting.
That's Slim... He's a young man with keen vision and great observation skills... But he only uses his skills to look at girls... He constantly ponders the difference between "loving" and "being in love"...
Merluvlee's services have been replaced by something completely different, but thematically similar enough that the little girl obsessed with it can have similar dialogue.
That's Winnie... She loves casting charms... But not everyone can be a pro charmer... What she lacks is confidence...
Tippi's insights into the characters I'm Tattling can get really deep compared to the lines of dialogue we have to work off on first impression. What cheat sheet does she have?
It's Merlee! I don't think Merlee appears in Gloam Valley on repeat visits, and her Tattle reflects it.
So much for only Merlon and Nolrem knowing about Flipside and Flopside. Although perhaps she isn't aware of Flipside and happens to be an inhabitant of elsewhere in the world that is fooled.
She doesn't explain her Charms, but since her name is Merlee, you can probably figure out the gist. In practice, she will create a mediocre item drop every few kills. Bigger Charms give more items.
Why would I want more items? I want to get rid of the ones I have!
That's Merlee, the charmer... Her spells are empowering when you're in a bind... She lives in a large mansion in Gloam Valley, but moved here to help the heroes... She and Flipside's fortune-teller, Merluvlee, were rivals when they were classmates...
...No longer sisters?
Over in 3D here, we can find the most important NPC in all of Flopside. If you do only one thing, do this. And bring money.
Welderberg, the chicken nugget, is capable of creating brand new Warp Pipes. Hey, you knew it had to be somebody, right?
Welderberg will make a total of three Warp Pipes around Flipside and Flopside, with this one being the first one most players will encounter. I think you can make one of his other, Flipside-only pipes beforehand, but why bother?
Hells. Yeah. If you don't do this, you're going through the Mirror Hall every time you want to go to Flopside- the Return Pipe will only ever take us to Flipside Tower. Well, OK, it does go to Flopside in rare circumstances.
300 coins is a small price to pay for this absolutely crucial convenience to travelling around the hub world. Especially if we're going to be making a lot of Dyllis goodies.
Not rich, am I?
Despite these 300 coins being allegedly for materials and labour, Welderberg is able to start and complete the pipe on the spot. Looks at him suspiciously.
The pipe can now stand, unattended, for the rest of the game. Nobody in Flipside or Flopside seems to be too curious, although it does turn out that some of the Flipside/Flopside folk do cross over eventually. At any rate, there is never any reason for us to be worried about not having this pipe. And hey, it's an elevator ride away from where we fall down jumping off Flipside Tower.
No need to flatter me, I'll be glad to give you more money.
That's Welderberg... Give this pipe maker coins and he'll dig pipes for you... He might not look like much, but he's a master at his specialized craft... If you've got the coins to spare, you should have him dig you a pipe...
Now that is a chicken nugget.
Welcome back to this side.
(Also went and cooked this for myself while I was here.
Already we have our first rainbow recipe with Dyllis.
...Not that it actually gives that much more healing. Dyllis Breakfast can be cooked with a whopping 200 combinations, but I think Inky Soup + Shroom Shake is the best one if you don't want to do any Saffron cooking first. Spicy Soup might be more convenient at that point.
Inga's Inn, incidentally, fully heals you like Tinga's. There doesn't seem to be much use for this.
Inga gives a complimentary breakfast after your stay, which is the real perk of staying here instead. Think of it as a weird kind of purchase.
Mushroom gets you a Dried Shroom, Flower gets you a Peachy Peach, and Star gets you a Slimy Shroom. I believe this is the only place to find the latter two without RNG drops. Might also be the same for Dried Shrooms, but...
This part, of course, is unaltered.
...Really, miss? What kind of service is that?
That's Inga, a hotelier... She's a sly strategist who never stops smiling... Her plan is to rise above all with impeccable service... She hopes to own a hotel chain...
Yeah, uh, hiding the complimentary breakfast is a bad way of doing that. That's when your brain is working the least!
It's here in 3D, of course.
There's a few other cooking ingredients that combine with the Long-Last Shake that give Gradual Syrup, but I'm not entirely sure if those would be cheaper.
Incidentally, this is proof that the Chocolate Bars and Space Food can be cooked with Dyllis. Although if you just want them in the recipe log, the freebies will do.
We never get the ability to fly. I think that would break the game too much. Especially if it was a Pixl (and thus available to Mario). Peach, combined with a later Pixl, can come close.
Fair enough.
That's Puck... This boy is always looking at the sky... He dreams of leaving this town and living on a summit or somewhere high up...
His counterpart, Pook, isn't quite as much of a big dreamer. Either that or he's planning on exploring the seas.
This guy, meanwhile, is another tower fanatic.
And is just as much of a snobby conossieur of them as Skeet.
That's Pete... He's a tower fanatic... He's an interior decorator by trade...but his work's piled up since he's always here... His inbox is now a tower...
"We have a tower at home."
Tower at home:
Figured Bowser earned a turn setting one of these in.
Besides, this is a world I like using Bowser in.
It's called "we do them or everybody dies."
Thanks for the heads up. Thankfully, we're already heading that way. They know where we're going.
And can get there in a flash.
...That's all we're going with, Tippi? No indicator of what that was and how likely it is to happen again?
Oh, I suppose the cutscene needs to begin in earnest first. And that will be done from the side the game expects us to approach from.
...Again, no pressure. Except the arbirtrary Tippi doors. Never mind.
What is with this weird Tippi/Mario angle they keep pushing? It doesn't even fit with the rest of her character, even as a "obligatory heterosexuality" moment.
Such critical knowledge.
Anyway, now that we have Tippi back, I go back to Flopside to pick up all those Tattles I've been showing you.
And also poking around back here.
In Flipside, this was a row of brick blocks with no pipe. Here, it is the other way around. Same puzzle, though.
Speaking of the same puzzle, there's another staircase of 1x1 blocks to reveal with Tippi for a prize.
Unlike Flipside, the staircase wraps around on itself, coming in from the left-hand side.
These blocks are impossible for Peach to escape, you have to go through with Mario if you're dropped down here. Peach can go over them, but if you fall from above...
Anyway, up we get.
This one is also a Cooking Disk, like its twin.
No indication where to find this pipe, though.
In place of the fourth Heart Pillar in Flipside is a spot for the Pure Heart, but no matching Pillar. Chapter 7 doesn't give us any additional abilities, which requires the game to use alternative means to lock us out of it. They do kinda have a justification, but it's very much a justification and not a natural consequence.
This is just conventionally locked.
That's Notso... He's a hard-working shop employee... He's unselfish and content with his life making coins... For some reason, he's always happy...
Flopside's Notso is not quite as optimistic as Howzit, but he's still pretty close. Although I'm not sure a shop-owner counts as unselfish.
Notso's inventory. You'll never be out of Ultra Shroom Shakes, although that is quite the price for them. We've also got Mighty Tonics, for Atk ups to shred bosses even faster, Gold Medals give 10,000 points on use, while Gold Bars x3 are worth more when sold to the right shop. I'll be buying a lot of those for money purposes.
This is actually useful in a few recipes, particularly Shroom Delicacy. Not in any of the ones on the list I used, though.
Moving on. Apparently didn't feel like logging on with the Cooking Disk yet. I missed another available one anyway- this is going to get massive when I finally get there. So buckle up for that.
Next time: Get your crag on, bruh.
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