Actually, the day in Peach’s Castle starts quite harmlessly. Luigi accompanies a toad to the attic to investigate the cause of an unusual draft. Above a bookshelf is a small pit in the wall, which Luigi should go to the bottom of. Jump with the B button on the shelves on the right and approach the opening. Suddenly a mouse appears, which frightens Luigi and his companion. In the subsequent excitement Luigi falls off the shelf, swirls a lot of dust and pushes down a mysterious book through a strong sneeze. When it opens, numerous paper figures escape and spread throughout the Mushroom Kingdom. In addition to paper toads and other well-known inhabitants, some unpleasant figures from the paper world also arrive in Mario’s homeland.
The action then moves to the throne room, where Mario and Princess Peach wait for Luigi. Surprisingly, he brings a second princess: Paper Peach. While the two princesses try to understand the unusual situation, a blue toad tells of strange, razor-thin residents who have appeared all over the palace. Princess Peach wants to get the frightened Papier-Toads to safety and asks Mario and Luigi to search for them. Before you leave the throne room, you will receive a manual that also explains the menu and storage options. In addition, you can already switch between the available actions and use Mario’s Hammer. First smash the two “blocks” in the throne room, each containing a coin, and then go through the southern door into the large entrance hall.
Find all eight paper toads in Peach’s Castle
In the entrance hall, your first real search task begins. In total, there are eight paper toads hidden here that you have to find before the story continues. Some are almost open, others disguise themselves as objects or use their flat shape to hide behind the furnishings. Start at the upper left gallery and talk to Paper Peach. Choose the last answer option in the conversation so that it helps you with the search. This brings the first paper toad out of hiding. Then go to the right side of the gallery and descend the stairs. Behind the base of the large star-shaped decoration on the right is the second paper toad hidden. Run behind the star and talk to him to collect him as well.
In the lower part of the hall you will find a multi-colored Bros.-Crystal block on the right. Strike it alternately with Mario and Luigi, paying attention to the changing paint or the icon displayed. Red stands for Mario and green for Luigi. You must hit the Block with the appropriate brother until its contents are fully released. In addition to coins, three other paper toads jump out. So you have already found five of the eight wanted residents. Then continue on to the southeastern corner of the hall. There are several decorative columns with golden mushrooms. On or on one of these pillars hides the sixth paper toad. Examine the golden mushroom decoration more closely and get him out of hiding.
The last two paper toads can be found on the left side of the entrance hall. First, look for the group of? blocks and strike against the extreme left Block. A paper toad has hidden on it, which falls down by the hit. Nearby, an ordinary Toad also walks around. Pay attention to the supposed reflection or the shadow that moves next to him. In fact, this is the eighth paper toad, which uses its flat shape as camouflage. Speak directly to the suspicious shadow so that it reveals itself. This means that all eight paper toads are found and the search task is completed.
After a successful search, Mario and Luigi return to the throne room. There, paper Princess Peach reports that not only friendly residents have escaped from the mysterious book. Papier-Bowser and many of his minions are now also in the Mushroom Kingdom. Some paper toads have already been spotted outside the palace and are being followed by Goombas. This means that the two brothers have to leave the palace and also take care of the inhabitants outside the castle walls.
More blocks and a free 1-UP mushroom
Before you break up, you should completely examine the entrance hall again. After returning from the throne room, four more? blocks are available. On the two upper galleries you will receive five coins each. Then descend the stairs and open the Crystal block on the left, which contains three mushrooms. The Crystal block on the right will bring you another five coins. Take these items with you now before exploring the adjacent rooms. Although the first blocks of the palace are not yet counted as part of the later official Crystal block collection statistics, we still collect their contents for as complete a run as possible.
In the middle of the hall also walks a toad with a delivery bag. Speak to him. He lost a mushroom on his delivery and urgently needs a replacement. Since you have just collected three mushrooms from the Crystal block, you can easily leave one of them to him. As a thank you, he gives you a 1-UP mushroom with which a brother who is incapable of fighting can be revived. This exchange is especially worthwhile at the beginning of the game, as 1-UP mushrooms are much more valuable than ordinary medicinal mushrooms.
Nabbit and the First Bros. Attacks
Enter the western room of the entrance hall. There is great excitement here: Nabbit has gained access to the palace and much of the carefully kept Bros. Attacks are stolen. The Toads present can no longer stop the nimble thief and have to watch him disappear with his spoils. Fortunately, two attacks have been left, which Mario and Luigi receive immediately. Mario gets the Red Tank 3D while Luigi can use the Fire Flower. Both attacks are now available to you in battles and consume three BP each. The remaining stolen attacks will be gradually brought back in the course of the game or replaced by new techniques.
In the Red Tank 3D, Mario and Luigi play a red Koopa tank to each other. Always press the brother’s button where the tank is arriving. With each hit, the distance becomes shorter and the time window for the next keystroke becomes smaller. The Fire Flower works differently: Both brothers throw fireballs on their Enemies. Press the displayed button one after the other as quickly as possible until the attack changes to the other brother. Towards the end, both brothers must attack together. The better you master the keys, the more damage these attacks do. Further locations and activation conditions can be found in our overview of all Bros. Attacks.
Before you leave the western room again, you should open the three? blocks at the rear end. Together they contain 20 coins. Also examine the locked door in the north of the room. Behind this, several paper toads can already be heard, who apparently want to work on something bigger, but need even more helpers. At the moment, the door cannot be opened, but this space will play an important role for the later paper figures.
The shop in the eastern palace wing
Return to the entrance hall and enter the eastern room. Here are the shops of Peach’s Castle. Before you talk to the dealers, open the two? blocks in the room. One contains ten coins, the other three syrup glasses. The latter is partially covered by a pole on the right side and can therefore be easily overlooked. You will need Syrup Jar later to restore the BP of your brothers and especially strong Bros. Attacks can be used more often.
At the shop counter you can already buy various healing objects and equipment. Especially boots, hammers and clothing improve the fighting qualities of Mario and Luigi. However, since we are still at the beginning of the adventure and the first Enemies cause little damage, you do not have to spend all your money immediately. If you have already collected enough coins, you can buy an inexpensive upgrade for the equipment. Part of the range, especially the character cards, will only become available later. Then leave the store and return to the entrance hall.
Toadette and the copy crystal block
Now go towards the southern exit. Just before you can leave the palace, you are stopped by Toadette. She shows Mario and Luigi a small figure, which she made out of paper. It is already clear that she wants to produce much larger constructions with the support of Papier-Toads. Some of the saved paper toads also appear and hand you a special item: the copy crystal block.
At the moment you can not do much with this Block. His actual function will only become clear once Paper Mario has joined the group. Then he can create multiple copies of himself, making his attacks stronger and allowing him to survive multiple enemy hits. Therefore, keep the copy crystal block in mind, even if Mario and Luigi cannot use it for the time being.
Departure to Sunbeam Plains
Leave Peach’s Castle through the southern exit and enter the castle courtyard. Here you will find a Heart-Block, with which you can completely fill up the HP and BP of the brothers. Right next to it are two more? blocks, which together contain 15 coins. Then talk to the Lakitu who is hovering nearby. He explains to you that even outside the castle numerous paper toads need help. Later, the Lakitus will play an important role in organizing the rescue missions.
The first battles take place on the Sunbeam Plains, which you reach via the eastern exit of the castle courtyard. Mario and Luigi first meet two paper Goombas. Take the opportunity to get to know the combat system: Mario is controlled with the A button, Luigi with the B button. If you press the correct button shortly before impacting an Enemies, the attack is intensified. You can also avoid enemy attacks by timely jump. The new Bros. Attacks from the palace are already available to you and are particularly suitable against several Enemies or stronger Goombas.
Before you explore the level further, you should also take the reachable coins and? blocks with you. Some multi-colored Bros. blocks again require Mario and Luigi to jump in the right order. Other paths are initially blocked by gates or low crevices. These obstacles are later overcome with the new abilities of the brothers and paper Marios. First, follow the path north and east. In the further course of the Sunbeam Plains, the duo finally meets Paper Mario, who joins after a fight against a larger group of Paper Goombas. Due to its flat shape, it can squeeze through narrow openings and thus reach areas that remain hidden to Mario and Luigi.
This concludes the entry into Peach’s Castle. All eight hidden paper toads were rescued, the initially available blocks opened and the first two Bros. Attacks and the copy crystal block. The adventure continues on the Sunbeam Plains, where we receive Paper Mario as the third playable character and begin the next Paper Toad rescue missions.