After defeating the football chucks in the Doop Doop Dunes, the southern bridge takes you back to the Twinsy Tropics. Our real goal this time is not in the Toad village, but deep under the islands. In the Rogueport Underground, Mario, Luigi and Paper Mario discovered a large door with Bowser’s emblem during their first flee, which could not be opened at that time. We now own the matching Bowser brand that Bowser Jr. and Papier-Bowser Jr. lost on Mount Brrr. With her we should finally be able to uncover the secret way to Bowser’s Castle. The paper Goomba, whom we helped during our imprisonment, continues to accompany the group and claims to be very knowledgeable in the underground corridors.
After the change of territory, first follow the narrow bridge to the south and open the first one? Block for 50 coins. A little further away, a Toad speaks to you, who warns of the new cardboard obstacles. With the trio drill you can easily dig under the large paper surfaces. Also examine the X markings in the ground, because there are other coins and beans underneath. Some of the high cardboard platforms also have? blocks on their top, which you can not reach at the moment. For these positions we later need the Trio Glider. We therefore leave them out for the time being and focus on the items along our current route.
The new way through the Twinsy Tropics
Drill south under the two major cardboard obstacles and reappear on the other side. Immediately after that is a? Block with ten coins. Follow the road southwest and open another 50-coin crystal block on the next lead. On the western edge, a small bridge leads to a remote lead. Cross them and collect another ten coins from the Crystal block there. Then you drop down on the lower beach platform. From here you can see another bridge to the northwest, at the end of which an additional one? There is a block of ten coins.
The western stretch of beach is now guarded by stronger cheep cheeps and isolated sea urchins. Especially the Cheep-Cheeps can surprise Mario, Luigi and Paper Mario with fast jump attacks. Observe their movement and avoid as far as possible with a well-timed jump. Against the sea urchins you should avoid ordinary jump attacks and instead the hammer or a suitable bros. use of attack. If you search the beach further west, will you finally reach a hidden one? Block with a silver statue. Compare the equipment item directly with the already collected accessories and take it with you before you go back.
Return over the small bridge to the southeastern platform and then follow the lower path west. Several cardboard surfaces again block the passage. Dig through it with the Trio Drill and use the Trio Grab at the end of the route to pull you across the water gap on the opposite wire. This will take you back to an already known area of the Twinsy Tropics, where the Lakitu Info Center is also located. Numerous paper-fire-piranha plants have now spread here. They are significantly more dangerous than ordinary piranha plants and can shoot several fireballs shortly after each other. If you want to gain additional experience, you can defeat them. Pay particular attention to the distances between their floors and keep Maria’s paper copies up.
The main path leads from here to the south, but for our complete run it is worth a detour to the Toad village in the west. In the shops are now offered stronger healing objects and equipment. Paper Mario in particular can benefit from new clothes and improved boots, as the upcoming Enemies cause significantly more damage than during the first island visit. Below the village is also a green warp pipe, through which you can use already unlocked travel connections. If you want to catch up on individual collectibles later, it is a practical abbreviation.
The Toad Quiz and the Last Beach Blocks
Leave the Toad village to the south and talk again to the wise Toad waiting near the beach trail. On our first visit, he wasn’t ready for his quiz yet. Now you can accept his challenge. As with the previous Toad quizzes, you have to answer three of five randomly selected questions correctly. The themes range from the previous opponents and Bros. Attacks up to specific items and events from the adventure. For successful completion, you get three brother beans that permanently improve your status values. Take this reward with you now, so that later we do not have to return to this stretch of beach alone.
Then go to the southern end of the area. In the west you can see new cardboard bridges that were not yet available on our first visit. Cross the first bridge and open both? blocks on the opposite side. They contain 100 coins and anti-air boots for Mario and Luigi respectively. These boots are particularly interesting against flying Enemies, which we will encounter more often in the coming sections. Then return across the bridge and follow the path east. On the raised cardboard projections you can overcome several abysses with normal jumps and the Trio Grab. However, some of the higher blocks remain reserved for the later trio Glider.
Follow the path further east until you finally reach a large bridge again. Right in front of it is a Heart-Block, which allows you to completely fill up the HP and BP of all three characters. Use it and save your progress. Then cross the bridge and talk to the paper Goomba, who is already waiting on the other side. He shows you a green warp pipe that leads under the island. This connection brings us back to the Twinsy Tropics rogueport underground. Initially, the warp pipe can only be used in one direction, which is why you should have done everything important on the surface beforehand.
The Treason of Paper Goombas
Join the Paper Goomba and descend through the Warp Pipe. After landing, Mario, Luigi and Paper Mario are back in the dark corridors through which they have already walked during their prison breakout. Follow the path to the east first. Shortly after, the paper Goomba suddenly stops and asks to take a closer look at the Bowser brand. Mario shows him the badge, but the Goomba barely holds it in his hands, he calls several of Bowser’s guards. The supposed friendship turns out to be a trap: the paper Goomba accompanied the three heroes only to steal the brand from them.
Two Fire brothers appear and take the badge for themselves. Subsequently, several guards are distributed over the adjacent cave rooms. The paper Goomba gets out of the dust while Mario, Luigi and Paper Mario are left without the brand. Since we absolutely need them for the big gate, we have no choice but to track down the guards. This begins the DK Island Swing rescue mission for the Bowser brand, where you have to search the Rogueport Underground Fire brothers for the stolen item.
Bringing back the Bowser brand
The search spans three interconnected rooms of the Rogueport Underground. Everywhere, Fire brothers patrol a fight when touched. However, only one of the guards actually carries the Bowser brand with him. If you defeat a wrong Fire Bro, he will tell you a hint about the right Enemies. This way you can gradually narrow down the search area. The fewer false guardians you fight beforehand, the higher the additional coin reward will be at the end of the mission. For a complete run, it is therefore worthwhile to look for the right Enemies as directly as possible.
From the starting point you first go through the well-known cave passages east to the extreme right search room. Here are several small islands connected by wooden bridges and the Trio Grab. Stay northwest in the room and find an island on which stands a single green Luigi crystal block. In this area, the searched Fire Bro runs around. Don’t just speak to him, but touch him directly so that the fight begins. Once you defeat him, you get the stolen Bowser stamp back and the mission ends without having to fight all the other guards.
The Fire Brothers‘ Attacks
During the search, you will encounter several Fire brothers and Paper Fire brothers for the first time. The ordinary Fire brothers often attack from both sides and throw their fireballs at a single character. Jump over the arriving floors in time for them to meet the opposite brother. This allows you to cause additional damage during the opposing round. Some Fire brothers also throw larger fireballs into the air, which only later fall back on the battlefield. Watch which brother is targeted and keep the hammer ready as soon as the projectile reappears.
The paper variants have different attack patterns. They first throw up fireballs and then repeatedly hit them back and forth between Mario, Luigi and Paper Mario. Pay attention to the target character displayed and counter the balls with the matching hammer. Especially when several Fire brothers fight together, you should reduce their life energy as quickly as possible in order to shorten the long episodes of attacks. Since the Paper Fire brothers themselves are sensitive to Fire, Luigi’s Fire Flower and Mario’s bomb derby can be particularly effective.
After the successful reconquest, the paper Goomba finally disappears from the current section. Starlow would like to follow him immediately, but Mario and Luigi have more important plans. With the Bowser brand, we can finally open the secret access to Bowser’s Castle. Therefore, return to the well-known Heart-Block in the middle rogueport underground and replenish your HP and BP completely if necessary. From there, the shortest route leads twice east and then north to the big gate.
Open the Bowser Door
Walk from the Heart-Block through the eastern passages and use the Trio Grab along the way to cross already stretched bridges. After two changes of territory, you reach the long northern cave passage, at the end of which stands the large door with Bowser’s emblem. We visited this place during our first imprisonment, but could not do anything at that time. Stand right in front of the emblem and examine the door. Mario puts the reclaimed Bowser brand in the appropriate recess. Then the large gate begins to quake and slowly descends into the ground.
Behind the gate opens a previously inaccessible cave section. Right in front of you, you can see a high sandy wall that extends to an upper platform. With the skills of our first visit, we could not have progressed here either. However, we now own the Trio Drill. Therefore, dig into the lower sand surface and perform a drill sprint upwards. Follow the soft material along the wall until you reach a suitable opening, and then sprint across the abyss to the opposite side. From there, you can catapult yourself to the upper platform.
The conveyor belts behind the Bowser door
On the upper platform, a new area of the rogueport underground begins. Here, long conveyor belts transport large quantities of the purple ore towards Bowser’s Castle. Apparently, the underground caves serve not only as a prison, but also as a delivery route for the numerous raw materials that Bowser’s troops dismantle. In this section you will encounter several Horned Ant Troopers for the first time. The small armored Enemies wear pointed helmets and therefore have a particularly high defense. Do not jump on them ill-considered, but use the hammer if possible. Once their helmet has been damaged or destroyed, they are much easier to defeat.
First, open the two? blocks on the first platform. They contain 50 and 100 coins. Then follow the path east until you reach an intersection with several conveyor belts. One leads north, another to the right. We start with the eastern byway, as there are several valuable items there. Jump onto the Conveyor Belt and move east with it. While driving, several coins hang over the treadmill, which you can collect with the team jump. At the other end stand three? blocks with 100 coins, two ultra fungi and another 100 coins.
For the return journey you have to move against the direction of travel of the conveyor belt. With normal Dash, you progress only slowly. Therefore, activate the sprint socks and use the joint jump to return to the intersection faster. Follow the northern Conveyor Belt and defeat the Horned Ant Trooper on the next platform. It says a? Block with 100 coins. Take them with you and then move east over the next Conveyor Belt.
On the other hand, two more? blocks are waiting. One contains a double 1-UP mushroom, the other 50 coins. Open both and move on to the next Conveyor Belt. Here you will meet several Horned Ant Troopers again. Especially if they occur in groups, you should weaken them as early as possible with strong hammer or trio attacks. The Trio Whirligig is also suitable if you have enough BP and the Enemies are not protected by their helmets against the selected attack.
South of the last conveyor belt line is a folded wooden bridge. Stand on their edge and use the Trio Grab to draw them to you. Cross the new transition, defeat the Enemies on the opposite side and head to the southwest corner. It says a? Block with another 100 coins. Then you return to the main path and follow it to the green warp pipe in the east. It takes us into a previously completely unknown area of the Twinsy Tropics.
The island with the large crystal
After driving through the Warp Pipe, Mario, Luigi and Paper Mario reach a remote little island. In its center is another green warp pipe, which is completely enclosed by a huge crystal. Ordinary hammer strikes do nothing against the hard material. Next to the Warp Pipe is a Toad, who also does not know how to remove the barrier. However, he reports of several strange shells on the surrounding islands. Apparently, they are related to the crystal and could be the solution to the puzzle.
Right next to the Toad is a Heart-Block. Use it and save your progress. On the map you can see that the middle island is surrounded by three smaller islands. Each has its own green warp pipe that leads into an underground puzzle room. There is a large color switch, which must be activated with the Trio Hammer. Once a color switch has been operated, the associated shell opens on the surface and sends a beam of light onto the large crystal. If all three beams are active, the barrier disappears and we can use the middle warp pipe.
The Eastern Island: Drilling Through the Light Rings
Start with the island in the east. Stand on the right edge of the main island and use the Trio Tomb to pull you to the opposite side on the red wire. Defeat the waiting paper fire piranha plants and first open the reachable? blocks. They contain 50 coins and two ultra-syrup glasses. We should definitely take the syrup glasses with us, because they allow additional special attacks for the upcoming boss fight. After that, go to the green warp pipe and descend.
In the underground space you will find several blocks distributed along the lower path. First collect the 50 coins, 100 coins, another 50 coins, an Ultra Nut and another 100 coins before you dedicate yourself to the actual climbing route. Then you go to the eastern end of the room. There begins a large sandy wall, in which numerous rotating light rings float. With the Trio Drill you can jump from one ring to the next to finally reach the large color switch in the upper level.
Use the rotating light rings correctly
First drill into the sandy wall and follow it up until you reach the first ring. Once the trio drill is in a ring, it begins to rotate and points in different directions one after the other. The alignment of the respective next ring is decisive. You can only jump successfully if both rings point in the right direction. Therefore, wait until the openings are correctly positioned relative to each other and only then carry out a drill sprint. The trio drill shoots through the air and lands in the next ring.
Work your way from ring to ring through the entire room. Especially at longer intervals, you should not already sprint while the next ring is still rotating. Watch its movement and wait until it is open exactly in your direction of flight. A clean drilling sprint is then sufficient to reach it. On the way, you can also examine several X marks on the sandy walls. Among them are additional coins and beans, which you should collect directly for as complete a run as possible.
Once you overcome the last ring, you will reach a high platform with a large white crystal switch. Stand in front of it and use the Trio Hammer. The common stroke breaks or activates the crystal mechanism. A short intermediate sequence shows how on the surface the first shell opens and directs a strong light beam at the central barrier. This activates the first of the three beams.
Afterwards, drop back to the bottom and go through the familiar path to the green warp pipe. Use them to return to the eastern island. The first shell stays open permanently, so you don’t have to repeat this puzzle.
The northern island: two ring routes
Return to the central island and go north from there. Use the Trio Grab again to cross the water gap to the next island. Here is another green warp pipe that leads into a second big mystery room. Get down and examine the lower area first. Northwest of the entrance stands on a small lead? Block with 50 coins. Further west you will find two more blocks with 100 and 50 coins. All over the west, there is also an equipment block with the setback clothing DX. Take them and compare their characteristics with your previous clothes before you dedicate yourself to the ring puzzles.
In the northern center of the room you can see a large sandy wall. Dig in with the trio drill and follow the way up. This is where the first of two ring puzzles begins. As on the eastern island, the light rings rotate regularly and change their orientation. Wait until the openings match each other and shoot yourself into the next ring with a drill sprint. Unlike the previous puzzle, the path here is a bit more nested. Some rings are not directly next to each other, but are much higher or further to the left. Therefore, pay attention to the connection direction before you loseprint.
After several successful jumps, you reach an upper platform. To the right of it, the second ring section begins immediately. Work here from ring to ring and wait for the appropriate orientations. Especially the last two rings are a bit more difficult, because the openings point to each other only for a short moment. Do not try to force the jump. Since there is no time limit, you can watch the movements in peace and wait for a safe opportunity.
At the end of the second ring route you will land next to the next white crystal switch. Destroy him with the Trio Hammer. On the surface, the second shell opens and sends its light beam to the central crystal. The barrier is already beginning to react clearly, but one last beam is still missing. Then drop down and return to the northern island through the green warp pipe.
The Southwestern Island: The Spider Web Labyrinth
For the third and final beam you have to go to the southwestern island. First, return to the central island and move west with the Trio Tomb. There, a short way south leads to another green warp pipe. Before descending, you should open the blocks on the southwestern edge. They contain 50 and 100 coins. Then you enter the warp pipe and reach an underground room, whose paths are blocked by large spider webs.
The nets cannot be eliminated with ordinary jumps or hammer strikes. Instead, you have to use the sprint socks and run through it at high speed. The tighter a network is woven, the more resistance it offers. At the beginning, you should therefore pay attention to which openings you get through as quickly as possible. Some of the thinner nets tear on a single sprint, while you lose significantly more time on particularly dense obstacles.
Before we start the actual time puzzle, we first pick up two hidden objects. Go directly south from the entrance and sprint through the spider webs there. At the end of the path you reach a small platform with two? blocks. In it are a rally belt for Mario or Luigi and 100 coins. Open both and then return to the room entrance via the same path.
The 38-Second Mystery
Directly at the entrance is a striking red! Block. Once you hit it, a countdown of 38 seconds begins. During this time you have to cross the entire spiderweb maze and the second red one! Reach the block at the opposite end. The path leads first through several rows of spider webs, then through a narrow central aisle with sludge surfaces and finally through another group of particularly dense webs.
Before the start, position yourself so that you can run straight into the first network row if possible. Activate the Color Switch and start with a sprint immediately. It is crucial that you select the thinnest spot for each network row. There are fewer threads and the sprint destroys the obstacle faster. If you try to move through the densest spot instead, you lose several precious seconds. Therefore, observe the structure briefly before you reach the next row, and if possible keep the direction once taken.
Approximately in the middle of the labyrinth you reach a narrow path covered by mud. On the sludge, the movement speed is significantly reduced. Jump over the muddy spots with the entire trio and, if necessary, use Maria’s paper floating ability to stay in the air as long as possible. It is particularly important that you do not make an abrupt change of direction immediately after landing. Run straight ahead and activate the sprint as soon as you have solid ground under your feet.
After the middle aisle, further spider webs follow on the western side. Also here you should choose the place with the fewest threads. Do not try to completely destroy all networks if there is already a sufficiently wide passage. Instead, immediately move on to the next obstacle. At the end of the track is the second red one! Block. Jump against it from below before the countdown expires. If you succeed in time, the passage is permanently unlocked and the puzzle is completed.
If the time runs out, all you have to do is go back to the first color switch and start a new attempt. The objects already collected are preserved. It is particularly helpful to remember during the first attempt which network rows have the thinnest passages. Once you know the right route and overcome the mud with joint jumps, the countdown can be met without much difficulty.
Activate the third crystal switch
After the successful time puzzle you go west through the now open passageway. There is the last big white crystal switch waiting. Put Mario, Luigi and Paper Mario right in front of it and use the Trio Hammer. The joint strike destroys the mechanism and opens the third shell on the surface. Their beam of light, along with the other two, strikes the large crystal that blocks the middle warp pipe. After a few moments, the barrier completely breaks and access to Bowser’s Castle is free.
In order to leave the room quickly, you do not have to run back the entire spiderweb maze. Instead, head east to the sandy rock face and dig in with the Trio Drill. Follow the soft material up and use the drill sprint to reach the upper platform. From there, the path leads directly to the green warp pipe, which leads back to the southwestern island.
The central warp pipe is free
Return to the main island. The three shells are now open and the light rays have completely destroyed the huge crystal. With this you can finally enter the central green warp pipe. Before you go any further, however, you should use the Heart-Block again and save your progress. Several stronger Enemies await in the following caves as well as a long boss fight against two other Koopalings. Especially after the many puzzles and battles of the last sections, it is worthwhile to restore all HP and BP.
Then enter the middle warp pipe and follow the underground path first to the south. In the next room you will encounter several paper swoopers and Horned Ant Troopers. Especially the flying paper swoopers can become unpleasant because they launch their attacks from different heights. Pay attention to their direction of flight and use hammer attacks or special attacks if necessary, which can also hit flying Enemies. On the way south stand two? blocks with 50 coins each. Open both and follow the path east.
In the eastern part of space, the path runs north again. Here are three more? blocks with 100 coins, an ultra-candy and 50 coins. Take all the items and then go to the northern edge of the area. On a lower platform in the background, you can see two additional blocks. Drop down there and open it. One contains counterattack loading gloves for Mario or Luigi, the other another 50 coins. Compare the gloves with your previous equipment before continuing the way east.
Follow the walk east and cross the small wooden bridge between the violet ore deposits. Shortly before the next passage Mario suddenly stops. He has an uneasy feeling and suspects that something is waiting for the group behind the last green warp pipe. Starlow tries to reassure him, but his premonition is quite justified. Therefore, use the nearby storage option and make sure that all three characters are completely healed. Particularly important are a sufficient supply of ultra-syrup glasses and several strong healing objects, since the following Enemies have long attacks.
Larry and Ludwig block the way
Enter the green warp pipe at the end of the aisle. At first everything seems to be quiet, but suddenly the group inside the Warp Pipe is attacked by an unknown Enemies. Mario, Luigi and Paper Mario fight back and finally get back out together with the attacker. It turns out that Larry Koopa guards the passage. When Starlow asks him about it, he immediately gets angry and demands reinforcements. Shortly afterwards, Ludwig von Koopa appears, who apparently considers himself a particularly clever leader.
The two Koopalings have been commissioned by Bowser’s Castle to guard the secret entrance among the Twinsy Tropics. Since Mario, Luigi and Paper Mario have already defeated Roy and Wendy, Larry and Ludwig now want to prove that they can do better. Ludwig in particular has come up with something new: he has his own fighting cards and can thus improve the values of the two bosses or directly harm Mario, Luigi and Paper Mario. This begins one of the more challenging boss fights of the previous adventure.
Boss Fight: Larry and Ludwig
Ludwig owns 975 HP, while Larry has slightly less life energy at 825 HP. Both are among the armored opponents and are comparatively resistant to certain attacks. Therefore, use your strongest pair and trio attacks and try to quickly turn off one of the two Koopalings. Especially the Trio Kite and the Trio Whirligig can cause considerable damage if executed well. Mario’s Cannonball Chuck and Luigis Dropchopper are also suitable for longer attack combinations. Always keep a part of your BP ready for the next rounds, so that you have enough opportunities for counterattack after a particularly strong enemy attack.
However, the decisive difference from previous boss fights is Ludwig’s new combat card system. While Mario, Luigi and Paper Mario collect star points for successful attacks, Larry and Ludwig receive so-called dark star points as soon as their attacks hit your group. As soon as they have enough points, Ludwig can use one of his prepared fighting cards. The effects range from increasing your speed or power to temporary protection against multiple hits. A particularly dangerous card can even cause direct damage to all three characters. The most reliable way to prevent these effects is to cleanly counter enemy attacks or completely avoid them.
Ludwig’s Dark Battle Cards
Already at the beginning of the fight, Ludwig shows his first map and explains how many dark star points he needs for it. As long as the two Koopalings do not land successful hits, their display does not increase. Therefore, pay attention to the right button for each attack and try to survive longer combinations completely. It becomes especially dangerous when several characters are hit within a single opposing round. As a result, Larry and Ludwig get new points faster and can use their cards earlier. The less damage you take, the less often you have to deal with these additional effects.
Especially unpleasant is a card that temporarily protects both Koopalings from two hits. If you trigger this effect, you should not be surprised if your next attacks do not cause any damage at first. Then try to use up the protection with the most favorable attacks possible before using your strongest special attacks. The Power card, on the other hand, increases the damage of the following enemy hits. As soon as Ludwig has activated this card, you should avoid particularly attentively and keep your HP as completely as possible.
However, you still have your own fighting cards. Use cheap support cards as early as possible, especially if they increase your power or defense. Once enough star points have accumulated, you can combine a stronger card with a pair or trio attack. Try to achieve as many successful key inputs as possible. This not only causes more damage, but you also collect new star points for more cards.
Larry’s and Ludwig’s Tank Attacks
Among the most common attacks of the two Koopalings is a longer tank combination. Larry and Ludwig retreat into their tank at the same time, begin to turn quickly and then roll towards Mario and Luigi. Observe the position of both Enemies and jump with the affected brother in time over the incoming tank. It is particularly important not to jump off already on the first turn. Wait until the tank actually approaches, and then press A for Mario or B for Luigi.
After the two Koopalings have rolled past Mario and Luigi, the view changes. Turn the tank and race towards Paper Mario. Use its special floating ability to stay in the air as long as possible. Press Y and hold the button as soon as the first tank approaches. Wait until the second tank has rolled under him before you let Paper Mario land again. If you let go too early, the second Enemies can still catch him rolling back.
Especially in this attack, you can prevent many dark star points if you completely survive the movements. Therefore, not only look at Mario and Luigi, but already during the first half of the attack on the position of Paper Mario. As soon as his avoidance phase begins, you should have as much space as possible for a longer floating jump. After the attack, Larry and Ludwig return to their starting positions and the normal course of the fight continues.
The Attacks with the Magic Wands
In another attack episode, Larry and Ludwig use their magic wands. Ludwig starts and shoots a big magic fireball at Mario or Luigi. Observe which brother he is aiming at and have the appropriate hammer ready. Once the projectile is close enough, you strike it back. You should not only pay attention to the Fireball, because Ludwig can then approach himself and try to meet the selected character with his Wisdurm. Therefore, wait for the first counterattack and strike again as soon as the staff is immediately in front of the brother.
Then Larry takes over the attack. He shoots a smaller Fireball towards the group and then approaches especially Paper Mario. Jump over the magic bullet first so that Paper Mario is ready in time for the next part of the attack. As soon as Larry rushes towards him, you use his levitation again. Press Y to keep Paper Mario in the air as long as possible. Larry stops shortly below him with his electrically charged Wisdurm and tries to meet him when he lands. Therefore, do not release the button until the Koopaling has finished its attack.
The Wisdurm combination requires some practice because there are short breaks between the individual attacks. Do not try to press all the buttons one after the other as quickly as possible. Instead, watch each movement to the end and only then respond to the next attack. Just a premature hammer strike can cause Ludwig or Larry to get through with the following hit and thus receive additional dark star points.
The Shy Guy Bombing
In the further course of the fight, a special boomerang defense sequence begins. Several Shy Guys appear and move with a huge bomb towards Mario, Luigi and Paper Mario. The goal of the Enemies is to bring the bomb to immediately before your group and let it explode there. If they succeed, the three characters suffer considerable damage. You must therefore prevent the Shy Guys from transporting their dangerous cargo until the end of the way.
For this sequence, Paper Mario turns into a boomerang that Mario and Luigi can throw at the approaching Shy Guys in turn. Align the trajectory with those Enemies who are immediately in front of the big bomb, and throw Paper Mario at the right moment. As soon as he returns, the other brother catches him and throws him again. Make sure to hit several Shy Guys in a row and not let the bomb get further forward.
If you defeat enough Shy Guys, the remaining Enemies lose control of their charge. The bomb tips over and eventually explodes near Larry and Ludwig. This means that both Koopalings suffer additional damage without having to spend BP. This counterattack is particularly worthwhile because you can simultaneously reduce their life energy and avoid dark star points. If, on the other hand, you miss too many Shy Guys, the bomb is detonated immediately before Mario and Luigi and causes serious damage. Therefore, focus first on the Enemies that clear the way for the bomb before you try to meet individual Shy Guys further away.
Which Koopaling should you defeat first?
Since both Koopalings attack together, it is worthwhile to reduce the life energy of an opponent as quickly as possible. Larry owns less HP than Ludwig and is therefore usually the easier first destination. Concentrate your strongest individual attacks on him, while you damage Ludwig with area attacks if possible. The Trio Kite and Luigis Drill Shell in particular can cause considerable damage if they are clean. Once Larry is weakened, you can use him with another strong bros. Defeat attack completely.
Alternatively, you can focus on Ludwig first if you want to turn off his combat card system. Once one of the two Koopalings is defeated, the common card strategy ends and the remaining Enemies continues to fight without further dark combat cards. However, Ludwig has more life energy, which is why you usually need a little longer for this variant. For a safe fight, it is therefore advisable to take Larry out first and weaken Ludwig in the meantime by surface attacks.
Towards the end of their joint combat phase, the Koopalings get into a rage and start attacking faster. Right now you should avoid going to the next round with low life energy. An Ultra Nut can heal several battered characters at once, while an Ultra Syrup Glass restores enough BP for further special attacks. Paper Mario’s copies should also be renewed once a larger part of them has been lost. They offer him additional protection against the multiple tank and Wisdurm attacks.
The Final Stage: The Great Magic Ball
Once one of the two Koopalings is defeated, the remaining Enemies changes their strategy. Instead of attacking together with his partner, he now summons a huge magic Fireball, which rises high in the air and falls shortly afterwards on one of the characters. The attack is initially difficult to avoid, but can be repulsed completely with a well-timed hammer counter. Observe the small magic particles that fall to the ground before the actual floor. From them you can see which character is attacked immediately.
Hold the hammer ready with the affected brother and wait until the large ball is immediately in front of him. Only then press A or B to strike them back. If you succeed in the counterattack, the magic ball flies back directly to the remaining Koopaling and scores several hundred damage points. It is precisely because of this that the last phase of struggle can be much shorter than the first. In the case of an already greatly weakened life indication, sometimes a single successful counterattack is sufficient to finally defeat the boss.
If you miss the counterattack, however, the attack can cause considerable damage. Therefore, heal in time if one of your characters already has only a few CP. Do not try to fend off the magic ball by hectic keys, but orient yourself at its actual distance. The small particles show you the target, while the large ball sets the right time for the hammer strike.
Defeat Larry and Ludwig
After enough successful hits, the second Koopaling is finally defeated. Larry and Ludwig can hardly believe that their own fighting card strategy has failed. Both retreat, while Mario, Luigi and Paper Mario can finally use the previously guarded passageway. As a reward, you will receive a total of 2,140 Experience Point and 660 coins. In addition, the two Koopalings leave a pair of lightning boots for Mario and Luigi, respectively, as well as a glitter combat map. You should compare the boots directly with your previous equipment before entering the next region.
With the victory over Larry and Ludwig, we have overcome the last great resistance within the Twinsy Tropics rogueport underground. The Bowser brand was recaptured, the large gate opened and all three crystal switches activated. Also the most important side finds along our route are collected. Especially the rally belt, the setback clothing DX, the anti-air boots and the counterattack loading gloves are among the valuable equipment of this second island visit.
Access to Bowser’s Castle
After the boss fight, go to the now free green warp pipe and get in with all three characters. It takes you out of the Rogueport Underground and right near Bowser’s Castle. This ends the second big visit of the Twinsy Tropics. The next region differs significantly from the previous islands and desert areas: huge machines transport the purple ore from the underground mines, numerous Koopa soldiers guard the paths and large lava fields block the direct access to the castle.
Immediately after your arrival, you will recognize a series of conveyor belts that transport the mined ore chunks to Bowser’s Castle. First, use the nearby Heart-Block to fully replenish your HP and BP. Then you can go to a lower platform via the next warp pipe. There, Mario, Luigi and Paper Mario soon realize that they need another common ability for the large lava abysses. However, Paper Mario can once again use his flat shape to the benefit of the group, enabling the final important field action of the adventure: the Trio Glider.
Continue with Bowser’s Castle. There we learn the Trio Glider, overcome the lava fields and conveyor belts and work our way to the next Papercraft battles. Once the Trio Glider is available, we will also be able to catch up on the previously unattainable high platforms of the Sunbeam Plains, the Doop Doop Dunes, the Twinsy Tropics, the Twilight Forest and the Spiegelbildberg for our full round of collecting.