Seaside. Follow the linked route in order, stopping for recovery before the major fights. This chapter follows the original SNES game.
In this chapter
- Seaside Town — the elder’s request
- Sea — route to the ship
- Sunken Ship — six clues and PEARLS
- King Calamari
- Sunken Ship — the lower decks
- Johnny — fifth Star Piece
- Seaside Town — rescue the captives
- Yaridovich
Seaside Town — the elder’s request
Speak to the suspicious elder in the northern house to unlock the Sea route. The upstairs merchant exchanges Frog Coins for special accessories and items. Rest at the inn and prepare for a long ship dungeon.
The town’s first shop selection changes after the next Star Piece, so buy any early stock you specifically want now. The ordinary main-story route continues west through Sea to the Sunken Ship; the elder’s request is not a separate optional side quest.
Sea — route to the ship
Cross the sea cave, using the cloaked merchant and save block before the deeper route. Take the invincibility star and run through the Zeostars while its effect lasts. In the side room, collect the Flower and Frog Coin before taking the full-recovery Mushroom.
Enter the whirlpool to sink, then use the underwater passages toward the next open-water area. Find the Sunken Ship, climb its sails to the crow’s nest and press Down to enter. The whirlpool here provides access rather than functioning like the lethal ones in some other Mario games.
Sunken Ship — six clues and PEARLS
Read the notes about the six password clues. The clue rooms are optional if you know the answer, but their rewards are worth exploring. Guide the Paratroopa to knock the iron ball onto the first switch, position the three springs for the second ball and work through the hidden 3D maze by checking Mario’s brief appearances through its openings.
In the coin-trail room, follow the moving lead coin without collecting it until the trail is finished. In the cannon room, jump beneath each block as the cannonball passes overhead. In the barrel room, roll the loose dark barrel onto one switch and stand on the other.
At the six letter blocks, enter PEARLS and speak into the tube to confirm. The English password uses six letters; a translated word from another localization will not open it. Save and heal before entering King Calamari’s room.
King Calamari
Defeat two sets of three tentacles, then face King Calamari with its remaining tentacles. A tentacle can remove a character temporarily and return them with Fear, so keep the other two capable of surviving and healing.
Use Mario’s fire attacks against the main body when you have enough FP, while the other characters clear or control the tentacles. Protect against Poison and Fear when possible. Do not exhaust all group recovery in the first set of arms: the body fight follows without a free shopping break.
Sunken Ship — the lower decks
Cross the cannon platforms and climb toward the upper door, returning from the Dry Bones room if a Bullet Bill knocks you down. In the duplicate-Mario room, use his head to reach the hidden chest before leaving or defeating the clone.
The chest monster Hidon awards a Safety Badge. Farther along, use a whirlpool to walk underwater. Behind the barrel wall near the cannon is a concealed room holding the Safety Ring; search the wall rather than jumping only on the surface barrels.
Surface by the eastern barrels and continue through the Bandana Red encounters. Take the recovery chest before climbing to Johnny’s room.
Johnny — fifth Star Piece
Heal Mario and equip your strongest suitable weapon before speaking to Johnny. Remove the Bandana Blues to reduce incoming attacks, but be prepared: once the support enemies are gone, Johnny can challenge Mario to a duel. The other two companions cannot heal him during that phase.
Use timed physical attacks and keep Mario healthy enough for the next spear strike. A reserve of recovery items helps if your blocking is inconsistent. Win the fifth Star Piece, leave by the spring and return to Seaside Town.
Seaside Town — rescue the captives
The false elder demands the Star Piece. Handing it over advances the story; refusing does not create a permanent alternate route and can worsen the captive elder’s treatment. Restock elsewhere while the town’s shops are empty.
Follow the impostors through the northwestern exit for the fight with Yaridovich. After winning, take the Shed Key and open the locked building to release the townspeople. Speak to the real elder and visit the reopened shops before leaving for Land’s End.
Yaridovich
Prepare for Water Blast and other party-wide magic with good magical defense and reliable healing. Use strong timed attacks and renew the party’s health before another group spell would wipe out multiple members.
When Yaridovich divides, find the genuine target. The copy has much weaker defenses, so unusually high damage indicates you are attacking the fake. Mallow’s Psychopath can help check their remaining HP. Concentrate on the real boss, then recover the key and release the captives.