Welcome to Gaia! ::

The Prologue

This is where you'll get the Who, What, How, Where, and When.

I. The What.

First off, Welcome to Earthbound, and RPG made by Shigesato Itoi. Earthbound was made in 1994 for the SNES. But then, I bet you already knew that. Earthbound was known in Japan as Mother 2, sequel to the Japan-only released Mother, which many of us refer to as Earthbound 0.

Why called Mother, you ask? Well, after all the Dragon Quest/Warrior series, Itoi-san got fed up with the whole 'Kingly-influence-helps-hero-save-day' theme, and made due to get it from his head. But how?

Well, Itoi-san decided it best to think in terms of opposites. If not King, then queen. If not paternal, maternal. Father, Mother. And thus a name is born.


II. The Who.

To begin with, your main character, and leader of your team, a dark haired boy of, we'll say about eleven or twelve, we'll be calling him by his first default name in this walkthrough, Ness.

Second, a girl from Twoson, gifted with amazing psychic powers, we'll be calling her by her first default as well, Paula.

Third, a boy from Winters Snow Wood Boarding School, a genius that can fix anything, which makes upfor his lack of psychic ability, we'll call him by his first default name, Jeff.

And last, but not least, is a dark haired, Asian prince from Dalaam, with thestrength of Mu training and the Starstorm with him, we'll call him by his first default name, Poo.

III. The How.

Well, to start your game, pick either Mono or Stereo. For those of you who are technologically inept, this will help you to hear all of the sounds of the game. If you have only one speaker, pick mono, and if you havee more, pick stereo. Simple.

Next, pick the "flavor", or color, of your border and windows. You have several to choose from: Strawberry, Banana, Mint, Peanut butter, and plain. Then, name you, your friends, your dog, your favorite food, and your favorite thing. Ours for the walkthrough will be (1)Ness, (2) Paula, (3) Jeff, (4) Poo, (5) King, (6) Steak, and (7) Rockin.

The game will ask to make sure you've got everything the way you want it. If you do, hit "Yep" and you'll proceed to the beginning of your strange journey.

The Sharks!

The Sharks are located in the south part of Onett. Way past the little area where you've been poking about before.

If you've been exploring, you may know some things already, but if not, stick with me. The other trail past your house, the one to the right, leads down into town. The first building you come across is the library, where you can get a map so you can find your way around. Makes it easier for those moments when you're togo to someplace you haven't seen yet. Like now.

First, you need to head east, and follow the trail until you see a boy in the trees a bit. Go talk to him, and he'll offer to have you take over on lookout. Eithder way you answer, you won't have to, but you can go into the tree house, and talk to the guys in there. One of them will give you the Mr. Baseball hat, which is really good for defense. Make sure you equip it. Can't forget that now.

After that, head back west, then follow the little trail south till you find the road, then head east again, passing a Hamburger shop, and going to the drugstore. In the drugstore, you can get the Tee Ball Bat, whichwill give you more offense than the Cracked, and the Cheap Bracelet will up your defense. Talk to the dog in the store, who will tell you about how the HP/PP meter windows help you get the best equipment for your character. Then you're ready to face the Sharks, and Frank. Head out, and East, and thee first road that heads South, follow it will you hit another sidewalk, and then go East again, and then South agian, where you may run into some. Don't run away, either, or they'll gain the advantage on you, like the mole (if you've talked to him) tells you. If you didn't happen to talk to him, he tells you that if you sneak up on a monster or enemy, you will get a green swirl on the screen, which lets you know that you get an extra chance to swing. the grey swirl is a neutral fight initiation, and red means you're at a disadvantage. Try to use it to help yourself get ahead, since there are some critters in the game that are felled with one swing, making it an instant win.

Anyhow, the Sharks are...interesting, as they try to gang up on you. You will usually get no more than three at a time though. But if you do, theywill be multiples of the three kinds of Sharks. The Skate Punk, the Pogo Punk, and the Yes Man Junior.

As you approach the arcade, which is the yellow building with 'GAMES' on the front, and and a guy in a tomato red suit and a robot in the back yard, there will be two Sharks standing idly in front. One across the street, and one in front of the store, and in front of a garbage can with a can of fruit juice in it. if you talk to them, it will initiate a fight, but after you beat them, they won't come back. They're fairly simple if your level is high enough, and you have the best equipment you can get for the moment. Once you've beaten them, there are some more Sharks insidethe building that you can fight. As soon as you go in, one of the Sharks will run up to you and accuse you of beating the crap out of his buddy, and attack you. Teach him a lesson, and move on to someone else. Talk to them all, not many actually fight you, but at least it's something. Then talk to the guy in front of the door heading out back. He'll ask if you want to join,and when you say no, he'll attack you. Whoop him, then go talk to Frank Fly, leader of the Sharks.

Frank Fly. Kind of a mix of Dean Martin and the Fonz, but ugly. Real ugly. And he uses a knife. Make sure when you go against him, you have a good stock of hamburgers at the ready, because the knife hurts. A lot. But it won't take a whole lot to whittle him down, then he'll send the robot in the corner after you.

The robot, or Frankystien, Mark II, is somewhat of a big hitter, as well. The only consolation is that it only strikes every other turn, in between bursts of steam. He's a piece of work as well, but once he breaks down, Frank gives in, and tells you about Giant Step, and that Mayor Pirkle has the key to the traveling entertainer's shack, where the entrance to the cave where Giant Step is located is at. So, what to do?

Go talk to Pirkle. Of course. gonk

Once you get to Town hall, wander around and talk to people a bit if you'd like, or head through the imprtant looking doors on the west wall. You'll see a secretary, and stairs leading up, where Pirkle's office is. Once you're up there, just agree with everything Pirkle says like a good stooge to get the key, otherwise he will badger you. Ugh. Nothing like crooked government.

Remember the traveling entertainers that were stuck out by the shack? Well, they'll be pleased to know you've got the key now, enough so thatthey'll giveyou a Travel Charm, shich is good for your defense forthe time being.

When you enter the cave, you'll find several differnet things that will atack you. Attack Slugs, the Rowdy Mouse, and Antoids. The Antoids and Rowdy Mouse will be a pain at first, but after a bit of leveling, you should be good to attack them some more. Try to be around level eight(8 ) or nine(9) before continuing, though, to make sure you have enough defense and attack to take on the boss that guards your first Sanctuary location, at the end of the caves. Exploring the caves will help with that, and the Attack Slugs come in packs that give you big experience points, with not too terribly much loss onyour part. Make your way up, to the top of the foot hill (pun intended), and make sure you're stocked and ready to rock and roll. The Titanic Ant puts up a big fight, so you should use your PSI powers on this one. PSI Rockin' (a) will do a fairly good job of mopping him up once you get there, but if you run out of PSI, just Bash him till he falls, but don't forget to heal often, too. Unconsciousness will sneak up on you otherwise. Once you defeat the Titanic Ant and it's cronies, head throughthe doorit guarded, where you will get your first piece of the melody, and your HP/PP will be fully restored. And since the Sound Stone records the melody, you can play it again as often as you'd like. Once you're done looking at the great big foot print, head back down the hill. You'll notice that everything runs from you now. This would be a good time for you take advantage of it, and level up, because you've got one more battle left before you can even think of leaving your wonderful hometown of Onett. Get to about level twelve (12), then head out of the caves, where you get to meet up with a police officer.

Uh-oh...No one ever said you'd have to be arrested...or Are you? He gives you a good tongue lashing, then tells you to go to the Police station to talk to the chief. *dum dum dummmm* Now you've done it. Go home, get some Steak in the old system, and head to the Station. You've got to prove yourself to the mighty Onett Police force before they'll let you go to Twoson, a town to the south.

If you can't see the key, or the path desired, you'll need to PM me so that I can PM or email it to you. I'd love to make sure you get the information you need for your journey. Otherwise, you can always make sure you're well stocked and go exploring. The latter is always a great way to boost your levels.
Welcome to Peaceful Rest Valley. Though how anyone could sleep with all that water running is beyond me. If you've been doing your exploring, then you'll have found a blockage in your path. Two, to be precise. If not...Hop to it!! rolleyes Geez. Okay, found them?

The bridge has been cut. Crud. And, once you head off to a different way, a...Pencil statue? yes, a pencil statue stands in your way. Check it, just to make sure. Yup. May as well head back to Twoson for the time being, till someone can help you. Sure enough, once you reach Twoson, you'll get a phone call, from Apple Kid, telling you to meet him. Alrighty then.

Head to Burglin Park, because he's decided to get out of the house for some fresh air. You'll find him hanging out behind a tree, with his mouse in tow. talk to him, and he'll give you... mrgreen The Pencil Eraser! Sweetness!!! Now, if you haven't guessed, take the pencil eraser and go get rid of that dreaded statue that's hindering the expedition. Once that's gone, you can meander your way off to the other side of the valley, where you can get to the Happy-Happy Village. It's a trecherous trail, laced with raging Territorial Oaks, Spinning Robos, and Lil UFOs. The UFOs will give you colds, and so will the Robos, but the Oaks will burst into flames after you defeat them, trying to take you out with it.

Anyhow, the way to go, you have to weave north and south a lot to find your way. But once you find where you're headed, you'll pass a small cabin, and see a small cave entrance that faces south. Enter the cave, and you will go into a small cave, filled with snakes. It's up to you whether or not you want to fight them, since they only give you 1 Exp. point per attack, I wouldn't waste my time. After you pass through the caves, you'll find yourself in Happy Happy Village, a creepy sounding little town that has fixated itself on...?! THE COLOR BLUE!?!!

Yes, Happy Happyism, which is the way of finding Zen through the color Blue. Nope, I don't get it either, but if you're in need of rest, There's a farm, the one with a blue cow, that will let you stay for $50, as long as you say your 'Blue, Blue' chant before bed. After you rest, if you needed to, there's a shop up on the northeast corner of the map, where you can get the Sandlot bat, which will boost your attack some, and some more good defense items. Remember ifyou bought anything for Paula ahead of time? If not, don't worry, you'll be able to get some things soon. If you did, hold off on getting them back just yet, as you have to defeat someone first. Save at your local payphone, and if Ness is homesick, make sure to call mom.

After you're all stocked and have new equipment, head to the cave on the LEFT near the store. Don't go to the one on the right yet, as that one leads to your second sanctuary location, and you're better off going with Paula so she levels up faster.

You will most likely encounter strange people in blue pajamas that immedately engage you. They are Insane Cultists, psycho paintbrush weilding little buggers who, if you didn't get your armour and weapons, will give you one heck of a time. Head through the caves, and you'll find yourself where you saw that suspicious looking cabin. Go south, enterthe cabin, and you'll see a girl locked in a cell.



Meet Paula, your second in command. She's cute, smart, and ready to kick some butt. Now, if only you could get her out of that jail cell. But wait! She knows who has the key, and where he is. He's Carpainter, and he's hanging out in the building in the middle of town. Paula will give you the Franklin Badge. It doesn't have to be equipped, but once in your inventory, it will deflect any and all lightning attacks thrown at you.

Now, head back to town. You'll be stopped as soon as you leave, however, by someone familiar.

Pokey?

Yes, Pokey. Looking fat, as usual, and badmouthing you before running like a scared pig, leaving you to fight a Spiteful Crow and a couple Cultists. Beat them, adn headto the town, and go into the center building.



They're everywhere!!! Don't worry. They won't attack you. Unless you talk to them. Some of them will move after you talk to them, some of them wil lfight you. Most won't even say anything. Find your way through the crowd, fighting, talking, and giggling at the people who haven't perfected the art yet, until you find your way to the other side of the great hall area. It may be a bit laggy, but that's just from all the bobbing bodies. Once you get past that, you can head straight through to Carpainter.

Carpainter is a nuisance, firing off Thunder attacks often. Thankfully for the Franklin Badge, they don't hit you. I personally have had times where I don't even have to swing at him, as all the Thunder damage is reflected back onto him. Even if he doesn't use it THAT often, he'll be a sinch as long as you keep an eye on your health, replenishing with Croissants as necessary, and hit him with PSI Rockin' every couple of turns.

Once he's down for the count, he'll explain about the Mani Mani Statue, which you've seen when Lier X. Adgerate showed it off as his treasure hunting prize in Onett, and will give you the key to the cabin, to get Paula out. You're safer, and all of the cultists have awakened from their goofy worship. The town's still blue, but that doesn't matter at the moment, as- Pokey, again?!

Yes. Pokey has come to apologize for being a blockhead. Or so you think. he laughs, running off, and stealing the little Self Serve Store out of business. Meanwhile, head off to go rescue Paula, but make sure you have her weapons and armour first, since Spiteful Crows tend to flock around the cabin.

Once you've retrieved Paula, head back to Happy Happy Village. Surprise! It's no longer blue. Go rest at the farm you stayed at before. Another surprise, it's free now, since you saved them all from that rediculous cult. Don't forget to save! You can use this to rest as often as necessary, which may be a lot, especially when you go to the Lilliput Steps, the cave to the RIGHT of the General Store, that people clain gives them the creeps. You may want to work slowly, since they are strong monsters, and Paula only starts at level 1.



There's a Mole Playing Rough that generates at the front door right as you enter which is good for power-leveling her for a little bit of time. Try to make sure she's within five levels or less of Ness, or you'll lose her easy, since there are other things besides moles, like the Batty, and the Mighty Bear, which can pack quite a punch and leave you needing to recoup.

Aside from that, there's a few gift boxes to find. The first is directly below the entrance, in the little cove a level lower. That's a Great Charm, which ups your defense a little physically, and alot psychically. the next is a Croissant, which is located at the edge of the outcropping east of the entrance. Heading south, down and around, make your way north, then west, then north again, and then head east, stopping to pick up the PSI Caramel along the way. The sanctuary is right there, but make sure you're all healed and ready to go, because the boss is a particularly tough one, especially if you've got Ness less than level 22.

The boss. The boss is Mondo Mole. He can cast Lifeup (a) on himself, and he's a tough one to beat. But there is a trick to beat him very easily. Just cast Paralysis (a) on him, which will make him go numb. He can't get rid of it, so you're free to beat on him until he runs out of PP, since he will most likely heal a lot since he can't do anything else. This will make it tons easier, as you most likely WON'T lose Paula then, and you can take your time.