_____ __ .__ ________ .____ / \ _____/ |_| |__ ___________ \_____ \ | | ______ _ __ / \ / \ / _ \ __\ | \_/ __ \_ __ \ _(__ < | | / _ \ \/ \/ / / Y ( <_> ) | | Y \ ___/| | \/ / \ | |__( <_> ) / \____|__ /\____/|__| |___| /\___ >__| /______ / |_______ \____/ \/\_/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ .____ .__ ________ | | _______ __ ____ | | / _____/_____ _____ ____ | | _/ __ \ \/ // __ \| | / \ ___\__ \ / \_/ __ \ | |__\ ___/\ /\ ___/| |__ \ \_\ \/ __ \| Y Y \ ___/ |_______ \___ >\_/ \___ >____/ \______ (____ /__|_| /\___ > \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ By Magicxgame Table of Contents I. Introduction [intro] II. FAQ [faqs] III. Money-Making Schemes and the Thunder Bomb Trick [money] IV. Experience Chart [expc] V. Miscellaneous Notes [misc] VI. The Rules [rules] VII. The Walkthrough [walk] VIII. Updates [update] IX. Copyright [copy] X. Credits [credit] XI. Contact [contact] =============================================================================== I. INTRODUCTION [intro] =============================================================================== Welcome to my Mother 3 Low Level Game FAQ! This guide will help you get through Mother 3 with the lowest leveled party (Level 14 Lucas, Level 42 Kumatora, Level 16 Duster, Level 8 Boney) possible. If you need a guide to get you through this challenge from beginning to end or just need help for one boss, this guide's got you covered! =============================================================================== II. FAQ [faqs] =============================================================================== Q: Why would I try a Low Level Game? A: If you want to play through Mother 3 again, but are tired of the same old strategies, this challenge can help make the game fresh again. Q: How hard is the Low Level Game? A: It's pretty tame if you've done low level games before. If this is your first one, it may be a little rough, but it's managable. Q: How do you stay at such a low level? A: Only fight mandatory battles and have one character alive at the end of each fight. Q: How do you kill the enemies? A: PSI attacks still inflict respectable damage, and you can use attack items (i.e. Pencil Rockets, Bombs) to finish off the enemies. Q: How do you survive the enemies' attacks? A: Use proper equipment, give the enemies statuses, or abuse the rolling HP system. Q: How do you make money? A: The Egg and the Jerky tricks. See below. =============================================================================== III. Money-Making Schemes and the Thunder Bomb Trick [money] =============================================================================== There are two ways to make money in a low level game: the Egg trick and the Jerky trick. A. The Egg Trick You can buy Fresh Eggs from Caroline's Bakery from Chapter 4 onwards for 40 DP a pop. After a while, the Egg will hatch into a Chick, then grow into a Chicken, which can be sold for 200 DP (a 160 DP profit). You'll only have Lucas and Boney in Chapter 4, so you can make a 5120 DP profit by filling their inventories; however, when you get all four characters, you can make a 10,260 DP profit. Unfortunately, it takes a long time for the Eggs to hatch. You can't perform this trick after defeating the Barrier Trio since the shop closes. B. The Jerky Trick This is the faster and far more profitable trick. After getting rid of the Pigmasks in Saturn Valley in Chapter 7, you can buy Doggy Jerky for 54 DP a pop. You can then talk to the stray dog on the highway, trade it in for a Bomb, and sell the Bomb for 500 DP, making a 446 DP profit. A knit cap man is nearby, so you can stock up on 163 Doggy Jerky (64 in your party's inventory, 99 in storage) at a time for a 72,698 DP profit! It can be a pain to go back and forth between Saturn Valley and the dog at a low level, though, so wait until you beat New Fassad and get the Saturn Rider before performing the trick multiple times. (Don't count on the Saturn Table, as it disappears after one use.) You can't perform this trick after defeating the Barrier Trio either since the dog disappears. C. The Thunder Bomb Trick This trick allows you to get infinite Thunder Bombs. There is a chest with a Thunder Bomb behind Wess's house. The chest will contain another Thunder Bomb every time you enter the "crossroads" area with Leder. This can be performed any time, but is only useful in Chapters 1-3 since there are superior attack items in the later chapters. =============================================================================== IV. Experience Chart [epc] =============================================================================== This chart lists all the mandatory battles and the survivor(s) of each battle. PROLOGUE Mole Cricket - Lucas, Claus CHAPTER 1 Fireflies - Flint(7) Flying Mouse - Flint(7) Reconstructed Caribou - Duster(8) Mecha Drago - Flint(10) CHAPTER 2 Zombie x4 - Duster(9) Mr. Passion - Duster(10) Clayman - Duster(11) Oh-So Snake - Kuma(12) CHAPTER 3 Cactus Wolf - Salsa(6) Gooey Goo x3 - Salsa(8) Pork Tank - Kuma(13) CHAPTER 4 Jealous Bass - Lucas(14) CHAPTER 5 Fierce Pork Trooper - Kuma(18) Forlorn Junk Heap - Kuma(20) Fierce Pork Trooper(2) - Kuma(22) Mr. Genetor - Kuma(24) CHAPTER 6 N/A CHAPTER 7 Almost Mecha Lion - N/A The Squeekz - Lucas(14) Mole Cricket(2) - Lucas(14) Pigmask Majors and Frightbot - Kuma New Fassad - Kuma Steel Mechorilla - Kuma Master Eddy - N/A Barrier Trio - Kuma(32) Pigmask Col. - Kuma(33) Masked Man - Kuma(35) CHAPTER 8 Miracle Fassad - Kuma(38) N.K. Cyborg - Kuma(41) Porky Bots - Kuma(42) Porky - N/A Masked Man(2) - N/A FINAL LEVELS: Lucas - 14 Kuma - 42 Duster - 16 Boney - 8 Other Members: Claus - 1 Flint - 10 Salsa - 8 =============================================================================== V. Miscellaneous Notes [misc] =============================================================================== -Learn to abuse the rolling HP bar. If a character takes mortal damage, don't heal them immediately; try to hold out as long as possible. This is key to surviving some of the Chapter 7/8 battles. -If a character uses an attack item but dies before the damage is shown, the item inflicts no damage. However, if Lucas/Kuma uses a PSI attack, the attack still inflicts damage if they die before the damage is shown. -If a character dies before they can use an item but are revived by a Memento, the character doesn't use the item. -There is an odd programming decision involving Boney's level at the beginning of Chapter 4. If Lucas talks to Boney, Boney joins at level 8; however, if Boney runs up to Lucas, Boney joins at level 10. Needless to say, you'll want to talk to Boney. (This will be mentioned again in the walkthrough.) =============================================================================== VI. The Rules [rules] =============================================================================== There are only two rules: 1) Don't save state in battle. Self-explanatory. You can save state anywhere else, though. 2) Don't use the New Game+ glitch. In case you don't know, the New Game+ glitch allows you to retain Lucas and Kuma's PSI attacks and Lucas's equipment when you start a new game. To perform the glitch, copy Save File 1 to Save File 2, then start a new game and save over Save File 2. Don't do this. =============================================================================== VII. The Walkthrough [walk] =============================================================================== Start a new game, and enter the World of Mother 3! _______________________________________________________________________________ PROLOGUE _______________________________________________________________________________ Same old, same old. Don't bother getting Hinawa's Nut Bread; just fight the Mole Cricket ASAP. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MOLE CRICKET 45 Just attack. Don't bother killing off anyone, as 2 EXP won't make a difference. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _______________________________________________________________________________ CHAPTER 1 _______________________________________________________________________________ After Thomas joins the party, pick up the Nut Bread and head straight for Mapson; don't bother picking up the Stick. Run to the crossroads, pick up the Nut Bread and Edible Mushroom, then go to the Forest Shrine. Input a name, then talk to Mike three times for three Nut Cookies. Pick up the Aries Bracelet by Issac's cabin and immediately equip it. Run up to Lighter and pick up the lumber nearby to get the weapon Lighter's Lumber. Equip it and go to the north; you'll be ambushed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FIREFLIES x3 Use Flint's Swing 2-3 times to dispose of the Fireflies. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Eat the Nut Cookies, then run into Fuel's house to face... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FLYING MOUSE This battle is easy even if you can't combo. Start off with Toughen Up and just bash the mouse. Don't hesitate to use a Nut Bread or an Edible Mushroom if Flint's HP drops to around 20. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Save Fuel and run back to Lighter. After a ton of dialogue, Boney will eventually join your party. Use the Thunder Bomb trick to collect 5 Thunder Bombs, then head to the cliff to the north, picking up the Mini-Mini Charm on the way. After some more dialogue, Duster will join the party. Pick up the Nut Bread and Beef Jerky in the nearby cave. Now, give 2 Thunder Bombs to Duster and one to Boney. Unequip all of Flint's and Boney's equipment, then face the Reconstructed Caribou. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RECONSTRUCTED CARIBOU Survivor: Duster This is the first battle where you'll need to kill off everyone except one character, but it's not too annoying. Have everyone throw a Thunder Bomb on the first turn, then have Flint throw a second while the others defend. Have everyone defend until Flint and Boney die, then have Duster throw a Thunder Bomb to finish the Caribou. Don't hesitate to use a Nut Bread on Duster if his HP gets low. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After more dialogue, Flint ends up in jail. Inspect the lock, the table, then the lock again so that Claus will enter, and break free with the Nail File. Go to the Baazar, and pick up the Flea Charm if they have it; also, pick up a Running Bomb. Get 7 Thunder Bombs (6 if you have a Running Bomb), then go to the Cemetery. Get the Drago Fang from Bronson; dump the Mini-Mini Charm and Lighter's Lumber if you need to make room. Run to Alec's house, picking up the Beef Jerky and the Aquarius Bracelet on the way. After talking to the Magyspies, enter the cave. Pick up the Beef Jerky to your right after falling down the hole. Heal up at the Instant Revalitizing Device and pick up the Beef Jerky. Now, head north until you encounter the Mecha Drago. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MECHA DRAGO Use the Drago Fang, then throw Bombs; don't bother using Toughen Up. Make sure you have around 50 HP before using your last bomb. Flint will level up to level 10 after the battle. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _______________________________________________________________________________ CHAPTER 2 _______________________________________________________________________________ Get the Thief Tools, 2 Thunder Bombs, and the Pecuilar Cheese by Wess's house. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ZOMBIE LADY x2, ZOMBIE MAN x2 Use the Thunder Bombs. If a Zombie Man is left, just melee him. Duster will level up to level 9. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Get 9 Thunder Bombs, then head to Osohe Castle, picking up the Beef Jerky, Pecuilar Cheese, and Running Bomb along the way. When you're in the castle, head to the dining room. Pick up a Rotten Eclair, dumping the Ordinary Shoes (you'll see why). Buy Rope Snake, and pick up the Chick Bandana in the room to the west of the armor on your way back. Also, pick up the Aquarius Bracelet as well, pitching the Aries Bracelet. Make your way to the room with Mr. Passion. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MR. PASSION Put Passion to sleep, then use the Smoke Bomb to make him cry. Afterwards, toss Thunder Bombs until he hits the dust; you should only need to use 1 healing item at the most. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Get the Noble Spittoon. Rest in the bed, then take the fireplace back to ground level. Before you leave, however, go into the room with the armor and the sword; grab the Durable Shoes and immediately leave the castle. After Wess chews Duster out and accompanies him, pick up Thunder Bombs until you have 11 (10 with a Running Bomb), then head back to the Castle to face the Clayman. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CLAYMAN Like with Mr. Passion, put him to sleep, make him cry with the Smoke Bomb, then toss bombs until he dies. Melee him to finish him off if necessary. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Go back and get 10 Thunder Bombs, then return to the castle. Go to the back room to get Kuma. Go forward; pick up the Flea Charm on the way and give it to Duster, dumping the Mini-Mini Charm. Pick up the rest of the items along the way, which include the Magic Gelatin, Beef Jerky, Sprinting Bomb, and Magic Tart. Give the HP and PP-restoring items to Kuma, along with a Thunder Bomb, then go to the room with the Egg. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OH-SO SNAKE Survivor: Kuma Use the Smoke Bomb to make it cry; if it doesn't work on the first turn, I recommend resetting. Afterwards, have Duster toss Thunder Bombs while Kuma uses PK Freeze. You only have 2 HP-restoring items, so watch out. On the 6th/7th turn, the Snake will use a tidal wave which will cause 55 damage to both characters; be aware of this. When Duster has used 8 Thunder Bombs and the Sprinting Bomb, just stop attacking until Duster dies. Afterwards, have Kuma finish it off with a Thunder Bomb. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When Kuma and Wess awaken, get a Thunder Bomb, then walk around until Kuma learns PK Thunder alpha and Lifeup alpha. Go to the town square to end Chapter 2. _______________________________________________________________________________ CHAPTER 3 _______________________________________________________________________________ Well, you start off with a Level 1 Salsa. Things are looking up. Pick up the two Running Bombs, two Beef Jerky, the Nut Bread, and the Aquarius Bracelet, then face off against the Cactus Wolf. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CACTUS WOLF Well, this is an extremely luck-based battle. Have Salsa alternate between Running Bombs and healing; however, after Salsa uses a Bomb, he can be killed before he can heal, so you'll have to pray the Wolf doesn't kill him. After you run out of healing items, defend and pray that Fassad takes care of the Wolf. At least it leaves behind a Beef Jerky. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the underground, get the Nut Bread, Beef Jerky, Chick Bandana, and the Running Bomb. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ GOOEY GOO x3 Have Salsa throw a Running Bomb and defend while Fassad finishes the enemies off. If a Gooey Goo splits, reset since it will give extra experience. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ After some more dialogue, collect 8 Thunder Bombs, then deliver the boxes. Head to Osohe Castle; after talking to the Pigmasks, try to leave so that Fassad will get a call telling him to head to the basement. Get a Beef Jerky in the room that leads to the basement, then get another Beef Jerky and a Pisces Bracelet in the basement. Pull the lever and head back to the Inn. After some storyline, Kuma will join the party. Have Salsa give her 2 Thunder Bombs, then head to the forest and confront the Pork Tank. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PORK TANK 1758 Survivor: Kuma Simple; have Salsa throw Thunder Bombs and Kuma use PK Thunder until the Tank breaks down. Afterwards, defend until Salsa dies, then have Kuma finish it off. If she runs out of PP, use the Thunder Bombs. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _______________________________________________________________________________ CHAPTER 4 _______________________________________________________________________________ MAKE SURE THAT YOU TALK TO BONEY!!! If you talk to Boney, then he'll join the party at level 8; however, if you ignore him and he runs up to Lucas, he'll join at level 10. Talk to the frog and withdraw 30 DP. Now, it's time to perform the Egg Trick. Go to the Knit Cap Man and deposit Lucas's Mini-Mini Charm and Boney's White Collar. Then, go to the Bakery, sell Lucas's Easy-Grip Stick, and buy 3 Eggs. Wait for the Eggs to hatch into Chickens, sell them, and buy 15 Eggs. Wait for the Eggs to hatch, then sell the Chickens and perform the Egg trick three more times; you should be able to fill up Lucas and Boney's inventories by now. Note that Leder will ring his bell occasionally, so you'll need to skip through his text every once in a while. After performing the Egg Trick, go through some dialogue until Wess gives you a pigeon, then withdraw your items from the Knit Cap Man. Go into the forest and pick up a Pisces Bracelet, which Lucas should equip ASAP. Then, stock up on Eggs again, then run off to the hot spring to transform them into Hot Spring Eggs. Deposit the Hot Spring Eggs and proceed through the story until you get to Club Titiboo. When you finally arrive, buy a DCMC Shirt for Lucas, DCMC Hats for Lucas and Boney, and a DCMC Ring (make sure you don't sell the Pisces Bracelet!). Proceed through the concert, making sure that you pick up the DCMC Pamphlet afterwards, then head over to Kuma's room, picking up the Saltwater Gun on the way. When you reach the attic, talk to the mouse and buy 19 Pencil Rockets; give Lucas eight and Boney one, and deposit the rest. Stock up on Hot Spring Eggs (make sure you have at least 2 spots open), then leave. Head over to the Jealous Bass, picking up the Magic Tart and the Magic Gelatin on the way. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ JEALOUS BASS, GENTLY WEEPING GUITAR, BROKEN DRUM Survivor: Lucas The enemies will attack Lucas and Boney two times each while they're together. On the first turn, have Lucas cast Lifeup on Boney while Boney uses a Pencil Rocket; on the second turn, have Boney use a Hot Spring Egg on Lucas while Lucas uses a Pencil Rocket, killing the Guitar and the Drum. The Jealous Bass will increase its offense during the next turn, giving time to let Lucas use another Pencil Rocket or heal. Boney should be dead by now. The battle's easy; have Lucas use Pencil Rockets while healing occasionally. Pray that the Bass doesn't use Hypnosis, though; if it puts Lucas to sleep, you'll probably lose. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jump down the hole and walk around until Lucas learns Offense Up alpha. Then, proceed through the story until Chapter 4 ends. _______________________________________________________________________________ CHAPTER 5 _______________________________________________________________________________ Give Boney's DCMC Hat and Lucas's DCMC Ring to Duster, and have him equip them. Buy optimal armor for everyone except for Duster, then head back to Tazmily. Deposit all of your characters' items, and perform the Egg trick five times. Give Kuma four Pencil Rockets and everyone else two, then give everyone Hot Spring Eggs. Proceed through the story until you run across the Fierce Pork Trooper. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FIERCE PORK TROOPER Survivor: Kuma Pathetically easy. Duster should go first thanks to his equipment's speed boost, so use a DCMC item and fire nine Pencil Rockets. Defend until the Trooper kills everyone except Kuma, then have her fire a Pencil Rocket. If he heals himself, throw in a PK Fire to finish him off. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now get in the Pork Mobile. First, talk to the mother looking for her kids, then go to the Pigmask selling explosives. Buy 17 Super Bombs and 13 Saltwater Guns. Now, you need to find the kids; you NEED the Shield Snatcher. I recommend the walkthrough at Starmen.net. Pick up the Gemini Bracelet, Super Bomb, and Luxury Banana while you're at it. Deposit the Shield Snatcher and 2 Super Bombs and face the... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FORLORN JUNK HEAP Survivor: Kuma Another easy fight. Throw 6 Super Bombs at it, then wait for it to kill everyone except Kuma. If it heals itself, throw another Super Bomb. When Kuma is the only one left, throw a Super Bomb to finish it; if it's still alive, use PK Fire to finish it off. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When you arrive at the Thunder Tower, give 2 Super Bombs to everyone and walk around until Kuma learns Defense Down alpha. Pick up the Cow Hat and head straight for the Fierce Pork Trooper. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FIERCE PORK TROOPER(2) Survivor: Kuma Yet another simple fight. Have Duster use some DCMC equipment, then throw 7 Super Bombs. Wait until it kills everyone but Kuma, then have her throw the last Super Bomb. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Walk around in Porky's room until Kuma learns Paralysis alpha, then buy three Rubber Coats (only equip one on Kuma, though), and pick up the Saltwater Gun. Head for Mr. Genetor; before you battle him, though, give 1 Saltwater Gun to Boney, 5 to Kuma, and 4 to everyone else. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MR. GENETOR Survivor: Kuma Easy. What did you expect? Have everyone use a Saltwater Gun on the first turn. Then, if Boney's still alive, have him heal Kuma while the others use Saltwater Guns; do the same for the third turn. On the fourth turn, don't do anything; Mr. Genetor should use his discharge attack, killing everyone but Kuma. Have Kuma use a Saltwater Gun to prevent Mr. Genetor from moving, then another to finish him off. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Run on the little edge until Kuma learns PK Fire Beta. If Duster or Kuma have any Hot Spring Eggs, give them to Lucas and Boney. Watch the cutscenes. _______________________________________________________________________________ CHAPTER 6 _______________________________________________________________________________ Have Lucas walk across the bottom of the screen and to the left to end this crappy chapter. _______________________________________________________________________________ CHAPTER 7 _______________________________________________________________________________ I hope you enjoyed the easy battles, because they're about to get tougher. Just proceed through the story until you get the transceiver; the Magic Tart in the underground passage to Osohe Castle and Aeolia's Memento are the only items that you need to pick up. DEPOSIT AEOLIA'S MEMENTO and the Magic Tart and head over to the Chimera Lab. Proceed through the story until you're attacked by the Almost Mecha-Lion. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ALMOST MECHA-LION Doesn't matter Survivors: None Die. Don't worry; you won't get a Game Over. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Even though you lost the battle, the story continues. Now, proceed through the story until Kuma rejoins the party. However, before you pull the needle, make sure that you have an empty spot in Lucas's inventory or you won't get Doria's Memento. When you leave, you'll be ambushed by The Squeekz. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE SQUEEKZ Survivor: Lucas Yes, Lucas needs to take the experience here. Wait until it kills Kuma and Boney (which takes forever), then use PK Love Beta and alpha on it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You'll be led to the Mole Cricket hole shortly after the battle. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MOLE CRICKET Survivor: Lucas Just wait until it kills Kuma and Boney (who should still be at 1 HP), then have Lucas melee it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Don't proceed to the end of the tunnel; you need to get Duster back before fighting the Steel Mechorilla. Head back to Tazmily, depositing Doria's Memento and withdrawing 2 Super Bombs on the way; give a Super Bomb to Boney and another to Kuma. Go to the grave site and take the Saturn Rider to Saturn Valley. Head straight for the house with Duster. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PIGMASK COLS., FRIGHTBOT Survivor: Kuma Have Boney throw a Super Bomb while the others defend, wait until Lucas and Boney die, then have Kuma throw a second Super Bomb. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now, it's time to perform the Jerky trick. Fill all of your characters' inventories with Doggy Jerky and store 99 with the Knit Cap Man, then go over to the stray dog and trade your Jerky in for Bombs and sell them. Now, buy 12 Super Bombs. Pick up your equipment (make sure that Kuma has the Magic Pendant) and Hot Spring Eggs. Go back to Saturn Valley and buy new armor for everyone (don't buy any pendants yet) and go to the volcano. Pick up the Pencil Rocket nearby and you'll face two Pigmask Captains afterwards. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PIGMASK CAPTAIN x2 453 Survivor: All You can make these Pigmasks flee so you won't get any experience. Have Kuma use PK Fire Beta while Lucas fires a Pencil Rocket. This should make them flee; if they stay, just attack them and they should run. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pick up the Double Jerky. Give Kuma 7 Super Bombs and Lucas 5 Super Bombs. Then, give Duster and Boney most of your Hot Spring Eggs, but have Lucas hold a couple. Then, face New Fassad. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NEW FASSAD Survivor: Kuma Normally, New Fassad is one of the hardest bosses in the game. However, he has a weakness to bombs, so Super Bombs make this battle slightly easier. During the first turn, Lucas and Kuma should throw Super Bombs while Duster and Boney heal them. If Duster or Boney die, have the remaining character heal Lucas since he has less HP. When Lucas runs out of Super Bombs, stop throwing the Bombs; just have him heal Kuma until he dies, then have Kuma toss a Super Bomb or two to finish him off. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After you pull the Needle, give Phrygia's Memento to Kuma, heal everyone with Lifeup, and walk around until Kuma learns PK Freeze beta and PK Magnet alpha. Head out of the volcano; make sure that Kuma doesn't die, or you'll waste the Memento. When you're back in Saturn Valley, catch a Bird and proceed through the story. When you land back in Tazmily, head back for the underground; you need to make some more money. Now that you have the Saturn Rider, going back and forth between the dog and Saturn Valley should be quicker. Perform the jerky trick three times; don't worry, this is the last time that you'll have to grind for money. (I ended up with 425,927 DP.) Now, it's shopping time! Buy 99 Super Bombs, then go back to Saturn Valley and buy 4 of each type of pendant. Go to the Knit Cap Man, equip your optimal equipment, and withdraw 14 Super Bombs and your Hot Spring Eggs. Go back to the Factory, and head through the MOle Cricket hole to the north. Proceed towards Lydia's house; when the mole cricket runs up to you, buy optimal equipment. Now, go to the Knit Cap man nearby and get Duster's DCMC equipment. Buy 30 pieces of Double Jerky. Give Kuma and Duster seven and six Super Bombs respectively, give Lucas and Boney Double Jerky (while giving Duster a few pieces too), and head over to the boss. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STEEL MECHORILLA Survivor: Kuma Have Kuma and Duster throw Super Bombs every turn while Lucas and Boney heal them. After Kuma and Duster throw six Super Bombs each, just defend and have Duster heal Kuma too until everyone but Kuma dies. Then, have Kuma throw the last Super Bomb. You shouldn't have any problems. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Buy Double Jerky until you have 30 pieces again, then leave Snowcap Mountain. When you get back to Tazmily, withdraw 7 Super Bombs and deposit Lydia's Memento. Now, head for the ocean, and prepare to collect a lot of items. Have at least 8 slots open in your inventory. You'll want to pick up the Virgo Bracelet (which Kuma should equip) and AWESOME CROWN (which Lucas should equip). After that, run out of oxygen so that you can heal at the beach, then go back into the ocean and pick up the 3 Magic Tarts and 2 Magic Puddings. If you need to heal, use Kuma's Lifeup; conserve Lucas's PP. Before facing Master Eddy, give everyone except Lucas 2 Super Bombs. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MASTER EDDY Survivor: Doesn't matter Have Lucas use PK Love Gamma and everyone else throw two Super Bombs to end the battle. You could play it safe, but there's a Save Point right by him, so why bother? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Head for "Missy's" house; collect the Magic Pudding, Alligator Hat, Fairy Ribbon, and Cup of Lifenoodles. Answer "No" to Wess's question and run away from the two mandatory battles. After returning to normal, deposit some of your items so that you can obtain all of the items Ocho held. Get 13 Super Bombs, four Fire Pendants, and some Double Jerky; give everyone a Fire Pendant and distribute the items equally. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BARRIER TRIO Survivor: Kuma Again, thanks to the supply of Super Bombs, this battle is pretty easy. You'll want to reset until Lucas gets to use PK Love Gamma twice and throw a Super Bomb while everyone else throws three Super Bombs. There's a save point nearby, so it shouldn't be too annoying. The Barrier Trio always strikes a pose during their first turn, so you should get a free hit. Everyone except Boney can survive PK Fire Beta, PK Thunder can miss, and PK Freeze only targets one character, so you shouldn't need too many resets. When the Barrier Trio prepares to cast PK Starstorm, just defend. After the Starstorm, heal Kuma ASAP and wait until the others die. Just defend until the Barrier Trio strikes their final pose and vanishes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After the cutscene, walk around until Kuma learns PK Thunder and Lifeup Beta. Heal everyone, give Missy's Memento to Kuma, and head back to the beach, depositing the Memento on the way. Head back to Tazmily, and deposit your Flame Pendants for Thunder Pendants. Now, give Kuma 12 Super Bombs, give Duster 5 Super Bombs, and give Boney 2 Super Bombs. Give everyone except Kuma some Double Jerky, too. Have at least 5 spots open in your inventory. Head for Ionia's house. In the area with the Jar of Yummy Pickles, pick up the Heavy Charm. In the cave with the Mole Cricket, buy a Crow Bandana for Duster and an Otter Hat for Boney. In the cave, pick up the Magic Pudding, the GODDESS BUSTIER (don't equip it yet), the Striped Collar, and the Magic Tart just outside Ionia's house. Pick up the Cup of Lifenoodles and give it to Kuma. Have Ionia heal you, get the Franklin Badge, and SAVE. Get ready for the most annoying battles of the challenge. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PIGMASKS x3 Survivor: Kuma Two Super Bombs kill them, so killing them isn't a problem; however, you need Kuma to end the fight with fairly high HP (over 140). Have Lucas throw a Super Bomb, Kuma defend, Duster use a Double Jerky on Kuma, and have Boney just attack. Now, you'll want to keep having Kuma defend and have Duster heal her until there is only Kuma and another character left or Kuma and two characters on low health. Have Kuma throw the Super Bomb and PRAY that the Pigmasks kill the other character(s). Trust me, it's more annoying than it sounds. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After the battle, you'll immediately be thrust into a battle with the Masked Man. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MASKED MAN 5000 Survivor: Kuma This battle is HELL. It's luckbased right off the bat; Kuma will have high HP, but the others will start with only 1 HP. Have Kuma cast Lifeup Beta on herself while the others heal themselves with Double Jerky. The Masked Man will attack twice; he'll normally fire a beam twice, so pray that he attacks Kuma once and kills another character (he never attacks the same character twice if multiple characters are alive). Occasionally, he'll use a beam and an electric attack; if he does this, pray that he attacks Kuma with the attack and attacks Lucas, Kuma, and a random character with the lightning (Lucas will just reflect the lightning). After the first turn, have everyone throw Super Bombs; everyone should be able to get off one. During the third turn, have Kuma throw a Super Bomb and have the others heal her. During the fourth turn, the Masked Man will use the Shield Killer and cast PK Love Gamma. If Duster is dead, have Kuma use the Cup of Lifenoodles on him while the other character heals Kuma; however, if he's still alive, just have Kuma throw a Super Bomb while Duster heals her. When Duster is alive, have Kuma alternate between using Lifeup Beta and throwing Super Bombs while Duster throws Super Bombs like crazy; if he runs out, have him heal Kuma. Don't break the pattern. During a turn, the Masked Man can attack twice, attack and use his lightning attack, or simply use his lightning attack or PK Love alpha/beta/gamma. Kuma can try to sneak 2 Super Bombs in a row and try to heal, but if he attacks and uses his lightning attack, Kuma will probably die because of the delay. After Kuma uses all of her Super Bombs, the Masked Man will probably be alive. Have Kuma alternate between PK Freeze beta and Lifeup Beta; hopefully, you'll freeze the Masked Man so you can wail on him with PK Freeze nonstop, but don't count on it. Hopefully, you'll prevail. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Make sure Lucas has an empty spot in his inventory. During the cutscenes, Lucas and Kuma will get their most powerful PSI attacks (PK Love Omega and PK Starstorm, respectively), which will help during the next chapter; you'll also get Ionia's Memento. Before you watch the cutscenes, though, walk around until Kuma learns Hypnosis Omega. Now, it's time for the final chapter... _______________________________________________________________________________ CHAPTER 8 _______________________________________________________________________________ You have to wait in the limo 30 seconds before the car arrives at New Pork City. Go to the Knit Cap Man in the building, and deposit Ionia's Memento, the Magic Tart, and the Magic Pudding. Give the Bustier to Kuma and have her equip it. Give 5 Super Bombs to Duster and Boney and 3 to the others, and give them plenty of Double Jerky. Also, give Boney a Magic Gelatin and Kuma the Shield Snatcher. Go outside to the vending machine and buy optimal armor (don't get rid of the Bustier, the Virgo Bracelet, or the Awesome Crown, obviously). Proceed through the story until you reach Miracle Fassad, picking up the Magic Pudding in the trashcan to the far left. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MIRACLE FASSAD Survivor: Kuma Hope that he opens with his "off-key" attack on everyone except Boney or smiles boldly. Have Lucas cast PK Love Omega, Kuma cast PK Starstorm, and Duster and Boney throw Super Bombs to break his horns and force him into his second phase. Here, he'll cast PSI Shield; have Kuma use the Shield Snatcher while Boney uses a Magic Gelatin on Lucas. If Lucas and Kuma were attacked, have the others heal them; otherwise, defend. On the next turn, repeat the actions used on the first turn. Now, Fassad will go into a pattern: he'll use a Luxury Banana, PSI attack, Banana, PSI Shield, PSI attack, and repeat. Throw a Super Bomb after each LuxuryBanana, and just defend until everyone except Kuma dies. Have her use PK Starstorm and a couple of Super Bombs to finish off Miracle Fassad. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now, it's time to infiltrate Porky's building! Give Lucas four Super Bombs and nine pieces of Double Jerky/Grilled Chicken, give Kuma 13 Super Bombs, remove all of Duster's equipment and give him 7 Super Bombs and nine pieces of Double Jerky/Grilled Chicken, and give Boney some Double Jerky/Grilled Chicken. Also, deposit Lucas's Bracelet. Go up the elevator and proceed through the story until you reach the Hippo Lake. Go straight up to the scientist and face the Hippo Launcher. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HIPPO LAUNCHER Survivor: Kuma Simple. Have Lucas use PK Love Omega while the others defend, then stall until everyone except Kuma dies. Have Kuma finish it off with PK Starstorm. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pick up the Grilled Chicken if you want and head up until you face the N.K. Cyborg, getting the Awesome Ring and giving it to Lucas on the way. Don't bother picking up the Canine Weapon or Magic Cake, and leave the Razor and Lipstick alone for now. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- N.K. Cyborg 7548 Survivor: Kuma This thing is a pain in the ass because of its high HP and varied attacks; fortunately, there's a consistent strategy to beat it. Have Lucas use PK Love Omega, Kuma use PK Starstorm, Duster heal himself, and have Boney heal Lucas (Boney has a slight chance of using the food on himself; if Lucas is attacked and Boney eats the food, reset). If the N.K. Cyborg poisons everyone, you'll probably want to reset since seeing the poison message during the whole battle wastes time. During the next turn, repeat the process; if Boney's dead, have Duster heal Lucas since Duster can heal himself if he's attacked. Have Lucas and Duster heal themselves with items while Kuma casts Lifeup Beta on herself. On the fourth turn, the N.K. Cyborg will cast a PSI Counter, so have all of your characters throw Super Bombs. Now, the Cyborg will cast a Counter on itself every third, fourth, or fifth turn. Have Lucas, Kuma, and Duster heal themselves for two turns, then have them throw a Super Bomb on the third turn, then heal on the fourth turn; even if your characters are attacked on the third turn, they should be able to heal themselves before they die. Repeat the process until Lucas and Duster have one Super Bomb left; just have them throw it and heal Kuma while she tosses Super Bombs like crazy. Once the guys are dead, have Kuma throw 1-2 Super Bombs (depending on her HP), then heal herself with Lifeup Beta. Just pray that the N.K. Cyborg doesn't paralyze her or make her forget her special techniques. :/ It takes 19-20 Super Bombs to kill him, so keep track so that Kuma is the only character alive at the end and you don't have to redo the battle. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Head back to the elevator, which will take the heroes to the ground level; Kuma should learn Defense Down Omega on the way. Now, give Kuma the six Mementos, four Super Bombs, the Shield Snatcher, and a Magic Gelatin; leave a space open in her inventory. Give each of the remaining characters a Super Bomb. Give Duster his equipment back. Give the other characters all of the PP-restoring items, and fill the rest of their inventories with Double Jerky/Grilled Chicken (buy some more if necessary). Head back up to the 100th floor, picking up the Razor and Lipstick on the way. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PORKY BOTS Survivor: Kuma This is a pleasant change from the last battle. Have Kuma cast Lifeup Beta on herself while the others throw Super Bombs; if someone dies before they can throw a Super Bomb, reset. During the next turn, have Kuma throw a Super Bomb to finish off the first three Porky Bots; the explosions should kill off the other characters. Have Kuma throw a Super Bomb, then quickly cast Lifeup Beta. Use the Shield Snatcher on both of the Porky Bots, casting Lifeup Beta after each use, then finish them off with PK Starstorm. Use Lifeup Beta; Porky Bot 06 should summon two creatures. Use the Shield Snatcher, Lifeup Beta as the Bot summons two more creatures, then use PK Starstorm to finish everything. When Porky Bot 07 comes, use the Super Bomb to kill him and the creatures he summons, use the Shield Snatcher as he summons more creatures, then use PK Starstorm to end the battle. Easy, right? Oh, and don't worry about the enemies; Kuma will level up to level 42 after the battle no matter what. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well, your characters are at their final levels: -Lucas: Level 14 -Kuma: Level 42 -Duster: Level 16 -Boney: Level 8 Party Average: 20 Proceed through the story, then heal using the hot-spring-in-a-box. Go up to Porky; before you face him, though, give Kuma all of your Magic Puddings but one and fill the rest of her inventory with Magic Tarts, give Duster a Magic Pudding, then give the rest of the Magic Tarts to Lucas. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PORKY Survivors: N/A Porky is pathetically easy thanks to Lucas and Kuma's overpowered PSI. Have Kuma use the Shield Snatcher while everyone else heals themselves. On the second turn, have Lucas use PK Love Omega, Kuma use PK Starstorm, and have Duster and Boney heal Lucas and Kuma (have Duster heal Lucas in case Boney dies before he can use his item). Porky will talk, and the second phase begins. Porky will cast a PSI Counter before attacking. Have Kuma use the Shield Snatcher, have Duster use a Magic Pudding on Lucas, have Lucas heal himself, and have Boney heal Lucas if he's still alive. On the next turn, have Lucas and Kuma spam PK Love and PK Starstorm, while Duster and Boney heal them. Onto the third phase. Have Lucas use PK Love Omega, Kuma use the Shield Snatcher, and have Duster heal Kuma; since Kuma will go first, Lucas will pull PK Love off after Porky's PSI Counter is gone. Now, have Kuma use PK Starstorm, and have Duster heal her; if Lucas is still alive, have him use a Magic Tart on Kuma, or use a Grilled Chicken if Duster's dead. Onto the fourth phase. Use the Shield Snatcher, then use PP-restoring items on Kuma until she has 192 PP. If Kuma is the only one alive, don't bother healing her with Lifeup; let her die and have a Memento revive her to full health. Use PK Starstorm twice to push Porky to his final phase. Then, use the Shield Snatcher twice and cast PK Starstorm two more times to finish him. When he brings out the Absolutely Safe Capsule, defend for two turns. What an easy final battle. :/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Go to the hot spring and heal. Give Lucas all of your Mementos and HP-restoring items before facing the Masked Man. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MASKED MAN Survivor: Lucas Defend. When Lucas's HP is about 60, use a healing item on him. When he runs out of healing items, have him spam Lifeup every turn. The battle should be over before Lucas runs out of PP, but you have the Mementos as a last resort. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Congratulations! You've completed the Low Level Game! =============================================================================== VIII. Updates [update] =============================================================================== Version 0.01 - January 1, 2009 What a way to start the new year. Wrote up Sections I-VI. Version 0.02 - January 8, 2009 Finished the rough draft of the walkthrough. Version 0.9 - April 19, 2010 Found this, finally decided to polish it and submit it. =============================================================================== IX. COPYRIGHT [copy] =============================================================================== This document is Copyright © 2010 Magicsgame and is the intellectual property of the aforementioned author. It may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other website or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. =============================================================================== X. CREDITS [credit] =============================================================================== Starmen.net - For their Mother 3 walkthrough GGFan (youtube.com/user/GGFan) - I picked up a few tips from his videos. Ultimagarden.net (http://ultimagarden.net) - For providing information on the Jerky trick and providing a level up chart. The site is in Japanese. =========================================================================== XI. CONTACT [contact] =========================================================================== E-mail address: magicxgame[at]gmail[dot]com If you want to add a reference, please make sure that it is plausible and well- explained. Constructive criticism is also appreciated. Random flames and spam are not. Thanks for reading.