The Let's Play Archive

Ni no Kuni

by ThornBrain

Part 14: Screenshot Missions 5: Fairy Hunting

Screenshot Missions 5: Fairy Hunting

It may not have been obvious up to this point, but I recorded most of these disparate screenshot updates at the same time, but I separated the footage into updates that are as thematically close as possible. For example I refought the Skull Mountain boss right before I talked to the fairy there, but I've saved the fight footage for the later Conductor update, while I'll be talking to the fairy today. Just to let everyone know in case you notice any anachronisms.

Today we'll be focusing on the last of the various side quests remaining before we head to the Solosseum. First, the Nazcaän spirit guards told us that some magimech masters have reawoken on the Nazcaän continent.




The first is right next to the Ara Memoriae, nicely fitting in with the site being the former seat of the Nazcaän kingdom.



They appear to be distant cousins of Scrapper.



And by this point they're not much harder than the magimechs we fought earlier.




Next one is just past where we found the gentleman's diary.



Twinkle Twinkle still sucks.



Since I'm so far into the game, I'm less worried about hanging onto recovery items, so I've started using them more liberally. Yes, even the other two get healed.

The last master is nearby the first Tengri landing pad.





HEAL, GODDAMNIT!



Do not talk to these guys until you do!





While not nearly as lore-expanding as Horace's quest, I do like how this adds a human element to these robots.



Fuckers.




Great enemy/camera placement, game.

One Manic Magimech (the second-hardest one of the line) and two magimech masters. This fight is benefited by keeping Oliver moving and letting your allies do some damage so that the magimechs aren't always on you. They move relatively slowly, so distance is always helpful, especially if you're going to be using Astra.




By now, you better be using Astra.




Evenstar doesn't nearly hold up, even if it's less magic used. This is more of a "do damage fast" fight than a "conserve magic" fight.



Here I get into a tight spot: either my Astra will cast first and take the guy doing Twinkle Twinkle out, or he will cast first and I'll lose the spell until it recharges.



Luck was on my side.





A few more Astras and the last two go down together.



I get the Riddle Rivet for that fight, which is used to make Swaine's best gun.




Goddamnit, they're not only hiding things from me but now they're liars.



It's a sidequest with rewards. Of course we would have. No other monsters posed a real threat, no matter what the bounty hunt description said.





Not sure if I like this bit of information or not. Makes the ancient civilization of Nazcaä less fascinating when it wasn't the populace that made the statues or drawings, but the robots that were left behind when they all died. It's interesting on it's own, sure, but it takes away a bit of Nazcaä's character, and we only get so much of that.




I do like this though. Worldbuilding!




And sadnessbuilding!






As thanks, we get some of the best familiar armour and the best non-healing familiar sword in the game.




Remember, this is post-game material, but the game still acts like we haven't fought Cassiopeia.



I give Dumple the sword, since I won't have much more use for him healing himself anymore.



Gunther gets the helmet, which also comes with multiple elemental resistances!



And Tingle gets the armour, which also has the resistances but comes with the usual loss of accuracy that every armour has.

Teleporting to the Iron Wyvern, Smily and Surly aren't having much luck with their weapon shop.





Seeing as this is a race of comedians, expect the weapons we get to be stupid as all hell.






That's four hints for three items, two of which involves Drippy's mam. The first only requires us to talk to this specific fairy sitting in front of the Fairyground stage.







Note that we're only getting ideas, not the weapons themselves. Drippy ain't giving up that slapstick he never once used or referenced.




That sounds grosser than was probably intended.






Funny how most of the fairies are actually pretty funny, just not the one we're stuck with this whole game.




The third idea requires us going back up Mam, which you can do by taking this sidepath east from her platform.



It takes us right into the teacher's lounge, which I'm just going to assume means she doesn't have a real digestive tract. Also, I'm guessing Mam ate a magimech at some point, or else I don't know how the memory stone got in here.



The room we want is at the far left end of the hall.







Is the right answer, Oliver.



Recently Travis found a listing for gloves with spikes inside them, so real people have actually thought of this stupid-ass idea.





"What child trauma?"




"I know I traveled with her, but that doesn't mean I respected her!"

The item we want to find will be in your house's kitchen, on the counter.





At 13-year-old-cum-7-year-old-logic, I guess. I use my infrared oven a lot; I don't hold sentiment for it.





Okay, apparently Mam does have a digestive tract. And the ability to cook.(?!)



I love how in entertainment, characters from different cultures can't infer things based on the name. "What can you tell me about this 'hot plate'?" "What is... 'football'?!"



Drippy says two things in a row that are actually funny. We really are near the very end of the LP.



The Blossom of the Bard is used to alchemize Esther's best weapon.





You'll notice that the special weapons we got these guys are all stupid expensive, but it's because they're actually pretty good weapons.

Soppy Slapstick has some damn good magic attack. I love that it counts as a blade.



I love even more that Mom's pan counts as a hammer. And that it was supposed to be a souvenir of Alicia but is only advertised as being from some random Motorville mother.



Lullaby Lance is also pretty good, but the sleep effect wouldn't be of much use to me.



And the Flawed Claws have some massive attack, but none of my familiars can use it, and taking damage is just stupid on its own.

...Is it covered in "countless spikes" because there doesn't appear to be any?



While I was on my way to Hamelin for a Conductor fight, I ran into this woman again, and since we found Khulan, she has something for us.




I hope you punched your parents before you died.




Yayyyy I don't need that.



Time to find the fairies scattered around the world and send them back to Golden Grove. The first is directly in front of Skull Mountain.





Every time you talk to a fairy, you automatically teleport back to the Golden Grove to get the location of the next one.





That's definitely the Vault of Tears again, but this fairy is pretty close to the entrance. I expected him to be in Prince Ali's cell.



That's him near the bottom; the other blip is the Aapep refight.



His face is hilarious.





How fucking fast are these guys? You're nowhere near the forest!



Oh! This is the first (and last) time one of the other world's inhabitants finds their way into Oliver's world (discounting Alicia and the nightmares), though as we saw before from that old woman in the cave, it has apparently happened with random NPCs before.




Fittingly enough, the fairy is right behind our resident gearhead (read: shithead), Phillip.




But will we really...? Stay tuned for after the Conductor fights.





Leave it to the game automation!





I KNEW there was a reason for that cave! I KNEW IT!



As a reminder, it's the cave east of Hamelin.



There's something weirdly adorable about this image, but I don't know what it is.




They're at least as funny as Smiley and Surly.





This last guy was hidden remarkably well. The forest he's in is southeast of Yule and hidden amongst the trees. Yes, they literally hid a forest in a forest.




The forest can only be activated in this specific spot. Note the compass.



Yet another fairy mackin' on a tribal girl. But first, robbing her.






Now to save this poor woman.



Or not.






"I not born. Just show up one day."




Shut up.




While doing a bit of grinding for the Alchemist's quest, I level up Swaine enough to get his last attack and the Gunslinger trophy.




Swaine also gets enough successful steals to get the Man of Steal trophy.




And I got enough items to make the Demon Ax.




Well I am a murderous sociopath.



Yep, don't sell it or you'll have to re-alchemize the Demon's Ax all over again.



And here's where I give up.




Those two items are rare drops. You get them in a couple quests as rewards, but not enough to make the War God's Ax. You need to go out grinding certain golden enemies for them (for example the Golden Tokotocolds in the Ivory Tower), which means you need a stupid-rare drop from a stupid-rare enemy. Suffice to say,
And yes, I did try. No, it was not worth completing.
So, sadly, that's 7 merit stamps I will not be getting in this LP. Do not cry for me, Argentina; this quest doesn't deserve it.

Next time: Solosseum Part 1!