Part 14: Update Fourteen: Akropolis Tower

Last time on Super Mario RPG, we got fucking Bowser in our party, and that's all that matters. Today, we're going to tackle half of Booster's Tower (not literally, though, but I bet Bowser could do it).



Wow, Booster has a receptionist. I'm kind of impressed.



Now I'm wondering what, exactly, does Booster do in this tower? And why do they call it "playing"?



Oh, this tower is just a den of sin. Gotcha. ( oh god why)



So we're fighting a Snifit now. They're fairly quick dudes, with 200 HP. Their defenses are nothing special, though, but those attacks are worrisome.



Bowser doesn't have the best Magic Defense.



Bwahahahaha! I was just fucking with you. These guys are pathetic.



In battle and in rewards! Why just one fucking experience point!?



Well, I guess I don't really need a ton more. Mario has Ultra Jump already, for Chrissake's.



Mallow has Snowy, and I got Bowser two levels before I came in here. Oh, yeah, Spookums here only have 98 HP. And no attacks that I remember. I kind of wrecked their shit every time we met.



Jesters have 151 HP, with a weakness to Ice. I can finally exploit it, but they fall just as easily as the rest. Plus, Bowser is unarmed, but still did 2/3rds of his HP.



This attack is, from what I can tell, their strongest attack. Bowser here, like I said, does really have crappy Magic Defense.





Remember, he's got 99 HP at max, guys. He makes up for his crappy Magic Defense with a ton of health, though. Bowser's pretty badass.



The rewards here ain't too bad, barring the Snifits. In my session to catch Bowser up, I made back all the money I spent last update. 600 Coins ain't shit.



For a second, this Spookum looks around, confused why his buddy has suddenly been wiped from existence.



I give him the award of "Smartest Enemy We've Encountered Yet".



...I take that back. He should have ran farther.



Orb Users can potentially be a massive pain in the ass. They have lots of magic to use against you, and are fairly decent with it. They only have 8 HP, though, but with 80 Defense, that's harder to break through than one thinks.



Unless you're a power-hungry psychopath like me. Orb Users are nothing to worry about. I think any of my guys could fart and these would snap in half. Oh, and they're immune to all elements except Jump, and can heal themselves or other enemies. On the flipside, they also have a chance to drop "Max HP" flowers.



Not every encounter here is great for rewards, though. Then again, I never think I get enough experience after battle.



Geno got enough, though, to hit level 13. He gets an extra +6 HP. 119 HP is a fucking lot in this game, by the way.



In that room under the stairs, we find this. It's kind of fun to do. And no, I can't fight that Bob-Omb. And for once, I would turn down experience, because he ain't hurting nobody.



Up top here, though, we find another Spookum and discover there's been, a whole line of Boosters. Keep this in mind for later, too. You'll see why.



With that Spookum, we meet the Remo Con. I have no idea what the hell that name means, unless their some sort of undead contractors. 88 HP, weak to Fire, and completely unremarkable. Though, I think if you hit them with fire and don't kill them, they'll flee the next turn.



In this next room, we find the first of many rooms that lead up in Booster's Tower. It's a big friggin' place.



There's a ton of Spookums around here, too. I just stop fighting them after a while, since they're not worth enough, I think.



...Is that a train track up there?



My quest for more experience points, personally. The others all have their own reasons for being here.











Booster, did you ask Umbrella about their contractors when you built this place? Because that sounds like a line an Umbrella facility would have carved into the floor.



I swear to God, I'll throw you off this tower if I find any emblems. Or diaries with poor grammar.



I'm behind the wall there, but I'm sure I missed whatever it is back there. Someone will point it out to me if I did.



Behind that wall is a Flower Tab, though. (And I love you guys who point that stuff out to me, I really do.)



Another big-ass staircase. I have 52 FP at max, if you were wondering.



Ah, another new enemy. The Rob-Omb.



Only 42 HP, weak to Jump and Fire. They're wholly unremarkable, just like the Bob-Ombs back in Moleville.



In my next encounter with them, I decided to show off the Fright Bomb.



From what I can tell, that's a guaranteed 100 damage, which isn't too bad. And I like the animation for it, too.



And while I'm showing off stuff, here's Mario's punch combo. It's the most interesting of the attacks I have now.



Booster runs through the door nearest to him, but I take the path here in the middle.



Sweet, a chest. I'll deal with that long-ass drop when I get to it.



Oh, fuck, I missed the chest.





Well, Mario may have gotten brained, but at least I got a new weapon out of it! The Masher raises Mario's Attack by 20 points, but the damage varies so fucking much, it's just not worth it to me. The Punch Glove doesn't have that much lower of a damage output, plus it's more reliable. I've seen the Masher vary by around 30 points of damage before. So, fuck it.



However, that didn't stop me from using it for a bit, as I am a moron.





We'll pop over there soon enough to see just what happened.



In the next room, there's something of legend. Anyone who's played this game does not forget about this, I guarantee you.



Passing behind that curtain turns you all old-school.



I wish you could do at least one battle like this, but alas, it is just not meant to be. It kind of makes me sad. And when you try to leave the room...



I love this fuckin' game.





Moving on, we encounter this room. That Snifit below the step there probably thinks he's crafty, waiting to jump me.



Too bad he missed.



Are those supposed to be Bullet Bills? Because I thought they looked more like this.



I think it's a cool tattoo*.



Oddly enough, we don't fight the bullets themselves. They somehow transform into a full-sized cannon. Anyway, Blasters have 120 HP and pretty good Defense and Attack. Unfortunately, they're pretty slow, so I never saw them put that good Attack to use.



Snifit #3 here is...Blasting them out of his mouth? What the hell kind of arcane doings is this guy involved in?





He shoulda known better.



This is where I swapped back to the Punch Glove.



Not a whole lot to say here, really.



Good thing, too, as this is where we're stopping for the day.



So, tune in next time for the conclusion of Booster's Tower! And Bowser might get a weapon, too!

*That tattoo is mine, by the way. Picture taken with my shitty webcam.