Part 34: Update Thirty Three: Mario's Peak

Last time, we had rescued the true monarchs of Nimbus Land and jumped into a volcano. Today, we'll be going through most of the volcano. So, let's get this show on the road.





We've got new enemies on this screen. They're kind of hard to see.



Magmus here is much like his identical looking cousin back in the Moleville Mines. He's got 50 HP, and a ton of Defense. He can also use Valor Up, making his Defense even better, but his Magic Defense still won't be anything extraordinary. They also drop Lucky Flowers.



It was at this point I realized I had only swapped in Bowser. I quickly rectified this error.



Another Magmus up top, but there's a new enemy in this encounter.



Armored Ants, true to their name, are pretty tough. Their Defense is 120, with 80 Magic Defense. Their Attack is pretty good, too, and they can use Vigor Up, along with the ability to inflict Fear on your party.



They're pretty tough, but ultimately, these rewards outweigh the risks of the fight. This is after a Lucky Flower, of course, but still, 44 experience isn't anything to turn your nose up at.





In this next room, there's a set of stairs. I don't know why.



Or why there are gorillas and sentient skeletons running around.



Oh, man, Donkey is going to be pissed. Except for their high HP (355) and monstrous Attack (150), they are literally boring in every other way. They attack just like the Guerrillas back in the Forest Maze. I feel kind of bad for these guys.



As for Vomers, remember the Dry Bones? No? Well, go back a few updates and look at 'em, because this is a case of second verse, same as the first.



Max Mushrooms are the X-Potions of this game. I find it kind of weird they're just handing them out like this. Either way, I'll take it.



I feel obligated to bitch about the stairs in here. But, eh, it's a friggin' video game. It could be weirder.



And since enemies like to camp out on the stairs, it's hard to avoid fighting them. Geno doesn't mind, since he hit level 24 and gained an extra +3 to Attack.



It was here I realized Geno was nearly my hardest hitting member. Swapping his accessory with Bowser's ensured that Geno is going to hit like a school bus.



In this next room, there's a Flower near the entrance. I'm up to 85 or 86, I think.



It looks like I'm skipping over this enemy, but I'm not. I just like to jump on them, since I'm playing a Mario game.



That chest in the corner held 100 Coins, which I'm more than happy to accept. I may have bought a few things off camera.



But, back on camera, Bowser hits level 23. I decide to give him +3 to Magic Attack.



It's like Christmas. I don't know why there have been so many Stars around lately.



Yeah, one enemy in the room where I got it.



You look big and just full of experience!



Psh. When I'm invincible, bitches ain't shit.



I almost made it all the way through this room, but I ended up having to fight this Magmus. If you do it right, I think you can make it all the way through, but it's going to have a tight timing window.



In that fight, by the by, we met these guys. They're just about as boring as the Chained Kongs, but with worse stats and HP. Seriously, the Spikeys back in Mushroom Way had more going for them, and they were beginning game enemies. Some of the guys in here just reek of .



Which I think is a real shame. For whatever reason, the Volcano is probably my second favorite dungeon. Thinking about it, the one coming up after this is more than likely my favorite.



Some of you can imagine why, but it's just a really nice, varied place.



So, yeah, fights that have a Magmus in them are fantastic. Maybe this is why I like this dungeon so much.



Mario hit level 25, along with +2 HP.



That is a Frog Coin in the lava over there. The only way to get it...



...Is to get your ass lit on fire. That's not the only time we'll see this done in the Volcano.



Pyrospheres. We've encountered this type of enemy before and this variation isn't much different. They can use Flame Stone, but I think that's about as far as it goes for differences. Sneeze on 'em and gain your experience.



Like Mallow did! He hits level 25, and also gains +2 to HP.



Yeah, I'm skipping fights now. Mario and Mallow are five levels away from the cap, with the others not too far behind them.



This next room has a bunch of lava and some platforms. Just jump across, avoiding the Pyrospheres if you'd like. Fall in the lava, though, and you're shot back to the beginning of this room.



I really like how the lava brightens and dims as you move across room. I'd have a gif of it, but even using the resizing techniques that Explosionface taught me (seriously, I need to buy that guy a beer or something), it's still too big. Sorry, guys.



There's a Frog Coin up top, but we can't jump that high. There's no platform to get up there, either.



The trick to get up there, I found, was to enter the next room, exit, then hop in the lava. It catapults you high enough to let you snag it.



In this next room, there's two more Frog Coins and some Vomers. This is the first Frog Coin. Standing on these platforms too long will make them fall, by the by.



And if you miss the Frog Coin and fall in the lava, you're sent back to the beginning of the room. No HP damage, so it's more of an annoyance than anything else.



In this next room, these Oerlikons are waiting for us.



However, that thing up top is far more interesting to me.



This next room has some more stairs, and a Flower, as you can tell.



There's yet another Frog Coin in this room. I think that's what, six, in this dungeon?





Stumpets have 500 HP, 200 Attack, and 120 Defense. They have two different attacks, but I could only ever get them to do one of them. And it wasn't in this fight, either.



I'd like to say more about them, but other than being big tree monsters in a volcano, there's not a lot to say.



Moving along, there's another path up and enemies just crowding the path.



Since I haven't shown off either of the bombs yet, here's the Ice Bomb in action.



Vomers aren't killed by it, as it doesn't count as a special attack. Everything in here, barring those Vomers, is weak to Ice and immune to Fire. I hadn't mentioned it before, since I don't quite feel like insulting my reader's intelligence.



Bowser finished that fight with Bowser Crush, if you were curious.



Moving along, we encounter another of these big bastards, but with no convenient instant kill Stars at our disposal.



Corkpedites here have 200 HP, with the high Attack and Defense we've come to expect from everything else in here. They can use Sand Storm and I think their script says they can call other monsters. Hell, I barely know how to read those things.



Their Body is an entirely different enemy; 300 HP, 100 Attack and 99 Defense. Kill this thing first, and the Corkpedite will die off, too. However, do it the other way around and the Body will Migraine all over one of your party members. Oh, and before I forget to mention it, the Body will also usually drop a Defense Up Flower.



Fights with them are profitable, too.



It was spitting out these guys before its untimely demise.



Toadstool hits level 23 from one of those guys, and also gains +3 Magic Attack.



Hey, another Stumpet!



Don't kill it soon enough and it gets pissed.



I had to Defend just so I didn't kill it. This is Va Va Voom, which I'm sure hits very hard. I'm honestly not sure.



Is there a fainting smiley? I think I need it right now. For now, I'll settle for .





Moving down that path into this next room, there's more stairs. We'll be at the exit before long, at this rate.



More cash in this chest.



Sir, you live in a volcano. I'm already questioning your mental state.



I think we've found the royal drug dealer.



Here, he's got the same generic crap that all other items shops do. Pass.



30 Coins to rest, which I'll do in a minute.



Ah, here we go!



I buy one of each. Despite their name, they don't help you resist Fire.



With that out of the way, let's take a quick nap.



Nothing but the best from Hinopio!



I'd slap him, but he looks like he's been in a few brawls in his day. What the hell are those on Mario's left? They look so...Familiar...





This is where we're quittin' for the day. Next time, we'll find out if there's a dragon 'round here and maybe get that penultimate last Star Piece.

Stay tuned!