Part 4: Yamcha's Hideout Seized! Can He Take It Back!?

OP's Note: Before we get too far into this, I'd like to give a special thank-you to Fionordquester, and you all should, too! He's been a huge help in making all of the portraits I've used so far! I foresee him being a huge boon to portraiture in this LP. So, in short, thank you, Fionord!

Howdy, folks, and welcome back! Last time, on Attack Of The Saiyans, Krillin defended the honor of Orin Temple by beating up a girl. Today, Yamcha is going back to his old hideout from his bandit days, where we'll meet an old foe, so let's head out.



So, there's Yamcha's hideout.

Yeah, it mentions the Spirit Ball, but we're not learning that this update. That is one of Yamcha's signature attacks, but it'll be a while before we get to it. I'll be powering up Wolf Fang Fist before I do much of anything else.



But, enough of that. We're back at the Kame House for a second.



Hit the gym? Go on a world-spanning journey, dispensing philosophy and fighting for the little people? But get yourself a van first, so you don't get sued for being too similar to Kung Fu.



This is Puar. I'm not sure whether Puar is male or female; in the English dub, Puar has been referred to as female, but Toriyama has stated that he considered Puar male when writing the series. At least, that's what the Dragon Ball Wiki says, and I trust those nerds to know what they're talking about.



Personally, I always thought Puar was a dude. Granted, his voice is very high-pitched and he sounds like a girl, but I've always thought Puar was male. Not sure why.



This is the point of the series where you can safely be concerned about catching up to, or being equal to, Krillin and it's okay. Krillin's not a complete joke just yet.





You're already behind Goku, Yamcha. And Piccolo, too, but he's a bad guy, so only Goku can deal with him.



Before I forget to mention it, Puar is Yamcha's best friend. The Dragon Ball Wiki also lists him as a bodyguard.





Yeah, sure; Krillin went back to train, and you'll go back to your hideout where...There's nothing? And you used to do bandit stuff there?



Maybe it's just me, but this doesn't seem like the best idea.



"It's been forever since I robbed anyone!"



...Yamcha, I don't see how you rolling out there to beat the collective asses of your old bandit crew is going to make you strong enough to beat up Krillin.



Well, Puar's excited, so I guess that's the important thing.





And off he goes, to clean up a bandit hideout.



: This'll be so sweet! I think I'll head off myself!



Yamcha is super-pleased with this idea. Not that he had any other options at this point, mind you.



We're automatically taken to Mt. Paozu.



: I destroyed a cargo truck over there, and beat up the driver of that bus full of orphans there, and robbed that church convent over there!



: ...? Sure is quiet...I've got kind of a bad feeling about this.



Just ahead, there's a carrot bouncing around.



Yamcha, rightly, is confused by this.



I feel the emotion bubble is appropriate here. For once, it's not entirely superfluous.





OH JESUS, IT'S ATTACKING

KAMEHAMEHA YAMCHA DO IT



Oh, it's just Puar. He's a shapeshifter, too, by the way. Sorry for not mentioning it sooner.



Monster Carrot is a villain from Dragon Ball, who is an anthropomorphic rabbit, who is also the leader of a rabbit themed gang. He can also turn people into a carrot with a touch.



So, all those carrots sitting around used to be people. I think I stepped on a few getting over here.





He did!



Goddammit, Puar, I already said that!



In the World Martial Arts Tournament, where Goku went Oozaru, Jackie Chun had destroyed the moon with a Kamehameha, but Monster Carrot wasn't horrifically killed by that. Some people in the thread were concerned about that.





He's probably already there, Puar. This area is only like, three screens long.



Well, you're the only fighter around, Yamcha. Puar, despite his shapeshifting abilities, isn't really a fighter.



But that doesn't stop Yamcha from sending him into potential danger!



For Yamcha is a good friend, you see.



We also immediately follow after Puar, so I don't see why they had to split up here. I mean, Yamcha could have at least escorted Puar closer to the hideout.



So, this area looks fairly big, and there's a lot of these rocky outcropping that can hide your character and the path you'll need to take.



There's also some new enemies around here.



Including some of Monster Carrot's gang.



These guys aren't too tough.



They can dish out some damage, though, and with two of them, it could be easy to get overwhelmed and killed if you're missing your Advance Guards.



I did some hunting around online, and couldn't find a complete bestiary for this game. It's driving me friggin' crazy.

If anyone could help out with that, I'd greatly appreciate it.



The Rabbit Private 1 and 2 have different, if similar, attacks.



Private 1 has a small punch combo, followed by a few stomps for moderate damage.



He can also shoot you with his gun; it's not as cool as a panda blasting Krillin, though.



If you're playing along at home, I'd recommend having your Darkness Card as your active Capsule. Most of the fights I got into here, at least one of the enemies was blinded at the beginning, effectively taking them out of the fight.



There's also some nice EXP to be gained here.



Yamcha is still getting his bonus points dumped into Power. I've got a plan for him.



Up here, we gain our first accessory.



There are tons of accessories in this game, each providing a different effect. The Energy Ring we just found, when equipped, adds 100 HP to a character's total. Not that Yamcha really needs it, but he's the only one around, so he may as well get it. A lot of these accessories will have upgraded versions later. For instance, we'll find an Energy Necklace later on that adds +500 HP to a character's total.





Well, not every Bandit was turned into a carrot.



Wolf Fang Fist is a pretty excellent attack. It has a ton of hits to it, and with Yamcha having his Power boosted so much, he'll be stomping asses with it for the entire game. Some of you might be wondering about his low accuracy, but there's an accessory later on that will give him perfect accuracy. He also has a skill he can learn called Perfect Moves, which, for a bit of Ki, gives him perfect accuracy for a little while.



These guys can hit pretty hard; they also have a strong strike that can stun someone, as well as a shockwave attack that will deal around 80 damage, even with a Guard.



And they drop a good bit of EXP.



You might think this is the path forward, but it's a dirty trick.



As it just leads you out over here.



To go forward, you'll have to go through here.





Like so.





I beat up another couple of Privates here and gained another level.



If you're playing along, don't be afraid to take some time here and gain some levels. Don't just rush through these areas, thinking you'll make it up later on. This game isn't overly difficult, but it's good to know that it will fuck you up if you give it the chance, and shafting yourself on EXP is a good way to do that. It can easily reach a point where you ignore someone long enough that, when you do decide to help them catch up, they're too busy getting their shit wrecked to gain much EXP. You might think you could come back to an area like this to get them some EXP, but this game uses divided experience.



In short, you shouldn't need to level grind, but don't rush through. Enjoy the game, and the areas it has to offer.



Also, here's a Wolf.



I got the drop on this one, so I killed it before it could do anything. We'll see some later on, though, where I can talk about them.



They're just about the most basic enemies here, with just a couple of attacks that don't do much damage.





In case you weren't catching on to the rabbit theme of Monster Carrot, his car has bunny ears.



Oddly enough, I couldn't find a spot to examine the car itself.



But there are some thieves around here.



Foxes don't like wolves, right?





Probably not, since this killed him.



These guys have a few attacks, using those knives they carry.



They can hurt, but it's nothing to really worry about.



Fox Thieves can, true to their names, steal an item from you, as well as an ability to run away while raising the Rage Gauge. And if they steal an item, if they run away before you kill them, that item is gone forever.



Not a bad chunk of EXP, though, since they're not too tough.



There's also a boulder here we can't move just yet.



As well as another chest on top of Yamcha's hideout.





Hey, a flashing rock. What's behind it?







...Hey, nothing happened. What the hell?



: I kinda forgot to tell you about Ki-Blasts, so let me give you the whole story on them. If something breakable is flashing orange, you can break it right away...But if it's flashing white, your Ki-Blast needs to be Level 2. If black, then you'll need Level 3! Your Ki-Blast level goes up as you keep training, after certain events occur. Best of luck out there!



Before we start this fight, those "certain events" that Roshi referred to are story stuff. You'll never miss out on leveling up your Ki-Blast.



Anyways, let's talk about Wolves for a minute.



This attack has a fair few hits to it, but fairly low damage overall.



They can also whip you with the chain around their neck. Not a ton of damage, but one thing to note about the Wolf enemy is that they are speedy little bastards. Thankfully, Yamcha is, too, but that's good to keep in mind if you're fighting them and getting low on health.



To get on top of the roof, just walk over here.





Jump on up, and grab the Speed Fruit.





We jump down and head over to the save point. I'm willing to bet this Capsule house is far nicer than Yamcha's hideout.





Yes, that rabbit is sitting at the table, smoking, looking chill as a motherfucker.



: I never would've imagined seeing you here. I don't remember inviting you to my house.



: As of this moment, this shall be the base of operations for my brand-new Rabbit Gang.

: You're starting up the Rabbit Gang again?!

: I sure am. And let me tell you, after that brat shot me to the moon...It took me a lot of time and effort to make it back here. It was really annoying.



That's all the explanation we get for how Monster Carrot got off the moon. However, we do get to enjoy the knowledge that Jackie Chun didn't obliterate him.



: The experience did wonders for my fighting skills, though. I won't be the embarrassment I was in the past, I warn you.



You're about to get your ass beat by Yamcha, bro. The only way it could be any worse was if it was Chiaoutzu.





And then Monster Carrot starts talking shit about Yamcha's home.



: This is just a foothold, a starting point. It doesn't need to be spotless.





Well, we kind of need a boss fight to wrap this up.





Let's dance, Rabbitman! To see the fight in motion, you know the drill!



Of course he isn't alone.





First things first, we're going to wipe out his helpers. As in most boss fights, it's a great idea to destroy their helpers before going too far into the fight. A single Wolf Fang Fist is enough to wipe that guy out of existence.





Monster Carrot himself has just a bit of power behind his attacks, but he's also a bit slow.





Also, this guy throws fucking potato mashers at you, which means he's probably a Nazi or something, so it's a good idea to kill him.





Seriously, Wolf Fang Fist kicks tons of ass.



He doesn't hit too hard, as shown.



I'm trying to keep the videos interesting, so during boss fights, I'll use more varied attacks than I would in a normal fight.





Monster Carrot is a bit of a pushover, truth be told.





He's got only one really annoying ability.



And it's the classic boss dick-move, where he can heal himself. He doesn't restore a ton of health with it, but it's enough to be a pain in the ass.









But that's just about the extent of the fight. It's not too difficult, but not so easy that you'll snooze through it.





Yamcha gained two levels from this fight!



The HP Drink 30 will restore 30% of a character's HP, while the Carrot Glove is a new Capsule. When an enemy is defeated and it's the Active Capsule, instead of gaining money after the fight, your enemies will be turned into carrots. Those can either be used to heal someone for a low amount of HP, or traded to an NPC for some cool shit. I'll be wearing the Glove for a while; the ultimate prize comes at 1,000 carrots traded.





: Oh, no no no no! Compared to you, I, I...ohhh...

: You called my hideout "shabby," didn't you?

: Oh, no, I...I, I meant to say that your hair was looking a bit shaggy...

: ...Ah...Whatever. I hope you're ready for this... I won't be as kind as Goku was. Hah!!!





And, thus, a new wave of fanfiction was born!



: Hmm...Well, for starters, how about you make this shabby place spotless for me?

: Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?!

:: What, you don't like to clean?

: O-of course I do!! I'll do it, I'll do it! Eh heh heh heh heh...



And that's the last we'll see of him!



: Monster Carrot was so dangerous, but you knocked him out, just like that!

: You think I'm that strong?

: Oh, absolutely! I bet that you could even beat Goku by now, Yamcha!



Puar, I think you're just trying to get Yamcha's ass kicked five ways from Friday.

: That bunny weirdo's a total wuss compared to that! I've got to find some tougher training...I need to get stronger!

: Yamcha...

: Puar!!

: Yes, Yamcha!

: Starting tomorrow, my training plan's gonna be more intense than ever before! You think you can help me out?

: Y-you got it!



But that finishes off Yamcha's chapter. Next time, on Attack Of The Saiyans, we'll be chilling with Tien for a little while.

Stay tuned!