Part 18: The Adventure Begins (1)

Chapter 4 begins with flashbacks.





Some familiar.







Some new to us.







Welcome to Chapter 4. This is the point where the real game begins. No more switching characters each chapter, no more gimmicks. Let's get to it, shall we?









We pick things up three years later.





And a lot has changed in those three years.



Apparently we didn't scare Fassad off for good, as he's still around preaching of happiness to the Tazmily people.





After three chapters, we finally control Lucas for the first time since the Prologue.

Also, click the Tindeck link for some tasty Earthbound nostalgia. It really works here since there's now a stronger link to Earthbound with the updated setting, and to better establish our protagonist through the use of a memorable, iconic theme from Earthbound.





are stored in here with care.

Flint seems unable to let go of what happened three years ago even now.









Neither has Lucas.

We've got plenty of time to get sad later, though. Right now, we've got an adventure to start! Let's start with this awesome overworld music!



It's a nice updated version of the theme young Lucas had back at the prologue (reference: ), which in itself is an upbeat mix of the Love Theme. I really dig both of these songs, so please listen to both.



The ranch itself has seen better days.



(I can take you for a walk if you'd like, Lucas.)





Also, Boney immediately joins us, once again as an actual party member. Boney is the best Mother dog.

Anyway, I wonder how the livestock are feeling right about now.

Baaaa. (Wild animals are afraid of lightning, but livestock are actually pretty okay with it.)
Baaa. (Lightning is scaryyyy. *smile*)
Baa. (I got charred black. *smile*)

Fortunately, sheep and lightning have a very friendly relationship, so they don't seem that phased by it.



I realize this might be a bit of a bother, but please come talk to me. I have very important information for you.



Eh.



I realize this might be a bit of a bother, but please come talk to me!

Right, let's get this over with.



It'll be given in units called DP (Dragon Power). You can use DP in shops and other places in exchange for goods and services. It seems you've already earned 30 DP so far. You can save and withdraw DP anytime by talking to nearby frogs. Some frogs in special locations can't conduct DP transactions, though. Alright, then. Let's try it out.



So basically, the money system from Earthbound is back, with frogs serving as ATMs. Money works the same way, you get money deposited from "hard work" (i.e. beating up poor monsters) and can then withdraw it from frogs. You then use that money to buy things. It's a novel concept that I feel could work well if ever implemented in the real world.



Please don't forget to use the bathroom while playing Mother 3.

Anyway, there's people gawking at our house, let's go talk to them.



It was definitely worth coming all the way here to see!
You must really love being unhappy if you still refuse to get a Happy Box after all this.



This is the only part of Tazmily that hasn't changed a bit in the past three years.

Tazmily is now full of new people, namely Pigmasks and generic townspeople, many of whom are NPC sprites straight from Earthbound.

It's interesting to see familiar, "generic" people mixed in with all the old villagers we're now familiar with. These new people aren't special to us, so they don't even get names. They weren't here three years ago when the town was still small, they're just gawkers that are only here because of the modernization of Tazmily. At least that's how I interpret it.





All the buildings are new, but also all the kids have new, older-looking sprites, including Lucas of course. Which means a bunch of new sprites I have to rip. Hooray.

The entire rest of this update is just exploring the town and seeing what's new, so there's no more plot for this update. Still, I think it's worth reading everything just to catch up on the past three years, as much has changed.

Did you think so much beauty would blossom up in only three years? Huh? What? Am I talking about myself? No, of course not. I'm talking about Tazmily.



But that's what he gets for not having a Happy Box...



Cerulean Beach is to the west. And... East of here is the nursing home for senior citizens. Oh, and to the south is your house, where lightning keeps striking. Alright! I've finally figured out this town's layout!

The layout hasn't changed much, though there's now an old folks home, which must be nice for the older citizens.



I can talk about non-map stuff too, you know. Old man Wess is definitely going to go bald. Yes, there's no doubt about it. Bald. Definitely.



'Cause I just did, anyway...



- From your trustworthy and benevolent Mayor Pusher.



Yeah, I see nothing wrong with giving all my money to Pusher.





Offering fascinating big-city items faster and in greater quantities than anyone else! (Things are different now. Don't forget to bring DP.)

The old Bazaar is now a shop. No more freebies!



The center square is a lot more irritating now.

Oh, hey there, Lucas. I hear your dad's STILL hiking up in the mountains, looking for Claus. You should really tell him yourself that it's about time he give up already.

Flint's apparently still hung up on Claus even after all this time.

Oh, hello there, Lucas. You look a bit down in the dumps. A Happy Box could really change your life, you know.
Oh! Lucas! Hiii!!
Whenever I listen to Mr. Fassad talk, I suddenly want everything. It's almost like he's a magician. *giggle*



I guess he's still a little sore over us having a Drago tackle him years ago. Hopefully in more ways than one.



And in a touch that makes the town's modernization completely worth it, there's a frog driving around the square in a little car.

Right, let's now explore the buildings.





Yado has certainly expanded the past three years.

Welcome. You're a non-staying guest, yes?
The DCMC band has a bassist named Lucky. He seems a little bum-like, but apparently he's a really good performer.
You're the type that just has to talk to everyone, aren't you? No, no. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. I think that's actually a very important thing to do.
I hear they used to raise cows and pigs where the training facility to the southeast is now. Mr. Fassad bought up all the land there.
They say this village had no Happy Boxes until three years ago.
Our Yado Inn has changed so much and gained so many new customers ever since Mr. Fassad came to town.

Learn lots of neat stuff. Much like the Runaway Five from Earthbound and your party from Mother 1, this game also has a notable band. Also, there's now a Pigmask training facility which we'll visit in a bit.



There's of course more people upstairs.

I'm in a luxury hotel, but surprisingly enough, I'm not acting nervous. Have you noticed? It's 'cause my back pocket's filled with money I earned at the factory.
I'm about to go on a walk with my grandkid to Cerulean Beach. It'll be like "old man on the beach" and all that! Hohoho!



Grandpa and I are supposed to go to the beach after I change into my swimsuit, but I can't take my eyes off this Happy Box. *sniffle*



(*whisper* *whisper*) Just anything but that pasta.
(*whisper* *whisper*) Croquette rolles are fine with me. No, actually, that's what I'd prefer.
(*whisper* *whisper*) But should we keep going until we find a good place to stop?

Don't ask me.



1. Because I was enamoring.
2. So you could flirt with me.
3. Because you like me.
4. Other
Which is it?!

Other.





We also find a random trivia card lying around, just waiting to perplex human enemies with its odd question.





Next is Thomas's Shop, but no Thomas.

My dad is working over at the factory, so he left me in charge of the store. Would you like to buy something?



The store sells a few status recovery items, a sprinting bomb, and armor upgrades. Lucas can use all three armor items, and Boney can wear the hat, but even if we withdrew our money we still wouldn't be close to affording any of it. We'll have to come back later.





All homes that aren't ours have been overhauled, with each one having a Happy Box among other things.



This is Bronson's home, and this machine probably helps significantly for making tools. Bronson isn't home right now though, and really neither are most of the men.



Caroline's home has also changed significantly, acting as a shop now. Fuel's also hanging around for some reason.

I love helping people out.
Potato-like men are my type.
Fuel's been helping out around the store lately. He's a real life-saver. Oh, are you here to buy something? What can I get you?



We can now buy a variety of healing items, though considering how many of these things the game throws at us already there's really no need to.



Next up is Abbey and Abbot.

*giggle* Our Happy Cooling Box is just handy-dandy, so I'm thinking of buying a Happy Massage Chair next. Don't you think it's about time you at least put a Happy Box in your home already?
Oh, Lucas. Are you so jealous of my happiness that you've come to see it for yourself?



The fridge is their Happy Cooling Box. Gotta wonder what gives off more happiness.



Though I'm sure both pale in comparison to the Happy Box.



Paul and Linda instead opted for a big-ass home theater system.

Linda is over at the retirement home again, taking care of the senior citizens there. I wish she'd take care of me, too...



Pusher's estate, which was already rather big, is probably even bigger than the Yado Hotel now.

Oh, Lucas. Your house certainly enjoys being struck by lightning, I must say! Do you STILL intend to live in it, after all the fires and scorching and whatnot? I must admit, it's a real downer on Tazmily Village's image. Oh, yes, yes... Your maternal grandfather has moved into the new and shiny retirement home. Where is it? ...Across the way, that-a-way.
Oh, hello, Lucas. Don't bother Mr. Fassad and the others too much, now.
*gasp* Busy, so busy!
Oh, hello. Well, if you'll excuse me. *hurry* *hurry* *haste* *haste*

Pusher's still as sympathetic and caring as ever. Meanwhile, the retirement home has been built in the past three years, and we'll check it out shortly.



(I keep getting hit by lightning! Did someone find out I peed on that Happy Box or something?)



Scamp's place hasn't changed any, besides the whole lack of Scamp.

Time really flies. It's almost been half a year since ol' Scamp passed away. I get the feeling it's rare for scamps like him to be so easily forgotten. So, in that sense, he's a great Scamp.



Scamp may be gone, but his legacy lives on.





The music here is a broadcast radio version of the Pigmask theme, but I could not find it in the song pack I downloaded. If anyone has the proper name for it, I'll find it and edit it in later. e: Went ahead and ripped it myself.



Anyway, this former farm is a Pigmask training facility now.



What do you think? Pretty impressive, huh? *burp* *belch*
I ain't slackin' off. I've just collapsed from sunstroke. *belch* *burp*



These pigmasks are walking in formation. Let's bother them.

Stay out of the way, will ya?! Here, I'll give you a riddle to solve, so you can go think about it somewhere else. Alright, here's the riddle. Jack had a parakeet named Enza. Jack got sick, and his parakeet went missing. He was about to give up on life, but then in flew Enza. Now, then. What illness did Jack have? Remember, he was about to give up on life, and then "in flew Enza". The answer will come at a later time! Now get out of here.
Hmm, how shall I put this... Saying things such as this may make me seem a tad rude and unsociable, and it's for that very reason that I do not prefer to say it aloud, but if absolutely forced to say what I want to say, I would say... Get out of the damn way!
It's so stuffy in this mask. Whew, what another stuffy day...
Right, left, right, left. Right, left, right, left. Light, reft, light, reft. Fight, raft, fight, raft... You're distracting me. Go away.
Oh, you guys wanna join our army, too? Then you gotta go eat lots and lots until you're nice and big first.
What's yer guys' problem? You look like you're tryin' to screw up our formation or somethin'.



Alright, that's enough of that.



No luck there. Let's move on.



This wonderful place was built over Wess's old house. It's supposed to be a pretty nice place.





...Welp.

I haven't seen Flint at all lately. How is he?
Oh, hello, Lucas. Oh, and Boney, too. Your grandfather is upstairs, in the room on the far left.

Thank you for acknowledging Boney. Nobody ever seems to pay him mind for some reason.

Having your grandchildren visit is a true cause for happiness.
I'm here visiting my grandma. We play games like "Pin the Tail on the Leak", "Hide 'n Go Sweep", and "The Hokey Pokey".



This kindly old frog will offer to shave our game for us.

Ribbit ribbit. D-don't you worry one bit. I-I may be old, but I'm shtill as good at shaving as ever.



As mentioned, Alec now lives in the home rather than his mountain shack.

Oh, Lucas. How've you been? Lightning hit my mountain cabin a million times, making it impossible to live in anymore. I know it's hard to imagine the lightning was trying to hit my house specifically...but come on! One million times?!

Oddly, it seems lightning keeps hitting specific homes over and over. Weird.



The next room over is Old Man Wess.

That Fassad guy has screwed everything up in every way possible... What is he trying to do to this village?



Don't know why this dove talks when the others never did, but oh well.



Over here is Mike.

Oh, Lucas. Did you come all the way here to see me?

Oh, uh, sure, why not.

Oh, okay. I was feeling lonely, since my grandkids never come to see me. But since you were nice enough to come to see me, I'll give you a little spending money. It's not much, but here you go. Keep it a secret from my grandkids, though.



Score!

I can't keep burdening Lisa forever, but I do have a Happy Box and nice-bodied girls like Nan and Linda here to keep me company, so I'm pretty happy in my own way. Nyahahahaha!





And if we talk to Mike again...

A strange word appeared to me in a dream. "Ribbon candy"... What could that mean?





Wess is still hiding his thunder bombs there. Some things never change.



Looks like Reggie's also been affected by lightning.

This village sure has a lot of lightning lately...
Pay attention, now! Let this be a lesson! Punishment falls upon the homes of all bad guys!
Outta the way! Outta the way! Gahhh! You're annoying! Shoo, kid! Shoo! Get!
The lightning used to be Reggie's friend. But now this lightning is bad to Reggie.



(It appears to be an old concert poster put up by someone. But... who?)



The old unused jail is now occupied by a police force.

Please don't stare directly at me. It might make me want to arrest you.
This village used to have no policemen at all? You gotta be kidding me!
I got busted for larceny, when all I did was pick up a doorknob I found on the ground. This isn't fair... Huh? Where's the doorknob now? How should I know?! Maybe it was sent to the forensics lab or something?

That doorknob sure does get around.

Bow-wow! (It looks like I've been arrested, but I actually came in here on my own. I don't care what anyone says. I'm not coming out.)



So now I have to stand here like this to hold it shut.



These things are only around to be sold for 5DP each, though they respawn pretty often.







This present doesn't give us anything, but simply plays a nice tune.



Not bad, though.





Please refrain from practicing comedy routines in this area. Greetings, lumber people.

Looks like someone got tired of a certain comedic duo.



Bateau no longer has his doves, though his place is pretty swank.

In the old days, we sent letters by dove. And now look at how we do things.



I wonder if she likes me. Oh, I'm so nervous. *thump* *thump*



I wonder if he likes me. Oh, I'm so nervous. *thump* *thump*



This suit-shaped swimsuit's pretty sweet, huh?



And swimming while hallucinating is absolutely out of the question!



(When I just lie here like this... I can forget about all the bad things in life...)



And this shack has also improved significantly.

Oh, Lucas. Do you still not have a Happy Box at home?
Out taking your dog for a walk? You must really think you're someone special. Seriously, you don't even work. Even kids are working at the factory nowadays, you know.

Bob's as big a charmer as ever.



Do you ever wonder about such things? Please call me anytime.



Please call me anytime.

Love. That's amore.
Amore. That's love.
That couple on the other bench has been really lovey-lovey-dovey-dovey for a while now...but they just won't leave. I wonder what their deal is.



Finally, we'll close the update by talking to this girl, the one who isn't from here and made weird observations and whatever in previous chapters.

It would probably be best if you didn't talk to me.



Are you really sure? Everyone hates me, you know. They all say I talk too much and never shut up.



Do you know what a trumpet is? I was actually thinking about learning how to play the trumpet...but I didn't. It's not that I was bad at it or anything. That's just how it was destined to be. Do you know what destiny is? Destiny. If you do, then that's cool. My destiny just didn't cross the destiny of trumpets. That's all. But thanks to my not taking up the trumpet, I can use the time I would've spent practicing it on other things. That's one way of looking at it. It's not like I'm doing something wrong here. Yeah. I'll start something else, and who knows, maybe that'll turn out well. Like maybe I could start practicing the yanopi... Do you know what a yanopi is? It's the proper term for a piano. What if I start practicing the yanopi now and wind up being the greatest yanopist ever, charming the hearts of men the world over? If that happens, it'd mean I was right about everything, wouldn't it? My fate still hasn't kissed the yanopis' fate at a crosswalk just yet, but nobody knows what the future holds. Not even mole crickets, water striders, or horned owls. Hey, you. Smile. Yes. You have a really cute smile, you know that? So, anyway, basically...







Think about how long that took to translate and then write out. Thank you, Tomato.



Alright, next time we'll explore the crossroads area and beyond, and maybe even get to some plot.