Quesada's Swan

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Alright, now to head inside the castle!

I switch Peach for Mallow.

Next stop: Garro's house, where he tells Mario to stand still for awhile. He's probably building a sculpture for us...

The preparation process has Garro pop in and out around Mario.

Mario's now painted in gold, like a sculpture!

Garro tells Mario not to move for now, and Mario stays still in his running pose!

Garro takes Mario and extra statue before the Birdy guards, and we make our wy into the palace.

But the Birdys stop the delivery, and notices that one of the statues doesn't look like Valentina...he's about to prod Mario...

Garro steps in and says that's a statue of Valentina's nephew...lol...

The Birdy turns from Mario to Garro and back again...

Birdy: "Uh...ok. Proceed."

We now enter the palace.

---

The music inside has some cembalo, or harpsichord, in it, along with a canned laugh...

Garro points out that there's no such person as "Mariotta."

Valentina enters in her Nanami-esque, rich woman laugh. She's impressed by her own likeness in the sculpture.

Garro thanks "her majesty" for the compliment, and leaves...

But Valentina stops him!

She's now questioning Garro on the "ugly thing" before her: Mario.

Garro said he created it just for her...called "A Plumber's Lament". Lol...

Garro then goes through the details of his "masterpiece."

Poor Mario...lol...

Garro mentions the well-defined legs of Mario, "of the masses"...hee...

Valentina is still skeptical, then praises the "work of art." She tells Garro that only he can sculpt "with such gentle beauty and...raw power!" Is this game making a jab at art critics in general?

Garro leaves. Valentina now glances at the "statue"...she praises it again and calls Dodo.

She tells Dodo to carry the statues in...

After she leaves, he pecks one of the Valentina statues. He really doesn't like her, or his job, probably...

Dodo then drags the statues and places them in a small room, where Mario's on a special pedestal.

I have Mario jump out!

I save at this point, and head past the doors.

---

But! Valentina yells at Dodo on the other side of the doorway, and is not satisfied with how he placed the statues!

She orders him to polish the statues, and to hurry up with it.

Mario jumps back to the pedestal.

But, since Dodo's in a bad mood, I'm now treated to another another minigame, where I have to avoid Dodo's pecks, and hope he doesn't hit Mario. This is very similar to hiding behind Booster's curtains.

I manage to avoid him for two pecks!

But Dodo catches me on his third attempt!

He then runs to Valentina and says that one of the statues was ticklish...

Now for the second try...

Unfortunately, I get caught again!

Valentina tells Dodo if he's suspicious about the "statue," then he should peck at us once more!

He slowly retracts his beak, and I'm now in a battle with him!

I decide to reset and try the minigame again...

It's when Dodo flaps his wings and starts flying and pecks that I usually get caught by him...

On the fourth try with this minigame, I survive, yes!

As a reward for the minigame, I get a Feather dropped on the ground by Dodo!

I save my progress here, and head through the door.

I hope that's the last time I go through one of those minigames again...

---

Outside now, where two Birdy sentries are flying. Mario hides on top of the nearest empty pedestal.

They're really tired of being guards, but think it's better than taking Dodo's job, where he has to polish Valentina's statues, and be at her call at all times.

The Birdys prod and prod at Mario until he jumps super high in pain!

The Birdys now notice Mario moving and ask themselves if statues move...lol...

They think Mario's one of those new lifelike, animatronic statues and run away!

I head outside to the entrance hall and make a left, where there are green Shy Guys patrolling.

Unfortunately, a fan on full blast prevents us from going forward.

I go to the other side and jump down, where I'm back at the same hall again.

After going back and getting the chest block, I get caught by one of the Birdys and a fight ensues!

Scanning one of the Birdys...

Poor Birdy though, he's not in a very good working environment...

I check to see if I missed any hidden treasures in that room. None so far.

One of the Birdy statues come to life in the next hall, and the hooded figures, the Shamans, here are not our friends.

I manage to grab another Flower from a chest block!

I then get into a battle with Sling Shys (the green Shy Guys), two Shamans, and a Jawful, who's sleeping.

I have Peach wake him up with her fan!

The Shamans are strong spellcasters, while Jawful's a physical and defensive powerhouse!

If I time it right, I can block all the attacks these enemies are giving me!

I head into the next hall, right, and down a stairway, where a Jawful's guarding the way forward.

After another battle, I play another shell game, which I lose XP at, and proceed further, where I meet the King's subjects.

I save at the save block nearby before talking to them.

---

One servant asks if I knew hot springs existed around Nimbus Land. I have Mario say yes, and the servant tells me that she wanted to be the first one to tell Mario about them.

I have Mario talk to another servant, an ex-guard, who says he was fired by Valentina. He offers his master key, which I take.

I equip the Feather to Bowser, no stat changes though.

Another servant gives us a Flower Jar!

Another one tells me about the huge egg in the middle of the palace, which spits out eggs, and they bounce off if we time our block right!

One servant mentions the benefits of hot springs to the King.

But where is the King?

I head back and grab a chest block containing a Mushroom inside, restoring our health...

I head to the west passage, which is blocked by fan monsters and Sling Shys! Not going through there!

Back near the subjects' room, we stumble upon a hidden corridor, and a Surprise Block, which has a Frog Coin!

I have Mario jump and open the last Surprise Block in the room, which has another Frog Coin.

Now it's back to the subjects' room and save again.