Quesada's Swan

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

Now I chase after Booster as I head into a room with a green switch button...

Out of curiosity, I press it...

Some loud rumbling and shaking's going on...the prompt tells me to check out Booster Pass...

As I head to the world map, I notice no changes around the area.

Aha! It seems like I opened a passageway to the western part of the pass!

I'm now in an area filled with Spikies, with a Spookum running around the area!

Unfortunately, we fall off the edge....

...and roll back down to the foot of the pass!

I head back through the tunnel and carefully cross the path.

---

Then I bump into the Spookum, who's an apprentice of sorts...but he wants to beat us in combat so he can be Snifit 4!

The Apprentice can cast a Bolt spell! We take care of him quickly.

After we take care of him, he's now disappointed because he has to take the training course all over again in the tower...he runs away!

I repeatedly skip over the numerous chasms to reach the end of the passageway.

Hmmm, three chest blocks...I wonder what's in them?

The north one has a Frog Coin, the west one has a KeroKero Cola (since my inventory is full, I toss out a Maple Syrup), and a Flower in the east chest!

I head back to Booster's Tower by taking the short way downhill, where Mario rolls until he lands at the foot of the pass again, and heading out to the map.

---

I climb back up to the green switch room, fighting some Rob-ombs along the way...

I also realize what the Remo Con's Eerie Jig does: it turns one of my party members into a Scarecrow! In this case, it's Geno who gets affected!

In the next floor, I have Mario jump up the stairs and go through a pair of curtains and a pillar in the middle of the hall...

...and Mario transforms from a 3D!Mario into NES!Mario! With music!

As I move Mario out of the room, Mario shrinks, plus panic music, and panic poses! Mario goes back to the curtain to turn back to normal...

Mario shakes his head, wondering what just happened...

Now at the next corridor, where Spookums on top of blue blocks block our way forward.

In one battle, we encounter an Orb User. I wonder what their powers are?

So the Orb User's a spellcaster...

On the third floor of the room, Bullet Bills come charging...

I have Mario avoid them, and have him jump on top of the Snifit firing them!

No battle encounter with the Snifit here...

I head into the next hall west, where I sneak past Rob-ombs to get to a save block in the next room...

---

The music's changed back to the entrance music as I enter the next hall, filled with paintings of Booster's ancestors.

There's a door with a big keyhole, along with a note next to the door.

I ignore them and cross into the next room, where I have Mario jump up to see a seesaw with a Thwomp on it!

The Thwomp's force pushes us up to the higher parts of the tower!

I have Mario leap back down to go back to the room with the paintings.

The note reads: "Take a look at Booster's family portraits from the oldest to the youngest."

I look at last week's posts to solve this puzzle, since I know I took some screencaps of the Booster clan's paintings at the entrance hall...

After turning the last painting, Booster (?) pops out from behind the painting and throws out a key!

It's the Elder Key, which opens the Ancestor Hall, or the door with the big keyhole!

---

Inside the room is a sleeping Chain Chomp...

I wake the Chomp up with a leap on the top, and the Chomp starts barking!

Bowser gazes at the Chain Chomp intently...he leaps at the Chomp, landing on the block!

Bowser points out the Chain Chomp's a "bit shy"...he tells Mario to turn away while Bowser "soothes" the Chomp...

He mentions that she's been locked up by Booster ever since she bit him...

...so now he helps her get revenge!

We finally get a Chomp!

In the equip screen, the description about the Chomp says: "Just spin me at an enemy!"

After a few struggles jumping up to the Thwomp on the seesaw, we make our ascent up the tower!

This part of the tower feels like a prototype of a Super Mario 64 level...

I take care not to touch any of the Spookums...

At a tiny invisible corridor, I have Mario leap to get a Frog Coin!

---

In the next room, there's a bunch of coins scattered around...

I feel like this is a trap room...

...and I'm right! As I have Mario avoid the coins, something poofs and two Fireballs ambush us!

Bowser also levels up! I increase his physical stats...

After getting the first Frog Coin in the room, I'm ambushed again!

Frustrated, I look online to find tips on how to solve this room, and avoid any traps...

I head back to the room with the parachuting Spookums, as I found out from this map, there's a hidden chest block with a Frog Coin in it!

After getting that, I head back to the room, gingerly taking my time collecting everything without stepping on a Fireball trap!

But I fail and get into another encounter!

Geno, after beating one Fireball, gets a "LUCKY!" flower!

At the end of the battle, I'm treated to a little gambling shell, or Yoshi egg, game, where I bet my XP on finding Yoshi!

I get a birdie, which is a tie...so I still keep the XP I gained!

Checking the map carefully again, I also pick up a Room Key that unlocks the north door!

After collecting most of the coins I carefully make my way to the north room, which has a chest block with Zoom Shoes inside!

The Zoom Shoes boosts one's Speed by 10! I have Bowser equip the shoes.

On other Fireball encounters, I also get more chances to get a "LUCKY!" flower, and I succeed at doubling my XP! I'm betting these bonuses pop up since I have the Lucky Jewel.

A few ambushes (and more chances for double XP) later, I leap back down the tower to save my progress.