Quesada's Swan

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

I struggle a bit making the ascent, since I keep falling back to the Thwomp seesaw room!

A few attempts later, I make it, slowing down a bit and being cautious at this point...

And I jump in surprise at another Fireball trap!

At the second Fireball ambush, Mario's KO'd!

I switch Mallow for Bowser afterwards.

And another Fireball trap!

The Fireball's Mega Drain is a drain on the entire party...

Casually taking the last coin at the Fireball room, I proceed onward to the west hall.

A stairway filled with Chain Chomps await, barring the way to the top!

I'm thinking whether to switch back Mallow back to Bowser...hmmm...I decide to keep Mallow for now.

The Chomp's got solid defense against Geno's attacks!

Geno's leveled up! I give him more health!

---

I jump past the two remaining Chain Chomps, and I'm now in another room...where the sound of Booster's voice is chugging along.

He mentions his train as "[his] personal railway." He sees us!

Booster's "amazed" at how we made it this far in his tower.

He asks us one question about Peach.

Her cries are definitely not filled with "happiness"...

Booster then guesses Mario might be "another guy"...and proceeds to pull out a Bob-omb our way, thinking it's Mario! He pulls out another, then a third!

As the Bob-ombs parachute and light up to detonation, we hide inside an alcove, at a hole where a Booster painting might have been...away from Booster's line of sight.

All the Bob-ombs detonate...

Booster is...rather upset, and his train leaves...

We pursue him up the tower, almost getting into a battle with another Chomp!

In the next room, there's a save block, along with, according to the online guide I read last week, a few chest blocks here...

I get the visible chest block containing the Frog Coin...

...and the other hidden chest block on top of the first one, which has a Goodie Bag!

I save at this point before heading into the next room...I feel like there might be a boss fight ahead.

---

In the next room, I see three, no, four curtains, a birdcage, and a crate of toys...

On top of one of the middle curtains, there's a doll in the likeness of Mario!

We cross the next passage, and we finally meet up with Peach in the balcony!

Mario tries to open the door, but it's locked!

Peach mentions that Booster's spell is needed to open the door.

Unfortunately, Booster's coming...

Peach tells us to hide and wait until he breaks the spell on the door.

I did spoil myself a bit on this part here in that I might get a very important item if I do this right...

Here comes another minigame!

All I have to do is hide from Booster and his Snifit cronies behind the curtains until he unlocks the door!

---

Booster then asks the Snifits if he should marry Peach...ugh...no no no...

One of the Snifits suggests that he hold a wedding ceremony, or a party.

Booster doesn't know what a wedding party is and asks his minions what that is...

A Snifit explains that a wedding party has something to do with drinking punch and eating cake.

Booster thinks it's too hard to pull one off, but he does it anyway.

Now he and the Snifits start rehearsing for the wedding.

But Booster thinks Mario's going to ruin the wedding and asks the Snifit to fetch the Mario doll to simulate a Mario interruption! gulp

It's a pretty tense minigame!

I make it through the first Snifit search!

Two Snifits are now searching! I almost (?) get caught by one of them!

Oh no!

I get caught by one of them!

Booster notices, but they think it's a ghost of sorts!

Now it's two Snifits again!

I manage to get past them again!

Got caught by three Snifits again!

I decide to give myself a second chance at this...

I succeed on the third try! I forgot that I could still run behind the curtains...

Booster thinks the ceremony is better than a party...

Booster then pulls the last curtain, revealing us!

---

Booster: "Wait...a...second!"

He sees the Mario doll above!

Booster says it's impossible to reach the Mario doll!

He then starts sniffling and is about to sob...the Snifits whisper something in his ear, or probably he's comforting him...

I'm guessing he knows Mario's there, he's probably going to keep up an act.

Or not, as Booster cries waterfalls from his eyes, and the Snifits run in panic!

Mario jumps to knock the doll off the overhang!

Booster thanks Mario for getting his doll (not knowing that's Mario, lol), and he rewards him with the very important item I was looking for...an Amulet!

Booster: "May happiness follow you, wherever you go."

Those are...surprisingly kind words from Booster.

He now stops with the rehearsals, and proceeds with the real thing!

Booster unlocks the door...he doesn't realize we're here to rescue Peach...omg! Lol!

The password to open the lock is: Mario.

He opens the door and they go to get Peach...

Snifit 3 takes a second look at Mario and goes off with his boss...I'm thinking Snifit 3 knows that's Mario, but he didn't tell Booster!

---

Before I follow Booster, I save my progress, and try to take the Mario doll...no good.

We pursue him to the balcony!

Unfortunately, two guys, Knife Guy and Grate Guy, drop down!

Grate Guy's a jack-in-the-box guy! He also puts one of my party members to sleep too!

After a while, Grate Guy and Knife Guy stack on top of each other. I'm thinking they're prepping for a Delta or Combo Attack of sorts...

Grate Guy gives us a Meteor Blast, while Knife Guy casts Crystal at us!

After several attacks from the party, and a hit from Geno, they topple over!

With combined attacks from Mario, Bowser, and Geno, Knife Guy's down!

With Mario near-exhaustion, we also take care of Grate Guy...

The trio jump off the balcony, and we get a Flower Jar!

Mario also levels up, learning Super Flame!

I increase his magical stats!

At the foot of the tower now, and Mario dashes off to chase after Booster!