Secret of Mana - Part 35: To Matango
Written on Tuesday, February 27th, 2018
Posted on Wednesday, March 21st, 2018
4 min read
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7
We make it to the crystal orb.
The new spells from Sylphid are Analyzer, Balloon, and Thunder Saber for Pidge, and Air Blast, Thunderbolt, and Silence for Max!
I have Pidge scan the crystal orb...
It looks like only Sylphid's magic, or wind magic, can affect this orb.
I have Max rain thunder on the orb! No effect.
I try an Air Blast on the orb!
The orb is destroyed, and a new path is open!
I head west, where I face more enemies, a Crawler, and a Silktail!
After taking care of them, I check the menu to double check if I've unlocked 3 Mana Seeds!
Yep, that's three of them! I head forward to the next area.
More enemies continue to bar our way!
I switch Hero's weapon to the Power Glove to take care of the Crawlers there!
As we leave a nearby unreachable area, Crawler puts Max to sleep for awhile!
One touch from a Crawler, and Hero gets poisoned!
These trees in the way make the enemies hard to see!
Opening a chest dropped by a Crawler unleashes Moogle gas!
We take the pathway west, where we're near another pond!
I do a runaround west of the lake, where I fight more Crawlers and Steamed Crabs!
There seems to be a path somewhere around here...
Moving up north, where more enemies go after us!
We cross past another small pond, where two Steamed Crabs are...
...and we finally make it to a cave!
Inside the cave, the music's changed into something more exciting-sounding!
A turn left now, we come across the first monster in the cave: a Kimono Bird!
A Pebbler's following suit! And another!
I switch Hero's equipment again to take on the flying bird!
I analyze the Pebbler! He's got plenty of HP! Like the earth burrower that he is, he's weak against wind magic!
But, after finishing off the Pebblers, it seems I picked the wrong cave entrance....aaaaahhhh!
I leave the cave, where I'm surrounded by more monsters!
I have Max cast Gem Missile on all of the enemies on sight!
I check the west path...a dead end!
I head to a pathway east, where a lone Cannon station is...
I double back to the part of the forest where I activated the crystal orb and head north!
It goes back around, so I go back to the Moogle village to rest!
At the summer lake now, where more enemies attack me...this forest is relentless!
I buy more stuff from Neko and head back to the Wind Palace to recover and save!
Since there's only one way forward, I decide to head back to that cave...
More monster fights at this point...
Dang owl, it confused Hero again!
Back at the cave...
Now how do we get to the other tunnel, or maybe how to clear out those stalagmites in the way?
I turn back, and do some more level grinding. I also do a bit of shopping in the Moggle village before heading back out...
The Cannon station near the cave entrance is still closed.
I switch Pidge's weapon to the whip.
Back at the cave for the third time, where I learn the Kimono Bird is weak against earth magic!
I have Hero wield the axe, destroying all those stalagmites blocking the way!
The solution was so obvious!!! Aafhfjalsdjkfashjdhj!!
We exit outside the tunnel west of the entrance, where we're now in a place different from the Upper Land...this must be Matango proper...
A friendly Mushboom confirms we're here!
The Mushbooms are the locals of Matango, and are pretty peaceful!
One points out their King, Truffle, could help us.
"Matango" is not only the kingdom's name, but their welcome greeting as well. "Gontma" means goodbye.
We walk west and head up the long stairways to Fung Castle, where King Truffle resides.
There's an item shop hut west of the entrance to the castle.
The Mushboom shopkeeper also dances the same dance as the other shopkeepers...
The Walnuts here are cheaper!
Fancy Overalls, a Wolf's Band, and a Steel Cap are the newest items on sale! I take all three of them!
After a change of equipment and selling our old ones, we head out!
Into the castle we go...
Inside, I encounter both Watts and notice a typo!
Watts is way ahead of us this time...
I have Watts upgrade the Chakram into the Lode Boomerang!
Next to upgrade, the Lode Axe, which becomes the Stout Axe!
Now that's a new effect! The Stout Axe, when equipped, increases the wielder's constitution by 2!
The Lode Boomerang's new effect slows enemies down!
I head to the castle's throne next...
One Mushboom saw a white dragon! This means we're probably going to ride soon...
The word about the white dragon's spread throughout the citizenry. I also learn that Mushbooms once rode on white dragons.
From another, I learn those purple dragons flying around in the Upper Land are similar to Mana Beasts that took on the fortress.
The noble Mushboom calls King Truffle "splendid" but "reckless"!
Now I talk to King Truffle...
King Truffle knows that Hero's "the legendary knight" they've been waiting for! Even Hero's puzzled by the sudden joyousness...
Truffle: "You don't think we have legends here like everywhere else!?"
We huddle as King Truffle tells his tale, and the opening tune plays.
If this game were in its complete glory, I'm guessing there would've been more to this story, since there's a pause for each line...
Truffle: "That's you guys, right? I knew it right away!"
This king has really good insight.
Truffle: "Just yesterday, one of my people saw a white dragon fighting a huge snake!" What!?
He tells us to take the palace's east exit to enter the Dragon Cave proper...
Hero, I'm guessing, is about to ask for the location of the next Mana Palace, but the King gets ahead of us and tells us to head to the cave first to find the dragon.
The King also gives us more gifts, which are upstairs in his quarters!
Now, let's see what's in this lone chest...
A Javelin's Orb is now ours!
The north room in the eastern hall of the castle heads to the inn.
So the south room's the way to the dragon cave proper...
Next time, we're taking on that cave!