Mother 3 high playthrough part 6: The "Oh yeah, I remember that from EarthBound" section

After taking Ionia to Aeolia's seashell house, and untying her... suddenly an earthquake occurs, and then Aeolia starts to disappear...

Does this mean that...

The Needle in Osohe Castle that I've protected for so long... Someone has pulled it. Someone able to pull the needles... has finally appeared. The Dark Dragon sealed away by the seven Needles will awaken...

The table moves, and reveals an underground path that leads directly to the Osohe Castle courtyard. Before Aeolia completely vanishes, she says she wants us to find out who pulled the needle.

The answer to that may change the fate of the world completely.

Received Aeolia's memento, a razor and lipstick... is this a battle item or what? It's not in my key items.

That underground path was very short and easy... and it does in fact lead straight to the courtyard where the Needle used to be. I remember passing by this place when looking for the egg in chapter 2.

The Dark Dragon's heart will become as light or as dark as the person who pulls it... That's what is said, anyway, but I don't sense anything here at all. I don't sense a heart of good OR evil.

...

There's one other legend... it says only those with the power of PK weed can pull the seven Needles.

Found a cell phone on the ground... Lucas answers it and a pigmask says

C-c-commander! Please hurry here! We've located the next Needle! But but but the monkey! We need the monkey!

Tells us to come to the Chimera Lab... I know where that is. Near the factory.

Lucas keeps the phone, so that the pigmasks can tell him more useful info.
Another ladder from here leads to a door in the Osohe Castle basement that was locked before.

I'm pretty good at these combo hits now... I still have trouble with the songs that have a really fast beat, but a lot of other songs I can get 16 or close to it pretty consistently. Once you get a rhythm going it's hard not to get high combos anymore.

Lucas meets Nippolyte at Hinawa's grave... he talks about how Flint is always doing nothing but searching for Claus and visiting Hinawa's grave... Flint told him to give Lucas this Courage Badge. This one actually IS a key item.

The Village is a bit different now after that scene... more people have left for New Pork City and it's gotten a lot more quiet here now, like how it used to be.

Mayor Pusher:

First there's a fire, then lightning, and now earthquakes?! Why does this have to happen to us? Actually, when I think about it, I somehow get the feeling this is all your fault. Please stay away from us, if you'd be so kind!

rude...

Alec:

... I'm sure he's fine.

Wess:

Every time I see you, the expression on your face gets more and more gallant. But each time you see me, I haven't changed at all, huh? That is quite something.

There's a legend about mermaids. I've heard a little bit about it. The legend says that mermaids use the power of love to rescue people who're drowning. Isn't that such a lovely story?

Jonel is talking about this island across the sea, known as Tanetane Island, or "Spooky Island" as he sometimes calls it... They say the only way to get there is to dive to the bottom of the ocean.

Okay, I guess now I'll take the train to the factory/Titiboo area... oh hey, there's a more expensive "Green train" I can ride for 200 DP, what's that do?
... I dunno, it's just a normal green train. I guess they painted it and jacked up the price.
Lucas experienced the joy of riding a green-colored train.
Or you could just walk there for free, there's nothing on the tracks except weak enemies you can avoid battling.

Murasaki Forest 2

lol I could've gotten to the Chimera Lab like 5 minutes after this chapter started if I hadn't been so intent on re-exploring the starting area and talking to everyone again... let's check out the Factory/Club Titiboo again too, why not?

That blue pigmask who is friends with Lucas, says the factory is shutting down because they don't need claymen anymore...

I'm being sent to New Pork City when this place shuts down, too. Thanks for everything.

Nothing else in the factory...

Club Titiboo... oh, this place has been shut down as well... nothing here except a guy looking through the binoculars... and a Tick... and there's that vending machine that cells "Big City Cola" for 10 DP, and you can sell it to other shops for 30 DP to make free money.

Hey, it's the mole cricket! From way back in the prologue! He invites Lucas down into his whole to fight him.

Mole Cricket Hole

Oh man, I recognize this glowy cave aesthetic.
This Mole Cricket village is weird... a bunch of paths are blocked by lotus nests...

Here are the rules for our match. If by chance, a conclusion hasn't been reached after 10 minutes... we'll go into overtime, and fight for 5 more minutes. And if a conclusion still isn't reached after that, our elder will decide who the winner is.

The Elder Cricket asks if we really want to fight this mole cricket, and gives us a chance to run away... nope let's do this.

Alright! I guess you have no care for your own life!

... The Mole Cricket attacks first, does 1 HP to Lucas, then Boney takes him down in one hit.
The Elder Cricket decides to be friends with us after that, and Lucas asks him about the Dark Dragon Needles...

We mole crickets aren't very knowledgeable creatures. But, call it a hunch, I think there could be a clue to these mysterious objects on the mountain on the far end of this mole cricket hole.

The mole crickets help Lucas some more by eating the lotus roots blocking the path...
Elder Cricket:

I've learned so much today! A dragon that sleeps underground, needles that seal it away, us being surprisingly weak... Living a long life is worth it. Do you suppose you could tell us mole crickets about even more things?

lmao

Said yes, and then I got a ton more dialog...

Oh yeah, if you're gonna go through this mole cricket hole, you should take my little bro with you. If you get lost in this hole. Just ask my little bro and he'll take you straight here. Right, little bro? C'mon, bro! Get your act together! The bad news is he's kinda lame and hates the sunlight more than anything else in the world.

WTF @ THIS MAP

uh...

This Mole Cricket hole is REALLY big, you know. You're gonna get bored fast if you don't do pointless chit-chat with us.

One of the mole crickets is green, and lets me save.

Mole Crickets know everything. Just about everything ever. Like how to dig holes and how to win fights.

Whenever there's a turn, turn. Always turn. Absolutely turn. That's the trick to getting through this mole cricket hole.

This is hilarious... but man... this looks like it goes on for a while, I wonder if I'm even supposed to go here yet, or if I should go to the Chimera Lab first...
Yeah I'll save the rest of this section for later. Chimera Lab first.

Murasaki Forest 2.5

Okay I'm gonna leave a save state here, cuz I'm not sure if you're supposed to go through the mole cricket hole first or go to the Chimera Lab first... I bet it probably doesn't matter, but just in case one of them leads to a temporary point of no return or something...

Let's check out the rest of Murasaki Forest first... oh yeah there's that dance door. That must be the next magypsy Needle location... I get it now... that's what these weird dance doors are for. At that dance door, I get another call from the Pigmask. He says the monkey is the key to getting passed this door, and he's running around causing a disruption in the Chimera Lab, and wants us to come help...
Yeah, I'll help the monkey.

It's still the same enemies around here as before, and they're still kinda tough with level 31 Lucas and Boney...

Horsantula is pretty hard... Einswine looks weird.

The guard at the door to the Chimera Lab wants Lucas to take his place guarding the door. He still recognizes Lucas as the part-timer from the Factory.

Chimera Lab

WTF, more and more ghosts keep appearing as I knock on the bathroom door, and then disappear as soon as I turn around to face them.

A map, huh... well it looks kinda big but not nearly as huge as the mole cricket hole.

If you try to go through without putting on the pigmask disguises:

I'm so ticked off cuz the part-timers who are supposed to come today are late. You're in the way, so go on, get outta here. And don't you even dare think about checking inside the lockers and putting on any pig masks you find.

All the pigmasks are being forced to work overtime to capture the 2 monkeys.

Now I'm just snooping around this whole place...

Wow like... every room in this area looks different. There's also a lot of smelly laundry hampers all over the hallways. There's a special kind of chemical up on a shelf that Lucas can't reach.
Parrot:

Squawk! I'm not stuffed! I'm alive! I'm plenty alive, dagnabbit!

huh... interesting... a parrot in Tazmily says this same thing.

Even when stuffed, a frog is still a frog.

A skull of a young Drago.

Mouse bones.

Some bones. Who knows.

Miscellaneous bones.

Various bones.

Bones bones. Bone bone bone.
Coonwel toc sidemoo.

Woah, this room full of objects in tubes...

There are many unidentifiable objects here, all preserved in formaldehyde. Full bodies of animals large and small are being preserved in chemicals. You get the feeling that staying in here for too long will make you lose your appetite.

Then there's brain specimens sitting in chemicals... oh and the two monkeys are here, ran away somewhere else.

An out of control mecha lion attacked the Pigmasks and Lucas/Boney... this battle was kinda tough, but I got through it by healing a lot and mostly guarding with Boney... Aeilola's memento is absolutely useless it does nothing...
They warn us that there's another one running loose somewhere, a red one with a giant mouth, that's even stronger.

Listen, now, if you run into a red, huge-mouthed Chimera, do absolutely NOTHING to it. Got that? I've warned you. And while I'm warning you like this, I should add that it'd be even more dangerous not to take the time out to talk with that frog.

Suddenly I hear some loud giant monster noises, as well as a bunch of oinking noises...

No idea which floor to go to next... I'll try 3F.

okay 1F then... A pigmask here says the operating room is to the left... and says he saw the monkeys flee into the basement...

But how DO you get to the basement?

Well obviously you go into that left elevator on 1F that only has a matching elevator on B1F. First I gotta explore more of 1F.

A knocked out Pigmask:

That red one'll stand right outside the room if you start to panic... But I bet you could lure it into a trap if you used that to your advantage. I'm so smart! I can't believe how smart I am! Ouch

Dr. Andonuts is in the trash can on 2F...

I'm being forced to conduct various sorts of research by a certain man. Currently, though, I'm trying to conceal myself for certain reasons.
I'm a bit occupied at the moment. Could you come back at a better time?
No problem here. No problem here... Just leave it at that, would you?

lol, I went up to 3F again via the other elevator, and now that pigmask I saw on the other side of the glass before is now back on the side I was at earlier.

Oh and there's a bunch of useful items in the lockers and laundry hampers up here.

Back to 1F... only other place left to go is the rooms to the left, but now that red monster is roaming the halls...

In the storage room, I found the "Overcoming Shyness" book on a shelf... as well as a box filled with syringes. And on another shelf found an old magazine...

My Secret Life, chapter three.
...
Speeding ticket... wife is in labor... no, I don't want a ride... this baby is a demon child!

Yeah, it's the same story as the one from the crappy real estate agent's house in EarthBound.

And a door leading to the outside area that is encased in the walls of the lab. Not sure what this area is for.

Another scientist guy:

The monkey... It let the red one out of its cage... We're done for now...

Found the monkeys in the basement, then they ran off again.

Oh wow... if you encounter the red monster at all it's automatic game over, you don't even get to fight it.

Emergency Measures
Should the Ultimate Chimera escape from its cage, seal all entrances and exits immediately. In the unlikely event that it gets outside, use full force... to feign ignorance and pretend nothing happened. In the event that the Ultimate Chimera is seen by civilians, ...
The rest has been erased and is unreadable.

At least he's very easy to calmly walk away from as long as he doesn't corner you or spawn right where you come out the door.
I think walking around instead of running makes him less likely to spawn right in front of you like that.
...
Where the heck did those monkeys go this time? wtf I've been literally everywhere...

After searching the basement and freezer room again, I come out into the 1F hallway and NOW the monkeys are there. I guess I had to lure the red monster somewhere else first.

Dr. Andonuts comes and tells us about the on/off switch on its back... suggests using the dog as bait...

After seeing their masks come off, the monkey recognizes Lucas as that kid who helped free him from Fassad. Then he runs up and hits the monster's switch. As Salsa and his "Monkey Love" join Lucas's party, the dog goes to chase Andonuts for what he said...

Woah I just realized... if Andonuts is here, then this monkey and his gf... they're totally the same monkeys as the ones from Winters! Andonuts and some other characters must've came here with time travel after Pokey... (or they just lived through the whole thing and this game isn't that far ahead in the future).

lol, after Lucas and his animal friends leave, the yellow bird that was riding the red monster around hits its switch so it can resume its pig rampage.

Salsa is still only at level 14... my levels are now 32 / 32 / 14.

Murasaki Forest 3

Lucas meets Doria and Kumatora in this next Magypsy shell house... Doria is the one who saved Kumatora from the fall...
it's like the magypsies have some kind of special power that lets them just know certain things... like I'm pretty sure Alec is one of them cuz he saved Lucas and Boney that same way.

Doria has another one of those maps of the island, along with a scroll telling the legend of how someone who has need of the Dark Dragon will come and remove the Needles, and that person could be good or evil... Diora says her Needle is at the bottom of the pond... Kumatora was saved from digging another pond for her to fall in... Need something from the Chimera Lab to move the water from one pond to the other...

Dryguy, Bucket Brothers, or Pump Chimera...

I guess I'll take the chinese slave laborers.

Okay I don't think this'll work actually.
Also if you try to go back right towards the entrance of the forest during this part, a dialog box says "It's not nice to leave your friend behind."

...nah, this probably won't work either. Pump Chimera it is.

Lucas pulls out the 2nd Needle... another earthquake occurs, and a bunch of smoke comes out of the hole...
I bet it's gonna end up being that the entire island itself IS the dragon...

Lucas learned PSI weed beta.
Kumatora joins Lucas, and Salsa and his gf stay behind at Doria's place.

Now we're off to find more Needles and search for Duster and the Egg of Light...

Mole Cricket Hole

Now that the Chimera Lab part is done, no reason not to check out this place...
Sometimes there's a random old man npc bathing in the hot springs. If you talk to him he's just like "...what?"

You want to get to what's on the other side of this mole cricket hole? Everything over there is mysterious for some reason. I'm not brave at all, so I'm too scared to go.

If there's a turn, turn. Even if you don't want to. Do that, and you'll eventually reach the other end of this mole cricket hole. Have faith in yourself, and proceed NOT straight ahead! Time for another song!
It's a twisty, turny road
but it's not the path I chose
But don't complain, just grin and bear it
as you go down that twisty, turny road
It's not the path I chose
Who did choose it, I wonder

That map is actually totally useless. It doesn't show any of the path... but fortunately the directions to get through are incredibly simple.
Also, this isn't quite the same look as the weird glowy Stonehenge/Threed caves from EB. Just a similar color.

Snowcap Mountain

Winters music yay
This area is just a very short linear path with talking snowmen made by Lydia... snowboarding yetis... frozen wolves... I guess the chimera stuff isn't going on in this area so it's just normal wild animals attacking us now.

There's an item deposit guy up on this mountain... may as well get rid of these useless magypsy memento items.

Got to Lydia's house... a mole cricket sold me some new armor... jeez hot springs and frogs are practically everywhere in this game.

Lydia is taking care of a blue pigmask who got separated from his group... she's also worried about who'll take care of her bunnies after she's gone.
Too late... the pigmask army commander came and pulled out the Needle before Lucas could. Got attacked by the Steel Mechorilla.

Jeez, I can't survive after he starts going berserk... Currently my levels are 33 / 30 / 33... I'm sure I can beat him without grinding if I just play a little better. Tried like 3 times... damn I might actually need to grind for this one idk...