Final Fantasy VII - Part 14 Supplied by Keeks Continued from Issue 76 10. Underwater Adventure ------------------------ This section outlines a series of side-quests and optional events. While some have to be done at a certain point, the others are listed here only because you now have a subMarlenee and can explore the ocean. You can skip this section and go on to 3k for the final Huge Materia Quest if you'd rather do the things in here at a later point. The controls for either subMarlenee (gray or red) are as follows: Cancel Submerge/Ascend Ok Propel forward - (doesn't work in overhead view) Left/Right Move in any direction - (raise or lower while underwater) Pu/Pd Switch from side/overhead view - (doesn't work while underwater) Start Show/enlarge/hide map - (cannot enlarge map while underwater) The subMarlenee can cross deep water, but not shallows. If you can't get by an area while skimming the sea, try submerging and looking for a passage. If you can't get over a rock wall while submerged, try ascending and looking for another way around. Also, the sub can only land at docks such as the one near Junon Town. BTW, the mini-game at the Gold Saucer also becomes available once you have a subMarlenee. If you sunk the red subMarlenee, then get in your subMarlenee and look at the map. Head to the chain of small islands southeast from the weaponsmith's house (the guy who lived near the Gold Saucer). Submerge and you'll find the red subMarlenee. Should you touch it, Cloud will retrieve the Red Huge Materia from the wrecked subMarlenee. If you failed to sink it earlier, then it won't be here. Note that you can wait and pick up the Red Huge Materia in Disc 3 if you'd rather not get it right now. Next, return to the Junon Town dock and go west until you reach a jutting peninsula (or go north from where the red subMarlenee was, assuming you sunk it). Go around the peninsula and head south until you reach land (you'll be in a little bay, near a dock, and you should be able to see the Golden Saucer from where you are). Descend and you'll find a wrecked plane lying on the sea floor. Touch it to board the sunken plane. Inside the plane, go down the ladder. Run to the left to find a Save Point and a treasure chest (inside is the Heavens Cloud sword). Enter the northern door (the one with the Shin-Ra emblem on it) and head east along the walkway. There's a green chest here with an Escort Guard in it. Go down the incline to the lowest level of this room and head to the upper-left corner. Hidden by a pipe is another green chest; inside it is Yuffie's Ultimate Weapon, the Conformer Now to all the way to the upper-right corner and search the wall for a hard to see yellow materia (Continuous Slice). Finally, return to the entrance and go north and then east across the beams. This leads to the final chest which has a Megalixir inside of it. Return to the main room and go through the door on the left wall. In the adjoining chamber are Reno and Rude of the Turks, who will talk to you briefly before attacking your party. RENO LV: 42 HP: 15000 MP: 230 RUDE LV: 49 HP: 20000 MP: 280 Rude (the bald guy) can cast Ice and Fire, while Reno will attack you with his Neo Turks' Light Ray attack. They also have the nasty ability to confuse you, which can be a serious problem if the confused member has a Continuous Slice or Slice Everybody materia equipped. Once you inflict enough damage on one of them, that person will leave. If you kill Reno, then Rude will simply stand around until you lower his HP to zero. Since this battle is tougher than it might seem, Haste your characters and use your best attacking and summon spells. If he's learned it, Cloud's limit B3/1 should be used whenever possible. You'll get an Elixir when the battle is concluded. ---------------------------------------------------------------- With the Turks out of the way, go through the northern door. A chest sitting near the entrance contains a Megalixir, and if you continue along the walkway and go all the way to the right, you'll find another chest with a Ronginusu inside. Go down the stairs to the lower area; near the bottom of the screen are two chests; one to the left and one to the right. The left one has an Outsider gun in it, and the right one contains Cid's Level 4 Limit Break Manual (Highwind). Before leaving, look by the wrecked helicopter for a shimmering red sphere (it's lying between the body of the helicopter and one of the broken, detached parts next to it). It's the 'Summon Hades' materia, so pick it up and then head back to your subMarlenee. You don't need to return to the wrecked plane again, although you can fight the monsters here and transform them into various '-Up' items (you can also do this to several of the monsters in the Mideel Area). Considering this game's difficulty (the lack of, that is), you shouldn't have to do this, though. Once you're in the subMarlenee, look at your map. Just south and east of the southeastern tip of the Northern Continent are three islands in a sort of a curving pattern. If you can't quite tell where you are, just go along the coast of the Northern Continent until you reach an area surrounded by shallows where there are three islands (you should be near snowy ground with patches of grass, in addition to a large mountain). Submerge the subMarlenee and look for an underwater tunnel around here (guide the subMarlenee into the dead-end and turn around; you should see it as you're moving). The short tunnel leads to a twisted, spiky object which you will take (it's called the Key to the Ancients; Buugen Haagen asks you to find it later on when you return to the Ancient City). Finally, get back in your airship and fly to Wutai on the Westernmost Continent. Go up into the Dachao Statue area, and head along the path until you reach the path that heads north. Follow it past the statue's head until you reach another crossroads with a cave entrance nearby. Enter the cave. Try to walk into the first fire-pit twice and Cloud will use the Leviation Scaleson the flames each time, exposing a green chest which contains a shuriken for Yuffie. Explore the rest of the cave until you find a second fire-pit. Press against it to douse it with the Leviation Scales. This allows you to take the blue materia lying on the floor (Steal in Addition). 11. Cid's Rocket ---------------- Return to Rocket Town (it's beyond the mountains near the Gold Saucer). Go to the launch pad. It's swarming with Shin-Ra soldiers! Make your way to the stairs leading up to the rocket and you'll be attacked by two soldiers. Deal with them and you'll be attacked by another pair of soldiers. At the top of the stairs, you'll fight two more soldiers and their captain. After killing them, Cid will show up and insist on joining if he's not already with you. After you choose to continue playing, climb up the ladder and you'll face off with two Shin- Ra soldiers and Rude of the Turks. Rude LV: 42 HP: 9000 MP: 240 xxxx LV: 34 HP: 1300 MP: 100 xxxx LV: 34 HP: 1300 MP: 100 Use physical attacks to kill the soldiers and injure Rude, especially if you've got the Continuous Slice and Slice Everybody materia equipped. Rude can use a jumping wave attack, but it only causes about 500 points of damage. He can also create a Mabarrier which he usually casts when one or both of the soldiers are killed, and he can cast Sandara and heal himself for about 1100 hit points. Despite all his powers, he's still easily beaten. If you kill Rude before finishing off the guards, you'll automatically win the battle. You may win an S Mine once you win the battle. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Go inside the rocket ship--you'll have to fight another battle, but it's easily won. Press Ok to open the northern door, then go into the main room, where Cid will talk to the workers. After the rocket lifts off, go to the right into the next room and climb up the ladder. Examine the Huge Materia in the next room and choose the top option. Cid will chat with Cloud and several numbered boxes will appear. When they do, punch in the following code, one press per message box: First Message (1): Ok Second Message (2): Switch Third Message (3): Cancel Fourth Message (4): Cancel If you did it correctly, the glass tube will open and you can take the Huge Materia. If you mess up, you'll have 3 minutes to get the code right, and Cid will try to clue you in to the correct code. Should the timer reach zero, the Huge Materia is lowered into the ground. Whether you got the Huge Materia or not, return to the entry room and climb down the ladder; when you get near the sparking tanks, they will explode. With a little help from Shera, you'll free Cid from under a piece of metal. Follow Shera into the next room (which turns out to be an escape capsule). After a lengthy FMV sequence, you'll find yourself back in Highwind, and the Meteor hanging in the sky will now be much closer than it was before. Alternately, you can do this part (see the tanks explode) and then go back and get/not get the Huge Materia, or you can even do this part and then take the escape pod without even attempting to free the Huge Materia (which means you obviously won't get it). 12. Return to the Ancient City/Midgar City under Siege ------------------------------------------------------ Get in the Highwind and return to Cosmo Canyon. Make your way up to the observatory and talk to Buugen Haagen. Cloud will use the PHS system to call the rest of his friends up to Buugen Haagen's home. They'll all talk about Sephiroth and Aeris, and then leave Cloud alone with Buugen Haagen, who offers to keep the Huge Materia at his observatory for safekeeping. Touch any of the Huge Materia you have and pick the bottom option to return to the Highwind. Buugen Haagen will accompany you. Pilot the Highwind back to the Northern Continent and land in the canyon where the Ancient City is located. At the crossroads, take the left path and follow it into the chamber with the blue crystal that you couldn't do anything to earlier. Head right along the upper path and take the stairs up to the crystal. Buugen Haagen will talk to Cloud and his friends. If you already got the Ancients Key, Buugen Haagen uses it to create a waterfall. If you didn't get it yet, he'll remain here in the Ancient City until you find it and return to him with it. Once the waterfall has been activated, walk towards the crystal a second time. Pictures of Aeris will be shown in the falling water while Buugen talks to your party. Now, leave the Ancient City. As you do, Cait Sith calls on Cloud's phone and tells him that the Sister Ray in Junon Town has been re-installed in Midgar City, and that it's going to be used to destroy the barrier around the crater (where Sephiroth's at). After seeing some more FMV, return to the Highwind. Just as you're about to board it, another Weapon monster shows up and starts advancing towards Midgar City. Since you can't attack it while in the Highwind, and you can't reach it using the subMarlenee, wait until it reaches dry land, then try and touch it in order to see another FMV sequence in which the Sister Ray is used to kill the Weapon and break the shield at the same time. At this point in the game, if you return to the lake near Junon Town, the Ultima Weapon will be hovering over the lake. You can battle the Ultima Weapon by ramming into it while aboard the Highwind. However, it will fly away after fighting with you for awhile. From this point on, it will fly around the sky and make it's way to various random locations. It might seem as if you could just wait around for the Ultima Weapon to show up here and there, but the beast will fly in circles unless you find it and ram into it repeatedly. After 4 or 5 tries, it will then head towards a new location and sit there until you attack again. After escaping a few more times, it will make a final stop at Cosmo Canyon. You can fight it to the death here (it's a pushover, so don't expect too much of a challenge), and when it dies, you get Cloud's Ultimate Weapon (the Ultima Weapon). Furthermore, it will create a crater when it crashes into the ground, wiping out several of the rock formations around Cosmo Canyon. However, you can now walk across the crater and go into the Old Forest! Normally, you can't reach this place unless you're using a colored Chocobo. If you don't want to fight the Ultima Weapon now, you still fight it during Disc 3. Anyway, pilot the Highwind back to the crater when you're ready. Before you can explore it further, Reeve (y'know, the guy who controls Cait Sith) reveals that Hojo (one of the members of the Jenova Project) is planning to use the Sister Ray again, even though the results could be catastrophic considering how much energy it used up last time. So you have to get back into Midgar City and stop Hojo beforehand. When you're ready to raid Midgar City, fly the Highwind straight towards it, as if you were going to ram into it. Cloud and his allies will gather together on the airship's deck. You can now choose the top option to assemble a new party, or the bottom option to leap off the ship and parachute into the city. When you can move, follow your friend to an alleyway where your pals are waiting. There's also a Save Point here. Talk to whoever is by the wooden panel and they'll open it to reveal a ladder leading down into the depths of Midgar City. At the bottom of the ladder, go along the metal passage and down the slope. Go up the next slope and when you reach the wall, head right to find a chest containing an Elixir, and then run to the left to find a chest with a Megalixir inside of it. Make your way back to the area with the ladder and take the stairs down to an area with a ladder. If you climb down the ladder, you'll reach a long walkway; head east and then go north to arrive at another ladder. Climb up it and you'll have access to the green chest you saw earlier; it contains an Aegis Bracelet. Climb back down to the long walkway and run to the right. The floor will give way and you'll be deposited on a lower walkway. Head left, jump on top of the pipe, and then ascend the ladder. When you arrive at another ladder, climb up it, too. Eventually you'll arrive at a path just below the one you were walking around on earlier. Walk along it until you reach a chute; walk into it and you'll be deposited in a new area. Check out the green chest to the left (there's a Starlight Horn inside it). Then go to the right and open the chest that's near the ladder (it contains an Elixir). Climb down the ladder and press against the right lip of the platform in order to jump down to the chute labelled '42'. Enter the chute, and when you arrive at the other end, head left and then go up the ladder. At the top, you'll find a chest to the left; there's a Maximum Ray inside it. Retrace your steps until you're back at the other area, press left to jump off the chute and back onto the platform, and then climb up the ladder and go up the stairs to your left (it's right next to the chute labelled '12'). At the top of the stairs is a Save Point. To the right of it is a crawlway. Make you way along it and you'll arrive in an underground tunnel system. Climb down to the floor and head south. While many of the passages here split off in two directions, one direction will always end in a blocked door, so keep going south. As you keep going, you'll run into your friends (remember, who you meet up with depends on who is and isn't in your group). After heading south for a couple of screens, you'll find a treasure chest lying against the left wall of one of those 'split-passage' areas I mentioned earlier. Inside it is a Power Up. At the next split-passage area that you come across, there is a treasure chest in the area between the doorways. There's a Guard Up inside it. Keep going south, and when you reach the next split-passage area, there will be two chests lying in the area between the doorways. The one to the left has a Magic Up inside it, and the one to the right contains a Mind Up. If you go south from here, you'll arrive at a dead end. In the left corner of this area is a Save Point, and in the right corner there is a yellow materia (Double Item). If you press against the wall, you'll discover that you can't go any further. So, go all the way back to the first area (where the ladder was). Try to head to the north and guess who shows up! It's the remaining Turks, and they're here for a final showdown with Cloud and his friends. I could swear that the first time I came through here, they asked if I wanted to fight or not...but I guess not, since nothing like that happened this time around. Perhaps it has something to do with completing Yuffie's sub-quest before coming here? Elena (can't see her stats.) Reno LV: 50 HP: 25000 MP: 200 Rude LV: 51 HP: 28000 MP: 250 Elena is healed by lightning attacks, Reno by ice attacks, and Rude by fire attacks. Rude has a punch attack that hits one character for 2000 points of damage, Elena can throw a firebomb that inflicts 500 to 600 points of damage (in addition to a charm attack), and Reno uses a spark attack which will cause 800 HPs worth of damage. They all have more attacks than these; but I'm listing the ones the seem to use most often. Alone, they aren't much, but with all three of them fighting together, this becomes one of the toughest battles in game. Barrier and Haste your allies, then use spells like Ultima and Tornado to soften the Turks up in addition to Limit Breaks. Try to save Phoenix until you really need it, since it will revive your members but heal Rude. All three Turks will escape once you've defeated them in battle. You'll get an Elixir when the battle is over. ----------------------------------------------------------------- After the battle, go north. When you reach the split passage area, go north again. If Cid isn't in your party, he'll show up here. Take the right path and at the next split passage, take the left path. You'll arrive at a blocked passage, but there's a ladder against the left wall that leads to the Shin-Ra Building. If Cait Sith is in your party, he'll talk to you. Otherwise, you'll see him hop out of the building. If you didn't read Turtles Paradise Flyer No. 2 the first time around, you can check out the billboard at the back end of the first floor to read it now. Go up the stairs near the front and look for a door marked 'Accessories' near the other end of this floor. In the adjoining room, you can open two chests that a Shin-Ra employee wouldn't let you examine eaarlier. The one to the right contains a Master Fist and the left one has a Pile Banker inside of it. Before leaving, go up to the 64th floor and look for the lockers (go north from the elevators). If you examine the left end of the row of lockers against the wall, you'll find the Marvelous Cheer (Cait Sith's Ultimate Weapon that you couldn't take earlier). Return to the underground passages again. Go south past one split- passage room, and when you reach the second room, take the left path. You'll go outside. Walk towards the lefthand red beam to climb up it and jump onto the main street. Head north and a huge mechanical monster will appear from behind you; it's being controlled by Heidegger and Sukaaretto. After laughing in your face, they'll attack you. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Proud Cloud (can't see its stats.) Jammer Armor LV: 62 HP: 20000 MP: 300 This mechanical monstrosity has two parts; a head and a chest area that you can aim your attacks at. The boss can only cause around 500-800 points of damage, but it can kneel and fire a ray from its back (the Beam Cannon attack) that causes 1100 damage to all members. Even after disabling the Jammer Armor (it can use its Materia Jammer attack to disable your Materia), you'll still have to keep attacking the main part if you want to kill it. Spells and summonings work nicely, and you shouldn't worry about your HP until the boss kneels and readies its laser attack. You'll get the Ragnarok sword once the fight is over. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Once the machine explodes, it starts to rain. Head north. There are two chests near the entrance. The one closest to you has an Elixir in it, while the one that's further away contains a Misutiiru. Use the Save Point that's nearby if you want to, then climb up the ladders. If he's not in your party, Vincent will be on the lower landing. The second landing is normally empty, but if Barett is in your party, you will see a green chest there. Open it to get Barett's Ultimate Weapon, the Missing Score. If Barett's not in you party, you won't find anything on the landing, even if you search it thoroughly. Once you've climbed all the way to the top, run to the right. Sitting at the Mako Cannon's (Sister Ray's) controls is Hojo, who will attack your party when you talk to him. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Hojo LV: 50 HP: 13000 MP: 250 Pudurea Sample LV: 42 HP: 10000 MP: 200 Ibirurappu S LV: 34 HP: 11000 MP: 120 Helletic Hojo LV: 55 HP: 26000 MP: 200 Right Arm LV: 55 HP: 5000 MP: 300 Left Arm LV: 55 HP: 24000 MP: 400 Hojo NA (can't see his stats.) Hojo can use his 'Capsule' power to summon the two 'Sample' monsters every time you kill them. So, concentrate on defeating Hojo instead of the lesser monsters. He'll then reappear as a huge monster with two independant arms (Helletic Hojo). Since Hojo can bring the arms back to life, aim your attacks at the main body of the boss. He may cast Confuse or Silence on you, so I hope you have some Ribbons equipped. The right arm will also inflict a lot of damage, so cast Barrier beforehand. In his final form, Hojo can cast Slow and employ a multiple-hit attack (Combo), which will poison whoever is hit by it. As long as you keep your HPs up, this battle is a cinch. You'll receive a Power Up once you've killed Hojo. ---------------------------------------------------------------- You'll return to the Highwind after killing the boss. There's a short sequence with Tifa and Cloud afterward, then the Highwind blasts off into the sky. Well, that's the end of this disc! To be continued next issue - o -