Any% Japanese Route (No Pianta Parlor/Super Boots)

This route was made by Zephiles and Vynneve. Credits go to Almolicious and GigaDB for providing useful information from previous routes that has been carried over to this route.

Note: Leave the memory card out to skip the autosave at the start of the game. There are no autosaves after this so you can put it in any time after the curtain pulls.

Note 2: This route only allows for 1 encounter (excluding the forced Dull Bones encounter in Hooktail Castle) before the end of Chapter 1. Any more and you will need to collect the coins when you run away, as you need 5 coins after completing Chapter 1 to buy the Courage Shell. You can avoid this by buying it earlier, but this will make some menus slower.
[section=Prologue]
**Lord Crump**
● Mario: Jump x2
● Superguard Crump's attack
● Mario: Jump x2

Note: It's always faster to fail the Action Command for the second Jump.

Goombella joins your party
Break the Contact Lens

**Toad Bros. Bazaar**
● Order Contact Lens
● Buy 5 Fright Masks  (Optionally, you can buy 4 fright masks, if you plan on dodging the X-Naut in the bubble room later on)
● Buy 4 Fire Flowers

If you plan on saving during the run, hit the Save Block and select the bottom option. If not, it is faster to have Goombella explain saving to you, so jump into her cutscene.

Robbed by the Bandit (Don't chase him to get the coins back, you make them back later)
Meet Frankly
Say "No" to the Action Command tutorial (choose the top dialogue option first (scroll up and press A) and the bottom option second (press B.))

**Goomba Trio**
● Fright Mask

Get the **Star Piece** from behind the block
Get the Black Key and the Plane Curse
Use HRG to get to the Petal Meadows pipe early


[section=Petal Meadows]
Go to Petalburg
Talk to Mayor Kroop
E-mail on the way to the gate (Don't check it yet, it is faster to do so later)

Get the **Star Piece** in first bush in the first area east of Petalburg
Get the **POW block** in the box

**Bald Clefts**
● Mario: POW Block

Get the **POW Block** from the bush

**Bristles**
● Mario: POW Block

Get the **Fire Flower** from the Block
Super Fun Quirk Quiz 65 (1, 3, 4, 2, 3)
Get the Moon Stone

**Fuzzy Battle**
● Mario: Fire Flower

Get the Sun Stone

**Fuzzy Battle**
● Mario: Fire Flower

**Gold Fuzzy Battle**
● Mario: Jump x2 on Gold Fuzzy
● Goombella: Fire Flower
● (Fuzzy horde appears)
● Guard Fuzzy horde
● Superguard Gold Fuzzy
● Mario: Jump x2 on Gold Fuzzy
● Goombella: Headbonk x2 on Gold Fuzzy

Get the **Multibounce** from the block
Go back to Petal Meadows
Koops joins your party
Get the **Fire Flower** from the block
Go to Hooktail Castle


[section=Hooktail Castle]
Get the **Power Bounce** in first hall from the block
Koops’ Dad letter (don’t read)

**Red Bones Battle**
● Mario: Fire Flower
● Koops: Fire Flower
● Level Up FP

Perform “Lock Jump” and “Flip Skip” in the Yellow/Purple Block Puzzle
Get the **Star Piece** while doing Flip Skip
Go all the way to the right and get the Black Key from the chest
Get the Paper Curse
Get **Attack FX R** by going through the bars

**As you unspin from bars (Pause Menu will cut this animation short)**
● Equip Attack FX R
● Equip Power Bounce
● Check the e-mail

Backtrack to the Red Bones room and get the Castle Key
Go back to the Save Block/Big Green block room and ride the block up to unlock the door
In Upper Hallway, hit the first “!” block
Use Koops to hit the second “!” block

Note: You can Jump to the window without hitting the second block. It saves 8 seconds. However, if you mess up and fall below, you waste about 30 seconds.

In big green block room, grab the **Life Shroom** on the way up with Koops. (This is necessary)
Ms. Mowz Cutscene
Get the Castle Key from the chest

**Dry Bones**
● Mario: Run Away

Go through the locked door
Get the last Castle Key and go through the big locked door

**Boss: Hooktail**
● Mario: Power Bounce x9
● Koops: Shell Toss
● Guard Hooktail's Fire attack
● Mario: Power Bounce x8
● Koops: Shell Toss
● Hooktail Cutscene (Answer “Yes” for 1000 coins to take 5 HP of damage)
● Mario: Power Bounce x8
● Koops: Shell Toss


[section=Pre-Chapter 2]
**Peach Segment**
● Enter the shower area and leave immediately to open the door (you don’t have to take a shower)
● Visit TEC

**Bowser Segment**
● Walk to the end of the hall

Get **Mega Rush P** beside Kroop's house

Go to Niff T.'s Shop and buy a **Courage Shell** (receive the Mushroom from Shop Points if you bout 5 fright masks)

(Peach Email before the bridge in Petal Meadows)
Get the **Star Piece** in the tree to the left of the pipe to Rogueport Sewers
Optional: Speed Swap to skip waiting for the last platform to move to the pipe

Go back to the Thousand-Year Door
Go into the sewers to the room with Dazzle
Get the **Star Piece** behind the pillar next to Dazzle
Buy **Item Hog** from Dazzle
Go to Boggly Woods


[section=Boggly Woods]
Go right for the Shadow Sirens cutscene
Go to the Great Tree
Talk to Punio by the door
Talk to Punio again

Leave the Great Tree for the Flurrie cutscene
Go to Flurrie’s House
Get **P-Down, D-Up P** in the hidden block on the way to Flurrie’s house
Raise the Plane Panel

Talk to Flurrie
Leave Flurrie’s house for the Shadow Sirens cutscene
Go back to the Shadow Sirens
Get the **Quake Hammer** in the block on the way to the Shadow Sirens

**Shadow Sirens**
● Mario: Jump x2 on Marilyn
● Koops: Power Shell
● Superguard Vivian's attack
● Superguard Marilyn's attack
● Guard Beldam's attack
● Mario: 4-bar Earth Tremor (5-bar if you failed one or both of the Superguards)
● Koops: Power Shell

Grab the necklace
Go back to Flurrie’s House
Flurrie joins your party
Go back to the Great Tree
(Email on the screen with Great Tree)
Blow away the secret entrance and enter the Great Tree


[section=The Great Tree]
**X-Nauts**
● Mario: Fright Mask

Go to the top of the tree (where the cells are)
Enter the Storage Room

**X-Naut**
● Mario: Power Bounce x4

Get the Red Key and unlock the Red Cell
Get the **Power Punch** on the way back to the tree entrance
Get the 10 Punies and the Puni Orb
Use the Puni Orb to make the pipe appear

(Ignore this next fight if you are skipping the bubble room X-Naut)

**X-Nauts**
● Mario: Fright Mask

Blow the Punies across the gap (unlock the door while they are in the bubbles)
10 Jabbi fight
Get the Blue Key

Use Flurrie to stun the Pider on the way back. You can also walk on the southernmost part of the screen, but the Punies may fall down, so stunning the Pider is safer.

Pick up the **Thunder Rage** from the bush in the Bubble Room (leave the Punies here)
Go back to the cells and release all of the Punies
“Puni Glitch” down to the pipe below. It is luck if your count drops to 75 or 45 right away.
Go back to the Bubble Room and blow the 91 Punies across

Puni Glitch down to the next pipe
Reveal the Hidden block below the Damage Dodge P with Koops (switch fast) (you do not need to collect Damage Dodge P)

Note: You can hit the invisible block with your Hammer, but you have to be in a very specific spot. If you waste too much time setting up, the Pider will scare the Punies. Using Koops is recommended.

Switch back to Flurrie and use her in the 100 Jabbi Squad fight

Either Goombella buffer into the right Loading Zone in the room after the Jabbi fight, or walk against the bottom wall, moving right slowly to bypass the Loading Zone. Move right until you can hear a collision noise when moving against the north wall in Paper Mode. Switch from up to up-left and release R to clip onto the seam. Maneuver around to the left side of the Puni Orb pedestal and drop down to the pipe on the stump.

Jump to the pipe in the next room with all 101 Punies

Either use Koops to hit Blue Switch in water room, or jump across the platforms in the lower room to keep the Punies with you as you enter the pipe to the basement. If you use Koops, return and take the Punies over the lily pads.

Note: If you time it right, you can hit the switch at the same time you go down the pipe, which saves time on the pipe traversing cutscene. This is somewhat risky if you time it too early.

Note 2: It is luck-based, but you can use Puni Glitches across the platforms and go down the pipe, skipping the scene to lower the water. This is not recommended.

Go down the pipe and place the Puni Orb in the next 2 spots to reveal the Crystal Star. Leave the Punies in at the pillar and start the first escape

**X-Nauts**
● Mario: Fright Mask

During the first escape, go and grab the Super Boots
Get **Charge** with Koops on the way back
Return back to the escape room (via the red door) and re-trigger the escape
Chase Crump back to the tree entrance (leave the Punies, you don’t need them)

**X-Nauts**
● Mario: Jump x2
● Koops: Fright Mask
● Level Up BP

Escape to the front of the tree

**Boss: Magnus Von Grapple**
● Koops: Power Punch on Mario
● Mario: Power Bounce x7
● Superguard Magnus' attack
● Koops: Shell Toss
● Mario: Power Bounce x6
● Magnus creates fists
● Mario: Power Bounce x6
● Koops: Shell Toss (if needed)

Note: You can get capped at 6 bounces here, so if you miss the Superguard, the fists may attack you. Just make sure to do 30 damage as soon as possible.


[section=Pre-Chapter 3]
**Peach Segment**
● Visit TEC for dancing (just walk around the door until it opens)

**Bowser Segment**
● Beat 1-1 (161 is the best possible time, 160 if you get the meats)

(Peach Email outside the Great Tree)
Go to The Thousand-Year Door

Perform a Flurrie Slide off of Frankly's door to get **Double Dip**, and then either fall into the water or Jump onto the chest to get back up to the main area. If you are going to fall into the water, you need to make sure you do not walk onto the Boat Panel, otherwise you will need to Jump onto the chest.

**Howz of Badges**
● Sell P-Down, D-Up P
● Sell Quake Hammer
● Sell Attack FX R
● Buy Power Rush

**Toad Bros Bazaar**
● Buy Contact Lens (receive the Mushroom from Shop Points)

**Charlieton**
● Buy Boo's Sheet
● Buy Mega Rush

(Alternatively, you can skip Charlieton and instead get the Boo's Sheet from Twilight Town later. This will cost around 1 minute to do.)

Note: If Charlieton isn’t selling the Boo's Sheet/Mega Rush, go to the Glitzville Blimp/Excess Express area to reset what he’s selling.

*Safety saving isn't a bad idea here if you're not confident with the Flurrie Superslide method of Ultra Hammer Early. The Super Jump storage is a one-shot trick.*

**West Side Goods**
● Buy Dried Shroom
● Buy Dizzy Dial

Answer anything for the first question, and “Yellow” for second question (third option)
Store a Super Jump with Koops while talking to Don Pianta

**West Side Goods**
● Store Dizzy Dial
● Store Dried Shroom
● Store Mushroom
● Store Courage Shell

**Toad Bros Bazaar**
● Buy 6 Fright Masks (1 is an extra)

Super Jump up to the Ultra Hammer chest (if you didn't get a super jump, UHE can be done with a Flurrie Superslide)

Go to the harbor and talk to Francesca
Check Charlieton on the way back to the west side if you still need Mega Rush/Boo's Sheet

Go back to Don Pianta and get the Blimp Ticket
(Email on the way to the sewers)
Enter the vent into the sewers
Perform Teleporter Room Early

Go 2 rooms to the right
Read the Red Note
Take the teleporter back to Rogueport Sewers


[section=Glitzville]
Go to Glitzville

**Inventory should currently be**
● 6 Fright Masks
● (Boo's Sheet if you got it)
● 1 Thunder Rage
● 1 Life Shroom
● 1 Fire Flower

Take the Blimp back to Rogueport (this is necessary)
Go back to Glitzville
Move backwards against the Minor League door to be able to open it

**Notes**
● Jumping while waiting for the Guards delays him from entering the room. Try to avoid doing any actions during this time aside from equipping badges/changing Partners.
● The fastest way to end a non-attack turn is to swap Partners.
● The fastest way to fulfill "use at least one Special Move" is to fail an Earth Tremor. If you do this, it may be a good idea to appeal on turns where you can't attack, or to use stylish moves to refill your Star Power in case this condition comes up again.
● Jumping on spiky enemies DOES count towards "take damage at least 5 times." Swapping to Goombella might be a good idea before these fights.
● Superguarding DOES NOT count as an attack in the event of "don't attack for the first three turns."
● If you get "don't attack for the first three turns" on any fight, running away DOES NOT fail the condition.
● If you're overleveled already and you get "don't use items" on a fight where you'd normally use a Fright Mask, you can run from the fight and get a new condition. This wastes about a minute, so it's not recommended unless necessary.
● If you're ever running from a fight for a different reason, make sure that you fulfill the condition BEFORE running away, or else you will drop a rank and need to refight your last opponents.
● It's not too common, but the fight order can vary.

Note 2: You want to Level Up in Minor League. This means you will need 7-14 extra Star Points (8-15 if you dodged the X-Naut). Level Up BP.

*Each condition is on the fourth textbox*

Sleep in the bed and swap to Koops after setting up the match with the Goomba Bros.

**#19 Goomba Bros (5 Goombas)**
● Standard: Koops: Power Shell
● Don't Attack With Partners: Multibounce
● Don't Use FP: Earth Tremor

**#18 KP Koopas (2 KP Koopas, 1 KP Paratroopa)**
● Standard: Koops: Fright Mask, Mario: Jump (if 1 Koopa doesn’t run)
● No Items: Jumps + Shell Tosses

**#17 Pokey Triplets (3 Pokeys)**
● Standard: Fright Mask
● No Items: Ultra Hammer Spin + Power Shell

**#16 Dead Bones (3 Dull Bones)**
● Standard: Power Shell
● Don't Attack With Partners: Multibounce
● Dont Use FP: Hammer + Shell Toss

**#15 Spike Storm (2 Spinies and 1 Lakitu)**
● Standard: Koops: Fright Mask, Mario: Spin Jump (if the Lakitu doesn’t run)
● No Items: Earth Tremor

**#14 Mind Bogglers (1 Pale Piranha, 1 Dark Puff, 1 Pider)**
● Standard: Fright Mask, full Hammer (If the Piranha doesn't run)
● No Items: Hammer/Jumps + Shell Tosses

(Sleep in the bed if you **don't** get "Don't use your hammer" or "Don't use FP" and have less than 4 FP)

**#13 Punk Rocks (3 Hyper Bald Clefts)**
● Standard: Ultra Hammer Spin
● No Hammer/FP: Earth Tremor
● Don't Attack With Mario: Thunder Rage

**#12 Bomb Squad (4 Bob-ombs)**
● Standard: Fire Flower
● No Items: Multibounce + Power Shell

**#11 Hand-It-Overs (2 Red Bandits, 2 Green Bandits)**
(You want to leave this fight with 0 to 7 Star Points)
● Standard: Koops: Fright Mask, Mario: Power Bounce (if 1 Bandit doesn’t run)
● No Items: Gale Force, Power Bounce if 1 is left
(If they run into you, the Red Bandits can steal 5 coins each, and the Green Bandits can steal 10 coins each)

**#10 Armored Harriers**
● Mario: Run Away

Yoshi hatches and joins your party
Sleep in the bed to restore your HP and FP

Go to the shop before leaving Glitzville

[big]**Souvenir Shop**[/big]
● If you have any, keep 1 Fright Mask/Fire Flower and store any extras
● Withdraw Courage Shell
● Buy 1 Point Swap (Buy 1 extra if you have no Fright Mask/Fire Flower)
● Buy 1 Power Punch
● Receive the Ice Storm from Shop Points
● (Buy 1 Earth Quake if you used the Thunder Rage earlier)

(You should be leaving this shop with exactly 8 items, or 7 if you didn't get the Boo's Sheet yet.)

Leave Glitzville
If you still don't have the Boo's Sheet/Mega Rush, then you must keep reloading Charlieton's inventory until you have them.

**Note: There is a chance that the game can crash in X-Naut Fortress upon entering the door leading to Magnus 2.0. You can avoid this by entering Westside Goods in Rogueport. This will cost roughly 11 seconds to do.**

**While going into Paper Mode above the vent:**
● Equip Mega Rush
● Equip Power Rush
● Equip Double Dip
● Equip Mega Rush P

(If you didn't get the Boo's Sheet from Charlieton, then go to Twilight Town and get the **Boo's Sheet** from the Storage Room)

Go back to the sewers and through the teleporter


[section=X-Naut Fortress pt. 2]
Go into the far left room and get the Card Key
Go in the first elevator on the left and go to Sublevel 1

Go right and enter the access code (014029)
Super Fun Quirk Quiz 66 (3, 4, 2, 3, 1)

Get the Elevator Key
Go right to Grodus’ office and get the Card Key
Go to Sublevel 3

Go left to the third electric tile room and get the Card Key

Note: You can use Yoshi to make the tiles move quickly. Just hop on Yoshi, run on the tiles, and hop off. It helps to know the pattern of the room so you stay on the lit panels.

Go right and use the 3 Card Keys
Get First Struck by the X-Naut PhD to do Conveyor Belt Skip

(You will want to try to Superguard the attack. Mario and Yoshi must be at the same health. If you need to heal, you can either use the Heal Block by the Yux, or use Sort Glitch to heal with the Life Shroom.)

Navigate the room and hit the switch to reveal the stairs
Hover with Yoshi to get the Card Key
Use the Card Key to enter the final room

Boss: Magnus Von Grapple 2.0
(Magnus's attacks do 6 damage Unguarded)

[big]**If Mario/Partner have 10 HP**[/big]
● Mario: Defend
● Yoshi: Defend
● (Guard Magnus' attack)
● Mario: Defend
● Yoshi: Defend
● (DON'T Guard Magnus' attack)
● Mario: Power Bounce x5
● Yoshi: Ground Pound
● Magnus summons drills
● Mario: Power Bounce x5
● Yoshi: Ground Pound


[section=Pre-Chapter 8]
**Bowser Segment**
● Go into Poshley Sanctum

Intermission
Go to Sublevel 4 and talk to TEC
Head to Sublevel 2 and go 2 rooms to the left
Leave X-Naut Fortress via the teleporter

(e-mail near the Loading Zone)

**While going through the bars while going to The Thousand-Year Door**
● Unequip Power Bounce
● Equip Item Hog

Open The Thousand-Year Door


[section=Palace of Shadow]
Note: This next section is done in Peril, so be careful. You can optionally Sort Glitch a Life Shroom on Mario for safety. Yoshi must stay in peril.

Run past the Swoopulas on the first staircase
Get the **Shooting Star** from the Yellow Block
Avoid the Bombshell Bills by running between them with Yoshi

Get **All or Nothing** in the Spike Room (hammer the block from the right side)

Get the **Boo's Sheet** in the Fire Bar room
First Strike the Phantom Ember with Koops and use the invincibility frames to get past the last Fire Bars

**Dark Bones**
● Mario: Double Dip: Shooting Star + Thunder Rage/Earth Quake
● Yoshi: Ground Pound on the Dark Bones
● Level Up BP

Get the Palace Key
Get the **Ultra Shroom** from the Yellow Block
Run between the Bombshell Bills

**Bombshell Bill Blasters**
● Mario: Run Away

Run between the second set of Bombshell Bills

**Bombshell Bill Blasters**
● Mario: Run Away

Get the **P-Up, D-Down P** and the **Jammin' Jelly** from the blocks before the Endless Room

Endless Room
Down - Down - Up - Up - Down - Up - Down

Fall in the water to take 1 damage

Go right to the room before Gloomtail

Perform Palace Skip (you should use the Jammin' Jelly for this)

Mario should take 1 damage from First Striking the Ember. You should also Ground Pound an Ember before running away so that Yoshi also takes 1 damage.

Hit the red “!” switch and use Yoshi to get to the Palace Key

Get the **Life Shroom** (toss the Jammin' Jelly)
Get the **Shooting Star** (toss the extra item from Chapter 3)

Fall down and use the spring to get back up to the Plane Panel
Fly across the room and unlock the door
Enter the Throne Room


[section=Grodus, Bowser, and Shadow Queen]
**Before Grodus:**
● Unequip Item Hog
● Unequip Double Dip
● Equip All or Nothing
● Equip P-Up, D-Down P
● Equip Power Bounce

**Boss: Grodus**
● Yoshi: Ice Storm
● Mario: Power Bounce x5 (Must do 4 bounces that do damage)
● (Grodus' Unguarded Thunder attack puts Mario and Yoshi in Peril)
● Yoshi: Shooting Star
● Mario: Power Bounce x7 (Must do 6 bounces that do damage)

**Boss: Bowser / Kammy Koopa**
● Mario: Power Bounce Kammy x5 (Must do 4 bounces that do damage)
● Yoshi: Ground Pound on Kammy
● Bowser's Fire attack uses a Life Shroom
● Yoshi: Point Swap on Mario
● Mario: Power Bounce x7 (Must do 6 bounces that do damage)
● (Try to Guard Bowser's Bite attack to avoid the poison animation)
● Yoshi: Gulp
● Mario: Power Bounce x7 {x6 if Yoshi is in Peril} (Must do 6/{5} bounces that do damage)

[big]**Level Up HP**[/big]

**After the fight:**
● Unequip P-Up, D-Down P
● Equip Charge

Get the **Ultra Shroom** from the chest at the top of the stairs before Shadow Queen
(You should also get the **Jammin' Jelly** from the bottom chest if you no longer have one)
Have Yoshi as your Partner out for Shadow Queen

**Final Boss: Shadow Queen - 39 Damage Required**
● Yoshi: Gulp
● Mario: Power Bounce x6 (Must do 5 bounces that do damage)
● Yoshi: Ground Pound
● Mario: Power Pounce x6 (Must do 5 bounces that do damage)
● Yoshi: Swap to Flurrie, or use an Ultra Shroom on Mario if he took damage
● Mario: Supernova (Must do 15 damage)

**Phase 2 starts**
● Partner: Courage Shell on Mario
● Mario: Failed Jump
● Partner: Defend/Swap to Flurrie, or use an Ultra Shroom on Mario if he took damage
● Mario: Failed Jump
● Partner: Defend/Swap to Flurrie, or use an Ultra Shroom on Mario if he took damage
● Mario: Failed Jump
● Partner: Defend/Swap to Flurrie, or use an Ultra Shroom on Mario if he took damage

Note: If you still have the Life Shroom, end Phase 2 **with** Flurrie out. Otherwise, end it with a different Partner out.

Crystal Stars Cutscene

**Shadow Queen**
● Mario: Charge
● Partner: Boo's Sheet on Mario
● Mario: Charge
● Partner: Jammin' Jelly (or swap to Flurrie if she is not out)
● Mario: Charge
● Partner: Power Punch on Mario
● Mario: Power Bounce x7 (Do at least 6 bounces that do damage, but try to do as many bounces as you can)
● Partner: Boo's Sheet on Mario
● (Shadow Queen's attack will likely kill the Partner here)
● Mario: Power Bounce x7 (Do at least 6 bounces that do damage, but try to do as many bounces as you can)
● Partner: Defend/Switch to a different Partner if still alive
● If the Shadow Queen stole HP or increased Defense, Power Bounce again. Otherwise Jump x2 will finish her off. Jump x2 will do 18 damage, and a Spin Jump will do 20 damage. If you got capped at 6 bounces both times and she didn't steal HP, then she will have 12 HP left.

Aftermath
Timing ends on the circular fade to black before credits start (first fully black frame)