Heart Pillar 5
Oh, no, Tippi's lost her strength! Well, there's not much you can do, so seek out the next heart pillar. After exiting Merlon's house, take the left elevator down to the first floor. Now run to the far right wall and use Boomer to blow open the cracked wall, if you didn't before. Now flip to 3-D to go through the hole to the other side.
A sign on the wall ahead reads "Eight Blocks, Each Color Once" - you'll learn what this means in a few moments. Now use Fleep's page turning power on the glowing tear between the two buildings to reveal a blue switch. Smack it to reveal an opening you can traverse through in 3-D, then go through the door at the end. Inside, you'll find eight blocks - hit each of them once to cause the mirror in the back to shatter, revealing a path you can go through in 3-D that leads to a door.
You'll emerge in a mirrored version of Flipside, appropriately called Flopside. The town's structure is nearly identical to Flipside (except reversed), but the shops and townsfolk are all different, so take some time to explore this new land.
Take the elevator upstairs and meet with Merlon,... well, make that Nolrem at his house. He'll teach you more about the history of this town, and will also inform you the four remaining heart pillars can be found only here. Now take the elevator up to Flopside's third floor to find the next one on the right.
Now use the Return Pipe to return to Flipside's Tower, and look for Merlon and Tippi by the entrance to chapter 5.
Chapter 5-1: Downtown of Crag
First off you'll see two Cragnons talking to each other Then you'll see yourself appearing in mid-air... MID-AIR?! Waaaaaah you fall down and they take you to the boss He'll ask you if you can keep them ....... away.
Accept the request. Then you hear the Cragnons screaming for help. You head outside and see the Floro Sapiens. Defeat the two of them and chase them. They head over the bridge in the only door left, then come back and the Cragnons townsfolk will be back. Speak to a guy named Jasoeroid, or something like that, on the rocky platform you fell on. He says an order: left, right, middle.
When you go to the left door, follow the Floros until you reach a block set of three. Remember the order? Jostle the left, then right, and finally the middle. A pipe will appear, so go in it.
NOTE: After solving the first puzzle, you might want to check in with the Jasoeroid again to learn the secret of the next puzzle. But in order to learn it, he'll make you type "please" five times. What a jerk! And it's pretty LOOOOOOOONNNNNNNGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!! Once he's pleased, he'll teach you the secret of the next block trio (in which case, you can skip him entirely because of this SPM Guide you're reading).
After taking the pipe, watch out for the elephanti-esque Muths. They have 100 hit points and a short temper. While you can easily glide by in 3D, it's worth your while to fight them, as they're worth a cool 1,000 points each. Use Bowser's flame breath to take them down quickly.
Once you reach the three blocks at the end, hit them in the order Jasoeroid suggested:
Middle, Right, Left, Left, Right, Middle, Right, Left, Right, Right, Middle, Right, Right, Left, Middle, Middle, Left, Left, Left, Right, Left, Left, Left, Middle, Middle
Once you've done so, a pipe will rise from the ground that will transport you to the background. Follow it right, then take another pipe to reach the Star Block.
Chapter 5-2: Pixls, Tablets, and Crag
This level involves finding a series of well hidden items. However, to aid you in your quest, there are three video screens scattered about that reveal a tip about what you should do. However, since you're reading this guide, there's no reason to explicitly seek them out.
Item #1 - Water Tablet Get your feet wet at the first waterway by diving beneath the platform and sink to the water bed. You'll find a treasure chest containing the first of three items: a Water Tablet.
At the surface, head through the door to your right.
Through the door, head left to find a floating door, and a group of four seemingly indestructible blocks. A quick flip to 3D reveals the charade: they're actually your run-of-the-mill bricks! Plant a bomb to take them out, then flip back to 2D and activate the exposed switch. Now climb the landform that appears to go through the door.
After the video screen, flip to 3D at the first ground pillar to reveal a path on the left you'll have to venture down. Drop off the ledge and continue to the ground floor.
Item #2 - Fire Tablet At the base, you'll find an odd rock thing. Use Bowser's flames breathe to burn it away, revealing a Fire Tablet. Now venture back through the door to the previous section.
Look for a door near the right wall (there's also a save block, just past the video screen). Through the door, cross the gap via the floating platform and continue on to meet back up with you-know-who.
Mini-Boss
- O'Chunks
- HP:40
- ATK:2
- Max ATK:3
- Reward:2000 points
- Difficulty:**
- Attacks:
- Jump
- Ground Pound
- Running Lunge
- Twister Throw
- Spin Slap
- Brick Break
O'Chunks is back, and better than ever (or so he claims). He may be a bit stronger, but he's still no match for your skills. The easiest way to defeat him is to grab and toss him with Thoreau to stun him, then jump on his head, as always. Alternatively, Bowser's flame breath is also highly effective, but you'll still have to contend with O'Chunks attacks.
Later
Item 3 - Stone Tablet With O'Chunks defeated, continue on until you come across an impassable wall. Flip to 3D to discover it's actually a Yoshi shaped statue. Run around it once (as the video screen hinted at earlier) to make a Stone Tablet appear on the statue's nose.
With all three items in tow, run back through the door to the previous section.
See the pipe on the four bricks? You can float to it as Peach by leaping off the landmass to the right. Warp down it to emerge in the background, then move to the peak of the mountain, to fall into a cavern. Inside, you'll find three pictures on the wall, which represents the order you'll have to place the three tablets.
After that, head up the tall mountain -- climb the blocks all the way up. At the top, point the Wii Remote at the screen to find a hidden block that will extend a ladder, when hit. Climb it to the top, then flip to 3D to leap up one more platform, where you'll find three pedestals. Place the three tablets in the pedestals in this order, from left to right: Stone, Water, Fire.
Setting the tablets in the proper order will cause a Pixl named Cudge to join your team! Cudge is able to smash things up with his power - test it out on the large yellow block almost directly below you on ground level to reveal a pipe that leads to the final cavern.
Hit the star block in the end and that's that!... Wait! Before you do that, climb back up and glide right with Peach, flip to 3-D with Mario and discover a chest.
Chapter 5-3: A Crag in the Dark
Here you meet Flint Cragley, an archeologist searching for his crewmen. You help him out, so go down the pipe and go past the locked door (remember where it is for now) and proceed down into another pipe. Go past the the upside-down Buzzy Beetles and into the third pipe.
Run along until you reach this wooden door. Inside, you'll find a mine cart. These will take you on a carefree ride throughout the caverns. Flip to 3D shortly into the ride to take an alternate route and enter the door at the end.
WARNING:If you don't switch tracks by using 3D, you'll come across a pipe that leads to a tribe of brain-controlled Cragnons, as indicated by the weird sprouts on their heads. Stay far away from these guys, not only will they attack, but you'll actually lose points if you harm them. There is nothing of value in this room, so it's best to avoid it entirely. Just keep on the lookout for more brain-controlled Cragons throughout the level.
Crewman #1: Use Peach to leap over the chasm to the other side (if you fall in accidentally, hit the left block to extend a ladder you can use to climb back up). Drop off the far side to discover the first crewman. Speak with him to direct him back to Flint, then exit the room the same way you entered, via the block's ladder. Oh, and as for the tunnel below the crewman? Ignore it - there's just more brain-controlled Cragnon there.
Ride the mine cart back to the door leading into the main cave. Either use the spring, or flip to 3D, to pass the brick wall by the spring and work your way to a yellow brick at the end of the cavern. Destroy it with Cudge, then head through the revealed door.
Hop into the mine cart inside for a long journey to the next door. There is nothing of importance in this room, so don't worry about flipping between two-dimensions. Enter the door at the end.
Crewman #2: Up ahead, the path splits in two. Stick to the high road and follow the bricks. Even though it appears it leads you to a dead-end, flip to 3D to discover several destroyable bricks. Use Boomer to clear them out and continue on to find the second crewman in an alcove just beyond. Now skip the tunnel just below, as it contains little of value (unless you like being attacked by rabid Cragnons) and head back to the entrance.
With the crew rescued, it's time to return to Cragley. To get back to him, ride the mine cart back to the main shaft (YAWN), take the pipe along the left wall, then climb back up through the caverns. Cragley will reward you with the key to unlock the door you passed earlier. Go unlock it now and ride the mine cart inside.
Once in the next section, smash the large block that's blocking the road to reveal a ? block that contains a Mega Star. Grab it and charge through everything. About halfway through, you'll find another large block you can smash through to reveal a door. Go through it to find the Star Block.
Chapter 5-4: The Menace of King Croacus
You'll come across a fork in the road early in the level. Take the pipe in the lower route, as the tunnel on the right simply leads to an impassable security room - you'll come back to that later. Make sure to use the Save Block on the left side of the room, then head into the tunnel down below. Flip to 3D at the ledge just before the locked door to find a ladder you can climb down to a hidden room. At the base of the ladder, you'll find a red switch. Use Thoreau to grab one of the nearby Cragon, then with the combined weight, stand on the switch to trigger a pipe to appear.
After taking the pipe, you'll be in the first room of a short maze. Now here's the deal: Typically, you would have to navigate to a room that contains a hint to learn what to do next. To get there, take the right route three times (through two doors and a pipe.) Then use Tippi's power to read the text on the wall, which reveals that something is "behind the skull." However, since you just read the tip, there's no need to take that route. Instead, take the left pipe from the first room of the maze to find a wall with a skull scrawled on it. Use Fleep's flipping power to spin the skull around, revealing a Cave Key. Now make your way back to the locked door earlier in the cave, by taking the left pipe back up, then the pipe suspended from the ceiling, and finally, flip to 3D and climb the ladder to find the locked door on the right.
After unlocking the door, climb over the brick wall to have a new Pixl, named Dottie, join your team! Dottie can shrink Mario down to Smurf size, which allows you to enter tiny structures, such as the miniature door in this very room. Use it to return back to the hallway you just came from, and then proceed through the door near the Save Block, along the left wall.
In the processing center, the left door is locked. Instead, use Dottie to shrink in size and enter the tunnel along the left wall, where you'll find a Card Key. Use it on the kiosk left of the door to unlock it, then head through and go down the left pipe.
Use Thudley's ground pound move on the large blue ! switch to open the cages on either side of the room to unleash a whole lot of Floro Cragniens (and a Cursya at the right) sworming in. Use the floating blocks to get around. Look for a chest containing a Floro Cragnien card first, then exit via the pipe on the opposite side to see some surprises in that room.
Mini-Boss
- O'Chunks/O'Cabbage
- HP:60
- ATK:3
- Reward:4000 points and Floro Sprout
- Difficulty:***
- Attacks:
- Jump
- Ground Pound
- Running Lunge
- Twister Throw
- Spin Slap
- Small Brick Throw
- Big Brick Throw
Despite Dimentio taking control of O'Chunks, the battle isn't much more difficult than before. O'Chunks is just a bit more stronger, but a lot more faster (he still does the dance but faster) and he is still a bit easy. Once again, use Thoreau to stun him, then leap atop his head. Just be on the watch-out for O'Chunks quick attacks, as they may catch you off-guard.
Later
After O'Chunk's defeat, you'll acquire the Floro Sprout from his head. This will enable you to open the secured door near the beginning of the level. To get back there, exit via the right pipe, go through the door, then right through a second door, to the pipe in the upper-right corner, then head for the door to the far right.
Once there, make sure to equip the Floro Sprout to get past the scanner, then proceed through the door. There are four paintings along the wall, each depicting a different ruler. Pay close attention to the color of each picture's background, as it's crucial to solving this puzzle.
Flip to 3D and plant Boomer along the cracks in front of each of the four pictures to blow open a hole, which leads to a color-changing block. While there may not be any visible cracks below the fourth portrait, the floor there can also be destroyed.
Use Thoreau to hit each block until the color displayed matches the background of the painting above. Starting with the first pit, the color order is: Black, White, Blue, Red. Once the proper colors are selected, go through the door that appears, but you may want to save first at the block in the final pit.
Boss
- King Croacus
- HP:50
- Atk:2
- Reward:5000 points
- Difficulty:****
- Attacks:
- Crush
- Tanglevine
- Attack 2:
- Pinwheel
What is that large plant creature thing? Why it's King (or Queen, something is fishy here) Croacus! Like most battles in this game, once you learn the trick, the boss shouldn't pose a problem.
Croacus' head is protected by petals that retract on occasion to reveal his face. This is your opportunity to attack. Stick to either end of the room to avoid his tentacle-vines, then use Thoreau to grab one of them and chuck it at Croacus' head once it's exposed. After enough damage, Croacus will try a different tactic.
The King's head will now bounce around the room like a pinball. Use Thoreau again to grab one of the pinwheels that trail him, then throw it at him once his face is exposed again (alternatively, you can also just leap into his head while holding a thorn). After a few hits, he'll go down for good. Now skim the scene and grab your reward.