Popful Mail SFC: I'm stuck.

[greg]

I've looked at some FAQs and play vids for Popful Mail, and apparently the SFC version is different than the SCD version. I'm in the second area, in the cave with the monster village. I have reunited the big waterway guy with the eyepatch with his wife and kid he hasn't seen in 10 years. After this, one monster helps me to climb up to an area I wasn't able to reach before. Tatt is impressed with the way the monster talks, and he starts to copy him to sound cool. But when I go through this area, it seems like a dead end. I have no idea where to go. Can any one remember what to do in this area?

[Skykid]

Ha ha, I gave up at the exact same bit!

But I thought it was my not being able to read Japanese that was the problem. Obviously you can (right?) so it's not that at all. Well, it would be great if you do figure it out, as I was enjoying the game but shelved it after a few frustrated hours.

[ZOM]

Hrm, trying to remember... a bit more info would surely make it easier; Did you find the Ice Rod for Tatt? Is Gus already in your party? Or more importantly, did you beat a boss in the caves?

I don't remember the level-structure all too well, but once you find the way to the Ice Rod it's pretty much folloeing and climbing the platforms til an event & boss fight ensues.

[greg]

Hrm, trying to remember... a bit more info would surely make it easier; Did you find the Ice Rod for Tatt? Is Gus already in your party? Or more importantly, did you beat a boss in the caves?

Gus? You mean Gau? I don't know if you're talking about the Sega CD game or not. I'm playing the SFC version. I haven't played the SCD version, but they changed the names around for the American version, like Material Horn became Muttonhead and Blacky became Slick. The games seem to play differently. I haven't found the boss in the cave yet.

I posted this on GP's Gamengai forum too. I found this page:
http://42077777.blog94.fc2.com/blog-category-20.html
The part I'm stuck with is right after I get the medicine for the guy's son and then the family reunites. I did a search for the waterway's Norou guy's name 水路野郎 and skipped down to where I see 薬, medicine. I went back to the fort town to get the medicine from the dwarf, so the family is all happy now, and the kid gave me the bomb rod. I'm just at a loss as to what to do next. The one monster created a step to get into the large area to the left of there, but that's as far as I can go. I'm translating and reading through what comes after this in the walkthrough (I dunno what I could've done before the Rikaichan Firefox plug-in). It says I can get an Ice Rod at the bottom of the waterway. Strange. Maybe I need to use the Bomb Rod to blow something up? I'll try this out when I get off work in a few hours.

[ZOM]

^^My mistake, I meant Gau(don't ask me why I wrote Gus ). And yes I'm talking about the SFC version - tbh, I even prefer it over the SCD one.

Anyways, I know now on what part you are - you really just overlooked a passage in the cave. It's in that part after jumping on the monster's back(was that Gau? I don't remember). It should be pretty starightforward actually, leading to a passage with the Ice Rod - nothing to "bomb". I think you might've missed some side-passage or something alike. I think there's even a shop that sells some equipment, either on the way to Ice Rod or on the path from the Ice Rod towards the boss.

I hope this helps you to find the way out, I don't remember having any trouble on that part...


EDIT: ohohoho! I know now... Ever played Xanadu? totally forgot about it: there's a part in the caves where you have to "trigger" the exit by circling around and ascending/descending ladders.

Good luck!

[Cthulhu]

Every version of this game - SFC / PCE Super CD / Sega CD - is quite different. I've always assumed there was a PC version of some sort as well.

[drauch]

Yeah, there was a PC-88 version as well.

[ZOM]

^There's also a PC-9801 version.

@greg
Any progress? I'm curious

[Skykid]

This is coming back to me now, I remember going around in circles in the waterways and finding it quite strange how the tunnels would keep shifting.

I'll go dig it out right now and give it a shot.

[ZOM]

You guys making me want to play this game again...

[Skykid]

Right, so I can't recall at all what I've done before it's been that long. Perhaps one of you guys can guide me. I think I'm in the section Greg has just finished actually.

I'm in the caves and have the option of switching between Mail and Tatt (he's the wizard right?). Tatt has two weapons to choose from, a rod that shoots straight fireballs and one that shoots green orbs that bounce off the scenery. He has two types of cloak and shield, one red and one blue, but I can't see they do anything different except one offers better defence.

I travelled around in what felt like a circle after staring in a section of cave with a shop and two blue creatures and eventually came to another cave with one blue creature and some guy with green hair who's bound in rope and hopping about like nuts looking like he wants to be freed. There's one door here that's locked and green text appears when I try to access it - I can't read Japanese at all.

There's also a weird thing (object?) to the left which has glowing eyes and says something when I try to talk to it. Other than that there are exists on the left and right of this section that put me back into the main game and I'm not sure what I need to do next. Any recollections?

EDIT: Looking around I've found more cave areas. One with two more shops and a couple of humans to the far left, and another underneath the water that has a blue creature in it with an eyepatch and a red chest. If I try to open the red chest I get some green writing. There's a door here which is also locked.

I also found that hidden section shown in an illustration on the page greg linked - it was a secret roof area that gave away and I got a gem from a red chest. No one seems to want it though.

No idea what to do...

[ZOM]

EDIT: Looking around I've found more cave areas. One with two more shops and a couple of humans to the far left, and another underneath the water that has a blue creature in it with an eyepatch and a red chest. If I try to open the red chest I get some green writing. There's a door here which is also locked.

The eyepatch-guy will only let you take the chest's contents after you trigger a certain event that takes place in the "rightmost village-bit", which would be the place where you've seen Blacky(tied up greenhaired guy). If you already triggered that one and you already *have* the chest's item, you should see a pickaxe(ツルハシ) in your key-item list(menu, lower right). If you have that, you can literally destroy the "ceiling" with it in some spots underwater - I advise to just swim everywhere around and hit mails head on the ceiling till something breaks - the item's use is automatic, no need to push buttons.

EDIT:
Oh, reading this:

I also found that hidden section shown in an illustration on the page greg linked - it was a secret roof area that gave away and I got a gem from a red chest. No one seems to want it though.

Seems like you already have the pickaxe and already found one of the breakable ceilings, keep looking, there should be one more around!

[Elixir]

Here's a full playthrough, greg: http://www.nicovideo.jp/mylist/17262953

[Skykid]

EDIT: Looking around I've found more cave areas. One with two more shops and a couple of humans to the far left, and another underneath the water that has a blue creature in it with an eyepatch and a red chest. If I try to open the red chest I get some green writing. There's a door here which is also locked.

The eyepatch-guy will only let you take the chest's contents after you trigger a certain event that takes place in the "rightmost village-bit", which would be the place where you've seen Blacky(tied up greenhaired guy). If you already triggered that one and you already *have* the chest's item, you should see a pickaxe(ツルハシ) in your key-item list(menu, lower right). If you have that, you can literally destroy the "ceiling" with it in some spots underwater - I advise to just swim everywhere around and hit mails head on the ceiling till something breaks - the item's use is automatic, no need to push buttons.

EDIT:
Oh, reading this:

I also found that hidden section shown in an illustration on the page greg linked - it was a secret roof area that gave away and I got a gem from a red chest. No one seems to want it though.

Seems like you already have the pickaxe and already found one of the breakable ceilings, keep looking, there should be one more around!

Okay, so yep I have the pickaxe. Am I looking for breakable sections only in underwater parts or anywhere. There only seems to be one section with water and it's only a few screens big.

Here's a full playthrough, greg: http://www.nicovideo.jp/mylist/17262953

I can't watch them. I think I need an account for nicovideo right?

[ZOM]

Okay, so yep I have the pickaxe. Am I looking for breakable sections only in underwater parts or anywhere. There only seems to be one section with water and it's only a few screens big.

Hmm, no, I think there's more somewhere before you reach Blacky... IIRC the other ceiling to break is somewhere before you fight the first snake-enemy (hard to forget that quick bastard since it's the first time you have to crawl through to progress in the game). I'm sure you'll find it by circling around the caves one more time now that you know about the pickaxe...

[Skykid]

Okay, so yep I have the pickaxe. Am I looking for breakable sections only in underwater parts or anywhere. There only seems to be one section with water and it's only a few screens big.

Hmm, no, I think there's more somewhere before you reach Blacky... IIRC the other ceiling to break is somewhere before you fight the first snake-enemy (hard to forget that quick bastard since it's the first time you have to crawl through to progress in the game). I'm sure you'll find it by circling around the caves one more time now that you know about the pickaxe...

The more I look around the more I'm starting to think I already may have found the other hidden area. In my inventory I have 3 special items: the pickaxe, the blue diamond gem I just found and what looks like a peanut? Is there anything else I'm missing?

[ZOM]

The more I look around the more I'm starting to think I already may have found the other hidden area.

That's easy to find out: if you find narrow places you need to crawl and purple snake-enemies then you've pretty much found it.
I took a look at the link greg posted, and the second place to break is that second picture with the red circle:

...and what looks like a peanut? Is there anything else I'm missing?

that erm... "peanut" might be a fish-scale, don't remember if it's actually needed later for the medicine or for something else.
Anyways, item-wise you have everything needed. Basically you just have to find the eyepatch-guy's son, then you're pretty much at that part that greg got stuck - he is pink instead of blue, so he's hard to miss once you see him.

[Skykid]

Right, found the little pink guy, he's sort of stuck in a cave section you need to crawl under. There's another blue creature standing just outside of the crawl space. When you're in where the pink dude is, there's a door, but if you try to enter it, he runs over and talks some crap at me and I can't go through.
Just beneath the pink guy in the area below is an empty space with a wall at the end. Whenever I go near it it's like there's a message that pops up.
Knowing Japanese would be handy of course.

greg mentioned having a bomb rod and something to do with an ice rod. I'm unsure if I have either of these yet?

Thanks again for the help!

[greg]

No, the pink one is Yarou's (name isn't Norou, well actually his name is Shachi) wife, Lady. His son is the little blue tyke. Elixer, thanks for this walkthrough video link! I was just about to look for any playthroughs on Nico Douga. I always turn off the stupid comments because they always get in the way and I already know what the letter "w" looks like. Unfortunately, I cannot skip ahead like I can on Youtube.

The game's langauge level is perfect for where I am at in Japanese. I play with my DS in hand, using the Rakubiki Jiten dictionary software to write out Japanese words I don't understand and having it translate it into English for me. Very useful tool for import gamers who can understand a bit of Japanese. I can imagine that the game would be very difficult without some reading ability. Figuring out which places to smash with the pick axe (tsuruhashi) may be easy to stumble across, but not knowing to go back to the fort village Miine to talk to the dwarf to get his medicine would be pretty difficult to figure out without reading anything.

OK, watching the vids now. So this guy's never played the game before? Interesting. He learns that Tatt and Mail have different jump heights even. He doesn't seem to find the gold fish that has the scuba gear or whatever to allow you to be underwater and not lose life.

I'm stuck on his chapter 4, 17 minutes into the playthrough.

AAAAAAH! Chapter 5, 2 minutes in. I kept missing this all along. This is what I need to do! This guy got major stuck on it too. THANKS!

Now I found the ice rod at the bottom of the pool. In case you haven't noticed, in the shops, you must be using the character that certain equipment is for. I kept missing the long sword and chain mail for Mail this way. Tatt can't buy her stuff and vice versa.

[ZOM]

...He doesn't seem to find the gold fish that has the scuba gear or whatever to allow you to be underwater and not lose life...

Oh right, that's what the Dinofish-scale is for.

@Skykid
You need to go back to the village(press select-button) - there should be a dwarf near the guild. Speaking with him should initiate a minigame to get the medicine.

[Skykid]

...He doesn't seem to find the gold fish that has the scuba gear or whatever to allow you to be underwater and not lose life...

Oh right, that's what the Dinofish-scale is for.

@Skykid
You need to go back to the village(press select-button) - there should be a dwarf near the guild. Speaking with him should initiate a minigame to get the medicine.

Medicine? Okay, I'll give it a shot (who do I give the medicine to, the pink critter?)

greg, as nicovideo sucks ass and I don't have access, if you want to elaborate on what I need to do with the ice rod etc that would be great.

[ZOM]

Wasn't there a way to watch nico nico videos without logging in? Worst case there should be guides around that show how to sign up.

BTW, here's another one, but with a rather annoying computer-generated commentary: http://www.nicovideo.jp/mylist/21040209

[null1024]

http://www.mmcafe.com/nico.html

Watch NicoNico vids without signing up. Mightn't work if embedding is disabled for that video.

[Skykid]

Thank null, that does work. I'll take a look thru in a bit.

[Cthulhu]

http://www.mmcafe.com/nico.html

Watch NicoNico vids without signing up. Mightn't work if embedding is disabled for that video.

Nice find. I've always been rather annoyed at having to sign up with them. It makes sharing videos a huge pain.

[BrianC]

I'm thinking of picking this up. I'm looking for good SFC/SNES games with female lead characters, but I'm wondering how big the language barrier is. I went though Goemon 4 with only a bit of help from a faq and had a great time. I also played a couple JP SRPGS (in general) by memorizing the menus.

[drauch]

I'm thinking of picking this up. I'm looking for good SFC/SNES games with female lead characters, but I'm wondering how big the language barrier is. I went though Goemon 4 with only a bit of help from a faq and had a great time. I also played a couple JP SRPGS (in general) by memorizing the menus.

It's pretty beastly on the dialogue...

[ZOM]

Contrary to what has been posted, personally I think that the game is very well playable despite the language barrier... Instances where you really need to understand NPC dialouge to progress in the game are few and far between. Although there's quite a few spots that need certain key-items here and there, but it's nothing that a short bit of trial & error couldn't solve. Even for the "medicine-scenario" greg talked about would a simple "I'm stuck. Meh, let's go back to the village"-thought suffice for progression.

[greg]

NO WAY!
http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm1043474
So I got stuck at this place and I've been stumped for weeks on this part, right at the beginning of this video. Now I see what to do! Man, the levels in this game require solutions that are so easily overlooked. The videos of the other guy linked previously in this thread seems to have disappeared for some reason.