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B O N U S A R E A S
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You can only go to these areas in Disc 2 or 3. There's some information
on these bonus areas in the 'Secrets and Strategies' section, too.
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o l d f o r e s t ( c o s m o a r e a )
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Location: On a cliff near Cosmo Canyon on the Western Continent.
How to get there: Use a Green, Black, or Gold Chocobo. Or, climb past
the crater that's left behind when you kill the
Ultima Weapon in Disc 3--it destroys part of the
cliff.
Items to get: Supershot ST, Spring Gun Clip, Slice Everybody
materia, Summon Typoon materia, Apocalypse sword,
Elixir.
You can grab items (frogs, big frogs, wasp nests, etc.) by pressing the
O button. When you grab a frog for the first time, you get a message
informing you that if you press the S button, the _entire_ area will
reset, returning all the items to their proper place. However, it also
returns you to the very start of the area, no matter how many screens
you've worked your way through. If you mess up on an area (you run
out of frogs to use for transportation), you can cheat by leaving the
area and returning (if it's possible to leave given your current
location). But if you're really stuck, you have no choice but to reset
the whole level by pressing S. You will keep all items and materia orbs
you've collected so far, though. Also, when you hear a frog croaking,
look for a place where you can let go of a small frog you might be
carrying as it'll be replaced with a big frog.
In the first area, pick up three frogs and go beneath the earth bridge.
Put them near the three bags hanging from the trees. Now, quickly take
the frogs and press the O button to make them hop into the bags; repeat
this until all three bags are full by standing on a bag and pressing O
to put a frog into the next bag. When they're all full, hop to the
other side of the gap. Once on the other side, go down the slope and
_carefully_ inch towards the center of the large snapping plant. Press
O to grab the bag (which contains the Supershot ST gun). If you get too
close, the plant will close and you'll lose almost all your HP. You can
make as many attempts as you want, but it's best to try and not touch
the center of the plant in the first place. Continue to the right when
you're finished here and Cloud will automatically use the pink vine to
reach the other side. Go past the tree and nab the item bag on the hill
(there's a Spring Gun Clip inside), and head right to reach the next part
of the forest.
In the second area, pick up one frog and approach the pink vine. Choose
the top option to leap to the ledge. If you leave the frog on the ledge,
it'll be switched with a big frog (or you can just use your small frog).
From here, you can put the frog in the bag and leap across to the second
(already-full) bag. You'll automatically use the pink vine to jump to
the ground. Now, pick up a frog and climb on top of the green ledge to
your right; let it go and it will leap into the left bag. If you wait
long enough, you'll be sent flying to the ledge above when the frog
escapes (you have to use a big one). Once on the ledge, take the wasp
nest. Jump back down. Stand near the small snapping plant and press O
to release the nest; if you're at the right distance, the nest will fly
backward and land in the plant, which will snap it up. Take the yellow
materia (Slice Everybody). Pick up the big frog again. Climb to the
green ledge one more time and let the frog jump into the right bag. Jump
atop it and wait until you are thrust onto the opposite side of the huge
snapping plant. Run to the right to reach the next zone.
In the third area, pick up two frogs, toss them into the bags, and leap
across to the pink vine. You'll be lifted into the treetops. Go left,
then down the trunk to reach the big bag you saw back in the second area.
A Minerva Band is inside. If you go too far down the trunk, you'll jump
down to the ground, so return to the treetops after grabbing the bag. If
for some reason you can't, just hop back down repeat the last few steps
to get across the plant, get into the next screen, and return to the
treetops.
Once you're back in the trees, climb to the upmost branch and head right,
then make your way towards the broken branch; Cloud will vault across
three of the pink vines and land on another branch. Go south to get yet
another item bag holding a red materia (Summon Typoon). Now, go back
across the vines, and take the lower branch that leads behind the leaves
to the ground level (look for a path leading right). Once on the ground,
grab a frog. There are two bags to your right; look for a high ledge
beneath them, stand on it, and toss the frog into the bag. Then, hop
onto it and make your way over to the second bag, then to the ledge with
the wasp's nest. Take it and drop to the ground, then approach the
snapping plant and press O to release the nest. If you are positioned
correctly, you'll toss the nest into the plant, which will close up.
Pick up a small frog and move past the plant. Stand on the left ledge,
and let go of the frog; it will jump into the nearby bag. Hop across
the bag and onto the ground. Run to the left and grab a frog. Put it
in the hollow in the tree next to you and a big frog will jump out.
Take it and go back the way you came (put the big frog in the bag, jump
to the other side, and wait for it to land by your feet). Grab it
again, go to the far right ledge, and release it into the bag. Now,
stand on the bag and wait for the frog to escape. Doing this sends you
flying across the gap to a cave entrance.
In the cave, walk to the right to find a chest with the Apocalypse sword
lying within. Head to the north, then go east to find another chest
(there's an Elixir in it). Finally, exit through the opening to your
left. You're back outside! Yup, there are no bosses to fight in this
area (which is a good thing in case you had a hard time dealing with the
snapping plants).
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v i n c e n t ' s w a t e r f a l l
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Location: Waterfall in the center of the Western Continent.
How to get there: Use a Green, Black, or Gold Chocobo to go to the
west side of the waterfall by the lake. Dismount
and touch the waterfall to enter it. Alternately,
you can go there in submarine--you can dock on
the dark-colored western side of the shore.
Items to get: Death Penalty, Chaos Manual (in Disc 3, see below).
Beyond the waterfall is a room made of white stone. If Vincent isn't
in your party, then you'll get a message stating his name when you
step past the threshold of the room. So, return with Vincent. This
time, there's a woman there (Rukuressia), and you'll get to see a
flashback of Vincent's past. While you don't get anything out of this
if you visit during the third disc, you can get Vincent's best weapon
and his Level 4 Limit Break Manual if you come here with him in your
party during the second disc and then visit the waterfall again in the
third disc. Refer to the 'Ultimate Weapons' section in part two of the
FAQ for more information on this area.
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b o n u s m a t e r i a l o c a t i o n s
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WESTERNMOST CAVE (Wutai Area)
Location: Cave lying to the east of a mountain in the bridge-
covered region of the Westernmost Continent.
How to get there: Use a Green, Black, or Gold Chocobo to climb over
the mountain. Dismount and enter the cave.
Items to get: Mime materia.
There's nothing in here but a glowing yellow light. Try to touch it,
and you'll get a yellow materia (Mime). Notice how there's still
a glow after you've taken the Materia? :)
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WESTERN CAVE (North Norel Area)
Location: Cave next to a mountain lying on a square of brown
land. There's a river running nearby. It's
beyond the mountain footpath by the shallow part
of the river near the Gold Saucer, on the Western
Continent--there's another cave entrance by the
river you need to cross.
How to get there: Use a Blue, Black, or Gold Chocobo to cross the
river to the patch of land where the cave is.
Items to get: HP<->MP materia.
Inside this icy blue cave is a twinkling purple materia (HP<->MP).
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SOUTHERNMOST CAVE (Mideel Area)
Location: Cave lying at the end of a penninsula on the north
stretch of land on the Southernmost Continent.
How to get there: If you have a Blue Chocobo, land the Highwind on the
patch of grass on the thin island near Mideel. Then
use the shallows connecting the penninsulas to reach
the area where the cave is. If you have a Black or
Gold Chocobo, simply land on the grassy area near the
cave and keep walking down the cliff and out to where
the cave entrance is. If you have the Gold Chocobo,
you can just walk southeast from the Chocobo Farm
across the water to the penninsula where the cave is.
Items to get: Quadra Magic materia.
This sandy cave is empty, save for a blue pyramid-shaped object. If you
examine it, you'll get a blue materia (Quadra Magic).
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NORTHWEST ISLAND (Round Island)
Location: Oval-shaped island surrounded by mountains and trees
that is in the northwestern part of the world. It
is one of the Uncharted Isles (it doesn't show up on
the map).
How to get there: Use a Gold Chocobo to fly to the island and climb
over the mountains. Dismount and enter the cave
mouth that's at the edge of the forest.
Items to get: Summon Knights of Round materia.
This may be another empty area, but the red pyramid lying by the tree
trunks is none other than the Knights of Round summon materia--the
most damaging summon spell in the entire game. Simply examine it to
pick it up.
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y u f f i e ' s s u b - q u e s t
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Location: Town of Wutai. You can go here in Disc 1 after
you get the Tiny Bronco, or you can do this in Disc 2,
once you have the Highwind or a colored Chocobo. You
CANNOT do this in Disc 3, however.
How to get there: Go to the southern end of the Westernmost Continent
using the Tiny Bronco, Highwind, a Chocobo, or a
Chocobo + the Highwind. You MUST have gotten Yuffie
(though she doesn't have to be in the current party)
in order to perform this sub-quest.
Items to get: Hairpin, Fuuma Shuriken, MP Absorb materia, Fast
Lightning, Elixir x2, Peace Ring, HP Absorb materia,
X Potion, Turbo Ether, Ice Ring, Universe Manual,
'Summon Leviathan' materia.
After arriving at the soutern tip of the Westernmost Continent, head
north. There is a curving path that leads up to a high plateau. As
you go along the curve (even if you are riding a Chocobo) you will be
interrupted by Yuffie. The screen switches to that of a plain, and
Yuffie runs up, steals your Materia*, and escapes, but not before
leaving you with two Shinra guards to contend with! The guards are
easily beaten, though. If Yuffie was in your party when she tricked
you, you'll have to fight the guards only using two people (in which
case Barret will join the party afterwards, and if he's already in
your party, then whoever isn't being used will join. Keep in mind that
you can rearrange the party in whatever way you'd like afterwards).
* She can take 48-50 Materia (the number varies), and will steal them
in this order of preference: Master Materia, Summon Materia,
Independant Materia, Command Materia, Combination Materia and then
Magic Materia. This means that it is possible to be left with a few
materia after she has escaped. Note that if you're using the Materia
Select Game Shark code and you have disabled Materia equipped/in your
inventory, she'll steal them and you _won't_ get them back.
At this point, your characters will refuse to board the vehicle you
used to get here (Highwind, Tiny Bronco, or Chocobo), insisting that
they find Yuffie instead. If you were on a Chocobo when Yuffie stole
your Materia, then you'll still be on it when the sequence ends, but
you won't be able to board the Highwind, and if you get off the Chocobo,
you can't get back on. If you use the 'Start with Gold Chocobo' code,
then you can leave the island, but I don't know what happens if you do
this sub-quest while riding a real Gold Chocobo. In any case, you can
use the Chocobo to cheat and simply ride all the way to Wutai, Yuffie's
hometown. If you're not on a Chocobo, you'll have to walk.
From the curving path, head north until you cross a bridge, then go west
across a second bridge. Head southeast once you reach the other side;
this leads to a north-bound path that runs under the bridge. Follow it
and it will lead up to another bridge. Past the bridge, the land
becomes flat and grassy. Keep heading north and you'll arrive at Wutai.
When you enter the town, Yuffie will see you and run away. Head to the
upper-left corner of town. There's a path here that leads to a large
courtyard and a pagoda. Enter the building to your right and walk along
the hall until you arrive at a room with a man sleeping inside. Enter
it and talk to the man. He is Godoo, Yuffie's father. Keep talking to
him until he stands up, at which point Yuffie will appear and then be
chased away by her father. If you follow Yuffie, you'll find that she
has disappeared. Before leaving this area, enter the room next to
Godoo's and examine the right wall. There is a hidden panel here that
will open, revealing a passage. At the end of the passage is a chest
containing the Hairpin (a weapon for Red 13). On your way out, go into
the room to the left of the entrance. You can come here and spend the
night for free, but if you examine the scroll on the left wall, it will
lift up, revealing another passage. The chest at the end of this
passage has a Fuuma Shuriken (Wind Demon Throwing Star) inside it.
Return to town and go into the eatery in the southwest corner of town.
The Turks are her! Talk to them all (Elena, Rude, and Reno). When
you are finished, go to the Item Shop. Normally, there is a woman
standing in front of a treasure chest (preventing you from getting at
it) but now she will have moved away. Open the chest and you'll get
a MP Absorb materia, but Yuffie will drop down from the ceiling and
swipe it from your hands! Leave the shop and go to the southeast
edge of town. There's a building here near the entrace. Go inside
and examine the folding panel to the left. Hiding behind it is Yuffie,
who dashes away as soon as she is discovered. Chase her outside and
go to the eatery. If you look at the jar standing outside the eatery,
you'll see that it is moving. Approach it and press O to make your
friends block all the exits. Then press O three times to make your
main character hit the jar until Yuffie jumps out. Seeing that she
can't escape, she'll lead your characters to her house.
Meanwhile, two Shinra soldiers run into the eatery to meet with the
Turks. After Elena leaves, you'll find your characters in Yuffie's
house. When she goes downstairs, follow her. I was sure that I
found an item in this room once, but I guess I was mistaken...anyway,
don't miss the Kamedouraku Flyer that's on the far wall when you go
downstairs. Talk to Yuffie. When you can move again, examine the
levers in the back room; you can pull the right lever or the left one.
It doesn't matter which one you choose, since either one will make
a cage drop on top of your allies! Yes, Yuffie has tricked you again.
Examine either lever a second time to free your friends, then leave
the house.
Return to the courtyard area where the pagoda is and you'll see that
you can now enter the building to your left. Climb up the steps and
examine the bell to ring it; this will reveal a hidden door. Beyond
the door, you'll find Yuffie, who has been taken hostage by none other
than Don Corneo, the mohawked pervert that tricked you back in the
Wall Market. He has captured Elena as well. Before chasing after
him, open the chest to your right to find a Swift Bolt, and open
the chest to your left to get an Elixir. Go up the stairs and you'll
find yourselves in the altar room back in Godoo's house. Three Shinra
soldiers appear and attack you, allowing Corneo to escape. Kill the
guards (they're the same as the ones that attacked you back on the
curving path), then go outside.
Here, you'll run into Rude and Reno. Talk to them, then return to town
and head to the northeastern corner of Wutai. There's a path here that
leads up into the mountains, where huge Dachao statues have been carved
into the rock. Talk to the Turks again as you follow the path, and keep
going along the path until it splits. Take the path that goes north.
It leads past a huge head to a crossroads. Rude is standing here,
blocking the entrace to a cave. If you talk to him, he'll enter the
cave. Go inside and open the chest in here to get a weapon for Cid.
You can't get across the fire-pits yet unless you've gotten the Suishin
x no Uroko from the submarine docks (see section 4i for more information
on the Suishin x no Uroko, and section 4j to find out what treasure you
can get from the fire-pits). There's a chest here that has a weapon for
Cid in it, but I got it back in Disc 1 so I forgot (I think it's the
Grow Lance or the Mop). ^_^; Talk to Rude again and then exit the cave
and head south to find Corneo, who's tied Elena and Yuffie to the face
of a Dachao statue. When you confront him, he summons a boss to attack
you.
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BOSS TIPS: RAPUSU LV: 39 HP: 6000 MP: 300
This winged beast isn't that tough, but unless you were able to hold onto
some Materia, all you can do is attack. Use Phoenix Downs and Hi-Potions
or other restorative items to heal your party, and you may want to use
'attack' items like the Deadly Waste or Swift Bolt in order to
inflict damage along with your normal attacks. Because of their high
attack power, Red 13 and Vincent make the best allies to have in this
fight. If you think you can make it without Vincent assiting you, then
use his breaks to inflict lots of damage on the boss. You'll recieve a
Peace Ring when the battle is finished.
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After the battle, Don Corneo will ask you a question and you have three
answers to choose from. Pick any one you like. Corneo threatens to
kill Yuffie and Elena, but then Reno and Rude show up and send Corneo
to his well-deserved demise. Back at her house, Yuffie will give all
the materia she stole back to your characters (including the MP Absorb
materia).
You'll find yourself back in the World Map again, but I wouldn't leave
just yet if I were you. Return to Wutai and enter the building near
Yuffie's house. It's full of cats. Normally, there's nothing you can
do here, but now you can climb up the steps in the back to find a
secret passage. Walk north (towards the screen), to find a cat and a
chest. Inside the chest is a HP Absorb materia. Take it and go back
outside.
Now, head back to the courtyard. Enter the pagoda and talk to the man
there, Goorikii. He'll inform you that if she wishes, Yuffie can
fight by herself against the five guardians of the Pagoda of Five Strong.
Choose the top option to accept and the bottom option to decline. After
each battle, go up the stairs and talk to the person there, picking the
top option to fight them and the bottom option to not fight them. You
don't have to kill all the guardians in one go, and if Yuffie is killed
in battle, the game won't end, although she'll have zero HP and will
need to be revived before she can fight again. Your enemies are:
First Floor: Goorikii, a winged creature.
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BOSS TIPS: GOORIKII LV: 30 HP: 3000 MP: 150
(weak vs. Wind)
Use Haste on yourself, then use the Deathblow materia repeatedly in
order to inflict lots of damage. Don't forget to heal yourself when
your life gets low. The boss can use Barrier, but he's still easy to
defeat. Yuffie gets an X Potion once she's won the battle.
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Second Floor: Sheiku, a penguin-like monster.
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BOSS TIPS: SHEIKU LV: 32 HP: 4000 MP: 180
Use the same strategy that you used against Goorikii. You might try
the Barrier spell to reduce physical damage. His 'Furious Bomber' attack
causes a lot of damage, but it will fill up your Limit Break bar very
quickly. Yuffie will recieve an Turbo Ether when the fight ends.
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Third Floor: Chehofu, a four-armed foe.
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BOSS TIPS: CHEHOFU LV: 34 HP: 5000 MP: 210
Keep your HPs up in case you get paralyzed. Once again, using Haste,
Barrier, and then attacking with the Hissatsu materia should do the trick
if your attack power is low. Yuffie's prize for winning this battle is
a Ice Ring.
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Fourth Floor: Sutanifu, a creature swinging and iron ball.
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BOSS TIPS: SUTANIFU LV: 36 HP: 6000 MP: 240
Fight him the same way you fought Sheiku. Without a doubt, the easiest
boss of the Pagoda of Five Strong. If you win, Yuffie will get an
Elixir from him.
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Fifth Floor: Godoo, a three-headed monster. Note that he will
automatically attack you when you talk to him.
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BOSS TIPS: GODOO LV: 41 HP: 10000 MP: 1000
Godoo's attack style changes depending on which head is facing you. He
has many attacks, including the Tryne Enemy Skill and the ability to
drain your HP. He will also use his supply of MP to heal himself for
around 1200+ points per use. To beat him, deplete him MP supply by using
the Ghost Hand item or Magic Hammer Enemy Skill (you can learn it from
the Ashigirisous that live north of Wutai; they look like bunches of
grass). The other way to beat him is simply Berserk yourself, assuming
you have enough HP and your attacks do over 1200 points of damage. Your
only other tactic is to stay alive until he runs out of HP and then
attack him. You'll get Yuffie's Level 4 Limit Break Manual (Universe)
once Godoo is defeated.
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After Yuffie defeats Godoo, he'll give you the 'Summon Leviathan'
materia.