River King: A Wonderful Journey FAQ/Walkthrough
Version 1.0
April 13, 2006
By Brian Nii (bnii at hawaii dot edu)
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| Table of Contents |
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1. Version History
2. Basics
3. Fishing
4. Cooking
5. Items
6. Walkthrough
A. Stream
B. Mountain
C. Field
D. Rapids
E. Swamp
F. Underground Lake
7. Acknowledgements
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| 1. Version History |
@~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~@
Version 1.0 (April 13, 2006) – Completed the FAQ.
Version 0.1 (April 11, 2006) – First version of FAQ. Completed walkthrough up
to the Rapids area.
@~~~~~~~~~~~@
| 2. Basics |
@~~~~~~~~~~~@
[CHOOSING YOUR CHARACTER]
The first decision you'll make in the game is choosing which character you'll
take on your wonderful journey. The characters all play the same and start out
at the same fishing level, so it's basically an aesthetic choice. The Father
starts out with the most HP and a Carbon Pole (everyone else starts with a
Bamboo Pole). The Mother has the second highest HP and starts out with Paste
Bait and a Smelt Tempura recipe. She also starts out with a Mediocre cooking
level, where as everyone else starts out at Amateur. The Bro begins with
Insects and a Fried Kajika recipe. Sis has the lowest HP of the family and
starts with Fish Eggs and a Butter Grilled Iwana recipe. Don't worry too much
about HP since you gain some each time you gain a level, so everyone basically
evens out at the end. The main thing that differs between characters is the
ending you receive at the end when you capture the River King.
[CONTROLS]
Left Analog Stick – Move character
Triangle Button – Open Menu
Square Button – Set hook with same bait
X Button – Select/Talk/Cast/Reel/Pull Line
O Button – Cancel/Pull Back Cast/Run
L1 Button – Take pole/rod out
R1 Button – Zoom Out/Zoom In
Start Button – Open option menu
Select/L2/R2/L3/R3 – Not used
[VIBRATION FUNCTION]
Before you do anything, set the vibration function on in the start options
menu. It's set to off by default for some reason. Turning it on makes catching
fish a lot easier, especially if you're using lure fishing.
[SWIMMING AND ROWING]
Once you learn how to swim from Old Smarty, you can swim across bodies of water
just like walking. Doing so consumes HP however. When you find the washtub in
the mountain area you can use it like a boat and row instead of swim. Rowing
requires HP as well, but not as much as swimming. While in the washtub you can
actually cast your line from it, allowing you to catch fish that you normally
wouldn't be able to catch from land. The washtub moves with the current, so
it's best to use it in bodies of still water such as lakes and ponds.
[HP]
HP is depleted while swimming or rowing, and you lose HP if you are
unsuccessful in catching a fish (damage depends on the size of the fish). You
can recover HP by either eating food you've bought or cooked, or by resting at
an inn. It costs money to stay at an inn, and the cost is dependent on the
location. Your HP level increases as your level increases.
[SHOPS]
There are various shops you can visit in each area of the game. The fishing
shops (shop with the chimney) are where you can purchase rods, lures, flies,
and bait. The general store (shop with hexagon shaped sign) is where you can
purchase food and special items. The fish shop (two large kanji on sign) is
where you can sell your fish for cash. The inn (Japanese lantern) is where you
can recover your HP for a small fee and read the message board.
[SAVING]
To save the game, simply press the X button while facing a Jizo statue. In case
you're wondering, a Jizo is a Buddhist icon statue commonly found on roadways
throughout Japan. There are two types of Jizo in the game. One is a small gray
statue with a scarf and the other is a large green statue. There isn't any real
difference between the two in terms of use, but you might miss the green one as
you go by it since it doesn't look like the first initial save statue.
[ANIMAL QUIZZES]
During random intervals in the game, an animal may appear to challenge you to a
quiz. Usually these questions are relatively easy ("Q: Which turtle is known
for its soft shell? A: Soft Shelled Turtle"). Sometimes they'll ask a rather
difficult question. Most of the time there's no reward or penalty for answering
correctly or incorrectly. Sometimes you'll get a piece of bait for correctly
answering the question. On occasion the animal might steal your biggest fish
from your basket if you answer incorrectly.
[FINDING BAIT]
Although you can purchase bait in the fishing stores, you can find bait for
free in certain areas on the map using the examine command. In the instruction
manual these are indicated by the highlighted areas on each map. You can find
only one type of bait in each area, although you can find an unlimited amount
of bait there (the max you can carry is 9 of each type). You don't need any
equipment to find bait, but having the respective item (shovel for worms,
insect net for insects, etc.) speeds up the process considerably.
@~~~~~~~~~~~~@
| 3. Fishing |
@~~~~~~~~~~~~@
[BAIT FISHING] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pros: Bait attracts a wide variety of fish. Bait can be found for free in many
areas. Good for areas with currents such as rivers or streams.
Cons: Need to replace bait after every catch. Not as effective as the other
rods in still water.
Bait fishing is the first type of fishing you'll use in the game, and is well
suited for fishing in the many rivers and streams you'll find in most areas. To
bait fish you'll first need, as the name implies, some bait. In the equipment
option in the menu screen you'll need to select your pole, bait, and bobber.
Initially you'll begin the game with a Bamboo Pole, unless you're playing as
the Father in which case you'll have a Carbon Pole. Next comes the bait. As you
might imagine, the fish in the game have various preferences for bait. You can
buy bait at the bait shops in the game, but you can also find bait for free at
certain locations in each area. These are indicated by the highlighted circular
areas on the map in the instruction manual. The bobber is purely an aesthetic
choice. It has no effect on the success of catching a fish. Once you have
everything set, you can start bait fishing by pressing the L1 button to get out
your pole. Press the X button to cast out your line. The longer you hold the X
button, the farther you'll cast your line. The bobber will land in the water
and float with the current. You'll want to cast your line in such a way that it
floats near the fish you're aiming for, hopefully catching its attention.
If the fish is attracted to the bait, you'll feel a nibble on your line (if the
vibration on your controller is on). Don't pull the line yet. Wait until you
see the splash in the water, then press the X button. If successful, the camera
will change to an underwater view. When the fish stops moving to the left
(you'll feel the controller throbbing as it moves) hold down the X button to
reel it in to the right. When the fish starts struggling and moves to the left
again, wait until it stops struggling, and then continue reeling it in. If you
try to reel in the fish while its struggling the fish may break loose from the
hook. The farther the distance between you and the fish when you hooked it, the
longer the distance you need to reel it in. The higher your fishing technique,
the easier it is to reel the fish in. Also the better quality the pole you use,
the less chance of the fish breaking free.
Once you've successfully caught the fish you'll get its size and the amount of
experience earned for catching it. At this point you can either keep it or let
it go. You still get full experience for catching the fish even if you let it
go. Early on in the game you'll want to keep as much fish in the basket as
possible to sell for money at the fish shop.
After you've caught a fish using a bait pole you'll need to replace the bait on
the hook. If your line is already out from catching a fish previously, you can
reattach the same bait you used previously by pressing the square button.
Otherwise, you'll need to re-equip bait manually in the equipment menu.
Later in the game you'll be able to purchase or obtain a bait pole with a reel
which allows you to reel the line in like a fly or lure rod.
You can carry up to 9 of each type of bait. There are certain items in the
general store that increase the odds of finding a certain bait in a bait area.
Having the item isn't necessary to find bait, but it does expedite the process.
Insects, Paste Bait, Bee Larva, and Fish Eggs are good for smaller fish, while
Shrimp, Frogs, and Small Fish are more useful for catching the larger
specimens. Worms and Maggots are surprisingly versatile, as both small and
large fish tend to go after them equally.
Bait Types: Worm, Shrimp, Frog, Insect, Paste Bait, Bee Larva, Maggot, Fish
Egg, Small Fish
[FLY FISHING]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pros: Line can be cast much further than other rods. Fly can be reused. Good
for bodies of still water such as lake or ponds.
Cons: Takes longer to cast than the other rods.
Fly rods are a bit trickier to use than the other rods, but are invaluable in
the later areas such as the field and swamp, where there are large bodies of
still water such as lakes, ponds, and marshes. Fly rods only require fly baits,
and like lures they can be reused when you catch fish. To cast a fly rod hold
down the X button and press the left analog stick towards the area you want to
cast towards. Release the X button to throw the line. While the fly is in the
air you can control it by moving the left analog stick. This allows you to
adjust your aim if the fish is moving while you're casting. Once the fly lands
in the water you can move it by reeling in the line with the X button. If the
fish is attracted to the fly you'll feel a nibble and then see a splash, just
like bait fishing. Reeling in the fish is handled in the same way as bait
fishing.
There are four types of flies in the game, but you have room in your inventory
for up to eight flies. The reason is that occasionally you'll lose a fly from a
lost fish from time to time, so it's useful to have spare flies when you're far
from a store.
Fly Types: Dry Fly, Nymph Fly, Wet Fly, Streamer
[LURE FISHING] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pros: Has a wide variety of lures for various fish types. Combines reusable
bait like fly fishing with the ease of bait fishing.
Cons: Requires luring the fish to bite the lure underwater.
Lure fishing is similar to bait fishing, except that the lures can be reused
like flies, and you can reel in the line like a fly rod. There are a wide
variety of lures in the shop that you can use as bait. Finding the best one for
the fish you're after requires trial and error though. Fishing with a lure rod
is just like fishing with a bait rod. Cast the line out with the X button. Like
a fly rod you can also reel in the lure using the X button. The major
difference between lure and bait/fly fishing is that there is no splash
indication once the fish has taken the lure. The only indication you'll get is
a vibration on your controller. When this happens, press the X button. This
will switch to the underwater view. Unlike bait and fly fishing, the fish does
not automatically start hooked. You will need to adjust the line so that the
fish's mouth aligns with the hook. For smaller fish this requires some timing.
For larger fish, it's simpler to just immediately start reeling in the line
since they swim pretty fast. If you miss the fish as it initially passes by,
it's tough to catch them a second time. If the lure gets too close to the
bottom it's pretty much impossible to catch the fish. If the fish overshoots
keep reeling the line in and hopefully you'll catch them if the fish decides to
turn around. Once the hook is set you can reel in the fish as normal.
Lure Types: Pencil Lure, Minnow, Crank Bait, Vibration, Soft Lure, Spoon,
Spinner Bait, Buzz Bait, Jig, Spinner
@~~~~~~~~~~~~@
| 4. Cooking |
@~~~~~~~~~~~~@
You can attempt to cook a recipe if you have the requisite fish and the
corresponding recipe in your cooking repertoire. If successful the dish is
added to your item inventory and can be eaten to recover a large number of HP.
Unfortunately, initially it is very difficult to cook a dish successfully. You
will usually end up failing more often than not. When this happens you lose the
fish you used for the ingredient and gain no experience for your efforts. To
increase the odds of cooking a dish successfully you need to increase your
cooking level. All of the characters start at the Amateur cooking level (except
the Mother, who starts at Mediocre). Every time you successfully cook a dish
you gain experience towards your cooking level. The amount of experience you
gain for successfully cooking a dish depends on the difficulty level of the
dish. Generally, the more exotic the main ingredient, the more difficult it is
to cook, and the more experience you gain if you successfully cook it. A dish
of Butter Grilled Iwana is relatively easy to cook, but making Monster Catfish
Soup requires supreme cooking skills. Recipes can be obtained by purchasing
them at stores, but they tend to be extremely expensive. Some recipes can be
obtained as a reward for completing certain tasks or winning certain events.
Some of these are unique one of a kind recipes that you can't find in stores.
In each area you can find Belnaise (he's wearing a flamboyant purple outfit)
and a cook waiting for a cooking contest. Cooking contests can only be
attempted once, and if you fail you can no longer participate in that contest.
If you decide to participate, make sure to save your game first so you can try
again if you fail. In order to participate in a cooking contest you first need
to empty out both your fishing basket and your inventory of edible items. Once
you've done that, talk to Belnaise to start the contest. In a cooking contest
you need to cook a set number of dishes before the time runs out. Note that
this includes the time to actually catch the fish for the dishes. You also
can't use the same dish twice. As you might imagine, this can be very
difficult. Not only do you have to catch the correct fish for your recipes in
the time limit, you need to successfully prepare them in the time limit as
well. If you catch the wrong fish or botch a dish, you've pretty much failed
the contest unless you get very lucky.
[COOKING RANKS]
Amateur -> Mediocre -> Passable -> Decent -> Skilled -> Pro -> Star -> Master
[RECIPES]
Name: Found: Difficulty:
Butter Grilled Iwana Mountain, Field, Rapids, Sis Easy
Rainbow Trout Meuniere Stream, Mountain Easy
Smelt Tempura Mountain, Field, Mother Easy
Sweet Stewed Honmoroko Mountain Easy
Catfish Miso Soup Field Moderate
Fried Kajika Mountain, Bro Moderate
Gobi Tempura * Field Moderate
Raw Carp Field, Swamp Moderate
Salt Grilled Ayu Stream, Mountain, Event Moderate
Salt Grilled Salmon Mountain Moderate
Stewed Motsugo Field, Swamp, Event Moderate
* Requires Haze as an ingredient, not Gobi.
Amago Saute Stream, Event Hard
Boiled Prawn Event Hard
Butter Grilled Big Iwana Event Hard
Grilled Eel Swamp Hard
Huge Catfish Miso Soup Event Hard
Loach Stew Field, Event Hard
Blackened Newt Event Very Hard
Grilled Big Eel Event Very Hard
Monster Catfish Miso Soup Event Very Hard
Raw King Carp Event Very Hard
Softshell Turtle Juice Prize Very Hard
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| 5. Items |
@~~~~~~~~~~@
[BAIT FINDING ITEMS]
Shovel (150 G) – Makes it easier to find Worms.
Insect Net (200 G) - Makes it easier to find Insects and Frogs.
Magnifying Glass (200 G) – Makes it easier to find Maggots and Shrimp.
Work Gloves (250 G) – Makes it easier to find Bee Larva and Paste Bait.
Landing Net (250 G) – Makes it easier to find Fish Eggs and Small Fish.
[FISHING RODS]
Bamboo Pole (Initial) – A bamboo pole for stream fishing.
Carbon Pole (300 G) – A very strong pole for bait fishing, made up of carbon
fiber.
Casting Pole (400 G) – A bait fishing pole with a reel.
Mineral Rod (N/A) – A fishing rod said to be popular in a place called 'Mineral
Town'.
Tanago Pole (500 G) – A rod made only for fishing for tanago.
Hera Pole (600 G) – A rod made only for fishing for hera.
Fly Rod (400 G) – A rod for fly fishing.
Fly Rod 2 (660 G) – A fly rod that has been altered to it's easier to use.
Boss Fly Rod (N/A) – The boss of all fly rods. Can cast farther than other
rods.
Lure Rod (550 G) – A rod for lure fishing.
Pro Lure Rod (750 G) – A high quality lure rod, endorsed by a fishing pro.
Master's Pole (N/A) – A lure rod made by a famous craftsman.
[BAIT]
Worm (5 G) – Used with a baited fishing pole, the worm is a favorite of
fishermen everywhere.
Shrimp (18 G) – An easy-to-use bait for mid-to-large-sized fish.
Frog (15 G) – A large bait for large fish.
Insect (12 G) – A type of bait liked by both carnivorous and omnivorous fish.
Paste Bait (7 G) – A paste of insect and fish powder.
Bee Larva (9 G) - Bee larva. Also used in some kinds of cooking.
Maggot (6 G) – A fly larva. Like the worm, good for a variety of fish.
Fish Egg (9 G) – Salmon eggs, also delicious as an ingredient in fine cuisine.
Small Fish (17 G) – This bait is a must when going after large carnivorous
fish.
[BOBBERS]
Float A (Round) (N/A) – A round float.
Float B (Stick) (30 G) – A stick-shaped float.
Float C (Rabbit) (80 G) – A strangely shaped float.
Float D (Panda) (N/A) - A strangely shaped float.
[FLIES]
Dry Fly (35 G) – A fly made to resemble an insect that has fallen into the
water.
Nymph Fly (45 G) – Resembling the larva of a water insect, this fly is floated
along with the current.
Wet Fly (40 G) – This fly is made to resemble a water insect about to hatch.
Streamer (55 G) – This fly, resembling a small fish, is used when going after
large catches.
[LURES]
Pencil Lure (30 G) – A lure that swims on the surface of the water.
Minnow (50 G) – A lure in the shape of a minnow.
Crank Bait (60 G) – A lure that moves back and forth.
Vibration (65 G) – A lure that vibrates.
Soft Lure (40 G) – A lure made of rubber, made to look like an insect larva.
Spoon (30 G) – A spoon-shaped lure.
Spinner Bait (80 G) – A lure with a shiny blade attached.
Buzz Bait (85 G) – A lure with a large propeller.
Jig (20 G) – A very heavy lure that sinks.
Spinner (45 G) – A small general purpose lure.
[FOOD]
Rice Ball (10 G) – A delicious hand-made rice ball.
Box Lunch (100 G) – A nutritious boxed lunch.
Deluxe Lunch (250 G) – A deluxe boxed lunch made with expensive ingredients.
[BASKETS]
Small Basket (N/A) – A basket that can hold 10 fish.
Medium Basket (400 G) – A basket that can hold 20 fish.
Large Basket (500 G) – A basket that can hold 30 fish.
Giant Baskett (sic) (N/A) – A basket that can hold 50 fish.
[INNS]
Shizuku Village (Stream) 5 G
Minamo Pass (Mountain) 10 G
Asatsuyu Village (Field) 25 G
Mizukiri Pass (Rapids) 20 G
Kasumi Village (Swamp) 15 G
@~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~@
| 6. Walkthrough |
@~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~@
Note: When you initiate an event/quest you must finish it before any other
events/quests can be triggered. You can tell if an event/quest has started if
the screen fades out when you talk to a person.
*******************************
* A. STREAM (SHIZUKU VILLAGE) *
*******************************
[BAIT AREAS]
WORM: North of cooking contest, Near forked path south of path to field, South
of wood sprite shrine, Dead end area north of map near waterfall.
SHRIMP: Near trees at southeast corner at the end of the stream.
FROG: Area south of straight bridge.
INSECT: Area southwest of Old Smarty's house, Area southeast of waterfall.
BEE LARVA: Area southwest of waterfall, Two areas west of crooked bridge.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Catching a River Trout (Required)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Talk to Kazuko, the woman standing next to the well near your house, to
initiate this event. She'll ask you to catch a River Trout for her. Head up the
river towards the first bridge. River Trout can be found in the area between
that bridge and the small islet to the south of it (E on the Stream area map).
It shouldn't be too hard to catch one. If you do run out of Worms just head
back south to the gray spot of ground north of where the cooking contest is
being held and search for Worms. It might take a while, but you can get up to 9
Worms in your inventory before you run out of space. Be sure to keep all the
fish that you catch to sell to the fish store. Save up for the Spade and Carbon
Rod. Don't bother buying any bait since you can pretty much catch anything in
this area using Worms that you can find for free. Once you catch a River Trout,
return to Kazuko. She'll give you a Treasure Map in return. It gives you
complicated directions to the treasure, but don't bother. Just head for the
tree right next to your house on the right. Examine the spot at the base of the
tree to find "A Piece of Something". It won't show up in your inventory, but
you need to get this to trigger events in the other areas to advance the story
line.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meeting Naoko (Required)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When you cross the bridge to the north Naoko will announce herself as your
rival. She'll challenge you to catch an Ayu larger than her 8 inch specimen.
You can find Ayu in the lower part of the stream (H and I on the map). Beat her
and you'll obtain the Salt Grilled Ayu recipe as a reward.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Learning How to Swim (Required)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Past the bridge head north to a house up the hill to find the residence of Old
Smarty. Talk to him and he'll teach you how to swim. Now you can swim across
water, but doing so drains you of HP. This will come in handy until you find
the Washtub later in the Mountain area.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Moving the Boulder (Required)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The road to the north leading to the Mountain area is blocked by a large
boulder. Talk to the man nearby and you'll be told to talk to Old Smarty.
Smarty is still asleep on his feet, but Kayo will tell you to catch a Yamame
and offer it to the wood sprite at the shrine. You need to catch a Yamame at
least 13 inches long. Yamame can be found in the areas south of the waterfall
(B and C on the map). Return to the shrine near the boulder with the Yamame and
the wood sprite will appear and remove the boulder. Now you have access to the
Mountain area.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yoko and Takako (Required)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After the boulder blocking the Mountain path is removed this event will become
available (you might have to do a few events in the Mountain area first). Talk
to Yoko (the blond haired girl with the blue sailor school dress) south of
where the boulder was. Apparently something's happened between her and her best
friend Takako, and now she's asking you for your help. Take the invitation she
gives you and head back to the straight bridge to the south. Go across and keep
following the path west until you see a girl with glasses blocking the path
(west of E on the map). This is Yoko's friend Takako. She's apparently upset
over a dish that Yoko cooked for her. Yoko doesn't know why she's so upset, but
suggests that if she cooks Takako's favorite dish all might be forgiven. Talk
to Takako again and you'll find out she has a craving for Salmon. The easiest
place to catch a Salmon is the bridge area to the northeast of the Mountain
area (L on the map). Take the Salmon back to Yoko and she'll make a dish for
Takako. Takako will finally make up with Yoko (sort of) and move out of the
way, opening the way to the Field area. Yoko will give you the Boiled Prawn and
Blackened Newt recipes as a reward.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Straw Millionaire I (Optional)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Once you learn how to swim you can access the small islet east of the village
(I on the map). Here you'll encounter an odd looking Harvest Sprite who
promises to make you very happy. He'll give you a ??? Seed. Like the "Piece of
Something" it won't show up in your inventory, but you'll need it to complete
the next part of this event in the next area.
*****************************
* B. MOUNTAIN (MINAMO PASS) *
*****************************
[BAIT AREAS]
FROG: Areas north and south of the two fishermen to the southeast of the lake.
INSECT: Area along the side of the east most area of the map along the
mountain.
BEE LARVA: Area west of the pond on the center island.
FISH EGG: Area along the coast northeast of the bridge from the stream area,
southwest area of small island southwest of the northeast bridge.
SMALL FISH: Along the peninsula shoreline southwest of the center island.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meeting Nusshie (Required)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
South of the lake you'll find Nusshie, the local resident lake monster. It
seems he's quite hungry for some fish. Help him out by catching three fish for
him. It doesn't matter what kind of fish they are, but they all need to be the
same type of fish. Once you've fed him three fish of the same type you'll get
another treasure map like the one you received in the stream area. Head back
north and swim across to the island north of the bridge. Examine the base of
the tree on the island to find the second "Piece of Something".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Benkei and the 100 Fish (Required)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A fisherman named Benkei is blocking the bridge to the island. He's attempting
to catch 100 fish, and he has 99 so far. He won't move from his spot until he's
caught 100, but he can't catch fish since is basket is too heavy for him to
fish. You'll offer to catch him his last one if he just gets out of the way.
He'll agree, but he chooses an extremely rare fish for his 100th catch: a rare
Albino Rainbow Trout. Albino Rainbow Trout appear very infrequently in the area
south of the bridge (H on the map). Since it's hard to catch them from the
bridge head for the small island south of the bridge and try to catch them from
the north shore of the island. This may or may not take you a long time, since
they appear very rarely. With some patience and a lot of luck you'll catch one.
Bring it back to Benkei. He'll scoff at your offer, but a deal is a deal and
he'll move aside, allowing you access to the island. Examine the shrine on the
island and you'll find the Washtub item. You can use this to row across bodies
of water instead of swimming (select it from the item screen). This uses up
less HP than swimming. You can also cast your line from the Washtub so you can
catch fish in locations that you normally wouldn't be able to. Note that the
Washtub floats along with the current, so if you decide to fish along a river
or stream make sure to "wedge" yourself into the rocks so you don't float away.
Note the pond nearby. This pond contains Honmoroko, Smelt, and Frogs (not the
bait Frogs). This is important since Honmoroko and Smelt are the key
ingredients for two relatively simple recipes: Smelt Tempura and Sweet Stewed
Honmoroko. Since both fish are easy to catch here (Frogs rarely bite), this is
a great place to practice your cooking when you have the time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Recipe in a Bottle (Optional)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the Stream area is a man named Minoru who's standing to the right of the
winding bridge (C on the map). Talk to him and he'll tell you about a recipe in
a bottle he found floating downstream. Minoru tried the recipe out and he loved
it. Now he wants to find out who made the recipe. Head to Old Smarty's house.
Kayo will tell you it probably came somewhere in the Mountain area. Head to the
Mountain area and talk to the first woman you see before the bridge (near D on
the map). This is Shizu and she's the one who sent the recipe downstream.
She'll agree to meet with Minoru. After a rather disturbing scene Shizu will
give you her recipe (Butter Grilled Big Iwana).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Great Brown Trout (Optional)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Naoko is waiting for you in the village. Apparently there's been a problem with
a Great Brown Trout in the area, and it's up to the two of you to catch it. You
need to capture a Great Brown Trout that's 31 inches or larger. The easiest
place to do this is in the area south of the bridge-connected island (F on the
map). Naoko is fishing in that area as well, but she's a little off (she's
actually fishing in the D section of the map). If you see her you're too far to
the left of the area. If you don't have a Fly Rod it's going to be extremely
difficult to catch one since the shoreline in the area is still water. The
Great Brown Trout is the largest fish in the area. Even with a Fly Rod it's
going to be a difficult catch. You'll know when you've hooked one since it's
big and ugly looking. When you do catch one bring it back to Naoko. You'll
receive a Deluxe Lunch as your reward.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Black Bass Festival (Optional)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just east of the village you'll find a woman named Sachiko. Talk to her and
she'll tell you about a population explosion of Black Bass in the area. To
celebrate the village is having a Black Bass festival. She'll ask you to catch
six Black Bass for the festivities. Depending on your luck this will take quite
a bit of time. You can find Black Bass near the bridge to the northeast or
anywhere around the bridge-connected island. Bring six Black Bass back to
Sachiko and she'll give you a Boiled Prawn recipe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Straw Millionaire II (Optional)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A man named Kaoru is near the northeast bridge. Talk to him and he'll express
interest in the ??? Seed that you received from the Harvest Sprite in the
Stream area. Give Kaoru the ??? Seed and he'll give you a Vegetable Set in
return. This item is necessary for the third part of this event in the Field
area.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Mineral Rod (Optional)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This event only becomes available once you've opened up the Swamp area. Return
to the village. Near the docks sitting in a boat is Dan (Kai) from the Harvest
Moon: Friends of Mineral Town game. If you talk to him 50 times he'll ask you
what you like to eat. Answer "Fish, of course!" and he'll give you the Mineral
Rod, the best bait rod in the game.
*******************************
* C. FIELD (ASATSUYU VILLAGE) *
*******************************
Note: The game incorrectly shows Swamp in the loading screen for the Field
area.
[BAIT AREAS]
SHRIMP: Northeast corner of northern pond near the edge of the pond.
FROG: Six areas in the waterways between the fields. Closest area is the
waterway between the two fields west of the cooking contest area.
INSECT: Southeast corner of northern pond, Area east of southern pond, Area
northwest of village.
PASTE BAIT: Areas north and south of the cooking contest, Area south of the
students.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dinner for Seriko (Required)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the northeast corner of the Field area across the northern pond is Seriko's
house. She's outside deciding what to cook for dinner. She has a "Piece of
Something" and is more than willing to give it to you, provided you help her
out with her dinner. She's cooking several dishes and needs three different
fish. She asks for an Eel, Iwana, and Smelt. Eel can be found in the southern
pond in the Field area (H and I on the map). Iwana can be found near the
waterfall in the Stream area (A and B on the map). Smelt can be found in the
small pond on the bridge-connected island in the Mountain area (B on the map).
Bring all three fish back to Seriko and she'll give you her "Piece of
Something".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mamoon's Curry (Required)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mamoon (the man in orange with the turban) is blocking the road leading to the
Rapids area south of Shizuku village (Stream area), but you won't be able to
start this event until you've opened up the Field area. Talk to him and you'll
find out he's in the area trying to perfect his curry recipe. He won't move
until he does so, so you'll need to help him complete his curry if you want to
get past. First it's Takako, then Benkei, and now Mamoon. Sheesh. What is up
with all these people blocking roads in the game? In any event, Mamoon will ask
you to get some ingredients for his curry. First off is an Itou, which you can
find in the waterfall area (A on the map). Use the Washtub to get next to the
waterfall and cast your line from there. It might take a while, and you might
actually catch a Big Itou instead (in which case expect a big fight reeling
them in). Next on the list is a Cherry Salmon. You should be able to catch one
easily south of the waterfall (B and C on the map). The last ingredient is a
Prawn. Prawns are located in the ponds in the Field area. You can try the dark
area in the north pond (F on the map) or the south pond area (I on the map).
Personally I went with the north pond. As you might expect Prawns are very
small, and they are very difficult to catch since they rarely appear. A Fly Rod
is a must here. You can tell if you've caught a Prawn since when you hook one
you'll see the line spin around in the water rather than the screen switching
to an underwater view. Once you've caught a Prawn head back to Mamoon with the
three ingredients. He'll use you as his guinea pig to test the curry out (which
completely restores your HP). Once he's satisfied that the recipe is perfected
he'll get out of the way and give you his Raw King Carp recipe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Naoko's #1 Fan (Optional)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Near the Jizo statue in the village is a strange man wearing a headband. He'll
introduce himself as Naoko's #1 fan and ask if you can get her autograph for
him. He'll suggest that you catch a Monster Bass for her to impress her.
Monster Bass can be found in the dark areas in both ponds (F and H on the map).
Once you've caught a Monster Bass, talk to Naoko who is hanging out on the west
side of the south pond (left of I on the map). She'll give you her autograph.
Return to Naoko's #1 fan and he'll give you a Giant Baskett (sic). Despite the
spelling (typo?) the basket allows you to hold a whopping 50 fish inside of it,
making this side event very lucrative indeed.
On a side note, the dark areas in both ponds both contain Fighting Fish. These
small 3 inch fish are fairly rare, but you can sell them at the fish shop for a
whopping 100 G each! Needless to say, this is a prime spot for some lucrative
fish hunting for cash.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hunting for Killifish (Optional)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This event is not for the faint of heart. Talk to Miss Rumiko in the village
(she's standing by a large group of students). She'll fret about not being able
to catch some Killifish for her class science project. She'll ask you to catch
some for her. There's five students plus her, so that makes a total of six
Killifish. This wouldn't be a problem normally, except that Killifish are found
primarily in the rice fields. Seeing fish in the rice fields is extremely
difficult since the water is very muddy and the fish are very small. Use a Fly
Rod or a Tanago or Hera Pole if you have it. Since there are other fish other
than Killifish in the rice fields, catching a single Killifish, much less six
of them, can be an exercise in frustration. When you accomplish this Herculean
task, go back to Miss Rumiko and she'll give you a Loach Stew recipe in
appreciation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Straw Millionaire III (Optional)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the northwest corner of the Field area is a woman who is interested in the
Vegetable Set you got from Kaoru in the Mountain area. To get to her you need
to swim/row across the north pond to where Seriko's house is, and then follow
the path west until you reach her. Give her the Vegetable Set and she'll give
you a Bracelet in return.
*****************************
* D. RAPIDS (MIZUKIRI PASS) *
*****************************
[BAIT AREAS]
WORM: Two rice fields in the village.
SHRIMP: Small islet east of the entrance from the stream area, South tip of the
peninsula north of the rapids area, Area across the rapids west of the village.
INSECT: Forest area southwest of village.
PASTE BAIT: Area between the three dead trees west of the southern Jizo statue.
MAGGOT: Area north of the small pond.
SMALL FISH: Southeast shoreline of bridge-connected island to the south,
Southwest corner or map along the western most shoreline.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Detective Yama (Required)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
South of the Jizo statue in the village there's a murder investigation going
on. Well, actually an attempted murder investigation (this is an E rated game
after all). Yama doesn't look like he's getting anywhere with his
investigation, so you decide to help out a bit. Start your investigation by
talking to Saburo, the old man nearby wearing the straw hat. Next go talk to
Misako on the bridge-connected island to the south (near H on the map). Next is
Hironori who is in the house near the bridge to the north (near C on the map).
Although Suzuka is next, talk to Norio who is on the peninsula to the north
(left of B on the map). Suzuka is way down south in the area south of the
bridge (south of I on the map). After that head back to Misako and talk to her
again. Find Kaori (she's northeast of the small pond near the waterwheel, which
is K on the map) and talk to her. Finally head back where Misako is and talk to
Miyuki who's standing nearby. Whew! Turns out Yama didn't need your help after
all. Once the culprit has been exposed the path to the east that was previously
blocked by the police opens up, allowing you access to the Swamp area.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Mystery Recipe (Required)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A fisherman named Hiroshi is fishing in the northeast corner of the area (near
B on the map). Talk to him and he'll lament that he's hungry for a particular
dish he ate a year ago. He can remember how to make the dish, but doesn't know
what kind of fish was used as the main ingredient. He'll offer to give you a
reward if you help him remember the dish, to which you'll grudgingly agree to.
He thinks the ingredient was Big Iwana. You can find Big Iwana back at the
waterfall in the Stream area (A on the map). Contrary to its name, the Big
Iwana aren't really big. It's actually a medium sized fish. I actually wasted a
few hours trying to catch the big fish, which were usually Big Itou and not Big
Iwana. Bring the Big Iwana back to Hiroshi and he'll prepare the dish. Turns
out not to be the fish after all. He thinks the fish is now a Big Rainbow
Trout. Head back to the Mountain area and catch one in the lake south of the
central bridge-connected island (A, F, G, and H on the map). It's the biggest
fish in the area. Take it back to Hiroshi. Nope. That's not it. Hiroshi is
about to give up, but asks you bring him a Big Catfish. Big Catfish are in the
Swamp area south of the southern island (G and H on the map). Aim for a medium
sized fish. If you're unlucky you might end up catching a Monster Catfish by
accident (you'll know it when you see it). It's possible to catch it with your
fishing technique as low as level 2 (I've done it myself once), but it's not a
very pleasant experience. Once you've bagged yourself a Big Catfish head back
to Hiroshi. Bingo! It seems you've found the mystery ingredient. In gratitude
Hiroshi will give you a Big Catfish Miso Soup recipe and a treasure map. The
map refers to three dead trees. Head south to the trio of dead trees to the
left of the southern Jizo statue. Examine the ground in the center and you'll
find a fourth "Piece of Something".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Naoko's Challenge (Required?)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Naoko is waiting for you in the area south of the bridge-connected island.
She'll challenge you to catch a fish that's larger than her 40 inch Aouo. You
don't need to catch an Aouo. Any fish larger than 40 inches will do. I already
had a King Akame in my basket that was larger than 40 inches before I even
talked to Naoko. You don't get anything for beating her except some grudging
respect. I'm not sure if you need to clear this event before you can access the
Swamp.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Finding Miya (Optional)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Talk to the strange looking old man standing (Grandpa) near Hironori's house by
the north bridge (near C on the map). He'll tell you a sad story about his pet
Guppy Miya and how he lost her several years ago. Head to the small pond next
to the waterwheel (K on the map) and start fishing there using a bait rod (or
Tanago Pole if you have it). If you need bait there's plenty of Maggots just
north of the pond. The first Guppy you catch there will be, amazingly, Miya.
You're not done yet though. Miya is sad to leave behind all the friends she's
made in the pond, so she asks you to catch three of her friends (Guppies). Once
you have three additional Guppies head back to Grandpa. In gratitude he'll give
you the Float D (Panda).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Straw Millionaire IV (Optional)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Talk to the girl near the waterwheel (south of B on the map) and she'll comment
on how pretty the Bracelet that you got from the woman in the Fields is. Give
the Bracelet to her and she'll give you a Pretty Stone in return.
*****************************
* E. SWAMP (KASUMI VILLAGE) *
*****************************
Note: The game incorrectly shows Field in the loading screen for the Swamp
area.
[BAIT AREAS]
WORM: Two rice fields in village.
SHRIMP: Small island south of bridge, shoreline southeast of southern island.
FROG: North part of southern island, shore southwest of southern island.
INSECT: Area southeast of southern rice field, Area east of southern island.
BEE LARVA: Area east of northern rice field, Island north of bridge, Area
southeast of southern island.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Treasure Map (Required)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the southeast area of the Swamp (near F on the map) is a boy named Kazuka.
Speak to him and he'll give you a treasure map that he drew himself.
Unbelievably, the treasure map actually does lead to treasure. From Kazuka head
north to the area where a woman is standing nearby (she talks about wild boars,
it's near C on the map). Around that area to the south you should see a path
filled with flowers to the right. Follow that path to the end and examine the
flower bed. You should find the fifth and final "Piece of Something". At this
point you should hear a rumbling sound coming from the Stream area.
Head back to Old Smarty's house and talk to him. Apparently the earthquake woke
him up from his stupor. He'll tell you that the "Pieces of Something" are
actually pieces of a fossil. The fossil is none other than the legendary River
King. Now that you've completed the fossil the path to the underground lake,
where the River King supposedly is, is now open. Unfortunately, Old Smarty
doesn't know where the underground lake actually is. He will however, at Kayo's
prompting, give you a Master's Pole, which is the best bait pole in the game.
The entrance to the underground lake is somewhere in the Stream area. In case
you haven't figured it out, it's a cave underneath the waterfall.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Straw Millionaire V (Optional)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you've been following the Straw Millionaire series of events, here's where
it all pays off. Talk to the old man Raiko who's standing near the southern
rice field. If you got the Pretty Stone from the girl at the Rapids, he'll ask
you for it. Might as well give it to him. In exchange he'll give you the Master
Lure Rod, the best lure rod in the game.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Inspiration for a Chef (Optional)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Talk to the not-so-obvious Caucasian apprentice chef standing in the village.
He's worried that his master has given up cooking because he has lost his
inspiration since he's been cooking the same things over and over again. If he
could get some new ingredients for his master, perhaps he might be inspired to
start cooking again. Being the helpful soul that you are, you agree to help him
out by catching a wide variety of fish from outside Kasumi Village. First you
decide to catch a Big Itou that's 63 inches or bigger. You can find Big Itou
under the waterfall in the Stream area (A on the map). They're the biggest fish
in that area, but they have an annoying habit of constantly appearing and
disappearing along the edges of the area. It's very difficult to catch a Big
Itou, much less one that's 63 inches or larger. Catching one the right size
might take you quite a long time. When you finally do catch one, head back to
the apprentice. Next you'll catch a Silver Buna that's 7 inches or larger.
Silver Buna are in the Swamp area and can be caught in the area south of the
southern rice field (E on the map) or south of the eastern end of the bridge to
the north (C on the map). Amazingly it was the first fish I caught when I tried
the E area, and it was the right size to boot. Bring the Silver Buna back to
the apprentice. Next on the menu is Oshorokoma, 9 inches or larger. You can
find them in the Mountain area near the docks (C on the map). Bring that fish
back and you'll declare your final catch: a Grass Carp that's 50 inches or
bigger. You can find them in the Rapids pretty much everywhere in the center of
the area (E, F, and G on the map). If you catch a Big Grass Carp instead, you
can use that too. Bring the Grass Carp back to the apprentice. His master will
come out and scold him for being foolish. Your reward for your excellent
fishing adventure? A Monster Catfish recipe. Good luck in getting the primary
ingredient for it though.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fishmonger's Dilemma (Optional)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Outside of the fish shop is a fishmonger who has a bit of a problem. He needs a
Big Akame and Big Snakehead for a customer who's threatening to put him out of
business. Big Akame are found in the area south of the bridge-connected island
in the Rapids where Naoko was (J on the map). Big Snakehead are found in the
Swamp area in the same place you found the Big Catfish for Hiroshi (see The
Mystery Recipe event in the Rapids section). Bring both fish back to the
fishmonger. As a reward for helping him he'll give you a Stewed Motsugo recipe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Catfish Fishing Contest (Optional)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Although most of the fishing contests in each area don't give you anything
other than prize money for winning, winning the Swamp fishing contest gives you
a special cut scene. Talk to the man in the red shirt next to the sign to start
the contest (your basket needs to be empty to enter). You'll have five minutes
to catch as large a Catfish as possible in the Swamp. This includes Big Catfish
and the Monster Catfish. Catching the Monster Catfish almost guarantees a win
(unless you're really unlucky and someone catches a bigger Monster Catfish).
Sometimes you'll luck out and win with just a regular Catfish, but most of the
time you'll need to catch a Big Catfish for the win. Winning the contest nets
you 1,000 G and you'll see a special interview cut scene afterwards. Catfish
and Big Catfish are located to the south of the southern island (G and H on the
map). The Monster Catfish can be found near there as well (H on the map), but
you can also find them a bit to the north where the two people fishing by the
shore are (D on the map). Obviously, the Monster Catfish is the largest fish in
the lake. If you're fishing technique is at 2 or 3 you're better off trying to
catch a Big Catfish instead.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Finding Mizuki (Optional)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just south of the entrance to the Field area standing near the pond is a boy
named Kazuki. Talk to him and he'll tell you that his younger brother Mizuki
has run away from home after an argument with his father. You can find Mizuki
northeast of Kasumi Village in the Swamp. Talk to an old woman east of the
northern rice field and she'll tell you she saw a young boy run off not too
long ago. There's a semi-hidden path to the north that leads eastward. Follow
the path and you should see Kazuki along the way. He'll be relieved you found
him since he got lost, but he isn't sure if he wants to go back since his
father is still upset. All might be forgiven if you can find a Prawn to cook
for him since that's his favorite dish. Prawns can be found in the Field area
in the same place where you got them for Mamoon earlier while you were hunting
for them for his curry recipe. They are still as hard to catch as ever. On the
plus side, this gives you ample opportunities to hunt for Fighting Fish at the
same time, so it's not entire a waste of time. Once you catch a Prawn, head
back to the Swamp and SAVE YOUR GAME. When you talk to Kazuki you'll try to
cook the Prawn in the cut scene. The odds of successfully preparing the Prawn
is completely random and not dependent on your cooking skill. Since Prawns are
an incredible pain to catch, be sure to save the game before you meet up with
Kazuki. That way if you fail to cook the Prawn you can just reset the game and
try again. Once you successfully cook the Prawn you'll get a Amago Saute recipe
as a reward.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ayu the Pop Star (Optional)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To the very south of the Swamp area you'll see Naoko along with Ayu, the self-
proclaimed pop star. They're having an argument as to who's the better
fisherman, er, woman. Since Naoko's your rival, you'll (involuntarily) help Ayu
in an Electric Eel catching contest. Whoever brings back the biggest Electric
Eel wins. There's no time limit here, so try to catch as large an Electric Eel
as possible. Electric Eels can be found in the same place you find Big Catfish
(south of the southern island, G and H on the map). They're big, blue, and
ugly, and can really put up a fight if your fishing technique is low. When you
think you've caught one big enough, save your game and head back to Naoko. If
you win, you'll get a Grilled Big Eel recipe. If not reset and try catching a
bigger Electric Eel.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Final Duel with Naoko (Optional)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you've cleared the Electric Eel challenge previously, Naoko will be waiting
for you on the southern island for her final challenge. She'll challenge you to
a contest where each person catches a fish in a specific size range. It doesn't
matter what kind of fish it is, as long as it's within the specified size.
You'll start off the challenge first. The first fish needs to be between 1 and
11 inches. You can pretty much catch any small fish in the Swamp around that
size fairly easily. Bring the fish back to Naoko. Note that your basket must be
empty of all other fish other than the one you're bringing back, or else you'll
fail the challenge. If that happens you'll have to start over again. The next
fish needs to be between 16 to 22 inches. Again, try for a medium sized fish in
the Swamp area. Next is a fish between 26 and 35 inches. This might be a bit
tricky. You might find a Big Catfish in the Swamp that big. You might have an
easier time getting something from the Rapids that size. The last fish you need
is one that's 40 inches or bigger. This one is ridiculously easy. Just catch a
Big Eel in the Swamp. Electric Eels are even better. Since they're long but not
big they meet the size requirement without being overly tough to catch like
some of the other big fish. Bring the last fish back to Naoko and she'll give
you the Boss Fly Rod (best fly rod in the game) as a sign of your prowess.
***********************
* F. UNDERGROUND LAKE *
***********************
[BAIT AREAS]
???
After you've found all five "Pieces of Something", the underground lake becomes
available. You can enter via the waterfall in the Stream stage. The Underground
Lake has three levels (B1, B2, and B3). To get through you'll need to swim/row
quite a bit, so be sure to bring a lot of food along for the ride. Since there
aren't any stores in the area, you'll need to make sure you bring lots of spare
flies/lures. The fish in the Underground Lake range from small and bizarre, to
colossal and monstrous. If your fishing technique isn't at 5 when you enter,
you'll have a hard time catching any of the larger fish in the lake.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The River King (Required)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's highly recommended to have your fishing technique at 5 before you try
hunting for the River King, since it can pretty much break your line with a
twitch if it's anything less than that. The River King can be found only on B3
of the Underground Lake. It's not the only fish on that level, and it's not any
bigger on the surface than the larger fish in that area. The key to spotting it
is that it tends to be alone in the center of the lake, and the dead giveaway
is that it disappears and reappears rather frequently every few seconds. Equip
the Mineral Rod with Small Fish, Boss Fly Rod with Streamer, or Master Lure Rod
with a Vibration lure. The River King bites very rarely, and as mentioned
previously appears and disappears seemingly at random. With some luck it will
take the bait. The River King, unlike some of the more aggressive fish like the
Monster Catfish, is pretty much like an ordinary fish, except it's much, much
bigger. In fact you'll only see its head in the underwater view. If your
fishing technique isn't at 5, you pretty much have no chance at catching this
legendary beast. Once you land this sucker, you'll see your character's
respective ending. You can continue playing the game afterwards. If you want,
you can try to complete the fish list for each area, or perhaps attempt to
achieve a Master level at cooking. Whatever you decide to do, there are still
plenty of fish out there for you to catch. Congratulations on catching the
River King!
@~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~@
| 7. Acknowledgements |
@~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~@
Special thanks:
Natsume and Marvelous for creating a wonderful fishing game.
References:
Tips & Tricks Magazine (No.134, April 2006 Issue, p. 20 - 25) River King
Strategy Guide by Anatole Brown – An very useful strategy guide with
information on some of the more obscure events in the game.
Ushi No Tane (
http://www.fogu.com/rk4/index.php) – The only English fan web
site that I'm aware of devoted to River King: A Wonderful Journey. Features a
great deal of information on the game.
This document may not be reproduced under any circumstances except for
personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise
distributed publicly without advance written permission by the author. Use of
this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly
prohibited, and a violation of copyright.
Currently this FAQ/Walkthrough is only hosted at www.gamefaqs.com. Do not post
this document on other web sites without permission from the author.
Copyright 2006 Brian Nii
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