Welcome to Week 3 of Mother 2 Club
Game ClubThis week’s pacing will feel very different from the first two weeks. We’re here for the Japanese, but an RPG is an RPG, after all. Expect to spend this week exploring and battling more than anything! (That’s why this week’s post is a bit on the light side.)
| Week 3 | May 15th |
|---|---|
| Last Week | Week 2 |
| Start Point | Explore the cave to the east |
| End Point | Visit Lilliput Steps |
| Next Week | Week 4 |
Note: Near the end of this week, you’ll be asked to return to Twoson. Hold off on that for now, and aim for Lilliput Steps first.
A guide to this week (spoilers) 🐙 🛸 🧸
If you haven’t yet visited Orange Kid and Apple Kid, now’s the time to do so. Bring $200 and some food (or a condiment) for Apple Kid.
Rest up if needed, buy a Teddy Bear or two if battles have been feeling overwhelming (especially if you’re still below level 15), then head to the only new path available: the cave to the east. Once you find the 
, head on back to Twoson.
After receiving a phone call, you’ll find Apple Kid isn’t home, but Orange Kid knows his location (at the park). Find and talk with Apple Kid, stock up (Hamburgers, Teddy Bears, money into the ATM), and then head back through the cave again.
The valley on the other side is long, winds this way and that, and has difficult enemies.
Tip: If you encounter だいウッドー, it’s best to run away. When you defeat one, it may burst into flames, dealing fatal damage, and destroying your Teddy Bears.
On the other side, you’ll find Happy Happy Village, with a few houses to explore and two caves. After checking out town, you can visit either cave, but you’ll have an easier time by going north. After getting an important item at the end of that path, return to town. Rest at the bottom-left house for $50 if needed, then go to the big house for a boss battle.
After the battle, pass through the north cave one more time. Your next target is Twoson, but take this opportunity to enter the east cave for one more boss battle, and a melody at Lilliput Steps to conclude the week.
Guide to leveling up 💪🏻
If you’re finding you’re a little under-leveled and want to mindlessly battle while listening to or watching something, here’s a plan of action.
Do I even need to go out of my way to level up in Earthbound?
In general, no. Keep your money in the ATM, and if you get KO’d in battle, you’re simply back at the phone where you last saved. As you retrace your steps, you’ll naturally encounter more enemies, and you’ll naturally level up. Each time you defeat a boss at a sanctuary, you’ll typically be strong enough for some enemies to run away, allowing for easy wins against them for experience points.
That said, some people like to level up a bit extra so they have an easier time against enemies, fewer game overs, and less retreading the same grounds over and over.
Here is how much additional experience Ness needs to accrue from the last level up to reach the next level:
| Next Level | EXP Needed |
|---|---|
| 10 | 615 |
| 11 | 797 |
| 12 | 1,003 |
| 13 | 1,233 |
| 14 | 1,487 |
| 15 | 1,765 |
| 16 | 2,574 |
| 17 | 2,538 |
| 18 | 2,973 |
| 19 | 3,459 |
| 20 | 3,996 |
Human enemies in Twoson give around 86 to 160 experience, depending on the character. If we take it as an average of 125 experience per battle, you’ll need to find and defeat about seven to 10 enemies per level. You’ll also earn an average of about $25, so you’ll earn about $175 to $250 for each level.
If going this route, I recommend putting everything you don’t need into storage, then buying eggs to hatch as you look for targets. Once the chicks become chickens, sell them for decent profit.
Once you reach at least level 12, you’re ready to take on tougher enemies. Play through until you get the eraser, then you’ll be ready to leave town. You may wish to buy a few Teddy Bears ($178 each 
), call Escargo Express to store them for you, and then head through the cave to the east.
You’ll find enemies much easier to come by here versus in Twoson, but you’re also further away from easy healing, and these enemies hit a lot harder. If they’re too difficult, return to town and buy a Teddy Bear or two to take into battle with you for protection, and run away from the trees. The UFO gets you 223 EXP, the robot 297, and the tree 356. Aim for the UFO and robot, and you should be able to reach level 14 in no time.
The final level grinding spot is on the other side of Happy Happy Village, the cave marking the final location for this week. The enemies in here give even higher EXP (bats 304, moles 456, and bears 609), but are even more difficult to take down. If you stored some Teddy Bears, you can call to have them delivered from the shop by the north cave.
Before taking on the last boss, it’s recommended to have Ness at level 22 and {redacted} at level 11 (only takes 1,176 EXP to reach). At this point, Ness and {redacted} will have β attack abilities.
General tips:
- You should have Ness’s Healing α ability, which can cure the common cold.
Walkthrough: English | Japanese
Script (with kanji!): Script
Participation 
Will you be joining us this week?
- Yes, I’m playing along
- I’m still playing but haven’t reached this point yet
- I’m just here for the discussion
- I’m playing after the club has ended
Set this thread to “Watching” to get updates
Fun Stuff
This week brings us to Happy Happy Village, a smaller locale than we’ve visited before.
