But really, though, there's a good
reason for it. The Ice Pyramid is the first “real” switch puzzle
in the game, because there are switches in some of the statues that
open doors we need to go through to advance. Thing is, though, given
the perspective of this game's maps, it tends to look like Ben's
stabbing the statues in the crotch with his sword. That would be bad
enough if it wasn't for the fact that the sword sound effect in this
game sounds like one of Wayne and Garth's catch
phrases from Wayne's World.
This is the first dungeon in the game
I'd really call tedious. It's not hard, per se, because nothing in
this game is, really. It's just that it takes a long time compared
to what's come before. It's still relatively short compared to what
you'd find at this point in the so-called “main-series” games.
I want to say it's a good idea to clear
this dungeon out while you're there the first time, because I don't
think it's possible to go back once the plot's been advanced, but
attempts to do so have worked out fine. I've thought about previous
playthroughs, and I've realized that I don't think I've ever tried to
before because I've had no reason to.
The Ice Pyramid has Ben's mid-level
sword and armor in it. These are called the Knight Sword and the
Noble Armor respectively, though I think we actually get them in the
reverse order to what I've just said. The sword's a big upgrade, as
it allows us to one-shot most of the enemies we fight after we get
it.
As for new monsters, there's the
Freezer Crab that's based on the Snow Crab from Falls Basin,
something called a Phanquid, based on the Squidite from from the
Wintry Cave, plus the Sphinx, whose inspiration should be fairly
obvious, a bird called Stoney Roost, and an eyeball monster called
Gather. The Gather, and all the eyeball monsters in the game, for
that matter, are weak to bombs, while the Roost and the other bird
monsters of this sort are like the Sparna from before and weak to
shoot attacks and wind magic when we finally get it.
On the top floor of the Pyramid,
there's a narrow, winding ledge that leads to a platform with a pane
of cracked glass or ice or something that can be blown open. Jumping
through that hole will lead all the way down to the basement of the
Pyramid to where the Knight Sword is, along with the first encounter
with the boss guarding the Water Crystal, the Ice Golem. He doesn't
fight us here, instead saying he's enjoying playing with us before
teleporting all the way back to the top floor, which is where the
only way out of the basement goes.
The fight with the Ice Golem is really
no big deal provided you've held on to your magic thus far. Just
spam him with fire spells and he'll go down quickly. He does have an
attack called Snowstorm that can heal him a little bit, but it's not
nearly enough to really help him. When he goes down, Phoebe goes
running off back to Aquaria to check on her grandpa before Ben can
get the River Coin and leave himself.
You'd think Phoebe would be in the
tunnel under her house when we get there, given her concern for her
Grandpa Spencer, but it turns out she's taking it easy in the main
house instead. Spencer's OK, of course. He tells you that Captain
Mac has found something called the Venus Key and says it will open a
chest in Focus Tower with aptly named Venus Shield in it. He also
says we need to go to Fireburg because they've been having some
rather nasty earthquakes of late, and we might want to check that
out, too.
But we'll get started on that next
time, along with clearing out the assload of battlefields between
there and Aquaria. There's some good stuff to be had from those, and
we'll certainly be needing them before long. So, until next time,
stay safe, have fun, keep gaming, and DFTBA!
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