Who is Shantae? (Skip to last two paragraphs if you don't want a brief history lesson of who she is)

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse is the third game in the Shantae series, which initially debuted on the Gameboy Color on June 2nd, 2002. It was one of the first non-licensed games WayForward worked on and was, sadly, not given the attention it deserved, and is also the only game to never see a release outside of North America, though the Nintendo 3DS downloadable version might be available elsewhere. So far, there is no news of the game hitting Steam at any point, as only the second and third games are available.


The second games in the series, Shantae: Risky's Revenge, first hit the Nintendo DSi on October 4th, 2010 in America, February 11th, 2011 for PAL regions, then again in October of 2011 on iOS, and finally on Steam July 15th, 2014. The Steam version is the only version available worldwide.






Shantae also has another game coming, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, currently in the works and will see a Steam release, but that's getting ahead of ourselves. There's no known release date for this game anyways.



And then we have the third game, Shantae and the Pirate's Curse. This is the finest game to date, released October 23rd, 2014 for 3DS in America, moving to the Wii U with enhanced visuals on December 25th, 2014 for NA. Both versions would hit the PAL regions on February 5th, 2015, but wouldn't hit a truly worldwide release until April 23rd, 2015, when the game hit Steam rather suddenly.




Shantae, who has lost her genie magic, a major gameplay mechanic since the first game, is now human and has to fight off the mysterious Pirate Master alongside her rival turned ally, Risky Boots. In this game, you gather many weapons to use against the Pirate Master and using Shantae's famous Monster Whipper (her hair) to use against the Pirate Master.

However, as is often the case with WayForward ports, the Steam achievements are rather... hard to figure out. Some of them don't even feature a description telling you what you need to do to unlock those achievements. That is where this guide comes in. I will do my best to unlock every achievement and, as I do, I'll write methods into this guide to help you all get every achievement. Some will be easy, some hard, and some will require some real dedication. I'll also try to order them from the earliest point you can get them, so you don't have to try and figure out where to go and what to do.

Ret-2-go!
Defeated the Ammo Baron.


Just beat the intro boss, the Ammo Baron. He isn't all that hard, just avoid his charge and the black cannonballs he fires. You can whip the red ones back at him, which will knock him off his tank and onto the ground. Get in there and whip him a bit until he gets up, then head back to repeat.

Special Weaponry
Defeat 250 enemies using Shantae's Monster Whipper!


Most people would call this an optional achievement, but if you just run around killing things for gems, items, etc, then you'll get this achievement very quickly, and unavoidably. Just kill monsters with Shantae's hair. I got it on the third screen of Saliva Island while fighting Mermaids, so that should give you some idea how quickly you can get this achievement.

Smells like victory!
Release the Ham Stink.


Another unavoidable achievement. When you get to the poolside room on Saliva Island, you will find two girls complaining. Talking to them causes a large ham to appear. Simply whip the ham with your hair to make it spin and whip it some more to get the Ham Stink to appear and take it with the Magic Lamp. You need this to awaken the Giga Lummox at the top of the area. Read the sign and choose to release the Ham Stink for this achievement.

Green Thumb
Defeated the Cyclops Plant.


Just beat the boss of the Spittle Maze, the Cyclops Plant. It's a rather simple fight, just attack the eyes on the wall to raise a platform so you can shoot the Cyclops Plant with Risky's Pistol for the first phase. Occasionally, it will also drop slime enemies, which you can kill for gems, hearts, and items. The Cyclops Plant also as a laser attack, but it's very slow. In the second phase, the eye will bounce around the room like a demented ping pong ball, attempting to slam into you and occasionally stopping to fire more lasers. I would advise using your Pike Balls for this part of the fight.

Eww! Eew! Eew!
Obtain Squid Oil.


After completing Spittle Maze, go back to Scuttle Town and head to the Palace. Once there, drop into Ye Royal Sewers and head all the way back through until you get to a left or right choice. As you may remember, right goes back to the entrance, where you went when you were getting Flesh Pops for Bolo and left goes to a dead end room with a chest you can't reach. Well, there's an eye to shoot in this room with Risky's Pistol, so let's shoot it! This raises the wall and lets you get to the chest, which holds the Travel Brochure. Take this to the salesman and he wants you to keep it, but the Squid Baron wants a brochure! Take it to him and he'll trade you the Squid Oil for it. Eww!

Arachnophobia
Defeated the Empress Spider.


This boss isn't too hard. It has a pretty simple pattern, but I'll go into that in the No Damage achievement. Just keep whipping it in the eye, it only has one phase if you want this achievement only.

Avoided a curse...
Obtain all three Mummy Sketches.


You need to get the X-Ray Specs from the Squid Baron on Tan Line Island to get this achievement, which you get by just talking to him. These allow you to see what the mummies are guarding without reading their inscriptions, thus circumventing the curse! Here are the locations of the three mummies;

• Tan Line Island: You know where the only Scorpion Lady and Archers are in the stage, right? Below the Scorpion Lady is an area going down and right. On the next screen is the mummy.
  
  
• We know where this one is! Scuttle Town, Sky's House! It's the mummy left there by her father, which killed Barracuda Joe! Get the sketch and let's find the last one.
  
  
• This one is hinted at if you spoke with the miners on Tan Line Island. They said that their ancestors came from Saliva Island. Well, it's as good a direction as any! You want to head to the room with the four statues, where you used the ring and bring them up in the following order, numbering them 1 2 3 4 from the left. 3 4 1 2
  
  Once done, climb them quickly and jump on top of statues 4 then 3. Now jump left and use Risky's Hat to float to the left as far as you can. You should land on a platform with a new path to the left. Climb this new path, taking out the enemies that want to drop you into the bottomless pit below carefully. You'll also find another Heart Squid on this path, so grab it on your way through, there's nothing special you need to get it. Follow the path to the end, where you'll find the mummy you want. Now, I don't know if the combination changes per playthrough, but the combo I got from the three sketches was BIRD BIRD GATOR. So, if you want to skip the whole thing, there's your combination to get inside that building on Tan Line Island.

The fun part!
Obtain the Golden Pickaxe.


Goto the Tan Line Island Palace, get mistaken for a princess, do a forced stealth section, and this is your reward. Oh, you'll also find out Sky, Rottytops, AND Risky were also mistaken for the princess. Just... watch the cutscenes. It gets REALLY dumb...

Ten-tickles
Defeated the Squid Baron.


Just beat the Squid Baron. I'll go over how to fight him best in the No Damage achievement for him.

It belongs in a museum!
Obtain the Fossil.


I think this item is required, so this is another unavoidable achievement. On Spiderweb Island, when you return with the Scimitar, on your way to get the Heart Squid later in the first half of the island, you'll find a boxed in chest on one screen. It's not hidden, you'll see it right away. Use the Scimitar to bust open the ground and open the chest to find the Fossil.

Mutant Buffalo
Obtain Manly Musk.


After you meet with the man who may very well be Shantae's father in the Village of Lost Souls, you will get this item. It's necessary to open the Mud Bog Island Labyrinth.

Graet Jobb
Defeated Dagron.


Every game has a "that boss". This is the one. It should be noted that, on the 3DS version, this is the furthest I got. So, um, yeah... No Damage will have the boss strategy, as usual.

I GAINED THE ADVANTAGE!
Collect the Enchanted Blade.


To get the blade, head back to Tan Line Island after you finished Mud Bog Island and the Oubliette of Suffering (And freaking Dagron...). As soon as you get off the boat, start dashing right ASAP. And don't stop. You'll go through a wall and wind up in the room where you got one of the mummy sketches. Dash passed the mummy to the right to dash over the platforms you couldn't before and get to the other side. Slam into the wall in the final room for some free gems and a chest with the sword inside.

Comfort and Convenience
Obtain the Spirit from Abner.


Take the Lost Soul you got after you completed the Oubliette of Suffering to Abner (Rottytop's Brother) and he'll identify it for you.

It ain't not gonna miss.
Help Ammo Baron fire the Palace Disruptor Cannon.


Um, yeah. Give him the Targetting Module. And just watch. Words fail to describe what will happen.

Hunk of Junk
Defeated the Steel Maggot.


Defeat the Steel Maggot, boss of the Abandoned Factory. See the No Damage achievement for boss tactics.

Vanished into the eternal abyss…
Defeated the Pirate Master.


This boss... actually isn't too hard. By this point, you have tons of resources. Just put up a Bubble Shield, Super Pike Ball, and chug some Super Monster Milk and goto town on him.

Guardian Genie
Defeat the Pirate Master's true form.


See the No Damage section for boss moves and tactics. Just... be ready. This one is a doozy.

From my hair to his derriere!
Defeated the Ammo Baron without taking any damage.


This battle is still incredibly easy. To do it without taking damage, hide in front of the crates rather than standing on top of them. His ramming attack stops at the boxes and his black cannonballs cannot hit you down there, since they bounce off the crates. His red cannonball might be able to hit you, I never checked, but you should be hitting that back at him rather than letting them get too close to hit you. Just hit the cannonballs, whip him until he runs, and remain below the crates so nothing can hit you. If you mess up, there's a save point just before the boss, so just load up your file and try again until you win.

What an eyesore...
Defeated the Cyclops Plant using only Pike Balls.


Using Pike Balls on the Cyclops Plant is a lot harder than fighting normally. Thankfully, if you time your jumps right, you can jump just high enough to hit the eye in the first phase with the Pike Balls without needing the platforms. Phase two is a little tricky too, since you have to almost collide with the boss while it bounces around, getting faster and faster. Trust me, you will NOT be getting the No Damage achievement with this one. It's best to just fight the boss the first time with just Pike Balls for this achievement and load your file again for the No Damage one.

Broken Bones
Destroy 20 bones with the Bubble Shield.


This one's worded a little badly, so it took me a while to figure out what to do. In Cackle Tower, Spiderweb Island's Labyrinth, Skeletons are a pretty common enemy and, once they get close enough, they throw bones at you. Using a Bubble Shield (You only need 1, but more help), you can block the projectiles and take no damage. The Bubble Shield, however, does NOT block direct attacks or contact with an enemy, so be careful about the other enemies around. If you're attempting the achievement for not using any of the Heart Squids, but still getting them all, these guys hit pretty hard.

Pest Control
Destroy 10 Spider Eggs before they hatch.


During the Empress Spider battle, she will sometimes drop spider eggs onto the ground that quickly hatch into little spiders that run around, trying to hit you. Just destroy the eggs before they hatch.

Risky's Business
Use a Pirate Flare to return to Risky's ship.


Very simple; just get a Pirate Flare and use it. I used it and got the achievement on Spiderweb Island after I finished Cackle Tower, on my way to do the third Checkpoint update, which I highly suggest doing since Spiderweb Island is a nasty place, especially when you only have 2 Heart Containers, like me. If you look at any of the achievements for the game, you'll know why I'm doing that.

Also, is it just me, or does Risky look really good with her hair down?

Ready for anything!
Defeat 50 enemies using Pirate Weapons.


Just kill 50 enemies using any Pirate weapons. I waited until Tan Line Island since the flying green blobs take only one hit to kill, making them ideal to take out with the Pistol, since it does such low damage.

Tasty Treats
Sample the entire menu!


This one isn't as straightforward as just eating every food item, one of each. You need to eat an item, then get out of the inventory to let Shantae do the eating animation, then move onto the next item. In order to get the achievement, I used one Flesh Pop, one Meat Chunklet, one Bento Box, and one Lobster Tail. Now, granted, at this point I'd also used one of every single item, including the Potion, Auto-Potion, Monster Milk, Super Monster Milk, Pirate Flare, Bubble Shield, Pike Ball, and Super Pike Ball, with the only items I'd yet to use being the Bento Box and Lobster Tail, since I only have two hearts. The Meat Chunklet is, thus, a full heal for me. So... I'm not sure if it's just to eat the food items or one of everything. If someone can confirm this one in the comments, that would be fantastic.

Fool me once...
Play keep away with the Ammo Baron.


Once you get the Targetting Module from Bolo in Propeller Town, return to Scuttle Town and talk to the Ammo Baron. When he demands it, choose the second option "Sure... Yoink!". Then speak to him again and choose that option a second time for the achievement.

Skilled Survivor
Complete the hidden training room.


In Ye Royal Sewers, there is a room near the beginning with several purple blocks along the upper left and right corners. You need to break the ones in the upper right except for the one lower than the top two. You need to stand on that one. It should look something like the screenshot below. Once up there, crawl to the right and you'll appear in the hidden training room. Beat all the enemies for the achievement.

Nostalgia Trip
Discover the secret Labyrinth.


Goto the first Labyrinth once again, Spittle Maze, and in the very first room, use the Boots to dash at the left hand wall. I recommend not coming here until you have all five Pirate Gear items, since the Cannon helps a ton. As soon as you dash through the wall, you'll get to the hidden Labyrinth, Dribble Fountain. This is actually the first Labyrinth from the very first Shantae game and you get the achievement right away. However, if you complete the Labyrinth, you'll get a ton of gems and the following items at the end; A Pirate Flare, Super Monster Milk, and a Auto-Potion. Not bad!

Master Gardener
Defeated the Cyclops Plant without taking damage.


This one is a bit of a doozy until you figure out how this fight works. In the first phase, move to the center of the room to draw the laser there then, before it fires, move to the side and hit the eyeball to bring up the platform and shoot the boss with Risky's Pistol. Keep firing until the platform drops, the boss covering it's eye for a moment, then dropping two Slimes in the center of the room. Kill the Slimes and once again draw the laser to the center and move to the side. After a certain amount of damage, the eyeball on the wall will raise the platform on the opposide end of the room, so use the Pistol to raise it from afar and keep shooting the boss until phase 2.

Once in phase 2, the eye starts bouncing around, but it does have two notable blind spots. Both of the corners, if you put your back to the wall, the eye cannot go there no matter how much it bounces around. When it's bouncing, just fire your Pistol to get occasional damage until it stops. If it's right in front of you, whip it with your hair as fast as you can, since it won't fire it's laser in your direction. If it stops on the opposite end, just duck. I swear I didn't know when I wrote the Pike Ball section that you can just duck under the laser in this phase! Just wait the boss out, shooting and whipping until it dies. If all goes well, you should get the achievement without much trouble.

Zombie Survival Guide
Get Rottytops to Abner Tree without making any mistakes in a single attempt.


Bloody hell, this one is another doozy! I got it on my second attempt, but then, I also played the 3DS version and practiced the hell out of this part. Any mistake is death, so just take your time and learn how every single trap works. You aren't on a time limit, so just relax and move at your own pace. Once again, there's a save point before this task, so even if you die, you won't lose any progress. Just master every trap and how they work and go for it.

Squashed Spider
Defeated the Empress Spider without taking damage.


This one was less of a pain than Master Gardener, if only because the Empress Spider only has one form. As the fight begins, the boss will start moving across the room from high up and slamming it's face into the ground. Run up to whip it when it comes down, using Super Pike Ball as a makeshift shield and additional damage source. When it starts going up, run to where it was since, sometimes, the boss likes to ram down where you were when you were hitting it but it'll never come down on the same spot twice in a row.

Continue fighting and, eventually, it will start dropping spider eggs and fireballs. The spider eggs are simple enough; destroy them as or before they land. Your Super Pike Ball will help with this. The fireball you'll want to get to the opposite end of the room, since it will spread quickly into a fire across the entire floor. Jump just as it spreads and float towards the source, where it began, with Risky's Hat. This spot will go down the fastest, so it's the best spot to avoid being hit. If you try to float straight up and down from the opposite end of the room, you might still be hit unless your timing was perfect. This is all it's moves, so just keep fighting until you win. Again, if you fail, the nearest save point is right outside the room, so you won't lose any real progress.

Calamari Connoisseur
Defeated the Squid Baron without taking damage.


Now, I was going to do this section where I talked about how hard this boss is, but... to be honest, I lost my patience somewhere around six hours ago and decided that if any boss deserves having me chug some Super Monster Milk and shove my 18 damage hair in his derriere, it's this one.

First off, his patterns are remarkably similar to Risky's Revenge, so if you played that, he's basically the same thing here. He spins along the floor and rams into the walls, so pick a wall and stay near it, jumping and using the Hat to help float over him. When he stops, whip him a bit before he goes into his next attack, where he jumps to three pre-determined locations, though the order may be a bit random. When he lands, he sends shockwaves along the ground, with the first two being small and the third being considerably larger. Again, use the Hat to avoid them. When he gets low on health, he eats Tasty Meal to regain 10 health per tick for a short time, so punish him with your hair while he eats to offset the healing (Thus the Super Monster Milk). Oh, and if he stops on your side of the room, remember to jump and use your Hat to avoid when he backs up, towards you, to start rocketing around again. Staying towards the center of the room when he's at one of the corners and dodging to the corners might be a better plan, I didn't try, just using timing to avoid him.

Upon taking him on, he goes into SQUID BARON 2.0 mode, which is pretty cool. I like Squid Baron, all things considered, but here's where things go nuts. He summons an protective suit to prevent you from hurting him while he does much the same as before. To take the suit off, hit him on the head with your Scimitar, then whip his butt. When he jumps around, he now lands at the same three locations three times each in quick succession, sending out the normal three shockwaves as before from each location. This totals nine shockwaves, so be careful. He also still has his Tasty Meal for healing, so don't let him heal up too much! After eating, he'll also resummon his armor, so be prepared to use your Scimitar again. If he has any other attacks, I didn't see them, since my Super Monster Milk allowed me to tear him to shreds before he even resummoned his armor once. If he has more attacks, please leave a comment letting me know and I'll add them in here.

Prefectionist
Defeated Dagron without taking damage.


Oh boy... this is quite possibly the hardest boss in the game. Dagron is so bloody spastic and speeds up considerably. You know how I said Squid Baron deserved a Super Monster Milk? This guy does too. He deserves all the pain you can dish out.

First thing, he's bloody fast and as he takes damage, he gets even faster. He has a spike on his tail that he loves to swing around and, most importantly, this is a gimmick fight. You'll see rocks in each corner with an eye trapped inside, but nothing other than dashing into the rock will work. When you hit it, it drops three rock platforms you can use to jump up and hit Dagron in the face, but there's a problem. The spiked ball on his tail destroys the platforms. So this battle is a lot of back and forth, bringing back the platforms as he destroys them. To compound this, he has a fire breath that he'll use while following you, can dash in from the side to destroy your platforms, and smack you with his tail if you were unlucky enough to be on it when he did. The key to this fight is using a Super Monster Milk right away to boost your damage since, when you hit him once from a platform, he drops to the ground where you can wail on him some more. Just get right up in his face and whip as fast as you can for 18 damage per hit. It's too dangerous to counter during the fire breath, so do so with his dashes from the side, jumping over his tail to smack him in the face.

Oh, and a warning. If he's going to dash from the side and you have two platforms still around, he'll stop at the nearest one to him.

Scrap Metal
Defeated the Steel Maggot without taking damage.


Good god, this was EASY! First things first, the Steel Maggot. It is so very, very easy. In my fight, it only got to do two things; crawl and fire shots. A Bubble Shield takes care of the shots and the Cannon allows you to quadruple jump, so there's no reason it should catch you. Once again, chug a Super Monster Milk and use a Super Pike Ball. Your goal is to use the Cannon to shoot the first button on it's back, closest to the head. This will make the button turn green. Now shoot the other two buttons to turn them green too and now the boss will take damage. Approach it's tail and start whipping it, making sure the pike ball is hitting too. You can actually stun lock it this way and just whip it until it dies.

Um, yeah... super easy boss.

Nothing but a shade…
Defeated the Pirate Master without taking damage.


Um, yeah, what I said in the normal achievement for just beating him? That's all there is to it. Just be careful not to walk right into him. All his attacks are projectiles, so the Bubble Shield shuts him down nicely. Super Pike Ball will help with damage and Super Monster Milk will help you make short work of him. You should have 9 of all items, so he'll fall long before you run out of resources. Heck, when I fought him, I only used 1 of each. He died before their duration ended.

Half-Genie Hero
Defeated the Pirate Master's true form without taking any damage.


( WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!!! )

Some of you may be asking "Why isn't this under Inspiring?" To which I will answer "Because it NEEDS it's own section. It broke the character limit by itself."

First off, the Pirate Master on a 100% run is a four phase boss fight, which is incredible since no other boss has even three. Heck, only a few of them have two. However, the sheer length of the fight (And the fact I've been working on this one achievement for about twelve hours), should tell you that this achievement is the path to madness.

Let's start with phase one. Phase one is exactly the same as the boss fight on an any% run, so this is easy enough. Bubble Shield, Super Pike Ball, Super Monster Milk, and hand him his undead butt. I would advise having 9 of each of these items.

Phase two is where things start to change. The Pirate Master will first steal the five Pirate Gear from you, so you're down to pure platforming skill. I hope you haven't been relying on those items because now, you have to learn to stand on your own. The first attack The Pirate Master will use is he'll go to the lower right and fire off three massive cannonballs, giving you a chance to beat his face in a little while he does. Once he leaves, goto the lower right of the screen and wait for the first cannonball to bounce twice, the second bounce very close to you. Now immediately run left and none of the others should hit you. But don't stop running when they pass, as a second set will be along in a moment, so run to the lower left corner and wait for that second bounce again, then run to the right.

After this attack, The Pirate Master will return, but much too high to hit him. He'll summon lots of massive Scimitars, with one missing. Get to the spot where there isn't a scimitar so when they all come down they won't hit you. The Scimitars do a massive 10 damage (2 and a half hearts) on contact, so you do NOT want them hitting you! After the scimitars vanish, he'll rush off the screen, leaving some circling pistols as he goes in the center of the screen. Soon, they'll start firing three-way spread shots, so his pistols are apparently sawed off scatterguns. Interesting, that.

It's probably about now that your Bubble Shield and other buffs have run out. Immediately reapply all of them, you'll need them all until phase 3.

For the shots, I advise hiding in the lower left hand corner. You may be immune to shots with Bubble Shield, but getting in the habit of going there with the guns will help you soon. After the guns fade, we get to the counterattack phase, where The Pirate Master will return and summon large skeletal platforms with misty copies of his first form on them. Strike the forms to get them to go away and always keep Bubble Shield up; they occasionally fire shots downwards in another scatter shot. Now, get to the top moving platform, which goes close enough to his face, and whip him as quickly as you can! If you want to rush the fight, I advise jumping and whipping when the platform goes down, then standing still and whipping as fast as you can as it goes up.

One time won't be enough to defeat him, so the pattern will repeat at least once more. I managed to two cycle kill this form rather frequently.

You should go into a cutscene where The Pirate Master will swear to let Risky go if you give him the Dark Magic. You're given a choice of "Yes" or "I've got no choice...". I don't know if this matters, but I always pick the second one. If the choice actually matters (or doesn't), someone please let me know in the comments. Anyways, you release the magic and... well... that doesn't look dark anymore. In fact, it's not. This was Shantae's magic all along and, being back in contact with her purified it. Once the cutscene pauses, press the button normally reserved for the Magic Lamp, but now, you'll dance! And reabsorb the magic Shantae had lost at the end of the previous game! It's time to Dance Through the Danger and finish this!

Phase 3 is remarkably the same as Phase 2. His attacks have a few curve balls, though, so I'll be sure to mention them now. For one thing, you don't need Super Monster Milk anymore. Shantae's hair now does a fixed 999 damage, but that's only for the hair. Her Super Pike Ball still does a mere 5 damage, but it'll still come in handy at times, so keep that in. Anytime your buffs fade, remember to put Bubble Shield and Super Pike Ball back up.

Anyways, he comes down to the corner to fire cannonballs again, but now it's four, but don't panic. Use the same dodging strategy as before and the fourth cannonball per pass won't hit you. Next, we move into the scimitars again, but now, some of scimitars move to cover that empty spot, swords moving around a bit and creating new holes. Do your best to follow this new hole and stay in it, as the swords stop moving as they start dropping, so you should be safe if you follow the hole. You might get hit by this a time or two, so just retry the fight until you get the timing.

And now we come back to the guns. THIS is the attack that drove me batty for nearly twelve hours. After they finish shooting, they start launching themselves at you, fading away soon after being almost thrown at you. This is why I had you develop a habit to stay in the lower left corner when the guns were firing at you. As soon as the first gun is being tossed at you, run to the right and, upon reaching the opposite corner, run back to the left immediately. Don't stop, just keep moving. If you did this correctly, the third gun will go directly over your head and the fourth will miss you too. Don't stop, however, until you get back to the lower left hand corner, just in case the fourth gun boomerangs around to smack you in the back of your head. Once you get to the corner, you'll be safe.

Thankfully, the bone platforms haven't changed at all, so just destroy the clones, climb up, and beat him up a bit. You won't get him on your first cycle, so just accept that fact, but still attack as much and fast as you can. I would two cycle him, so that's your goal. Get through his attacks a second time without being hit and you should take him down.

Phase 4... You know, it was the first time I got here that I screamed if he would ever die.After twelve long hours of attempts, I wanted him to just die. Key note; even if it seems like he can't attack anymore, keep that Bubble Shield up. This is, in fact, a ruse. He now has an eight way spread of large bullets, but the Bubble Shield will keep you safe. It's worth noting you can no longer hurt him, so drop the Super Pike Ball too. And if you were still using Super Monster Milk, don't use that either. You only need the Bubble Shield now.

Remember what button used the Pistol? Good. This is your only attack now worth a damn. Before phase 4, you'll see a cutscene about Risky somehow getting the two girls working for the Ammo Baron to work for her; them and their giant cannon. As the fight begins, you'll notice a reticle on Shantae and a red button in the corner of the screen. The key to this fight is hitting the SHOOT button will cause a cannonball to strike where Shantae was a few seconds later. The problem is that The Pirate Master's head, the only thing visible of him, is moving around, but moving in patterns. Watch him to figure out the pattern then try to predict where he'll be by the time the cannonball hits, so you'll actually be jumping around lobbing cannonballs in empty locations in the hope that, by the time the cannonball actually appears and strikes that the boss' head will be there to take the hit. And every time he does get hit, his pattern changes. Four hits and he's dead. Enjoy the ending! You earned it.

On the map!
Collect all Labyrinth maps.


This achievement is simple to get, you just need to collect all the maps for the Labyrinths.

• Spittle Maze Map (Saliva Island): Go through the ruins until you reach the first locked door and go down. At the bottom of this shaft, you will notice a doorway to the right and a badly hidden passage to the left. Go left and you'll find a chest in the next room containing the map. The two screenshots below will show you where the passage is and the chest (Already looted, sorry).
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The passage
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The chest containing the map
  
  
• Cackle Tower Map (Spiderweb Island): To get this map is much easier than the previous, which was somewhat hidden. After you unlock the first locked door, you'll find these mouth things that launch you around the room. Take these to the next screen, which will take you to the upper part of this room. Just follow the path of mouths until you get to a red one, which will shoot you down to this platform with the map in a chest.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The map is in this chest.
  
  
• Lost Catacombs Map (Tan Line Island): To get this map, take a left as soon as you enter the Lost Catacombs. Head down in the next room until you see another left and take that into the next room. Head left, ignoring the platforms and head for the wall and crawl into the hidden passage to find the chest with the map. It should look like this;
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Oubliette of Suffering Map (Mud Bog Island): No screenshot needed for this one. As you make your way through, you'll see a chest with the map on the way. No need to go out of your way for this one!
  
  
• Abandoned Factory Map (Frostbite Island): As soon as you get the Cannon, you'll be able to go up (If not, return to the previous room and dash into the one with the Cannon. Slam into the wall to open the upwards path). You'll see a chest in the wall, that's the map. To get to it, use the Cannon to go up until you get to a certain platform in the screenshot below. Crawl into the wall to the right and you'll drop down to the chest. This is the last Labyrinth map you need for the achievement!
  
  

A guide to collecting all the Heart Squids
Can you collect them all? Of course, here they all are!

There are three achievements tied to the Heart Squids.
Gotta Get 'Em All
Collect 50% of the Heart Squids.


MELT! THEM!! DOWN!!!
Collect all Heart Squids.


Squid Savior
Complete the game without any Health upgrades and all Heart Squids collected.


Where do I find them?
You can find them everywhere! Heart Squids are all over the world of Shantae, you just need to find them. It should be noted that every labyrinth in the game will always have three Heart Squids, no more, no less, with the rest scattered across the world. There are 32 of the little buggers in total, so we'll break down where to find them all one by one.

SCUTTLE TOWN

• The first Heart Squid can be found right after the second Cacklebat, at Shantae's Lighthouse. After defeating the Cacklebat and getting the second Dark Magic, go left and you'll find the Heart Squid sitting out in the open, waiting to be collected.
  
  
• The second Heart Squid is also an easy find. After talking to Risky and her telling you to get a Map of the Forbidden Isles, go right to find a number of doors you can enter. One of which has a little sign of a Heart Squid on it.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Go inside to find the Heart Squid.
  
  
• You'll find the third Heart Squid in Scarecrow Fields, on the way to the Library to get the Map. You'll find it just sitting out in the open on a pedestal on the way, so just jump up to collect it.
  
  
• This Heart Squid is a little... confusing, at first... See below for why.
  
  
  
  Here you will find the fourth Heart Squid, also in Scarecrow Fields. On the second screen, go all the way right until you see this Heart Squid high above you. Unfortunately, when you see it, you cannot get it until later in the game, with either Risky's Hat or, if you want a really easy time, Risky's Cannon.
  
  
• The fifth Heart Squid in Scuttle Town is another confusing one. See below.
  
  This Heart Squid is another that you'll see on your way to get the Map, but not know how to get. This one requires Risky's Cannon to get, but first, how to find it. When climbing along the trees in the Forest section, you will come across a tree stump you can stand on. Just passed that is another branch and, as you jump to the next one, you may just spot this Heart Squid.
  
  
• The sixth and final Heart Squid of Scuttle Town can be found in Ye Royal Sewers, beneath the Palace. Bolo and a salesman will both send you down here to find some Flesh Pops and a Travel Brochure. As you go through, you'll see this sight;
  
  
  
  
  And you may be wondering how to get it. The wall in front of Shantae in this screenshot is one you can walkthrough, so just walk in and you'll get to the first hole, which used to hold a rat enemy. If you walk passed that and jump, you'll be able to collect the Heart Squid.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Like so!

SALIVA ISLAND

• The first Heart Squid of Saliva Island is one you'll see right away, but you won't be able to get yet. But you'll be able to get it on your first visit to the island.
  
  This screenshot has everything you need to know. You see that black eye looking thing in the upper right? Hitting that will open the passage to the Heart Squid, also creating a shortcut on the island. However, how do you hit it? If you get to where the passage is, you'll see it's much too small for Shantae. You need the island's item; Risky's Pistol. Just shoot the eye to open the passage on your way out.
  
  
• The second Heart Squid is inside the Labyrinth, the Spittle Maze, and on the way through. When you come to the first locked door, you can go down, with Snakes sometimes raining from above. Near the top you'll see the Heart Squid through another hidden passage. Just walk towards the Heart Squid to collect it.
  
  
• The third Heart Squid can be found soon after the second. You'll come to a room with a lot of small platforms with the Heart Squid right below the first one.
  
  
  
  You can either come back later with Risky's Hat to safely float down or you can step off the platform and hold left to land on the platform with the Heart Squid. The second one is slightly more dangerous and more likely to backfire, but you can get it without the hat.
  
  
• The next Heart Squid is after the locked door from earlier. You'll find yourself in a large room with the Heart Squid easily seen.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  You can see the Heart Squid here, but if you try to go through the wall from this side, you won't get in, so what do you do?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  You enter from the other side. Be careful, though, as a Crab is well hidden in this passage and can get a cheap shot in if you rush in. Collect your new Heart Squid!
  
  
• The last Heart Squid on this island is in plain sight on your way to get the third sketch for the mummy puzzle. It'll be in the first room along the new path, so just take a moment to snag it while you're there.

SPIDERWEB ISLAND

• Again, the first Heart Squid is easy to find, but figuring out how to get it is another thing entirely.
  
  
  So, how do you get it? You come back later when you have Risky's Scimitar and use it to bounce on the area right above that Heart Squid. This will create a hole so you can drop in to get the Heart Squid. Unfortunately, unless you're playing on Pirate Mode, you don't get the Scimitar until the third Labyrinth. Ouch.
  
  
• No screenshot for this one, as it's super easy to find. Once you get Rottytops back to her house with her brother, you'll be able to see it inside their house. No tricks, no items necessary, just walk over and claim your Heart Squid!

( Sorry, had to break this up into multiple parts because of arbitrary (read: invisible) text limits. Thanks, Steam! )

• This one... requires some explanation. You can get it right off, so I'll just let the screenshots do the talking.
  
  
  
  
  
  This wall features a secret. When you get to this wall, pressing against it does nothing unless you whip the wall, which will now let you crawl inside to a hidden red mouth that will launch you upwards.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Like so.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  You will land inside a small space and automatically collect the Heart Squid. You can get out by hugging the left wall and fall through a hidden hole.
  
  
• This is another tricky one.
  
  
  
  
  
  There's the Heart Squid, but there's no obvious way to get it. Pressing against the walls to the left or right of it does nothing, but there is this little platform. If you get on it and crawl left, you'll get into a hidden passage.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  From here, just head left to get the Heart Squid. You can get out by jumping up from where you collected the Heart Squid itself.
  
  
• Again in Cackle Tower, there is a large shaft on the leftern side of the map which goes up twice. Once lower down, leading to a very large room and the second time from the very top of that same room, heading across to the shaft again. When walking in, you should see a sight like the one below;
  
  
  
  
  You may notice, if you open your map, that the section below this part is empty and not yet filled in. Not yet explored. If you drop down and hug the left wall, you'll find two platforms, a red mouth to launch you back up, and the Heart Squid on the right hand side.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Just get back up to the top and hug the right hand wall to get the Heart Squid, then you can use the red mouth to return to the very top and continue.

TAN LINE ISLAND

• The first one is well hidden but is also possible to drop on accidentally.
  
  You initially reach this screen while doing the stealth section, but I came back afterwards since I chose the wrong door. In this screenshot, you can see two doors, the left one leads to the Heart Squid and the right to a pot with a bunch of gems. During the stealth section, you don't have your items, so you can only choose one door. However, you can make that jump with the small boost given by Risky's Hat later.
  
  
• As you drop into the Lost Catacombs, you'll set it right from where you begin and a ton of purple blocks to the left. You need the Scimitar from this dungeon to break the blocks and get to the Heart Squid.
  
  
• Just... check the screenshots.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  We're in this room.
  
  
  
  
  Goto this wall in the room shown above. There's a hidden passage directly ahead that'll take you to a series of red mouths that'll launch you across the room to land on the Heart Squid in the upper left corner of the room.
  
  
• In the room you need the Scimitar to go down with all the spiny enemies that fire shots, you should come to a point in the following screenshot;
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  At this point, you may notice that the block right next to the spike wall on the left side is breakable. Well, if you break that...
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Heart Squid!

MUD BOG ISLAND

• You will see the first one very quickly in the Village of Lost Souls. As soon as you enter, go down and you'll see it trapped inside the wall, which will require Risky's Boots to get.
  
  
• You'll see yet another one in plan sight on your way through the Oubliette of Suffering, trapped in a wall with no obvious way to get it. You need Risky's Boots in order to get it and it's easy to get. When you first get the boots, start dashing to the right and don't stop for anything, especially the gems from the pots you break. Those are a trap to prevent you from getting the Heart Squid. Eventually, you'll get back to this spot and dash through the wall, getting yourself the Heart Squid.
  
  
• This one isn't obvious, but you can find it easily, even without screenshots. As you go through the dungeon, you'll find a room where you need to dash and jump, using the hat to get across a multitude of large gaps. If you keep dashing to the next screen and slam into the wall, the Heart Squid will drop into the room for you to collect.
  
  
• Yet another easy squid in the Oubliette of Suffering. In fact, this is the last one in the Labyrinth. For being an Oubliette of Suffering, at least the Heart Squids don't require any suffering to get them... Anyways, once again, you'll see it as you travel through. To get this one, get to the top of the room and use the switch to get to the side with the Heart Squid and drop down to claim it. I say goto the top because the next cage you see as you go up is actually a trap, it won't goto the side with the Heart Squid. After you get it, just drop down to loop around again to continue.

FROSTBITE ISLAND

• The first one is a little confusing to get, but easy, if you know what you're doing. In the lower right of Propeller Town, you'll find a room full of catapult plants. There's three red ones along the floor and a bunch throughout the room. Pick the middle one to get on the right path until you reach your first green plant. Choose to go DOWN from there and you'll be taken on a trip to the next green plant. From there, go LEFT and you'll land on the platform with the Heart Squid.
  
  
• In the Abandoned Factory, you can't get any Heart Squids until you get the Cannon. On your way back through the Labyrinth, you'll see a path going straight up (Not the one with the map), so go up there. Halfway up, you'll come to a point in the following screenshot;
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Once again, you cannot crawl into this little room the Heart Squid is trapped inside. Instead, continue up until you get to the next point.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Once here, use your Scimitar to bounce on the spot in front of Shantae in this picture. You'll hear the sound of a block breaking, then drop in to collect the Heart Squid.
  
  
• The second Heart Squid inside the Abandoned Factory can be found out in the open on your first walkthrough, but you have to get to it from below. Go back down with the Cannon to the room just below it and use the Cannon to come up to the room with the Heart Squid. Collect it and move on.
  
  
• The last one is in the final passageway towards the boss, in plain sight once again. This time, it's a simple task to get, just get on the second level on the left side and crawl into the space from above. And that's the final Heart Squid found inside the Labyrinths.
  
  CLEANUP
  
  
• MUD BOG ISLAND: In the room where you found the first Cacklebat, you can also find the last Heart Squid of the island. Goto the upper right corner of the room using the Cannon and it's right there to collect.
  
  
• FROSTBITE ISLAND: We missed two here, both of which require the Cannon, so let's get the last two Heart Squids in the game. For both, we'll be using Bolo's location at the forge as our base location.
  
  For the first one, go left into the next room and go up and right. You'll be faced with a mech and a room of chains. Make your way to the next small platform, with an opening in the ceiling directly above it. Use the Cannon to get up that hole and the next Heart Squid is right there. Now, head back to Bolo's room.
  
  From Bolo's room, go right to the next room, where there's a conveyor belt and three mechs. Get passed them to the very next room. Just use your Cannon to climb this room for, at the top, is the final Heart Squid. After getting this, you should get the achievement for having all the Heart Squids.

A guide to kill all the Cacklebats and getting the Dark Magic from them!
For the hunter who wants to spend less time hunting and more time killing.

There are two achievements tied to collecting Dark Magic.

Destroying the Dark Magic
Collect 50% of the Dark Magic.


Prepared for Battle
Collect all of the Dark Magic.


Where do I find them all?
There are several per island and they're fairly easy to get, you just need to defeat a Cacklebat to get it and suck it up using your Magic Lamp. Here's a list of all 20's locations.

SCUTTLE TOWN

• The first Cacklebat cannot be missed. After a bathing scene, Risky Boots drags Shantae to Uncle Mimic's lab to watch a Tinkerbat become one of the hellish Cacklebats. After the cutscene, you fight it. After you win, Risky will give you the Magic Lamp and just press the button to suck up the Dark Magic.
  
  
• The second Cacklebat can be found right after the first. Head left one screen to get to Shantae's Lighthouse, where the Cacklebat can be seen walking around in front of it. Defeat this Cacklebat for the second Dark Magic.
  
  
• The third Cacklebat can be found in the Forest area, after getting the Hat. Just start climbing the trees on the first screen until you get to the below screenshot, then float to the left to land on the far branch and head left one screen. You'll wind up in a room with the Cacklebat. Defeat it for the Dark Magic.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• The next one can be found in Ye Royal Sewers after you get Risky's Boots. Get to the location shown and clear the blocks. Then, move left until you can dash and move to the next screen to the left. Slam into the wall and the Cacklebat will drop in above you. Kill it!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

SALIVA ISLAND

• The first Cacklebat can be found just to the right of the Giga Lummox on Saliva Island. As soon as you find it and learn about needing the smell of Ham to arouse it, jump over the pit underneath the Giga Lummox and move right. The Cacklebat is right there. Kill it for the first Dark Magic of the island.
  
  
• The second Cacklebat and be found directly above the room with the pool and the two girls wanting to swim. While dropping down to them, there is a room with a passage going left, directly above the pool room. If you slip into this passage, the Cacklebat is right in the next room.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The passage in question.

SPIDERWEB ISLAND

• You'll see the first Cacklebat as you carry Rottytops back to her home, after her run in with a giant spider. You need to avoid it then since you can't attack and one hit is death, so just drop Rottytops back at her home and return for the bugger.
  
  
• The second Cacklebat can be found to the right of the first one. You'll find yourself on this screen;
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Simply use Risky's Hat from where I'm standing in the shot to float to the ledge to the right, then head right. The Cacklebat is on the next screen.
  
  
  
• Upon returning to get that Heart Squid with the Scimitar we'd seen earlier, you can also now get the Cacklebat we're missing on this island. Upon getting to this point in the first room, use the Scimitar to bust open the ground and jump down. The Cacklebat is in the next room.
  
  

TAN LINE ISLAND

• After you get mistaken for a princess, on your way to rescue the others, you may notice a large cage in the biggest room, where you found the three locked doors holding Rotty, Sky, and Risky, with a Cacklebat locked inside. You can kill it before getting your items back, but you'll have to return after the high priest returns your stuff to collect it in your Magic Lamp.
  
  
• After giving the Golden Pickaxe to the workers, continue along Tan Line Island until you reach the following spot;
  
  
  
  
  
  
  From here, drop into the tallest set of quicksand and let yourself sink to the bottom. This'll bring you to a hidden room with the Cacklebat.
  
  
• Along the path leading to the Lost Catacombs, you may see a room like this, with a purple block blocking the way down;
  
  
  
  Please just imagine a purple block there, it wouldn't respawn for me. Of course, you need the Scimitar to break the block and get down there, so you'll have to come back for it after beating the Lost Catacombs to get this Cacklebat. Just break the block, head down there and right one screen and there it is.
  
  
• Here's the screenshot;
  
  Get to this point on Tan Line Island and break open the block with your Scimitar. You'll find your way to a small platforming room heading left to another room. Kill the little ground enemy in the next room, then move left to see the Cacklebat, but there's a large gray block in the way. Those can only be broken with dashing, so you need Risky's Boots to break through to the other side.

MUD BOG ISLAND

• The first Cacklebat is well hidden if you don't check every nook and cranny on your way through an island.
  
  
  
  
  
  You may come across a section that looks like this. You can barely see the Cacklebat on the left hand side of this screenshot, so you just need to break the four purple blocks with your hair, then run in to kill it.
  
  
• Okay, this one is going to require quite a few screenshots and explanation.
  
  
  
  
  
  Firstly, you'll want to get to this point. Use the Scimitar like shown to break into the little space below and make sure the eye is open. This causes a cage to the left to move right a bit so you can get to it.
  
  
  Next, you'll want to get on this platform and try to walk from the rightern portion to the edge on the left, then jump off to the left. At the peak of your jump, use the Hat to glide over and, hopefully, land in the cage. Sometimes, the Nagas like jumping into the cage, so it may be wise to kill them all first to clear the way.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Once in the cage, jump and glide with the Hat to the left, to land on the platform in the upper left corner of this room. Go onto the next screen to find the Cacklebat.
  
  
• On the first screen of the Village of Lost Souls, you may have noticed a room in the upper right corner that you cannot get to your first visit. Come back with Risky's Cannon to get up there and find the last Cacklebat of the island. Beware the ghost at the entrance, though!

FROSTBITE ISLAND

• On your way through the island, you'll find the first Cacklebat right out in the open. Just watch out for the Wolves everywhere.
  
  
• So, I found this one the second time on the island and this Cacklebat is right at the beginning of the island. Right at the beginning, dash up the slopes (You have barely enough space to start dashing) and keep going until you slam into a wall. The Cacklebat will drop in right behind you.
  
  
• The final Cacklebat in the game is found in Propeller Town. From where Bolo is, go left and then as far up as you can get in the next room, then head left. You'll need the Cannon to get up here. Now, get on the first chain you see and use your Cannon to get on top of the platform the chain is hanging on. From here, use your Cannon to get to the next room to the right, where the Cacklebat is.

THE VERY LAST CACKLEBAT ( DO NOT TOUCH UNTIL YOU BEAT THE GAME )

• You may note that, until now, I've only shown 19 out of 20 Cacklebats. That is because I didn't want anyone ruining themselves of the ability to get all the achievements. As such, you should have already beaten the Pirate Master by the time you get to this point. This was on purpose. You see, if you get all 20 Dark Magic, you can no longer get the achievements tied to the Pirate Master, but rather, to his true form. The true final boss is waiting, but to get that, we need to get one last Cacklebat. Thankfully, I chose to keep the final one in Scuttle Town.
  
  Head back to Shantae's Lighthouse and head one screen left to find the once Mayor soaking in some... rays? I suppose he would be if the Pirate Master hadn't taken over, like in my screenshot... but whatever! This Cacklebat will test all your abilities!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Not really. You just need to get a running start and jump over the gorge in front of the Mayor! However, just using the Boots isn't enough! Be prepared to also glide with the Hat and occasionally give yourself a boost with the Cannon. Once you land safely on the other side, head one screen left and there he is! The last Cacklebat! Kill him for the very last Dark Magic and the achievement for getting them all. Now it's time to face the true Final Boss!

How do I know I'm making good progress?

Here is where I'll be placing screenshots for your progress with the collectibles at set "Checkpoints". These checkpoints are every time you finish an island, so let's begin with the first checkpoint, after you finish Scuttle Town.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is only if you're playing through the game on Normal Mode. If you're playing through on Pirate Mode, you should be able to get every single item on each island before moving on.





CHECKPOINT 1: Right after finishing in Scuttle Town
PROGRESS: 4/32 Heart Squids, 2/20 Dark Magic
UPGRADES: 1 Shampoo, 1 Silky Cream
PIRATE GEAR: None

You should have found the first four Heart Squids by now and two Cacklebats defeated. If you have anything less than this, you should consider returning to Scuttle Town to get whatever you're missing. You can get the four Heart Squids in the following locations; Shantae's Lighthouse, the Heart Squid Blacksmith's shop, Scarecrow Fields, and Ye Royal Sewers. The first Cacklebat is a story encounter, so you have to have that and the second can be found at Shantae's Lighthouse.

At this point, I also had the following items; 9 Flesh Pops (Dropped by Snakes in Ye Royal Sewers), 1 Auto-Potion, 1 Monster Milk (Dropped by Scarecrows), 2 Bento Boxes (Dropped by Orcs in the Forest), 2 Lobster Tails (Dropped by Scarecrows), 9 Pike Balls (Dropped by Scarecrows or bought in the Store), and 2 Super Pike Balls (Same). Make sure you have maxed out your number of Pike Balls, they'll be needed for a future achievement.




CHECKPOINT 2: Right after finishing the Spittle Maze
PROGRESS: 8/32 Heart Squids, 4/20 Dark Magic
UPGRADES: 2 Shampoo, 1 Silky Cream, 1 Pistol Tune-Up
PIRATE GEAR: Pistol

You should have gotten four more Heart Squids from Saliva Island and both Cacklebats, bringing your grand total for both to the above amounts. You should also have Risky's Pistol. unless you somehow glitched your way to the boss or have yet to actually complete the Spittle Maze and haven't killed Cyclops Plant yet. The next island we'll be going to is Spiderweb Island, which is the home of Rottytops and her two brothers. Before we go, however, make sure you head back to the Palace at Scuttle Town to get that Travel Brochure and upgrade your gear at the Shop!

ITEMS: 5 Monster Milk, 9 Flesh Pops, 7 Meat Chunklets, 3 Bento Boxes, 4 Lobster Tails, 9 Bubble Shields, 9 Pike Balls, 2 Super Pike Balls. I used the Auto-Potion during a fight in the Spittle Maze and was too far to justify reloading. Also, make sure you buy a Pirate Flare.



CHECKPOINT 3: Right after finishing the Cackle Tower
PROGRESS: 12/32 Heart Squids, 6/20 Dark Magic
UPGRADES: 2 Shampoo, 2 Silky Cream, 1 Pistol Tune-Up
FIGHTER'S MOVES: Backdash
PIRATE GEAR: Pistol, Hat

When I left Spiderweb Island, I had the above totals. Now, there is one Heart Squid you can go back for in Scuttle Town, so you can always go get that, and also stock up on items and new upgrades. I personally chose another Silky Cream and to unlock the Backdash Fighter's Move. It's a really useful move. Also, you should visit Sky in Scuttle Town. Seems a certain someone got herself a boyfriend! Which is odd since the previous games were filled with lesbian tension, but eh, I can't fault the girl. Barracuda Joe is a good man, despite working for the Ammo Baron.

Items breakdown should look something like this; 9 Flesh Pops, 6 Meat Chunklets, 4 Bento Boxes, 5 Lobster Tails, 8 Bubble Shields, 9 Pike Balls, 3 Super Pike Balls.



CHECKPOINT 4: Before Mud Bog Island
PROGRESS: 19/32 Heart Squids, 11/20 Dark Magic
UPGRADES: 3 Shampoo, 3 Silky Cream, 3 Pistol Tune-Up, Scimitar Polish
FIGHTER'S MOVES: Backdash, Power Kick
PIRATE GEAR: Pistol, Hat, Scimitar

Just before Mud Bog Island, I had all of the above, thanks to a lot of grinding in the Tan Line Palace, possibly the best place to farm gems, if you know where all the hidden rooms are. With these, I only have one final upgrade left in the shop, then I can use all my gems on items; Fighter's Move Recover.

Items: 1 Potion, 9 Monster Milks, 9 Super Monster Milks, 8 Flesh Pops, 9 Meat Chunklets, 9 Bento Boxes, 8 Lobster Tails, 9 Bubble Shields, 9 Pike Balls, 9 Super Pike Balls.


CHECKPOINT 5: Before Frostbite Island
PROGRESS: 24/32 Heart Squids, 15/20 Dark Magic
UPGRADES: 3 Shampoo, 3 Silky Cream, 3 Pistol Tune-Up, Scimitar Polish
FIGHTER'S MOVES: Backdash, Recovery, Power Kick
PIRATE GEAR: Pistol, Hat, Scimitar, Boots

All upgrades bought for 100% gear completion, only 8 Heart Squids and 5 Cacklebats left to find. Upon getting the Cannon, we'll be getting all the Heart Squids and most of the Cacklebats, so we can get both the fights with the Pirate Master and his true form for the achievements.

Items: 9 of everything.




FINAL CHECKPOINT
PROGRESS: 32/32 Heart Squids, 19/20 Dark Magic
UPGRADES: ALL
FIGHTER'S MOVES: ALL
PIRATE GEAR: ALL

DO NOT GET THE FINAL CACKLEBAT!!! If you want all of the achievements, you need to be missing SOMETHING. And since there's an achievement to beat the game without forging any extra Heart Containers, but having all the Heart Squids, we'll have 1 Dark Magic missing. You should have all the upgrades, all the Fighter Moves, all the Pirate Gear, everything else. Let's get ready for the final battle!

Items: 9 of everything.