Dark Cloud Hints IX (PS2)

Dark Cloud is a video game developed by Level 5 Inc. and published by Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated. Created exclusively for the PlayStation 2 gaming console from Sony, it was released in December 2000. The title is classed as an action and role playing game, played from a third person perspective.

Over 400 years ago, as a war between the Eastern Continent and the Western Wizard Army raged on, the world was destroyed because a great evil power was unleashed. Now, the power-hungry and fiendish General Flag is getting ready to launch a ritual with the purpose of awakening this evil once more as the Dark Genie.

The peaceful village of Norune is the first victim of the embodiment of evil. Toan, the son of the great hero Ada, is the only one to survive the attack, and the Spirit King tells him that Atla spheres hold all his loved ones. In order to set them free, the boy must learn to wield a glove called the Atlamillia and defeat the dark powers.

Toan will fight his way through randomly generated dungeons and will have to battle against monsters, while getting his hands on the Atla spheres. As the game progresses, other characters will offer their help to Toan, and will join his party. All characters can equip items and they will also get various objects and power ups that can enhance their fighting abilities. The final aim of the game is to get back all the Atla spheres so that you are able to rebuild the village of Norune.

GAMEPLAY HINTS

Get easy money

Go to Muska Racka pond in Muska Rucka village. Wait until dawn and begin fishing. Use the poisonous apple as bait. Doing so will allow you to catch a Mardan Garayan most of the time. These fish easily give 200 to 500 FP. Once you catch one, choose the "Exchange FP" option. Buy a Mighty Healing, which costs 15 FP. Next, sell a Mighty Healing to any shop and get 150 Gilda. Stock up on poisonous apples at Lana's Shop in Queens. Likewise, if you catch a Mardan Garayan and get 300 FP, you can buy 20 Mighty Healing, which will give you up to 3000 Gilda once you sell them. Use only poisonous apples because only Mardan Garayans go for them. You can also fish at the waterfall in Matataki Villiage at night.

To get extra money in Norune, buy ten to fifteen bombs and go into a level in the Divine Beast Cave with a lot of stone monsters or dragons (nine to fourteen). Use the bomb to blow up the dragons or stone monsters (Statues, Rocknoffs, etc.). You should get a Stone Breaker or Dinoslayer. Sell those to Odd Gaffer for double the amount you bought the bombs for.

If you run out of money, sell all the amulets you get. Sell all the fishing bait and all attachments except for gems. Sell Wind Gems, Fire Gems, etc. Also, sell useless weapons, unless you want to status break them.

You need Goro and his Big Bucks Hammer to do this trick. Find an enemy that steals your money. When you defeat it, the game gives double or triple your money back because the hammer gives double Gilda.

Go to Norune Village. Make sure that Gaffer's shop is assembled completely. Enter his shop as if to buy some items. Change your side of the buy menu so that it is "Attachments" and scroll all the way down. Make sure the last two rows are empty in your Attachments inventory. Move the pointer over the "Ice" item as if you were going to buy it. Instead (this requires some good timing), press X then quickly Right. If done correctly, the "Ice" should still be there, and you will have picked up what seems to be a broken dagger. Put this item in your attachments and exit Gaffer's shop. This attachment gives the weapon in MAX stats. You would think you could stop there with such an attachment, but to get gold, you must attach it to a weapon you do not necessarily want. By attaching the broken dagger, you have increased the sell value of the weapon by at least 4,000 Gilda. Sell the weapon to get gold or use it to kill until you receive enough Abs to upgrade it. You can build it up, then receive the most powerful weapons in the game after repeating this.

Here's a video: