Tips and Tricks by Orb

For the five other people on Earth that apparently own this game, I've put together a few hints and tips. This is not a full walkthrough. The game is decidedly nonlinear, and it is really best for you to come across the lands in whatever order you come across them. It is also a very long game, and a bit difficult, so I am going to give a few answers to some of the harder puzzles.

General

Fang-Shing is a mustard-colored character that shows up in all locations. Take notes of what he says. Many times, these are clues to solve puzzles in the game.

At the beginning of each life, you are told what its goal is. The game docs detail the characters and what they are to do.

If it seems like something should be going on in an area and it's not, try it in a different life.

Land of Desire

Land of Desire Map (click to enlarge)

In the brick room, go to the back and click on both dragons. They will fight, then leave a golden flower. This flower will be used to access the Helix Palace in Shi-Cen, the Land of Time. You can get an unlimited number of golden flowers. Once you have the golden flower, go back out of that room and give the flower to King-Gyou, who is lying flat on his back at the end of the room. He will give you an inventory item then open the door to the Land of Time.

Land of Time

Land of Time Map

To enter the Land of Time, click on the second flame from the left just inside the green head.

In the computer room at the Fire Tower of Time, you must register your name and the names of the four Zou-Gaerus using the keyboard with the symbol and the translation pictured below:

Fire Tower Keyboard

Zou-Gareri, Zou-Gaera, Zou-Gaere, and Zou-Gaero are the names of the characters found in the forest in the Land of Life. Use the wood disk in the slot on the computer terminal after each name to lock in that it has been entered. After this is done, enter the name of the King of Time, Ka-Gyou. From the keyboard pictured, you hit fifth key from the left, top row, second key from the left middle row, first key bottom row, and third key from the left top row.

The Collected Magatamayas are gathered near a candle located to the west of the Fire Tower of Time Tong-Tah. You get these after the names have been entered into the Fire Tower computer. To find this candle, go back down to the base of the tower. Go downstairs, forward, left, forward, left, and click on the candle in front of you.

There is a compass to help you in the Land of Time. It is in the desert. Go toward the orange/gold swirls on the horizon to find it. There will be a blue swirl on the left and a brown/tan one on the right.

As Kai, you must extinguish one particular candle as your goal. Get water in the Leaf Sack from the Land of Dreaming. The candle you must extinguish is located one step north, one step east, and three steps to the south. From the beginning, go forward, right, forward, right, forward, forward, forward. The candle is out on the plain away from the others and has a pink blob in the middle when you click on it.

As Gyou, click around until you see an unlit candle, then click on the wick to light it.

Land of Dreaming

Land of Dreaming Map

In the Palace of Dreaming in the Land of Dreaming are some doors that are very difficult to get in unless the correct steps are done, including getting at them while being the right character.

To get to the Palace of Dreaming once you enter the Land of Dreaming, go left, forward three times, right, forward, right, forward, left.

To get past the creatures blocking the door at the Palace of Dreaming, give the following answer to the riddle they pose: What is it that awakes King-Gyou? Golden Flower.

Palace of Dreaming Map

In the palace, there is a Magatamaya to the right in the first door. It's a sick one; don't touch it (at least without saving first).

To go to the Land of Life, from the entrance, go right and to the fourth door. Click on the moving spot, then go left and click on the wall and you will be drop-kicked to the Land of Life.

In one of the rooms of the palace, there is a red dragon who must be killed. Use a peach on him to kill him. The peach can be gotten by trading inventory collect at the Phantom Marketplace. This will give you one of the keys needed to open the two locked doors there.

Key from Red Dragon

In the Land of Dreaming, only Kai can unlock the door with the pink symbol on it.

As Zen, the only thing you have to do is click on the top of the screen when it changes, and you're done with that life.

Additional Maps

Land of Life Map

Central Mountain Map

Four Musical Instruments

The first instrument is the Bell of Gold. When you become Sha, click on your character, and you will get this one. Use the Bells in the Land of Dreaming to open the locked door on the right. This room shows where all the instruments are.

The Tree of Life has the Koto of Wood. Use the Koto on the King of Life Ming-Ken at the Tree of Life. You can only do it after you collect the instrument from him and he asks, "What do you want?" I used an ant on him first but I don't know whether that's necessary. Go in his mouth, turn around so you can see him, and click on the blue Magatamaya on the left.

The Fire Tower has the Drum of Fire. It is on the fourth level of the walkway, two clicks in.

Drum of Fire

The Flute of Water is inside the locked room in the Palace of Dreaming. Click on the Magatamaya; when the movie starts playing, click on the picture and the flute appears.

The Central Mountain has a locked door that cannot be accessed until after the instruments are collected. You have to be Sha to collect the instruments.

Getting Inventory

Giving King-Gyou the golden flower in the Land of Desire is one way to collect a whole bunch of inventory items in a short amount of time if you need some to trade at the Phantom Marketplace. He has six different items to give, and he will keep giving them to you until you have them all.

Eyeball of Dreaming (Submitted by Readers Jesse and Ilana)

To get the Eyeball of Dreaming (Byou), go inside the King's mouth at the Tree of Life, turn around and click on the face, and follow the instructions to get to the underground of the Tree of Life.

The answer to "To Whom does the eyeball of dreaming belong?" is Tou Gyou. Save your game just before you enter the answer, and be sure to type in the name carefully ,including the space. Then I believe you have to hit Enter, not left-click, or the program may jam. If it jams, try left-click, not Enter.

Tou Gyou is the flat medallion-like figure that appears on pathways, fields of motion, and in King Gyou's throne room.

As I hinted, he's not in the game booklet or the Tong Nou Illustrated Book in the game! You'll need to have all the character nameplates in your bag for the banner and you'll need all the magatayamas, katana sword, little box of music (you exchange all your instruments for it), etc., to complete the game as you go up the stairs. And you'll have to double back into each location Tou Gyou appears and collect them. You'll be prompted about what to do once you're going up the stairs and what to do at the top of the stairs.

P.S. By the way, there's a chest in one of the rooms in the helix tower that says "it's locked" when you click on it and the illustrated book hints that the key is hidden up on a shelf in that (or maybe another room). You don't need to get into the chest to get to the endgame, but it's the one "loose end" I haven't been able to get. Maybe you open the chest and you die, who knows? Let me know if you find it.

I think I remember that you exchange the four instruments for the little box of music on the stairs, not before you ascend (you'll get prompted at the right time for the exchange.)