Paper Mario/Chapter 4: Trials in the Toy Box (2024)

Attack of the Shy guys[edit]

When you arrive at Toad Town, you'll find the town overrun with Shy Guys. They have taken Tayce T.'s frying pan, Rolf's calculator, the Post Office's Mailbag, Russ T.'s dictionary, and Harry's Storeroom Key, so, none of them will be able to help you now. There are also Shy Guys in the stores, Toad House, and Garden. If you want to use any of those places, hit the Shy Guys with your hammer.

Talk to Merlon, and he'll tell you of a dream he had, where something good happened after running in circles around a red palm tree in Dry Dry Outpost. Head to Dry Dry Outpost, and run in quick circles around the palm tree. Do it long enough and a man will comment on how silly you are for listening to dreams. He will proceed to tell you that he dreamed something good would happen if you Spin Jump three times in a house with a whirling roof.

Head inside Merlon's house and Spin Jump three times. The Quick Change Badge will fall from the ceiling. Return to Toad Town Sewers and Spin Jump through the board on the floor. Head to the room on the left and defeat all the Dark Koopas to reveal the shortcut pipe to Boo's Mansion. In the room to the left, you can move a block around. Move it to the second-from-top position, and jump around on top of it, to reveal three blocks. This leads to a Super Block, but since all your characters are as powered up as they can get right now, you'll have to come back later.

Back in Toad Town, walk toward the Port. Twink will stop you, and tell you that the next Star Spirit is hidden inside Shy Guy's Toybox. In that same area, before the port, enter a seemingly empty house on the left.

An empty house?[edit]

Use Bow's ability to turn Mario invisible and wait. Soon, a Shy Guy will appear and show you a secret doorway. Here is the hidden room. Jump on the springboard to enter Shy Guy's Toybox and begin Chapter 4.

Trouble at the blue station[edit]

Shy Guy's Toy box is split into four "stations", each of which can be accessed by the train. That is, if the train wasn't missing. It looks like you're stuck in Blue Station for now.

Walk along the path to the left of Blue Station, and you'll happen upon the Anti Guy. This is one of the hardest enemies in the game, so don't fight him unless you have a death wish. If you feel really brave, and have a lot of good items to heal with, save, then try to fight the Anti Guy. If you are lucky and skilled enough to beat the Anti Guy, you'll get the Power Plus Badge. If you aren't ready for him yet (and you shouldn't be), just come back later. Or, if you're a wuss, come back later with a Lemon Candy. He loves them so much, he'll let you have the badge without a fight.

Continue to the left, until you find a room full of Shy Guys carrying various items. Note that this is the only place in the game to get a Cake Mix. You'll also see one of the Shy Guys with Rowf's Calculator. Defeat him, grab the calculator and head back to Blue Station.

Enter the path to the right of Blue Station, and you'll see Kammy put a Mushroom (if Peach told Bowser that's what Mario feared). Continue to the right. The way to use these boxes is to do a Spin Jump on them, which will reveal a spring to propel Mario into the sky. Keep going to the right. Hidden behind this yellow block is an often-missed Star Piece.

When you make it to this strange building, you can enter it and climb up the stairs to the top. Use Parakarry to fly over to the building just to the left and you'll find a Star Piece.

Now go all the way to the right, where the Mushroom is. You'll find the Storeroom Key in the chest. Now go back to Blue Station and exit the Toybox by jumping on the springboard. Return Rowf's Calculator to him. He will be so grateful that he will reopen his shop and give you the I Spy Badge for free. Put on that badge and go to Harry's Shop on the south side of town. Return him his Storeroom Key, and he'll allow you to raid the storeroom and get free items. The most important item back here is the Toy Train.

Go back to the Toybox, but instead of jumping inside, use the Toy Train on the outside of it. The train will enter the box, grow in size, and land on the track. Jump inside the box. To indicate that you want to go right, hit this switch with your hammer or jump on it. Now hop on the train and head to Pink Station.

To the pink station![edit]

Go to the right and get Tayce T.’s frying pan from the chest. Once again, Kammy Koopa will have blocked the chest with Peach's second choice of 'Mario's fear'. To get to the chest, you will need to watch the Shy Guys running around. They will cause the blue wall to spin, and if you are waiting for it, you can slip inside the tunnel. Look out for the two other chests, which will earn you the Defense Plus and Ice Power badges.

Making a great cake[edit]

Return the pan to Tayce T. and get her special cake. Do not eat it, because you will need to give it to Gourmet Guy. (You can give her cake mix and she will make more for Mario.)

Feeding Gourmet Guy[edit]

Head back to Pink Station, and all the way to the left. Feed the special cake from Tayce T. to Gourmet Guy for the cookbook and access to the other side of the tracks. Head all the way to the right to throw the pink switch, allowing the train to access Green Station.

Green station[edit]

At the beginning of first room use Bow to fade through the first obstacle, then once your past you'll come to a shy guy slot machine and another shy guy with a paper on his head. Take the Mystery Note from him.

Now at the slot machine If you get three shy guys five of them will spring out or you could get some rewards. Continuing further your going to use the light blue block at the end and use Parakarry to help you to get on top of the building where you'll find Kammy's third suprise, and the chest with the Dictionary. Also, grab the Star Piece inside that building.

Now that you have the dictionary go back to toad town and give it to Russ T. (The Library). He will give you a star piece for it. Have him translate the note, which will tell you what order to hit the coloured blocks in front of green station. The blocks are not in the same order every time you play the game, but the sequence is always the pitch of the notes going from lowest to highest. If you get the sequence wrong, four Shy Guys will jump out the boxes, which you will need to defeat before you can try again.

Put the sequence in and your off to the next station!

Red Station[edit]

Save and get your health cause you're fighting a mini boss. Go left first, use the elevators to get to the far side of the room. There is a companion upgrade at the top of the blocks, but don't use it. Save it for your new companion you will be getting. Before the fight, switch to Bow.

When you win, you'll get Watt and can use the upgrade on her on your way back.

The Shy guy army chase[edit]

Now head back to the train station and restock your health. Go into the room on the right side, using Watt to illuminate the room. You will find the Shy Guy Army and follow them into another room. There, the General will begin a battle with you.

Battle of General Guy[edit]

Before being able to battle General guy himself, you will have to take on his Shy Guy army.

Once defeated he will release Muscular, the fourth Star Spirit, and will give you 35 Star points, though if you have a spell on Mario it may be doubled.

Peach: Gourmet Guy's return[edit]

Sneak out of Peach's room using the fireplace, and then through the central hall to the right hand room. Here, Gourmet Guy will give you a key to the downstairs of the castle, through the central door. The kitchen is the lower door to the right.

Twink will find a recipe for a strawberry cake in a cookbook. Follow the instructions, using only one of each ingredient. Cook the cake for 30 seconds. It is possible but hard to pinpoint when to take the cake out. It is recommended you use a timer.