Chapter 2-5: A Curious Concoction

MUSIC ROOM

Back inside the Music Room it would seem that we’ve nearly returned to Ma with the final ingredient! Don’t get too far ahead of yourself however, as this room is hands down the most challenging you’ll come across in this Chapter due to its deceptive exits. You’ll be tasked first with defeating 30 Ninja Imps and survive for 45 seconds, which will begin once you’ve walked into the main room. Your Soda Pop Gun should make things easier, make sure to take care of the groups of Imps at the windows before they have a chance to become larger and utilize the Super Weapons! Soup Tin on the couch next to the fireplace when times are tough. Once at least 30 Ninja Imps have been taken care of the Challenge Door will open invitingly. Do not approach the Challenge Door, otherwise you’ll start the next Challenge, instead you should notice a statue bust in front of the portrait of Ghoulhaven Hall in the corner; use your Soda Pop Gun to blast it off its podium.

If you had left the podium standing you’d soon find a Cursed Mummy hiding inside which would have revealed itself as you went to leave, leaving you to try beating it into the fireplace unarmed unnecessarily. While we’re making it easy on ourselves, we might at well uncover a Challenge Complete! Soup Tin which can be found hidden inside a broken bust that lies on the ground just behind the couch that harbored the Super Weapons! Tin. Do your best to avoid picking it up and then work your way over to the Open Challenge Door where you’ll find Babs ready to confiscate your Soda Pop Gun. Just as you go to follow in her wake however, you’ll find a Hunchback bursting forth from the piano! As you turn around you’ll find the Hunchback taunting you, giving you plenty of time to run back into the area with the fireplace and picking up the Challenge Complete! Soup Tin. Once you’ve done so the Challenge Door will unlock allowing you to pass through unhindered.

SITTING ROOM

While the Sitting Room isn’t going to offer up another “Next-One-Different Challenge” it will go about seeing if you can defeat all of the Ghoulies in the room by limiting your arsenal of attacks. In this case you’ll only be alloted 15 chances to use your attacks to defeat all of the Haunted Portraits, if you go over this boundary you can expect a visit from the Reaper. The most efficient way to clear this room is to use the objects found around the room to take out all of the Haunted Portraits. If you can, lure the Portraits around the room so that you can line them up with another Portrait on the wall. If you line it up just right you’ll end up taking out the Haunted Portrait on the floor as well as the Haunted Portrait that hasn’t exposed itself yet. Try your best to get all of the pursuing Portraits in a row so that a single attack will send a ripple through them all. You’ll only have 5 Haunted Portraits to defeat, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to maximize your attacks.

CLOAK ROOM

Your return trip to the Cloak Room won’t see you sneaking through as stealthily as last time unfortunately, on the other hand however it shouldn’t cause you much trouble at all really. The only thing you’ll have to keep in mind during the trek is to avoid damaging the Hall, otherwise the Reaper will show up on the scene. From where you start off, whip around and you’ll spot a Shocker Blocker! Soup and One-Hit Wonder! Soup Tin in the window frame. Pick them both up and continue along the initial Corridor until an Imp bursts from the Trunk. Take it out in one hit, but be sure not to hit any part of the Hall in the process. Once you make your way into the main area of the Cloak Room, hang to the right and you’ll spot a mob of Medusas. Do your best to avoid their green glare, if you get caught the Shocker Blocker! Soup will have you covered, but do watch out for the Medusas lash attack. You should manage to spot the door ahead here, just continue through and you’ll have conquered the room.

GRAND HALLWAY

Not far to go yet, well done! As you emerge in the Grand Hallway you’ll spot a duo of Skeletons doing a little cleaning, it’s a wonder they aren’t hanging around Babs Buffbrass. Nonetheless, they won’t take your appearance in stride and will immediately begin to give chase. Rather than heading toward the open Challenge Door on the opposite end of the hall, it’s better to scope out the area so that you don’t fall for the elaborate trap laid out here. Be sure to give yourself a good distance from the Skeleton cohorts and take note of the four large pillars that have been placed around this room. If you head toward the one to the right of the door – without getting too close to the exit, mind – you should manage to spot an Invisibility! Soup Tin hidden behind just out of view. Scoop up the Soup Tin and under your new guise head toward the Challenge Door where you’ll pass through completely undetected. Just a tad better than having to get in a brawl with another Haunted Door isn’t it?

KITCHEN

Now that we’ve made a triumphant return to the Kitchen it would appear that Ma Soupswill is host to a second Fire Imp infestation that we’ve caught her with previously. Once you’ve retrieved the Fire Extinguisher from her side, you’ll be tasked with defeating all of the Fire Imps in 1 Minute and 30 Seconds! The first thing you’ll want to do is grab the Turbo Cooper! Soup Tin just in front of the Frrreezer and then use your added speed to take care of the cluster of Imps around Ma Soupswill. Once you’ve defeated all of the Fire Imps in the room you’ll find the next wave frothing forth from the Cauldron. Gather up the Super Weapons! Soup Tin while avoiding the unfavorable Soup in the center, leave the Turbo Cooper! Soup behind. Once you’ve gotten down to your last few Imps you’ll notice them beginning to flee making your job harder. Grab the Turbo Cooper! Soup Tin and chase them down with a steady blast from your extinguisher. Once you’ve finished we can get cooking!

A RECIPE FIT FOR A GHOULY

As Cooper approaches the pot with his Dungweed, Ma Soupswill stirs the concoction vigorously, “This Dungweed sure is mighty fine!” Ma says as she turns her nose up from the rancid mix. “Now that we have all three ingredients, let’s mix ’em up in our little pot, here!” Cooper nods, dropping the plant into the broth as Ma continues to stir. Sure enough, the mix goes from ghoulish green to a more favorable brilliant pink as Cooper watches with amazement. “A pinch o’ salt an’ a sprinklin’ o’ pepper an’ that should do the trick!” Soupswill quips as she adds both condiments to the brew, which turns a luminescent blue. “This righteous concoction will make yer girlfriend right as rain!” Ma states as she uncorks a bottle and fills it with the potion. “Now get yerself down them stairs an’ sprinkle a few drops on ‘er pretty little face.“Great stuff! After a extensive run around the Hall for far flung ingredients we’re ready to return to Amber in the Archives and turn her back to normal!

Next: Too many cooks spoil the broth