Flactem Walkthroughs

Final Fantasy IX Disc 3

Desert Palace

Cid the Frog Saves the Day!

When you are in control as Cid, run down to where the Black Mages just left (down the path and to the right). You’re going to be timed here, so listen to the instructions carefully. You’ll have six minutes to cross the floor and set the weights. Crossing is tricky, but DON’T get in a hurry. Just push the circle button when the guy isn’t looking. Focus on one of his spines and stop as soon as it moves. You may have to try it a few times to get it right.

Once you have the key, you’ll be offered a few menu options. Examine the weights; they are made of Iron, Stone, Clay and Wood. You need all but one. Put on all except the wood (that’s clay, stone and iron - the last option) then jump on.

As soon as you get control again, equip all your characters. You’ve probably got quite a few things you want to enable now - especially if you did some chocobo stuff on the forgotten continent (EquipmentWeapon for Dagger for Dagger = Curaga!). Head right and save at the moogle there (Mojito). You can also shop and mognet.

Now it’s time to enter the maze of…

Kuja’s Desert Palace O’ Fun!

You are the rest of the party, now. Eiko, Dagger, Vivi and Freya for my party. If you opted not to take Quina to Oeilvert, they can be in this party instead, and there are several enemies here they can eat.

The point of this exercise is to turn on all the hidden lights in the palace. This will keep you from having to fight the final battle at a SIGNIFICANT disadvantage.

Enemy Strategy: If you run into a EnemyDesert Palace enemy. Its red-topped physical form is vulnerable to magic, while its blue-topped magical form is vulnerable to physical attacks. Can be eaten by Quina to learn Night, and its level is a multiple of five. (three balls stacked like a snowman) use ice magic on him if the red ball is on top, or physical attacks if the blue is on top.

Go left two screens from Mojito the save moogle, then go up. On this screen are two angels. Examine the one on the left to light the candles. When something glows on your right, examine it. That’s a bloodstone. You’ll unlock Elemental Attacks for the final battle (and you’ll get a EquipmentAdd-on for: All). This is a pattern you’ll be repeating 5 more times.

The hidden Path

Go up another screen. Read the placards on all the statues there and try to leave by the left side of the screen. A lighted path should appear. Head up that path and light the candles on the right side of the next screen. Go back down the light path and find the chest that just appeared under the path that lit up (EquipmentAdd-on for: All). When you have those, go left.

Tricky Braziers

On the next screen, you have to solve a little puzzle:

  1. Light the three accessible braziers (the one by the flowers is hard to see) and you’ll open the doorway.
  2. Go through it, and you’ll be on a small path; take the path and you’ll come out the other doorway.
  3. Light the brazier near the flowers (not the other two) then go back across the path to the other side.
  4. Light the braziers on the other side of the flowers (they are hard to see, there are two of them) and the statues should disappear.
  5. Go light the other two braziers on the right side.
  6. Finally, light the brazier at the bottom of the screen to reveal the bloodstone.
  7. Examine it to disable Magic Power Enhancement and get an EquipmentAdd-on for: Eiko, Amarant, Quina and Dagger.
  8. Take the doorway on the far right.

Light the Statue

On the next screen, examine the the statue at the top of the screen to light it, then a bloodstone will appear. Examine it to disable its Defense enhancement for the final battle (and get a EquipmentArmor for: Knights Only). Continue on along the path, then wrap around the staircase at the far left. There are candles at the top of the stairs. Light them, then continue down the path and through the doorway at the end.

The Mobile Library

Now it’s time to move some books around.

  1. First, light the candles at the far left (by the statue).
  2. When some stairs appear, go up them and all the way to the left to light another set of candles.
  3. The top shelf of books should move to reveal doorway.
  4. Go through it and examine the bloodstone to disable its Evasion enhancement for the final battle (and get an EquipmentArm Armor for: All Except Knights).
  5. Go back down the stairs, and this time go up the stairs to the middle level of books.
  6. Light the candles on the right, but don’t take that path yet.
  7. Head back down and light the candles on the bottom.
  8. A doorway should open up. Go through it and light the candles there.
  9. Go back out and turn OFF the candles at the bottom of the statue on the right.
  10. The lowest level of books should close again.
  11. Now walk all the way left and you should be able to walk THROUGH the stained glass there (this may be hard to see).
  12. You’ve now found Mogsam (the Moogle).
  13. Mognet/ItemIf used in battle, inflicts Silence, Darkness and Poison. If used in the field, restores HP/MP at save moogle./Save. When you are ready to go on, head through the doorway in the middle level of books and go left along the path.
  14. Light the candles about half way up, then continue on. Light the candles at the top of the path, then backtrack to the Moogle.

Gargoyle Statue and Hidden Path

Head LEFT from the moogle this time. Light the candles on either side of the statue here, examine the bloodstone to disable its Magic Defense enhancement for the final battle (and get a EquipmentHead Armor for: All except Knights - equip this to Vivi so he can learn ‘Death’). Turn off the candle on the left of the statue (its shadow should point left now) then go through the doorway. Take the short path into the next doorway.

Light both the candles surrounding the statue on this side, then examine the bloodstone to disable its Magic Evasion enhancement for the final battle (and get a EquipmentArm Armor for: Knights Only). Turn off the candle on the left (a stairway should appear in the middle), then light the candles by the painting on the left. It certainly looks like you could make a stairway go DOWN here, but I can’t figure out how. (If anyone has ever figured it out, I’d love to hear about it!)

Boss Fight Prep

Go back and use the ItemIf used in battle, inflicts Silence, Darkness and Poison. If used in the field, restores HP/MP at save moogle./save Moogle, then head up the lighted staircase that appeared between the EnemyIpsen's Castle enemy. Weak to Wind and immune to Earth; using a Soft before it awakens defeats it instantly. Can be eaten by Quina to learn Mighty Guard. statues. As far as I can tell, there’s no reason to backtrack from here unless you want to buy stuff from Mojito (the Moogle) at the beginning of the level. Make sure you’ve got reflect on at least one (preferably all) of your guys. At the top of the staircase, try to light the final set of candles to start the battle with BossDesert Palace boss. Weak to Wind and immune to Earth after its elemental enhancement is disabled. Drops an Elixir and may also drop an Ether; rewards 11 AP and 4,089 Gil.. For each bloodstone you’ve managed to find, you’ll see a notice that things aren’t going well for it. If you’ve done them all, you should see:

If you’ve followed along, you probably will just mop the floor with this guy. He casts reflect on himself. Have Eiko reflect cast holy and have Vivi reflect cast (all) bio. That was the entire battle for me. (No kidding!) If you have Quina, use Blue Magic64 MP Blue Magic. Casts Protect and Shell on the party.. Otherwise, just use your most powerful magics and attacks.

Regroup

After the battle, light the candles, then head to the glowing platform. Before you jump on and examine it, unequip anything you think the other party might want. If you’ve got Eiko in your party, be sure to unequip everything from her except maybe a cheap weapon. When you examine the teleporter, you’ll switch to Zidane’s party.

Re-Equip as necessary, then head to the teleporter, then go through the door at the top of the stairs. When you have control again, you’ll choose a new party. Search this room before leaving, though. Toward the bottom left is another Namingway card. Head back to the teleporter that leads to the airship dock.

You can go back to the Palace Maze if you want, but I haven’t found any reason to (except maybe saving or having Quina eat something). When you get to the dock, the ship is gone, but you can head after it anyway. Remember where that black mage was standing earlier? He was making sure you couldn’t go any further. Now that he’s gone, you can - so (rather than going right up the ramp toward the ship), head up to the top left of the screen.

You’ll see a balled up ladder near where Zidane is standing. Examine the lever opposite it, then climb down the ladder and head down the bluffs. You’ll watch him head to the Lost Continent (also called the Northern Continent or the Frozen Continent, depending on which version of the game you have or who you are talking to). Choose a group, then head to…