Magi Nation (Game Boy Color) - RetroAchievements/guides GitHub Wiki
1) Synopsis
| Set Difficulty | 6 |
| Approximate time to master | 40 hours |
| Minimum numbers of playthroughs needed | 2 |
| Number of missable achievements | 26 |
| Hardest achievement of the set | Gotta Catch 'Em All |
2) Introduction
Magi-Nation is a well-received Game Boy Color game that had the flaw of being released late in the console's life cycle and so was not as well known as other big titles. It was developed in Seattle by a small team of developers that had many sleepless nights to meet deadlines to release the game on time. The current achievement set includes all of the accessible hidden content in the game, including some secrets discovered as late as 2024!
This guide goes through all the achievements that are not automatically unlocked in a normal playthrough, or that are not obvious from the achievement description. Generally, the achievements are in chronological order, and so if you try and obtain the achievements when they are next on the list, you should not miss them.
3) Tips and Warnings
- There is an infinite money glitch: buying and re-selling most Gems to the same shop will yield a profit.
- If you would like to encounter Ormagon, follow an Ormagon guide from early on. Remember not to cure Orwin until after reaching the end of the quest.
- If you do not return Ashgar's key before the Cald party surprise, you will no longer be able to forge Cald dream creatures and nobody in the Cald will want to talk to you.
- You will be forced to leave the Shadowhold when you look down the pier, so avoid doing so until you have finished exploring.
- There are two different endings based on whether Orwin was cured. You can wait to cure Orwin until the end of the game, allowing you to quickly unlock both endings without having to restart the entire game.
4) Ormagon Quest
Ormagon is the strongest dream creature in the game. The Ormagon Quest was a secret quest to obtain Ormagon that was supposed to only be revealed in the sequel of the game, Keeper's Quest. However, the sequel was never officially released! The steps to encounter Ormagon were discovered by users in 2001. At this point in time, it is not clear how exactly this happened, but we suspect that the developers had a role in leaking some key details to help the fanbase.
Here are the steps you must take to complete the Ormagon Quest:
- Shortly after completing the second Shadow Geyser, you will end up waking up in Wence's house. Before going to talk to Gia, you must go to the town in the Underneath and talk to the hunter to learn about Ormagon.
- In the Cald, when using the ferry for the first time, you must pay the Ferryman to wait for you. Note that this locks you out of two achievements (So That's Where Soap Comes From and Bargainer)!
- Since you need to go through the game twice to get all the achievements, a good strategy is to simply refuse to pay the Ferryman in the second playthrough to unlock the two achievements.
- Alternatively, one strategy can be to save the game, refuse to pay the Ferryman, quickly unlock the two necessary achievements, and then reload the game.
- In the Orothe Tunnels, you must find some Algae and leave the tunnels WITHOUT getting Agadon's Boots.
- Take the ferry back and give the Algae to the hunter who is now located in the Abandoned Tower in the Underneath.
- After getting Agadon's Boots, before completing the third Shadow Geyser, you must head to Vash Naroom and go to the Training Grounds. Yaki will be gone to the Cald, and so you will be able to enter the training equipment door and get some Fungicide. To open this door, you must run counter-clockwise around the statue exactly 5 times and then interact with the empty eye. Note that at this point you can unlock one achievement by closing the door (Gentleman Thief).
- Do NOT cure Orwin until the end of the guide, as Orwin will prevent you from completing the quest.
- When you get to Oscent Mar, before exploring the Underwater Ruins, buy a Specimen Jar and bring it to the Underneath.
- In the Underneath Caverns outside of Gruk's Mushroom Farm, you will find a trail of fungus leading to a wall. Interact with the wall to put some fungus into the Specimen Jar.
- Give the Jar of Fungus to the boy who collects spooky plants in Vash Naroom. At this point you may continue your quest in Orothe.
- After defeating Morag, the spooky boy's house will be overrun by fungus. Use Fungicide to get rid of the fungus.
- Pick up the Hollow Stool in the spooky boy's house.
- You may now cure Orwin.
- Head back to the Underneath Caverns to the wall of fungus. Use Fungicide to destroy the wall and enter the secret room.
- Use the Hollow Stool in the middle of the room to encounter Ormagon. Quest complete!
5) Achievement Guide
Great Furok
Obtain a Great Furok by almost escaping the Tavel Gorge caves
The Tavel Gorge caves have 3 different maps associated with them. After taking the crystal, you must run all the way back to the very first map before falling down into a chasm. After that, Pruitt will automatically give you a great Furok (level 5), as opposed to a normal or good Furok (level 2 or 3).
Throwing Healing at Friends
Obtain Grow in Naroom
Found in the Seer's House.
Flash Tony
Beat Avoid the Agovos in under 7.4 seconds
The minigame unlocks in Vash Naroom after beating the first Shadow Geyser.
Brub Elite
Score at least 60 points in Scrub the Brub
This game can be played in the Underneath or in the Cald.
Acquired Taste
Eat 20 mushrooms
Before completing the second Shadow Geyser, learn about mushrooms from one of the town's inhabitants, then go in Motash the elder's house and eat 20 mushrooms. This Easter egg was only discovered in 2024!
Solo Operative
Obtain Maelstrom by defeating all the ShadowMagi without any help
After getting to the Cald, defeat the first ShadowMagi on the bridge, then head southeast for a few seconds to fight the ShadowMagi that is standing around. After that, work your way counter-clockwise around the map, fighting a total of 7 ShadowMagi. Valkan should not help at all. Talk to Valkan later to receive your reward.
The schematic below shows all possible battles. Note that the "Coward" battles when you try to escape via a bridge, and the battle inside the east house are not required to obtain Maelstrom. Valkan will kill the 2 north ShadowMagi when you cross the purple line, and Valkan will kill the 2 south ShadowMagi when you cross the pink line.
Bullseye
Score at least 60 points in Aim for Animite
You must obtain Wence's arrow from the Underneath to be able to play this minigame in the Cald. Note that the targets and animite give 1, 2, 3 and 5 points respectively, even though the boy tells you they are worth more than that.
Have Some Flame
Obtain Fireball in the Cald
A secret passage exists on the pathway to the Ferry in the Cald. By running around in front of a specific one of the paintings on the wall, the painting will swallow you and bring you into the secret passage.
So That's Where Soap Comes From
Tell Eidon about Oflardt's stories
Refuse to pay the Ferryman after going to Orothe. On your way back from Orothe, talk to Eidon. Note that refusing to pay the Ferryman will lock you out from getting Ormagon, so make an extra save state before talking to the Ferryman, or simply do not save the game and reset.
Skeleton Key
Find the Channeled Gem using Ashgar's Key
The locked door is located in the Weave.
Bargainer
Haggle the ferryman down to his lowest price
Refuse to pay the Ferryman after going to Orothe. Once back on mainland, head back to the Dock in the Cald. Note that refusing to pay the Ferryman will lock you out from getting Ormagon, so make an extra save state before talking to the Ferryman, or simply do not save the game and reset.
Gentleman Thief
Close the training equipment door after opening it
As part of the Ormagon quest, the training equipment door is unlocked by running 5 times around the statue counter-clockwise. After unlocking the door, run 5 times around the statue clockwise, and interact with the empty eye to lock the door again. This was only discovered in 2024!
Second Largest Screwdriver
Examine the large screwdriver near some Jingjacks
Found at the end of the Shadowhold.
Savior
Cure Orwin
Get the Cloud Frond from the Shadowhold and bring it to the Seer. Note that healing Orwin will lock you out of the Ormagon quest, unless Orwin is healed after getting the Hollow Stool.
Jailbreak
Rescue all 7 prisoners and then find them throughout the world
Fully complete the Shadowhold by rescuing all 7 prisoners. After escaping from the Shadowhold, the prisoners can be found at the following locations:
- Vash Naroom
- Wheat Farm
- Bogrom, the Underneath Town
- A secret room in the Underground Caverns on the way to Gruk's Mushroom Farm
- Ashyn, the Cald Town
- A secret room accessible via Blast Urn in the Cald Lava Vents
- Dock
Now THAT is a BIG Mushroom
Encounter Ormagon
Complete the Ormagon Quest.
Funeral
After defeating Agram, attend a funeral instead of going home
Instead of going back home after defeating Agram, try to head back 3 times. This ending triggers if Orwin was not healed.
Spoiled Kyros
After defeating Agram, attend the party instead of going home
Instead of going back home after defeating Agram, try to head back 3 times. This ending triggers if Orwin was healed.
Simpsons Homage
Do everything at the Naroom party before leaving
At the party, talk to Blu, Pruitt, Salafy, Yaki, Eidon and Valkan. Help Evu via Poad, reunite Gruk, Ulk and Gogor, help Logan, and complete Orlon's and the Seer's challenges without cheating.
The Third Door
Unlock New Game Plus
After the credits have rolled, without resetting the game, find the secret passage in the starting room.
Dark Side
Visit the Core Ringsmith
After starting a New Game Plus, bring a Star key to the secret passage between the Naroom cave and Gruk's Mushroom Farm.
Damage Not Applied
Deal "255" damage in one attack by using an Earth attack on a Dream Creature afflicted with the Stone status
Any Earth attack on an allied or enemy creature afflicted with Stone will appear to receive 255 damage, but will actually receive the normal amount of damage. In order to get a creature with the Stone status, it must be first afflicted with Plague, and then a Crescent Gem must be used on it. This will change the creature's status from Plague to Stone. Alternatively, you can use a Gibbous Gem on a creature afflicted with Hiccups, which will change the creature's status from Hiccups to Stone.
Archaeologist
Obtain all 32 obtainable relics, and browse though all of them, unequipped, in the Start Menu
To get PinchOfLife and SpiceOfLine, you must try to flee from Morag in the Cald. This way, Karyn and Eryn will survive. After they have survived, talking to one of them will give you one of the two relics. Since you can only obtain one of the two relics in each playthrough, you need to get the other relic by talking to the other sister in New Game Plus.
Naroom Relics:
- Archaic Leaf
- Armor Orb
- Bag of Bones
- Bark Thimble
- ChanneledGem
- Crimson Void
- Energy Gem
- GemOfNaroom
- Golden Clover
- Grail of Life
- Hyren's Claw
- Leaf Essence
- PinchOfLife
- Rabbage Foot
- Shield Orb
- SpiceOfLife
- Wishbone
Underneath Relics:
- Earth's Aura
- OmborsAmulet
- StoneEssence
- Titan Ring
Cald Relics:
- FlameEssence
- Maelstrom
- Rage Stone
Orothe Relics:
- Corf Pearl
- Water Orb
Arderial Relics:
- Phantom Wind
- Sky Essence
- SwordOfWind
Shadowhold Relics:
- End Bringer
- Shadow Veil
- StoneOfDoom
Gotta Catch 'Em All
Forge all 77 forgeable dream creatures, and browse through all of them in the Equip Menu
There are two rare dream creatures that you should make sure not to miss (only on your second playthrough). All other forgeable creatures can be encountered an unlimited amount of times.
- Chaos Jile (only 1 encounter)
- Jingjack (up to 5 encounters)
These following Dream Creatures cannot be encountered without using a ROM patch, and are therefore not included in the achievement:
- Bolt Hyren
- Platheus
- Sphor
- ThundrHyrn
- Xyx
As the infused animite of the above Dream Creatures cannot be obtained, the following Dream Creatures, although they appear in the game, cannot be forged, and are not included in the achievement:
- Alaban
- Borgor
- Core Hyren
- Yvohcna