Tool Upgrades
When you first start farming you are given five Level 1 tools to use: the Hammer, Hoe, Sickle, Axe, and Watering Can. With these Cheap/Iron tools you can clear the debris from your neglected crop field and plant some vegetables. The 6th tool is the Cheap Fishing Rod, which you will receive from Zack when you visit his house on Mineral Beach. If when you visit he doesn't give you the pole, make sure you have an empty slot in the Tools section of your rucksack. Tools can be stored in the Tool Box on your farm when you don't want to carry them around.
These beginning Cheap/Iron tools (level 1) can be upgraded by bringing them to the forge just north of your farm area. Saibara's shop is open Friday through Wednesday, from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm. The metalsmith also sells other tools, such as the Brush, but he does not sell the six main tools.
| Metal | Cost | Min. EXP |
|---|---|---|
| To Copper | 1000 G | 10% |
| To Silver | 2000 G | 28% |
| To Gold | 3000 G | 55% |
| To Mithril | 5000 G | 100% |
There are two things you need before your tool can be remodeled:
- You will need to use the tool to gain experience on it. You can see your tool levels by pressing the X Button to open the main menu, navigating to the tool menu, and then pressing the Plus Button to open the level window. The game also will alert you when you have earned enough experience to gain a level on your tool. You'll earn 100 points for using the tool for its intended purpose (e.g., use the hammer to break a rock) and 50 points for just swinging the tool. The maximum points for each tool is 65,535 (100%). You CAN earn experience on the Hoe and Hammer while using them during your exploration of the mines. You can also earn experience points by standing inside buildings (such as your farm house) and swinging the tools.
- You will also need raw ore for Saibara to use to remodel the tool. You can get ore from the Spring Mine next to the Hot Spring in the forest. The ore is hidden in the rocks you'll smash using a Hammer as you explore the depths of the mine. The deeper you explore the mine, the rarer the ores you can find.
You can skip tool remodeling levels if you have enough experience. For example, if you had a level 2 (copper) Hoe with 65% experience, then you can skip level 3 (silver) and go straight to level 4 (gold).
Bring the ore, the tool, and a fee to Saibara and select the tool upgrade from his inventory. Saibara's shop door will be locked while he is working on your commission. Each level will take one day of work. Skipping upgrade levels will add an extra day of labor per level.
Don't forget to go BACK to his shop to pick up your upgraded tool during his working hours! He does not hand over remodeled tools when he is not working, on Thursdays, or on major holidays when there's an event in Rose Plaza.
The Cursed Tools
During winter season the cursed tools will appear in the Lake Mine, which is accessible by walking across the frozen water in the lake on Mother's Hill. Each of your tools has a cursed version of itself, which can be found by digging in the ground on specific levels of the Lake Mine:
- Level 29 = Cursed Fishing Pole
- Level 39 = Cursed Hoe
- Level 49 = Cursed Axe
- Level 59 = Cursed Hammer
- Level 69 = Cursed Watering Can
- Level 79 = Cursed Sickle
Your original set of six tools must be at Mithril level for the cursed tools to appear in the Lake Mine. You will also need empty slots in the tools section of your rucksack to find the tools hidden in the dirt.
The cursed tools are not guaranteed to appear on their specified levels. The chance of the tool being hidden in the dirt floor is generated when you first enter the room. Because of the randomness, and the stamina loss when trying to explore a large area, using the save/reload trick will conserve stamina and make locating the cursed tools a bit less frustrating:
- Reach the level above a cursed tool floor, locate the staircase down to the next level, and then save your game (e.g., Save your game on level 38 in the Slot 1 save file).
- Go down the staircase to the cursed tool level and save your game on a different save slot (e.g., Save your game on level 39 in the Slot 2 save file).
- Clear out the ore stones using your hammer and dig the soil using your hoe. Pitfalls do not appear on cursed tool mine levels.
- If you DO NOT find a cursed tool, return to step 1 and try again.
If you DO find a cursed tool, that tool will always be in that location as long as you stay on that level. That's where the second save file comes into play. If you are trying to conserve stamina, and you locate a cursed tool, make note of where you dug up the tool, reload your second save file (so all the ore stones reset), and then walk directly over to where the tool is hidden and dig it up with one swing of your hoe.
The cursed tools don't erase or replace your existing Mithril tools. You can put the cursed level 6 tools in your tool box and still have access to your level 5 tools.
Cursed tools cannot be removed on their own once they have been equipped! They are cursed and will become attached as your equipped tool. To remove a cursed tool you will have to go to the Church and have Carter give a blessing on the tool to unequip it. The priest will give blessings when he's in his confession booth on Mondays and Wednesdays between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm. Carter will also be in his booth from 1-to-4 when the weather outside is raining or snowing. Asking Carter to bless a cursed tool will cost 1000 G. The cursed tool will be moved from your equipped tool slot and placed in your rucksack.
If you happen to collect all 9 jewels and receive the Kappa or Goddess Treasure, go to bed for the day to refresh the ability to discover the cursed tools in the dirt floor. There's something about the treasure scene that appears to conflict with the cursed tools and other jewels from appearing in the mines on the same day you receive the treasure.
The Blessed Tools
The cursed tool can have their nasty curses permanently removed, which will upgrade the tools to their blessed forms. A cursed tool will become blessed if you complete the following actions:
- Paying Carter to bless a tool 5 times will remove the curse from the Cursed Hoe and Cursed Watering Can
- Keep the cursed tool as your equipped tool for 5 days in a row will remove the curse from the Cursed Sickle and Cursed Hammer
- Swing the cursed tool up/down 50 times will remove the curse from the Cursed Axe and the Cursed Fishing Pole (Note that you need to have stamina to expend for a full swing. A tool use where you faint because of the tool's cursed does not count)
In the original GBA game, the blessed requirements were to swing the tool 255 times, keep the tool equipped for 10 days, and have the cursed removed 10 times.
Using cursed-level tools will expend a lot of stamina. After the cursed has been removed, the enhanced level 6 tool will be much more efficient!
The Mythic Tools
The last tool upgrade available is the level 7 tools. This will require you to have all six of your level 6 tools in their blessed forms. Once that occurs, the Mythic Ore will being to appear in ore stones in the Spring Mine on floors 60, 102, 123, 152, 155, 171, 190, 202, 222, and floors 231 through 255. Just like with the cursed tools, Mythic Ore is generated when you enter the floor they're located on. Use the save/reload trick to ensure you grab a few Mythic Ores each time you land on a Mythic floor. Getting the floor's Goddess Jewel may help with Mythic Ore appearance, as that's one less thing you've to discover.
After you find a Mythic Ore, take it to Saibara and hire him to remodel your original tool to level 7; Saibara will not use your blessed tool in this remodel. He will charge 50,000 G per remodel and take 7 days to complete the upgrade.