Super Mario RPG - Sunken Ship Puzzle Answers Guide (2024)

By Jason Rodriguez on November 18, 2023 at 8:09AM PST

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The Super Mario RPG Sunken Ship puzzle is quite notorious. That's because there are six tasks that you need to complete in order to gather clues. Once you have them, you should be able to figure out the correct password to open a door. Here's our guide to help you solve all Sunken Ship puzzles in Super Mario RPG.

How to solve all Sunken Ship puzzles in Super Mario RPG

The Super Mario RPG Sunken Ship puzzles can be found in the lower decks of the dungeon. Once you reach it, you'll see several rooms along a corridor, and these are guarded by enemies that you need to defeat. The mobs range from specters and skeletons to floating jellyfish. We suggest having Mallow in your party since Thunderbolt ability causes a lot of damage against the hostiles in this area.

Upper Hallway

Sunken Ship Puzzle #1: Block Pillar

The first puzzle room in this corridor has a Koopa Paratroopa flying around a pillar made of blocks. You'll also notice a green switch in mid-air. The goal is to move below the Koopa Paratroopa so that it accidentally knocks over the ball, causing it to fall on the switch.

Clue #1: The adventurer Indigo's memo: "There is an 'S' in the word."

Sunken Ship Puzzle #2: Springs

Inside the second room, you'll see three springs that move sideways, and there are blocks that you can hit to cause them to stop. We suggest starting with the leftmost block, which you should jump and hit once it's along the halfway point. From there, hit the two other blocks, making sure that there's enough of a gap between them. If you did it right, a metal ball will bounce across all three springs, landing on the switch at the end.

Clue #2: The adventurer Indigo Jr.'s memo: "It is found on the bed of the ocean."

Sunken Ship Puzzle #3: The 3D Maze

The 3D Maze is the Super Mario RPG Sunken Ship puzzle that tends to be the most confusing. That's because of the layout of the room, which has several blocks. You'll need to navigate this area without seeing your character. Here's what we suggest:

• Enter the 3D Maze through the narrow passageway and go to the back right. Jump when you hit an obstacle in the lower area.
• This should bring you up to the middle portion, though you can't see Mario. You should now jump to the left, which causes you to emerge from the structure.
• From there, move to the lower-right area and hop on the ledge. Continue circling to the back, and jumping while inside the structure.
• Once you've reached the top, step on the plate to receive the next clue.

Clue #3: The second expedition team's memo: "It has two vowels."

Lower Hallway

Sunken Ship Puzzle #4: Coins

Proceed to the lower hallway and enter the first door to your left. Inside, you'll see a coin that spawns more coins as it moves around the room. The goal is to follow it, all while picking up the coins that appear. Don't take too long since the new coins will also despawn, and don't accidentally grab the initial coin. Once the initial coin reaches the end, you can pick it up to complete this task.

Clue #4: The search party Onyx's memo: "It is very valuable."

Sunken Ship Puzzle #5: Cannons

In the next room, you'll notice four blocks. The objective here is to jump and hit the leftmost block, which will cause the cannon to fire. You should then move under the remaining three blocks in succession, jumping just as the cannonball is under them. Ideally, you should stand under the shadow of the block when you jump. If you did it right, the cannonball will bump into each block, giving you another clue.

Clue #5: The fourth investigation crew's memo: "'It' is actually a 'they.'"

Sunken Ship Puzzle #6: Barrel and Floor Panel

The room at the end of the corridor has a save point and two floor plates. First, you'll want to jump on the stack of barrels to the right, causing one of them to fall. Next, jump on the barrel on the ground to make it move to the left. Once the barrel is on a plate, step on the other one to unlock the door.

How to solve the password puzzle in the Sunken Ship

Now, it's time to find the password for the Sunken Ship puzzle in Super Mario RPG. In this room, you'll notice six blocks with several letters. The blocks are also numbered one through six. Here's what you need to do:

• The Sunken Ship password is "PEARLS."
• That means you should step under the block with Key Letter 1. Then, jump and hit it until the letter "P" is selected.
• Move to the block with Key Letter 2, and jump until the letter "E" is selected.
• Do the same for the other blocks until you spell out the word "PEARLS."

When you're done, speak into the device so Mario can mention the password. This will unlock the door that leads to the King Calamari boss fight, so make sure you're well prepared.

As an aside, you might have noticed that, based on all the clues and letters, it seems that both "Pearls" and "Corals" are viable answers. Both objects are found in the bottom of the ocean and are quite valuable, too. However, only "Pearls" works as a password. Trying to spell "Corals" won't unlock the door.

In any case, that's everything you need to know about how to complete all Sunken Ship puzzles in Super Mario RPG. Don't forget that there are lots of secrets to discover as you explore, such as the Melody Bay Tadpole Music rewards.

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