The Mysterious Area is a special stage present only in the Xbox One and PC versions of Treasure Trove that appears on the map once the player has obtained the Curious Map. It is here that Shovel Knight encounters and competes with the Battletoads. Notably this level is divided into four main sections, two of which have a completely different gameplay style meant to emulate classic Battletoads stages. Shovel Knight starts out in the camp section, but if he agrees to the training, he is immediately sent to the rappelling section.
Sections[]
Rappelling Section[]
The first section is based upon the Wookie Hole stage and sees Shovel Knight rappelling downward. While rappelling down, Shovel Knight Dig Slashes have a more arching motion, and if Shovel Knight leans on the walls, he will briefly cling on it. If Shovel Knight attacks while in this state, he will perform a cannonball attack that damages any enemy caught in its path. Firstly he must fight Zitz whilst rappelling. When Zitz has been taken down to half health, he will retreat, and Shovel Knight must continue rappelling whilst defeating enemies and dodging hazards. If a scissor-wielding Propeller Rat cuts the rope, Shovel Knight will instantly die. After a while, Zitz will reappear, and Shovel Knight must defeat him whilst also dealing with enemies and hazards. When this is done, three Propeller Rats with scissors will cut the rope and send Shovel Knight plummeting into the next section.
Speeder Bike Section[]
The second section is based on the Turbo Tunnel stage and sees Shovel Knight on a Speeder Bike. While on the bike, Shovel Knight's Dig Slashes have halved reach, becoming instead trusting attacks. Shovel Knight must first fight Pimple. Like Zitz, once Pimple is brought down to half health, he retreats. Shovel Knight must then dodge hazards and enemies until Pimple reappears. If not properly dealt with, all these hazards and enemies will immediately kill Shovel Knight, making the speeder bike violently crash. Similarly to the rappelling section, Shovel Knight must defeat Pimple whilst dodging hazards. When Pimple is defeated, Shovel Knight is flung forward into the next section.
Boss Section[]
The final section is a boss battle with Rash. This is the only section that plays like a typical Shovel Knight stage. During the fight, Rash can gesture to summon Zitz or Pimple to attack to aid him. Once Zitz has been defeated, the stage has been beaten, and Shovel Knight and the Battletoads will return to the starting area.
Camp Section[]
In the main area, the Battletoads will bequeath Shovel Knight the Toad Gear. From here, the player can talk to each of the Battletoads as well as Croaker, Toader, the Rooster Gent, Reize, and Baz.
Speeder Mini-Game[]
After the initial battle, it's possible to replay the speeder bike section again by paying Pimple 200 gold. 4 attempts are allowed before repaying the entry cost. However, the layout of the section and its obstacles will change, creating a faithful copy of the original Turbo Tunnel. If completed, Pimple will repay the player 1000 gold.
Trivia[]
- When the game is paused in the Mysterious Area, the Battletoads pause music plays.
- The Camp section of the level uses Plains assets, whilst the rest uses assets from the Lost City.
- The Mysterious Area is in the same location as the StreetPass Arena.
- During the rappelling section, it is possible to juggle the defeated Propeller Rats. This progressively increases their value of treasure dropped, similarly to how in the Battletoads video game the Raven enemies could be juggled for extra points.