This is a partial translation of the Community Pom Official Guidebook, consisting of excerpts of the most useful and interesting content (explanations of game mechanics, developer interviews, etc.). Think of it as a manual, but more detailed. And with helpful editor's notes marking bogus info, because what's a strategy guide without some wild inaccuracies?

If you're going to play the game, we beg of you: at least read the Actions section first to learn the controls! Some of the things you can do aren't immediately obvious, but are required in later parts of the game. Of course, since this is a strategy guide, there are also spoilers if you read far enough in, so you might want to hold off on the rest until you're finished (or need the help).

While we'd have liked to translate the whole guide, the bulk of it consists of a lengthy game walkthrough that's neither necessary to play nor terribly entertaining to read, and we decided it wouldn't be a very good use of anyone's time. But feel free to look at the raw scans of the full book if you're interested!

Scans by Xanathis; translation by TheMajinZenki; web formatting by Supper.

Last revision: Saturday, 02-Oct-21 00:48:12 UTC

The Meymeys of Woolly Village have been attacked!
The village is in an uproar, claiming the Poms were behind it.
But among them is a girl who wants to protect the Poms.
Her name is Lulu. And so, she sets off on an adventure
with her magic staff to prove the Poms' innocence...

There are many unique characters in "Community Pom." In this section, we will focus on some of the key individuals. As you progress through the game, you will meet even more unique characters.

Lulu
A 12-year-old girl from Woolly Village. In order to find the real culprit behind the Meymey attacks and prove the Poms' innocence, she sets out on a journey, wielding the magic staff she was gifted by the Poms.

Poms
The mysterious creatures Lulu is searching for. There are 16 of them in total in the world, each one of them with their own special ability. They can communicate with humans.

Ganda
Lulu's grandfather, and the chief of Woolly Village. Though he's without a doubt a great man, Lulu claims he's a "pseudo-intellectual." He advises his granddaughter on how to properly create the Community.

Sivil
A wizard with ambitions of world domination. He and the Majocal Sisters are constantly up to nefarious schemes, which are always thwarted by Lulu. His trusty partner is a one-eyed skull on a staff.

Cruela
The princess of Cruela, the largest city on the continent. She is very rich, and possesses treasures from all over the world. She has quite the overbearing personality.

Pierre
The prince of Splashire. He is quite flamboyant. He constantly displays his affection for Princess Cruela by showering her with gifts, but she is yet to give him the time of day.

Meymeys
Docile creatures resembling sheep, reared in Woolly Village. They can be raised at your Community once you build a ranch. As long as you give them love and care, you will be able to raise the finest Meymeys in the land.

Lulu's actions are very simple to perform. As long as you master them, you'll be ready to take on any monster.

Let's master the basics!

Lulu can perform 11 different actions. These actions range from walking through the fields and dungeons to attacking with her staff, dashing, and launching critical strikes. These actions are not only useful in combat, but also during exploration. Mastering these controls will make your adventure that much easier.

Here are some tips on how to perform these actions. We hope that you'll master them and enjoy the game in full.

Lulu raises clouds of dust as she runs. The poor Poms have a hard time keeping up! Going fast is nice, but be careful: you can't stop on a dime!

Action 1

DASH

Press the D-Pad twice in the same direction. This is the action you will use the most.

Dashing is, of course, much faster than simply walking. However, you can't stop or change direction on a dime. In other words, if you dash in an area full of enemies, you could easily take a lot of damage. It's best used in a wide-open area.

You'll perform a powerful Dash Attack if you attack while dashing. It's definitely strong, but it leaves you open to enemy strikes. Watch the situation carefully before going for it.

Action 2

DASH ATTACK

While dashing, press the □ Button to perform a Dash Attack. A Dash Attack deals more damage than a basic attack. However, you will briefly stop in your tracks after the attack. If you use it in a place with a lot of enemies or during a boss battle, you're likely to take a hit.

With that said, it will become one of your best weapons when used right.

Critical Strikes can be launched immediately after defending, so they're very useful when fighting many monsters at once. You'll easily one-shot a lot of enemies!

Action 3

CRITICAL STRIKE

Hold the □ Button for a certain amount of time and let go to perform a Critical Strike. This is safer to use than the Dash Attack, so you might find it easier to perform. Holding the □ Button lets you defend, so you'll be relatively safe from enemy attacks.

In addition, using a Critical Strike on a Pom while dispersed will activate its special ability.

Magic can easily defeat monsters. At first you won't have any Grimoires, so you should find one as soon as possible!

Action 4

MAGIC

Press the 〇 Button to fill the bar in the upper-left corner of the screen, and you'll be able to use Magic. The bar decreases every time you use Magic, so you'll have to fill it again once it's empty.

There are two types of Magic: those that can be used a number of times, and those that will launch once the bar is full.

Keep in mind you can only use Magic when you have the required Grimoire equipped.

Action 5

JUMP

One of the most basic actions. Press the × Button to jump.

The longer you hold the button, the longer you'll stay up in the air. Sometimes you may want to release the button earlier to land on a platform. (Editor's note: This is an error in the original guide. The jump height is fixed and cannot be controlled.)

By the way, you can use the D-Pad to change direction while jumping!

Action 6

DEFEND

Hold down the □ Button to rotate your staff and enter a defensive stance. This is very effective against monsters who fire projectiles.

Releasing the button will immediately launch a Critical Strike. This might be obvious, but Lulu will only defend in the direction she's facing!

Action 7

WHISTLE

Press the R1 Button and Lulu will blow her whistle. This allows you to disperse and assemble Poms.

Since Poms can only use their special abilities while they're dispersed, you'll be whistling quite often.

Action 8

LIFT POMS

After dispersing your Poms, press the △ Button while touching a Pom to lift it. Press the △ Button again to throw it.

Some Poms have special abilities that will only activate when they are thrown!

Tips and Tricks

● Use your Dash Attacks well

As you now know, Dash Attacks are strong, but leave you open to counterattacks. Missing a Dash Attack can be very dangerous...

So here's a trick: try jumping while dashing, and then attack while jumping. This way, you'll be able to deal a lot of damage while also retaining your ability to move. Once you learn the timing to jump after a short dash, fighting will become that much easier.

● The mystery of Critical Magic

Magic can also be used in a different way, called "Critical Magic." Critical Magic can only be used while the Magic Bar is charged and the health bar is blinking.

If you meet the requirements, hold down the 〇 Button. Light will gather around Lulu, and she'll be able to launch a very powerful attack spell! However, since you can't move while holding down the button, it's very easy to get hit.

Launching Critical Magic can make a battle very easy, but you may have a hard time finding the right timing to do so.

There are various facilities Lulu will find in the towns and villages she'll visit during her adventure. They're all very useful in their own way. Once you know what they do, you'll have a better time on your journey.

The three facilities available in every town

There are five towns and villages in the continent of Cruela. Each one of them has three common facilities: the Item Shop, the Clinic, and the Church. These are the most important facilities Lulu will need during her adventure.

There are also special facilities you can only find in certain locations, such as a Blacksmith, Fortune-Tellers, and Taverns. When you arrive in a new town, you should first check out what kind of facilities are there.

Guide 1

ITEM SHOP

● Selling a variety of useful items

Item Shops sell a variety of items you'll need during your journey. Each town sells different items, so you should keep track of where to find the items you need. You can also sell some of your items.

Guide 2

CLINIC

● Free check-ups, and save function

If Lulu is ever hurt during her adventure, the Clinic will treat her. Treatment is free, so there is simply no reason not to take advantage of this service. Furthermore, the nurse will save the game for you, making the Clinic one of the most important stops in any town.

Guide 3

CHURCH

● Recovering from poison and fainting

The Church will treat any poisoning and fainting. Unlike the Clinic, Churches demand a fee for this service. The fee is always 10% of the money Lulu is carrying. The richer you are, the more you are charged... (Editor's note: The fee charged is actually 1% of Lulu's money, not 10%.)

There are other facilities too

Guide 4

BLACKSMITH

You'll find this in the Dwarven Village. The blacksmith will challenge you to play "Gold Mining." If you win, he'll enhance your magic staff. You can keep challenging him to win 300 macarons.

Guide 5

FORTUNE-TELLING

You'll find these in the city of Cruela and the town of Burnhot. When you enter the store, the fortune teller will give you a hint on how to progress your adventure. It's completely free, so there's no harm in stopping by.

Guide 6

SCHOOL

You'll find this in the city of Cruela. Most of the students are diligent, but some of them not so much... There's no special event to be triggered at the School, but we recommend dropping by at least once.

Guide 7

PUB

You'll find these in the city of Splashire and the town of Burnhot. Lulu is too young to drink alcohol, but she can still gather information from the drunk patrons. However, they'll keep repeating the same stories.

There are a total of 16 Poms for Lulu to find in the Cruela Continent.

Every Pom has its own special ability. You will often require their abilities to progress, so let's see what they can do.

Laya
	Class	Layabout	LIFE 10 STR 2 TECH 2 IQ 2 LUCK 2
	Item	Red Ribbons
	Skill	None
	Location	Strange Mushroom
	The first Pom that will join Lulu. It wears red ribbons. It doesn't have any special ability, so you'll probably never bring it outside the Community.

Hamma
	Class	Carpenter	LIFE 15 STR 3 TECH 1 IQ 1 LUCK 1
	Item	Turban
	Skill	Kawldbref
	Location	Fluffy Underground Maze
	The true form of the Moom that was attacking the Meymeys. Luckily, Lulu was able to turn it back to a Pom. Its "Kawldbref" skill allows it to breathe ice all around.

Peep
	Class	Shepherd	LIFE 15 STR 5 TECH 5 IQ 5 LUCK 5
	Item	Hiking Hat
	Skill	Phyrebref
	Location	Fantastic Cave
	A lost Pom that Lulu found. Its "Phyrebref" is a powerful fire attack. By bringing Peep back to the Community, you'll be able to make a ranch.

McDawn
	Class	Farmer	LIFE 12 STR 8 TECH 4 IQ 8 LUCK 4
	Item	Straw Hat
	Skill	Phyrebref
	Location	Wonder Tower
	A Pom that the Majocal Sisters locked inside a cell in the Wonder Tower. By bringing McDawn back to the Community, you'll be able to make a Field.

Arren
	Class	Nurse	LIFE 10 STR 4 TECH 3 IQ 30 LUCK 10
	Item	Electronic Thermometer
	Skill	Weendbref
	Location	Splashy Lake Cave
	A Pom that lived with the Meymeys inside the Splashy Lake Cave. The "Nurse" and "Doctor" Poms can change class once they raise their IQ to a certain level.

Emdee
	Class	Doctor	LIFE 12 STR 4 TECH 4 IQ 35 LUCK 15
	Item	Syringe
	Skill	Weendbref
	Location	City of Splashire
	The original owner of this Pom will give it to you in exchange for a "GoldHippo" autograph. By bringing Emdee back to the Community, you'll be able to build a Clinic.

Buhl
	Class	Warrior	LIFE 30 STR 30 TECH 4 IQ 8 LUCK 5
	Item	Helmet
	Skill	Hedbat
	Location	Splashy Lake Cool House
	A Pom that was freezing inside the Splashy Lake Cool House. Its "Hedbat" skill allows it to flatten the wooden posts blocking your way.

Rouge
	Class	Red Pom	LIFE 30 STR 20 TECH 15 IQ 15 LUCK 25
	Item	Hibiscus
	Skill	Sweemeeng
	Location	Secret Underground Graveyard
	A mutant Pom with a red body, found at the far end of the Secret Underground Graveyard. Rouge is the only Pom who can use the special ability "Sweemeeng."

Shuri
	Class	Ninja	LIFE 20 STR 25 TECH 35 IQ 20 LUCK 20
	Item	Katana
	Skill	Straycheetong
	Location	Haunted Mansion
	A Pom that Sivil held captive inside the Haunted Mansion. Its skill, "Tangbreej," will be very useful in the second half of the game.

Wheep
	Class	Adventurer	LIFE 35 STR 35 TECH 6 IQ 5 LUCK 8
	Item	Cowboy Hat
	Skill	Hedbat
	Location	Wobbly Ruins Museum
	A Pom found inside the Wobbly Ruins Museum that can use "Hedbat." It will reveal important information about the Moon.

Ken
	Class	Samurai	LIFE 15 STR 20 TECH 30 IQ 15 LUCK 15
	Item	Standard
	Skill	Tangbreej
	Location	Maharaja's House in Burnhot Town
	A Pom that lives with Maharaja in Burnhot Town. Maharaja will give it to you as a reward if you fulfill his request. Ken's reaction when it finds out is somewhat sad.

Rio
	Class	Reverend	LIFE 25 STR 10 TECH 15 IQ 20 LUCK 15
	Item	Reverend Hat
	Skill	Barrya
	Location	In the Northwest of Cruela Continent
	A Pom you will meet deep inside the forest in the northwest of Cruela Continent. By having a "Reverend" or a "Nun," you'll be able to build a Church. It can change its class to "King."

Giallo
	Class	Yellow Pom	LIFE 30 STR 20 TECH 25 IQ 10 LUCK 15
	Item	Witch Hat
	Skill	Leitneeng
	Location	Scorching Desert Cave
	A mutant Pom with a yellow body, found at the far end of the Scorching Desert Cave. It can use the powerful offensive skill "Leitneeng."

Nailo
	Class	Builder	LIFE 15 STR 5 TECH 3 IQ 3 LUCK 3
	Item	Safety Helmet
	Skill	Kawldbref
	Location	Holey Tower
	A Pom you will meet inside the Holey Tower. It wears a safety helmet like any builder worth their name. Its stats are balanced, so it can be used for any kind of job.

Blau
	Class	Blue Pom	LIFE 30 STR 15 TECH 20 IQ 25 LUCK 10
	Item	School Cap
	Skill	Phastravvelle
	Location	Purring Clock Tower
	A mutant Pom with a blue body, found inside the Purring Clock Tower. Blau is the only Pom who can use the special ability "Phastravvelle."

Rosa
	Class	Nun	LIFE 25 STR 15 TECH 20 IQ 25 LUCK 17
	Item	Veil
	Skill	Barrya
	Location	Purring Clock Tower
	A Pom you will meet inside the Clock Tower. This is most likely the last Pom you will find.

◆ The Poms come from the Moon... ◆

On the other side of the Rainbow Bridge is the Moon world. This is actually where the Poms come from. This town is called Lunaire, ruled by King Pom. The facilities here are the same you'd find in Lulu's world: an Item Shop, a Clinic, a Church, etc.

If you go outside, you can see Lulu's world, the "Arth," in the distance. And on the outskirts of the town, Castle Vajra looms over... The Poms from your Community originally came from here. Will they have to return one day?

You can use the old tree at the south of "Arth" to get here.

This is the home of King Pom. He sure looks important wearing that crown!

Lunaire, the town of Poms. There are many Poms living here, as well as various facilities.

The Poms are creatures shrouded in mystery. But once you start understanding their secrets, you'll be able to use their abilities more effectively. Let's shed some light on some of their secrets!

● Let's bring different Poms around ●

If you're facing a lot of monsters, bring powerful Poms with you.

They'll defeat your enemies in no time. They're so reliable.

Focusing on power to crush any monster

There are monsters that Lulu can't hurt, but Poms will make short work of. If you want to defeat monsters easily, you should bring the powerful Buhl or the mutant Rouge. But be careful: a Pom's karma will increase every time it kills a monster. If its karma increases too much, it'll turn into a Moom.

These Poms can lead you anywhere on the Cruela Continent.

You can get to treasures you could never reach before.

Focusing on mobility to clear any area

During your travels, you'll find many places that can only be reached if you use the special abilities of certain Poms. To reach those areas, you'll need to bring the Poms who can use the abilities "Hedbat," "Sweemeeng," and "Tangbreej." This way, you'll never miss out on any treasure chest!

Bring the three colored Poms, and...

Every attack is a critical strike! Those monsters won't know what hit them!

Bring the Red, Yellow, and Blue Poms together, and...

Mutant Poms are colored differently from other Poms. They have higher stats and can use special abilities unique to them. Furthermore, if you bring all three of them with you, all of their attacks will become critical strikes. It won't be easy finding all three, but once you do, you'll see how strong they are!

● What is a Class Change? ●

When a Pom is ready to change class, they'll let you know. This is definitely worth the time and effort you've invested.

When certain Poms raise their IQ and Luck to a certain level, they'll be able to change their class. There are four classes that can be changed: "Doctor" and "Nurse" can become "Scholar," while "Reverend" and "Nun" can become "King."

By changing class, you'll be able to build a "Library" and a "Castle," which would otherwise be unavailable, in your Community. Once these buildings have been created, you will trigger new events that will increase your Poms' stats.

To change class, you simply have to meet the requirements.

Once its IQ is high enough, the Pom will become a Scholar. Even the graphics will change to reflect that. Look at it. The Pom is now a great scholar.

Once you have a Scholar, you'll be able to build a Library. Inside the Library there are many books written by the Poms themselves(?).

From "Doctor"/"Nurse" to "Scholar"

The "Doctor" and "Nurse" Poms can become "Scholars."

To trigger the change, you need to raise their IQ to 80 or more. This class change is relatively easy to achieve, as your Poms can increase their IQ by studying.

Once you have a "Scholar," you'll be able to build a Library in your Community. The Library will let you enter the hidden stage "Fantasy Land" (Adventure 8). In "Fantasy Land," you'll be able to find the last missing Poms and the final Grimoires.

Luck can only be increased with Luckamins. If you want to have a King, you'll have to use them carefully, or you won't have enough to do so.

You need a King to build a Castle. Once you have a Castle, your Poms will stop gaining Karma. The music will change as well!

From "Reverend"/"Nun" to "King"

The "Reverend" and "Nun" Poms can become "Kings."

To trigger the change, you need to raise their IQ to 80 or more, as well as their Luck to 20 or more. You can raise their IQ the same way you'd do it for a Scholar. Luck is a different matter, however. The only way to raise that is to use the stat-raising item Luckamin. Make sure you have enough to change your Poms to King.

Once you have a King, you'll be able to build a Castle in your Community. The Castle will keep the Karma of Poms in the Community from increasing.

There are a total of 9 different abilities your Poms can use. Each one of them is unique in its own way. They all have their uses depending on the situation. Learn their quirks and nothing will stop you!

Powerful flames that will burn all monsters away. Pay attention to where the Pom is facing.

Offensive

Phyrebref

This ability can be used by Peep and McDawn.

The Pom will breathe fire from its mouth and burn the monsters to cinders. It's also effective against bosses. To activate it, strike the Pom's head with your staff.

The ice breath covers the entire area. Use it when you're surrounded by monsters.

Offensive

Kawldbref

This ability can be used by Hamma and Nailo.

The Pom will breathe ice in a circle, freezing all monsters in the vicinity. This is very useful when you're surrounded. To activate it, strike the Pom's head with your staff.

This giant thunderbolt will paralyze monsters. They're easy to hit with your staff when they can't move!

Offensive

Leitneeng

This ability can only be used by Giallo.

A giant thunderbolt will strike the ground, immobilizing all monsters. Like "Kawldbref," it is useful for when you're surrounded. To activate it, strike the Pom's head with your staff.

Those nasty posts will no longer stop you. You'll be able to reach places you never could before.

Mobility

Hedbat

This ability can be used by Buhl and Wheep.

Lift the Pom, and throw it at a wooden post sticking out of the ground. The Pom will hit it with its head, flattening the post and allowing you to move on. This useful ability will let you get to previously-unreachable treasure chests, as well as open up shortcuts.

Hit the Pom's head and it'll stretch its tongue. Now you have a bridge you can cross!

Mobility

Tangbreej

This ability can be used by Shuri and Ken.

By stretching its tongue and twisting it around a post, the Pom will create a bridge you can cross. To activate it, strike the Pom's head with your staff; however, it won't work if the Pom isn't facing a post.

You can go anywhere the water reaches. If you see a pier, go for a swim!

Mobility

Sweemeeng

This ability can only be used by Rouge.

You can ride a Pom from a pier to move across water. To activate it, throw the Pom into the water from a pier. If you have the Lovely Swimsuit in your inventory, Lulu will wear it while you use this ability.

If you're far away from town, use this ability to warp back instantly. It sure saves a lot of time!

Mobility

Phastravvelle

This ability can only be used by Blau.

This allows you to instantly return to any town or dungeon you've visited before. To activate it, strike the Pom's head with your staff.

The Pom will protect Lulu with its own body. Now you can move through danger without worry!

Etc.

Barrya

This ability can be used by Rosa and Rio.

This will make the Pom spin around Lulu for a fixed amount of time, acting as a barrier. This is useful when you would rather avoid combat. To activate it, strike the Pom's head with your staff.

Poms can breathe so hard that they move sailboats!

Etc.

Weendbref

This ability can be used by Arren and Emdee.

The Pom will blow powerful wind that will make monsters spin and stop moving for a while. It can also be used to blow whistles, clear piles of dead leaves, or move sailboats. To activate it, strike the Pom's head with your staff.

Once you find your first Poms, you can start to create a Community. In this section, we'll provide some tips on how to do so.

● Community Build Flow ●

This will become the Community where the Poms will live. What kind of place will you create?

The number of Poms has increased, and the Community is developing. Let's keep creating more and more buildings.

Let's create a Community

When you return to the village with your first Pom, Ganda will give Lulu lands of her own. This land will become the Community where the Poms you find will live. How much the Community will grow, and whether the Poms like it, depends on how much love you shower them with.

First, pick the treat you want to give the Pom, then press the 〇 Button. Lulu will then throw the treat towards the Pom.

After eating, the Pom will start doing something. Here, it's going to make a building.

First, let's give them treats

In order to get the Poms to do something, you must first feed them. To do so, face a Pom and press the 〇 Button. Depending on the type of treat you give them, Poms will perform different tasks a varying number of times.

If you do not feed them regularly, their Hunger level will rise until they eventually faint. For this reason, it is important to stock up on food items, as not to run out when you need them the most.

Once they find a good place to start building, they will place a white tent. Aren't Poms just adorable, wielding their pickaxes?

The building is complete. In this case, the Pom made a "Wooden House." Let's keep this up!

Creating buildings in the Community

The very first thing you should do in your Community is create buildings. If you give a Pom a treat, it will start working after filling its tummy. Make sure to confirm the treat you're giving them, as some food items are specific to working on the fields or at the ranch.

Also, you should keep an eye on the number of food items you have left. In the early stages of the game, you only have a limited amount of food. If you're running low, you should enter the nearby forest and kill monsters to replenish your supply.

● Things to watch out for in your Community ●

If the Pom does something different from what it should, check what nearby Poms are doing.

Ah-ha! It seems there was already a Pom performing this action. In this case, you should give it a different treat.

Keep track of what Poms are doing

Sometimes when you give a Pom a treat, it won't behave per the food item's description. If this happens, it means there is already a Pom doing the same thing, or that this specific action is at full capacity. In order not to waste any food items, you should check what your Poms are doing beforehand.

It takes a lot of time to create the fields, so you should start as soon as possible. You'll be able to begin right after you find McDawn.

It's finally done. Now you can start farming! The act of farming in and of itself takes a lot of time, so make sure your Poms are working on it often.

Let's make specific buildings as soon as possible

Creating the fields and the ranch will take a lot of time. There are some crops that are required for your quest that can only be grown in your field. If you start working on your fields only when you need that crop, you'll have to wait quite some time. You can start creating your fields and ranch relatively early, right after you find McDawn (for the fields) and Peep (for the ranch).

If you feed a sleeping Pom, it will wake up and start working. But it will only perform one action.

As soon as that action is over, it will fall asleep again. While it does lower Hunger and Karma, it's not efficient to give them treats during the night.

Give them treats when they're awake

(Editor's note: This section is severely mistaken. Feeding Poms at night actually makes them perform one action less than they normally would, e.g. 2 actions for a 3-action treat.)

While you can give Pom treats during the night, it is not recommended to do so. That's because Poms will only perform one single action at night. If you feed them during the day, they will perform their intended number of actions, even once night has fallen. Long story short, it's not efficient to force a sleeping Pom to work.

Farming takes a lot of time, from sowing seeds to sprinkling water. Work hard until your crops are ready for harvest!

The crops have grown. You can see all the different fruits and veggies. It was hard work, but it was worth it.

Take your time with farming

Once the fields are ready, you can start farming. You can't simply leave the fields as they are, you know. Farming takes time, so once the fields are ready, you should appoint a Pom to work on them all the time.

You can increase the variety of crops you can grow by using "Fertilizer," so you should use it as soon as the Field is completed.

Your ranch is quite large. Let's get some Meymeys and raise them!

You can raise Meymeys by simply releasing them inside your ranch. Equip the Meymey and press the 〇 Button inside the fenced area.

Let's raise Meymeys

During your adventure, you'll find some lost Meymeys. Once you have a ranch in your Community, you'll be able to raise them. Like farming, raising Meymeys takes time. If you want to raise wonderful Meymeys, you'll have to appoint Poms to work on the ranch all the time.

Meymeys have different growth ranks. The higher their rank, the more beautiful they'll become, and the higher the price Dona Dona will buy them for.

A newly-created building has low stats. It won't last long against a Dismonster like this.

Use reinforcing items to increase their stats. Now this building can withstand a Dismonster.

Pay attention to the buildings' stats

The buildings in your Community have stats regarding their durability and resistance to quakes, fires, and floods. The higher these stats, the more resistant the buildings will be to Dismonster attacks.

The stats of your buildings can be increased using special reinforcing items. These items are sold at Item Shops all over the land, so you should buy them and use them as often as possible. As long as you keep prepared, you'll have nothing to fear from Dismonsters.

You'll realize Dismonsters are attacking because something feels off.

You must defeat the Dismonsters to protect your Community.

Oh no! It's a Dismonster!

When you return to the Community after completing an adventure, occasionally, you'll find that something feels off. That's the sign of a Dismonster attack.

Dismonsters will appear once every 15 days. They will move to different places in your Community for about 30 seconds, trying to destroy your buildings.

These are the Dismonsters

There are three types of Dismonsters, and they will appear randomly.

The three types have either a fire, water, or earth affinity. When a building is attacked, the damage it takes depends on its resistance to the Dismonster's elemental affinity.

The Dismonsters will only remain for about 30 seconds; if you're not careful, they will use this time to destroy your buildings. If you manage to find them quickly and attack them, you will be able to prevent any damage. Elemental magic can be very effective on them.

This is the fire-element Dismonster. The spell "Frawst" is particularly effective against it.

This is the water-element Dismonster. The spell "Phyre" is particularly effective against it.

This is the earth-element Dismonster. Since it moves underground, be ready to attack as soon as it emerges.

Use items to counter Dismonsters

Once Dismonsters appear, they'll start wreaking havoc in your Community. While Lulu can take them down, due to their sheer numbers, you won't be able to defeat them all before they cause damage.

Your best countermeasure is to use reinforcing items to increase the stats of your buildings. These items are sold at every Item Shop, so you should buy them whenever you can. As long as the buildings' durability and resistances are high, you'll be fine when Dismonsters appear.

Keep an eye on the Karma value. Any higher than this and it'll be trouble.

How to keep a Pom from turning into a Moom

Poms can easily defeat monsters that get in your way. However, if you let Poms fight all of your battles, their Karma will keep increasing. Even outside of battle, their Karma will increase if you don't periodically feed your Poms in your Community.

Once this value reaches 100, Poms will transform into mean creatures called Mooms. Luckily, this is a rare occurrence. You simply have to refrain from letting Poms fight all your battles, and remember to give them treats in your Community. As long as you take good care of your Poms, they won't turn into Mooms.

Your Pom turned into a Moom. You can't let it roam freely. Keep after it!

What to do if your Pom turns into a Moom

So, your Pom has turned into a Moom. What now?

When a Pom turns into a Moom, it'll fly around the Community, attempting to destroy your buildings. Unlike Dismonsters, you won't be fighting a large number of enemies, but Mooms are much more agile, so they won't be easy to catch. You have to time your attacks well if you want to minimize damage to your buildings.

Also, they cannot be defeated; they'll warp away after a certain amount of time. Keep chasing after them until they finally leave.

In a way, you could say that a Moom is the ultimate Dismonster.

How to remove a Pom's Karma

Giving a 2-action treat will reduce both Hunger and Karma. It should be more efficient than the multiple-action treats.

If Karma is too high, you can give your Pom a "Goodboy Pill" and keep those Mooms away.

(1) Give them a 2-action treat

When you give a Pom a treat, its Karma will decrease by its IQ value. As long as you keep feeding them regularly, you won't have to worry about Karma.

(2) Give them a "Goodboy Pill" to remove it all

If Karma is too high, you can remove it all at once by giving them a "Goodboy Pill." You can also use it on a Moom to deal a lot of damage.

◆ What's the right way to feed your Poms? ◆

Being aware of what your Poms are doing is also an important part of creating your Community.

1. Give them the right treat for the right situation

When feeding your Poms, you should always give them the right treat for the right situation. For example, there's no point in giving them a treat that makes them farm if your fields aren't ready yet. It's also important to be aware of the current status of your Community. In short, confirm what you have and what you need, and give Poms the right treat.

When you're low on food, go to the nearby forest, defeat monsters, and collect the food they drop.

2. Keep an eye on your food storage

As you find more and more Poms, you'll have less and less food in your storage. Be sure to pick up any food items monsters drop when defeated. Even your fields won't provide food at a fast enough pace, so you can't rely only on vegetables. If you're ever low on food, go to the nearby forest and kill monsters to replenish your supplies.

This amount of Hunger should be fine. Any more than this and it might be trouble. Be sure to feed them regularly.

3. Pay attention to the Poms' Hunger level!

When there's no work to do in your Community, you might think that you're wasting food when giving Poms treats. However, if you don't feed them regularly, their Hunger value will increase; if it rises too much, they will faint.

Keep an eye on their Hunger level. If it's too high, give them treats, even if they have nothing to do.

At the Trader, items not sold in normal shops line the counter.

Let's collect the Trading Cards

The mysterious cards Lulu will discover along her journey are Trading Cards. In all, there are 42 cards throughout the world. Since they're hidden in various places, finding them all won't be easy. If you build the Trader in the Community, Tonerko will trade you valuable items for the cards you've collected.

Editor's note: Card 41 is actually unobtainable in the original 1997 release of the game due to its event trigger accidentally not being assigned to a clickspot. This went unnoticed during testing because Card 22 is bugged and awards two cards instead of one, so collecting the 41 cards that are actually available still results in receiving the intended total of 42 cards. When the game was rereleased in 1999, Card 41 was made available in the spot where it was seemingly meant to be all along, though the "doubled" Card 22 was not fixed, so that version awards 43 cards in total. All issues have been fixed for the translation patch.

You can learn new spells by finding Legendary Grimoires inside treasure chests. "Phyre" and "Frawst" in particular are very useful, even outside of combat.

First, charge your Magic Bar

Lulu can only use her spells when the Magic Bar in the top left corner of the screen is full. Every time she uses a spell, the bar will decrease. If the Magic Bar is almost empty and you're entering an area full of monsters, you should empty it so that you can fully charge it again.

Name

Phyre

Location

Weird Tree

Data

Hurls a fireball in front of Lulu. It can also press certain switches in dungeons.

Name

Frawst

Location

Strange Mushroom

Data

Creates a wall of ice around Lulu. Very effective when surrounded by enemies. This spell makes Lulu invincible for a few moments.

Name

Tellaypawt

Location

Wonder Tower

Data

Makes Lulu leave a dungeon and returns her to a town or a village. Very useful when in danger.

Name

Heksplowsion

Location

Splashy Lake Cool House

Data

Explodes when it hits a wall or an enemy, dealing great damage to anything in range. Consumes a lot of magic.

Name

Tranzparrant

Location

Haunted Mansion

Data

Turns you invisible for a fixed amount of time. Monsters won't be able to see you, but keep in mind that you're not invincible.

Name

Heelieng

Location

Wobbly Ruins Museum

Data

Averages the party's HP. Very useful in the second half of the game, once enemy attacks get more intense.

Name

Anteedaute

Location

Purring Clock Tower

Data

A spell that cures both poisoning and fainting. This will be very useful in the second half of the game. (Editor's note: This spell does not cure fainting, only poisoning.)

Name

Thandar

Location

Purring Clock Tower

Data

The strongest spell. Thunder is released from your staff, inflicting great damage.

"Community Pom": a game teeming with comical characters and diverse actions. Today, we asked the development staff to tell us the secret story behind its creation.

Mr. Hayasaka was in charge of planning. The game was born from his head.

Mr. Higashida created all those cute characters with his right hand.

Mr. Ogura, the creator of "GoldHippo."

Hawron was modeled after Mr. Horiguchi.

Mr. Sekihara was in charge of programming.

Mr. Sekikawa was in charge of the Community Mode.

Mr. Ishikawa was in charge of the minigames.

Mr. Takazawa gave us his view from the standpoint of PR.

Mr. Konya, their producer, who looked after the development staff.

Mr. Hayasaka told us about the concept of the game.

Mr. Konya and Mr. Takazawa gave us a different perspective about the game from the development staff.

It was a lively interview from start to finish.

They seemed to be deeply moved as they looked back on the development.

Mr. Sekihara's team displayed their dedication as programmers.

Mr. Horiguchi smiles shyly as he tells us he was the model for the character Hawron.

The staff poses for a photo in front of a "Community Pom" poster.

Here we have collected the rough sketches of the unique characters of "Community Pom," drawn before they were put into the game, with comments from the character designer, Mr. Higashida.

Lulu

The game's protagonist. She's a character with very rich expressions. Once I read the game's proposal, I immediately drew her on the spot. At the time, I already had this picture of a blond girl wearing a witch's robe. When I showed the rest of the staff the colored art, they told me "We thought she'd have a yellow robe to go with the blond hair." In fact, they didn't like the pink robe at all...

Poms

The original concept looked different, but once it was decided that they would come from the moon, I made them look more like rabbits. However, there are plenty of creatures with rabbit-like features in media. In many of my takes, I realized that I had drawn something that was too similar to characters from other game franchises.

King Mellon

As the name implies, it's the boss of all Mellons. In the plot, it's being controlled by "Wicked Feelings," a bug on its head.

Moom

The basic concept for this design was Pom + fallen angel. In my head, I had this idea of a situation similar to the movie "Gremlins," with the mild Poms turning into the wild Mooms in the Community, but in the end you don't really see a lot of them, which is a shame.

Coloron & Hawron

These characters are modeled after a certain person from the development team (laughs). We picked this design during the proposal stage of the project. Since the design was more or less based on an inside joke, I didn't actually think it would end up in the final game.

Sivil

Lulu's rival. He's a bad kid who wants to take over the world. The idea is that he comes up with a plan, the plan fails, and Cackleca (his sentient staff) makes fun of him.

In the original concept, his origins were unknown, and he would always be one step ahead of Lulu to get in her way, but this concept was changed during the project.

Majocal Sisters

They're inspired by a certain villainous trio from an old anime. I designed them as three typical witches. Personality-wise, the elder sister is the leader, the middle sister is the calm one, and the younger sister is the rebellious one. I really liked their concept, but unfortunately, they never became major characters.

Tonga, Temmy, and Pola

Three gods combined into one. They all have individual minds, so they can have conversations (that end up being comedy routines). I based their concept on a totem pole, after which they were also named.

Bone to be Mild

A member of the development staff really wanted to have a sword-wielding skeleton golem, so we implemented it into the game. Since it was originally called "Bone to be Mild," I decided to give it a rocker vibe. (Editor's note: The Japanese name for this boss is Honehonejin, literally "Bone Bone Man," and it's also sometimes also referred to as Honehone Rocker, "Bone Bone Rocker." Since we needed to localize it for the translation anyway, we just used its prototype name instead.)

Moondragon

This concept was inspired by the dragon from "The NeverEnding Story," but with a more classic design. Originally, it was supposed to be the sacred beast of the Moon, capable of understanding human language and communicating with Lulu, but in the end it was just made into a normal monster, which is really a shame.

Wicked Feelings

The true final boss. In the original game concept, after defeating Vajra, Wicked Feelings would come out and there would have been a happy ending, but then it was decided that this would be the last boss, so I designed it very late during development. Its design concept is "evil spirit."

Vajra

The last boss. Of course, the basic design is the old lady version. In the original concept, she was supposed to only appear as the old lady, and then transform into an evil monster, but then they asked for a more appealing younger version, which I hastily designed, and that's what ended up in the final game.

Seravy

The Moon Goddess, imprisoned inside Castle Vajra. When I designed her, I decided to make her into more of a "symbol" than a normal person, which is why she gives off such a powerful vibe. I never thought she'd be captured by someone like Vajra.

Pierre

They told me I could do whatever I wanted for this character's design, and so I did (laughs). The idea is that of a lazy aristocrat who tries to be fashionable, but goes overboard and ends up looking gay. He's actually a nice person, but he doesn't have any friends. When I designed him, I was thinking about the synergy between him and his old caretaker, the only person who understands him, but in the end he didn't end up being a major character.

Cruela

Unlike Pierre, she's very popular with her citizens. My original concept was that she'd have a personality the complete opposite of her appearance; she'd be very pretty, but also very mean. In the end, she didn't turn out to be particularly mean in the final game. It's not easy to express a person's hidden thoughts in a drawing. I drew her like the kind of woman who'd hide thumb tacks inside someone's ballet shoes.

Summon Spirits

My personal favorite is the Fire Genie, but I also like the Water Spirit a lot. The Desert Messenger's original design was much weirder, but I'm the only one who knows about it (laughs). Since they only show up when you use certain items, you won't see them often. I hope you'll use the summon items to check them out in-game.

Clockwise from top-left: Wind Deity, Flower Goddess, Fire Genie, Water Spirit, Desert Messenger

Rejected Characters

These are the characters that were not put in the final game. They were either rejected because there was no need for them, or because the original plan was changed. Some of them even had names, and might have been implemented if things had been just a little different. Sometimes I like to imagine how they would have acted had they been implemented in the game. Some of these designs will most likely be repurposed for future games.