Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door – How to Get Power Rush

You’ll be collecting countless badges in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, and knowing which one to wear will make combat easier. Some badges will unlock Special Moves for Mario as long as they’re equipped whereas others may raise stats. Then there are badges that give benefits, but only if a certain requirement is met. The Power Rush badge will increase Mario’s Attack stat by two full points, but only if he has 5HP or less. Thus, Thousand-Year Door forces those who want to equip Power Rush to battle more “on the edge.” If you’re someone who’s confident in your battle prowess and prefers to sweep through enemies, then you’ll want to get Power Rush as soon as it unlocks.

Where to Find Power Rush

Where Can You Buy It?

You can buy the Power Rush badge from Lovely Howz of Badges after completing Chapter 2 for 150 Coins. To reach the Lovely Howz of Badges store, you’ll need to enter the inn at Rogueport. Go up the stairs to where you’d normally pay to stay the night, and enter the door on the left. Across the walkway is the entrance to Lovely Howz. If you’ve already started Chapter 3, then the Power Rush badge should be on display.

Koopa Paratroopas may occasionally drop Power Rush badges upon defeat, but the drop rate is incredibly low. If you have a lot of patience and want the badge for free and/or pre-Chapter 2, then this will be your best way of getting it. Koopa Paratroopas can be found in Rogueport Sewers and Hooktail Castle.

Pianta Parlor

Another way to get the Power Rush badge is to buy one from Pianta Parlor, which is located on the west side of Rogueport. Unfortunately, the Power Rush badge can’t be exchanged for piantas until you have the Gold Card. You will unlock different membership cards by completing tasks posted on the board in the Trouble Center. The quest to get the Gold Card (i.e: “Important thing!”) unlocks after Chapter 6.

Understanding Power Rush

Is It Worth Getting?

Power Rush requires one Badge Point (BP) to equip. As mentioned, Power Rush adds two points to Mario’s Attack power when he’s at 5HP or lower. You should also note that Power Rush can only affect Mario. If you want Power Rush for your active Partner, you’ll need to get the Power Rush P badge instead.

While the low HP trade-off for more power seems counterproductive, you can stack Power Rush badges as long as Mario has enough BP. This essentially means his Attack can climb well beyond the +2 from one Power Rush badge. When you’re in the late-game phase of Thousand-Year Door, stacked Power Rush badges can make clearing away enemies a breeze.

The downside to Power Rush is, again, its requirements. At 5HP, Mario’s not going to be able to take too many hits from his opponent. This means you’ll need to Superguard or Guard to brush off enemy attacks, or use a Partner’s ability to shield him from damage. Keeping the Power Rush ability active means you’ll have to refrain from healing Mario, too. Likewise, the Power Rush P badge has the same effects as the regular Power Rush, only the effects apply to your partner. If you want, you can have Power Rush and Power Rush P equipped. This makes battling riskier, but your normal moves will become capable of knocking out opponents in few hits.