Sandy Shores Enemy Lore
The peace of the ocean was broken when the nefarious Japanese Spider Crab orchestrated a daring heist, stealing the 5 precious gemstones from the back of the ancient Elder Turtle Statue. To ensure these powerful artifacts were kept safe from those who would seek to return them, the Spider Crab distributed the gems among the fiercest, most loyal commanders in his inner circle.
The first of these gems was gifted to King Kragg, a hulking, boastful Crab General tasked with leading a full-scale invasion to conquer the peaceful beaches of Sandy Shores.
King Kragg’s army swarmed Sandy Shores, quickly overwhelming the coastline and claiming the territory as their own. However, their occupation had only lasted a few days before our heroes, Koopa and Kiko, arrived to take the beach back.
In those short few days, the crab army made a monumental discovery: a fleet of sunken pirate galleons resting in the shallows. Seeking to fortify their ranks, the crabs commandeered the wrecks, scavenging anything they could find to turn themselves into a fearsome nautical armada.
There is just one problem: crabs are not the smartest creatures, and they have absolutely no idea how pirate gear is supposed to work.
Instead of looking menacing, the crab army looks like a bunch of kids playing dress-up with oversized toys. The gear is heavily adorned with colorful feathers, giving the crabs a goofy, uncoordinated "cosplay" effect. King Kragg himself has proudly mounted the stolen Elder Turtle gemstone right into the center of a stolen captain's belt buckle, wearing it like a gaudy wrestling championship title.
Unbeknownst to the bumbling crab army, those sunken pirate ships were once commanded by a ruthless, nasty band of seafaring Parrots. Now reduced to territorial phantoms, these Ghost Parrots haunt the seaside caves and the ruins of their old fleet.
The ghosts are furious that their sacred ship has been ransacked, but as spirits, they have terrible eyesight. Seeing the crabs running around in their old feathered coats and hats, the Ghost Parrots blindly attack anyone trespassing on the beach, including Koopa and Kiko, assuming everyone is part of the same thieving crew.
To survive the crossfire between the Crabs and the Phantom Parrots, Koopa and Kiko must utilize the environment to their advantage. Scattered around the crabs' camps and dropped by defeated crab enemies are stolen Golden Doubloons, or what we refer to as Sand Dollars.
If the heroes can collect enough of these doubloons and reach the Captain's Quarters, they will find the sole Non-Aggressive Parrot: the ghost of the ship's old Quartermaster. Unlike the rest of his crew, the Quartermaster only cares about balancing his financial ledgers. If Koopa and Kiko hand over the stolen doubloons, the Quartermaster considers the debt paid in full. In return, he calls off the aggressive parrot spirits and unlocks a secret pathway, giving our heroes the upper hand they need to finally chase King Kragg.