Dive into the enchanting world of Super Mario RPG’s Melody Bay, where music and mystery intertwine in the Tadpole Pond puzzles. Master the art of timing as you hop on tadpoles to compose iconic tunes, unlocking exclusive rewards and uncovering hidden secrets that only the sharpest players can solve. Ready to transform Mario into a maestro? Here’s your ultimate guide to conquering the Melody Bay music puzzles and claiming your prizes in this beloved Nintendo classic.
After arriving in Melody Bay, if you head right and step on the stone, you’ll be greeted by tadpoles that swim on a musical chart. Jumping on the tadpole stops it from moving, so you can draft a melody. You’ll earn rewards by composing specific melodies, so you’ll want to make sure to come back to Melody Bay every now and then to play a new song for the local composer.
If you miss the timing to jump on the tadpole, don’t worry, as it’ll swim back and forth between the lines.
For each song you play, you’ll unlock better healing items to buy from The Juice Bar in Tadpole Pond.
Below, we show you the Tadpole Pond puzzle solutions in Super Mario RPG and what rewards you get for playing these songs.
Melody Bay song #1: Frogfucius’ Suite #18
The first Melody Bay song in Super Mario RPG, “Frogfucius’ Suite #18,” is a musical puzzle where players jump on tadpoles in Tadpole Pond to play the correct sequence of notes. The notes, arranged from top to bottom as Mi, Re, Do, Ti, La, So, and Fa, must be played in the order So, La, Mi, Re, Do, Re, Do, Re. This melody can be discovered by examining the tapestry behind the Frog Sage or by talking to a tadpole near the entrance to Melody Bay, who provides hints. Successfully playing this tune rewards the player with the Alto Card, which unlocks powerful recovery items at the Juice Bar in Tadpole Pond.
A nearby tadpole in the water will actually tell you what notes the tadpoles need to be, but if you’re not good at translating notes to a chart, we’ve got your back.
Arrange the tadpoles like so to get an Alto Card, which grants you one tier of membership to The Juice Bar in Tadpole Pond:
With the Alto Card, you can buy Frogleg Cola, a healing item that recovers 80 HP for the whole party, for 42 coins each.
Melody Bay song #2: Mole Mountain Blues
After progressing through Moleville and completing the mines section to free the townspeople, you can return to Melody Bay to play the second song, “Mole Mountain Blues.” To solve this music puzzle, jump on the tadpoles in the following note order: Mi, Do, So, Do, Re, La, Ti, Do. Successfully playing this tune will earn you the Tenor Card from Toadofsky, unlocking better healing items at the Juice Bar in Tadpole Pond.
After you save the two mole children and get the third star, you can return to Melody Bay to play a new song, the Mole Mountain Blues. Set up the tadpoles like so, to get the Tenor Card:
With the Tenor Card, you can buy Finless Cola, a healing item that recovers 150 HP for the whole party, for 90 coins each.
Melody Bay song #3: Monstro Town Melody
The third Melody Bay song puzzle in Super Mario RPG, known as the Monstro Town Melody, is unlocked after progressing to Monstro Town in the story. To obtain the melody, visit the elder’s house in Monstro Town and interact with the starfish on the second floor, who plays the tune you need to replicate. Returning to Tadpole Pond, you then jump on the tadpoles in the correct order to play the melody: La, Ti, Do, So, Re, So, Do, Re. Completing this puzzle rewards you with the Soprano Card from Toadofsky, which unlocks the Croaka Cola at the Juice Bar-a powerful item that fully restores your party’s health. After finishing the melody, Toadofsky invites you to compose your own ending, allowing creative freedom to conclude the composition.
After visiting Monstro Town, talking to the mayor, and listening to the Pink Starfish upstairs in his home, you can come back to Melody Bay to play the third and final song.
Set up the tadpoles like so to get the Soprano Card:
What secrets does the Melody Bay music puzzle hide in Super Mario RPG
The Melody Bay music puzzles in Super Mario RPG hide a unique blend of musical challenge and rewarding secrets. By jumping on moving tadpoles in Tadpole Pond to play specific melodies, players unlock three distinct songs tied to key locations in the game: Frog Sage Suite No. 18, Moleville Miners’ Song, and Monstro Town Star Song. Successfully completing each puzzle grants a special card from the composer NPC Toadofsky, which in turn unlocks progressively better healing items at a vendor in Tadpole Pond, culminating in the powerful Croaka Cola that fully restores health. Beyond these rewards, the puzzles add depth to the game’s world, connecting music with exploration and hinting at other mysteries like the Sunken Ship riddle, making Melody Bay a memorable and secret-rich side quest in the Nintendo classic.
What hidden clues about Sunken Ship are revealed in Melody Bay puzzles
The Melody Bay music puzzles in Super Mario RPG provide subtle but meaningful hints that tie into the Sunken Ship puzzles. Although Melody Bay itself focuses on musical challenges with tadpoles, the rewards from completing these puzzles-such as special cards and items-are linked to broader secrets in the game, including the Sunken Ship area. Specifically, the Melody Bay puzzles and their rewards are mentioned as part of the many secrets to discover while exploring the Sunken Ship, suggesting a thematic connection between music and the underwater mysteries.
Regarding the Sunken Ship puzzles, the key secret revealed through various clues scattered in the ship’s rooms is the password “PEARLS,” which unlocks access to the cellar and the subsequent boss fight with King Calamari. These clues emphasize that the password relates to something valuable found on the ocean floor, has two vowels, contains an “S,” and is plural-hence “pearls.” The hints are delivered through environmental puzzles involving springs, cannonballs, a 3D maze, and cryptic memos from investigation crews within the Sunken Ship. The Melody Bay puzzles are referenced as part of the broader secret landscape players must navigate to fully unlock the ship’s mysteries.
In summary, while Melody Bay’s music puzzles do not directly reveal specific Sunken Ship clues, they are part of the layered secrets and rewards that enrich the game’s underwater exploration narrative, complementing the Sunken Ship’s challenging password puzzles and hidden treasures.
