Gongaga
Walkthrough

There are a number of key Enemy Skills that you should seek out to add to your Enemy Skill Materia at this point in the game. Obtaining them has been made much easier now that you have access to the Buggy.

Some of them have only become available because you also now have access to Manipulate Materia. Cait Sith joins your party in Gold Saucer already having one of these equipped.

This will allow you to cast “Manipulate” on enemies which will cause them to cast beneficial spells on your party which you can then learn through your Enemy Skill Materia.

Aqualung
Enemy Skill

The first Enemy Skill is called Aqualung. It is a water-based spell that does a fair amount of damage. Use the Buggy to wander around in the sand area just outside Gold Saucer and the Corel Prison. The enemy you are looking for is called a Harpy (shown in the screenshot below).

Battle against a Harpy

The Harpy will need to use Aqualung on your party - it is a particularly devastating attack that will do 400-500 damage to each of your party members so be sure to keep their HP high throughout the battle.

Harpy using Aqualung

Big Guard
Enemy Skill

This is one of the most powerful spells in the game. Casting it on your party will give them each the Barrier status effect which reduces physical damage done, the MBarrier status effect which reduces magic damage done and the Haste status effect which causes the time bar to fill faster.

Take the Buggy and head north back towards Costa del Sol and cross the river over the light blue portion shown in the screenshot below. The enemy you are looking for is called a Beachplug (also pictured in the screenshot below).

Buggy on the beach outside Costa del Sol

Use the Manipulate command (from your Manipulate Materia) on the Beachplug and have it use Big Guard on your party to pick it up with your Enemy Skill Materia.

Battke against a Beachplug

White Wind
Enemy Skill

In order to pick up White Wind you will have to travel back to the other continent. Drive the Buggy straight into Costa del Sol without getting out of the vehicle and then wander over to the Costa del Sol Harbor.

Traveling from the Costa del Sol Harbor back to Junon

Speak to the man on the docks and pay him 100 gil to travel back to Junon. Walk through the doorway and speak to the first sailor in white you see to take a ship taxi. The taxi will take you to the entrance of Junon for free and saving you from having to walk.

The free helicopter ride in Junon

Thankfully you will still have your Buggy after you exit Junon. The enemy you are looking for is called a Zemzelett, which is a giant bird like creature shown in the screenshot below already under the affect of Manipulate (facing backwards and highlighted green). It can be found just outside of Junon. Use Manipulate on it and have it cast White Wind on your party.

Buggy outside of Junon
A manipulated Zemzelett

White Wind is an excellent spell that heals your party for a huge amount of HP, effectively allowing you to rely less heavily on Restore Materia, cure spells and Potions / Hi-Potions.

You can also pickup the Frog Song ability by battling an enemy called a Touch Me (which looks like a small frog). Touche Me enemies can be found in the areas around Gongaga.

It is now time to travel to back Gongaga if you haven’t already. Drive the Buggy back to Junon, sail back to Costa del Sol and drive back towards Gold Saucer. Use the Buggy to cross the river (shown in the screenshot below).

Shallow part of the river that the Buggy can cross

Gongaga is the black structure that looks like ruins in the middle of the forest (screenshot included below).

The Buggy just outside of Gongaga with the ruined reactor pictured

You can actually skip the Gongaga area altogether and head straight for Cosmo Canyon, but it’s short, easy and there are a few items you can pickup while you are there.

Gongaga on the World Map

Gongaga

Hop out of the Buggy using the CircleButton and head in to Gongaga. The story will kick up again in the jungle just outside of Gongaga. You will be thrown into a battle against Reno and Rude after some dialogue.

Reno and Rude in Gongaga
Boss Battle: Turks: Reno and Rude
Focusing attacks on Reno

HP: 1,200 (Rude) + 2,000 (Reno)
Reward: X-Potion (Rude) + Fairy Tale (Reno)

This battle is not particularly difficult. You will want to focus your attacks on Reno as you will only get the item from the Turk you kill first (they will both end up running away from the fight) and Reno undoubtedly has the best item.

Reno’s attacks are fairly strong but your newly acquired Enemy Skill moves, such as Big Guard and White Wind, will make the fight much easier.

Boss battle against Reno and Rude

A video demonstration of this battle is included below for reference:

Follow the pathway leading northeast to head towards the reactor. Continue down the pathway towards what is referred to as the Meltdown Reactor in the menu screen.

The ruined reactor at Gongaga

Scarlet will appear once you reach the end of the trail. She will say a few things to Tseng and then jump back into her helicopter and take off.

Walk over towards the area that Scarlet was standing and where she peered into the ruined reactor. Cloud will say “There’s something shiny back there…” and you will be given the option to reach in and grab it. Doing so will reward you with Titan Materia, a new summon.

Titan Materia at the ruined reactor

Travel south all the way back to the fork in the road where you met up with and fought the Turks. Take the other pathway that leads off to the left this time.

There is a yellow Deathblow Materia sitting on the ground in the next screen. Backtrack and take the pathway leading northward.

Deathblow Materia in Gongaga

Gongaga Village

There is a scene that will occur if you enter the southernmost house at the bottom-right of the screen but only if you have Tifa or Aeris in your party.

The entrance to Gongaga Village
The ruined reactor in the distance from Gongaga Village
Best Bromance

Actions taken and dialogue in this section of the game will influence the Gold Saucer Date side quest and obtaining the Best Bromance Trophy.

Aeris and Tifa will need to be in your party when you enter Gongaga Village in order to trigger this scene. You can take the following actions after having met Zack’s parents:

Ignoring Aeris - 3 to Aeris
Speaking to Aeris and answering “Poor guy” + 1 to Aeris
Speaking to Aeris and answering “(…jealous…envious…)” + 2 to Aeris
Ignoring Tifa - 3 to Tifa
Speaking to Tifa (all answers) + 1 to Tifa

Your best bet, if you intend to obtain the Best Bromance trophy, is to have both Aeris and Tifa in your party and to ignore them both once you leave Zack’s parents house.

Best Bromance Trophy Icon

The house just north of this one is an item shop where you can purchase the following items:

Potions
Hi-Potions
Phoenix Downs
Tents
Maidens’ Kiss
Cornucopia
Softs
Hypers
Tranquilizers

You can also have the shop owner tell you about the history of the town if you listen to his stories.

There is also a Weapon Store on the left side. You can buy accessories and Materia on the bottom floor including:

Headband
Silver Glasses
Star Pendant
Talisman
White Cape
Fury Ring

The Materia you can purchase includes:

Mystify Materia
Time Materia
Heal Materia
Transform Materia

Use the pole on the left side to climb up to the second floor of the store to find the actual weapon salesman. The weapons for sale are nothing special and likely already ones that you possess. They include:

Hardedge
Grand Glove
Atomic Scissors
Striking Staff
Diamond Pin
Boomerang

Weapon Store owner on the second floor of the hut

The hut at the top left is the Gongaga Inn. You can choose to stay and rest for 80 gil and there is a treasure chest inside that contains an X-Potion.

The northernmost hut on the right has a treasure chest that contains a White M-phone weapon for Cait Sith.

Cloud picking up the White M-phone

Travel back to where you found the Deathblow Materia and continue traveling to the right to exit Gongaga. The next stop is Cosmo Canyon.