Ancient Clue

"By rock man's noggin, when outer space is reversed, the door secret hides."

- Ancient Clue

The Ancient Clue is a special item that is found in the Wii game Super Paper Mario. Its text is a haiku that mentioned reversing outer space atop "rock man's noggin." This refers to Mario and company's having to use Fleep's ability on a space rift above a rock formation resembling two faces to earn a Door Key and move to the level's end.

Blappy, elder of the Blobules, spent his youth searching for the Big Treasure of Space. By the time the Heroes of Light arrived on Planet Blobule, the elderly alien retired from searching for the treasure, but he had still been able to find the Ancient Clue, vital to its acquisition, in an obscure area identified only as "the space ruins." He was willing to sell this clue to Mario, Peach and Bowser and end the search for the treasure, but only so for the price of one thousand Coins. (This price can be lowered to one hundred and, ultimately, ten Coins if his offer is declined twice. However, if the player denies this lowest offer, Blappy will only sell it for the intermediate 100 Coin price when he is spoken to again.) In the end, the three heroes bought the Ancient Clue, and kept it in the "Important Things" section but in the very end it was used as toilet paper for Fleep. After Fleep is given the Ancient Clue, he exits and joins the party, while little Squirps finally gets to use the bathroom.