Olympus Coliseum

Upon arriving at the Coliseum you should start out by using the trinity marks. The two in front of each statue yield Dalmations 22, 23, and 24 and a Mythril Shard. The treasure chest behind the pillars contains a Mega-Potion.

After getting the items head inside. You'll meet Phil. He'll ask you to move the huge block. Give it a try and then Phil will realize his mix up. Phil then decides to put Sora through a trial. Save and then speak to Phil again.

This mini-game involves breaking all the barrels in a set time limit. In the first trial all you need to do is hit the barrels in a straightforward manner. Don't forget to lock on to the barrels. On the harder trial there's a bit of a trick to it. Start by hitting the four to Sora's immediate left. Then lock onto the single barrel to the right and hit it into the barrels behind hit. Then jump up a level and take out the trio of barrels by locking onto the middle one. Now hop up to the next platform. Smash the single barrel into the four barrels behind it (this one is hard - it's not the end of the world if you miss it). Then jump up to the next platform and smash the six barrels quickly. Now lock on to the barrel on the floating platform and blast it with a fire spell. Then jump off the back side of the highest ledge and smash the remaining two barrels.

When you complete the trial you'll be rewarded with the Thunder spell. After that you can do the trials again but Phil's not willing to let you do anything else. Save your game and step outside.

Outside you'll find yourself face to face with Hades. He presents you with an official Entry Pass. Run in and show your pass to Phil who grudgingly lets you participate in the preliminaries. Make sure you're preped for the long haul because you won't be getting any HP or MP balls dropped in the upcoming battles.

Try to be conservative because in the final round you are up against none other than Final Fantasy VII's Cloud!

One advantage you'll have in this battle is that Cloud yells before each attack. When you hear him cry out quickly Dodge Roll to avoid his deadly Buster sword. Be very aware of Cloud's movements. If he jumps high into the air get out of the way because when he lands he intends to skewer you with his blade. Use Fire to inflict some heavy damage on Cloud and if you need to heal run away (especially if you don't have the Cure spell). Note that you don't HAVE to defeat Cloud to continue with the game. However, winning grants you some excellent EXP.

This is one of the most difficult battles you've faced so far. Immediately after the fight with Cloud Hades sends Cerberus after the party. Make sure you take a chance to restock and save before this fight. Start out by locking onto one of Cerberus' side heads. This way you can more easily dodge his nasty bite attacks. The most dangerous attack Cerberus casts is when he spews magic into the ground and it tracks Sora and attacks him from below. When he does this attack you have to run like mad to avoid being caught with it because it packs a vicious punch. He also has another attack where he rears up on his hind legs and then drops to the ground, sending out a painful quake. To dodge this simply jump as he lands. To win this simply avoid those two major attacks and keep attacking the head you've locked on to. It may take awhile but you should be able to do it. This battle is MUCH easier with the Cure spell - this is why we recommend visiting Deep Jungle before the Coliseum.

After you defeat Cerberus Phil gives the party a Hero's License which allows you to compete in the tournaments. As you're leaving the Coliseum you'll meet up with Cloud again. He gives you the Sonic Blade skill whether or not you defeated him. Now it's time to hop on your Gummi Ship and head back to Traverse Town.