Whether you’re hunting for the best possible ending, unlockable modes, or just additional secrets in Cave Story+, we’ve got you covered with a complete list of key items and their locations.

To simplify your searching, we’ve broken up the key items into three distinct lists — best ending key items, optional key items, and story-requirement key items. The story items can’t be missed, and are required to make progress. Optional items can be missed, but are often special, secret, and unlock cool stuff. The “best ending” key items are also optional, but will help you earn the best possible ending of Cave Story+.

Check out all the locations and descriptions for extra help with our guide, or browse the links below to find weapon locations, Life Capsules, and clear-cut instructions explaining how exactly to get the best possible ending.

More Cave Story+ guides on The Escapist:

• Cave Story+: How To Get The Best Ending
• Cave Story+: All Weapons Locations | Complete Arsenal Guide
• Cave Story+: All Life Capsule Locations | Health Upgrades Guide

All Key Item Locations

There are lots and lots of Key Items in Cave Story+. Some can’t be missed, and others are required to get the very best ending. To help organize this list, we’ll start with items required for the best ending, then list optional items, then items that are required to progress.

Key Items – Required For The Best Ending

NOTE: For the best ending, DO NOT collect the Booster v0.8.

Tow Rope: Labyrinth, Core – Found under the water on the far right side of the Core area. Get it before talking to Curly and fighting the boss.

Booster v2.0: Mimiga Village, Arthur’s House – The finished version of the Booster is available later and only if you did not accept the Booster V0.8 prototype. This upgrade allows you to boost in all four directions.

Mushroom Badge: Mimiga Village, Cemetery – Fly up to the Storage Room of the Cemetery in Mimiga Village and talk to Ma Pignon to find the Mushroom Badge. Examine it to learn it is useless, and you’ll continue your quest for the right key item.

Ma Pignon: Mimiga Village, Cemetery – Defeat Ma Pignon and collect her as an item in the same room as the Mushroom Badge. You’ll need it to restore Curly’s memory.

Iron Bond: Plantation – Use Ma Pignon to restore Curly’s memories after taking her to the bed. This will revive her and reward you with the Iron Bond.

Mimiga Mask: Plantation, Hideout – Given by Momorin in the hideout. Required to collect all the pieces for the rocket. Make sure to exchange the mask and re-collect the Booster V2.0 before launching the rocket or you’ll lock yourself out of the best ending. The Mimiga Mask is required and cannot be missed.

Key Items – Other Optional / Missable

Map System: Mimiga Village – This handy map is located above the shack where you’ll encounter your first boss in Mimiga Village.

Chako’s Rouge: Bushlands, Chako’s House – A useless stick of lipstick, this item can only be obtained if you inspect the fireplace in Chako’s House then immediately sleep in her bed. Don’t talk to her, and you’ll wake up with this item.

Curly’s Panties: Sand Zone, Sand Zone Residence – Use the Map System in the Residence to discover a hidden passage behind a wall. Collect the panties to unlock “Curly Story” mode.

Life Pot: Sand Zone, Jenka’s House / Plantation – Special item that restores your HP to full once. It is acquired after completing Jenka’s request and bringing back all five dogs. You can also find it in the Plantation. A dog gives it to you if you jump off the rocket platform on the way up.

Turbocharge: Labyrinth, Labyrinth Shop – Upgrade for the Machine Gun that enhances the ammo recharge rate. The upgrade is only available if you’ve collected the Machine Gun. Talk to Chaba in the shop to acquire it.

Arms Barrier: Labyrinth, Labyrinth Camp – Go to the far right of the top of Labyrinth W to find this optional upgrade. Use the Booster or Machine Gun to reach the high spot. Once obtained, all weapon energy lost from taking damage is halved.

Booster v0.8: Labyrinth, Labyrinth B – Given by Professor Booster in Labyrinth B. It allows you to boost (and fly) for a short period. Accepting the Booster v0.8 locks out the best ending.

Alien Medal: Waterway, Main Artery – Reward for defeating Ironhead without taking any damage. Has no other use.

Whimsical Star: Labyrinth, Labyrinth Shop – If you’ve obtained the Spur, you can get the Whimsical Star upgrade from Chaba’s Shop in the Labyrinth. If Spur is fully charged, three stars will circle the hero.

290 Counter: Outer Wall, Clock Room – If you have the Booster v2.0 and if you’ve saved Curly, you can obtain this timer from the Clock Room. All it does is keep track of time in certain zones.

Mister Little: Mimiga Village, Cemetery – A strange man found in the cemetery. Return him to his house, and he’ll exchange the Blade for the Nemesis weapon, or the Nemesis for the Blade.

Medal of the Red Ogre: Last Cave – Reward for defeating Red Ogre in the Last Cave (Hidden) area.

Beast Fang: Easter Egg item that can’t be obtained through normal means. Requires a map editor or a save file hex editor to collect — it’s located on a block under the Life Capsule in Yamashita Farm. Impossible to get without cheating.

Key Items – Required / Can’t Be Missed

Silver Locket: Mimiga Village, Reservoir – This plot-centric item is located in a pool of water in the Reservoir.

Arthur’s Key: Mimiga Village, Cemetery – The key to Arthur’s House is found in the Mimiga Village Cemetery. Find it on Arthur’s gravestone.

ID Card: Egg Corridor, Egg #6 – The key required to access the right-most area of the Egg Corridor is hidden in Egg #6. Use it to deactivate the forcefield to Egg #0.

Santa’s Key Bushlands – The lost key to Santa’s House is found right next to Santa’s original location when you enter the Bushlands. Bring him the key and talk to him to get the Fireball weapon.

Jellyfish Juice: Bushlands – A special item that puts out fires, dropped by the giant jellyfish enemies that respawn on the map. You can use the jellyfish juice to put out three fires — the fireplace in the Mimiga Village Assembly Hall, the fireplace in Santa’s House, and the fireplace in Chako’s House.

Charcoal: Bushlands, Santa’s House – A component for the “Bomb” item required later in the game. Use Jellyfish Juice to extinguish the fireplace in Santa’s House to get it.

Rusty Key: Bushlands – Required key that unlocks the door to the Power Supply Room. Get it from Kazuma Sakamoto.

Gum Key: Bushlands – Another key given by Kazuma Sakamoto. It opens the door to the G.U.M. Room in the Bushlands.

Gum Base: Bushlands, G.U.M. Room – One of three components required to build the bomb. Collecting it will initiate a boss fight.

Bomb: Bushlands, Power Supply Room – Bomb created by Marco in the Power Supply Room, used to blow open the door to free Kazuma.

Dog: Sand Zone – In the Sand Zone, Jenka will ask you to find five missing dogs.

• Dog #1: The first dog is in the Residence / Save Room after the Curly boss battle.
• Dog #2: Found in an upper area marked with two sun stones and a dog-print block. Follow the hidden passage to find this dog.
• Dog #3: In the Deserted House. Use the Map System to navigate the dark passages to reach this dog.
• Dog #4: Standing around the lower areas of the Sand Zone. He’ll run when you get close.
• Dog #5: Sleeping near the door to the Sand Zone Warehouse.

Clinic Key: Labyrinth, Labyrinth Camp – Talk to Dr. Gero in the Labyrinth Camp to get the key to the Clinic Ruins.

Cure-All: Labyrinth, Clinic Ruins – Found in the Clinic Ruins and required to collect to cure Curly. A boss battle will begin after collected it.

Curly’s Air Tank: Labyrinth, Core – After defeating the Core, Curly will give you this air tank, allowing you to breath underwater.

Teleporter Room Key: Plantation – The last key is given by Kanpachi and it is required to enter the Teleporter Room.

Sue’s Letter: Plantation, Jail #1 – Automatically obtained when you enter the first jail cell. Required to read it so you can get the password.

Mimiga Mask: Plantation, Hideout – Required to acquire all the parts for the rocket platform in the Plantation. Momorin will give you the mask. Make sure to return the mask to her after getting the rocket parts.

Broken Sprinkler: Plantation – Used to exchange for the Sprinkler, the first part of the rocket.

Sprinkler: Plantation, Rest Area – A non-broken Sprinkler can be obtained from Megane. Talk to her with the Mimiga Mask to make the exchange.

Controller: Plantation, Storehouse – Get the last part of the rocket from Itoh in the storehouse.