One of the stranger tasks during Final Fantasy VII, and reimagined in FFVII: Remake, is the infamous cross-dressing mission. It revolves around Cloud and Aerith trying to gain access to Don Corneo’s mansion so that they can attempt to save Tifa. The pair has to first compete at the Corneo Colosseum so that they can use the prize money to pay Madam M to make them a dress. Players will be tasked with facing various enemies within the Colosseum’s walls, each one more powerful than the last. Here’s how to best take down each and every one.
The Beastmaster & His Bloodhounds
The first round, with boos raining down from the watching crowd, Cloud and Aerith will be faced with the first surprise. That there aren’t really any rules. Their opponent walks out into the arena flanked by Bloodhounds. Turns out there is no limit to how many opponents can compete on a Corneo Cup team, or a ruling declaring that they have to be human.
Players’ best bet is to focus in on the Beastmaster first. His attacks are easy to interrupt and it should take no more than on stagger to finish him off. No wonder he felt the need to bring his dogs with him. Attention can then be turned to the Bloodhounds. A little trickier than their master, but make sure to use Triple Slash. The attack will hit all three hounds at once and finish them off relatively quickly.
Those Bandits Look Familiar…
Some familiar faces will crop up in the next round of the Cup. Beck, Butch, and Burke, the bandits that Cloud and Aerith run into on their way to Sector 7. This time, the trio has back up in the form of Corneo’s minions, bringing the number of opponents in this match up to an intimidating eight. Triple Slash will be key to victory in this one yet again, ensuring opponents are hurt in multiples. Equipping Cloud’s Deadly Dodge materia will also be a massive help. Aerith’s Double Cast ability and Magnify materia will also up the number of opponents that can be hit at the same time.
Cutty & Sweepy: Not As Sweet As They Sound
By the time the final rolls around, the crowd in attendance for the Corneo Cup will be right behind Cloud and Aerith. They’re a fickle bunch. Their opponents will be two mechanoid enemies, affectionately named Cutty and Sweepy. Players will have seen plenty of these before Chapter 9, but never two at the same time. Although it’s a close-run thing and won’t make too much difference, we would recommend dealing with Cutty first. Its area-of-effect attacks are more devastating than Sweepy’s. Make sure Cloud’s lightning elemental materia is equipped for this one, and that Aerith keeps him healed if needed.
Hell House Remastered: Still Weird, But Much Scarier
Displeased with Cloud and Aerith’s shocking win, Don Corneo tasks them with one more opponent. His weird and terrifying Hell House. The Hell House is harder to take down than all of the other Colosseum opponents combined, especially for players who go into the battle ill-informed and unprepared. Swinging Cloud’s Buster Sword and using any old magic that comes to hand won’t help you here.
The key to defeating the Hell House is using the right magic at the right time. The right time is depicted by the changing color of its windows. Cloud and Aerith will need to use the opposite element to whichever one the House has equipped. Fire against Ice (white), Ice against Fire (red), Wind against Lightning (yellow), and Lightning against Wind (green). Other than that, dodge in close combat, block its ranged attacks, and when it enables God Mode towards the end of the battle, wait for its shield to drop and regenerate before hitting it with the right magic.
Once this mission has been completed, players can return to complete other, much easier Battle Challenges at the Colosseum. There will also be challenges for Tifa and Barrett when they visit Wall Market in Chapter 14. These are not key to the main story, but some with rewards for players grinding AP.
