Hello.

This time, the theme is cherry blossom season, an opportunity to explore the cherry blossom elements found in games. Cherry trees and their petals appear in various forms around their blooming season, and in this post, I have gathered some examples from MapleStory.

Sakura Castle, a theme dungeon no longer available in MapleStory

Perhaps no area suits this theme better than Sakura Castle, a theme dungeon that was officially available to play all the way back in 2012.

The map's background music is also quite pleasant, so I have included a link for anyone who has not heard it and would like to give it a listen.

True to its name, Sakura Castle features a traditional Japanese castle surrounded by cherry trees—as you can see, they are everywhere you look.

Cherry trees line both the castle's outer grounds and the area in front of it.

This is an AI-generated image, but I imagine it gives a rough idea of what the scene might look like in real life.

Even inside the castle, you can see cherry trees through the windows.

Completing all the quests here earned you a medal, which also featured a cherry blossom theme. Apparently, Sakura Castle is now available in Mapleland under the name Kaede Castle as part of its World Tour content, so it may be worth a visit if you are interested.

Since cherry blossoms are associated with Japan, I also looked for related elements in JMS, where they seem to have been used quite often in illustrations of Kanna, an original JMS class.

Lastly, the Nohime effect also featured cherry blossoms. It is a very old item, but posts still occasionally appear asking for its rerelease, which suggests that its design was rather successful.

The Seokchon Lake event map for [Maple Attack]

For cherry trees you can see in the game right now, the obvious choice is Seokchon Lake, the map for the 23rd anniversary event, Maple Attack.

As part of the LOTTE WORLD collaboration, the map recreates the current scenery, with cherry trees in full bloom throughout the area and petals drifting across the entire map.

It was announced that this giant Orange Mushroom inflatable would eventually float on the lake in real life as well, though that has not happened yet. I imagine it will feature in plenty of photos, much like the giant Rubber Duck that attracted so much attention before.

The Guild Castle greenhouse in spring

Meanwhile, a recent update introduced a place to see cherry blossoms outside an event map: the greenhouse in Guild Castle, part of the game's permanent guild content. I am particularly fond of its warm, inviting atmosphere.

The greenhouse scenery is set to change with the seasons, with its various elements shifting to suit summer, autumn, and winter. Judging by how lovely it looks in spring, I am looking forward to seeing the other seasons as well, especially the snow-covered scenery in winter.

Places with a cherry blossom atmosphere 1: Peach Farm

The trees in the next 2 places are not officially cherry trees, but their appearance suggests they may have been inspired by them, making both places worth a visit if you are looking for a similar atmosphere.

First is Peach Farm, one of the areas in Mu Lung Garden, which you can also spot as an icon on the left side of the world map.

If I remember correctly, this tree is described as bearing heavenly peaches, which you can pick using basic attacks. It is therefore not a cherry tree, but its appearance certainly evokes a similar feeling.

Places with a cherry blossom atmosphere 2: Elluel

Elluel, a place closely connected to Mercedes, also features this tree on the world map, with the tree prominently displayed in the area's icon as well.

Leaves drift throughout the village, too, as you can see here.

Hovering your mouse over the tree in the center of the village reveals its name, “Sacred Tree of the Elves,” though I imagine many of you already know it as a lucky spot for enhancing equipment. It has quite an imposing presence.

Maple Decoration wallpaper packages available on the official website

Finally, cherry blossoms also appear in the spring-themed wallpapers released on 2 occasions through the official website.

These come in formats for a variety of devices, not just PCs, so I recommend taking a look if you are interested.

2022 Spring Maple Decoration Package

2023 Spring Maple Decoration Package

Thank you for reading.