SPELUNKER - A GUIDEBOOK
By Frank Walters - T.A.C.O. Bell BBS

COMMENTS:
--------


     Spelunker, by Spinnaker, is one of the better 'climbing' games 
released for the Atari. It has a wide variety of caverns and interesting 
graphic displays to explore. It is one of my all time favorites. This is 
to help a beginner to get through some of the more difficult areas. I 
know there are ways to 'patch' the disk to allow unlimited lives, but I 
feel that takes out most of the challenge in the game.

CONTROLS:
--------

     Joystick is used in 4-directions, no diagonals are needed. The fire 
button is used to jump. It is necessary only to touch an object or 
'prize' to collect that object. Hazards are generally pink or red in 
color, such as V-shaped holes, small hills, volcanoes (small hills with 
smoke), etc. Don't touch any of these, it may cost you a life.

[D] key is used to drop dynamite. It is used only to destroy large 
hills. You must hit 'D' and then move back approximately the width of 
two jumps, otherwise you will be destroyed by the blast. You pick up 
dynamite sticks in the caverns as you go. They are shown on the lower 
left of the status screen, the things with the fuse at the top.

[F] key is to fire flares. Flares are used to get rid of the white birds 
only. Their 'droppings' are fatal. The flares must not hit the ceiling, 
otherwise they will not explode. More about this later.

[SPACE BAR] is used to ward off ghosts. The music warns of the approach 
of the ghosts, and if they touch you it is also fatal. The Space is 
effective at about the range of half a screen width. If you are trapped 
near either edge of the screen when you hear a ghost, it is possible to 
face the edge and hit the Space to destroy a ghost that is approaching 
from that direction before it has a chance to kill you. The Space bar 
uses some of your oxygen supply, so use it sparingly. i.e. Don't use it 
until you have to, only one ghost appears at a time, so if you can get 
close to an oxygen supply, then use the Space, you can refill your 
oxygen immediately afterwards.

[ESCAPE] pauses and resumes the game. You may want to pause when you 
enter a new screen to review the appropriate text file that refers to 
that particular screen. It is easier to understand when you can look at 
the picture.

Oxygen supply is shown by the bar graph at the bottom of the screen. If 
you use it up, it will cost you one life. You pick up extra oxygen along 
the way. The very first object in 'The Elevator' level is an example of 
oxygen.

MOVING THE MAN:
--------------

     Screen scroll: when moving laterally between the two side-by-side 
screens, always pause as soon as the screen starts to slide over. This 
will save you some headaches when hazards appear immediately after you 
switch screens. If a ghost is chasing you from way behind, if you scroll 
the screen, you can turn around and hit the Space bar and get rid of him 
before he appears.

Ropes: Jumping on ropes and ladders, use the 'tap' method with the 
joystick. They are very sensitive to lateral movement by the joystick. 
If you are touching just one edge, it is possible to go up or down 
without falling off. Side movement may be necessary to adjust for 
another jump, but use the slight-tap method, very gently moving the man 
to the middle of the rope. This is essential in The Falls level, when 
jumping between the widely-spaced green ropes above the waterfall.

Escalators: The moving vertical steps are tricky. The first one you see 
in The Elevator, you just walk on to it, not jump. Most others require 
you to be at an exact distance from the step or you will fall off when 
you jump. You cannot zap a ghost from either the ropes, escalators, 
ladders, or from any other moving type object.

Extra lives: The floating 'star' figure is a surprise. It is the tiny 
dots you see at the bottom of the long rope in tunnel #2 of the Elevator 
level. You get points from this and one of three other things can be 
obtained, randomly I think: dynamite, flare, or extra life. You just 
have to check your status screen at the bottom to see what you obtain 
each time you pick up a 'star'.

The levels of the game are as follows;

     ELEVATOR.1
     ROPES.2
     FALLS.3
     SHAFT.4
     PYRAMID.5
     TREASURE.6

ELEVATOR:
--------

TUNNEL #1 & #2: These are mostly training exercises to get used to the 
joystick and easy obsticles to climb and jump. There is no way to get 
lost in these two tunnels.

TUNNEL #3: This is just a short tunnel with extra oxygen. I usually skip 
this temporarily and go right to the next one below if I have sufficient 
oxygen remaining. Then I can go back up to collect the oxygen when I am 
through with tunnel #4.

TUNNEL #4: This is where you have to dynamite the first large hill. No 
hazards, just drop the dynamite with [D] and walk back left to about 
just above the rope in the tunnel below. There is a crevice you have to 
jump over just as the screen scrolls at the right edge. Pause before 
proceeding. The escalator is one of the longest in the game. Jump on and 
ride down. On the shelf to the left, just below where you boarded, is a 
prize. All you have to do is a quick jump left and jump right and you 
will pick up the prize and be back on the escalator and continue to the 
bottom. To the left is a rope and oxygen and a 'surprise star'. It is 
best to jump for the oxygen from a position on the rope well below the 
level of the shelf, otherwise you hit your head and lose a life by 
falling off the shelf. The surprise star is the little floating star 
thing that sometimes gives you extra lives. Then proceed up the rope, 
jump right, back on rope and fire the first flare to get rid of the 
bird. Move as soon as the bird droppings are gone. Don't let the flare 
come down on your head. Another crevice to jump just as the screen 
scrolls left. Collect the prizes and return past the bird (another 
flare) to the escalator. Ride up to the platform with the Oxygen and 
ladder. Continue up to the top and gather everything there also (one of 
them is a precious blue key to open a door at a lower level). Return via 
the ladder to the escalator platform. There is a slight depression on 
the shelf where you stand to exactly reach the escalator with a single 
jump. Ride up one level and jump ACROSS the escalator to your left to 
exit the same way you entered the tunnel.

TUNNEL #5: This is the mine car and track. If I have a good oxygen 
supply, I usually try to jump over the oxygen on the way in and pick it 
up on the way out. You can try either the mine car first or the ladder, 
your choice. The mine car, just climb down the rope and step in the car. 
Side movement is controlled by joystick. There are no ghosts whenever 
the mine train is on the screen. Avoid the flames from the ceiling as 
you move left to the other ladder. You have to dynamite another hill, 
jump back on the ladder while it blows up. Here the ceiling is quite low 
and the flares with only go off in two spots. One depression is just 
about where you placed the dynamite. Stand in the depression to fire the 
flare. Then when you start back (you just got another key), find the 
other depression just to the left of the little hole you jumped over. 
Fire the other flare and return via the mine car to the ladder on the 
right. Descend and I bypass the oxygen on the shelf for the return trip 
if I already collected the one above it. At the bottom of the ladder, 
you can jump left via the ropes and ledges to collect two items, then 
back and down the green rope. Across the volcanoes (don't hit the 
smoke). Ride up the escalator, jump right and back to get the oxygen, 
then jump left at the top shelf. Return to the Elevator the same way you 
came in.

TUNNEL #6: This is just a short shelf with extra oxygen. If I have 
plenty of oxygen, I usually bypass this temporarily, descend to tunnel 
#8, another shelf with NO oxygen, collect the stuff there, if I still 
have oxygen, go down to tunnel #9 and blow the hill near the elevator 
shaft, then return back up to tunnel #6 to replenish my oxygen supply. 
Every time you lose a life, you automatically get a new supply of oxygen 
with the new man, until you run out of extra little men on the right 
side of the screen.

TUNNEL #7: This has a blue ladder on the right side of the screen as you 
are in the elevator. At the top of the ladder, there is a shelf on the 
right side of the ladder with more oxygen. I usually collect this on my 
way back, instead of on my way down. Conserving oxygen is one way of 
saving lives and keeps you from rushing through when you don't have to. 
Picking up oxygen when you already have 3/4 supply is wasteful, 
especially if you have to pass by the same spot later when you may 
really need the extra oxygen. Down the ladder and to your right; fire 
your flare from the ledge, then jump on to the first blue step, but just 
walk down the next two, don't jump. Then walk left off the step to 
collect the prizes. Jump across the pits (the smokey one is pretty 
wide). If you already picked up the oxygen at the top of the ladder, 
then bypass the one at the bottom of the rope and get it on your way 
back. I usually jump up 2 or 3 steps before firing the flare, then jump 
the rest of the way and return to the elevator. Don't forget the oxygen 
at the top of the ladder. You can't see it, just jump right when level 
with the shelf on your left. Jump back on the ladder the opposite 
direction.

TUNNEL #8: This one has no oxygen, so that's why I try to get it before 
Tunnel #7, but with the oxygen at the top of the ladder in #7, you 
should have enough.

TUNNEL #9: This has the big hill near the elevator, and the green ladder 
in the middle of the screen. You must jump back on the elevator after 
dropping the dynamite. Then you need lots of oxygen to tackle one of the 
toughest little areas: down the green ladder. You can jump left from the 
platform at the bottom of the ladder, then step left, step right to the 
ground, collect the surprise star and leave, ignoring the bird. This 
bird is in a cavern with too low a ceiling to use flares. You can stand 
on the ledge to the right of the volcano and watch the pattern of 
droppings and see when the gap comes. It is too late to jump. You have 
to anticipate the jump during the next pattern, then jump twice. To get 
back, you follow the same pattern but may be able to make the first 
jump, since the break in the pattern seems to be when the bird is at the 
left side. The big hazard here is if you lose a life after getting back 
past the bird. You are positioned back on the shelf and have to do it 
all over again until you finally advance to a location that will update 
your regeneration after losing a life, usually an oxygen re-supply will 
do that. There is an oxygen supply on the little shelf above 2 ropes at 
the right of that same screen.

On the right hand screen, you have to jump on the ladder. There are 
things to collect on that screen above you and also some stuff down 
below. If you need oxygen, collect it now and all the other stuff above 
it, then go down. If you already have a good supply, go down the ladder 
first and collect the stuff at the top on your way back. After blowing 
the hill, you cross some ropes over a chasm and collect some prizes. 
There are more ropes over another chasm, with volcanoes in your way. 
Ignore these. They lead only to the main elevator shaft. You can use the 
Elevator to collect the oxygen on your way to the next level. Return to 
the elevator the way you came in.

TUNNEL #10 is really the other end of Tunnel #9. Just collect the oxygen 
and proceed. Warning: the bird above sometimes drops his crap through 
the gap just above the oxygen.

TUNNEL #11: This is the last tunnel in the Elevator level. When you drop 
the dynamite, jump back over the little hill behind you before it blows. 
It is a very short tunnel and very easy. Collect the goodies on the 
shelf, go down the ladder and pick up the flare and fire it. Jump across 
to the right hand ledge. Now here is how to jump down the alternating 
ledges on a shaft like this: stand with your toes at the edge of the 
shelf. When you jump, hold the stick to the side and don't release it 
until the man stops moving to the side and falls straight down. To make 
the next jump, adjust the man as necessary so he is very close to the 
edge, but not right on the tip. This is a different technique than when 
jumping on ropes, where you release the stick pressure immediately. Here
you HOLD stick pressure during the jump, he will jump further laterally 
that way. This is the end of The Elevator level.

THE ROPES:
---------

I'll just give you the route I take through this level, touching on tips 
here and there where I feel they might help. It is much shorter than the 
Elevator level and easier than most other levels overall. Watch out for 
bird droppings as you head towards the green rope. Descend the rope, go 
right to the blue rope, descend and blow the hill. Climbing up the blue 
rope again, jump from well below the little ledge or you will jump over 
it and into the crevice. Just a slight tap on the stick when you jump. 
Then down the blue ladder and blow the other hill. Notice the oxygen on 
the shelf just above the hill, you can get that after collecting all the 
other goodies on the left hand screen. This is relatively easy, you 
don't even have to use flares, you can pass between the bird droppings 
with no trouble at all.

Going up the steps you jump, but coming down, only jump on the ones with 
gaps between them. If the steps overlap, just walk off one onto the next 
lower one. You can step left to the ground off the 2nd step from the 
bottom to avoid the bird. Don't forget to climb the green rope at the 
right side to get your oxygen supply before going back to the right and 
up the blue ladder and over the bridges to the left.

Then you really get into the 'ropes'. Down the shaft at the left via 
jumping between ropes of different lengths. This is not difficult unless 
pursued by a ghost. I usually just step RIGHT off the last rope so I 
don't use the oxygen at the bottom. You will be returning to that 
position to exit the ropes level via the escalator to the left, after 
clearing out the left and right screens and acquiring the green key. I 
usually descend via the longest rope to the ground, blow the large hill, 
there is an oxygen supply the other side of the hill.

The volcanoes are 'double smoke' ones, that are out of synch if you 
arrive there without difficulties with the ropes. You have to wait them 
out until the puffs come almost at the same time, then you can cross 
them, get the items and re-cross them before they get out of synch. 
Usually you need the oxygen behind the hill you blew to do this. Then 
climb the rope and jump right to the upper shelf and enter the main 
right screen.

Jump on the first green step, step on the second, fire the flare, step 
left to the ground, get the goodies and cross the volcano while the bird 
is still gone. Collect the rest and go back with a clear shot at a 
flare. Stand away from the volcano when you fire the flare so it doesn't 
come down on you while waiting for the puff to go away. Back to the left 
screen, cross all the ropes to the ledge on the upper left, collect the 
oxygen you left there and descend the elevator. There is an oxygen on a 
shelf on your right which you can jump right, jump left, to pick up on 
your way down.

You are now at the double doors (blue and green keys needed) with a 
nasty bird and the ceiling is too low to fire a flare. Follow this 
carefully because it is very easy but you may never make it past the 
bird if you don't use this method.
There are 5 blue steps. When the bird moves to the right, you jump on 
the top step. When the bird moves over the 3rd step, you STEP right to 
the next step, then STEP left to the ground, just to the left of the 
blue key. DO NOT MOVE.
Wait for the bird to fly left and bomb the top step, then you can WALK 
right, jump the volcano, drop your dynamite and jump left over the 
volcano before the dynamite goes off. Move off to the right screen, the 
last one of the Ropes level.

I find the easiest way to get across the moving pillars is to make the 
first jump on the run, keep the stick pressed right and hit the fire 
button as the man reaches the right side of each pillar. You can move 
smoothly and swiftly to the pillar below the first rope. Hit the button 
to jump up and catch the rope (the pillar has to be near the top). Jump 
the ropes to the second green rope, not the longest one. You can descend 
the shorter rope to the floor and get the oxygen. Move to the right edge 
of the platform and jump. Sometimes you can catch the first prize 
without hitting the chest in the middle. If so, then try to jump over 
the chest to get the other prize (extra points) and then walk into the 
chest to enter The Falls level. No problem if you hit the chest first, 
you just miss out on some extra points.

THE FALLS:
---------

When this level loads from disk, DO NOT JUMP the volcano. It is another 
double-smoke type. You are out of synch and you have to wait about 5 
cycles before you can jump, drop the dynamite, jump back left, explode, 
jump right.

I leave the oxygen on the right shelf if I am going to try to get the 
surprise star on the shelf at the lower left via the green rope. This is 
a difficult jump because the shelf has an overhang you can hit your head 
on and fall off when you jump. If you don't have extra lives to risk, 
you can bypass it altogether, but if you are going for high score, you 
have to learn how to jump. Go down the green rope (man on right edge of 
rope). As close to the bottom of the rope as you can get, jump left, 
release the stick as you jump, then hold the stick left again before you 
land. He is going to bump his head, but hopefully will walk left and get 
the star. Good luck. Then collect the oxygen at the top/center, down the 
rope to the ledge below. It is safer to jump from the ledge below the 
rope across the gap than it is to try to jump right from the rope. If 
you stand on the second point from the escalator, a jump will take you 
exactly to the center of the step. Ride down the escalator to the 
bottom.
Drop the dynamite and move right to the up escalator and jump right at 
the upper shelf first, into the right screen.

Blow the volcano, jump on the ladder and clear out the upper left 
tunnel. return and cross the gaps (easy) to clean out the goodies and 
return via the bottom of the ladder to the left screen again.

To jump on the LEFT side of the escalator, stand just to the left of the 
highest tip, near the edge, and jump. Ride down to the floor and cross 
right to ride up to the lower shelf. The first crevice is a very wide 
one, you have to be right at the edge to make the jump. When you return 
from that tunnel to the left screen again, do not JUMP on the escalator, 
just STEP off the ledge to the ground and you will land on the first 
step and you can continue walking to the left to the blue ladder on the 
left side of the screen.

To blow the big hill on the shelf, you must jump off the ladder to the 
right after dropping your dynamite, otherwise you will get blown by the 
explosion if you remain on the ladder. Once you get the object behind 
the big hill, go down the ladder and jump right across the shelves 
hanging in space and on to the rope. Descend the rope to the ledge, but 
don't pick up the oxygen yet, you will need it later as you return via 
the same route after clearing out the next two screens.

RIDING THE FALLS: Walk to the barrel and ride down the falls in the 
barrel, but HOLD THE JOYSTICK LEFT while doing so. You will then drift 
to the left bank of the river and exit the barrel. You can usually jump 
to the shelf between the volcanoes and fire your flare from there. There 
is plenty of oxygen on this screen. Pick up one oxygen and jump up the 
green steps. The third step overlaps the second. Just stand under the 
third step and press the button without moving the stick to get on the 
third step. The rest are normal left jumps to get the 'Magic Rope' on 
the shelf. You need this object to get past the next screen. Jump back 
down the steps (stepping left from the middle step to the 2nd step. Get 
the other two objects and fire your flare when clear of the steps above 
you. Cross right and climb the rope and get back into the barrel and 
stick right to cross the river to the island.

As soon as you jump up on the little hill, the Magic Rope will appear 
(if you are carrying it from the previous screen). Collect the green key 
on the shelf and jump back on the magic rope.

The next looks impossible but is not all that difficult if you follow 
instructions. You will not fall down from the right and left green 
platforms. They re-appear below and catch you, so you don't have to 
hurry too much. Jump on the right hand platform and let it cycle once or 
twice to gauge when you are exactly at the top of the cycle, just before 
it disappears and you drop down. This is the position you want to jump 
left from. When you jump, HOLD the stick left and you will walk along 
the center platform and hit the button when you reach the left side of 
it. That will jump you on to the left hand platform and you can walk 
carefully to the left side, not worrying about falling down. It is the 
center platform that only allows one cycle or you fall off. Jump on the 
green rope. You will notice that most of the ropes are further apart. 
You MUST BE IN THE CENTER OF THE ROPE laterally to jump to the next 
rope. If you are on the right edge and try to jump left, you will miss 
the next rope.

When you get to the last rope on the left, DO NOT JUMP LEFT to the ledge 
at the top of the falls. It is too high to jump. Pull down on the stick 
until you are standing on the button at the bottom of the rope. WALK off 
the button to the left and you will land safely. Now the important part. 
Go to the left screen and pick up the oxygen. This resets your position 
so if you lose a life you will not wind up back on the ledge and have to 
do it all over again.

Climb the rope and jump across the rocks to the ladder. Walk to the left 
edge of the shaft at the left side of the screen, with your toes 
touching the edge of the platform. Jump left, holding the stick left 
during the jump. Reverse process to descend the shaft, alternating left 
and right. If you land and are not at the edge of a shelf, readjust your 
position before jumping again. It doesn't matter which way you are 
facing when you jump, as long as you move the stick in the direction you 
wish to jump. If you hear a ghost, stop and face the left and hit the 
[Space] to get rid of one that might be coming from that direction. The 
last jump takes you to the Shaft level.

THE SHAFT:
---------

To me, this is the most difficult level of all. The first screen shows a 
big hill you have to dynamite, there is oxygen behind it on the lower 
tunnel. Just jump on the rope and step right off the rope to get over 
the small hill at the bottom of the rope.

Back to the ladder and down the green rope on your left to blow another 
hill. Jump on the rope when you drop the dynamite. Down the two small 
steps and the next blue ladder and the green rope to the left. Blow the 
big hill and collect the star surprise. Retrace your steps, picking up 
everything you skipped along the way until you go up the bottom blue 
ladder. Go right at the top of this ladder and collect the object in the 
right screen, but don't try to cross the SHAFT here. Retrace back up the 
2 small blue steps, the green rope and you are now at the top level of 
the SHAFT, with several smoking volcanoes. Jump across to the right 
screen. There are a couple of objects to pick up on the shelf above the 
rope to your left. Don't jump to the last oxygen until you have to.

The Shaft has a geyser with a canoe riding on top of the water. This is 
how you cross from one side to the other. When the canoe is descending, 
you have to jump early, when it is about opposite your waist, otherwise 
you will not reach the canoe as it descends below you. You have audio 
warning when the geyser is approaching, so at that time, you jump and 
get the oxygen and stand near the right edge of the rock and when the 
canoe appears on its way up from the bottom of the screen, fire a flare 
to get rid of the bird. Jump into the canoe on its way up, walk across 
and jump out on the top/right ledge on its way down. Blow the hill and 
go down the rope. Step off the right side at the bottom of the rope to 
collect the oxygen on the small shelf. Jump across, get the others, then 
back on the long blue rope. You have to jump on the ropes to the left to 
get the green key on the shelf. Back on the long rope, go to the top and 
get the star on the shelf, back down and you may want to wait to get the 
last oxygen, depending on how much you have and how far down the geyser 
is at the time.

When you hear the water rushing, move just to the left of the low point 
in the ceiling above you to fire the flare when the canoe appears. Walk 
to the edge and jump on and walk left in the canoe to avoid the bird 
droppings when the bird reappears as you are descending. Which shelf you 
jump off at, the one at the left or right, depends on oxygen, ghosts, or 
preference. I prefer the first one on the right. There is a small shelf 
on the left with 2 objects. I usually bypass this one and catch it later 
if I get a chance. The next level on the left has an oxygen on the 
ledge, and the one below that has the blue door.

Blue Door Tunnel: After blowing the hill, go up the green ladder and 
blow the other hill. Go left and climb the ropes and collect the stuff 
on the shelves, back across and down the ladder, go left down the steps 
and up the green rope on the left, then down the steps and get the blue 
key at the far right on the bottom of this level. Back up the steps and 
out to the right screen, where there is oxygen waiting for you on the 
ledge to the left of the ropes.

Almost directly across from you is another ledge. You can jump in the 
canoe and cross and jump out in one cycle if you time it right. The next 
ledge you ridedown is on the right, with a green rope hanging down. On 
the left is a bird and volcano, I usually skip this ledge unless going 
for points, or just stopping to pick up the oxygen at the very tip of 
the ledge. The bird is a real bitch to get by because of the volcano.

Below this level, you will pass by the drawbridge that is raised. Try 
and make it to the 2nd right level below the drawbridge. You can run 
right and get the oxygen, run back and catch the canoe on the way back 
up to the ledge above you, where there is more oxygen.

Then go to the left ledge, the first one you can get on below the 
drawbridge, there is a big hill in the tunnel just above it. The tunnel 
just below this on the left is the exit tunnel. The bottom tunnel on the 
right if very difficult and you may want to bypass it. If you try it, 
you must jump from well below the shelf to avoid hitting your head. When 
getting back on the canoe from this one, it is also very hard. Stand 
several steps from the edge and when the canoe is opposite you, walk 
left and hit the button to jump as you reach the very end of the shelf. 
The canoe will catch you in any event because it is at the bottom of the 
shaft and reverses direction. You can then jump off at the next left 
shelf, the exit. The main danger is jumping from a standing position and 
hitting your head on the low ceiling. By walking towards the canoe, you 
can actually touch a part of the shelf that is too close to the geyser 
to stand on, and that will clear your head from hitting.

Just remember that the lowest tunnel on the left of the shaft is the 
exit to the Pyramid level. Go down the rope in the left screen, there is 
a star to the right. Back up the rope and through the blue door to the 
Pyramid.


PYRAMID:
-------

You will see 4 green steps just like the ones above the waterfall. You 
will not drop off the steps, the are like the end ones on the Falls. 
Jump from the top of each cycle until you are on the third step. Jump on 
to the right ledge to get the oxygen, then back on to the third step. 
Jump left to the top step, then right, to the rope. Collect the prize at 
the shelf to your left, back on the rope. Move DOWN slightly on the rope 
so you don't hit your head as you jump right to the base of the pyramid. 
Collect the blue key off the right tunnel and come back to the pyramid.

Here is a guideline for the pyramid itself. There are four levels, and 
you need to clear out everything on the left first, then go to the right 
tunnel. You have already done this at the base of the pyramid. The blue 
key will enable you to enter the door to the pyramid and it will 
automatically transfer you to the second floor. There is a blue floor on 
each level. When you walk to the edge, do not step on the little pink 
tip, but jump from the blue floor. Otherwise you will fall to a lower 
level. If you fall to the ground level you have to wait until you lose a 
life before you will re-materialize back on the second floor.

After clearing the left and right tunnels on floor 2, go up the rope and 
jump to the 3rd floor and get the blue key on the left shelf. Jump back 
to the third floor and you will transport to the top floor, with the 
mini-escalator and the nasty bird.

I stand to the left of the door, fire a flare and step to the center and 
hit the fire button to step on the escalator. You will cycle similar to 
the green steps. When the flare on your left is just below your level, 
jump left from the very top of the pyramid and collect the goodies at 
the shelf at the top. Down the rope and stand in the depression on the 
shelf, not on the left edge, before you jump to the left hand shelf. If 
you hit the pink hill, it will toss you back off the shelf. Then fire 
the flare before you jump to the top of the pyramid. On the next cycle 
of the step, jump to the right shelf and drop your dynamite. You do have 
to jump left over the volcano before it explodes, but you are not in 
danger from the bird.

Go down the right tunnel behind the big hill you just blew up and once 
you touch the oxygen there your position will be reset in case you lose 
a life. In front of you is the drawbridge. You can only cross when the 
geyser and canoe is BELOW you. If the shaft is full of water, wait until 
the canoe is well below the bridge before you cross. The bridge will be 
washed away the next time the geyser erupts. If you get trapped on the 
left and the bridge gets destroyed, you can always use the canoe to get 
across just like you did while in the Shaft level.

Now there is a pesky bird that guards both a shelf at the right and the 
vertical shaft below it. Collect the oxygen and dynamite stick and jump 
across the 3 ropes. Wait until the bird moves away from the shelf before 
JUMPING to the blue key. Don't stick around on that shelf but jump right 
back on the rope because the bird will hit you if you stay too long. 
Back on the shelf below the left hand rope (just pull straight down to 
get off the rope), step right to the
shelf below you when the bird has moved to the right. Fire a flare and 
then jump alternately right and left to the shelves on either side of 
the shaft. Be wary because the bird will come alive again before you are 
out of range, so watch out for bird droppings as you descend the shaft. 
You are safe on the left shelves, but may be in danger on the right or 
while jumping across, until the bird is off the screen above you. Ghosts 
are also a hazard, spook to your right whenever you hear the warning, 
just to be safe.

At the bottom of the shaft, jump on the two blue steps and walk off the 
bottom one and collect the oxygen. Jump on the top and second blue 
steps, then walk right to the 3rd and left to step to the ground and get 
the prize. Blow the hill, down the blue ladder and blow the next hill. 
Then down the green rope and jump right to the shelf. Jump from near the 
bottom of the rope so you don't hit your head. Down the blue rope, and 
across the gap via the green rope. The small blue steps are very 
difficult. You can either bypass them or try them, you only lose a few 
points at the risk of a few lives. Here's how to get up and down: stand 
under the first step and hit the button. Make quick jumps up the steps 
and it should work okay. Let go of the stick each time you jump. Jump on 
the top step and position your man so he is standing on the right side 
of the little step before you jump left to the second step from the top. 
If you make it, don't try to jump any more steps. Just walk right off 
the second step from the top, he will land safely.

Then down the green rope and through the blue door to the Treasure 
level.


THE TREASURE:
------------

The hardest part about this final level are the ghosts; they at 
practically non-stop. You almost always have to hit the Space before 
scrolling the screen laterally.

Go down the blue ladder and up the green rope. There is oxygen at the 
top left shelf if you need it, but if not, wait until you are on your 
way back to get it. Go to the top shelf right of the green rope and 
collect the prize and retrace your steps. Then get the oxygen if you 
hadn't already. Down the green rope and well below the level of the 
bottom ledge before you jump left. Jump on the first two small green 
steps and then walk left off the middle step.

Stand at the edge of the bouncing walkway and fire your flare and jump 
across the uneven floor. The ghosts are your only hazard here. You may 
have to hit the space bar before climbing the blue rope. Up the green 
ladder, collecting as you go. When you enter the left screen again, you 
have another one of those big bouncing pillar things, this time with 
lots of smoke between them. I found you can jump from the left edge of 
each to the next one and get across that way. Your best bet is if a 
ghost appears behind you and follows, rather than comes towards you.

Go down the blue and green ladders and blow the hill. Climb up the green 
ladder for the explosion. Then back up the green and blue ladders and 
blow the next big hill and go for the oxygen.

Up the rope and you are on the very last tunnel. The ghosts are 
protecting the treasure and come fast and furious. Drop the dynamite on 
the left screen and go to the right screen. Hit the space bar before 
going back to the left, whether you need to or not. Sometimes the 
dynamite sound hides the ghost sound. All that is left to do is figure 
out how to get through all that rock that is blocking the tunnel between 
you and the small pyramid that holds the treasure. Do you have enough 
dynamite? Will flares help?

Nope, just walk through the rocks and disregard the sound of ghosts, the 
place is haunted. You can taste the treasure so bad, a blocked passage 
isn't going to stop you! When you reach the treasure pyramid, relax.. 
you just won the game!

The last score I just made while writing this text file was 701610, now 
I have to go shut the sound off on my 800 which has the game on it. The 
thing is driving me nuts!

I hope this helps you through some of the more difficult areas. Pausing 
the game from time to time is good for a breather, but I prefer to press 
on when I'm on a roll and not lose concentration when things are going 
well.

Frank Walters
06/03/90