After my recent addiction to Binding of Isaac Rebirth (which I started a thread about here a few weeks back) I decided to give another game in my backlog another look.
Spelunky is tough. Seems tougher than Isaac actually. Lots of randomness in this game. The short whip takes getting used to for sure. After 20 or so attempts I made it through to the Jungle but then died quickly.
Anyone else playing/played this game much?
Some random questions here:
Does it ever make sense to pick up the Golden Totem? It seems that the giant boulder just trashes the level and it has killed the shop keeper every time I’ve tried to take it. Having a hard time finding the value in that item.
What’s your favorite weapon? So far I like the boomerang, though I haven’t tried all of them.
I’m having a tough time figuring out what is worth bombing for. I see lots of gold in the rocks but are gold/gems enough of a reason to burn through a bomb?
How do you unlock extra characters? I seem to have unlocked a thing with a blue animal hat on but I don’t remember doing it.
Is there an “end” to the game or does it just go on forever?
Once you get a tunnel dug is it there forever and you can always take a shortcut? Does it make sense to take a shortcut since you may miss out on hearts and power-ups?
I’ve played several times and was able to get to the jungle as well.
It’s a matter of luck as to how that particular level is laid out. If the Totem is below the shop – and Kali’s temple, if that level has one – go for it.
The boomerang is quite nice.
I save them for large areas which are difficult to get in or out. The snakepit, for example.
There are coffins scattered about the levels, open them to unlock the character inside. I’ve unlocked the Girl Scout.
Jugding by the Steam Achievements, there are more areas past the jungle and an ultimate goal.
There forever, AFAICT, and very useful AFAIAC. I need as many lives in the jungle as I can get.
I know there’s an end because a video went up a while back of some very young kid beating it.
I tried this one briefly when it was the ps4 freebie game but it’s a bit too hard for me. Much, much more difficult than Isaac in my opinion. Also not enough gameplay variation to keep me playing long enough to fight the difficulty curve.
Yeah, even though each level is different every time you play it the gameplay remains the same for the most part, which is much different than Isaac. This game is growing on me though. I kind wish there wasn’t a level timer that released the evil ghost but it is what it is.
I could never get in to The Binding of Isaac, but Spelunky is one of my favorites. I’ve played between 800-900 games, and have only beaten the game twice, and have only reached one of the secret end game levels one time.
Spelunky has four main stages with four levels each, and about a dozen secret or special levels. Most of the unlockable characters can be found in these special levels, so have fun funding them all!
Every player will develop their own strategy, but I try to hold on to my bombs early on. I’ll pretty much only use them to reach item crates, but will use them to rescue a damsel if my health is too low.
I consider ropes to be more disposable, but you still want to hold on to some until you acquire better mobility tools.
My favorite mid to late game weapon has got to be the shotgun. Earlier on, dedicated weapons are not really worth holding on to, probably until you reach the jungle. Just carry a rock with you until then and you should be fine.
Two tips that I recently discovered are 1) breakable objects like skulls and pots work really well for setting off dynamite boxes. Their impact debris has a better chance of setting off explosives in case of a near miss, and they can not ricochet back to hit you once the dynamite goes off. 2) a machete works really well and is a cheap way to kill your first shop keeper, if you find an early shop with a bunch of bombs or a jet pack. Never pay for anything ever again!
In the first section, the Golden Totem is generally not worth it. It can be, but you really need to finish the level, make sure there’s nothing that will get crushed anywhere below it, and then come back up to trigger the trap.
In the second section, it is always worth getting the Golden Totem. The Crystal Skull is only worth getting if you have a clear path to the exit.
In the third section, it is always worth getting the Golden Totem if you can reach it.
In the fourth section, one of the traps is always worth it, the other is always worth it unless you’re really low on bombs.
I would not use a bomb for anything less than a large ruby, stack of gold bars, damsel or equipment crate. If I had two or less bombs, I’d only go for the crate. Bombs cost at least 1000 gold each, so if you expect to find a shop to replenish your stores before you run out, trading one for 1500-1600 gold isn’t too bad.