SEND NERO TO HELL!

 

Levels by Marcos

 

Walkthrough by Phil Lambeth

 

Note: Another haywire compass, so directions will be indicated according to where the red needle is pointing.

 

 

PART 1

 

After the flyby, Kurtis drops down into some shallow water near Nero's Hidden Island.  Run SW toward the twin statutes on the raised block.  When you reach the deep pit, look down below the statues to find an opening in the S wall.  Take a running jump with grab to land inside the opening, turn around and take a running jump NE between the two cascading streams of water to land inside an opening in the E wall.  Step forward, crouch down and shoot the grate in the E alcove. Crawl inside the passage, turn right and take the STATUETTE from the plinth for SECRET #1.  There's a nearby grate in the lower W wall that you can shoot, but there's no practical use for it.

 

Go back to the first crawl space, noting the closed gate ahead, crawl through, save your game and take a running jump SW to grab the opening you jumped from earlier.  Pull up, run forward and turn right into an open room with a closed floor grate.  One of the small pots (the white one) contains the REAR ACCESS KEY.  (Note that your pistol ammo is not unlimited in this game, but not to worry. You won't have your pistols for much longer.) Near the skeleton you'll find a flare (not flares).

 

Exit W, turn right, then left at the wall and up the stairs.  Open the gate with the Rear Access Key and continue to a series of crossings.  Open the floor trap door to your right at the first crossing and hop into the darkness.  Slide down a series of slopes to land in a lower area.  Follow the passage to an upper crawl space and use it to drop down into the next passage.  As you do so your pistols are yanked out of their holsters by a powerful overhead magnet. Pull up onto the nearby block and take a running jump slightly NE to grab the barred opening.  Pull up inside and jump through the narrow gap (jump key + up arrow) into the next room.

 

Run across the room and pick up a small STONE in the SE corner near the steps.  Go to the NW corner past the hanging banner and mount the steps to an upper room with a gladiator statue where you'll find another flare next to a skeleton.  Go E toward the closed door (note for later the clustered spears on either side of the door while observing that one of the spearheads is missing) and find the EXPLORER'S DIARY next to yet another skeleton.  It provides some valuable information, although in random order of use: The statuette beneath the water is a deadly trap! Water or blessed ammo destroys gladiator! Bats are dangerous and elusive. You need to kill all of them to continue the journey.

 

Run past the gladiator statue into the W room.  An alarmed frog croaks in protest as you locate three of its EGGS (to be used in this game as medipacks) in the NW weeds.  Exit this room the way you came, only to awaken the gladiator.  Turn left and dash down the stairs, continue under the hanging banner into the next room, turn left again to the slab against the wall and quickly pull up into the W window. Jump out the other side to trigger a cut scene of the gladiator breaking down two doors in order to get at you, only to be lifted up to the ceiling, armor and all, courtesy of the same magnet that deprived you earlier of your pistols.

 

Continue forward and left through the door opened by the gladiator. In the next room take the flare from the skeleton to add to your growing collection, then head into the W corridor and grope in the first dark area you come to (so you won't have to use a valuable flare) a bit left of center for the SOL INVICTUS KEY.  Turn around, return to the previous room and take a right into the next room, then a left into the gladiator statue room and another left down the stairs and under the hanging banner to the SE corner in the next room where you picked up the Stone earlier.  Enter the opening there and place the Sol Invictus Key in the nearly invisible receptacle on your right to open the gate.

 

You hear a warning sound as you enter the passage, so walk carefully toward the opening on your right but stop before you step on the dark strip.  Select the Stone from your inventory and throw it over the strip to trigger a wicked dart wall.  You can now walk forward safely, as the remaining dark strips are harmless (having already been triggered by earlier careless victims). Enter the alcove on your right for a flare, and the next alcove on your left for another flare (in the impaled victim's back pocket).  The Stone, having now been used, cannot be picked up again.

 

In the dark room ahead, go to the back NE corner and pull up into the crawl space in the N wall. Jump out the other side and run to the alcove straight ahead for a STATUETTE and SECRET #2. There's nothing more to do here at the moment, so crawl back through the S window.  In the previous room, vault up onto the SW ledge between the two fallen pillars, face slightly SE and stand jump to grab the crawl space in the S wall.  Crawl through and jump down the other side.  Pick up the CAGES MAP next to the skeleton and take a look at it.  You're about to put it to use.

 

Return to the previous room via the crawl space, exit W and run down the corridor, into the next room and left underneath the hanging banner, up the stairs and right into the room with the frogs, right into the next room and left into the dark corridor where you found the Sol Invictus Key, then straight ahead W into what I'll call the cage room.  There are several pits in the floor, all of which will lead to a quick death except for the NW one (not the one against the N wall). Drop down into that one for SECRET #3 and pick up the STATUETTE in the darkness.  Pull back out and use the arrow keys to jump back and forth along the sloped edges until you land on a level part of the floor.

 

Go toward the N wall and Kurtis will look up at the cage there.  Stand near the SE corner of the pit, facing W underneath the cage, and jump up to grab and open the door of the cage. Go to the N wall, to the left of the pit, turn right and take a curved running jump S (or face the cage and take a "walking running jump" by pressing the walk key, then the up arrow and jump keys) to grab the open doorway of the cage.  Pull up inside, turn around and take a running jump to grab the upper N window.  Pull up, turn around and jump to the top of the cage.  Take a running jump S and grab the next cage. From there, take a running jump E and grab the opening in the wall.  Pull up inside, go to the other end and take a running jump W to grab the next cage.  Pull up, turn around and take a running jump to grab the higher slope in the E wall.  Shimmy left until you can pull up onto a flat surface.  Run forward and climb up into a window.  Pick up the BAR and jump through the gap in the bars.

 

Watch the flyby, and by the time camera control is restored you're being attacked by a bat.  Run forward to the corridor, take a right and jump the gap onto a bridge, and keep running down into the N room.  Make sure the bat follows you in, then step onto the orange tile.  Unfortunately, doing so awakens the nearby hydra, but it also kills the bat when it flies over the tile.  Start to exit this room, whereupon you're attacked by a second bat.  Go back and kill it the same way you killed the first one.  The diary indeed says kill "all" and not "both," but no additional bats ever showed up for me. If you're running low on health, you can run back S, jump over the gap to grab the S opening, pull up and run forward into the next room for healing water.

 

In any event, when the second bat is dead, return to the bridge in the open area and jump down NE to the stairs. Go around clockwise until you reach the floor.  Grab the flare next to a skeleton and pull the chain in the dark NE corner to open the N door next to the gladiator statue.  Turn around to your right where you're standing and look at the N entrance.  Locate the overhead monkey bars. As you pass through the opening the gladiator will come to life, so quickly run to the far right edge of the opening (overlooking a lava room), jump up and grab the ceiling before the gladiator can get to you.

 

Monkey swing over the lava, being careful to stay on the tracks, and when you reach the other end release and grab the ledge below.  Pull up into an outdoor area.  Run forward and find two crowbar switches on the red structure flanked by gladiator statues.  Don't use the one on your left, or the fisted bar will come out of the wall and kill you.  Insert the bar into the switch on your right (take one step back first) and immediately side flip right as the gladiators come to life.  Run into the opened N gateway, turn left and go to the wall.  Turn left there and take the SPEARHEAD from the plinth in the alcove as the gladiators give chase.  Get past them and return to the previous room.

 

Run toward the lava, saving your game along the way, and take a running jump to grab the monkey bars on the right side where they hang down the lowest (aim for that bare brown patch).  Monkey swing to the other side and drop down to where the first gladiator is waiting for you.  Run past him and go counterclockwise up the stairs, cutting corners as necessary to stay ahead of him.  When you reach the upper bridge (where the gladiator won't follow), jump S over the gap to grab the opening and pull up.  Run into the pool of healing water if necessary, then return to the connecting corridor and enter the W alcove.  Go to the wall, pull up into the window on the left side and jump down the other side onto the ledge overlooking the cage room.

 

Take a running jump NW onto the cage below, jump and jump NE with grab to land inside the opening in the E wall, safety drop to the floor (rolling as you land to minimize health loss), then exit the cage room through the SE opening. Run through the dark corridor to the next room, turn right into the frog room (where the frogs are now strangely silent) and go left through the E opening past the empty slab where the first gladiator statue was once perched. Place the Spearhead on the receptacle to the right of the closed door.

 

The door opens, so enter a small room to find yourself at a seeming dead end.  The windows are too high to reach, and there appears to be no way out.  However, if you approach the N wooden door and use the action key, Kurtis will strain his back muscles to pull it up.  Enter a huge outdoor area separated by a central pit. Go to the E ledge and stand next to the S wall.  Take a running jump SE over the gap, curving a bit to the left, and grab a white slab in the corner on the other side. Pull up, turn left and jump up to grab the opening in the W wall.  Pull up into the passage and take the STATUETTE from the plinth for SECRET #4.

 

Drop back down and jump back NW to the previous ledge.  Splash through the shallow water to the N wall and pull up into the higher window.  Turn to face slightly NE and stand jump to grab the higher opening in the W wall.  Pull up and slide down the other side into the passage below.  Turn around and open the floor trap door. Jump into the water and swim into a flooded room. Wade S and avoid the snake as you step up in front of a blocked opening. Jump over the obstruction and pull up onto the steps. Go up halfway and pull up left.  Get behind the stone structure and use the action key to push it forward.  It rolls down, killing the snake and shattering a couple of panels before coming to rest.

 

Get back down, locate the corpse next to the dead snake and pull it by the hair to reveal a STATUETTE for SECRET #5. Get into the water, which is no longer shallow, and swim into the N opening.  Swim down at the end to a four-way intersection and continue E into a small room. Pull open the E door and swim into a flooded room with familiar-looking appointments. You can see a statuette in the SE alcove, but remember the admonition in the Explorer's Diary.  If you swim into the alcove you'll be spiked.  Instead, loop around left into the W alcove and attempt to take something from the impaled frogman.  Kurtis kept acting as if he were trying to make a grab, but nothing discernible happened in my game. Anyway, swim S under the hanging banner into the next room.  Go to the S wall between the lion statues and loop around left.  Grab the horizontal rope behind the lion statue (you have to be positioned just right) and Kurtis will kick the statue off the column (leaving the head behind) to shatter a grate in the floor.  Swim there and allow the current to suck Kurtis down for the second leg of this adventure.

 

PART 2

 

Kurtis has been dropped into a large underground room.  A skeleton opposite the N campfire guards a flare. You can see a pair of lion statues against the S wall and a gladiator statue near the N wall.  Nothing happens when you approach them.  Nonetheless, go to the gladiator statue and discover that it's pushable.  Push it W (toward the campfire), only to find to your distress that the gladiator becomes alive and dangerous.  Run away from him toward the water flow that brought you down here, and lure the gladiator under it for a much-needed shower.  As soon as the water touches him he drops dead and explodes, as the Explorer's Diary said he would.  Go to the floor grate where he was and pick up the KEY.

 

Go to the SW corner, arousing a couple of frogs, and pick up three EGGS.  Proceed to the NW corner and find a keyhole.  Use the Key to open the door to your left. Go down the corridor, past the openings to your right and left, and enter the crawl space near the NW corner.  Jump down the other side and start sliding.  Be ready to jump over the gap near the bottom; otherwise, you'll be impaled on spikes. Continue S past a couple of fire pots, and a trap door opens in the floor upon your approach.  Save your game. Turn around, hop back, slide a bit and back flip onto a ledge overlooking a huge lions' den.  Watch the flyby, during which the obviously hungry lions begin sensing your presence.

 

Run along the ledge to the other end.  Where the metal part changes to wood, there's a brick structure directly below.  The sides of the metal ledge are climbable, but you can't climb down, release and grab the top of the structure.  Instead, save your game again, hop back from either edge and hit the action key after clearing the ledge (so you won't grab its side) so you'll glide onto the top of the brick structure.  Of course, if you miss and slide down to the ground, you're dead meat.

 

Face S, slide and jump to grab the crawl space in the wall.  Pull up inside, crawl a bit and drop down through the opening in the bars.  You're on the other side of the den, where the lions can't reach you.  Run W toward the far wall and turn left into a small side room. Turn right into a larger room and ignore the stairs on your right.  Hop onto the crate against the W wall and jump onto a ledge overlooking a not-yet-occupied section of the den.  Jump down and find a flare next to the nearby corpse.

 

There's a wall switch not far from the corpse.  Save your game before pulling it.  Run quickly NW to the crate, jump onto it and continue without stopping to grab the N wall where there's a gap in the railing.  Pull up before the lions get to you.  Run along the ledge past a closed door and around the corner.  At the far end, jump slightly SW (tricky because of the bars in your way) to grab the ledge you first came from. Pull up, hop down into the safe area and turn right into the small room.  Climb onto the block with the fire pot and jump E to grab the opening.  Pull up and kick out the panel.

 

The lions have been blocked from this part of the den, so you can take whatever time you need to hop down, run forward and find a flare next to a skeleton, and another flare next to another skeleton diagonally to the right.  There's a caged pig in the SW corner and another one in the NE corner.  Go to the more brightly lit area beyond the brick structure near the SE corner and find a skeleton near a fallen cage. Pick up the HOLY WATER and go to the dark NW corner of the den.  Pull back the skeleton toward that corner and pick up the DRONE (screen shot of a lyre). Go E to the next skeleton and find another EXPLORER'S DIARY.  Read it for additional information: Pour holy water on the drone. Then place the drone next to the gate and send it to the lyre

 

Go to the caged pig in the SW corner and pull up onto its cage.  Take a running jump NW into the wall opening and drop down into the small room.  You can hear the snarling of nearby lions. Exit S, stand on the marked tile in the alcove facing the mural, combine the Holy Water and Drone and place the DRONE WITH HOLY WATER on the tile.  Sit back and watch what happens next. 

 

When camera control is restored, reverse roll, exit to the fire pot room, turn right into the sand room and use the crate to get back up to the N ledge.  The lions are back, so go to the E end of the ledge and take a running jump slightly NE to grab the next ledge. Pull up, run forward and around the corner to enter the N side room, attracting the attention of a little guy (Nero?) with a big stick.  Run back to the other end of the ledge as he follows you (he's not that fast), reverse roll and return to the room he came from.  Loop around left and pull down the wall switch to close the door and shut him out. If you're lucky, he may have jumped over the fence to mix it up with the lions.

 

Explore the back (N) part of this room and note the poor guy surrounded by flies.  Enter the E passage next to him and place your hand in the crack in the wall.  You see someone being killed by a gladiator while a KEY appears in your inventory.  Go back W, then diagonally right to the SW gate that can be opened with your Key.  Save your game before entering the blue-tinted room.  Step forward to trigger a flyby while the gate closes behind you.  Small Fry then appears on the other side of the gate and taunts you in a foreign tongue. Translated, he's telling you that you'll never get out of there alive.  Well, we'll see about that.

 

Look around to get your bearings before proceeding further.  Your first objective is what you see NE in the middle of the room.  Run forward to animate the first of seven gladiators and quickly pick up the CROSSBOW and explosive arrows (which in this game are rather worthless) next to the fresh corpse.  There are blessed arrows nearby next to a skeleton, and it will be worth your while to get them even though more gladiators have by now come to life.  Make your way to the relative refuge of the closed door in the NW corner (where you can't be pushed over the edge into oblivion), quickly fit the crossbow with blessed arrows and clear the area of your tormentors.  You will now be able to handle a fairly tight timed run without distraction.  Go to the wall switch in the SE corner, which opens the timed door in the NW corner. 

 

Pull the switch, back flip with a roll and start making your way diagonally across the room, cutting corners as necessary to save valuable time.  Sprint the rest of the way into the timed doorway. In the next room, shoot the statue head in the SE corner to reveal a STATUETTE for SECRET #6. Pull down the W wall switch to open the exit door, then run up the ramp toward the daylight to end your adventure. Enjoy the final cut scene and credits.