PALOPIQUE'S FIRST LEVEL

Level by Hans-Willi Bruggen

Walkthrough by Kris and first posted at Lara's Home.

There are no secrets in this level.

This is the debut level of one of my favourite designers, who went on to build the fabulous Imhotep series.

You enter the level in a very dark room with a central tower lit structure. Facing the north wall, find the block with the laser sight, but WARNING, as soon as you approach, scarabs attack. Jump on the block and pick up the LASERSIGHT. Make a running jump to the adjacent triangular block, then a running jump with grab to the higher block at the base of the crawlspace. Pull up and pick up a medipack, crawl to the right, drop down and pull up to face north. Continue straight ahead till you reach a lit wall sconce on the left, drop down to pick up ammo, climb back up.

Turn East and climb out, crawl straight across the floor, and drop down into the next alcove. Ahead is a crawlspace, drop through it and make your way up the slope. Turn round and see a shimmy crack to a high crawlspace on the North Wall. Do a running jump with grab to the shimmy crack and go left till you can pull up into a new, brighter area. Jump into the water and locate an underwater passage in the central structure. Swim forward through the circle of blades and pick up the medipack from the right in the new area. Surface into the new room.

Do a standing jump to the alcove with the floorswitch, push it, roll and enter the new passage on the left to be confronted by a ferocious looking blue bull. (The flare bug kicks in here, not the best time for it to happen.) There are two bulls in this area, the other being located at the other end of the room, so be careful not to run too near to him or he’ll wake up. The objective in this room is to entice the bull to break three "eye" tiles and a wooden gate to give you access to the higher level. So first of all turn left and speed dash to the first wall tile on the West wall.

Stand directly before the eye tile, and as soon as the bull is almost next to you, jump to the side as he shatters the tile. (The bull will only shatter the tile from the front, it cannot break the tile from the side). Save after each tile is shattered. Run to the second tile on the West Wall to do the same. As the second tile smashes, one of the wooden doors in the centre of the room opens. Now locate the eye tile on the South wall, and repeat the process. Once all three tiles are shattered, go to the central wooden gate you opened earlier, and entice the bull to charge to break it. This is quite difficult because of the confined space, so as the bull is almost next to you jump forward and over him, and save your game well out of harm's way.

Lure the bull away from the now open gate, and speed dash back once he is at the other side of the room. Jump over the flames to the block and pick up the REVOLVER and ammo. Still standing on the block, face south, and look up. Jump with grab to the ladder, climb to the top, and quickly move to escape the bladed ball as it drops from the ceiling. Two ninjas appear, so dispose of them, and look around this beautiful map room. It wont go unnoticed that there is another bull in this room, so look for a tile on the East wall, and lure the bull to smash the eye tile. Once smashed, a door opens on the south wall, so speed dash there, stand infront of the hole, and press action to activate the switch. Watch the crane arm move over the map to reveal a burning GOLDEN VRAEUS.

Now find the newly revealed tile on the North wall, and lure the bull to smash it. Another door opens on the South wall, so go there next. Pick up the ammo, and climb the ladder (taking a breather as the door closes behind you, locking the bull on the other side.) Near the top of the ladder, backflip onto the ledge as a bladed ball drops from the ceiling. Quickly dispose of the harpy as it appears at the end of the corridor. Shoot the ninja, and find the floorswitch in the first alcove on the right.

As you push the switch, a camera shows the Vraeus in the room below, with the fire now extinguished. Don’t hang about here, scarabs are surrounding you, so quickly exit through the nearby open door, safety dropping to the ground. Run to pick up the Golden Vraeus from the floor map, and speed dash to place it in the alcove on the west wall. The camera will show a door opening high up on the East wall. Go to the newly opened door next and pull up. It may be wise to save your game here.

Waiting for you in the new room are two blue bulls and a closed door on the North Wall. Jump down to the new room and speed dash to the closed door with the bulls in hot pursuit. As you approach the wooden door, it opens as you approach, run through and jump to safety onto the left ledge, and pick up the ammo. Inbetween the two side ledges is another ‘eye’ tile, so as before stand infront of the tile and entice the bull to smash it. Once it has shattered, jump back to the ledge and into the opening on the East wall. Ahead of you is a beautifully lit room with a central pool.

Swim to the North, and pick up two sets of flares on the way. Pick up the GUARDIAN KEY near the barred gate. With your back to the gate and keeping to the right, swim up at the first pillar to a new hieroglyph room. Pick up the ammo, and do a running jump with grab to the jumpswitch on the North wall. The camera shows a gate opening in the water. Return to the water and swim South to the open gate on your right on the West wall. Follow the corridor, swimming deep down (East) to collect the UZIS then swim back up and South, collecting a medipack on the way, finally climbing out to a ledge at the end. Drop down over the other side, and outrun the skeleton. Back in the bull room with the ledges, re-enter the room with the pool and place the Guardian Key in its receptacle on the North wall.

The camera shows a Demi-god and a harpy rising from the pool. Ignore them, and quickly jump back into the pool, swimming North through the open door. At the end, press action at the orange gate to open it, and swim through to finish the level. The next game in the series is called CONTINUOUS LEVEL.