Platformer games have always been a popular genre in the video game industry and indie game Spelunky delivered what gamers were looking for with randomly generated levels and plenty of adventure. The 2D game revolved around players exploring tunnels, caves, tombs and more that are randomly generated to give each player a unique experience. With multitudes of enemies to encounter and treasure to find, Spelunky quickly became one of the purest ways to have endless fun in a platforming game. And the same could probably be said with the sequel, Spelunky 2.
Spelunky 2 promises to provide all of the unique and randomized challenges that made the first game a roguelike classic. There are new adventures, a new generation of explorers and even a mystery on the moon. With so much about the game to love and unique challenges for players to explore, it is no wonder both old and new players of the Spelunky games are looking forward to playing. With that being said, here are some tips and tricks for new players to Spelunky 2 that can help them be the best explorers for the job.
Walking is Underrated
A lot of players in platformer games tend to want to rush through things fast. Whether it is running past their enemies, expertly dodging falling projectiles, or speeding up to make a giant leap across gaps, it is almost inherent within the genre that players need to be running. However, in Spelunky 2, sometimes it is better to slow down. Walking tends to be an afterthought when it comes to exploring the multiple dungeons or cave systems because of the running mechanic. But walking instead of running can come in handy even when riding turkeys.
The adventure ending traps in this game are well hidden, and since all of the adventures are unique and randomly generated, it is difficult to foresee what threats are ahead. That is why walking in Spelunky 2 is more important than it would be in other platformer games. Walking allows players to assess whether a route is safe for them to use, if there is a dangerous trap ahead or if enemies are waiting. It helps them with formulating plans before running or jumping to their doom.
Dealing with Enemies
Enemies are always going to be dwelling ahead of players, no matter what adventure they take. And each enemy has different kinds of attacks, resistances and other abilities that make them annoying to deal with. Cavemen, for example, will pick up items players have dropped unless players quickly recover them while Horned Lizards roll towards the player as soon as they see them. For the most part, the way to deal with enemies is by stomping them to deal damage or stun them. Enemies can also be taken care of by squishing them between a stone block and a wall. Throwing a rope and picking up other things to throw also damages most enemies.
Learning how different enemies attack is critical because it helps players formulate strategies to beat them. Maybe it's a Spider that landed from the ceiling onto the ground or a Monkey trying to hop on the player's backs. In both cases, learning how to handle each threat is not only essential for the player's health but also to make sure none of their precious items get stolen. For example, Monkey will try to steal items of a player by hopping onto their backs, but there is a small window of opportunity for players to whip them just before they completely hop on. This turns out to be very useful, especially when running away.
Using Items
Items are super useful in Spelunky 2 and not just the equipment that players have on their persons but also anything they can find that's resourceful. Horned Lizards and Cavemen bodies can be used as heavy objects to throw at other enemies and deal some decent damage. Pick it up and toss it on top of a targeted area. The handy dandy rope can be used to trigger traps before players fall into them. Shoot out the rope at the right angle, and it will act as a decoy that triggers traps or helps players know a space is safe to land on. Stones make dealing with enemies easier because they can kill or stun them from a long-range. Like the rope, they can also be used to trigger traps.
There are plenty of useful items that can be purchased at the merchant's shop but misusing items can also cause lots of trouble. The shields available at the merchant's shop provide excellent defense, but if used to knock out any of the merchant's items from the store, it counts as theft and will trigger a fight. Shields push everything in front of the player, including valuable items. So dropping the shield or jumping over the items is a wise precaution that can help prevent pushing things off ledges by accident or destroying them against a wall.