Spelunky survival guide - top PS Vita tips for new explorers

PS Vita platformer Spelunky might look like a cute little game, but this ruthless roguelike has a very dark heart.

Because if you die - and you will die... a lot - you're sent right back to the very start of the game. Yep, you lose all the money and items you just collected. Oh, and all the progress you just made.

So that you can avoid all the misery that comes with that kind of loss, we've put together some handy tips for you.

You'll find some basic tricks that will help you survive longer here, plus guides for each world and information on all the items in the game.

Good luck. You're going to need it.

General tips

Take your time. Assess the situation. And don't run and jump without knowing what dangers lie ahead. Spelunky is about being careful as much as having sharp reflexes. So, don't play like Rambo if you want to survive past the first few worlds.

Look before you leap. Hold 'down' for a few seconds and the camera will pan down by a few metres. You can drop a rope by crouching at the edge of a platform before hitting Triangle.

Damsels present you with one of the few ways to earn extra hearts. There's one damsel on every level, and you just need to find her and carry her to the exit to earn an extra heart. She's also useful because she can withstand a few hits before dying, so feel free to throw her in front of arrow traps or at enemies.

Also, you can change the damsel into a Chippendale dude or a cute pug dog from the settings screen, if you fancy it.

There are two ways to drop safely onto a ledge. You can crawl past the edge of the platform, but you'll drop any held items. Instead, leap off and spin around in mid-air to catch the ledge. It's easier than it sounds. Promise.

You primarily use the rope to help you safely descend big drops or climb up to higher areas. But it's also a defensive weapon, as it hurts any critter on its way up. It's also the only weapon that you can throw directly up.

Don't whip pots! They sometimes contain spiders and snakes that may catch you by surprise. Instead of whipping the pots, then, throw them at a nearby wall to crack them open from a safe distance.

What treasure should you bother picking up? The ruby (large red gem) is the most valuable, followed by the stack of three gold bars. Then come the large sapphire (blue) and large emerald (green). Special items like the golden crown, golden scarabs, and idols are worth even more.

It's always worth using a rope or bomb to get to a yellow crate. They often contain more ropes and bombs, but could contain an item or accessory like a cape, jetpack, or spike shoes. Plus, unlike treasure chests and pots, they never have a nasty surprise inside.

Now, some world-specific tips...

World 1 - Mines

The mines are the first area of the game. Here, you are introduced to various enemies, traps, and mechanics that will show up throughout the game.

Once you become acclimatised to the various dangers in Spelunky, the relative safety of the mines means it's a good area to spend some time in and stock up on money, health, and items.

Sometimes, you'll see the warning "I hear snakes, I hate snakes!" at the start of a room. This means that there's a large vertical snake pit on this level that's filled with snakes (obviously), but also treasure.

Plus, there's always a pickaxe at the very bottom of the snake pit, hidden in the floor tiles. With this thing in your arsenal, you can dig out blocks, making it super-handy if you want to unearth gems or make tunnels through dirt.

World 2 - Jungle

The jungle is filled with lots of dangerous enemies (boomerang-toting baddies, explosive frogs, and man-eating plants are just for starters), spiky tiki traps, and pools of water.

Always look carefully at water before jumping in. Big piranhas sometimes live in water and take off one heart with every bite. Avoid at all costs, or chuck a bomb in to drain the pool.

If you stumble across a beehive, you may want to run in the other direction. I mean, sure, if you kill the queen, you'll get the royal jelly which gives you an instant four hearts. But those bees are not easy to kill.

World 3 - Ice Caves

Here's where things get really hairy. The ice caves have no bottom floor. So, if you fall off the edge, it's immediate death for you, young lady. Also, the platforms are often very far apart, causing fall damage if you have no cape or parachute.

Look out for springs on the floor. These propel you up, sometimes into enemies or causing you to take fall damage. Also look out for mines - they explode a few seconds after being touched.

If you see the warning "I sense a psychic presence", there will be an Alien Lord somewhere in the level. He's hard to beat, but drops a handy jetpack if you kill him.

World 4 - The Temple

Practically everything will kill you immediately in the Temple. Crush traps turn you to paste, lava pools cook your flesh, and Anubis's purple brain wave thingies will fry your noggin. It's a bit hard, then.

You should, if you're playing smartly, have amassed a nice stockpile of bombs by now. Use them all to tunnel through the ground and avoid the tricky bits. You won't need these bombs for the final battle, so don't be afraid to get rid of them.

Items

There are loads of items and accessories to find in Spelunky. You'll get them from crates, find them lodged in the dirt, or buy them from shops. Here's what the common items do...

Spectacles: Allow you to see gems and items that are hidden inside walls. Use bombs or the pickaxe to unearth them. Mattock: This pickaxe enables you to smash your way through almost any block. It will eventually break, but the mattock head will fall off and become a very powerful item to throw at baddies. Climbing Gloves: Lets you stick to any surface. Handy for climbing up to hard-to-reach areas or descending safely (especially in the ice caves). Pitcher's Mitt: Lets you throw items (pots, rocks, chests, etc.) straight, without an arc. Camera: The camera will stun any enemy within its range and immediately kill bats and mummies. Teleporter: This will let you teleport through walls. It sounds like fun, but it's so easy to teleport into a rock and immediately kill yourself that it's very rarely worth the trouble. Spring Shoes: Allow you to jump twice as high as normal. Spike Shoes: These enable you to cause more damage when you jump on an enemy's head. You'll now kill cavemen with just one leap, for example. Paste: Makes your bombs stick to the first surface (or enemy) they touch. A giant spider will always drop a jar of paste. Compass: Makes a red arrow appear. This points at the exit door in each room. It doesn't point out secret exits, though. Shotgun: A powerful ranged weapon with which you can kill almost any enemy in a shot or two. Watch out for the kick: don't let the recoil throw you into a bed of spikes. Boomerang: A handy ranged weapon that comes back when thrown. Machete: A weapon that does a lot more damage to enemies than the whip. Web Gun: Shoots out cobwebs that will trap any enemy except spiders. Freeze Ray: Hit an enemy with this ray, and it'll be encased in a block of ice. You can then stamp on the block to shatter it, killing the enemy inside. Parachute: The parachute saves you from fall damage once. When you're about to fall so far that you'd get hurt on impact, the chute will open and carry you safely to the ground. Cape: Equip the cape and press 'X' when falling, and you'll glide safely to the ground. It becomes very useful in the jungle and ice caves, for they often have very long drops. Jetpack: Jetpacks enable you to zip around the level with nary a care in the world. It only works for a limited time, but recharges when you're stood on solid ground. It's pretty tricky to use, so be careful. Ghosts

If you take longer than 2 minutes 30 seconds on any stage, you'll see the pop-up warning "A terrible chill runs up your spine!" and a ghost will appear. This spooky jerk is invincible, travels through walls, and kills you with a single touch.

It does have one advantage, though. Any gem that the ghost touches turns to a diamond, which is worth anywhere from - depending on the level - $5000 (mines) to $10,000 (hell). It's risky business, but a good way to make cash.

Idols

Those golden head idols sure look tempting. And they're a huge boon, too (if you pick one up, you can drop it in the exit door or in a shop to make a huge wad of cash). Just watch out for booby traps.

They're most dangerous in the mines. Pick up the idol and you'll almost immediately be 'pursued' by a massive Indiana Jones-style boulder. Make sure you scramble to higher ground, and then wait it out.

Oh, and if a shopkeeper is in the boulder's path, he will be killed and you'll be set upon by angry clerks for the rest of your adventure. Always check the entire level for shopkeepers before collecting idols in the mines.

Shopkeepers

If you kill a shopkeeper (or allow one to die), you will be hounded by maniacal shotgun-toting clerks for the rest of the game. You can, however, steal an item if you think you're quick enough.

Pick up the item, run out the shop, and jump. The shopkeeper will go berserk, and there will be an angry shopkeeper on the next level, too. But if you make it out safely, you won't have to face any more after that.

It's a risky manoeuvre, so it's probably only worth it if you want a big ticket item like a jetpack but can't afford it.

Think you're a Spelunky master now? Check out our spoiler-filled secrets guide to find out how to reach the City of Gold, how to please the fickle goddess Kali, how to get the plasma cannon, and how to descend into the bowels of hell.