Spelunker II: 23 Keys

The Good
The original Spelunker is a game from Brøderbund Software for early 8-bit home computers, where the object is to delve down into a cavern collecting treasures while avoiding the many enemies and other hazards. Tim Martin also got a license from Brøderbund to produce an arcade version for Irem. It was so good that no wonder Martin produced a sequel called Spelunker II

You do the same old thing as with the original game, but this time you search for a princess trapped in the caves. There are also a couple of neat features, especially in the first level alone. Not only can you hop onto a skateboard and use it to jump to an out-of-reach platform, and you can also go underwater. There are also monkey bars to swing on and traps to watch out for. For instance, you go into a room and the entrance is blocked off, and you must find a way out. There are hidden secrets, and the game lets you know you discovered one of these by playing the “inserted quarter” sound.

The visuals are quite similar to the first game, except the platforms have that slimy-green color, rather than the early brown. The huge ghost is colored green to match these platforms, and it has fireballs circling around him. There are six levels, and stunning cinematics of the protagonist collecting a random treasure play between these levels. Two of them feature a pirate ship and an animated dinosaur (which gives a roar if you collect a certain treasure).

There is background music during the game, which consists of the same “heartbeats” as the original, but it is much longer. You will always know when the big ghost appears when the music changes. The ghost music is similar to the original, but a new instrument is added.

The Bad
Since this is the original arcade game, there is nothing bad about it.

The Bottom Line
In this sequel to Spelunker, the game mechanics are the same, except you are on a mission to rescue a princess, not just collect treasures every five seconds. The visuals give the game an oozy feel to them, and the music is good as well. But compared to the first title, this one is really nothing to write home about.