Barbarian II: The Dungeon of Drax FAQ for Commodore 64
(c) 2014 ModernZorker (Michael Crisman)
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VERSION 1.0 (7/27/2014) - Initial release to GameFAQs.com
Having conquered the evil sorcerer Drax and saved Princess Mariana from a
fate worse than death, you'd think you could take some time off. But not a
chance. Drax isn't one to let one loss end his reign of terror, and he's fled
to his inner sanctum to prepare his revenge.
But our heroic barbarian hasn't rested on his laurels either. He's taught
Princess Mariana the ways of combat, and she's become a fearsome master of
the broadsword. The warrior pair now make their way to Drax's loathsome land
to put an end to the sorcerer's plans a second time. But is one ever truly
ready to enter the Dungeon of Drax...?
CONTROLLING YOUR BARBARIAN
--------------------------
Barbarian II requires a joystick to play. The following command list assumes
your character is facing to the right. Reverse them if you're facing to the
left. The joystick functions differently depending on whether or not the
fire button is held down. This information comes directly off the game's
instruction sheet, so there shouldn't be any problems.
WITHOUT FIRE BUTTON PRESSED (MOVEMENT)
--------------------------------------
Up - Run in the direction you are facing
Left - Walk backwards
Right - Walk forwards
Down - Turn around
Diagonal Down/Left or Diagonal Down/Right - Enter Doorway
WITH FIRE BUTTON PRESSED (COMBAT)
---------------------------------
Up - Overhead Chop (or running jump if already running)
Left - Flying Neck Chop
Right - Forward Kick
Down - Low Chop
KEYBOARD COMMANDS
-----------------
Run/Stop - Pause the game
Space Bar - Enter a doorway
Q - Quit the game
MONSTERS AND OTHER HAZARDS
--------------------------
The path to Drax's inner sanctum is far from simple. Monstrous and demonic
creatures conspire to block your route, and even the landscape itself will
hinder your passage. There's no easy way through. Best of all, monsters will
not hesitate to pursue you from one screen to another, so running won't
always guarantee a swift escape. Be prepared to defend yourself.
THE WASTELAND
-------------
Stabbers: Bulbous green two-legged creatures with a lone eyestalk. Get close
to them, and they'll attempt to spear you with their sharp tongue. These
guys are short though, which means a running jump will carry you over them
if you're eager to avoid combat. Overhead Chops and Flying Neck Chops are
basically useless against them, so stick to your Low Chop and Kick for best
results.
Mutant Chickens: Last night's dinner, only alive, six feet tall, featherless,
and pissed off. They attack by lunging at you and biting with their sharp
beak. Drive them back with a kick, and swing low when they lunge. A Low
Chop attack at the right time will decapitate them with one hit.
Neanderthal Men: These guys could be living proof of anti-Darwinism. Seven
feet tall, clad only in a loincloth, and wielding a wicked spiked club, you
are better off avoiding these guys whenever possible. If they go for a high
swing, duck and counter with a Low Chop. You can also go for the Flying Neck
Chop if they're further away, but this is a risky move and easy to mis-time.
On the other hand, a well-timed hit from it will behead them and end combat
instantly.
Saurian Beasts: Imagine Dino from The Flintstones if he'd never been tamed,
or maybe Barney the Dinosaur's distant cousin who never fell in with all that
'loving' crap. These guys are big and purple, with sharp teeth, a long neck,
and a ravenous desire to eat anything that gets in their way. If you get the
pattern right, they can be defeated by a continuous barrage of Overhead Chops,
otherwise stick to a mixture of high and low attacks.
Floaters: These things look like flying, single-segment worms with a beak and
some underbody tentacles. They float at perfect Kick height, so don't bother
with any other fancy moves, just feed them your boot until they get the
message.
Lava Rivers:
See those big smoking mountains in the background? The Wasteland is one big
orgy of volcanos, making the life of a Barbarian miserable. Any time you see
a red ribbon crossing the brown path, back up, take a running start, and jump
over it to avoid taking damage and getting knocked down. Monsters wade right
through it though, so don't expect it to offer you any help.
Volcanic Craters:
Big black holes in the ground. Anybody falling into one of these things is
going to suffer an agonizing, burning death. So don't be that guy/girl,
m'kay? Get yourself a nice running start and leap over 'em. If by some chance
you jump too soon and land right on the edge, your character will teeter back
and forth for a couple of seconds. Waggle the joystick left and right rapidly
and you can regain your balance. Otherwise, scratch one life. This goes for
every hole in the game, not just the craters in the Wastelands.
THE CAVERNS
-----------
Crabs: Low to the ground mutated beach crawlers with one giant claw. High
attacks won't help you here, so either Low Chop them to death, or just build
up a nice head of steam, leap over them, and continue on your way.
Ore Guards: Brown hunchbacked things with long arms and big muscles. These
guys will happily punch you to death and feast on your bone marrow if given
half a chance. They have a deceptivly long reach, so stay a step or two
further back, and counter their punches with Low Chops of your own. Don't
bother with the flashier moves, they'll fly right over their heads.
Carnivores: Four-legged predators who stick low to the ground. Watch out when
they crouch down for a second--they're about to lunge forward. A well-timed
Kick during this attack will push give you some breathing room. Otherwise
focus on Low Chops, because anything else will miss.
Cave Trolls: Ugly green humanoids with fangs and a long sword. If possible,
run away from these guys, but if you have to stand and fight, watch their
moves carefully. Duck their sword thrusts and counter with Low Chops. If they
are further away, try for a Flying Neck Chop to quickly close the distance
and deliver some damage. If they're closer but not swinging their weapon, go
for a basic Overhead Chop.
Stingers: They float like a butterfly, and sting like a jellyfish with their
single clawed tentacle. Concentrate on delivering Overhead Chops to bring
them down.
Slithering Things: Part snake, part man, all trouble. These guys drag them-
selves along the ground using their powerful arms to attack you. They're short
so avoid using high blows and concentrate on Low Chops. One delivered at the
right time will knock their heads clean off.
Green Slime: Just like the lava rivers from The Wastelands, the Green Slime
will do damage and knock you down if you're foolish enough to just tromp
through it. Jump. Jump, I say!
Bottomless Pits: Well, they're not TRULY bottomless...but it's still a long
way down. Give 'em a leap.
THE DUNGEON
-----------
Dungeon Masters: Obese pink humanoids often used to guard torture chambers.
They like to kick you with their long legs. You'll often find them in rooms
with green slime, which can inhibit your combat abilities. Go for the Overhead
Chop in these circumstances. If you're fighting them in a more open space,
feel free to use the Spinning Neck Lunge to re-educate them. Also, it might
not seem like it, but you can duck under their kicks and counter with a Low
Chop of your own. They have a lot of hit points, so be patient and wear them
down.
Giant Grubs: Giant versions of the Ceti Eels from Star Trek II: The Wrath of
Khan. These things crawl across the ground and bite at you with their front
pincers. Should they rear back to lunge at you, stick your foot down their
throat with a Kick. When they're crawling, they're so low to the ground that
even your Low Chop misses them.
Gobblers: Short, blue, multi-legged horrors with a pair of jaws that can
reach out and touch you. A nice running jump will carry you over them, but if
you have to fight, stick to Low Chops. Nothing else is effective, and if you
hit at the right time, you'll score an instant-kill by lopping off its mouth.
Eyes: Giant spinning eyeballs levitating in midair. Use your Overhead Chop
to blind them permanently. Duck to avoid the nasty magical heat rays they
emit from time to time.
Orclets: Short, green, shrimpy goblinoid enemies who wield axes almost as
large as they are. Show them your Low Chop and you'll win the day.
Bottomless Pits: Drax is running out of ideas here. Jump over 'em and keep
running.
Green Slime: Didn't we cover this already? This time it bleeds out of the
walls, covering random spots on the floor. Run, jump, and pray it doesn't get
on your shoes.
Pit Things: What's worse than a bottomless pit? How about a bottomless pit
with a tentacled horror calling it home? Run and time your leaps carefully
to avoid the tentacle, or you'll become this toothy thing's midnight snack.
SANCTUM OF DRAX
---------------
The Living Idol: An animated statue which spits packets of green gunk at you.
It can't be killed; you have to touch it with the jewel in your possession in
order to disable it and continue.
The Demon: After dealing with the Living Idol, you'll find yourself facing
the second boss of the game. The Demon sits on the edge of his pit and swipes
you with his clawed hands. If he's feeling particularly feisty, he'll open
his mouth and spew a line of fire at you. Should the Demon's fire touch you,
you'll be burnt to a crisp instantly unless you possess the Shield. In any
case, duck under his fire and hit him with Low Chops, or attack him with an
Overhead Chop when he swings his claws at you.
Drax: It's all come down to this. Drax must fancy himself a vampire with that
pale skin and dark black cloak. Unfortunately he's still a powerful sorcerer,
and his magic is more than a match for your physical attacks...unless you
pocketed that black orb back in the Wastelands. During your fight, go for
Flying Neck Chops--if you're lucky, you'll end the fight in a hurry. But is
even decapitation strong enough to put Drax down for good...?
Yellow Mold: Like the slimes and lava from before, these patches of yellow
mold will damage you if you step on them. They're small and not difficult to
jump over by themselves. Unfortunately you rarely encounter the stuff without
another enemy on the screen to make this difficult.
Bottomless Pit: The Demon leaves this behind once you kill it. What do we do
with bottomless pits, class?
SPECIAL ITEMS
-------------
While it's all well and good to set out after Drax with nothing but your
trust sword or axe, you'll need a few other goodies to level the playing
field. Throughout the initial three stages, you'll find a plethora of goodies
that will make your journey a little easier.
Skulls: You can find these littering the first three stages, and it's worth
your while to grab them all, since each one grants you an extra life.
The Black Globe: Found somewhere in the Wastelands, this sphere protects you
from the effects of Drax's death magic.
The Shield: Also secreted away in the Wastelands, the magical shield keeps
you from instantly frying in the Demon's fiery breath attack.
The Potion: Tucked in one of the many passages which comprise the Caverns, a
drink from the potion hardens your skin, meaning your enemies inflict less
damage.
The Jewel: This magical gemstone is the key to defeating the Living Idol in
Drax's Sanctum. Warriors who fail to find this in the Caverns won't stand a
chance in this confrontation.
The Key: Down in the Dungeons, you'll often see iron gates barring your way.
Find the key in your searches, however, and you'll be able to pass through
these doors with ease.
The Axe: A warrior who locates this magical weapon will inflict greater
damage upon each foe. The last fighter to wield it died in the Dungeons.
Maybe it'll bring you better luck.
We're off to slay the wizard! First, we need to decide who will do the
slaying: the Barbarian or Princess Mariana. The Barbarian wields a battle axe
while Mariana heads into battle with her broadsword. Aside from the cosmetic
differences of weapon selection and gender, both warriors play exactly the
same with neither one having any advantage or disadvantage over the other.
Press left and fire to pick the Barbarian, or right and fire to pick Mariana.
No matter who you choose, you'll start with five lives.
Despite their sprawling size, the first three levels comprise about 28
screens worth of action each. Many of these screens are extraneous and don't
need to be entered, but exploration is necessary if you hope to find all the
items you'll need to complete your quest. When you've reached the last screen
for a level, you'll hear a warning noise and the level marker will pulse. If
you reach the end of any stage without having collected two new magic items
for your inventory, turn around and look some more; there's no way to return
to a previous level if you find yourself in need.
This walkthrough assumes you are familiar with the tactics given above to
defeat enemies, so it will simply walk you from screen to screen to collect
the items you need to finish your quest without going into detail about what
you'll fight on each screen (there has to be SOME surprise left in the game).
Key items will be indicated IN ALL CAPS to make them easier to locate.
The Wasteland:
- Jump over the lava and ignore the cave; exit the screen to your left.
- Enter the cave.
- Enter the cave.
- Grab your first SKULL, jump the lava, and exit to your right.
- Exit to your left.
- Exit to your left.
- Pick up the BLACK GLOBE and enter the cave.
- Exit to your right.
- Ignore the cave and exit to your right.
- Jump the lava, grab the second SKULL, and exit to your right.
- Enter the cave.
- Exit to your left.
- Grab the SHIELD and exit to your left.
- Pick up the third SKULL and exit to your right.
- Exit to your right.
- Jump the lava and exit to your right.
- Exit to your left.
- Jump the crater and exit to your right.
- Enter the cave.
- Exit to your left to end the level.
The Caverns:
- Jump the green slime and exit to your right.
- Jump the pit and exit to your right.
- Exit to your left.
- Jump the green slime and exit to your right.
- Pick up your fourth SKULL and exit to your left.
- Exit to your right.
- Ignore the cave, jump the green slime, and exit to your right.
- Exit to your right.
- Jump the slime and pick up the POTION. Exit to your right, back the way
you came.
- Exit to your left.
- Jump the green slime and enter the cave.
- Enter the cave.
- Pick up your fifth SKULL and exit to your right.
- Enter the cave.
- Grab the JEWEL and exit to your right.
- Jump the pit and exit to your right.
- Exit to your left.
- Pick up your sixth SKULL, jump the green slime, and exit to your left.
- Enter the cave.
- Exit to your left to end the level.
The Dungeons:
- Exit to your left.
- Jump the pit and exit to your left.
- Jump the two green slimes and exit to your left.
- Jump the pit and exit to your left.
- Jump the green slime, obtain your seventh SKULL, and exit to your right.
- Jump the Pit Thing and exit to your right.
- Kill the Dungeon Master, jump the pair of green slimes, pick up the KEY, and
exit to your left.
- Jump the Pit Thing and enter the doorway.
- Jump the green slime and enter the doorway.
- Enter the gated doorway.
- Jump the Pit Thing and exit to your right.
- Exit to your left.
- Jump the green slimes and exit to your left.
- Jump the pit and exit to your right.
- Exit to your left.
- Enter the gated doorway.
- Jump the Pit Thing and exit to your right.
- Jump the green slime, grab the AXE, and exit through the doorway.
*** At this point, you should have all six items in your inventory. If you
don't, it's time to reset and follow directions a little more carefully! ***
- Jump the Pit Thing and exit to your left.
- Exit to your left.
- Enter the gated doorway.
- Jump the pit and enter the doorway.
- Jump the green slimes and exit to your right.
- Jump the green slime and exit to your right.
- Jump the green slimes and exit to your left.
- Exit through the gated doorway to end the level.
Sanctum of Drax:
- Jump over the yellow mold on the floor and touch the Living Idol. Exit
to your right.
- Kill the Demon, jump over the pit, and exit to your right.
- This is it: the final boss. Fight Drax using all you've learned on your
journey, then sit back, watch the short animated ending and the credits crawl.
Whew! You just beat Barbarian II: The Dungeon of Drax!
