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                     Dungeon Explorer FAQ/Walkthrough
                      For the TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine
                  Version 1.05 (Last Updated 12/29/2006)
                              By Devin Morgan

     This file is Copyright (c)2006 Devin Morgan. All rights reserved.

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Table of Contents

1. What's New
2. Introduction
3. Controls
4. Overview
5. Character Classes
6. Walkthrough
7. Items
8. Secrets/Tips and Tricks
9. Credits
10. Copyright Notice

*****************************************************************************

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-=  1. What's New -=
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Version 1.05 (12/29/06): Made a small correction regarding the crystals
obtained after beating the bosses, thanks to Webapprentice!

Version 1.0 (7/17/06): The first complete version of this FAQ.

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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-=  2. Introduction -=
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Dungeon Explorer is a fun RPG/action game for the TurboGrafx-16 released in
1989. It is quite similar to Gauntlet (more recently Gauntlet Legends, found
in many arcades), in that you explore many areas where enemies continually
spawn from certain points until you destroy them. It is ideal for multiple
players (up to 5) to partake in this adventure, but it is still doable as a
single player. The story takes place in the land of Odessia, where the ORA
Stone was stolen by the Devil King, Natas, and it is up to you to recover it.
The game will take you through many dungeons of progressive difficulty, but
there will be plenty of stat-boosting items to pick up along the way. If you
happen to have access to a TG-16, this should definitely be on your list to
play!

*****************************************************************************

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-=  3. Controls -=
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Control Pad: Move your character

Select: Switch between items (bottom-left box)

Run: Start the game, access submenu during the game (bottom-left box)

Button I: Make selections on the submenu, use the currently selected item

Button II: Attack with your primary weapon

*****************************************************************************

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-=  4. Overview -=
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

===============
Enemies/Portals
===============

Throughout the game, you will face up against plenty of enemies. They will be
continually spawned from stationary portals on the ground. You can destroy
such portals by attacking them a few times. This is the only way to stop the
flow of new enemies into the area, otherwise they WILL appear endlessly. It
should also be noted that sometimes enemies may drop items for you to pick
up, albeit rarely. If you aren't looking, you can destroy an item by
attacking it a few times, so keep an eye out if something you want drops!


==============
Gaining Levels
==============

You may or may not have noticed, but you do not gain experience based on how
many enemies you kill. On your first impression, you may think the game
itself is broken down into various levels, which is really not the case. When
you defeat the boss of a dungeon and collect its crystal, that is when your
character will gain a level. Based on what color the crystal is, one of your
stats will receive a small boost as well. If you wait a couple moments after
the crystal initially appears, it will change colors, each color reflecting a
certain statistic's colored bar. Collect the crystal when it is the color of
the stat you want, and it will receive a boost.


=====
Lives
=====

You start the game with 5 lives. If you look at the divider between the top
part of the screen (where the action is), and the bottom display, there will
be up to 5 small orbs on that divider. Each orb represents an extra life in
reserve. The maximum you can have is 5. If you die on the battlefield, press
Run to use a life and continue (you lose any magic items you had when you
lose a life). If you run out of lives, you will get a game over and will have
to restart the game (or enter a password to continue).


=========
Passwords
=========

Every time you beat a boss and collect the stat-boosting crystal, your
password will update. You can access the current password by pressing Run and
selecting the Password option. Please note that when you use a password, you
will start at the pub in Axis Village. You will start off at the same level
you were when you received the password, and will have 5 lives in stock, but
you will not have any magic items. That said, you may have to travel a bit in
order to reach the point where you stopped playing previously, if you use a
password to restart. Make sure you write them down as you play, in case you
need to restart or somehow get a game over.

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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-=  5. Character Classes  -=
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

====
Bard
====

Initial Stats
-------------

HP: 12
Agility: 8
Attack: 5
Strength: 6
Intelligence: 8

Black Magic: Music
White Magic: Teleporter

Weapon: Dart


======
Bishop
======

Initial Stats
-------------

HP: 14
Agility: 6
Attack: 6
Strength: 7
Intelligence: 9

Black Magic: Vaporizer
White Magic: Mortal Bless

Weapon: Holy Light


===
Elf
===

Initial Stats
-------------

HP: 10
Agility: 9
Attack: 8
Strength: 5
Intelligence: 6

Black Magic: Silencer
White Magic: Magic Healing

Weapon: Power Bolt


=======
Fighter
=======

Initial Stats
-------------

HP: 36
Agility: 8
Attack: 10
Strength: 9
Intelligence: 7

Black Magic: Magic Saber
White Magic: Magic Shield

Weapon: Sword


=====
Knome
=====

Initial Stats
-------------

HP: 20
Agility: 6
Attack: 8
Strength: 10
Intelligence: 5

Black Magic: Vaporizer
White Magic: Stunner

Weapon: Battle Axe


=====
Thief
=====

Initial Stats
-------------

HP: 16
Agility: 10
Attack: 6
Strength: 8
Intelligence: 6

Black Magic: Vaporizer
White Magic: Magic Curing

Weapon: Dagger


=======
Warlock
=======

Initial Stats
-------------

HP: 16
Agility: 7
Attack: 7
Strength: 8
Intelligence: 8

Black Magic: Thunder Bolt
White Magic: Stunner

Weapon: Star Missile


=====
Witch
=====

Initial Stats
-------------

HP: 12
Agility: 7
Attack: 7
Strength: 6
Intelligence: 7

Black Magic: Alleviator
White Magic: Magic Curing

Weapon: Gleam Force

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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-=  6. Walkthrough  -=
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

============
Axis Village
============

You start off the game in a local pub, where you are asked to select how many
players will be taking part in the adventure. After that, select "Member"
from the submenu and you will get to pick your character's class. Each one
has its own abilities and varying stats, so choose wisely (this walkthrough
will assume you picked the Fighter; however you are free to try all the j,
obs
out).

After you select your character, you will gain control of movement. Exit the
pub via the southern exit. In the town itself, you can enter the various
buildings and the person inside will give you a hint (sort of like Zelda on
the NES). This is not required, though. Head north into the Axis Castle area.
There, pass the guards and go north to the entrance itself. There are
doorways to the left and right that you can enter, but there is no useful
purpose to them right now. So, take the main entrance and go up the stairs
inside to the throne room.

The king will talk to you about the ORA Stone, and asks that you retrieve it
before the devil does. He will also give you magical items (one of each,
since there are only 2 you can use anyway). When that's done, exit the castle
entirely and head south. Take the path going south from the town, and you
will see some steps going down. Go down them to enter the Loch Dungeon.


============
Loch Dungeon
============

When you enter, Judas (the guy that the king was talking about) will speak to
you. He mentions that Bullbeast, the dungeon's boss, is near, so be careful.
You will also spot a red portal on the ground, from which green slimes are
emerging. The enemies will just keep coming unless you destroy the portals
with a few hits from your weapon. Anyway, clear the portal here and go down
to the room below.

There, head east while defeating a whole bunch of simple enemies. In the
northeast corner, pick up the Boots of Ability for a small agility stat
boost. Head down the steps in the southeast corner to reach the following
room. Down there, make your way across the area, fighting a bunch of enemies
again. There are a couple of rocks you can shoot through in the walls for
shortcuts. If you get to the northeast area, you can collect the Edge of
Attack for an attack boost. The next set of stairs are in the northwest
corner.

Downstairs, you will run into some enemies that will take a few hits to
destroy instead of the one-hit kill enemies you've faced thus far. In the
southeast area, shoot through the rocks and follow the path westward. Defeat
the enemy and its portal, and collect the Crown of Intelligence for an
intelligence boost. Then, go north and you will run into a puzzle of sorts.
Push the first rock one space to the left, then go around the passage and
push the second block upward. That way, you will have access to the next set
of stairs.

You will run into Bullbeast upon entering the next room. After it taunts you,
the battle will begin. Bullbeast will simply move around, stopping
periodically to throw axes at you diagonally. Try not to stand in any of the
diagonal directions relative to the boss, and you will be able to avoid its
only attack. Don't be surprised if you die a few times here though; just try
to keep your distance and attack whenever possible. It will take around 20
hits to kill it.

When Bullbeast is defeated, there will be a color-changing crystal in the
middle of the room. Depending on what color it's on when you collect it, the
statistic which shares the color will go up a little bit. You will also go up
to Level 2 upon collecting the crystal. Now that you're done here, go down
the stairs that also appeared in the room.

When you emerge in the new area, go up the steps to the following room. Head
north and defeat the enemy, then collect the 2 items sitting there. Go up the
next set of stairs and collect the Boots of Ability when you arrive. To get
out of here, push the 2 side rocks upward, then push the middle one to the
left or right. Go up the stairs in front of you to reach the first room of
the dungeon.

This time around, Judas is gone, so you can go exploring the rest of Loch
Dungeon really quick. If you want, take the stairs up to Axis Village and
visit the king to get another set of items from him. Anyway, push the rock
all the way left and collect the items, then go down the stairs you can now
access. Head to the left and defeat the green slimes, as well as the tougher
soldier enemies that emerge from the portals. At the path split, go south and
up some stairs. Destroy the portals and the enemies here, and you will be
able to reach the Edge of Attack and Crown of Intelligence items. From here,
go up the stairs to emerge in a new village.


=============
Melba Village
=============

When you arrive here, go into the houses and talk to the people. They will
also mention the Gutworm living underneath the village, and the Ruvid Statue
to the south blocking the way to Baron Castle. To the south, you will come
across blue slimes and their portals, so clear them out as you progress. You
will see some stairs among the portals; go down them to head below town.


===============
Gutworm Dungeon
===============

Below the village, you will have to deal with enemies that will take several
hits to defeat. Head to the west side of the area, defeating the fire-
shooters and the onslaught of green soldiers that emerge from the portals. At
the far end of the room, you can go around the corner to pick up Boots of
Ability for an agility boost. If you go north, you can collect the Holy
Water. Talk to the old man there, then go downstairs to the next area.

In the next room, you will be swamped with red enemies who can throw their
swords at you to attack, as well as more stationary fire-shooters. As you
make your way northward, try to eliminate the hordes of red enemies as well
as their portals quickly. You will reach a point where you need to walk in
the path of a fire-shooter. Wait for it to stop shooting, then quickly run
past to a safe position and attack diagonally. When you reach the far north
end, head downstairs to the next room.

Here, make your way to the west side, destroying the fire-shooters as you
pass, as well as the round enemies that emerge from the portals. At the far
end, take the stairs once again. In the following room, you will see a few
items and fireballs moving on a conveyor of sorts around a block. If you are
feeling bold, you can approach it to collect the items you want as they come
around, and quickly back up to avoid getting stuck. Among the items is a
rather useful Drink of Vitality, which will fully recover your HP.

In the southeast corner, you will find two paths; one is a straight (and
safe) path, and the other takes you in the path of many fire-shooters, many
of which take long pauses between shots, but some further along have short
pauses. The safe path cannot be taken since a conveyor acts against you, so
you will have to get through the dangerous maze instead. As you make your way
through this, you will come across portals with round enemies that can shoot
energy balls at you; these can be extremely dangerous, so try to clear them
as fast as possible. Try to attack from a diagonal whenever possible to avoid
the fire-shooter's attacks.

When you finally reach the stairs, go down them to meet the Gutworm. There
will be two large enemies to face here. They have a habit of cornering you
while shooting their projectiles to cause damage. This can be annoying since
you will be forced to take damage in order to get out of the corner where
they have trapped you. Also, due to their size, it may be tough to avoid. The
most important thing is that you stay out of the corners so they don't make
you stuck. Each one can take around 20 hits to defeat.

When the battle is over, collect the colored crystal to raise the stat of the
same color. You will now be at Level 3! Go down the stairs that appear to
reach the following area. There, you will see the fire-shooters as well as
blue soldiers coming out of the portals. They can throw their weapons and
move quickly, so be cautious of them. At the far south, go up the stairs into
another room. In that room, you can either go west and north past some more
fire-shooters, or you can go against the conveyor to the north and destroy an
enemy portal. If you go against the conveyors, you can grab a Drink of
Vitality for your troubles.

Either way, at the north side of the room, go east and you will see a rock
you can push to the south. Be careful though, since there is a fire-shooter
to the south that can hit you through the rock. To deal with this, push the
rock a short distance each time when it's safe to do so, then back up to
avoid the attack, and repeat. After you get through that section, continue
along the path, fighting the various enemies you encounter.

Up ahead will be some stairs going up. If you take the narrow path in the
northeast, you will find a second set of stairs. For now, take the first set
and you will reemerge in the village above.


=============
Melba Village
=============

Above ground again, grab the Drink of Vitality to recover your HP once again.
As for the Ruvid Statue, attack it several times to destroy it. Now you can
push the rocks back and forth if you want to return to the village without
going through that dungeon. Go back downstairs into the dungeon and take the
second set of stairs to reach the now accessible area.

Go across the river via the bridges to the east. You will see some stairs; go
down them to enter a prison of sorts.


======
Prison
======

Down here, follow the path to the south and you will reach a prison cell.
Approach it and you will meet Princess Aki, who was locked in here by a
creature named Grimrose. She asks you to rescue her and the others, so that
is your next task of course. Before you go, she also mentions destroying some
guard statues. When you're done here, go up the southern stairs to exit the
prison.


============
Baron Castle
============

Outside, follow the grassy path going north and around the castle walls,
destroying the enemy portals along the way. When you get to the south side,
head up the path into Baron Castle. As you approach the main entrance, you
will notice it is blocked off. The two side rooms are accessible, however.

In each one, there are 4 guard statues (2 in the top corners, 2 in the
bottom). There are indestructible pots that flies will come out of to attack;
try your best to shoot at them or outright avoid them. Your main goal is to
destroy the statues in each room (exit the room via the small alcove in the
top half of the area).

Once you've destroyed all 8 statues, 4 in each room, you can then enter the
castle's main entrance. In there, go up the stairs to the following room.
Once there, you will have to destroy 4 more guard statues in each corner of
the large room. Be careful of the fly enemies, as well as the axe-throwing
knights. After you break all the statues, go upstairs again. Collect the
Crown of Intelligence in front of you for a boost, then go around to the next
set of stairs.

On the top floor, you will come across Grimrose in a battle. The boss itself
is situated in a stationary position at the top center part of the room. In
the back corners are pots from which flies will come out to attack like
before. There are three roses on the boss's body, all of which will shoot
projectiles in your direction to attack (you can shoot those down). Target
one rose at a time by standing below it and attacking straight up. When you
destroy all 3 of them, the fight will be over. Collect your crystal and you
will now reach Level 4!

Now, go down the stairs that appear to exit the room. Continue going
downstairs and you will exit the castle. Outside, go west and north to reach
a couple of rocks you can push aside to save time (so you won't have to run
all around the castle's perimeter again). Go west and talk to the man in the
house, and he will mention going north to the town of Nostalgia. Exit, then
go downstairs into the prison below.


======
Prison
======

Here, go north until you reach the cell where Princess Aki was being kept. It
will be gone, as will the princess, but as you enter you will receive a note
with a password. If you start a new game and enter that password, you can
play as Princess Aki! Anyway, continue through the now open cell and follow
the path going north. You will see an enemy trapped in the middle of a rock
formation. It's too tough for you to defeat, so you will want to avoid it by
shooting around the perimeter to pass through (leave the 4 rocks on each of
the enemy's sides intact). After you get through, go north to the stairs.

In the dungeon below, go south and east, defeating the portals that spit
rocks at you, as well as the knight enemies. Further to the east, you will
find clusters of portals spitting out plenty of enemies for you to face. At
the far end, you will find rocks you can push between a couple of narrow
paths. Push a block to the right, then go down the path and push the next
block to the right. There are 2 sets of stairs you could end up at on the far
right (they both lead to the same spot).

Downstairs, head north and destroy some rock-spitting portals, as well as the
fast-moving purple enemies that come out of their own portals. Collect the
Seed of Life to the left for an extra lifeif you want, otherwise go north and
down the steps there. In the next room, make your way all the way to the east
while fighting through more purple enemies and portals. Go down the stairs
when you reach them to continue into yet another room.

Below, go south and shoot the rock-spitting portals one at a time. When you
go along the narrow paths, they are conveyor belts, so be careful and shoot
ahead to avoid damage. At the north half of the room, you will face several
rows of rock-spitters across from each other. When the coast is clear, go up
and shoot the side closest to you, then destroy the opposite one. Repeat this
to reach the top portion where the purple enemies are. Clear them, then
collect the Edge of Attack and Crown of Intelligence items to the far north
(go against the left conveyor to reach them). Then, go up the stairs on the
east side of the room.

In this next room, defeat the purple enemies and the portals they come out
of. Then, follow the narrow paths north and to the west, shooting the rock-
spitting portals at the ends of each path. At the end, go upstairs to meet
the Catakiller boss.

The long and segmented Catakiller will move around the room, shooting its
projectile as it chases you around. Its only weak spot is its head of course,
so you will have to try and attack it a couple times, then move to avoid
getting hit. If you shoot at its segmented body, that seems to slow it down
slightly so you can get a good distance away. After you cause enough damage,
it will be defeated. Take the crystal and you will reach Level 5; the stairs
will also appear in the corner, so take them to exit.

When you go upstairs, a knight will taunt you about your luck before running
off. Push the block aside and go up those stairs after him. Continue up the
next several sets of stairs and you will end up outside again. When you
emerge, enter the house and the lady will mention the Hermit House to the
east. However, it is empty so don't bother going there. Instead, go west into
the village again.


============
Axis Village
============

Back here again, visit the pub if you want. Otherwise, go north into the
castle and talk to the king. He will mention the Water Castle to the west,
and will give you one of each magic item as usual. Leave the castle and take
the path west from the castle to reach a new area.


====
Maze
====

Head southward through the maze here, fighting the purple caterpillars and
knights that emerge from their portals. Make your way south and west to some
stairs, then go down them to enter an actual dungeon. In the dungeon below,
destroy the portals that spawn red slimes to the east. Collect the Boots of
Ability, then head north and west around the room to the other side. Fight
some more red slimes and go up the stairs to reach the surface again. Be
careful not to touch the slimes, since you can be temporarily poisoned by
them!

Continue through the maze while fighting the various enemies you encounter.
Get to the southwest corner of the maze and head west into a new area. As you
cross the bridge there, use your weapon to defeat the golden knights on the
islands. At the other side, go west and enter the Water Castle.


============
Water Castle
============

Inside, there will be plenty of portals from which round purple enemies will
emerge. Also, you will have to worry about certain sections of the floor
being conveyor belts in disguise, so watch out. Head to the east, then north
and west to the stairs leading to the second floor.

In the large room upstairs, there are plenty of conveyors and purple enemies
emerging from portals; they can take a lot of hits so keep your distance and
destroy their portals quickly to thwart the attack. Also, be sure to destroy
the fire-shooting statues as well. Make your way to the southeast corner of
the room and you will find the stairs.

For the first part of the third floor, there will be fire-shooting enemies
that have very short pauses between shots, so you will have to quickly pass
by them to avoid damage. Destroy them, as well as the seemingly endless horde
of purple enemies coming from the portals. Follow the conveyor-filled path
northward and to the east as you fight all the enemies. At the end of your
path, you will reach stairs of course, so go up them to meet the Tigerbeast.

This boss is situated in a relatively narrow hallway that loops, so you can't
really run around it. The Tigerbeast will chase you down, stopping
periodically, so you will have to keep moving to avoid getting killed. Be
careful though, since there may be hidden conveyors on the floor that will
push against you. That said, if you find any resistance, quickly move to a
different segment and continue running. Attack it whenever you have a chance,
and eventually you will defeat it.

Now that you are Level 6, collect the crystal and go back downstairs. Collect
the Ring of Resistance by the steps, then continue all the way downstairs and
exit the castle via the back exit.


====
Maze
====

Outside, you will be in another section of the maze, complete with different
enemies. Go north from the bridge and make your way all the way to the east
while fighting through the enemies. At the far end of the vast maze, you will
come across the Cherry Tower. If you take the southeast path, you will reach
a house and a red gate to the right of it. If you go south from there, you
can return to the earlier half of the maze, and back to Axis Village (should
you be reloading from a password, this is how you would return to the tower).
At any rate, go into the tower since that is your next destination.


============
Cherry Tower
============

In this tower, you will have to go up through several floors of rooms, while
fighting the enemies you meet along the way. When you first enter the tower,
simply go around the spiraling path to the second floor stairs. Up there,
defeat the blue enemies and their portals, then grab the Boots of Ability as
you head to the third floor. There, fight the wizards as you go around the
room. There will be a large cluster of them in the middle of the area, so try
and pick them off diagonally little by little.

On the next floor, there will be floating orange enemies coming from portals.
They can float over the walls, so be careful when moving around. Destroy them
all, as well as the portals, then continue on upstairs. For the next two
floors, you will have to clear out a series of turrets that shoot projectiles
across the path you need to take. Line yourself up with one and blast it,
then continue to the next one and repeat. Taking them out one at a time is
the safest way to go, of course.

On the second floor with the turrets, there will be an elf on the right side
of the room moving towards you. If you remember the one in the prison, you
cannot kill it, so your best bet is to run around it. After you clear the
turrets, run to the south side of the room to lure it away, then run back up
and to the east side of the room. When the elf walks toward you, you'll have
enough room on the east side to get around it and up the stairs.

When you reach the next floor, you will have to deal with plenty of wizards
again. Try to clear the masses as you proceed through here, making sure to
remove the portals so they don't keep spawning. When you go up the final set
of stairs, you will be at the top of the tower. There, you will meet with the
beautiful Alexis for a boss battle.

Alexis will float around the room rather slowly, while constantly sending
axes spinning your way. If you don't destroy them, they will keep chasing
you, so your best bet is to shoot them down soon after they appear. Alexis
moves slowly enough, so keeping your distance shouldn't be an issue here. If
you hit her enough, Alexis's face will become a skull instead of the
beautiful face she started with. The battle is halfway over at that point, so
keep up your pattern of attacking and keeping away, and you will win.

With your Level 7 status, collect the crystal to boost one of your stats
before heading back downstairs again. Go south to the next set of stairs,
which will let you skip a few floors as a shortcut. Go around the first floor
with enemies, then continue out of the tower altogether.


====
Maze
====

Outside once again, head southward to the next area. There, enter the house
and the man will tell you that the other gate has been opened for your
travel. With that, take the path going northeast from the house into a new
area.

Out here, you will face even more difficult enemies than before, specifically
dwarves who can take quite a few hits before going down. As you make your way
eastward, try to keep your distance and eliminate the portals quickly while
being patient enough not to run into the middle of a mess. At the far east,
talk to the man inside the house there and he will mention the stairs outside
leading to Stonefield, which will in turn lead you to Karma Castle. So, take
them down into the Stonefield dungeon.


==========
Stonefield
==========

Down here, collect the items on the right side, then head downstairs. On the
floor below, make your way north while going against the conveyors, while
shooting down the purple round enemies and their portals. At the other end,
go upstairs to the room above again. This time, continue northward through
this long and winding room, fighting a good amount of green enemies as they
emerge from the portals. At the far north end, go around the path and down
the stairs again.

Follow the path as it goes around this next room, being cautious as you reach
the northeast corner since there is an indesructible block which shoots out
projectiles that bounce off the walls. After cutting through another horde of
enemies and their portals, head downstairs to the next floor. Collect the
Boots of Ability in front of you, then make your way around the room, past
all those projectile-shooting blocks. At the end, take the stairs to another
room.

In the next room, you simply need to get to the southwest corner. However,
there are 4 of those blocks in the center area, as well as enemy portals to
get past. When you go up the southwest stairs, you will enter the boss room.
There, you will meet Cyclopus and will have to fight him. The boss will move
around the room, often trailing you closely, throwing pitchforks at you to
attack. Try to run to the opposite end of the room to get some distance, then
turn around and attack a few times. Repeat this and you should be able to
defeat it with minimal problems.

After the fight, collect the crystal when it's at the color of the stat you
want to increase. You will also go up to Level 8 at this point. Now, go up
the stairs that appear to exit this dungeon.


============
Karma Castle
============

Outside here, go south and west, then north to the castle's entrance. If you
want to return to the maze area prior to Stonefield, simply take the path
going southward. Anyway, go north and enter the castle itself. Once inside,
you will run into Judas again. He will tell you to go underground to the
Rallymaze, so that is where you need to go next. For now, go east and south,
and upstairs to the second floor. Be careful of the white blocks that emit
lights that move around (you cannot destroy them).

Upstairs, go north and west through this room, defeating the enemies and
their portals along the way. When you reach the stairs before the gate, go up
them to reach the third floor. Make your way through the next couple of
floors by fighting the enemies/portals, all while avoiding the lights that
move along the ground. At the top floor of Karma Castle, you will encounter
the Reaper of Death for a boss battle.

To attack, the reaper will split into 4 versions of itself, and each of them
will move around the room. Only one of them is real of course, so if you
attack, the fake ones will disappear after taking a few hits, whereas the
actual boss can take a beating. A good way to figure out the real one is by
eliminating the 3 fakes, but keep track of where the real one ends up at that
point. When the fake ones reappear, the real one will be in the corner
closest to where it was previously. With that in mind, you'll be able to
distinguish the real boss easily, so attack away!

When the battle is over, collect the crystal and you will reach Level 9. Now,
go back downstairs. Make your way down several flights of stairs and you will
end up in a long hallway going to the south. If you follow it to the south,
you will pass 2 stairways going down into the Rallymaze (one leads to the
northwest corner, the other to the southwest; no major difference between the
two). Also, for your information, if you go all the way south, you'll reach
some stairs going upward. They lead into the right side of Axis Castle, as a
shortcut if you're loading a password.


=========
Rallymaze
=========

In this large maze of winding paths, you have to make your way eastward.
Fight the purple round enemies and destroy the portals they come out of as
you progress through this area. In the southeast, you will find the path is
blocked by fire, as stated by a man standing nearby. He'll tell you to come
back later, so make your way to the northeast segment of the room (it's
really not hard to navigate the maze, so directions are unnecessary). Once
you get to the northeast area, take the stairs going upward.

In the second room, head east past the moving lights and defeat the enemies
that emerge from the portals along the way. At the far end, you'll come
across more stairs, so take them and you will exit out to Cursoka Village.


===============
Cursoka Village
===============

In this enemy-infested village, head to the north while fighting off the
hordes that run towards you. There are very few people around, and the one
you do talk to will mention the Splatter Slime ruining the village. In the
northwestern house, you will find stairs going underground to a dungeon.


===============
Cursoka Dungeon
===============

When you arrive in here, head eastward and shoot through the portals which
spawn the fast-moving soldier enemies. Go around the bend and continue west,
then southeast to the stairs at the end. Be careful of the portal which
shoots out flies at a constant rate; try to eliminate that one quickly. In
the next room, follow the path through the area while blasting through more
flies and soldiers. Take the stairs along the east side of the room to the
floor below.

Here, make your way southward by shooting the portals and the rocks blocking
the path at a couple of spots. In the bottom area of the room, you will have
to deal with a massive amount of soldiers, so be ready to kill them off and
stop their portal fast. Break through the rocks to the south and collect the
Crown of Intelligence before continuing downstairs. Above you, there will be
a few items to collect; however they are surrounded by portals that spawn
flies, so you'll want to stop those first without destroying the items!

Head to the south end of the room and shoot apart the portals there as well
before going downstairs to a boss battle. There, you will face the Splatter
Slime in battle. The giant slime will move around the room, constantly
dropping smaller slime enemies that will move toward you to attack. Try to
destroy the small ones before too many are in the room, which can make it
harder to avoid. Stay at the other end of the room and attack the boss with
your weapon, only stopping to run away when it gets close to you. After
enough shots, you will defeat it.

Collect the crystal and your Level 10 status, then go back upstairs to the
floor above. In the room where you emerge, talk to the man nearby and he will
tell you to head south to Reraport, but to be careful of the Gargon. If you
take the long path going west, you will see that the fiery path is cleared,
so this will be your shortcut back to earlier areas. Anyway, continue by
going to the southeast, and down the stairs you find there.


========
Reraport
========

In this new area, make your way to the southwest corner by fighting your way
through the enemies coming from their respective portals. In the second area,
there will be gold knights and floating round enemies to the north; destroy
their portals to eliminate the threat, as always. In the southeast corner,
you can find Boots of Ability, and a Drink of Vitality in the northwest.
After that, go down the stairs in the remaining corner to reach the following
floor.

Here in a more open area, fight more of the same enemies you've been facing
in the previous rooms as you head to the west side of the area. You need to
get to the southwest corner, where you'll find a Ring of Resistance, as well
as stairs leading down to the room below. Down there, you will have to deal
with wizards coming out of the portals. Defeat them all as you head westward,
then go up the stairs to meet the next boss, Gargon.

Gargon is stationed in the northwest corner of the room, constantly spraying
fireballs across the entire room. Every now and then, Gargon will move
forward (to the right), downward, then back up and into the corner. You can
shoot through the fireballs, but it will take quite a while to evade them and
actually hit the boss enough times for the win. You will notice there is a
step formation of sorts directly below the boss. If you can situate yourself
directly below the boss, but not close enough to take damage from it, you can
attack upward diagonally to cause damage. I found that method worked best,
and I only got hit a couple of times, so it should work for you as well.

However you end up beating Gargon, collect the crystal at the end, then go
back downstairs. There, go south to grab the Boots of Ability, then go back
up and head westward. Defeat the purple round enemies and their portals, then
push the rock at the far west end southward so you can continue through. Go
up the several flights of stairs there, and you will soon be outside yet
again.

You will emerge behind a house, to the west of the Hermit House. There is
still nobody there, so don't bother visiting. From here, go west to the
village.


============
Axis Village
============

In the starting village yet again, pay a visit to the king inside the castle.
He will tell you to go north to Ratonix, and will give you the magic items as
usual. Go back outside and walk around to the back side of the castle's
perimeter. You will now see some stairs there; take them down into a new
area.


===============
Ratonix Dungeon
===============

In this relatively straightforward area, go north and shoot through the rocks
and enemies/portals, while avoiding the moving lights on the ground. At the
far north end, use the stairs to reach the next room. In the second room,
head south and destroy the enemy portal in the corner, then shoot through the
rocks to the west. Try to avoid the lights in the middle area of the room,
and go down the stairs at the other end.

In the next room, go forward and talk to the man there. He will mention that
only one of the stairways you'll come across will lead to Octopolus. This
maze will definitely be tricky, and there are plenty of stat boosting items
you can obtain if you feel up for exploring. I will be listing the directions
(from the starting point) that will actually lead to the boss; any other
exploring is up to you).

From the start, take the west stairs down, then take the second set of steps
to the east. Two rooms ahead, take the northern steps upstairs, then the
following set back down. At the next split, take the northern stairs. Go up
the stairs to the north again, and collect the Seed of Life when you emerge
to get an extra life, then go up the following stairs.

Go down the stairs in front of you, then in the next room, take the eastern
steps upward. Follow the path south and you will see a set of stairs going
down in the middle, as well as 2 more stairs to the southeast. Take the first
set of stairs going down for now. When you get to the next part where there
are multiple stairs to choose from, take the ones going down. Go north in the
next room to get an Edge of Attack, Boots of Ability, and Ring of Resistance,
then go back upstairs and take the second set of stairs going up to reach the
room where you were before.

In the room with the portals, take the southeast-most stairs down to the
floor below. When you arrive, go up the stairs to the right, then through the
next few rooms (one of them will have a portal which spews orange enemies,
for your reference). In the next path split room, take the left stairs to
reach a room with a Crown of Intelligence and a Ring of Resistance. Go
through the stairs until you reach the next split, then go upstairs and down
the southeast stairs to continue.

When you make it back to that split path room, take the right stairs this
time. If you went through this whole maze correctly, you will end up in a
large room with portals which spawn blue and green enemies. Follow the path
all the way around to the final set of stairs going down, and you will enter
the lair of Octopolus.

The boss is a giant blue ball with an eyeball in the center, and it is
initially surrounded by 8 rotating eyeballs. Octopolus will move around
before sending all 8 of the eyeballs toward you, all of which will move
toward you for the remainder of the battle. The eyeballs do pause after a
moment of moving, so that's a relief at least. The eyeball in the boss's
center is the weak point, so your best bet would be to run across the room to
evade the moving eyes, attack the boss a couple times, then move again. Keep
in mind that you CAN attack the moving eyeballs and destroy them; just try to
keep a couple around so they don't reform.

Once you beat the boss, collect the crystal and your Level 12 status, then go
up the stairs that appear. When you arrive on the next floor, you will
receive a message saying that you are on the way to Mistos Dungeon, and that
the boss of the area is Halatos. Follow the path going east and south to some
stairs, and you will end up in Mistos.


==============
Mistos Dungeon
==============

In this new area, head to the north while attacking the flies and their
portals early on from a distance. When you reach the portals spewing blue
enemies, try to take out the portals from a distance diagonally, then move up
when it's safe to do so (going back to the south, to limit the crowding
above, tends to help). At the far north end, destroy the blue fire-shooters
and you will see 4 sets of stairs. The set in the southeast will lead to a
Crown of Intelligence, while the northwest one will lead to the next room.

In the next area, follow the path around while defeating the blue round
enemies, and taking out more of the fire-shooters. As you make your way
around, there are Boots of Ability in the bottom-left area. On the west side,
there will be rocks you need to break through in order to progress further.
Do that, and continue southward to the stairs leading upward. There, make
your way to the northwest area while destroying a huge amount of fire-
shooters and various enemies/portals. Once there, go upstairs to the next
floor.

Upstairs, take the southern path first as it goes around, while attacking the
tougher blue enemies and their portals. Go east and south to collect a Drink
of Vitality, then continue to the east side. If you go south into one of the
alcoves, you'll also find a Ring of Resistance. If you take the path around,
it will eventually lead to some more stairs leading upward, so take them.

In this next room, make your way around while attacking the blue round
enemies and their portals. However, there are also light-blue wisps flying
around the room that can kill you if they make contact, so try and take those
out fast! Unfortunately you cannot destroy the portals from which they spawn
since they are surrounded by walls in the middle areas of the room. The room
also loops if you go east or west, so your only way to progress is by making
it to the south end.

Of course, there will be enemy portals blocking the paths to the south, so
you'll have to destroy those while avoiding/killing the wisps if you can. At
the far south, you will reach some stairs; go up them to meet the boss known
as Halatos. This boss will move around, constantly spraying fireballs in the
room (your attacks can clear them). That means you'll have to find a safe
spot, preferably horizontal to the boss, and just keep attacking through the
fireballs, landing actual hits every now and then. If the boss actually gets
close to you, you will have to move, so be careful of the fireballs!

When you end up defeating this boss, grab the crystal and your level will
increase to 13. Now, follow the hallway going eastward. You will come to the
ORA Stone, so grab it and your password will change will reflect this
finding. Now, take the stairs out of this room. You will end up in a house
with Judas, who will tell you to return to Axis Castle with the stone. So,
head eastward to the next area.


============
Axis Village
============

Back in the village, stop by the pub for some HP recovery, then head north
into the castle's main entrance.


===========
Axis Castle
===========

Go north into the throne room, where you will meet the king. Give him the ORA
Stone, and he will transform into the devil, referred to as Natas. It turns
out the king was an imposter, and you will receive a message to go to
Balamous Tower via the Rotterroad below the castle. So, head out of the
castle, and take the left side's entrance this time. Go down the hall and
head downstairs to reach the Rotterroad.


==========
Rotterroad
==========

In this area below the castle, make your way westward while defeating the
enemies/portals you encounter. The caterpillars can take several hits, so try
and kill them quickly and from a distance. At the far end of the room, go
down the stairs into a new area. In the second area, make your way southward.
There will be a LOT of enemies and portals to deal with here, so try not to
rush through this section for you will regret it! Take out all of the portals
and enemies before proceeding. Once you make it to the south end, go up the
stairs.

When you arrive in the next room, you will encounter Judas one last time. He
has taken on a larger form as a result of the ORA Stone, and wants to battle
you now. Judas will move around the room, pausing every couple moments to
throw a few boomerangs at you which will also bounce around the room until
you destroy them. He is relatively easy to defeat; it's more or less a matter
of keeping your distance and shooting down the boomerangs before the room
gets too cluttered.

Either way, when you defeat Judas, grab the crystal to attain Level 14, then
take the stairs outside.


=============
Ciria Village
=============

You will emerge in a village setting. By talking to the people in the houses,
they point you eastward to Balamous Tower. After that, cross the bridge and
go east to the next area. If you continue onward, you will see the tower, so
go inside.

As a quick note, if you take the path going east from the tower, you will end
up at the south end of Melba Village (complete with a Drink of Vitality
sitting nearby). This path will act as a shortcut, should you restart the
game at this point from a password. In order to get here though, you have to
cut through the Loch Dungeon to the south of Axis Village; that won't be hard
though, nor will it take very long.


==============
Balamous Tower
==============

At last, you are in the final boss's lair! Begin by going north and defeating
the orange enemies as they emerge from the portals, then destroy the portals.
There are flies coming out of jars in the bottom corners, but you cannot
destroy those, so continue on upstairs. On the second floor, you will have to
make your way through the narrow passages full of tough enemies and portals.
You might as well get used to close encounters and tough fights, since you're
so close to the game's end and all.

When you get to the stairs, head up to the third floor. There will be a line
of portals to the south, each one spawning different (and strong) enemies to
attack you. Get to the right side of the room and destroy the rightmost
portal (the weakest enemies come from there), then face left and attack all
the portals in the line. When it's safe, go south and defeat some wizards,
then go up stairs.

On the fourth floor, there will be more wizards and orange mudmen to face, so
fight through the hordes quickly and safely as you go around the room. Up on
the next floor, there will be even more of them, so watch out! On the sixth
floor, you will be in the left half of the room, where you will face blue
round enemies, and possibly wizards. Lucky for you, they are pretty easy to
defeat, so clear them and continue up to floor 7.

Upstairs, face the right and attack the strong enemies as you break through
the rocks. At the other side, take the stairs back down to the other half of
the previous room. There, you will deal with the wizards. Defeat them, then
take the northern stairs to the upper level yet again. In that sector, you
will have to face red and orange mudmen, which can become extremely annoying.
Do your best with them, or make a run for the stairs.

Back on the sixth floor yet again, defeat the wizards as you move left. At
the other end, take the stairs back up to the seventh floor. There, you will
have to fight wizards and such, but they aren't too bad as the previous
floor. When you're done with them, head upstairs to floor 8 finally. On this
floor, you will have to deal with a HUGE challenge. On the right side, there
are a bunch of portals spawning the orange and red enemies you enjoy so much.

An interesting way to get through this room safely would be to first
eliminate the line of 3 portals along the bottom of the room (the ones that
spawn red enemies). Once they're gone, move to the north end of the room
while staying on the left side, luring the tougher enemies up there. After
the next spawn is lured to the upper half of the room, quickly run down and
to the right, and head upstairs to the top floor.

Up here, you will run into Natas face to face. After taunting you, battle
will of course commence. The boss itself consists of a skull head with the
ORA Stone implanted within, and two moving skeletal hands. Natas will move
back and forth, stopping every couple moments to shoot round projectiles at
you to attack. The hands will also swipe at you; while they may not cause
much damage, it definitely adds up if you don't stay out of the way! If you
attack a hand enough, it will temporarily disappear, though.

The weak point of Natas is the spot where the ORA Stone is located, as you
may expect. Attack it from the sides (it's best to do this only when the boss
is stopped and far enough away from you), or destroy a skeletal hand and
attack it diagonally from that particular side where you cleared the hand. It
will definitely make things easier if you destroy one of the hands while
attacking; do NOT destroy them both though, since the boss will just keep
moving until the hands reappear.

If you are patient and manage to cause enough damage, Natas will be defeated.
When that is done, collect the ORA Stone and enjoy the final scenes of the
game. At this point, you have completed the Dungeon Explorer game, congrats!

*****************************************************************************

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-=  7. Items  -=
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Black Magic: Allows you to use your character's black magic ability.

Boots of Ability: Raises the agility stat slightly.

Crown of Intelligence: Raises the intelligence stat slightly.

Drink of Vitality: Fully recovers your character's HP.

Edge of Attack: Raises the attack stat slightly.

Holy Water: Freezes all the enemies currently on the screen temporarily.

Ring of Healing: Recovers 10HP and permanently raises your max HP by 10.

Ring of Resistance: Freezes all the enemy portals temporarily, stopping new
                   enemies from appearing out of them.

Seed of Life: Gives you an extra life.

White Magic: Allows you to use your character's white magic ability.

*****************************************************************************

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-=  8. Secrets/Tips and Tricks  -=
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

==============
Play as Harmet
==============

In order to play as the Harmet (should be Hermit), you will need to be
playing the game as the Bard. Once your character has surpassed the 50HP
mark, head to the Hermit House east of Axis Village. Inside, he will be
transformed into the Harmet.


====================
Play as Princess Aki
====================

After leaving Melba Village, you will reach an underground prison. Inside is
Princess Aki, who is trapped there by Grimrose. If you defeat the boss in the
castle and return here, the princess will leave you a note. If you enter that
password when you start the game, you can play as her.

Play as Princess Aki: JBBNJ HDCOG


=================
Quick HP Recovery
=================

If you're looking for a quick way to fully recover your HP without waiting to
beat a boss or finding a rare Drink of Vitality, return to Axis Village.
Enter the pub (it's the long building just below the castle). When you enter,
you will automatically recover all your lost HP.

*****************************************************************************

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-=  9. Credits  -=
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

GameFAQs: For the information on how to play as the Harmet (Hermit).

Webapprentice: For reminding me to add information about the crystals
collected from defeating the bosses, and the related stat boosts.

*****************************************************************************

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
-=  10. Copyright Notice  -=
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

This file is Copyright (c)2006 Devin Morgan. All rights reserved. Please view
the following URL to see the list of sites that are allowed to post my work:

http://www.freewebs.com/dbmfaqs/allowlist.html

This list is comprised of sites I know and trust well. If your site is not on
the aforementioned list, you are currently not allowed to post any of my
files on your site. Please respect my work and do not steal it or post it
without my permission. I only want my most recent work to be available and I
do not feel that can be achieved if others take from me without my knowledge
or permission.

If you are writing a FAQ for this game as well, and would like to use some
information, credit me for what you use. Please do not rip me off, as that is
blatant plagiarism and such will not be tolerated.

I no longer accept emails regarding this FAQ. Thanks for reading!

http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/3579.html

=- End of File -=

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