[Kong]

I got 38K last night but left it running so I could continue again without playing the baby dungeon. My computer got unplugged and I lost it.

The only reason why I died on that run was because I lost 5 levels to those puppets (worst character I have ran into yet) and so I got careless. I ran into a lair and threw a blinding herb at a stone hulk and ran. The stone hulk killed everyone in the lair which gave him mega experience and leveled up several times. I went to kill him, normally easy ( I had over 120HP ) but he killed me in two hits before I realized he was super hulk.

So be careful using blindings.

I hate how the text is white on transparent light blue. I can barely read it. Sometimes I can't. I guess that is a mistake the fan translators made.

I grew up on Fatal Labyrinth » Genesis the 16-bit version of Dragon Crystal » Sega and Dragon Crystal » Game Gear. I'll add some DOS predecessors, Rouge and Nethack, this summer.

Taloons has much more reading than the others, and the horrible white on light text and the annoying trial dungeon but besides that it is by far best in it's genre.

Several tips.

( Click to show/hide )

1. Die 21 times in the first trial dungeon. You get a good sword and shield that makes it easier and all you want to do is get past it as fast as you can so you can play in the real dungeon. All stats, money, points, equipment reset when you get to the next dungeon. Holding A+B+END will speed this up.
2. After you beat the trial dungeon leave the game on and pause it when you need a break. If you submit a score or close the game then you have to repeat the trial dungeon again. Even if you left the game on pause for a week you could still submit your score.
3. You need to be level 3, 29HP, and have a sword, a shield and something to throw before waking up a magician.
4. Elixirs and medical herbs will boost your max HP if you use them when you are full health. Always do this at least until you get to 100 HP. You might want to save one for an emergency.
5. Strengths are the same, if you are not poisoned then strengths will increase you max. Always use antidotes to recover strength, not strengths.
6. If you only have one antidote don't use it right away. Save it until you have to use it because it will always bring you back to full strength even if you are down to just 1 point.
7. If you have a moldy bread or two and an antidote or if you have a belly ring then take your time. Farm. You can only do it for a couple minutes and then an earthquake will happen and force you to move on to the next level. If you are doing this then attack the purple sleeping birds, otherwise avoid them.
8. Levels 7-15 are very important because they are the only levels that spawn trick bags. You have to do good on these levels to get a great score.
9. If you have a clone staff, a bang and some confusions and muddles save them for a level 15 trick bag. Clone the trick bags and make them run away from you, they are useless if they steal from you before you kill them. If you do it right you will make a fortune. You can also do it level 7-14 but they are worth more in later levels.
10. Avoid close combat with mushrooms if you don't have an antidote or scale shield. Never fight puppets close if you can help it.
11. You shouldn't have to run away very often. You should always be strong enough to fight what is on the current floor. Your level should be at least as high as the floor.
12. Use a digital controller or keyboard. Analog sticks make you go in crazy directions.
13. Learn the controls. The run button can save you lots of real world time but can cause you to make mistakes so if you are having a hard time you should probably just walk. Walking in diagonals saves food. Turn the map on. Holding the Y button will help you face enemies. R moves diagonally. L shoots arrows. A+B recovers HP fast and calls enemies to you.
14. If you make it out of the dungeon with enough money you can build a bigger shop. After about 3 or 4 expansions you build a vault. The vault lets you store items for later use. I never got to use it but a first level vault will let you use an outside to put 10 items in storage and each time you start over you can bring one item with you. I assume the vault will get bigger with more expansions. I think this is kind of cheating but there is no real way for us to prevent or monitor it so anyone can do it and you should be aware of it. You have to make it out with over 500 gold, then over 1000 gold then over 2000 gold and then over 5000 gold to get it, I think.
15. The cloning staff and belly ring are the most valuable items you will find for reasons stated above.
16. When I start the game I usually do not equip a weapon until I am ready to fight a magician. Then I equip the best I have and hope it is not cursed. If it boosts my attack or defense to 3ish then I decide to keep it and add my Bikills and Uppers and Platting to it.
17. Platting keeps your shield from rusting. Very important. If you do not have one then you have to remove your shield when you see a Hork and this repeated wasted turn will probably mean you will not make it far. Mirror shields do not corrode and are good. Leather shields don't corrode but they require twice as much food, throw them away.
18. The Liclick (gray lizard people lickers) split in two when you attack them. Run for a corridor and fight them one at a time. If you have 40HP and aren't surrounded then they shouldn't be too hard.
19. The Wyvern (blue birds) and Stone Hulks are very strong. You should have 60HP before getting close.
20. Bomb Crags (look like Meatwad) will eventually stop moving. If you hit them once or twice more then they will explode hurting items and enemies and you. If you are close then they will leave you with 2HP. Arrows work good for the final blow, but remember to save some arrows for trick bags and Demoites. If you are above level 16 when you kill them with a sword then I don't think they explode.
21. Ice Sloths are pretty easy. If you have over 40HP then it should be ok to wake them.
22. Learn what items do.
23. Be careful with blindings and probably get rid of them when you run out of storage. They can cause one enemy to kill several other enemies but that will cause him to get very strong.
24. You can make some enemies attack others, example the archers will always shoot at you but if there is someone else in between you then they get hit.
25. Antidotes are very important, Save all of them.
26. Bread is very important unless you have a belly ring. Save it all even moldy bread.
27. Blaze is pretty good.
28. Use elixirs, strengths, medicals, bikills, uppers and plating right away as described above. No need to store them usually.
29. Bangs are good, save them.
30. Eavesdrop scrolls combined with a belly ring are good. Otherwise, kind of useless.
31. Clairvoyant scroll is almost useless. Use it right away, don't store it.
32. Identify scrolls are valuable. Try to always have a couple. I usually use it on rings first.
33. Outside scroll and safe are only useful if you are trying to get the vault mentioned above. Otherwise ditch them.
34. Torch is ok if you are doing the belly ring farm trick. Not worth storing. I did use one to kill a metal babble which gave me 500exp and a lucky herb.
35. Lucky herbs give you an extra level. Save it until you are having trouble and then use it right after gaining a level. If you use it right before gaining a level then you wasted it. The higher your level when using it the more valuable it is.
36. Uncurse scroll. Usually worth keeping one. Don't use it just because you have a curse. Only use it if you want to unequip a cursed item. A cursed dragon sword is probably better than any noncursed sword you will find so no need to remove the curse. I think it will remove all curses at once so if you are going to use it go ahead and equip all of your unidentified items and find out if they are cursed or not first.
37. Change staff is good. You can use it to change an unbeatable enemy into something else or you can change an easy enemy into something else to get more experience points. Hopefully you will turn it into a trick bag.
38. Prevention staff is not great. You do not wave it like other staffs. If it is in your inventory then you will not trip. When you run out of space throw it away.
39. Weapons. You are hoping to find a steel axe or dragon sword by the third floor but will probably get a copper sword. Be disappointed if you only have a gold sword or club or nothing at all. Don't use a bikill on gold or club, hold out for something better. Gold and club might not be worth the risk of curse.
40. Shields. Don't use leather. Scale shields protect against poison. A plating and a scale shield my be the best even though it is not the strongest. Mirror shields have plating already and are 1 stronger than scale. Next is steel and then dragon. Bronze is the weakest. If you only have a bronze then you should use it but save your uppers and plating for something better. Bronze might not be worth the risk of curse unless you are having trouble.
41. If you put on a ring without using an identify scroll on it then first check your stats to see if it boosted your strength by 3, if it did then it is a strength ring, keep it. If not then check if you are losing 1% of food ever 5 steps, if you are then it is a starve ring, throw it away. If not then check if you are losing 1% of food every 10 steps. If you are not then it is a belly ring. Keep it. You are lucky. The only other rings I have got are disarm and adornment. Adornment is useless unless you are about to use an outside scroll.
42. You can hold buttons down to repeat commands. You don't have to repeatedly tap attack.
43. Most enemies will follow you. Don't waste food walking out of your way towards them.
44. Save items with multiple charges, staffs and arrows, for later. Use single use items first to free space in inventory.
45. If you are getting too many items and have to throw them away then use magic to kill demonites, puppets and mushrooms and trick bags from a distance. You don't want them close to you.
46. Throwing staffs with zero charges left has the same effect as waving them.
47. Know when to improvise and abandon these tips.
48. Good luck!