Spelunker (video Game) - Setting

Setting

Spelunker is set in a colossal cave, with the player starting at the cave's entrance at the top, and the objective is to get to the fabulous treasure at the bottom. To achieve this, the player must walk and jump through increasingly challenging parts of the cave, all the while working with a finite supply of fresh air, which could be replenished at various points.

Some of the hazards the player faces in the cave include water, uneven terrain, steam vents, small ledges, chasms, deadly pits, and large rocks that must be blown away. One of the few enemies are large bats, which drop deadly guano on the player. Additionally, a ghost haunts the cave, appearing randomly and attempting to take the player to the shadow world. By pressing the spacebar (B button for NES version), the player character sends a blast of air from his airtank (uses a flash gun in the NES version), pushing the ghost away. However, this renders the player's character immobile for a couple of seconds, thus vulnerable to other dangers and further depleting their air supply.

Objects to collect include sticks of dynamite, flares and keys (which come in two different colours). By pressing the "D" key, a stick of dynamite is dropped and ignited. This can be used to blow away big rocks. (Care must be taken to stand far enough away as not to get caught in the blast.) Flares are launched with the "F" key and are used to scare bats away. After the flare is extinguished, the bats return.