Spelunky secrets guide - PS Vita tricks for veteran adventurers

So, you think you're a Spleunky expert, huh?

You've cleared the mines, conquered the jungle, finished the ice caves, beaten the temple, and finished off Olmec, eh?

Well, that's a good start. And we're all very impressed. But that's all it is - a start.

Derek Yu's randomly generated platformer is absolutely filled with secrets to find. And there's more to it than simply getting to the "end". There are more worlds yet to explore, and even-bigger bosses to defeat.

In this spoiler-filled guide, we'll show you how to find those bonus areas and help you unlock some super-secret items that will come in handy on your new Spelunky adventure.

How to find the black market



The black market is a secret area from where you can buy almost every item in the game. It's also the only place you can get Ankh (which gives you a second chance after dying once).

Here's how to unlock it...

First, there will be a locked treasure chest and key on one of the rooms in the mines. Carry the key to the chest (or vice versa) to unlock the Udjat Eye. This enables you to see gems and items that are buried in the ground, and will help you find the black market.

Later, in the jungle, you might notice the Udjat Eye icon in your inventory starting to blink. This means you're closing in on the entrance to the market. Once it starts blinking like crazy, use bombs or the pickaxe to reveal the entrance.

How to find the City of Gold



The City of Gold is a bonus room that's filled to bursting with treasures. Suffice it to say, you can rack up some ridiculous scores in this room. Here's how to find this secretive city...

So, follow the directions above to find the black market, and buy the Ankh. It costs $50,000 (I hope you have enough cash, as you'll have to deal with seven angry shopkeepers if you try to pinch it).

With the Ankh in your inventory, head to the ice caves and find the room with the giant Moai head. Kill yourself anywhere on this level and you'll respawn (thanks, Ankh [Thankh]) inside the head. Pick up the Hedjet and exit through the door.

Now, here's the trickiest bit. On level 4-1 (the temple), you must kill Anubis. He's the jackal-headed god guy who can murder you with one hit and has loads of health. Good luck. A well-placed sticky bomb is your best bet.

Anubis will drop a golden scepter. If you've followed all the steps up until now, you'll be able to open the golden door, which is hidden somewhere in the Temple. Welcome, explorer, to the City of Gold. Go nuts - you deserve it.

How to go to hell



This one is for true Spelunky experts only. Once you're in the City of Gold, find and pick up the Book of the Dead. You'll have to fight Anubis II (and the blood skeletons he spawns), and reach the level exit safely.

Now, when you get to Olmec's lair, you'll find that there's a special door just above the lava at the bottom of the level. Your Book of the Dead will laugh more raucously when you're standing above the door.

Force Olmec to smash a path down through the blocks and make him kill himself just below the door so you can stand on his head and enter.

Welcome to hell! There are some handy new items in here. Ah, and some terrifying new monsters and bosses. Good luck. You're going to need it.

How to enter the worm



Ever wondered what those sticky orange balls in the jungle and ice caves actually do? Well, wonder no more, traveller.

Simply throw a stunned damsel onto the ball and then get stuck on it yourself to enrage the worm. Suddenly, a giant mouth will appear and swallow you up (along with the damsel, giving you an extra heart).

You'll now be inside the worm, which is a very tricky area with lots of challenging enemies and obstacles. This is, however, the only place to find the powerful Crysknife, which replaces your whip for that run. Handy.

How to find the haunted castle



You can only unlock the haunted castle if you randomly stumble upon a "The Dead are Restless" stage in the jungle. If you do, find the gravestone that has a crown on it and blast it with a bomb.

You'll pick up a golden crown (and net yourself a lot of cash). Then, bomb the tile below the crown to reveal a hidden entrance. Pop in to find the haunted castle.

Inside the haunted castle, you'll find the shield, an unlockable character, and lots of characters who can be sacrificed to Kali.

How to find the mothership



You can always find the entrance to the mothership on the last level of the ice caves. Climb up the large metal tunnel to reach the door, and enter this impossibly large spaceship.

Inside, you'll find no end of baddies and traps. But if you manage to kill the alien queen, you'll unlock the awesomely powerful plasma cannon. Careful, that thing's got a bit of a kick.

How to please Kali



You can sacrifice enemies and allies to the goddess Kali by dropping their stunned or dead bodies on the bloodstained altars dotted throughout the caves. Kali will reward you with random items like the Climbing Gloves, Spring Shoes, Cape, and Compass.

Curry enough favour with Kali and she'll give you the Kapala. When you have this creepy half-skull chalice in your inventory, you can pick up blood droplets from stunned and dying enemies. Get eight drops and you'll grab an extra heart.

The damsel is a good source of blood. You can whip her (or him or it) twice without killing her (or him or it), which gives you a nice blood top-up.

You can also sacrifice an idol to earn a golden monkey (which poops out golden nuggets and small gems every few seconds), and a mystery box to unlock an eggplant (which changes the music to a chiptune track... and not much else).