SPACING AND LENGTH
For optimum readability, this driving guide should be
viewed/printed using a monowidth font, such as Courier.
Check for appropriate font setting by making sure the numbers
and letters below line up:
PERMISSIONS
This guide may ONLY be posted on FeatherGuides, GameFAQs.com,
PSXCodez.com, F1Gamers, Cheatcc.com, Absolute-
PlayStation.com, InsidePS2Games.com, RedCoupe, gamesover.com,
CheatPlanet.com, The Cheat Empire, a2zweblinks.com, Gameguru,
GameReactors.com, cheatingplanet.com, vgstrategies.com,
CheatHeaven, IGN, hellzgate, Games Domain, RobsGaming.com,
ps2fantasy.com, and neoseeker.com.
Permission is granted to download and print one copy of this
game guide for personal use.
INTRODUCTION
This stand-alone third-person adventure is actually part of
the Army Men gaming universe. Here, you play as Vikki G.,
the main squeeze of Sarge, and/or Leo, a lion Vikki befriends
early in the gameplay. Myself, I rarely play anything other
than driving/racing games, but I found myself falling in love
with Portal Runner almost as fast as I originally did with
Oni and the Tomb Raider series (the latter of which I played
exclusively on Macintosh).
For those unaccustomed to such games, Portal Runner will be
rather forgiving if using Dream Mode. This easiest level of
gameplay will only give damage to Vikki and Leo if the damage
results from the environment - lava, long falls, etc. In
other words, damage from weapons is nullified. The initial
version of this guide has been written from Dream Mode
gameplay.
Note that this walkthrough is essentially a greatly-enhanced
version of my previous Portal Runner Guide, which simply
presented strong hints as to what to do on each level. Since
I myself have been inundated with requests for more
information and many GameFAQs users have requested a full
walkthrough, I am now writing a dedicated walkthrough.
I should state from the outset that I have not played any of
the Army Men games. Portal Runner is my personal
introduction to the series. Also, this guide is based on
Dream Mode, and initially took less than 48 hours to complete
(usually playing 3-5 levels per session).
====================================
GENERAL TIPS
ALWAYS save your progress at the end of each level. You
never know when some fool will drive into a telephone pole
and cut off the electricity to your neighborhood.
Directional control can be achieved with either the D-pad or
the left analog knob. However, the D-pad is generally more
precise.
The right analog knob is used for camera movements. This is
a good way to look around walls and other obstacles to see
who or what might be coming your way. To return to the
default camera angle, press the right analog knob (R3).
As much as possible, use only Basic Arrows. This will allow
you to save the other arrows for when they are needed most.
The latter often occurs in solving puzzles or in defeating
particular enemies.
Try to collect as many jewels as possible. If you are in an
area with a lot of enemies, try to eliminate all opponents
first, then collect all the jewels you can reach. This is
true whether you play as Vikki alone, Vikki with Leo, Vikki
mounted on Leo, or Leo alone.
====================================
THE STORY
The Army Men series pits the Green Army against various other
armies of different colors. Earlier in the series, Brigitte
Bleu was introduced as a spy for the Blue Nation. Now, she
has been able to take over various worlds using connecting
portals; her henchman Rage the WarBot assists her in her
quest for ultimate domination.
Vikki is the daughter of a high-ranking officer in the Green
Army. Also, she is an ace journalist, and madly in love with
Sgt. Hawk (Sarge). Vikki can have a bit of a temper, and
apparently has a rather strong adventurist streak in her
which helps her in tracking down the best journalistic
stories. She is also quite proficient with a bow and arrow,
and is able to target with precision at great distances
(using Vikki's first-person view). Vikki apparently also has
Animal Friendship at Level 6 (BESM, second edition), as she
is able to quickly befriend a wounded lion.
The game begins with Vikki on a mini-adventure across two
opening levels. These levels are rather small and provide
players a good opportunity to become accustomed to the game's
main controls. Beginning with Level 3, the main adventure
begins as Vikki is lured into a trap set by Brigitte Bleu,
and must find her way back to her own world.
The other 'main character' is Leo (Leonardo) the Lion. Leo
is incredibly strong, an excellent warrior, and willing to
submit only to Vikki. Leo's rage can grow rapidly,
especially in battle, but Vikki must constantly keep his rage
in check so that Leo can fight effectively when necessary.
Also, should Vikki stray too far away from Leo, he will begin
to whine, calling for her to return to him.
LEVEL 01
Worlds: Tranquil forest, chessboard
Play as: Vikki alone
Note: Vikki begins the game wearing camouflage pants and
sports bra.
Objective: Follow Sarge through the portals
Hint: Always check each area carefully for jewels, arrows,
hearts, etc., which can either heal Vikki and/or Leo or
provide new weapons, extra energy, etc. By the time you
finish this level, you should be accustomed to searching
virtually every cranny and nook for potential goodies.
The first two levels of the game are essentially a mini-
adventure, designed to familiarize players with the controls
and concepts which will be used throughout the game. These
levels are fairly small and easy to follow. The 'real thing'
begins with Level 03.
This opening level begins with Vikki on a grassy area before
a beautiful waterfall. Look around the grassy area for
jewels, and note the messages which appear on the screen;
note that by pressing the Pause button, the top-left of the
Pause Menu indicates how many jewels have been collected and
how many exist on the current level. She does not carry any
arrows at the beginning of the game, so these will need to be
found as well.
When ready, move out into the water at the base of the
waterfall and collect those jewels as well. The Cave-behind-
the-waterfall Trick IS in play here, so make use of it. Go
for the arrows on the ground first, THEN go for the jewels on
the ledges - otherwise, since you have no arrows yet, you
will need to jump back down to the ground to get arrows.
When finished, emerge back underneath the waterfall and turn
left, taking the upward-sloping path lined with jewels.
Follow Rage into the portal.
Once through the portal, Vikki is in a strange chess-like
world. The various chess pieces fire off bolts of
electricity, so Vikki will need to be careful. To either
side of the chessboard and on the other side from Vikki's
initial location are floating chessboard squares; the squares
on the left and right lead to more jewels, whereas the
objective (another portal) is at the top of the floating
chessboard squares opposite Vikki's initial location. Vikki
will need to jump from square to square - most of which move
somewhat - to reach the other portal and complete this
initial level of the game.
====================================
LEVEL 02
World: Candy Store
Play as: Vikki alone
Objective: Find and rescue Sarge
Hint #1: For the rest of the game, each level will have
multiple mini-objectives to guide you through each stage of
the level. To check these mini-objectives, pause the game
(press Start), then select Objectives.
Hint #2: Whenever you come across a floating gold star, cross
it as soon as possible. These are checkpoints; should you
perish in the level, you will restart from the last
checkpoint you touched, rather than at the beginning of the
level.
Hint #3: Some platforms in the game levitate or fly.
This is a rather fun level, but it can be tricky. From
Vikki's starting location, to the right is a large box; going
behind it will reveal a jewel as well as a vista point. Once
back on the table, the level truly begins.
Obviously, collect all the jewels Vikki can find. This first
section of the level is loaded with Gingerbread Men who
attack by throwing candies; fire off arrows at each. There
is also a large Stay-Puffed Marshmallow Man who initially has
his back turned to Vikki; firing off a number of arrows while
he is still facing away will destroy him easily and cause a
clown to pop up. When finished searching this first table,
go into Targeting Mode and fire at the clown's nose; he will
fall and become a bridge to the next table.
Climb the lollipop tower and note the Popsicle stick used as
a bridge; avoid the gumballs which roll down the corridor and
over the makeshift bridge. [If Vikki goes all the way to the
end of the corridor (where the gumballs land) and turns left,
there will be a lone jewel awaiting her.] Along the corridor
on the right side is an exit to safety with a checkpoint.
To the left of the checkpoint is a set of blocks Vikki can
climb. By so doing, she can gain access (to her right) to
more jewels; this is also a fairly safe point to fire at the
Gingerbread Men below. Jumping to other boxes of candy will
allow her to collect more jewels. When ready, jump back down
to the tabletop and collect the Trident Arrow.
Moving on, there are more gingerbread houses ahead - many
contain jewels and/or arrows. Again, kill the Gingerbread
Men. Keep moving ahead until the cutscene with Sarge.
IMMEDIATELY after the cutscene is the Boss Gingerbread Man,
who hurls A LOT of candies at Vikki; fire continually while
using the strafe buttons to destroy him, then proceed to find
a way to free Sarge.
Look for a tile on the tabletop and get on it; it will float
into the air, providing a shortcut to the top of a large
structure. This also provides a great opportunity to kill
more attacking (smaller) Gingerbread Men while effortlessly
collecting even more jewels. Once at the top of the
structure, step off and Vikki will gain the Fire Arrow.
Follow Sarge's instructions to free him and gain his
(extremely meager) verbal praise.
The opening mini-adventure ends here. By now, players should
have a good command of the basic controls for the game. The
only other controls to be used (when playing with/as Leo) are
the Leo Call and Leo Attack buttons, which are self-
explanatory.
====================================
LEVEL 03
World: Cave
Play as: Vikki alone
Objective: Find Rage inside the cave
Hint: Targeting the birds in the cave can make survival a bit
easier.
The true adventure begins here, and the levels are generally
much larger for the rest of the game. However, Vikki begins
without any arrows, so finding arrows is extremely important.
However, since there are a few jewels visible from Vikki's
starting point, she may as well collect them :-)
Once in the cave, arrows will be made available. A little
further along reveals a large cavern with a waterfall. To
the right of the waterfall are a group of jewels; go for
these first. Firing at the stone claw will cause a group of
glass tiles to rise from the water; use these to jump up to
the ledge to gather more jewels and several Explosive Arrows.
The cutscene reveals the Rockmen-generating structure; it
must be destroyed. Once this has been accomplished, destroy
the Rockmen as well; be careful, as they hurl large rocks at
Vikki.
Facing back toward the mouth of the cave, the waterfall is
immediately to Vikki's right (90 degrees). At about 30
degrees is the Rockmen-generating structure. Between that
and the waterfall is a large dark-brown section of wall; this
can be destroyed with an Explosive Arrow.
Collect any other Explosive Arrows on the highest ledge, then
drop back down to ground level. Look underneath the
waterfall for more jewels, and proceed toward the area where
the Rockmen-generating structure was located. Jump up on
each ledge and grab all the jewels there, and take a picture
at the Vista Point. Then come back down to ground level and
go to the newly-opened cavern.
Collect the jewels, note the large crack in the cave wall on
the right, and back out of the area. Use an Explosive Arrow
to break open that crack, then move inside and hit the
Checkpoint. Welcome to the Inner Cave.
Jets of really hot steam block Vikki's easy access to the
next large chamber. With good timing, she can simply run
through this short area to safety.
Now Vikki is on the edge of a small lake with several rock
platforms emerging from the water. Life will be made MUCH
easier by using Basic Arrows to kill the flying birds before
Vikki begins exploring the Inner Cave. Any rock barriers can
then be destroyed with Explosive Arrows.
(There are also several jewels in the water - now may be a
good time to gather them. Also, do not both shooting arrows
at the fish, as they are not dangerous.)
When ready, jump from pillar to pillar until Vikki gets to
the floating rocks, and make use of them to move from pillar
to pillar as well. When on the pillar closest to the tall
ledge, another Rockman will appear; an Explosive Arrow will
both destroy this creature and cause the large leaf below to
start floating. use this large leaf to get to the tall
ledge.
Once here, turn around and face the way that Vikki entered.
There is another tall ledge on the right; this is where Vikki
needs to go. First, use an Explosive Arrow to destroy the
large boulders blocking clear access to the other ledge.
Then, use another floating rock to get to pillars to get to
this other ledge. Go to the Checkpoint.
Now, Vikki needs to descend the ledges. However, she should
first use Explosive Arrows to destroy a Rockman below as well
as several stalagmites and stalactites, as these will form
'stepping stones' for Vikki to follow once the ledges have
been descended. When this is done, drop down one ledge at a
time and collect the arrows.
Once down at 'goop' level, collect more arrows, then jump the
'goop' (and laugh at Vikki's comment about the 'goop') and
jump from 'stepping stone' to 'stepping stone' to cross the
'goop' safely.
Follow the next ledge around the front of a waterfall and
into a new cavern, quickly jumping up on small ledges to a
rock outcropping with a gap. From here, arrows can be used
to destroy Rockmen and their generating structure; if out of
Explosive Arrows, three precise hits with Basic Arrows will
be needed to destroy each Rockman.
Jump across the gap to the left to another ledge to collect
more Explosive Arrows, then jump down to the main floor to
collect more arrows and jewels. Then climb back up to the
ledge used to destroy the Rockmen and their generating
structure. There will be a floating rock which moves to and
from that gap; ride the rock and jump to another floating
rock (both at the same height, but covering different
distances, so Vikki may need to wait a while before she is
able to safely jump from one floating rock to another), and
eventually jump from that to the next ledge and its
Checkpoint.
Welcome to the Magic Crystal Room. The trick here is getting
to the center pillar, which has golden swirls above it. To
Vikki's left is a low ledge with an arrow; jump here, and use
the floating rocks to get to a higher ledge. From here, a
well-executed jump will both collect the arcing line of
jewels and land Vikki on the center pillar. Shooting the
crystals which appear (six crystals total) will cause an
electric charge to emerge and destroy the blockage to the
exit. Jump back to the previous ledge, then from ledge to
ledge to the tall ledge, and cross over to the newly-cleared
area and its Checkpoint.
The level is nearly finished :-) Vikki must now make her
way down the path to the crystalized jewels; just before
reaching these jewels is a ledge on her right, where she can
gain health if needed. Moving amongst the crystals reveals
that both jewels AND Rockmen are encased within; grab the
arrows and head back to the aforementioned ledge, and shoot
repeatedly at the spinning silver crystal from there. Once
the Rockmen are freed, use Explosive Arrows to destroy them;
once the wall is destroyed, drop back down and collect the
freed jewels. Enter the newly-opened cavern, and the level
ends with a cutscene.
====================================
LEVEL 04
World: Prehistoric jungle
Play as: Vikki
Note: Once in the jungle (after the cut-scene has finished),
Vikki will be wearing the Flintstones-style outfit shown on
the front cover of the game's case.
Objective: Befriend the lion and set up camp
Hint #1: Have a good memory? You may just need it later!!!
Hint #2: To feed the as-yet-unnamed lion, you must be
standing directly in front of him.
Hint #3: Note the positions of the jewels.
Hint #4: It may be a good idea to light the campfire from a
safe distance.
After a long cutscene, Vikki and the as-yet-unnamed lion are
in a prehistoric jungle. Vikki needs to find three dinosaur
eggs to feed to her feline companion. However, she also
needs to find arrows, since she had none initially. From her
starting point, heading toward the water yields jewels,
arrows, and a Vista Point. Then turning around 180 degrees
reveals a dinosaur egg. Turning back, approach the lion to
feed him, then go find the two other dinosaur eggs while he
eats.
From here, turning around with Vikki's back to the lion,
there are four paths. The far-right is blocked (note that
this is NOT a political reference!!!!!), and can only be
opened with Explosive Arrows. Here, we will begin with the
second path to the right.
This path has a river of lava, with a rocky path above it on
its left. At the first gap in the rocky path, there will be
another dinosaur egg visible on the right - across the lava
on a low area. Looking down, there is a rocky stepping area
with a jewel in the lava river; jump to it, then to the low
area to collect the jewels, arrows, and second dinosaur egg.
The trick now is to get back to the lion to feed him, but
Vikki cannot simply return to the rocky path the same way she
came. Instead, she will need to make her way to other rock
areas down the lava river. In so doing, she will collect
more arrows, and will eventually come upon the third dinosaur
egg.
However, listen carefully and Vikki will hear something
running about on the ground below her present position.
Looking down, there is a small dinosaur running about. This
can be killed with several well-targeted arrows. Then simply
head back toward the lava, get back on the rocky path, and
follow it back to the lion. (Note that Vikki can carry more
than one egg at a time, so there is no reason to take Leo the
second egg, then return for the third egg.)
Once the lion has been fed and befriended, setting up camp is
a good idea. Go to the Checkpoint. Vikki is now back where
she was before, faced with four paths. This time, take path
on the far-left (again, note that this is NOT a political
reference!!!!!). Make sure that the lion is with Vikki (in
the default controller configuration, press the R1 button to
call the lion to Vikki) and get ready with the arrows. A
short cutscene will show raptors, then one will charge Vikki.
Firing off several arrows will kill the flesh-eating
creature; also, Vikki can order the lion to attack (in the
default controller configuration, press the R2 button to get
the lion to attack). The second raptor will have run off, so
approach that area and have Vikki climb up on the ledge,
following it around as she collects jewels.
Vikki should now be in a wide open clearing with a waterfall.
In the distance is the second raptor; send the lion to
attack. Keep listening for more raptors and send the lion to
attack them while Vikki makes her way to the waterfall and
collects jewels and Explosive Arrows. Once she has Explosive
Arrows, they need to be used to destroy the raptor nest, and
the lion can be sent to attack any remaining raptors.
After a cutscene, go to the Checkpoint, then start looking
for three sticks to start a fire. To the right of the
waterfall is a rock blockage; use an Explosive Arrow to clear
out this obstruction and enter this hidden area. This will
reveal an area with jewels and arrows and one of the needed
sticks. There is no easy way to get to the stick without
being harmed by the geysers of hot steam, so run in, get the
stick, and run out - gaining health from the floating yellow
hearts both in the chamber and around the water area.
Back at the (pre-existing!?!?!?!?!) campfire ring, face the
waterfall, then turn to the right. Go over to where the
raptor nest was located, collect arrows and health (if
needed), then climb up on the ledge and follow it. Destroy
the rock blockage and continue on. Below to the right is
another pool of lava; since the lion cannot get up onto the
ledge, Vikki is temporarily on her own now, but this will
only last for a few seconds, as the next stick is across the
lava with the jewels and arrows. Gather these items, then
head back to the campfire.
Next, had back to where this level began (taking the lion -
he will be important) and collect any new arrows. The far-
right path can now be unblocked by using an Explosive Arrow;
inside, arrows and jewels can be found.
Returning now to the starting area for this level, the
unexplored path can now be opened. It is blocked by trees,
so Vikki must use a Fire Arrow; the trees will burn for
several seconds, then disappear. Along with the lion, enter.
Have the lion attack any raptors while Vikki collects arrows
and jewels. There will be another rock blockage which must
be opened; use an Explosive Arrow for this to reveal a large
lava pool. Note that if (before entering the newly-opened
area) Vikki climbs up on the ledge, she will be led back to
the waterfall area; however, using the lion is a distinct
advantage, which is why this path and tactic was included
here.)
The lion must stay behind as Vikki enters the newly-opened
area. Use the floating rocks to cross the lava pool.
However, after landing on the second floating rock, look down
to the right to spot a breakable rock - using an Explosive
Arrow will turn that rock into a floating tile; jumping on
will allow Vikki to collect more jewels, and also provide an
overview of the area. Once back near the lava, jump back to
the second floating rock, then continue on across the lava
pool.
Once on land again, climb the slope to a cave. Vikki will
definitely want to avoid the 'goop' as she collects jewels
and arrows. When finished gathering these items, Vikki can
return to the lion.
About halfway to where the level began, there is a path to
the left wit ha large rock blockage; this would have been
easy to miss before due to the angle of the paths. Vikki can
use an Explosive Arrow to clear the way. Entering this area
reveals that Vikki has already been here when collecting
dinosaur eggs; now, she can use an Explosive Arrow to destroy
the raptor nest (and collect the revealed items) while the
lion attacks any raptors which may be in the area. After
doing this one or two more times, Vikki will finally find the
final stick.
The duo can return to the campfire ring to officially set up
camp. Since the lion is accompanying Vikki, she must return
to where the level began, THEN go back to the campfire ring -
collecting any new arrows along the way. Once the third
stick has been deposited, use the Fire Arrow to light the
campfire and be greeted with a short cutscene in which the
lion is finally named (Leo).
====================================
LEVEL 05
World: Prehistoric jungle canyon
Play as: Vikki mounted on Leo.
Objective: Find a way out of the canyon
Hint #1: Higher elevations provide a better view.
Hint #2: Note the positions of the jewels.
After a long cutscene, Vikki is riding Leo. The controls are
essentially the same as when playing as Vikki (quasi-)alone.
The first objective here is to collect eight magic stones.
Essentially, just follow the jewels and arrows, but be sure
to jump the gaps. T-bone steaks will give Leo a momentary
boost in both overall speed and jumping ability to clear the
largest gaps. Keep following the various items to the first
Checkpoint.
Once Leo and Vikki get just beyond the first Checkpoint,
pillars rise from the ground and spew out stones; these are
the eight magic stones which must be acquired to gain
passage. This area has several cliffs, so Leo will need to
jump high and far on some occasions. There is a nine-minute
time limit on finding all eight magic stones and returning
them to the pillars, but if Leo and Vikki can get up on top
of one of the cliffs, most of the stones can be seen from
there; then, it is simply a matter of finding T-bone steaks
and timing jumps just right to collect the eight magic stones
(and more jewels and arrows as well) and then return them
(the magic stones) to the pillars. From here, a short
cutscene takes over and the level ends.
====================================
LEVEL 06
World: Prehistoric jungle
Play as: Vikki
Objective: Solve the secret of the pyramid to get out of the
jungle
Hint: Platforms are not necessarily meant for you.
Vikki has dismounted, and this can be used to the player's
advantage. This level is full of raptor nests, so while
Vikki runs around collecting and using Explosive Arrows, Leo
can be charged with eliminating the raptors. To the extent
possible, Vikki should get up off the ground (such as on the
pyramid itself) to fire off the Explosive Arrows, so that she
can target and shoot freely without worrying about being
attacked by any raptors that Leo cannot keep at bay. This
entire process could take a while, so be patient.
Once the raptors and their nests are all destroyed, Vikki can
calmly collect any remaining jewels and arrows. In so doing,
note that there are two stone-marked squares on the ground on
the left half of the level (left side in relation to the
level's starting position) with lion symbols on them; one is
near a tall pillar while another is close to the middle of
the level. Now the fun can truly begin!!!
When ready, Vikki needs to move so that Leo follows her and
stops in the stone-marked square near the middle of the
level; once this is done, Vikki must command Leo to stay.
This activates a defensive trap, with multitudes of arrows
flying near ground level between the two stone-marked
squares, and the tall pillar comes down to ground level.
Vikki needs to get to the now-grounded pillar; the safest way
to do this is to move along one side of the area where the
arrows are emerging or impacting, and repeatedly jump the
continual flow of arrows. Once on the other end, Vikki can
then safely move onto the now-grounded pillar. By calling
Leo to her, the pillar rises, and the arrows stop flowing,
allowing Leo to come to Vikki. When the pillar crests, Vikki
can get the stone key needed at the pyramid, then the pillar
automatically descends once more, and Vikki can rejoin Leo.
The arrows will have started flying again by the time Vikki
reaches the ground. Have Leo stop and sit on the other
marked square (the one next to the now-grounded pillar); the
dragon heads which had been firing the arrows will explode,
revealing more jewels and claws holding crystal balls.
Collect the jewels and shoot Basic Arrows at the crystal
balls. Run to the Checkpoint, then call for Leo to have him
rejoin his companion.
Head back up to where the level began and edge left so that
Vikki overlooks the ground below. Note the raptor nests and
use Explosive Arrows to take out as many as possible. This
will save some headaches later. If necessary, return to the
main floor of the level, collect more Explosive Arrows, then
return to the overlook point and take out more raptor nests.
When ready, return to the main floor of the level and turn
right, heading toward the pyramid. Go to where the puzzle
piece should be placed, and a new area will have golden
swirls floating above a new tile in the ground. Leo must be
placed on this tile and told to stay so that he can be moved
over the pyramid. Vikki must climb the pyramid and make use
of a set of directional buttons which now appear on the
pyramid itself; these directional buttons determine how the
tile Leo is currently on will move to bring him across the
pyramid. Vikki must step on a directional tile to raise,
move, and lower Leo; a short buzz means that a wrong button
has been activated, while a green lighted button means that
the correct choice has been made. Once Leo is safely
grounded on the other side of the pyramid, go to the
Checkpoint just in front of the large rock blockage.
In the newly-opened area, the first objective is to clear out
all the raptor nests. Fortunately, most should have already
been destroyed from above, so there should only be one raptor
nest remaining; Leo can be sent against the raptors while
Vikki destroys the raptor nests. Once this has been
completed, Vikki can collect the jewels and arrows in the
area, then proceed with the next objective: finding a safe
path through the prehistoric jungle.
Go toward the stone wall, and stand on the stone-marked tile
on the ground to lower the wall. New raptors and raptor
nests will need to be eliminated before proceeding. Keep
doing this and moving ahead until the brief cutscene shows
Vikki and Leo running ahead through the prehistoric jungle.
====================================
LEVEL 07
World: Prehistoric cave/mountain area
Play as: Vikki (separated from Leo)
Objective: Cross the lava lake and solve the secret of the
stone gateway
Separated from Leo, Vikki must first turn off the lavafall.
However, from her starting location, if she turns around 180
degrees, she will she a few short steps up to a jewel and a
Vista Point.
Looking to the far left on the initial ledge, there are green
hearts. Heading this way will reveal that behind a small
rock outcropping are arrows.
NOW Vikki can worry about the lavafall :-)
Carefully, Vikki must make her way down to the 'stepping
stones' at the bottom of the area, then cross over to a cave
entrance. (Note: If playing the Portal Runner in bright
lighting conditions, it may be difficult for the player to
see the cave entrance.) Once inside, a brief cutscene moves
Vikki along to an inner lava pool; jump up the visible
'steps' to the second story (collecting arrows along the
way). Once here, Vikki can easily shut off the lavafall with
an Explosive Arrow. Now she can return back to the starting
point for the level, and use the floating platform to safely
cross the large pool of lava and hit the Checkpoint.
Fire Arrows will be key to getting through the rest of this
level, as many passageways are blocked by dead trees. Turn
left and go all the way to the end of the ledge to get Fire
Arrows, then return all the way to the right end of the
ledge. Use Fire Arrows to burn away the dead trees, then
quickly change to an Explosive Arrow to kill the Rockman.
This will reveal numerous arrows, which can be used later.
Now there is only one way to go, and it is blocked by more
dead trees. Use the Fire Arrows to 'blast' through. Now
Vikki needs to find three Elemental Stones. The Fire Stone
(no pun intended) is floating in the air before her; fire at
it (no pun intended) with a Fire Arrow to activate it, which
will raise a bridge across the two gaps and also create a
Checkpoint.
Once across the second gap, Vikki should turn left, and
launch a Fire Arrow at another dead tree. When the tree
burns away, another jewel will be revealed. She should
collect it and then go the other way along the path.
Shortly, a bird from the air will fly by, spewing flames at
Vikki. A few shots with the Fire Arrow will eliminate the
thread.
Continuing on, there will be a rocky path blocked by a large
burning log. Just to the left is a lower path requiring
jumps from one rock to another over a small pool of lava;
ahead are the needed Water Arrows. Once the Water Arrows
have been collected, Vikki can return to the burning log and
put out the fire, thus gaining access to the area beyond.
This will reveal more Water Arrows and the Water Stone;
shooting the Water Stone will accomplish phase two of this
objective.
While backtracking, a Lava Monster appears; a quick. single
shot with a Water Arrow will kill this creature before it has
the chance to attack. A Rockman will also shortly appear; a
single Explosive Arrow will destroy him.
The gate is directly ahead; Vikki needs to make her way
around to the right. Ahead will be the Lightning Stone
slowly turning atop a strange structure, with the required
Lightning Arrows below atop rock pillars which rise and fall.
Four shots with the Lightning Arrows are required to unlock
the power of the Lightning Stone.
Vikki can now return to the gate, passing through a
Checkpoint along the way. She can then hop on the rising
platforms to make her way to the top of the gate to rejoin
Leo and continue to find a way out of the prehistoric world.
====================================
LEVEL 08
World: Erupting prehistoric volcano
Play as: Vikki mounted on Leo
Objective: Escape before the volcano erupts
Hint #1: Meditate on the rising steam.
Hint #2: Have you ever felt like you kept spinning around in
circles?
The first phase of this level involves getting to the base of
the volcano. This is relatively easy as long as Leo follows
the path (there are few possible deviances) and Vikki keeps
plenty of Water Arrows ready to eliminate obstacles and Lava
Monsters.
For the second phase, again follow the path. There are NO
possible deviances this time.
The next phase is trickier: finding a way up to the portal.
First, the Lava Monster must be destroyed. Then, Vikki can
use an Explosive Arrow to fell a stalagmite, which will bring
up a ring of floating rocks which slowly turn on the rising
lava pool.
Here is where things can get hairy. Floating above the empty
(lava-filled) center of the floating rocks is generally a
health heart. However, this occasionally becomes an
Explosive Arrow. When it does, get it, and use the Explosive
Arrows to destroy small rocks poking out from the walls of
the inside of the volcano; this will allow the lava more ways
to spill out and thus slow the main lavafall's flow. Once
all the small rocks have been exploded open, ride the center
floating rocks up to the portal. The jump to the portal
itself will need to be very well-timed, as there is obviously
only ONE CHANCE to get it right. After a brief cutscene, the
level comes to an end.
====================================
LEVEL 09
World: Medieval
Play as: Vikki (separated from Leo)
Note: Vikki now wears medieval archer's clothing
Objective: Rescue the wizard and find a way to open the
locked gate
Hint: Knowledge of the movements of chess pieces may be
useful here. See the Chess Movements section at the end of
this guide for the basics and caveats of permitted chess
movements.
After the cutscene, Vikki is on the chessboard. Grab the
arrow to her right and fire off several shots at the knights.
When destroyed, the wizard will approach for another
cutscene.
The goal now is to get to the Golden Arrow high above the
chessboard. Vikki should first run around the chessboard
itself and collect the jewels, then head toward the white
square placed on the edge of the chessboard itself to be
taken up into the air on a level with the other floating
squares.
It is important that Vikki only keep to the white squares, as
'those black squares hurt!!!' However, many of the squares
shift position, and some squares alternate colors between
white and black. Also, Vikki will need to kill the guards in
the towers on the corners of the chessboard to make
concentrating on this puzzle easier.
The trick is that after a pass of the chessboard on the
overhead platforms, the platform configuration changes, so
that Vikki must make her way back to the other end of the
chessboard. This happens several times, until Vikki finally
arrives at the Golden Arrow.
Once the Golden Arrow has been retrieved, Vikki will be
brought back to the main chessboard, and a cutscene will show
what to do. Do it to unlock the gate and get off the
chessboard :-)
====================================
LEVEL 10
World: Medieval forests - picturesque and dark
Play as: Vikki
Objective: Solve the secret of the stone monolith to break
the magical barrier
Hint: Call the Elements for guidance.
After a cutscene, Vikki and Leo are in the forest. Vikki
again begins the level without any arrows, but there are
plenty to be found just off the path to the right, and a
jewel with a Vista Point just off the path to the left. From
the Vista Point, the monolith can be seen.
Near the monolith are Lightning Arrows, and a stone-marked
space on the ground with a lightning symbol. If Vikki stands
on this space and looks toward the monolith, the center
pillar rises and turns counterclockwise. Each side of the
risen center pillar has a symbol; Vikki must use the
appropriate arrow to shoot each symbol to activate that
portion of the monolith. If Vikki circles the entire area,
she will see that each symbol on the center pillar has an
identical symbol on the ground.
Now that this has been determined, she must find the other
required arrows. For the other three symbols, there is a
path leading past the symbol on the ground and deeper into
the forest.
Beginning with the Explosion path, Vikki can collect more
arrows and jewels. Eventually, she will get to a cavern with
a downward slope and a pool of some strange liquid at its
base; mushroom-like things extend up from it with various
jewels stacked above each. Laugh mightily at the quasi-disco
scenario as Vikki jumps to the first mushroom!!! Note that
the normal laws of physics (as based upon previous experience
in the game) do not apply here; instead, this is a low-
gravity area, so Vikki can jump both higher and further than
she can elsewhere, which can be used to move from mushroom to
mushroom and to grab jewels high in the air. Jumping from
mushroom to mushroom, Vikki can attain the Explosion Arrows,
use one to shoot at the floating tile above the entrance to
the cavern, then backtrack to the cavern's entrance. Using
the tile, Vikki can attain the many jewels on a high ledge,
then return to the entrance of the cavern and go to the
Checkpoint. Note that there is also a flying creature in
this cavern; killing it quickly will make the rest of the
puzzle easier to decipher.
Once Vikki uses the Explosive Arrows at the monolith, she can
explore the other two paths. There is no Water 'path' per
se, but it is obvious that the Water Arrows will be located
somewhere near the waterfall. To the left of the waterfall
itself is an easy path around to the underside of the
waterfall, where the Water Arrows are located. Once
retrieved, Vikki can return to the monolith to make use of
them as done before with the other arrows.
Now Vikki only needs the Fire Arrows to unlock the mystery of
the monolith. Go back to the cavern where the Explosive
Arrows were found, and the scene will be changed. There are
now numerous rock pillars rising from the 'goop,' and a new
set of jewels and arrows. Jump from pillar to pillar, get
the Fire Arrows, and return to the monolith.
Use the Fire Arrows in the same manner as the others were
previously used, and the four elements combine to unlock the
power of the monolith. Run around the monolith collecting
jewels, then go to the center to collect another jewel and
the required Golden Arrow (remember from the wizard's
instructions in the previous level - the chessboard level -
that only Golden Arrows can break magical barriers).
There is now one unexplored path remaining, which Vikki
should be facing at the end of the brief cutscene. Get the
jewels and arrows, then stand back and fire the Golden Arrow
at the barrier. Once inside, head for the Checkpoint.
Vikki and Leo are now in the dark forest, with mist and fog
swirling around seemingly everywhere. Some trees have the
ability to move about and throw boulders at Vikki, but Leo
can take care of these enemies as she collects arrows and
jewels. Vikki should keep moving to the right, following the
path and having Leo attack anything that moves. Eventually,
there will be a graveyard site; Leo can attack the knight
which appears as Vikki continues collecting arrows and
jewels. Continue up the hill (as if making a left-hand
hairpin turn) and there will be a Checkpoint beyond its
crest; go to it.
Continuing ahead, Vikki and Leo are ambushed. Again, Leo can
attack while Vikki collects various items. There is only one
way to go from here (with a few jewels on the side), so Vikki
and Leo can keep moving forward through the dark forest until
the cutscene takes over and the level comes to an end.
====================================
LEVEL 11
World: Dark forest
Play as: Vikki
Objective: Defeat the Great Tree
Hint: Get ready for plenty of frustration!!!!!
From the beginning of the level, Leo heads out to attack the
knights and the demon lions, allowing Vikki to run about
collecting arrows. Basic Arrows will be fine for eliminating
anything which comes to attack her, but two or three shots
will be needed to make the kill. Vikki needs to look for the
jets of steam, as Explosive Arrows are contained within;
these can be used to destroy the stone pillars which generate
the knights and the demon lions. Once the stone pillars are
destroyed, collect any remaining jewels and arrows and help
Leo defeat the last of the small enemies (if any), then head
to the Checkpoint.
Hop on the leaf and take a ride :-) The trick now is to
move up the tree, making use of floating leaves to move from
one long branch to another as needed. Also, Vikki needs to
take out the distant archers as quickly as possible to make
life easier; however, the eyes of The Great Tree (any
relation to The Great Pumpkin?) occasionally shoot out
fireballs which must be avoided. Note the positions of
jewels and arrows, as that can indicate the optimum jumping
lane to get from branch to branch when there are no leaves to
facilitate such movements. Eventually, one leaf will take
Vikki to a small branch-outcropping with a Checkpoint and
numerous Water Arrows; the next leaf will float Vikki around
to the front of The Great Tree where (while constantly
moving) she can fire at the eyeballs to stop the volleys of
fire. Once this has been completed, Vikki will be taken back
down to ground level. Now she can head into The Great Tree
itself, collect jewels, hit a Checkpoint, and jump onto a
leaf.
This new leaf will float Vikki high up inside The Great Tree.
Vikki must jump from one floating leaf to another, even as
virtually ALL these leaves are in constant motion. When she
gets to the top area, the leaves will form a circle and
contain Fire Arrows.
Now the final difficult part takes place. The heart of The
Great Tree is surrounded by numerous protective leaves, which
must be burned away with the Fire Arrows. However, the heart
also emits a ball of energy which will hurt Vikki is she is
touched. Therefore, Vikki must continually jump from leaf to
leaf, collect numerous Fire Arrows, and keep shooting at the
protective leaves until she can finally pierce the heart of
The Great Tree - WITHOUT FALLING, as a fall from this height
will instantly kill her even if she is at full health before
the fall. If this feat can be accomplished, then the
passageway to the castle will be unblocked, and Vikki will be
returned to the ground.
Once through the Checkpoint, Vikki and Leo are reunited. The
passageway to the castle is on the left; a cutscene soon
takes over to end the level.
====================================
LEVEL 12
World: Castle grounds
Play as: Vikki (separated from Leo)
Objective: Defeat the guardian dragon
Hint: Shields up, Mr. Sulu!
After a cutscene, the action begins immediately. Vikki
should grab the nearby arrows, then head to the lower walkway
around the combat area, collecting jewels and getting out of
the dragon's line of fire. Slowly, she can make her way
around the combat area to face the shields on either side of
the raised drawbridge. Using a Basic Arrow on either shield
creates Trident Arrows; she can then go back up to and ride a
floating platform to collect these arrows. Note that as the
dragon's health decreases, the poisonous mist rising from the
moat rises higher and higher, eventually making the lower
level of the combat area too dangerous. Should Vikki be
successful in slaying the dragon (Vikki the Dragon
Slayer!!!), a cutscene will end the level.
====================================
LEVEL 13
World: Castle
Play as: Vikki
Objective: Collect the magical playing cards to open the
doors to the castle
Hint #1: X marks the spot.
Hint #2: Some cards open more than a single door.
After a long cutscene, Vikki is outside the castle and needs
to get inside. Ahead is a locked door with the Ace of Hearts
card on it; to the left of the door is a large chest which
allows Vikki access to a window above. Along this initial
corridor are many smaller chests as well as Basic Arrows. By
using the Basic Arrows, Vikki can shoot at the smaller chests
to reveal Trident Arrows, health hearts, and jewels. Once
these have all been acquired, THEN Vikki can climb the large
chest to the window.
The 'window' is actually a doorway. There are numerous large
crates here. Vikki must move carefully - if she is spotted,
then guards come out of the woodwork (almost literally), and
she must fell them all. From here, she can keep moving to
the right to reach Ace of Hearts Tower.
After gathering the arrows, go to the tile with the blue
heart. Once it rises, jump from tile to tile to work upward
in the tower. The lines of jewels will show the optimum
jumping lane, and - if done correctly - the final jump will
also yield the Ace of Hearts card. Vikki can now return to
Leo and open the Ace of Hearts door.
Vikki and Leo are now in the Entrance Courtyard, with two
guards charging toward them - Vikki can fire arrows at one
guard while Leo tangles with the other guard. Once these
enemies have been defeated, the hunt is on to find the Two of
Hearts card.
Collect the jewels and arrows and approach the door on the
other end; this door is marked with a Joker card. There are
paths to the right and the left from here. Taking the left
path leads to the West Courtyard; guards will need to be
taken out along the way and upon arrival. Once Vikki
collects the arrows on the ground, she can return to the
entrance to the West Courtyard and climb up on a crate, which
gives her access to the next level; here, she can grab jewels
and Fire Arrows. Once this is complete, she can return back
to ground level.
Continuing past the West Courtyard, Vikki and Leo eventually
come to the Northwest Courtyard. Following the path to the
left, a set of stairs is shown ahead. Climb the stairs (and
kill the guard) and turn right. The door ahead is marked
with the Ace of Hearts card; entry is access to Two of Hearts
Tower. Destroy the... thing... and head inside.
Use Basic Arrows to destroy the small chests and collect
their contents. Then head to the tile with the blue heart
and collect jewels and the Two of Hearts card the same way as
in Ace of Hearts Tower.
Head back out to the Northwest Courtyard and explore,
collecting jewels and arrows. There will be two doors, each
marked with the Three of Hearts card; remember this location
for later. Return to the path and backtrack to the Entrance
Courtyard.
Once in the Entrance Courtyard, collect any new arrows and
then take the unexplored path; this leads to the East
Courtyard. Above on the left will be a lone archer; he can
be taken down fairly easily, then Vikki can use her Basic
Arrows on the small chests to gain more Trident Arrows.
Continuing along the path, the duo will come to yet another
door marked with the Ace of Hearts card; inside is the
Northeast Courtyard. Ahead is a door marked with the Two of
Hearts card, while a door on the right is marked with the Ace
of Hearts card; a set of stairs rises to the left.
Use the door marked with the Ace of Hearts card to reveal a
red jewel perched high above a small pool of water. Above
that is a chandelier; if Vikki has any Fire Arrows, one can
be used to hit the cord of the chandelier, and it will fall
on the red jewel, destroying it but creating a number of blue
jewels at ground level, which Vikki can then collect.
Back outside, take the stairs up to another chamber, where
Leo is told to stay. Vikki can jump across the gap (while
collecting jewels) to another chamber, where a guard will
need to be eliminated instantly. Basic Arrows will open two
more small chests to reveal more Trident Arrows.
Moving on to the next area (to the right of the jump), more
small chests produce jewels. Moving on, Vikki is on a
rooftop connecting two doorways; on her right in the distance
below is another guard, who can be easily and safely killed
from this distance. Moving ahead, however, another guard
triggers an alarm, and several guards appear; Trident Arrows
will take out groups of them per shot.
Vikki can keep moving ahead, killing guards and destroying
small chests until she arrives at a door marked with the Two
of Hearts card; this provides access to Three of Hearts
Tower. Again, find the tile with the blue heart, and jump
from tile to tile to collect jewels and the Three of Hearts
card. When finished, backtrack to Leo (and hit the
Checkpoint, just in case).
Once with Leo, the pair can head back down the stairs and
take the door marked with the Two of Hearts card. This leads
to a door marked with the Three of Hearts card. This leads
to the Northwest Courtyard, where Vikki and Leo explored
earlier. Immediately to the right is another door marked
with the Three of Hearts card; this reveals a path to The
Joker Room.
After breaking open the small chests and collecting their
contents, Vikki should again step on the tile with the blue
heart. This tower is much taller than the others, so a fall
is likely to greatly hurt Vikki's health. Once the Joker
card has been collected, new jewels appear, which can be
gathered by jumping from tile to tile as Vikki descends.
Once with Leo, Vikki should hit the Checkpoint, then the pair
can head back to the Entrance Courtyard. Vikki should have
the Trident Arrows ready; once she enters the Main Hall
(beyond the door marked with the Joker card), these will
quickly eliminate the enemies.
Vikki and Leo are now trapped in the Main Hall, as the way
they came in has been shut and locked. Approaching the door
at the other end (also marked with the Joker card), there
will be a HUGE statue of Brigitte Bleu with a number of blue
jewels about its waist and a red jewel continually circling
the statue. A Basic Arrow and be used to hit the red jewel,
causing the blue jewels to fall to ground level for
collection.
Once these jewels have all been gathered, Vikki and Leo can
round the base of the statue and head toward the next Joker-
marked door. A quick cutscene takes over here and the level
comes to an end.
====================================
LEVEL 14
World: Toy Store
Play as: Leo (separated from Vikki)
Objective: Fight your way to the portal
Hint: Before beginning this level, refresh your memory of the
Leo-specific controls, as they are a little different than
the Vikki-specific and Vikki+Leo controls.
After an insanely long cutscene, Leo must find a way to the
next portal to go to rescue his loyal master (mistress?).
The Yellow Army is bent on destroying all who don't look like
them, to Leo must be careful on this level.
Follow along the edge of the tabletop to the wall and look
for the blue button. Pressing the button will raise a train
car and allow Leo to cross to the other side. The true
battle begins here, as there are Yellow Army soldiers running
about, and a Yellow airplane continually flying overhead and
dropping bombs. Follow the jewels while avoiding the bombs
and killing the Yellow soldiers. Ahead to the right side of
the tank is another blue button on the tabletop, but do not
go for it yet; instead, go to the left side of the tank,
eliminate the Yellow soldier, mover around behind the tank to
collect more jewels, THEN go hit the blue button.
There is more to this blue button, however, than simply
stepping on it. Activating the blue button causes the tank
to fire a laser. Facing in the same direction as the tank's
cannon is pointed, Leo can time the activation of the blue
button with the lowest point of the Yellow airplane's flight,
so that the laser destroys the airplane and finally
eliminates the aerial threat. This will actually need to be
done twice, as there are two Yellow airplanes flying about
the toy store.
The destruction of the Yellow airplanes will have cleared
away some of the toys, revealing several jewels straight
ahead. Once Leo gets them and turns around 180 degrees, he
can see a red jewel-lined ramp up to another level. At the
very top of this ramp is a T-bone steak and a gap that Leo
must once. Once cleared, turn hard-left into a new area and
head for the Checkpoint.
The next puzzle is tricky. This involves very tight quarters
similar to air ducts with a large bouncing ball - think of
the rolling boulder scene from Indiana Jones. Round the
corner, and there appears to be an area where Leo can drop
down; do this, take out more Yellow soldiers, and follow the
jewels to the next area, which leads to another tabletop.
The battle continues, with lasers being shot toward Leo and
Yellow soldiers running amok. To the right side of this area
is another red ramp, this time lined with T-bone steaks; jump
from the top of this ramp to a set of blocks, and jump from
one set of blocks to another to the next Checkpoint near the
source of the laserfire (yet another tank).
Stepping on the blue button will cause the tank to fire one
continuous laserbeam (instead of repeated quick bursts of
laserfire); this will cause the laser-creation mechanism to
overload and cease functioning.
Now continue to the right. Take out the Yellow soldiers and
go for the TNT detonator. The giant robot which had been
firing the tank's laser will be destroyed.
The destruction of the giant robot has scattered new jewels
all over the area around and in front of the tank. Go get
these jewels. Leo can safely go down to the lower level to
claim those jewels as well, as the red ramp is once again
lined with T-bone steaks, so he can safely make his way back
to the upper level and continue on with his quest to save his
helpless mistress.
Past the TNT detonator ahead on the left is a lookout point.
Plenty of jewels and Yellow soldiers can be seen below. Leo
can jump down (jump onto the ramp to keep from losing health)
and start annihilating the soldiers. Once this is completed,
Leo can attack the next TNT detonator to destroy a toy box.
Now Leo comes to an area lined with jewels and doll houses.
The furniture in the doll houses needs to be destroyed to
gain access to various items. Some of the dollhouses also
contain Yellow soldiers, so Leo must be prepared to attack.
Once past the doll houses, go to the Checkpoint.
Coming around the final corner, there are more Yellow
soldiers, who must be eliminated. Once these enemies have
been eliminated, the tank needs to be moved by using the
remote control box on the left (by using a standard swiping
attack); the tank will move forward and fall off the
tabletop.
Rage can now be seen ahead, standing before the portal, which
itself is blocked by bands of blue energy. Above Rage, who
himself fires blue homing energy balls, lasers are fired.
With great care, Leo can make his way along the side of this
area, get directly in front of Rage, and time his attacks to
destroy Rage before Rage can fire off another of his blue
homing energy balls.
The portal, however, is still blocked by bands of blue
energy. Simply swiping at these blue energy bands will cause
them to tumble, and a cutscene will show Leo entering the
portal, thus ending the level.
====================================
LEVEL 15
World: Castle dungeons
Play as: Leo (separated from Vikki)
Objective: Find the way to lower the dungeon (cage) to rescue
Vikki
Hint: In some puzzles on this level, using the left analog
knob providers easier control of Leo.
After a brief cutscene, Leo must find and press four buttons
on the floor to open the gate to the lower dungeon levels.
This is done rather easily, as all four buttons are simply
one or two jumps away in the immediate area.
Once the gate is opened, however, there is a trap created by
continually-firing arrows. Enter the room SLOWLY and
immediately turn to the right; the door behind Leo will close
and lock. On the wall to the right is a button; press it and
run toward the newly-opened door on the other end of the
room. If Leo cannot make it out in time, he will be forced
to return through the arrows to the button to try it again.
Once successful, Leo should hit the Checkpoint. Leo is now
back in the room with the tall statue of Brigitte Bleu on a
balcony. The objective is to jump to the balcony on the
other side of the statue. If Leo misses and ends up on the
floor below, he can simply get onto a tile with a blue heart
and be floated back up to the original balcony to try again.
Fortunately, there are several regenerating T-bone steaks
here, so just wait a few seconds for the T-bone steaks to
reappear then try again.
Once on the other balcony, a button is on the wall to the
right; press it, then turn back toward the tall statue of
Brigitte Bleu. There will now be several tiles floating in
the air and moving forward and backward. Use the floating
tiles on the right (to the front of the tall statue) to move
toward the second button. Now the trick is to move back the
other way to the floating tiles behind the tall statue to
land on the tile with the lion image (and the two diamonds
floating just above it). When this has been accomplished,
the tile will descend and disappear, and Leo can gain access
out of the statue room.
In the next (small) room, a guard will appear; once he has
been eliminated, Leo can then attack the large barrels and
collect the jewels within, then move on. Next, he must get
past the jets of flame, which is INCREDIBLY easy to do after
having dealt with the tiles in the statue room!!! Moving
forward, Leo needs to kill the guard, then start attacking
more large barrels. When the door opens, head up the stairs;
when that door opens, go to the Checkpoint.
Attack all the barrels to reveal health hearts, jewels, and
T-bone steaks. This will also clear the way to buttons on
the walls. When the next door opens, hurry through, avoid
the spikes coming up out of the floor, and go to the
Checkpoint.
The next corridor has two different traps. First, there are
the arrows shooting out from the walls; careful timing and
plenty of patience will prevail here. Next, there are spiked
wheels blocking the second section of the corridor; PRECISE
timing here is required to safely get past this trap and to
the next Checkpoint.
Head up the ramp to locate Vikki trapped in the cage. Note
the button ahead; there are three others just like it. All
four buttons must be activated while knights come out to
destroy Leo. Once this is done, the key on the gate
separates and starts circling the area; Leo must use the T-
bone steaks to run fast enough to catch the key and pass
through the gate to the next Checkpoint.
Timing is of the essence now. Leo must jump to a platform
with a button, then QUICKLY turn left and jump again before
the door closes. Once here, he must then jump another gap,
and get past yet another trap consisting of continually-
firing arrows.
The next room has a few health hearts, which will probably be
needed. There are three closed doors here; two are barred,
so only one possibility remains. Once through this door, a
new variation on the arrows trap is manifested: This time,
the arrows are fired from the ceiling in waves at the floor.
Once past this, get to the next Checkpoint.
Now Leo must head down the stairs and to the left. There are
A LOT of large crates and other obstacles along the walls
here which must be broken apart to reveal the buttons on the
walls. There are also plenty of enemies generated (knights
and archers) until all the buttons are discovered and
pressed; only then will the door open to the next area.
Once Leo moves ahead, a cutscene ends the level.
====================================
LEVEL 16
World: Castle dungeons
Play as: Leo (separated from Vikki)
Objective: Find Vikki in the cage room
Hint: Have you ever left like you were running around in
circles, like a dog chasing its own tail?
After the cutscene, Leo can look out upon his caged
mistress. From here, there is only one direction to go.
While avoiding the ghost, Leo can destroy the large barrels
and collect the various jewels in the area. The path to the
left is a dead-end, so Leo must head to the right instead.
In the next area, ahead, there is a Five of Hearts card. To
the right is a line of T-bone steaks and jewels arcing over a
big gap. Jumping this gap allows Leo to press a button, and
then make a similar jump to the left to collect the Five of
Hearts card. The aforementioned Five of Hearts card moves,
revealing a new area. In the area where Leo is currently, a
new floating platform will have raised into the air, and Leo
can use this to get back to where he was before. Once here,
he can turn toward where the original Five of Hearts card was
located previously and jump the gap; should he fall, he can
quickly get onto a platform floating on the 'goop' and be
automatically raised to jump again.
Turning left, Leo comes to a small chamber with large crates;
there is nothing of consequence here, so these can be
ignored. Continuing onward, up the sloping corridor, Leo
finds a room with burning green diamond-shaped keys with
symbols and a skeletal creature. Once the creature is
eliminated, Leo can run counterclockwise to collect the keys,
then move to the center for the other two keys; this will
open a new area with a Checkpoint.
There are plenty of large crates and many monsters in this
new area. Attacking the crates will uncover several buttons
on the walls; when pressed, the entry door closes and a
platform drop to the floor of the previous chamber. Once on
the platform, Leo will be raised to another level. This
level has many more large crates which should be destroyed to
reveal plenty of jewels. Following this area to its end
reveals the Six of Hearts card, which opens the gate one
level below to Leo's left; he can jump down without incident
and pass through the gate to the next Checkpoint.
Pressing the button by the Checkpoint activates a ghost trap.
Heading to the right, Leo descends two ramps to the lower
area while collecting more jewels. Once 'downstairs,' the
feline must jump through the electric hoops to trap the first
ghost.
The way Leo came into this chamber is now shut and locked.
The large door with the four seals should now have one seal
broken (from trapping the first ghost). Opposite this large
door is a smaller one to a long corridor with many doors -
the other three ghosts are here. One ghost can be found at
the first door to the left; the other doors (except the last
on the left) contain either nothing, knights, or jewels.
The last door on the left opens into yet another corridor
lined with doors. In this new corridor, the first door on
the left contains the third required ghost. Return to the
trap room, wait for the ghost to arrive, then jump through
the electric hoops to trap this third ghost.
Now for the fourth ghost. Go back down the first corridor,
take the last door on the left, then go down that corridor to
the last door on the left, which will open onto yet ANOTHER
corridor lined with doors. The remaining required ghost is
behind the first door on the RIGHT this time. Return to the
trap room, wait for the ghost to arrive, then jump through
the electric hoops to trap this fourth and final required
ghost. Once the large door opens, hurry inside to the
Checkpoint.
Follow the line of T-bone steaks to jump the gap and collect
jewels. There will be two black lions in the area; these
need to be eliminated quickly. Leo's easy passage is now
blocked by large boulders, which can be broken with a simple
attack. Again, follow the line of T-bone steaks and jewels
to jump across the 'goop' river, landing just in front of two
more black lions; they should be close enough to each other
that a single attack will eliminate both black lions
simultaneously. Leo can now move forward, break the large
boulders (this will require a little more effort this time),
then collect jewels on the way to the Checkpoint.
This next part is rather tricky, and it is probably best to
use the left analog stick (the L3 stick) to control Leo.
Once Leo advances to the next chamber and finds Vikki, he
must continually run around in circles hitting the many
counterweights to keep Vikki's cage from falling into the
'goo.' With the D-pad (the directional buttons), this is a
bit harder than it at first might seem, which is why the L3
stick is strongly suggested here.
Once this has been completed, keep circling the area until a
new platform is revealed; it will require a jump for Leo to
reach this area. Step on the button to activate the cutscene
showing Vikki's rescue :-)
====================================
LEVEL 17
World: Castle
Play as: Vikki mounted on Leo
Objective: Find the golden arrow to unlock the way to the
portal
Hint: Have you ever heard 'Fast as You Can' by Fiona Apple?
Vikki is mounted on Leo for this level, so it may be a good
idea to briefly review the controls for this character set-
up.
This level is a timed level: Vikki and Leo have ten minutes
to try to stop the wedding between Sarge and Brigitte Bleu.
Basically, just follow the line of T-bone steaks and jewels
and arrows along the various corridors, jumping gaps as
needed. At the end of the corridors, jump to floating tiles,
then back to the next corridor and repeat the process. At
one point, Vikki and Leo must jump down to a lower level to
continue their quest. The entire time, beware of various
enemies, and destroy large barrels and crates to gain new
items (often arrows).
Once the Golden Arrows have been retrieved, jump on the large
blue tile, go up a level, and continue following the
corridor. At its end, use a Golden Arrow to shoot the Golden
Shield to reveal another large blue tile, which will carry
Vikki and Leo up to the next level. Hurry along this
corridor to the portal (noticeable from a distance by its
accompanying blue mist-fog-smoke).
====================================
LEVEL 18
Worlds: Spacestation, prehistoric jungle
Play as: Vikki mounted on Leo
Note: Vikki now wears a rather snug-fitting futuristic
outfit.
Objective: Defeat the flying saucer to get the key to the
wedding hall
Hint: Is it fish night?
After the cutscene, Vikki is again mounted on Leo on a
futuristic spacestation. Follow the spacecraft (and the
jewels and T-bone steaks) and jump the gaps and the laser
barriers.
Keep moving along through the portal back into the
prehistoric jungle. Jump the falling logs and enter another
portal back into the spacestation. Keep moving forward,
jumping gaps as necessary, until the area with the energy
spheres.
Here, the energy spheres move in two directions; go to the
left, as that will allow more time between energy spheres.
The 'median' in the center has breaks in it; at the first
break, get into the 'median,' then turn around 180 degrees
and press the red button to turn it green. The floor
underneath Leo and Vikki will turn into a floating tile,
which will permit access to several jewels before they are
returned to the floor. Continue on down the left side.
Eventually, the corridor will double back, and the spacecraft
will return back through the various portals to the
prehistoric jungle and then back to the first area of the
spacestation.
The spacecraft will continue to do this until Vikki can shoot
it with enough arrows to force the key to be dropped, at
which point the key must be collected and taken back to the
portal at the beginning of the level. This will eventually
become a timed puzzle (due to all the jumps), with about
thirty seconds to complete the level; this can be
successfully done within twenty seconds, so there should be
no worries here. A quick cutscene ends the level.
====================================
LEVEL 19
World: UFO spacecraft
Play as: Vikki (separated from Leo)
Objective: Find the way to the Brain Room
After the cutscenes, Vikki is alone in an overglorified Trek-
style transporter room. She needs to first collect the
arrows from the transporter room, then make her way though
the green barriers. Beyond the barriers are jewels; a little
further down the corridor is the first Checkpoint.
The next room is a bit tricky. Vikki must kill the lone
Martian before it can trigger the alarm. If Vikki is not
successful, guards on tiny hovercraft emerge. In this case,
Vikki must kill anything that moves and use an Explosive
Arrow to destroy the computer which controls the alarm. Once
this has been completed, she can return to the lower levels
to collect more jewels and/or arrows (if necessary), then
return to the computer console that controlled the alarm.
With her back to the computer console, Vikki can see several
beams of light leading up to a platform with arrows. Once
she collects the arrows, she can step on the red button in
the center of the platform; the beams of light will be
deactivated, but the exit will become unbarricaded. Vikki
must jump back toward the computer console and head toward
the exit and its Checkpoint.
Continue along the corridor. There will be a choice of
paths: up to the left, or down to the right. Go down, kill
the Martians, and run around the perimeter to collect the
Lightning Arrows. Vikki must drain the 'goop' to proceed.
On the back side of this room is both a Checkpoint and a red
button on the center pillar; the button must be shot at with
an arrow to drain the 'goop' from the room. Vikki can then
finish collecting arrows (if necessary), then go to the front
of the pillar and approach its door, which will open.
Stepping inside will take Vikki up one level.
Vikki is now in a room with pods, each with a power button.
The power buttons are the small red buttons to the side of
the pods. The power buttons can be shut off by shooting at
them with arrows. There is no way for Vikki to shut off ALL
the pods before some of the Alien Lords emerge, so she must
be ready to fight. Once the Alien Lords have been defeated
(either killed, or the power turned off for each pod), the
exit will open and reveal another Checkpoint.
The next segment of corridor has security lasers. With good
timing, Vikki can safely make it through by just running down
the exact center of the corridor.
Beyond this area, the corridor turns to the left, but is
blocked by a barrier. Use a Basic Arrow to hit the red
button on the top-left of this barrier, which will activate
the barrier and cause it to slide out of the way. Pass
through and step on the red button on the floor to cause the
room to transform (via a cutscene).
Once the transformation is complete, go directly to the
Checkpoint, then run around the perimeter of the room to
collect arrows and jewels and health hearts. Next, run out
the door and down the corridor, fighting off more guards on
small hovercraft. This will lead to another elevator-like
contraption, but before entering, Vikki should run around
behind it to collect another jewel. NOW Vikki can enter.
In this next chamber, Vikki must destroy the energy balls
which float around in the air. Collect the arrows and fire
away. Trident Arrows are best, but Lightning Arrows also
work well here.
After running out the door, Vikki finds herself on a high
ledge above where she was before. Using a Basic Arrow, she
can shoot at the red button on the central shaft to activate
the floating platforms. The platform she is currently on
will return her safely to the ground, where she can use the
ramp (to her right) to jump up on a floating platform; this
will raise her up to a stationary floating platform, which
holds a Checkpoint and numerous arrows.
Vikki must now make her way upward to the ring at the top.
This ring has a moving platform, which moves in circles and
is a great way to collect the many jewels on this level.
There is also an exit, but it is blocked by barrier beams.
There is also a pathway to the next Checkpoint, where Vikki
needs to go to continue her upward climb. The entire time,
she is plagued by incoming fire from Martians and their
spacecraft; Basic Arrows or Trident Arrows work on the
Martians, while Lightning Arrows and Explosive Arrows work
well on their spacecraft.
Upon reaching the next Checkpoint, Vikki is nearly at the
top. After another short climb, she arrives at the top,
where there are several consoles, arrows, jewels, and a red
button on the floor. Activating the button releases the seal
on the artificial gravity generator (above her). Pointing
upward, the floating green discs must be destroyed, then the
protective barrier on the artificial gravity generator will
open; a shot with a Piercing Arrow will destroy it, and a
cutscene will show the changes.
Vikki must now make her way back down. This is like the
'disco room' in the medieval levels, so Vikki can jump and
essentially 'float' a long distance to make her way to
another platform; this is important, as the beams of light
which connected the platforms before was deactivated with the
destruction of the artificial gravity generator.
Once back on the level with the moving platform, Vikki can
head through the exit and down the corridor, where the level
comes to an end.
====================================
LEVEL 20
World: UFO spacecraft
Play as: Vikki (separated from Leo)
Objective: Defeat the Brain
Note: 'It's Pinky and the Brain, yes Pinky and the Brain...'
Hint: Try not to do anything which may disrupt your rhythm.
After a long cutscene, Vikki must take on the Brain.
Lightning Arrows must be used to bring down the Brain's
defensive shield, and continual volleys will hurt the Brain
even more. However, there are various annoying enemies
flying about firing or hurling projectiles at Vikki, so she
must be constantly on the move.
And, of course, Vikki has NO arrows at the beginning of this
level >:-(
After a few minutes, rotating lasers appear; Vikki must jump
over these lasers or suffer damage to her health level.
However, there are a few areas where the danger is lessened.
Look for the alcoves, which are raised just enough that Vikki
need not worry about lasers while here. Martians may still
be running about, and may chase her to these areas, and most
flying enemies will not fire into these areas, even though
the Brain will still hurl large green rocks into these
'havens.' However, Vikki will be slightly freer to fire off
volleys at the Brain; the only need to emerge from these
areas is to collect more arrows.
Eventually, Vikki will defeat the Brain, and the level will
end. After a screen showing the final score, the final
cutscene shows how everything ends (I will not divulge it
here).
At this point, all the cutscenes are available for viewing
again; from the Main Menu, select Movies, then select the
individual cutscene. The photos taken at the various Vista
Points are also available for viewing; from the Main Menu,
select Extras and scroll through the various images, just
like a scrapbook or a photo journal.
The game has ended - congratulations :-)
====================================
OVERALL EVALUATION
Overall, Portal Runner is a great game. For those (like
myself) unaccustomed to the Army Men universe, the storyline
can at times seem a bit silly, but that is quickly lost once
gameplay begins on each level.
Sound is perhaps the best feature of the game, especially the
supporting music and the voice acting. Except perhaps for
Brigitte Bleu, the voice acting is highly convincing,
seemingly pushing the envelope of believability without
crossing the thin line into corniness; given the script of
some of the cut-scenes and the comments Vikki makes
throughout the gameplay itself, this is quite a feat!!!
Brigitte Bleu's fake accent is only okay, but it does convey
important character information nonetheless.
In each level, the music fits the current world and/or
situation like a glove. While the music certainly grabs the
attention, it also does not consume all of the player's
attention. I believe that independent of the game, the music
would still stand on its own as a really good CD.
As for replay value, those who play such games once and then
sell them on eBay (or elsewhere) should not use Dream Mode,
which is EXTREMELY easy. However, replaying the game at
progressively higher levels of difficulty should be quite
interesting.
Overall, Portal Runner is a great standalone game; as I am
unfamiliar with the rest of the Army Men universe, I cannot
comment as to its appropriateness within the Army Men series.
As a standalone, I would rate Portal Runner at 7.5/10. The
puzzles are sufficiently challenging, the storyline and
characters rather intriguing, and the controls easy to learn.
Where the game hits a real pitfall is in replay value and the
need for more levels (the latter is especially important for
those playing in Dream Mode).
CHESS MOVEMENTS
Here are the movements permitted in chess. The letters and
numbers indicate the coordinates of each of the sixty-four
spaces on the traditional chess board.
In these examples, an X indicates a piece's starting
position, and an * indicates permitted movements (assuming a
clear path to the intended destination). Caveats to piece
movement are also given.
Bishop
12345678
A* *
B * *
C * *
D X
E * *
F * *
G* *
H
King
12345678
A
B
C ***
D *X*
E ***
F
G
H
Caveat #1: The King and a Rook can switch positions ONCE
if there are NO pieces in the intervening
spaces AND the King's passage through these
spaces would put the King in Check (i.e., in
danger of being captured).
Caveat #2: The King cannot move to any space which would
place him in Check (i.e., in danger of being
captured).
Knight
12345678
A
B * *
C * *
D X
E * *
F * *
G
H
Pawn
12345678
A
B
C
D
E
F *
G X
H
Caveat #1: If a Pawn has not yet moved in the game and the
first two spaces ahead are not occupied by any
piece, the Pawn may move forward two spaces.
Caveat #2: If the two forward diagonal spaces in front of
a Pawn contain an enemy piece, the Pawn may
then capture that piece.
Note: Once a Pawn attains the any space on the
enemy's back row, the Pawn can be transformed
into any other piece, with the exception of the
King. The piece of choice is generally the
Queen.
Queen
12345678
A* * *
B * * *
C ***
D***X****
E ***
F * * *
G* * *
H * *
Rook
12345678
A *
B *
C *
D *
E***X****
F *
G *
H *
CONTACT
For rants, raves, etc., contact me at FEATHER7@IX.NETCOM.COM;
also, if you have enjoyed this guide and feel that it has
been helpful to you, I would certainly appreciate a small
donation via PayPal (http://www.paypal.com/) using the above
e-mail address. As this is the final version of the Portal
Runner Guide, I will likely not be able to answer specific
questions about the game - my time is extremely limited now,
and I am concentrating on the newest F1 games.
To find the latest version of this and all my other PSX/PS2
game guides, visit FeatherGuides at
http://www.angelcities.com/members/feathersites/
=======================================================================
Wolf Feather Jamie Stafford
=======================================================================
Just as there are many parts needed to make a human a human, there's a
remarkable number of things needed to make an individual what they are.
- Major Kusanagi, _Ghost in the Shell_
=======================================================================
What isn't remembered never happened. - _Serial Experiments Lain_
=======================================================================
