In my personal opinion, this level is rated among one of my most hated levels. This level is much like Level 12 in enemy composition, but in this case, there are no invulnerability chargers and only one or two cloaking devices. Thereby, one gets blown up more often than in most other levels. Once you enter the blue doors, you are in for a heavy fight...the enemies are expecting you.

• The distance from the reactor to the exit is one of the longest in the game.  If you do not know the exact way out, valuable time will be lost. On the insane level, you may not be able to make it.  Therefore, make absolutely sure that you know your way out, that you have a correctly calibrated joystick(if you have a joystick), and that you have destroyed all enemies that are blocking your path to the exit.

Once you have entered the level, you will encounter resistance in this junction. It is guarded by two Medium Lifters and two Class 1 Drillers. Destroy them all and choose any path to the blue key and the blue door.  If you take the path in front of you, be aware that the room ahead is guarded by cloaked Medium Lifters.

The blue key is guarded by three Medium Hulks. They are located in the three niches in this room. Use the weapon that you are most comfortable in destroying Medium Hulks, and destroy all three.

If you entered the room via the ground door, the door will be blocked by a Super Hulk.  You will have to destroy it before entering the room.

If you entered the room via the shaft, pick up the cloaking device and destroy the Super Hulk on your way to the blue door.

You may access the blue door by the ground door of this room or by returning to the opening junction and taking the left or the middle fork.  It may be advisable to save your game here...once you enter the blue doors, you are in for a fight.

Your nightmare is about to begin...:-)

If you entered the blue door by means of the opening junction, you will come under immediate attack by Spider Processing Robots and a Medium Hulk. You will have to destroy them all before continuing. Next, you will enter a room with a smart missile floating over the lava. This area is guarded by a Spider Processing Robot and two Class 2 Drones. You should also destroy them.

If you entered the blue door by means of the ground exit from the blue key room, you will encounter less opposition. You will come under attack by a Defense Robot(the first appearance in the game).  Destroy it and proceed.

The lava ring underneath the main room contains a mega missile. It is guarded by two Advanced Lifters.

To continue on with your "nightmare," go down the side passage indicated. It will lead to an antechamber guarded by a Super Hulk and a Spider Processing Robot. Destroy them both, and proceed by going down the shaft.

Once you go down the shaft, you will come upon this junction. This area is important...you will have to go through this room to get to the exit. Destroy the two Super Hulks guarding the area, and proceed on with the "nightmare" by going into the door indicated. Do not go into the door not indicated on the map...this leads to a room which will not forbode well to you as it contains a robot generator with several Super Hulks around it.

Once you open the door indicated, fire a mega missile into the room, if you have one. This will take out one of the Super Hulks and if you are lucky, a Defense Robot as well. This will make the room easier to tackle. Once you see the mega missile destroy the robots, go in and take out the remaining Super Hulk and the remaining defense robot.

Next, proceed on and open the door. You will come under immediate attack by two Class 1 Heavy Drillers. You may either attempt to lure them out and surprise them, or you may enter the room and attempt to circle to destroy the enemies. Inside the room itself are a Super Hulk and two Class 1 Drillers. Once you have destroyed the five enemies, go down the corridor to your right and destroy any Class 1 Drones which you encounter.
 

Open the door ahead of you and wait. A Medium Lifter should charge up, which should be destroyed from long range using any weapon desired. This weapons fire will attact the attention of the other lifters and the Spider Processing Robots in this room. Let them come, then destroy them before they come to you. Repeat until all enemies are destroyed.

There is an extra life located in the door ahead of you. It is guarded by several Super Hulks and a robot generator.

You may take either the left or the right door to grab the yellow key. If you take the right door, keep shooting up. A secret room will open, revealing two shield powerups...one of the few breaks in this "nightmare."

The key is guarded on the outside by two Spider Processing Robots and two Class 1 Heavy Drillers. It is strongly recommended that you do not fight them in front of the corridor that leads to the key. You should lure them into the corridors from which you came from and destroy them there.

Once you have destroyed them all, reenter the outer room and lay two or three proximity mines right on the outside of the corridor leading to the key. Wait in front of the corridor. The Class 1 Drillers located inside the inner room containing the key will come out, as well as the Super Hulk inside. Move away from the corridor and let the drillers commit suicide on the proximity mines. Then, go in and take out the Super Hulk. This will leave a clear path to the key.

You will have to return to the junction from which you entered by the shaft.

In my opinion, this red key is guarded VERY badly. This key is guarded only by three Class 1 Drones. :-) Just enter the room, grab the key, back out, let the drones come down, destroy them for 600 points, blow the hostage room door, rescue the hostages, and then, go back to the junction, and head for the red door. (I just had to use a run-on sentence here...:-) )

(Thanks to Joerg Reibert([email protected]) for this painless way to blow the reactor.)

Once you enter the red door, several Advanced Lifters and Spider Processing Robots will attack you. Just destroy them using any method.

When you enter the next red door, you will come under attack by several Spider Processing Robots. Destroy them, but do not enter the right side corridor yet. Once you have destroyed them, face the corridor and bank to your left. Change to your plasma cannon(if you have one) and slide down. Keep the bottom of your ship on the wall. Move forward slowly until you can see one of the Super Hulks in your sights. Once the Super Hulk is in your sights, fire your plasma cannon. If you see the Hulk firing a missile, back up and the missile will blow up on the corner. Continue until the hulk is destroyed.

Repeat the procedure for the Super Hulk in front of the reactor. Once you have destroyed that also, enter the room and destroy the last Super Hulk as quickly as possible.

Next, head for the back of the reactor room and destroy the two Spider Processing Robots. Grab the extra life in the niche behind them.

If you have not rescued the hostages yet, now is a good time to do so.

Once you blow the reactor, IMMEDIATELY head for the exit. Here are the steps:

1. Leave by the way you entered the reactor room itself. When you reach the first room, turn left and open the red door.
2. Open the red door and go through the room. Once you pass the bend, turn right and open the red door to your right.
3. Slide either left or right and then head straight. Slide down, and head for the door ahead.
4. Once you go through the door, slide left, then move forward toward the door ahead.
5. Enter through the door and turn right. Enter the yellow door.
6. Go through the antechamber and go into the red key room. Turn your ship up.
7. Keep going up the shaft until you reach the exit.

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