| Elevators Level
The third screen Mario faces is the
Elevators Level. Here we find lots of ladders but few girders, and the
girders we see are mere pieces scattered about. There are two continuous
elevators (which are cables supporting moving girder sections) on the left
side of the board: one is going up, the other going down. Only two
fireballs dog your path here.
The real problem are the bouncing
I-beams. Massive springs help them boing along, across the top past Donkey
Kong and the captive Pauline, after which they fall down. The first trip
through this board isn't too bad; only a single I-beam bounces by at a
time. Later versions of this board see two or three beams in rapid
succession bouncing by.
Initially, the single I-beam follows a
steady bouncing pattern, and is relatively easy to avoid. Later, the two
and three at a shot have alternating patterns—they bounce in different
spots and fall at different angles. You have to really study the patterns
before moving. On the very top level, it involves running past the
ladder you need to climb to rescue Pauline, then doubling back
after an I-beam bounces over you. Time it wrong, or do this after the
wrong I-beam, and you'll get hit in the britches while climbing the
ladder.
Note that there is a complete lack of
hammers on this level—but they would do little good. There aren't any
barrels and only two fireballs. I've always wondered: if there were a
hammer, could Mario smash the I-beams? I guess we'll never know (I always
voted for "yes" on that one).
Mario jumps to the up elevators. He has to avoid the fireball
zipping up and down the dual ladders in between the elevators. Note:
the fireball can go down ladders very quickly. Mario
also has the chance to cut some time off on this level: if he is on
the upper girder, above the ladders and between the elevators, he
can leap to a downward elevator and, if he's quick and on target,
make a very long leap to the girder to the right. This enables Mario
to avoid riding the elevator to the bottom and hopping from girder
to girder all the way to the top.
|
Mario on the down elevator. From here, it isn't too bad: jump from
girder section to girder section towards the right, then towards the
left. The lone fireball can be a nuisance, but not too bad. The
I-beam at the top is about to fall down the middle of the girder
pieces, and it is the problem Mario must watch out for. Not too bad
on the first occurrence of this board, but later on the I-beams fall
multiply, faster, and at different angles.
|
| |
|
Mario on the top level, face to face with a bouncing I-beam. As it
moves over his head, he must run past Pauline's ladder, do a
180 as another I-beam bounces over his head, and go back... then up
the ladder to rescue her.
|
And he rescues her... but Donkey Kong is heading up the ladder
again. In a moment, she'll be flashing her panties and the heart
will again be broken... and Mario will go back on the job.
|
|
Crazy Kong
The colors are different, but that's about
all, except for the down elevators (see below). Also, there is no fireball
on the right side of the screen.
The major difference is the right side down elevators: they aren't
consistent, with long breaks. They seem to be a bit slower, making
the super jump from the down elevator platform to where you see
Mario standing a bit easier... but having to wait longer between
platforms put you at great danger with that fireball running up and
down the ladders.
|
|
|
