By Air Hendrix (GamePro - January, 98)
This ProStrategy Guide walks you through MDK for the Playstation, giving you step-by-step instructions on how to make your way through all the levels, find all the secret areas, and beat all the bosses.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
General Tips
Level 1: Laguna Beach, USA
Level 2: Lindfield, England
Level 3: Livingston, Scotland
Level 4: Kirkcaldy, Scotland
Level 5: Sparrow Pit, England
Level 6: Conclusion
GENERAL TIPS
Combat Basics:
When facing stationary targets, shoot continuously while quickly alternating between running toward and away from the target. When you time it correctly, you'll duck underneath the incoming fire.
When facing crowds of mobile enemies, shoot continuously but use the Strafe buttons to circle around and stay ahead of their fire.
Alien Generators:
Always destroy alien generators as quickly as possible - they create new enemies.
Bombing Runs:
Keep the cross hairs near the top of the screen so you can react immediately. Concentrate your fire on large, tough-to-destroy targets.
Flying:
The parachute is good for more than just descending. Use it to soar over enemies and attack from above, or if you're in a hurry, just take a hop and start gliding.
Scout First:
When entering a new area, always stick to the shadows and use the sniper helmet both to scout ahead and to take out enemies before they spot you.
Saves:
Always save at the beginning of a room. Why? If, for example, you save at the end of Level 1-2 (right before you enter Level 1-3), the game will return you to the start of Level 1-2 when you load that saved game. Yuck.
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LEVEL 1:
LAGUNA BEACH, USA
Descending to the Minecrawler:
Don't worry about your health as you make this descent - a 150 percent power-up awaits you at the bottom. Be greedy and grab all the power-ups.
Level 1-1:
After you land, turn around and grab the 150 percent power-up. Head out into open space and gun down the aliens. Collect the World's Smallest Nuclear Explosion power-up and use it to open the door.
Secret Area:
After you open the door in Level 1-1, return to your landing point and jump into the red ball of light. Gun down 20 aliens to score a Twister power-up.
Level 1-2:
Go right to sniper mode and take out the three aliens on the distant rooftop. Then snipe the explosives (marked with a skull and crossbones) that parachute in. A grenade will arrive by parachute; use it to blow open the glass barrier. Collect the mortar rounds on top of the pillar, the switch to sniper mode and fire a round through the hole in the top of the building, which blows open the other glass wall.
Once inside, first destroy the alien generator, then snipe the three aliens. Collect the Dummy Decoy power-up behind the pillars, then jump onto the pillars and head out.
Level 1-3:
Grab the Bones Airstrike power-up to the right of the door and aim it at one of the alien generators in the distance. Stay in sniper mode to target the explosives along the rooftop of the distant building.
Watch out for the running aliens who carry bombs - sometimes you can snipe them down, especially with homing bullets.
After that, it's a run-n-gun battle across open space to the exit, which is in a hold in the floor of the distant building. The tank's your toughest enemy: that battle is a good time to use the Dummy Decoy to draw fire while you unload on the tank.
Level 1-4:
Head down the subway tunnel, but beware of the bomb-carrying kamikaze alien - peek cautiously around each corner. In the subway station, it's shootin' time. Try to snipe the alert drone and the aliens, but as soon as they spot you, take out the two alien generators.
Watch for the tank that bursts out of the doors at the end - grenades or the Twister power-up are a good bet to use here.
Level 1-5:
Briefly shoot the metallic control panel just inside the door to summon a plane for a bomber run.
Focus your bombs on the buildings and alien generators that you pass over - if you don't trash them now, getting them later is a real hassle. After landing, gun your way across the open space. If necessary, finish taking out the alien generators positioned on the far left, right, and center. If you didn't level the buildings, you have to shoot an explosive-carrying bomber at just the right moment so that it drops a bomb on a building. Collect the nuke to unlock the door and head out.
Level 1-6:
After you enter, you'll be attacked by flying fighters. Gun them down and run right. Weave around and take out the cannon that's firing at you.
Once you have some peace, you need to lob a mortar into each of the four tubes sticking out above the glass. Getting the shot right is a matter of fine-tuning your aim and shooting position, so just keep plugging away. You'll need to stand on the platforms to make some shots.
As soon as the building blows up, run forward and parachute into the gap. Glide into one of the three rooms partway up the wall, take out the alien, and grab the health. Hop into the other two rooms to do the same, then descend to the exit.
Level 1-7:
Platform time! First, glide to the bottom and shoot the target, which opens up an upward-blowing fan. If you open your parachute over the fan, you'll get a free lift.
Ride the draft up and hop onto the closest platform. One alien hops around, taking potshots all the time. Concentrate your fire on him, and snipe the stationary aliens. Complete the series of tricky jumps to the top; if you fall, ride the updraft back to the starting point. At the top, collect all the goodies and head for the door, but watch for the hard-to-see gap in the floor just before the exit.
Level 1-8:
Don't go through the door in front of you, or you'll get whupped. Instead, head left, briefly shoot the alert drone, climb inside it, and return to that room. Since you're disguised, you'll sneak right past all the robots. At the end, you'll be thrown out of the drone. Grab The World's Most Interesting Bomb and use it right away. When the robots all surround the bomb (since it's so interesting…), tap "O" again to detonate the bomb and take them all out. Use the nuke to unlock the door and move on.
Level 1-9:
The end boss is waiting for you in the small pod across the huge gap. Go to sniper mode, zoom in, and fire a few rounds to start the fight. He'll return fire; shoot back as much as you can (sniper grenades and homing bullets work nicely), then dodge to a new sniping perch before you're damaged. Occasionally, he'll send in planes carrying aliens to attack you. Dispose of the aliens, collect the sniper grenades you're rewarded with and fire them off at the boss. Repeat until he's dead.
As you head up through the vortex and out of the level, avoid bumping against the walls. If you're successful, you'll score 150 percent health at the start of Level 2.
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LEVEL 2:
LINDFIELD, ENGLAND
Level 2-1:
Be careful descending this time because there's no health-up waiting for you at the bottom. Once you land, head for the tunnel, but peek cautiously around the corner and try to snipe the alert drone. After that, keep moving as you battle the robot and some flying fighters. When they're toast, use the nuke to open the door and head out.
Level 2-2:
Next, you'll land in the firing range. Face the guns and sidestep across to dodge the incoming fire. If you need health, jump into the trench first and run to the end to grab the 100 percent power-up.
Level 2-3:
Run to the top of the ramp and launch a mortar through the hold in the glass, which frees up the nuke you need to unlock the door. In the next room, position yourself just inside the door and go sniper to smoke the alien with the cigar.
Jump into a corner, gun down the remaining bomb-toting aliens, then drop through the hole in the floor.
Level 2-4:
Now you're on the other side of the firing range. Take out the two aliens lurking between the guns, then jump on the third gun down from the door (the one with the health-up on it). Shoot until you're blown back through the glass, then parachute into the maze below. Before you use the fan to rise up to the platforms, chase down the 150 percent health-up and other goodies. Be sure to take out the alien generator on this level, too.
Then it's just a matter of timing as you dodge incoming cannon fire and weave across the platforms to the exit.
Secret Area:
Head to the last cannon on the firing range and jump into the ball of light. You'll teleport to a room with three aliens, which you should (naturally) kill. Jump into the teleporter on the right and you'll appear back in the same room. Repeat this sequence, but this time jump in the left teleporter. Jump in the right teleporter the next two times and you'll end up in a room with some goodies and the way out.
Level 2-5:
Pause for a moment before you dive into this room to check things out. Killing the alien that's in constant motion opens the door on the other side, but he hops continually, making it a footrace as much as a battle. Homing sniper grenades do the trick if you have any. Watch for the swinging pendulum that can knock you off the platforms; if you fall, boulders will roll after you as you make your way to the updraft vent for a lift back to the platforms.
Level 2-6:
This room's all about sheer, unadulterated combat (and, incidentally, ranks as the most eye-catching scene in the game). Flying fighters will immediately attack from overhead, and two large robots lurk between the platforms. Make sure to collect the sizable number of power-ups, then take out the two alert drones that guard the door and use the nuke to exit.
Level 2-7: (Boss)
When you enter this room, head straight to the top of the ramp and wait for the flying platform to land. Hop on the platform and take out the two aliens. Then enjoy the view as you ride to the boss room.
When you first enter, the boss will be waiting behind the glass window, sipping a cocktail. Go sniper and blast away until he gets irritated and hops in his airplane. The plane will fly into the room and start circling you; blast it with a vengeance until it's destroyed.
Out pops the boss, a scrawny little twerp with a big head. He'll dart around the room trying to open the windows and let in more aliens. Chase him and take him out as quickly as possible before you're swarmed by the aliens he lets in. When the boss is dead, you're off to Level 3.
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LEVEL 3:
LIVINGSTON, SCOTLAND
Level 3-1:
After landing on top of this high perch, go straight to sniper mode and gun for the large robot (aim for the eyes) and accompanying turrets. As soon as the enemy returns fire, hop down and weave between the cubbyholes, taking out the minor aliens as you go. Turn into the last cubbyhole on the right and go up the ramp; you'll reach a platform that provides a fine sniping position from which to clear out the open space in front of the door.
When you've killed everyone, grab the load of power-ups at the top of the ramp: Face the exit, jump left, and climb up the ramp. Glide straight across to a Super Chain Gun power-up, then glide across to the other side for a Bones Airstrike.
To exit this area, return to the top of the ramp and snipe the blocks on either side of the door. Watch out for the bomb-carrying kamikaze aliens that rush out.
Level 3-2:
Snipe the alert drone covering the entrace and the two turrets overhead. There are two aliens on either side of the door, out of sight. After you waste them (sniping's best if you're good enough), a bunch more parachute into the pool. Once they're all toast, collect the power-ups in every corner. Head down to the room past the diving board, gun down the aliens, and then drop down the hole to the exit. The only way to score The World's Most Interesting Bomb power-up is to snipe the alien that floats in on the hover platform, then use the platform to rise up…but it's awful tough to pull off.
Two Secret Areas:
Next to the pool in Level 3-2, you'll see a tank with a cow floating in it (those Shiny folks do have a fetish for all things bovine). Hop into the tank to enter a secret area. Aliens are clustered in the middle, but don't shoot them.
Instead, do laps around the room, running into the Earthworm Jim icons, which causes cows to drop from the sky and wipe out the aliens for you.
When the counter in the upper right clicks down to zero, you're through. Grab the 50 percent and Tornado power-ups, then head for the teleporter. For the other secret area, jump into the seal tank across from the cow tank, and repeat what you did in the cow room. This time, though, the seals charge you aggressively, so it's a good idea to glide between Jims.
Level 3-4:
You arrive in a room with startlingly bright crayon-like color schemes. Snap up the heap of power-ups, then shoot the walls until they collapse. Ahead is one of the game's tougher run-n-gun battles.
A score or aliens and a huge robot stand between you and the door, but to unlock the door you need to shoot the alien generators, which look different than usual (like little rock pyramid/tombstones with a picture on them). Focus your fire on the generators - use sniper grenades and all the other goodies you have - then worry about the enemies in the room.
Level 3-5:
Don't jump into this brightly colored room (it's the aliens' insane asylum) right away - snipe the two turrets and other visible enemies first.
Focus on taking out the alien generator, which is just barely visible between the blue arch and the green ramp. Glide to the outcroppings on the wall to the right, collect the powr-ups, and continue sniping. When you can no longer avoid it, jump to the floor, where you'll face two large aliens who keep running you over and taking huge chunks off your health. If you have the health for a run-n-gun battle, go for it, if you're short, spring for the red-painted hole in the wall on the left and jump in.
Ascend through the innards and you come out on the green ledge where the alien generator was (or is, if you didn't snipe it).
Climb up to where the arrow points out, and glide across to the narrow yellow ledge high up in the middle of the room. The exit's in the blue box in the upper right of the room; be sure to snipe the robot (eye shot!) before you make the jump.
Level 3-6:
Blast the gun in the doorway, then go sniper and take out the two small turrets and the large turret guided by and alien (sniper grenades and other big guns are nice here). Run down to the bottom of the crevice in front of you, pop your chute, and ride the updraft to the top.
Blast the surrounding aliens, then head back slong the ledge you just landed on toward the entrance. Watch out for flying fighters, turrets, and random aliens.
Snipe the alien on the hover platform with homing bullets, then use his ride to reach the cool power-up that floats tantalizingly abouve the entrance. Race along the ledge until you're above the entrance, hop onto the next and highest ledge, and run back to the exit.
Level 3-7:
Shoot the glass that covers the entrance, then snope as many enemies as you can see - you should find a few turrets and aliens.
Jump down and head for the fole in the back right that doesn't have any bars over it.
Jump inside and shoot the propeller until it explodes, which winches open the huge door. Once you're through the door, keep moving as you contend with a wall full of stationary aliens.
When they're dead, blast the large rock at the bottom center of that wall, which uncovers the exit.
Level 3-8: (Boss)
Shoot the alert drone inside the entrance, then take out the alien on the hover platform.
Hop on the platform and it takes you on a ride above the mine-crawler, where you're swarmed by flying fighters. After you take them out, you'll land to face the boss, who's located behind a spinning glass wall.
Don't bother shooting the boss; instead, deal with the packs of dogs that attack you.
When the dogs die down, the boss's glass wheel stops spinning. Quickly go sniper and target the four orange rivets around the perimeter of the glass. It'll take a couple rounds to nail them all, but when you do, it's his funeral.
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LEVEL 4:
KIRKCALDY, SCOTLAND
Level 4-1:
Leap from the ledge and glide to the bottom.
Break the glass barrier and glide in shooting because a robot and a pack of aliens will be blazing away at you. You can gun down most of the aliens while slowly descending.
Grab the power-ups and hop on the snowboard to ride to the next room.
Level 4-2:
As soon as you land, briefly shoot the control panel to summon a plane for a bombing run.
Focus your bombs on the large gunnery towers, the turrets, and the alien generator. When you land, shoot the nearby shack to score a Dummy Decoy, then snipe away at any turrets and towers you missed (use sniper grenades). If you missed the alien generator, head straight for that and take it out - you'll face only minor resistance.
If you nailed everything on the bombing run, you should have a quiet journey across the ice to the exit, collecting a plethora of power-ups along the way.
Level 4-3:
If you have a good supply of health and Super Chain Gun ammo when you land, go after the two large aliens right away. If you're in bad shape, head for the pile of crates. You can use the crates for cover and jump on them to avoid the aliens' ramming attacks.
Once the two aliens are dead, a plane drops off a huge tank. Unload your best ammo on it to take it out, then collect the nuke and head for the exit at the rear of the submarine. Don't forget to blow open all the crates - most of them contain power-ups.
Level 4-4:
Shoot the alien inside the door, then approach the alien in the glass capsule above the updraft vent. He's invulnerable inside the capsule, but if you lob enough grenades into the updraft, they'll float up and blast his ass. Keep a careful eye out for the exploding mines that he rolls at you during all this. Exit by floating up the draft.
Secret Area:
After you blow up the alien in the capsule in Level 4-4, turn around and head back to the entrance, where you'll see a teleporter that leads to a secret area. To score the power-ups in this easy room, just ride the updraft to the top and gun down the aliens as you go. Remember that you can shoot while gliding.
Level 4-5:
Four alien generators are in the corners of this room; ignore everything else until you take them out. Next, clear out any remaining aliens on foot, then snipe the alien in the turret above the vent - eye shots work great. Trash all the crates for power-ups, then float up the updraft and head to the exit. Hop onto the snow-board for the run to the next room.
Level 4-6: (Boss)
Head for the alien generator in the middle of the room and trash it. Don't worry too much about your health as you'll get a 150 percent power-up when it's dust.
Next, take out the plane overhead that's spewing bombs, which should calm things down a lot.
Collect the grenades and you'll face a boss like the alien you took out in Level 4-4. Lob the grenades into the updraft and dodge his bouncing bombs. As soon as you've hit the boss with enough grenades, you're off to the next level.
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LEVEL 5:
SPARROW PIT, ENGLAND
Level 5-1:
As soon as you land in this level, go sniper and target the gunnery pods on the huge ship floating in the distance. Eventually they'll start shooting back, so dodge around to new sniping positions.
When the incoming fire becomes too intense, head out into the main room and strart blazing away at the crowd of aliens and alert drones and the plane overhead. A robot guards the exit, which is to the left of the entrance, so try ot use your powerful ammo like sniper grenades. Grab the nuke and use it to unlock the door.
Level 5-2:
A couple of aliens and an alert drone await you just inside the entrance, so be as sneaky as you can. Once you're inside, it's another epic run-n-gun battle. Two robots and a huge plane lurk around the corner, but there are plenty of ramps and such to use as cover, so keep moving, stopping only briefly to blast away.
When you trash the plane, out drops a spiky forklift-type vehicle. Shoot it until you kill the alien driving it.
When the forklift is just an inanimate object, use a steady stream of fire to move it. Position the forklift on the yellow square in front ot the shield that blocks the exit. When it's on the yellow square, the shield drops and you can fall through the hole in the floor to the next room.
Level 5-3:
Take out the aliens at the top of the ramp you arrive on, then head up and clear out any stragglers in the room where the big ship hangs from the crane.
When all's quiet, go sniper and take out the alien who's busy typing away behind the glass.
Killing the alien knocks the ship loose from the crane, and it attacks you. The gunnery pods on its underbelly are a real pain, but keep moving until you've knocked them all off.
Snipe the ship's pilot and the ship will crash into the wall and burn, releasing a final torrent of aliens.
A robot appears to guard the exit, so take him out and move on.
Level 5-4:
You've arrived at the aliens' main control room. Gun down the big-headed aliens; they'll flee into the pit beneath the spinning globe.
When they're all dead, shoot the globe until it falls and breaks through the glass in the bottom of the pit.
Descend and fill the three big-headed aliens at the control panels full of lead. Drop through the hole in the floor to depart.
Level 5-5:
This room's sniper-intensive - everyone's asleep, so if you're sneaky, you'll preserve a lot of health. Snipe the alert drone and the two aliens along the wall across from the entrance, then head to that wall and turn right. Snipe the floating robot in the eye.
Snipe the two sleeping aliens and collect the nuke. Snipe them as they sleep if you can, but they're easy to waste if you just run in. Then head back to the room on the left.
Head up the ramp and go after the alert drone at the top right away, then focus your fire on the three alien generators (grenades are good here). Snipe the alert drone on the ledge across the gap, then jump over there yourself.
A robot's waiting for you in the hole with the green striping. If you grab the mortars and position yourself just right (with your back against the same wall that the entrance is in), you can lob mortars into the hole and take it out in complete safety. If you have good health, you can just drop in and go for it.
Once the robot's dead, head up the ramp at the bottom of the hole, and you'll find another robot. If you have a Dummy Decoy, this is a great time to use it, since fighting robots in close quarters is extremely tough. After you dispose of the second robot, use the nuke to unlock the exit and head out.
Secret Area:
After you nuke open the exit, you'll see a secret area teleporter to the left. Hop into it to go to an extremely tough secret area where alert drones charge you and explode upon contact. You can only kill them in sniper mode, so stay in it as much as possible and use strafing to navigate. You're rewarded with some nice power-ups at the end.
Level 5-6:
No strategy in this half-pipe - just shootin'. Target the two alien generators right away and ignore the aliens as much as possible because planes continually drop more. Blast the robot guarding the exit, use the nuke to unlock it, and get out as quickly as possible.
Level 5-7:
Snipe for as long as you can from the entrance to this room, but you'll quuickly find yourself in a running gunfight. Take out the alert drones and forklifts first, then clear out all the aliens.
When everything's dead, push one of the dormant forklifts up to the first ledge just to the right of the entrance. Use it as a stepping stone to climb the ledge, then leap across to the narrow span stretching overhead. Inch your way cautiously across to the tall ledge with the ramp atop it, then use that as a perch to hop to the span that circles the entire room. A forklift rolls around this span; shoot it so it stops just below the ledge you need to hop onto to reach the exit.
Level 5-8:
Shoot the dog that charges up the ramp, then go sniper and take out the alien in the turret in the distance (if you don't have sniper grenades, a bullet through the gap in the glass and into its head will work). Descend and take out the aliens and the other two turrets, then climb back up the ramp.
Glide off the top of the platform to the updraft at the top of the pole on the right. Keep gliding left until you're at the top of the third and final updraft, then glide all the way back across the room to the exit in the right corner.
Level 5-9: (Boss)
The boss of this level has kidnapped your faithful canine companion, Bones. To free him, you must do some seriously tough sniping.
Jump to the platform below and find the narrow window. A huge ship will periodically appear in it; quickly go sniper, zoom across, and target the tunnery pods. A steady supply of homing sniper grenades and health will parachute in to help you out.
When you shoot off all the gunnery pods, the boss escapes with Bones to the next and final level.
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LEVEL 6:
CONCLUSION
Level 6-1:
You're about to be swarmed, so grab the Dummy Decoy and use it right away while you take out the pack of aliens and robots. When they're dead, a ramp out opens up; follow it up, but watch out for the rolling aliens. Shoot the alien generator at the top and drop through the hole.
Level 6-2:
The boss is circling the room with a pack of dogs. Attack immediately, and the dogs will break off and hunt you down. Keep moving and shooting until you kill them all, then go after the boss.
After taking a little damage, the boss will head for the center of the room and drop through a hole in the floor. Follow him….
Level 6-3:
The key to this room is to run as much as possible and fight as little as possible because you'll always be outnumbered. Shoot the alert drone outside the entrance to the left, then head straight across to the slanted platform next to the pillar. Complete the series of tricky jumps along the chain of platforms to the top.
Snipe the turret at the top of the pillar, then jump into the pillar and descend to the next room.
Secret Area:
After you blast the turret at the top of the pillar, descend back to the ledge above the entrance and hop into the teleporter. Two aliens are behind glass tubes in the center of the room. Jump down and collect the grenades, then return to the ledge by the entrance. Repeatedlly jump and throw grenades in midair until you kill both the aliens in the tubes. When they're dead, cool power-ups and the exit will appear.
Level 6-4:
This room's chock-full of power-ups, and you'll need 'em. The boss awaits atop the ledge in the center.
Load up on sniper grenades and Dummy Decoys, then lay the bait and unload the grenades on the boss. When you've hit him enough, he flees and another ledge falls, creating a path to the top of his ledge. Climb up and drop down into the final room.
Level 6-5: (Boss)
This tricky room involves no shooting. The boss is parked in the middle of the room on top of a nuke. Bones is suspended in midair from three cords that are connected to nuclear locks.
Run to the snack dispenser and step on the trigger plate that's next to it. A seal emerges. Grab it, run up to the boss, and throw it in front of him.
While he's chowing on the seal, grab the nuke and run over to the updraft, float up, and use the nuke to unlock one of the cords. Wait until the next nuke parachutes in, then repeat until all the cords are unlocked. Bones jumps down, runs over, and disguises himself as a seal snack.
Feed Bones to the boss, and the boss explodes!
Now sit back and watch the weird MTV-style ending…
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