Ghosts 'n Goblins/Stage 2

Part 1

 * You begin the second stage in what is commonly referred to as the Ice Palace, due to it's ice blue columns and floors. A lake lines the bottom of this part of the stage, so it is important to know where you will be landing whenever jumping off one of the ledges.  If you don't line your jumps up just right, you could be going for a swim.  You must make your way to the right by any means.  You may opt to climb high and take a long leap off the highest ledge, or you can take the lower route, where you will have to deal with a rising and falling platform to get across.
 * No matter which way you go, be very mindful of the position of the Blue Imps. They hover around, and will occasionally fly right into you.  Be sure to remove any of them that might threaten you before advancing to another platform.  You must also watch out for the eyeball spitting Green Monsters that populate some of the platforms.


 * The very last platform that leads to the pavement beyond the palace will fall the moment you set foot on it. Make sure that you land as far to the right as you can when jumping to it, and do not hesitate once you land on it.  Continue to run right, and jump as soon as you are close enough to the pavement to reach it.
 * As you begin the second part, you will run in front of a house where Little Devils pour out of the windows in an attempt to ambush you. Approach the leap over the water filled gap carefully, and take out the devils if they pose a threat to your advancement.  Ironically, you are typically safe directly underneath the windows that they appear from, since they like to swoop down at an angle.

Part 2

 * Before you jump across the water, be sure that an Ogre isn't waiting too close to the left. Fire at him and destroy him before you advance (but watch out for more Little Devils).  When you are prepared, jump over the water and into the mansion.  You will have to navigate the maze like hallways and ladders in order to reach the exit on the other side.  Ogres occupy nearly every portion of the mansion, while crows freely fly through the windows at whatever level you are on.
 * Dealing with the Ogres carefully is of utmost importance to your survival. While you must be mindful of how many seconds are left on your clock, you do not want to rush too quickly up or down any ladder if an Ogre is nearby.  You can attempt to lure them away by attracting their attention from another level and pulling them in a particular direction, but it doesn't always work.  You must also watch out for Ogres who are directly above you, as they like to throw flails at you from above.


 * Take care to remove as many Ogres as you need to and no more. If you can reach them, try to shoot the right most Ogres from the other side of the wall so that you will have an easier time escaping the mansion.  When you leave, you will walk across the pavement until you reach a series of levitating platforms that will carry you over the water-lined gaps in the street.
 * While riding the platform, Crows and Little Devils (NES version only) are the most prevalent threat. Make sure that the area ahead is clean before jumping off one platform and on to another.  Money bags merely serve as distractions for greedy players and are best left alone unless points are important to you.  You can typically safely fall from one platform to the next if they line up right next to one another.  You can also take giant leaps to reach the pavement below.

Boss
If you thought the lone Unicorn that guarded the first fortress door was tough, wait until you have to deal with two of them. The trick here is to engage only one at a time for as long as possible. Sometimes you will have no choice and be forced to run to the right where you will engage the second Unicorn, but if you can help it, remain to the left and fight the first Unicorn until it is defeated. Then you can continue to the right and face the second Unicorn. Aside from the fact that there are two of them, they don't behave any differently than before. The first Unicorn has a penchant for jumping over your head and landing to your left, in an effort to squeeze you in between the two Unicorns. Even if he does this, move right only as much as you need to in order to remain safe. Once both Unicorns are active (as can be seen in the picture to the right), it becomes far more difficult to deal with them effectively, and nearly impossible to dodge their attacks.

Arcade
The lone secret of the second stage is a hidden set of Armor, very early one where it is least likely to help you. Nevertheless, if you find yourself without armor this early in the stage, you will no doubt want to pick it up. To receive it, simply climb up to the highest ledge which is just to the right of a Green Monster. Then simply fall off the ledge to the left and land in front of the Green Monster. The armor will appear and land in front of the Green Monster which resides on the platform below.