Miner 2049er/Level 9: The Pulverizer

The Pulverizers
Note: The screen presented here is from the Atari 5200 and Atari 800 versions of the game. If you are playing the game on a different system, some of the points mentioned below may not apply.

General Strategy
The Pulverizers gets it's name from the four deadly presses along the bottom of the stage. This stage is more a test of patience and timing than of skill, although pleanty skill is required. You will start on the right side of the screen. Each of the floating platforms wait patiently for you to step on them before zooming across the gap to the other side. You must jump to the ledge beyond or you will fall down the slide that gets in your way. When you are done on the left side, you will hop back on the platform and allow the slide to take you to the bottom where you must pass beneath the Pulverizers. Get to know the pattern that they follow, which is randomly generated at the start of the stage and remains constant until the stage is complete. Cross back to the right and repeat until the stage is cleared.

Using the above strategy, you can complete each platform of the stage in whatever order you wish. Since you will always run in to an item before you reach the platform, you are relatively safe from angry mutants. But if you happen to grab an item and fall down the slide, be careful on your next approach not to face an angry mutant. It might be better to try the level below and jump up to capture the happy mutant before returning to that level.

Critical points

 * 1) It is of utmost importance to be ready to jump before the platform reaches the slide, or you will never be able to reach the ledge beyond and complete the stage.
 * 2) While the Pulverizers are deadly, the casing around them is not.  You can walk along the top of the casing without fear.