Athena/World of Labyrinth

Arcade Walkthrough

 * Provided you collected the key at the end of the fight with the previous boss, you will now be taken to the World of Labyrinth. While this world does contain numerous pathways and corridors, it doesn't quite live up to its name. It's relatively the same as the previous stages you've visited, and on top of that, it doesn't even matter too much whether you take the upper route or lower route to the end.
 * There is a red right hidden in a block on the ceiling of the lower corridor, shortly after you begin the level. Try to collect it before you proceed too far. Wings are hard to come by, but there are a few hidden around. They won't help you incredibly, but they will keep you far away from the pits in the lower levels. If you fall down one of these pits, you will be brought back to the start of the world, and be forced to retrace your steps.


 * One thing you should attempt to do before you exit this level, is to switch to the sword weapon. There is a point along the lower level, as shown in the image to the left, where you can obtain a blue sword from the first tall pillar, a blue ring from the second tall pillar to upgrade to the yellow sword, and a red sword from the third tall pillar. Furthermore, if you search hard enough, it's not too difficult to find a Fire Sword. This will set you up very well for the final stage.
 * Fortunately, there is no boss at the end of this level. Instead, you will be visited by a goddess who will bestow upon Athena the Harp of Protection. This item is essential in that not only will it allow Athena to keep all of her equipment whenever she loses a life, but it will also empower her to damage and ultimately defeat Dante. Collect it and proceed to the exit of the stage. If you entered this world by using the hidden Key in Stage 4, you will be sent back to Stage 5 at this time.

NES Walkthrough

 * Unlike the Arcade version, the World of Labyrinth lives up to its name a little better in the NES version. You'll have to navigate a path between both the upper and lower levels in order to accomplish your goal in this world, which is to discover the hidden goddess and obtain the Harp of Protection. Unlike in the Arcade version, where the goddess greets you upon completing the level, in the NES version, you must reveal the etching of a goddess on the wall, covered up by blocks.
 * It is vital that you locate and obtain one of the two Lamps hidden in this stage. Otherwise you will be unable to escape and proceed to the next world, and you will be forced to repeat the stage over and over again. You don't need both Lamps, just one will do. Also, be mindful to avoid collecting red Devil's Harp from any of the fake goddesses, as this Harp will strip Athena of every item she has obtained. The fake goddesses are those which you do not have to break blocks in order to see.
 * There are two routes that you can take in the beginning. As shown to the right, if you choose, you can remain on the upper level for a while. In order to do so, you must jump from the middle or upper platforms to the floor of the lowest platform on the right. This path will put you into contact with tougher enemies, but it is generally more straightforward than the bottom path.


 * Taking the lower path is another alternative. If you wish to do so, you should fall down the gap instead of leaping to the lowest platform on the other side. However, when you fall down, prepare to move to the right, and falling to the left will cause you to fall through another gap in the floor and reset you to the beginning of the level. When you fall, aim for the walls on the right.
 * While you are likely to take damage as a result of falling down here and getting hit by the magic fired by the Face Balls on the walls, the first great advantage to taking the lower path is the ability to earn the Wings of Pegasus early on in the level. Break through the walls, and break the block in the floor to access the lowest area, and then break the blocks to your left to find the wings. This will make navigating the world a little easier.


 * If you chose to take the upper route, you may encounter a bit of difficulty in the middle of the stage. Your objective is to get to the other side of the wall, but the placement of enemies here will make that particularly difficult. In order to deal with the situation safely, the best strategy is to scroll the screen as far over to the right as you can without actually leaping on to the center platform. Once you've done that, retreat to the ladder on the left.
 * Climb up the ladder so that you are even with the Coda archer that peers out from the hole in the wall. Assuming you have the Red Sword, you will be able to fire a beam from the sword that will travel through the wall and take out the archer while you stand to the left, safe from his attack. This should stop the archer from reappearing, and you should have a safe time crossing over to the other side of the platform where a Red Ring can be collected. When you drop down to the lower level which you are forced to do at this point, make sure you cling to the right side of the gap.


 * If you failed to make it across the platform from up above, or if you took the lower route but forgot to collect the Wings of Pegasus, you may find yourself in a difficult position. The only way to advance is to leap over to the right side. While it is extremely difficult, it is possible to make the jump from the left side of the gap to the right, and then up and over the terrain. You'll have to stand on the very edge of the platform, and perform a high jump in order to make it. If you do, you can continue on. If not, you will be forced to start the world over from the beginning.
 * If you make it to the right side, and do not have the Wings of Pegasus yet, you should ascend up a set of platforms in order to return to the upper section. As you proceed, you will reach a set of wall, where you will find the Wings. Otherwise, you can remain on the lower level if you like, but you will eventually have to return to the top section to proceed.


 * As you destroy the blocks that are arranged near the staircase that leads to the Coda archer, you may end up finding a Fire Sword in one of the blocks. This can be both a blessing and a curse. The Fire Sword will come in handy since you need to break a large number of bricks. It can be harmful, however, since it will remove on hit point from your health meter every time you swing the sword. Choose whether to collect it carefully.
 * Be sure to break the blocks in the floor beneath the staircase and drop down to the lower section. Here you will find a massive wall of bricks which you should begin breaking piece by piece. As you do, there are a couple of Death Heads hidden there just to make life difficult. Do your best to deal with them as you continue to break the blocks. Eventually, you should wear enough away to reveal the entire image of the goddess. When you have broken enough blocks, the screen will flash with a bright light, and the Harp of Protection will appear. Be sure to collect it as it is your key to defeating Dante.
 * With the harp in your possession, you should return to the upper level and make your way toward the end of the stage. On your way, you will find one of those fake goddess images which will drop a Devil's Harp. Avoid it entirely and keep going. As long as you collected one of the Lamps on the way, you will reach a screen which looks like the same place where you started, and you will automatically advance to the next World.