Kiss: Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child/Acropolis

Acropolis 1


This level is huge and provides you with a lot of opportunities to fall down into bottomless pits. As you might have guessed, you will meet a ton of enemies who can shoot including flying ones.

When the level starts, two Ballbusters will be waiting behind you when you come out. They are on the roof so only accurate long-range weapons can be used against them. If you’re low on air ammo, there’s plenty of it nearby, but those guys are just the beginning. A Blademaster and some Gasbags will appear pretty soon. It’s really hard to avoid enemies on this level, so better fight them. There is a smashable wooden crate nearby which contains a Health Bottle.

Climbing up the ladder near the billboard will spawn a bunch of Headless and a few Stumps. Jump to the nearest roof. If you decide to pick up Hawk Eyes, make sure you’re ready to fight a Ballbuster which will spawn on the nearest roof behind you. Another Ballbuster will appear on the roof where you’ve started the level.

When you go up a narrow plank, you will find yourself surrounded by a pack of invisible Headless. After you deal with them look at the roof of the tall building behind the first billboard. You will see a Ballbuster there who hasn’t noticed you yet, but he surely will later.

When you go forward, a Spawner around the corner will awaken, so try to deal with it as quickly as possible. Try not to stay near the Spawner or its dead body for too long since two Ballbusters will be constantly shooting you from a roof nearby. You might be also spotted by a Fat Lady on the roof ahead, so avoid provoking monsters until you absolutely have to.

A few Ballbusters will be waiting for you ahead but the main problems are a Unipsycho and a Fat Lady. First you will see the Unipsycho. If you come closer to deal with him with medium- or short-range weapons, you will be instantly attacked by a Fat Lady to the right, so the Scourge is the best weapon against the Unipsycho here. After that the Fat Lady won’t cause you much trouble.

Now you need to jump to the roof ahead or to use a parapet to get there. Beware of another Fat Lady which is on the roof to the left.

The fastest way to get across the pit is simply to jump over it to where the Fat Lady’s dead body now is. You can also take a long path by using a set of ladders. If you do so, kill a Ballbuster which will attack you as soon as you appear on higher ground. Don’t forget to pick up a Blood Rose and other valuables while taking the long path. When you climb to the very top, look around. You will notice another Ballbuster waiting for you. Get rid of him before he has spotted you.

No matter which part you choose, you’ll come under a Crazy Nights motel sign. After you climb up the stairs, two Spawners will come to life. One of them is on the rooftop up ahead, another one can be reached after you climb up wooden crates. A Ballbuster can spot you from afar but if you’re in the right spot, he won’t be able to hit you.

When you walk forward, you will hear Cold Gin composition from nowhere. Weird. After you make a few more steps, two Ticklers will drop on you from above, so stay on your toes. Fat Lady is waiting for you behind the corner. A Ballbuster and a Fat Lady will attack you when you make a few more steps. These are the all enemies to be encountered on this roof. When they're are done with, you can pick up a Water Tablet in front of the billboard and a Pamphlet behind it.

Look where the body of the closest Fat Lady is/was and you will notice a Key near the crates. Pick it up, you’ll need it later.

Jump to a nearby roof with three Health Vials. A Unipsycho will start firing at you from another roof ahead, so stay alert. Gasbags will also be appearing from time to time. Combined with narrow parapets, this fact makes the next part of the level quite challenging.

Pretty soon you will hear Stumps’ barks. After that you will see a roof with two Spawners which can be destroyed relatively easy. When you jump down, notice another Spawner a bit to the left of the ladder. This one’s easy – it’s with Headless, not with Stumps. Try not to waste time since a Tickler may appear pretty soon.

When you climb up the stairs, kill a Ballbuster trying to be as close to the wall on the left as possible. If you're careless, you will provoke more enemies at the same time.

Now you can climb up and face more monsters. One Ballbuster patrols the roof, another one with a Blademaster will attack you from another roof nearby. Luckily, you can hide from their attacks behind the numerous covers.

Go up another ladder and jump to the roof you just came from, but not on the rooftop. You must land on the nearest rise. There are two of them, with a Health Bottle each. From the nearest rise jump to the roof with the Ballbuster’s and the Blademaster’s corpses.

Now to the next roof with two barrels. Better destroy them from the safe distance since you will have to fight a Fat Lady in close quarters and might accidentally get caught in the explosion. Galaxion is the safest and the fastest way to kill the Fat Lady but also quite a costly one.

When you come closer to the next rooftop, a Spawner will activate itself but it’s quite easy to deal with him from afar. There will also be a Ballbuster if you haven’t got rid of him earlier.

Open a small wooden door with the Key you got eight of paragraphs earlier. If you don’t have one, it’s a long way back.

You will see a Unipsycho far ahead. Dealing him when you come closer would be much easier. When you go up the slope, you will encounter a few Ice Strutters. When you deal with them, go up the ladder but don’t follow another slope. Look around instead and you will notice a patrolling Ballbuser. If you go up the slope, you will bump into a Unipsycho and have to deal with both enemies at the same time.

Secret: Go to the opposite side of the rooftop where the Unipsycho was and look down. You will see a Jack In The Box on a small splatform.

You need to go back to the last slope but don’t go down. Turn left and follow the parapet. A Fat Lady near the exit will see and attack you. The exit itself is not easy to spot from where you fight the Unipsycho.

Acropolis 2


Your adventure on high grounds continues. As soon as you make a few steps, you will be spotted by a Ballbuster to the right. When you jump down to the next rooftop, two Blademasters will attack you from behind and a Tickler will appear, so better deal with the Ballbuster first.

Secret: Look up where two Blademasters are/were before you killed them. Use your Scourge to reach the higher ground to pick up a Fire Tablet and a Blood Rose.

Your way is towards the “Cold imported gin” billboard. A Blademaster is above the billboard. You might want to come closer to deal with him but it will only provoke a Spawner with Stumps inside. That Spawner is to the left down a narrow path. Another Spawner is inside the wooden crate so don’t destroy it unless you want trouble for nothing.

One more Spawner is to the right and fighting it will also make you fight two Ballbusters. You need to go to the left, so going right is pointless.

The next part is tricky. When you come closer, you will have to fight a Ballbuster on a parapet ahead. Coming even closer to the edge of the roof will make a Spawner nearby start producing Stumps. It’s easy to avoid Stumps and deal with the Spawner just by jumping up to where it’s situated. You will become unreachable for Stumps below but you will also provoke a Meanie Beanie. So after destroying the Spawner you might want to retreat and take cover if you don’t know how to dodge Meanie Beanie's attacks.

Anyway, you need to go to the last Spawner you killed and up the sloped roof. Jump to a rooftop nearby and fight another Ballbuster ahead. The way to the left holds a few items near the billboard.

Walk down the rooftop to the right (so that the wall is on your left and the bottomless pit to the right). You will see a Spawner to your right. You might have been there before if you turned to the left when you needed to go right. If you turn around, you will see a Blood Rose near the billboard. Don’t forget to take it.

Jump over a pit on wooden crates and then on the roof. Up the ladder and face another Spawner. This one is dangerous since it produces Ice Strutters.

When you go through a narrow path between two buildings, you will find yourself on an empty rooftop. There are no enemies for now but they will appear as soon as you take a Hawk Eyes from near the billboard. It’s not really hard to deal with a bunch of Headless but killing a Tickler in the open might be challenging.

Follow a parapet to a narrow walkway near the next wall. When you walk around the corner, you will be attacked by two Ticklers and a swarm of Ice Strutters coming from a Spawner.

When you come to a gentle slope, you will see a Blademaster and a Unipsycho to the right. Needless to say that dealing with the Blademaster is much easier prior to dealing with the Unipsycho. You will also see a Spawner ahead and below but this time it’s a piece of cake since it’s too far away.

Jump to the left roof. You will see another Unipsycho ahead. Dealing with him now might be too difficult so wait for a chance to get closer. Just jump to the next roof and kill this abomination.

Now you need to reach the next rooftop by a ladder. You can collect a few items scattered below but don’t stand before the ladder for too long or you will be hit by a Ballbuster’s cannonball. Climb up the ladder as quickly as possible and hide behind the billboard. If you’ve chosen the right spot, you will easily deal with the Ballbuster it he won’t be able to hit you back.

Secret: Look where you came from and you will see a blinking ring. Pull yourself to it with the Scourge and pick up an Angel Charm.

Now climb up the next ladder to the billboard. As soon as you’re up, look down and you will see a Meanie Beanie spawned right below you. You must get rid of it as soon as possible for his attacks are hard to evade when this creature is close to you. If you’re having trouble, try running to the next roof and dealing with the flying enemy from where you have more space to maneuver. Another way is to hide behind the billboard on the parapet.

The next part of the level is a big open space with two Spawners. Both are easy to get rid of and both hold Headless inside making them not challenging enemies at all. Don’t allow them to draw your attention from a Fat Lady on a roof nearby.

You will come to a dead end. Destroy the barrels to reveal a path ahead. Pick up all the items you can find for there will be no going back. Before jumping down try to destroy a Spawner or two in the next room from above.

Jump down. A Strongman will attack you. No need to kill Headless since his attacks will do the job for you. Both doors are locked.

The only thing you can do now is to pick up a Key in a niche behind the Strongman and unlock the farthest door. Go up the stairs and through the next door. Once you open it, you will hear Blademasters’ sounds. Both of them are behind the counter.

In the next room a whole lot of Headless will try to surround you, but if you position yourself the right way, you will be able to deal with them using only your Twister. Pick up a Key and head back to the hall.

In the last room to explore you will find a Blademaster and a Spawner. Another Blademaster will join these fiends soon, so act quickly. Once you’re done, proceed through the double metal doors.

You will see the next armor piece and no foes around. Obviously, an ambush will take place after you take the Elder Plate. The windows will be broken by three Ticklers and you will have to deal with them while having no place to hide. Luckily, you have 200 health. When you kill them, a chime will sound and the doors will open. Most likely, you will lose a ton of health, so pick up some Health Potions you saw earlier. Just deal with a Spawner behind the next door first.

The next door is blocked by a pile of soil. Where did it some from on the high floor of the building? Anyway, you need to go through the crack in the ceiling. It’s wise to get rid of a Spawner visible through the crack before going up.

Once you’ve pulled yourself up, two more Spawners will awaken. Try to deal with them staying below the tunnel above you since there’s a Fat Lady on top of it. Deal with her when there are no foes around or just leave her be.

Before jumping down to a concrete block ahead kill the Ballbuster ahead. The next room contains two Spawners which produce Stumps. If you haven’t destroyed the Ballbuster prior to jumping down, this fight will be a lot harder. Or you can just run past them to the exit.

Acropolis 3


The level greets you with a Ballbuster and a few Headless. While short enemies cannot reach you because of a parapet, concentrate on the Ballbuster. When you’re done with him, look up to see two Spawners above. They’re not easy to notice. If you can’t spot them, climb the ladder, it will help you. If you’ve killed one of them, look for another one in a different spot.

Since the metal door near the wall is locked, the only way now is up the ladder. Depending on your skill and luck you can collect some items on your way.

When you reach the top spot, jump down to where the Spawner’s dead body is. Look to the right since as you touch the ground, another Spawner will come to life. That’s the only enemy for now. If you look down, you sill see a Fat Lady and a Strongman. You can't reach them and vice versa, so just use the lever.

Head back to the beginning of the level and to the door which you’ve just opened. As you’ve seen in a cut scene, the Fat Lady is behind it. Better to get rid of her from afar without letting her perform even a single attack.

When you come closer, the Strongman will attack you. Don’t come too close to him since this will provoke more enemies.

Now for the next part with a lot of jumping and bottomless pits. First of all, get rid of a Ballbuster who’s patrolling on a ledge to the left. Walk around the perimeter. This will awaken a Spawner behind and allow you to collect some goodies. Just watch for two more Ballbusters and two Ticklers.

When you come to a corner, another Spawner will awaken. Luckily, it produces only Headless so it won’t be much of a trouble.

The next part is not really hard but tricky. You need to go up the slope, but there’s a Spawner up ahead. It will produce Stumps, also Gasbags will interfere you. If you come close enough to the Spawner, you will hear an Arachniclown’s hysterical laugh. As soon as you hear it, try to deal with the Spawner and retreat as quickly as possible unless you want to be surrounded. When you’re done with smaller foes, deal with the Arachniclown behind the corner.

If you’re done with all the Ballbusters, you can not be afraid of them now. Follow the ledge for a damage boost and jump down. You’ve seen some Spawners from above, now they come to life and start producing monsters. This is not the hardest part, but it requires you to act quickly.
 * 1) First of all, destroy two Spawners you see. It won’t be hard with the damage boost, just do this as fast as possible.
 * 2) Pretty soon two Unipsychoes will show themselves up. You're lucky if the damage boost bonus is still active.
 * 3) No time to waste, there are two more Spawners and they constantly produce monsters. Go to where the Unipsychoes came from and destroy the nearest Spawner.
 * 4) When you come closer to the fourth Spawner, a Tickler will appear, so try to deal with the Spawner as quickly as possible.
 * 5) No time to relax yet. One more Spawner is hiding in a niche not quite easy to find. Once you destroy it, you can occupy the niche to take cover against Ticklers nearby.

Once you’re done here, you can catch a breath and collect some goodies. When you come to a cliff, you will see two Ballbusters. Kill them and jump to where they were. One more Ballbuster will start shooting from afar, but you can easily get rid of him using the crouching trick.

After a jumping sequence you will land near a passage. You will see a corridor there with a Tickler and a Spawner at the end of it. If your skill and luck are high you can destroy the Spawner with a single Windblade shot. Otherwise, either try to lure the Tickler and kill it as quickly as possible or charge to a Spawner dodging ranged attacks.

Follow the ladder down, then follow a ledge to another ladder guarded by three Stumps. Climb up.

When you appear on top of the ladder, you will hear a Ballbuster’s groan. He’s right above you and might not noticed you yet. Another Ballbuster is on some sort of a metal cliff. It's up to you to find a way to kill them.

The big stairs ahead hide an unpleasant surprise. When you get closer, a Meanie Beanie will be spawned. Killing it is pointless since as soon as you do it, another Meanie Beanie will appear this instant. Just grab a Health Bottle or both and rush into a corridor ahead.

Flying ship ahead is guarded by two Blademasters. These are the only enemies left, so destroy them and use the mirror on the ship. Doesn’t the reflection in that mirror look odd to you?