Temple of Doom – Story Level 3: Malice at the Palace

LEVEL ENTRANCE: When you finish the previous level, an elephant appears in the village. Hop on its back and follow the road down and to the left, then up and around to the palace. Walk the elephant onto the big orange button to open the palace gate so you can enter. (See the Hub Maps and Story Level Intro for details.)

Pankot Palace Banquet Room

This is another one of those levels where you must fight several waves of enemies in order to progress. The first group consists of 6 palace guards with orange turbans. They are unarmed so not very hard to fight. Use your fists, whip, wrench, etc., as usual. When you've defeated all but one or two of these guards, take a few minutes to run around the room smashing dishes and furniture for studs. If you jump up to grab the tusks on each of the elephant statues on each side of the room, more studs pour out.

When you've defeated the first squad of guards, the second wave appears: 3 more unarmed guards plus 3 guards with swords. Two of the swordsmen stay up on the balconies at first, throwing swords down at your characters. Avoid them if you can while fighting the men on the ground. As you fight this group, more guards of both types appear, but you only need to beat the first 6 in order to advance. Pay attention as you're fighting the swordsmen, though. This type, with the plain silver swords, drop their weapons when you defeat them. Try to pick up a sword, since you'll need it soon.

The third wave of enemies includes 2 Thuggees with rifles, who take up positions on the balconies and fire down on your characters; 5 swordsmen like the ones in the last group; and a Pankot assassin wearing a blue turban, who bursts through the painting on the back wall.

Various guards and swordsmen continue to respawn as well. You don't have to fight them to advance. Just deal with them if they get in your way. If you're overwhelmed, use Willie to throw perfume bottles at some of the enemies. This will hypnotize them temporarily—you'll see little hearts swirling around them as long as they're affected—causing them to attack their comrades.

Like the bandit swordsmen in the Raiders of the Lost Ark levels, the Pankot assassin carries one of those big, black swords with the jagged edge. This means he can only be defeated with a sword. If you don't already have one, wait for a regular swordsmen (wearing red and white) to appear, fight him and grab his sword when he drops it. Then use the sword to attack the assassin. At first he'll parry your blows, but if you keep mashing the Attack button, you can disarm him. When he's lost his sword, hit him again and he'll shatter.

To defeat the Thuggees with guns, use Indiana's whip to pull the orange rings on the underside of the balcony. This will bring the enemies down to the floor so you can fight them more easily.

The fourth group consists of 3 swordsmen and 5 Pankot assassins. Fight them as you did the others. Remember you must use a sword to defeat the assassins. Various guards and swordsmen will also continue to respawn during this phase. Fight them when you have to. When you've beaten the last of the 8 enemies whose icons are shown on the screen, a cut scene starts and the level is over.