The Lab

Rewards: Yellow Gem—destroy all 36 boxes and complete the level without losing a life.

This level isn’t very long. However, some of its challenges can be difficult. You must use switches to open doors or move grates over gaps in order to progress. The doors close and grates open after a short amount of time. You also face a new enemy.

Spin-attack the switch near the start to open the first door, then run through. In the next room, hit the switch to open another door. A grate in front of the door opens and closes. Hit the switch while the grate is open and run across while it’s closed to get through the door into the third room.

Smash the box in the next room to grab the first Tawna icon. Next, time getting past the electrodes so you don’t get zapped. Continue to the room with two switches. One controls the grate; the other controls the door. Hit the second switch, then the first. This gives you more time to cross the grate. Keep going to grab the second Tawna icon from a box. The next switch closes a grate. Wait for the electrodes on the far side of the grate to discharge, then hit the switch. Rush across the grate before you get electrocuted.

Jump across a gap and avoid a blob in the walkway before jumping over another gap. Hit a switch to open a door, then jump across a gap while avoiding electricity. In the next room are two stacks of boxes. A switch is buried in the first stack, while a TNT box is buried in the second. Break the boxes and jump on the TNT box to set it off. Run back near the switch, and after the explosion, hit the switch and run through the now-open doorway. Collect an extra life, then jump across a gap to grab the third Tawna icon from a box. Use the portal to access the bonus stage.

Back in the level, hit a switch and jump across a gap. Before you cross the next gap, look at the enemy you face. It’s a lab assistant with electrified gloves. Spin attacks push him back. You can’t jump over him, so go around. Move to the right as you jump across the gap. He moves to stop you. This gives you a chance to maneuver around to the left and get past him. Jump across another gap and hit two switches to close a grate and open a door. Quickly go forward and hit another switch to close a grate. As you cross the grate, a blob appears at the end of a walkway. Hit a switch to open a door and rush past the blob as it comes at you.

There are two more switches. Note that electrodes are near the door. As they arc, hit both switches, then run across the grate and through the door before they arc again. At the end of the next walkway, a lab assistant throws purple test tubes at you. Avoid getting hit and defeat him with a spin attack. Also use the checkpoint before you hit the switch to open the door to the next room.

Wait for the grate to close, then rush across to a stack of TNT boxes. Jump on one to set it off, then jump back to a ledge on the side of the grate so you don’t fall when the grate opens. After the explosion, move forward to hit the switch to open the door. an extra life from a box and then use the switch to close the grate. Watch out for the electrodes at the end. In fact, hit the switch as they arc, then rush across. A scientist with electric gloves waits on the other side. Fake him out by moving one direction and then rushing around the other side. Jump across a gap, hit two switches, then advance through a doorway and across a grate.

Two sets of electrodes are before you. A blob also appears and moves toward you. Dodge the blob and get past the first pair of electrodes. Hit the switch to open and door, then get past the second pair and jump over a gap to reach two boxes with extra lives. Hit the switch to open the door, then get to the edge of the opening so the door doesn’t hit you when it closes. It’s a long way across this grate, and timing is important. Get into the rhythm, and while it’s open and the electrodes have stopped arcing, jump high and out over the gap so the grate is closed by the time you land. Keep moving and jump off the end of the grate to cross the gap.

Hit the switch to open the door into the last room. Make your way past electrodes and jump onto a row of three TNT boxes. As soon as you land, run forward and jump from the last box over to the final platform where the exit portal is located to finish the level.

Time Trial

Time Requirements

Sapphire: 1:20:00

Gold: 0:56:22

Platinum: 0:44:92

The time trials are fairly short for this level. While most of the level can be done quickly, watch the electrodes and use caution when getting around the lab assistants with the electric gloves. In the room with two stacks of boxes, you find a lot of time boxes. Hit the switch under the first stack, but remember there’s a TNT box under the second stack, so use caution with your spin attack. If you keep moving and don’t die, you can get through in the required times.