Rome Tantalus Center
| Game | Keen 2 |
|---|---|
| Level number | 13 |
| Location | Vorticon Mothership |
| Collectibles | None |
| Dimensions | 84 x 29 tiles |
| Total points | 29200 |
| Total ammo | 1 Vorticon HyperPistol1 ammopack <br />1 Pistol <br />1 SuperFlowerPower <br />1 NeuralStunner <br />1 Raygun <br /> |
| Extra lives | 0 |
| Song | None |
| Required? | Yes |
This level name is unconfirmed. If you know of the correct name, please discuss it on the talk page before renaming it.
Rome Tantalus Center is one of the Tantalus Ray levels found in Keen 2. As the name implies, it is aimed at the city of Rome, in Italy. The image on the screen is the Colosseum, which is probably the exact point of impact. This level is incorrectly labeled as "Moscow" in the map, mixing it with Moscow Tantalus Center (see Keen 2 Bugs for more info).
The level layout is somehow different from other Tantalus Centers in the Vorticon Mothership: the Tantalus Contol Room is in the middle of the level, and Keen can reach it from the left or from the right. However, beating the New York Tantalus Center, there are five Vorticon Elite guarding the ray. Getting to the Ray from the left implies jumping up a hole to the exact spot where the Vorticon Elite are (and avoiding a Guard Robot guarding it), so it is a dubious way to go, even though it is just a short walk from the beginning of the level.
If Keen decides to get to the room from the left, Keen has to climb with the help of some Scrubs, go over the Tantalus Control Room (avoiding some hazards along the way, such as an acid pool and a plasma pool), and get to the room from the right. Once he gets there, he can shoot the Tantalus Ray from the opposite direction Keen usually does (from the right), and may try to avoid or fight the Vorticon Elite and climb to the exit. Just before the Control Room there is a light switch, which Keen can use to make the Vorticon Elite stay downstairs and avoid them more easily.
Unlike other Tantalus levels, where the power cable can be seen going down until the bottom of the level, in this one it seems to stop where it hits the floor. It may just be a different design, or it may be just an accidental drawing of the level.
As Keen can reach the exit of this level without shooting the Tantalus Ray before, it is possible to finish the level and leave the Ray active (see Keen 2 Bugs).
See also the list of Keen 2 levels.