Mysterious and implacable.
The Moai is a structure that appears in the Ice Caves.
It is one of the very few obstacles in the game that can't be mined with a mattock or blasted apart with bombs, but getting the Hedjet hidden within it is necessary in order to visit the City of Gold.
Functionality[]
The symbol on the Moai's forehead is a clue to its function: Dying near it while equipped with the Ankh will cause the Spelunker to resurrect inside a small hollow within the statue, which contains the Hedjet and a door to the next level.
This is best done by pressing ESC + F1, as it allows the Spelunker to retain any item he was carrying before his death. It is a bad idea to plant a bomb on the side of the statue to kill yourself; as the blast may kill you twice, both before and after you resurrect.
Be warned that you must wait for the the Hedjet to fall through the thin ice and collect it before exiting through the door, as there is no second chance to collect this item.
It is not possible to acquire the Hedjet using the teleporter to warp inside the statue, as the game considers the inside of the Moai to be solid until the Ankh is used. If you attempt to teleport in, you will die even if you land inside what should be the hollow interior.
Bugs[]
If the Moai is in the Frozen Region when the Spelunker dies, the game will resurrect him at the level entrance instead of inside the statue.
It is therefore important to always die as close to the Moai as possible. Jumping into the Abyss is risky if the Moai is too far from the bottom of the level.
Trivia[]
- Moai were carved by the Polynesian people of Easter Island approximately 500 to 750 years ago. Some are upwards of 30 feet tall, and were apparently moved on log rollers from the quarry in which they were carved to various sites throughout the island.
- Moai are surprisingly common in video games, especially in games developed by Konami.