MAP31: The Express Elevator to Hell (Master Levels)

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Master Levels maps
This level occupies the map slot MAP31. For other maps which occupy this slot, see Category:MAP31.

The Express Elevator to Hell is a map that is part of the Master Levels for Doom II. It was designed by Sverre André Kvernmo (Cranium), and is contained in the file TEETH.WAD, along with the secret level, Bad Dream.

Walkthrough[edit]

Map of The Express Elevator to Hell
Letters in italics refer to marked spots on the map. Sector, thing, and linedef numbers in boldface are secrets which count toward the end-of-level tally.

Essentials[edit]

You start on the rounded lift that is immediately lowered as a monster standing before you crosses the line to activate the lift. There are eight floors in total. Entrances of each floor are indicated by a number on the floor and ceiling. There are also three optional keys in the level that are necessary just to get to the secret level.

Normal exit[edit]

The 1-st floor

The bars will automatically close as you try to enter the floor. Give 30 seconds while they are closed and return. Walk around to get to the room where you can only peer through windows. Flip the switch, deal with knight/baron, flip the switch to unlock the bars leading to the second floor.

The 2-nd floor

In the second floor enter the dark room. Enter the red teleport pad. You will be teleported to the structure of the fifth floor. Find and press the button there to unlock bars in the third floor.

The 3-rd floor

Open the door. In a room press the first button below to activate the lift in the middle. From the lift drop down on the stand to press the second button above that unlocks the fourth floor.

The 4-th floor

You could enter the door first and in this alcove (note that you can also visit this place without needing to unlock the bars) stand on the button indicated by two arrows to ease your task by killing one of three mancubis with crusher, however this can make it difficult to grab the medikit located right under that crusher. Walk across the opened bars. Open the door. In the balcony where one mancubus is/was open another door. Enter the dark room. Killing several mancubi press the button in the end to unlock bars in the fifth floor.

The 5-th floor

In the fifth floor open the door before you. In that room you can see a button in the alcove located in the north-eastern corner. Lower two actual platforms before. In the top press the button to unlock the bars in the sixth floor.

The 6-th floor

Just press the button in the next room of this floor to unlock the bars in the seventh floor. Note and beware zombies in the cages and revenants that are revealed in all floors of the level.

The 7-th floor

Open the door behind you. Lower a lofty lift. In the top walk up the stairs. Get to the other side where a skull lever is placed that unlocks the last bars in the eighth floor.

The 8-th floor

Walking past two lamps, open the door. Walk upstairs and try to open the "fake" exit door. Two either walls open. Enter the western one. Flip the switch to lower a platform in right of you. When you rise flip another switch to open that, in fact, real exit door. Come back towards the opened door. Enter the blinking gates to beat this level.

Secret exit[edit]

  1. Go to the second floor, enter the dark room. Open the secret wall in the south part of room. You will be teleported to the fifth floor. In that much darker room grab the well noticeable red keycard.
  2. Being in that room notice the segment placed on the eastern part of the central structure. It differs from other walls and requires the red key. Open it and flip the switch behind. Now the blue key is accessible in the fourth floor.
  3. Activate two lifts in the north-eastern part of the room (that lead to the button) on the fifth floor. Two lifts in the north-western side are lowered along with that ones (and can only be activated from north-eastern side). When you rise open the wall, then find and take the yellow key.
  4. Come back to the fourth floor and enter the southern alcove in the next room (it can be closed depending of whether you have entered the balcony with mancubus or not). Grab the blue keycard.
  5. Rise to the last (the eighth) floor. Use the arch-vile to cast the fire on you to be brought to the niche with yellow door you can see (it is recommended that you are invincible; you have took invulnerability sphere). When you are in that niche open the yellow, then the red and finally the blue one. Enter the blood pool to get to the Bad Dream contained in the same WAD.

Other points of interest[edit]

Secrets[edit]

  1. After you have visited the second floor the platforms on the third floor will start moving up and down. In the third floor (by entering the fourth floor) walk through to the north balcony containing nine health potions. There is a dark corner in the end of the balcony that moves up and down. When you are at the bottom open a secret wall near the box of shells. (sector 155) You can grab a couple of shotgun shells and a soulsphere inside.
  2. In the room of the sixth floor open the wall marked by metallic bars in the east. (sector 252) Grab three health bottles, a medikit, a plasma rifle and 4 shotgun shells. Also, open the wall with lamp in the bottom to get to the second room where there are a medikit, three health potions and 4 shotgun shells.
  3. When two alcoves are opened when you try to open the normal exit door. Go to the right (northern) alcove. In the end lower the floor containing invulnerability sphere. (sector 286)
  4. The floor under the blue door in the secret exit before the blood pool is counted as secret. (sector 270) See secret exit section.

Bugs[edit]

In the room of fourth floor the three rockets are placed a bit carelessly that in result the third one (thing 150) is placed outside the map.

Demo files[edit]

Areas / screenshots[edit]

Speedrunning[edit]

Routes and tricks[edit]

Current records[edit]

The records for the map at the Doom Speed Demo Archive are:

Run Time Player Date File Notes
UV speed (normal exit)
UV speed (secret exit)
NM speed (normal exit)
NM speed (secret exit)
UV max 7:27.60 Phoenyx 2021-08-30 teeth_727.zip
NM 100S
UV -fast 7:32.69 Coincident 2020-05-04 teeth31-f732.zip
UV -respawn
UV Tyson
UV pacifist (normal exit)
UV pacifist (secret exit)

The data was last verified in its entirety on January 15, 2023.

Deathmatch[edit]

Player spawns[edit]

This level contains four spawn points:

  1. facing west. (thing 121)
  2. facing south. (thing 122)
  3. facing south-east. (thing 123)
  4. facing north. (thing 133)

Statistics[edit]

Map data[edit]

Things 417
Vertices 1415*
Linedefs 1385
Sidedefs 2110
Sectors 290
* The vertex count without the effect of node building is 1127.

Things[edit]

This level contains the following numbers of things per skill level:

Technical information[edit]

Inspiration and development[edit]

Trivia[edit]

See also[edit]

Sources[edit]

External links[edit]