Machete
Now, THIS is a knife.
Type:	Melee Weapon
Function:	Improved Melee Attacks
Source:	• Sold in Shops. • Found in Crates. • Gifted from Kali.
Cost:	$6300 +700
Damage:	1 (Hits 3 times)

The Machete is one of three melee weapons found in Spelunky (the others being the whip and the Mattock). It can be bought in shops or found semi-rarely in a crate. When equipped, it doles out a slashing attack when pressing the Attack button (default X). Unlike the whip, the machete must be carried as an item, rather than being your default unequipped attack (and thus available by simply dropping what you're carrying). Machetes purchased in shops cost 6300 plus an additional 700 for every level past the first.

FunctionalityEdit

The machete has six advantages over the whip:

• While it only does one damage, it hits three times per attack which can deal enough damage to kill many enemies in one blow that the whip cannot.
• It can do damage to certain enemies that don't respond to the whip aside from getting knocked around slightly, such as yetis and the damsel.
• It allows you to attack stunned enemies that standard jumping and whipping can't.
• It attacks faster and has slightly more range than the whip, always allowing you to deal damage to an enemy one tile away.
• The machete destroys spider webs with a single attack, aiding escapes from them.
• The attack swings in a wide arc in front of the player, attacking both above and in front of the Spelunker, which is more useful defensively.

Despite all of this, it often isn't worth juggling with other carried items such as Golden Idols and damsels, and is almost completely inferior to the pistol or shotgun. But it's cheaper to purchase, more common to find, and looks pretty cool.

Derek agreed that the machete had too few advantages over the whip. As of version 0.99.9, the machete has been improved; instead of stabbing straight forward, it now slashes in an arc that strikes a quarter-circle above and in front of the Spelunker.