I'm going to have to start playing this again, not that I was any good, as I recently got bought a snes usb controller and it seems like a perfect mix. Are there any tips from veteran player? I only got to the ice level once back when, I think, the game was fairly new.
If you don't think you can clear a spike tower in the jungle, use a bomb. It's not worth the risk, and spare bombs won't help you if you're dead. Corollary: If I have three bombs and I have to choose between new boots or +bombs, I'll probably go for the bombs. Don't try and bomb things in midair. Try to only use one bomb for any given task; if you're thinking of using three bombs to dig straight down a floor, look for another way. Extra money is nice, but only feel obligated to snag those risky idols if you're too broke to buy more bombs.
No hand-held weapon is ever worth carrying for more than a little while, except for rocks. Don't feel bad about ditching a pistol. Put some effort into keeping your shotgun, at least. Don't even bother picking up a web gun or a teleporter, or especially a bow. Oh, and if you ever made it to the ice area even once, you probably already know this--but you do want to carry a rock or a skull around at all times! Rocks are the single best way to kill monsters, plus they set off arrow traps. I find that flinging arrows around is more dangerous to you than to other critters, don't bother with it. But rocks...man, those, I go back for if it's reasonable to do so. Sometimes I like rocks better than shotguns. If you're about to go down a steep cliff with a rock, and there's another rock nearby, take the time to drop both rocks down. You can never have too many rocks.
Spiders are public enemy #1. Don't screw with them. Run like hell if they are almost on top of you. Try to whip them in a 1-tile-high corridor so you can't miss, or throw stuff at them from long range, preferably before they drop. NEVER, EVER, EVER THROW POTS. ALWAYS whip pots, and from a square away (or you're likely to get hurt by whatever pops out). Never throw a pot. If you throw a pot at a snake, a spider might pop out of it, and then you just made the problem worse.