Genpei Touma Den/Walkthrough

Namco's Japan-only 1986 beat 'em up arcade game of Genpei Tōma Den is divided into twenty-two stages (nine Small Mode, nine Big Mode and four Overhead Mode); as mentioned on the main page, the player controls the real Japanese samurai Taira no Kagekiyo (the image above is of him as he appeared in Namco x Capcom along with eight other older Namco characters), who's been resurrected after 800 years and must make his way over the Imperial Regalia of Japan, fighting other characters who actually existed such as Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Saito Musashibo Benkei, as well as collecting the game's three sacred items to defeat his old arch-enemy Minamoto no Yoritomo. The game's score display (along with the Ken and Zeni counters in its bottom-left corner), uses Kanji numerals instead of Arabic ones, which were later reused in Mirai Ninja for the eponymous protagonist's life meter - and for those of you who cannot read these, here is what they mean - 〇 = 0, 一 = 1, 二 = 2, 三 = 3, 四 = 4, 五 = 5, 六 = 6, 七 = 7, 八 = 8, 九 = 9. (You should remember it).

If Kagekiyo is unfortunate enough to fall down a hole in a Small Mode stage, he'll be reduced to an energy of 10 and end up in a non-standard Overhead Mode known as the "Pit Stage"; there are only two ways to escape from it, and one of these does not always work. As mentioned on that Getting Started page, Kagekiyo meets up with Emma-O, God of the Underworld at the end of the stage, his fate will be decided when he strikes one of the eight Tsuzura surrounding him with his sword to open it - the result of Emma-O's decisions usually means an instant death for Kagekiyo, but he will sometimes choose to warp him (forward or back) to the standard thirteenth stage instead. However, if Kagekiyo possesses the maximum amounts of Zeni (99; displayed as 九九) when he ends up in the "Pit Stage", he can walk to the pool of lava, in order to be warped (forward or back) to that standard thirteenth game stage.

Also, if Kagekiyo enters a torii at the end of a stage, that transports him to a specific location on the map of the Imperial Regalia, he will end up in a non-standard Small Mode stage known as the "Bonus Stage"; in it, Sun Goddess Amaterasu flies around at the top of the screen dropping powerups on top of Kagekiyo, whose only goal is to collect as many as he can before the song he is hearing from the Yamaha YM-2151 fades out (especially the Chairo, as they only appear on this non-standard stage). Once the song has faded out, Kagekiyo will automatically dematerialize and proceed to the next stage.

If Kagekiyo remains upon any Small Mode stage for too long, Yoritomo will rise up in the background and try to flatten him with a fan which can cause a significant injury if it connects; however, if he remains upon any Big Mode stage for too long, a Bird will slowly appear in the top-left corner of the screen and start flying around above him. As mentioned upon the Getting Started page, they are worth 100 (一〇〇) points, and will leave a Zeni that is worth 1 (一) behind when killed - however, up to nineteen more will appear in that top-left corner of the screen, as Kagekiyo kills them off and collects their Zeni.

Stage 1 (Small Mode)
Welcome to the game. Once Kagekiyo has fallen to the ground after materializing in mid-air, start running to the right, and jump up to get the Makimono; there will be three small "Kanameishi" bouncing towards you from behind, so you can either jump onto one of them for a free ride or just stand in a place where they will not land on you. You will then come to two webs that are generating Skull Spiders - these webs will disappear once they have generated three Skull Spiders each (but if you can destroy them before they have done so, they leave an Inochi that's worth 2 behind), and the Spiders themselves will each leave a Zeni worth 1 behind when killed. There will also be another Makimono above you at this point, so you should jump up to get it after you have killed all the Skull Spiders; once you have done so, you will come to three Yari Gaikotsu (which will each leave a Zeni worth 1 behind, when killed), along with three more Skull Spider-generating webs (and these ones are low enough to be destroyed before they have generated their required quota of Spiders). You will now have to jump onto the big "Kanameishi" that is moving up and down in front of you, in order to collect the third and final Makimono on this stage, before jumping from the top of its height to destroy a sixth Skull Spider-generating web - and just before the torii, there is a Gaki Generator which will disappear after it has generated ten Gaki. However, much like the webs, it will leave an Inochi worth 2 behind if you can destroy it before it has spawned its required quota of Gaki; once Kagekiyo has entered the torii, he will dematerialize and proceed to the second stage (it is the first Big Mode)...

Stage 2 (Big Mode)
Once Kagekiyo has rematerialized in his larger form, start walking to the right and hold your sword high in the air, by pushing the joystick into the "north-east" position as thirteen Hitodama come flying towards you; once you have brought your sword down on each of them to kill them, Gaikotsu will appear and challenge Kagekiyo to a swordfight. Once you've hit him enough times to make him collapse, waited until his parts have disappeared, and collected the Inochi he has left behind (it is worth 2), three more Hitodama will come flying towards you - and once you have brought your sword down on each of them to kill them, you can continue onward to the torii which, when entered, will transport Kagekiyo to the third stage (which is the first Overhead Mode).

Stage 3 (Overhead Mode)
This is the first stage to feature the Map of Japan's Imperial Regalia before it starts. Once Kagekiyo has rematerialized (in his smaller form again), move down and right to get the Makimono. There will be several Honeinu blocking your path here, so you will have to destroy them all before you can pass through. After this, there is a Tsuzura which will increase your amount of Zeni by 10 when opened, along with another Makimono and two whirlpools with Namazu spawning from them. Like the webs and Gaki Generators before them, they will leave an Inochi behind if you can destroy them before they have generated its required quota of Namazu. The Namazu themselves, like the Skull Spiders before them, will each leave a Zeni behind when killed. You will now encounter a Daidokuraku with several smaller Dokuraku attached to it; if you can destroy it, it will leave a Zeni behind. Soon after this, you will come across a bog with Jigokusha spawning from it (like the Namazu-spawning whirlpools you encountered earlier, the bog will leave an Inochi behind if you destroy it before it has spawned its required quota and the Jigokusha themselves will each leave a Zeni behind when killed), along with two Tsuzura which will each increase your amount of Zeni by 5 when opened. Three torii await you at the end of this stage; the top and middle ones will transport you directly to the fourth stage, but the bottom one will transport you to a "Bonus Stage" just before it.

Stage 4 (Big Mode)
Once Kagekiyo has rematerialized in his larger form, start walking to the right and hold your sword high in the air by pushing the joystick into the "north-east" position like you did on the second stage - only this time, you will have make several pauses and turn to the left whenever a Tiger tries to leap on you from behind. They will each leave a Zeni behind when killed, and when you continue to the right, you will encounter three Hannya which will each leave a Ken behind when killed. Just before the torii, it will be time to do battle with Minamoto no Yoshitsune, who attacks by firing Ya at Kagekiyo. Once you have hit Yoshitsune enough times to defeat him and collected the Ken he has left behind, you can continue on to the torii which, when entered, will transport you to the fifth stage.

Stage 5 (Small Mode)
Once Kagekiyo has rematerialized in his smaller form, run down the staircase he is standing at the top of and continue running to the right when you reach the bottom, destroying the Hiushi along the way and collecting the Inochi they have left behind. Eventually, you will come to six big "Kanameishi" moving up and down; you can either run under them or jump onto each one in turn. Soon after, you will encounter three Moths (which can be killed easily) and an indestructible Shakutorimushi (which must be jumped over in order to continue). Now, you will see an "Ojizousama" statue which will give you 500 points at a cost of 10 Zeni each time you run behind it, along with another "Kanameishi" moving up and down. This one, however, has a Candle at the top of its height which will increase Kagekiyo's energy capacity when collected, so don't pass it up. After this, there is a Stone Lion which will leave a 1000-point bonus item behind when killed - it could be a Galaxian Flagship, a Rally-X Special Flag, a New Rally-X-style Red Car or a Hoblin from Libble Rabble. Just before the torii, there is another staircase leading upwards with a Gaki Generator near the top of it. You know what to do by now; if you destroy it before it has generated its required quota, it will leave an Inochi behind. Once Kagekiyo has entered the torii at the top of the staircase, he will be transported to the sixth stage.

Stage 6 (Big Mode)
Once Kagekiyo has rematerialized in his larger form, start walking to the right and watch out for the Monkeys trying to drop down on you from above. Each one will leave a Zeni behind when killed, and you will have to do battle with Saito Musashibo Benkei (who attacks by throwing Tekyuu at Kagekiyo) just before the torii. Once you have hit Benkei enough times to defeat him and collected the Ken he has left behind, you can continue on to the torii which, when entered, will transport you to the seventh stage.

Stage 7 (Small Mode)
Once Kagekiyo has rematerialized in his smaller form, run down the staircase he is standing near the bottom of and destroy the vortex with Wolves spawning from it. Each Wolf will leave a Zeni behind when destroyed, and the vortex will leave an Inochi. Continue running to the right until you meet up with an Enormous Mukade, who will leave the first instance of a poisonous mushroom behind when killed. Wait until it has disappeared to avoid losing energy from picking it up, then jump onto each of the "Kojima" platforms in turn. The last two move up and down, so good timing is essential on the last one if you want to reach the torii which will transport you directly to the seventh stage. However, if you miss the leap, you can continue to the right to find two "Kanameishi" moving up and down, the second of which has a Candle at the top of its height. Now you will see a staircase leading upwards and a Raijin flying around at the top of the screen; if you can defeat him, he will leave a Zeni behind. Soon after, there are three more "Kanameishi" which can either be ran under or jumped onto in turn. Just before the second torii (which will transport you to a "Bonus Stage" before the seventh stage), there is another staircase leading upwards with a Jigokusha-spawning bog on each step. You are probably well aware that each one will leave an Inochi behind when destroyed by now, and the Jigokusha themselves will leave a Zeni.

Stage 8 (Big Mode)
Once Kagekiyo has rematerialized in his larger form, start walking to the right and hold your sword high in the air by pushing the joystick into the "north-east" position. As with the fourth stage, you will have make several pauses and turn to the left whenever a Tiger tries to leap on you from behind. About halfway through the stage, Biwa Houshi will appear, spawning Usagi and Kame from the soundhole in his lute. The Usagi and Kame will leave poisonous mushrooms behind when killed (meaning you will have to jump over them or wait until they have disappeared in order to avoid losing energy from picking them up), but Houshi himself cannot be killed as he stays ahead of Kagekiyo at all times. Once you have made it to the torii, it will transport you to the ninth stage when you enter it.

Stage 9 (Small Mode)
This is the first stage to feature holes in the ground that will have Kagekiyo end up in the "Pit Stage" if he falls down them - so once he has rematerialized in his smaller form, start running to the right and jump over the first one. The second one has a Sword to collect as you leap over it, which will increase your Ken by 3 at a cost of 10 Zeni. Just before the third one, there is a Makimono to collect and a Ryu flying around at the top of the screen (which will leave a Ken behind when killed). Once you have made it over the fourth hole, there are three rows of "Kojima" platforms moving left and right with another Sword above them. In order to reach it, you will have to time your jumps so you can make it through the gap in each row. As you jump off the top row after collecting the Sword, be sure not to fall down the fifth hole. Just after the sixth hole, there is a staircase leading upwards with a Jigokusha-spawning bog at the top of it. Once you have destroyed it and collected the Inochi it has left behind, jump off the top of the staircase to land on the "Kanameishi" that is moving up and down. You will now have to traverse a series of "Kojima" platforms in order to make it over the enormous seventh hole beneath you (some of which move to the left and right, so good timing is essential if you want to land on them). Once you are about halfway over the hole, you will see another "Kanameishi" moving up and down; jump onto it in order to reach the next "Kojima" platform and continue on to the other side. Just before the end of the hole, there is a Sword in a very precarious position; ignore it and collect the Tawara once you have made it all the way over (it will increase Kagekiyo's energy by 10 at a cost of 10 Zeni). Now, you will have to traverse another series of "Kojima" platforms in order to make it over the gaping eighth hole in front of you - some of which move around in circles, so great timing is essential if you want to land on them. There are several torii suspended in mid-air over this hole; they are not worth the effort to reach, especially as you will end up in the "Pit Stage" if you miss them. Just before the end of the hole, there are three "Kanameishi" moving up and down - the second of which has a Candle near the top of its height. Jump onto each of them in turn, collect the Candle, then make a big leap from the top of the third one's height in order to make it to the torii on the other side. Once Kagekiyo has entered the torii, he will be transported to the tenth stage.

Stage 10 (Small Mode)
This stage features several caricatures of Namco employees, which were later re-used in the end credits of Beraboh Man. Once Kagekiyo has rematerialized in mid-air (still in his smaller form) and fallen to the ground, start running to the right and a caricature of the game's programmer, Ryouihi Ohkubo, will appear. Another one will appear soon after, followed by one of the game's director, Norio Nakagata. You will now see two "Kanameishi" moving up and down and a Makimono suspended in mid-air; jump onto the first one and make a big leap from the top of its height to collect it. Once you have done so, a caricature of the game's music composer (known only as "?"), will appear. Another one will appear once you have killed the Yahei just after the two "Kanameishi", and a third one will appear once you have jumped over the first hole. Soon after, there is an Enormous Mukade. Jump over the poisonous mushroom it will leave behind when killed or wait until it has disappeared to avoid losing energy from picking it up. Just before the second hole (which has four Tsuzura suspended in mid-air over it), a caricature of the game's stereo papa, Kazunari Mimura, will appear. The Tsuzura are too high for Kagekiyo to reach, so once you have made it over the hole, continue running to the right until you come across a Stone Lion which will leave the first sacred item, the Magatama Jewel, behind when killed. It will make Kagekiyo invulnerable to poisonous mushrooms when collected, and once you have picked it up, another caricature of "?" will appear, followed by two more of Ohkubo just before the third hole (which has a torii suspended in mid-air over it). As you leap over the third hole, another caricature of Nakagata will appear, followed by two more of "?" and Ohkubo once you have made it to the other side. Just before the torii, there are four Tsuzura suspended in mid-air (another caricature of "?" will appear when you jump up to open the first one), and a "Kanameishi" moving up and down (another caricature of Nakagata will appear just before you jump onto it). Once Kagekiyo has entered the torii, he will be transported to the eleventh stage.

Stage 11 (Small Mode)
Once Kagekiyo has rematerialized in mid-air (still in his smaller form) and fallen to the ground, kill the Yahei, drop down to the platform below and jump over the first hole. Another Yahei is waiting on the other side - kill it just like the first. Once you have jumped over the second hole, you will see a "Kanameishi" moving up and down; jump onto it and make a big leap from the top of its height in order to clear the third hole and destroy the Gaki Generator when you land on the other side. After you have jumped over the fourth hole, you will see another "Kanameishi" - jump onto it and kill the Yahei on the platform at the top of its height. Soon after, you will encounter three more "Kanameishi" which must each be jumped onto at the top of their height in order to clear the fifth, sixth and seventh holes. There is also another Yahei on the other side of the seventh one - kill it just like the first two. Soon after this, you will have to jump onto yet another "Kanameishi" in order to clear the eighth hole and destroy another Gaki Generator when you land on the other side. Just before the ninth hole, there is an Enormous Mukade. You won't need to jump over the poisonous mushroom it leaves behind or wait until it has disappeared now you have the Magatama Jewel - so once you have made it to the other side, collect the Makimono (and the three Tawara if you have enough Zeni to do so) before jumping onto this stage's last "Kanameishi". Once you have jumped up to the platform at the top of its height, drop down to the platform below and kill the two Chimoguri Kouke burrowing around (which will each leave a Zeni behind). Shortly after, there are three more Chimoguri Kouke, along with a Daimajin; if you can kill him, he will leave an Inochi behind. Just before the torii, you will see an "Ojizousama" statue - it will give you 500 points at a cost of 10 Zeni each time you run behind it. Once Kagekiyo has entered the torii, he will be transported to the twelfth stage.

Stage 12 (Big Mode)
Once Kagekiyo has rematerialized in his larger form after a three-stage absence, start walking to the right and hold your sword high in the air by pushing the joystick into the "north-east" position. About halfway through the stage, you will meet up with Yoshitsune again, and he has more energy here than he did on the fourth stage. Once you have hit him enough times to defeat him again and collected the Ken he has left behind, you can continue on to the torii which, when entered, will transport you to the thirteenth stage.

Stage 13 (Overhead Mode)
This is the stage where the creepy old woman seen at the start of the game appears for the second time. If you ended up in the "Pit Stage" after falling down a hole and had the maximum amount of Zeni when you walked into the pool of lava there (instantly transporting you to this stage), she will have a different message for you - so once Kagekiyo has rematerialized in his smaller form, start running to the right and destroy the pagoda directly in front of you (not the one north-east of you). Shortly after, you will see a rickshaw cart with Onihime spawning from it; it will leave an Inochi behind when destroyed and the Onihime themselves will leave a Zeni. After this, move down, then right, then down again, then up, then right, and finally up again until you arrive at two more Onihime-spawning rickshaw carts. Destroy them both (along with any Onihime they may have spawned) and continue running to the right, then move up and left in order to destroy the Dokuraku-spawning "Hyoutan" (it will leave an Inochi behind). Move back to the right, then down, and destroy either of the two pagodas south and west of you in order to open the Tsuzura behind the remaining one (it will increase your energy by 7). Move back to the right, then up, then right again, then up again, then right again, then down, and finally left, destroying two more Dokuraku-spawning "Hyoutan" as you go. Continue running back to the right until you see two Namazu-spawning whirlpools. Move down and left once you have destroyed them (along with any Namazu they may have spawned) and open the two Tsuzura (which will both increase your energy by 7 just like the first one). Move back to the right, then up, then right again, and finally up again (killing two Honeinu as you go) until you arrive at the first instance of a Heiankyo Generator. Identical in appearance to the Gaki Generators before it, it will leave an Inochi behind when destroyed and the Heiankyo themselves will leave a Zeni. Move back down, then right, then up, then left, then up again, and finally right again (destroying the second Heiankyo Generator just before the torii). Once Kagekiyo has entered the torii, he will be transported to the fourteenth stage. However, if you should end up in the "Pit Stage" after this point, the lava pool will still transport you back to this stage when you enter it with the maximum Zeni.

Stage 14 (Big Mode)
Once Kagekiyo has rematerialized in his larger form, start walking to the right and hold your sword high in the air by pushing the joystick into the "north-east" position. As with the fourth and eighth stages, you will have make several pauses and turn to the left whenever a Tiger tries to leap on you from behind. About halfway through the stage, you will meet up with Yoshitsune for a third time, and he has the same amount of energy that he had on the fourth stage. Once you have hit him enough times to defeat him again and collected the Ken he has left behind, you can continue on to the torii which, when entered, will transport you to the fifteenth stage.

Stage 15 (Overhead Mode)
Once Kagekiyo has rematerialized in his smaller form, run to the right and destroy the Namazu-spawning whirlpool blocking your path. Continue running to the right, working your way around the turf mounds and destroying the Dokuraku-spawning "Hyoutan" as you go. Once you have made it past the Japanese-style houses, the turf mounds are replaced by pagodas; the Dokuraku-spawning "Hyoutan" remain, however. Eventually, you will come to a maze of Japanese-style houses with pagodas blocking the gaps; move down and right to destroy the first one. There is a Skull Spider-generating web just after this - wait until it has disappeared after generating its required quota, then move up and right in order to destroy the second gap-blocking pagoda. There are four Dokuraku-spawning "Hyoutan" scattered around the next part of the maze, and the pagoda in the centre conceals a Candle. Once you have destroyed the third gap-blocking pagoda, the Japanese-style houses are replaced by grass-covered walls. Move up, then right, then down, then right again, then down again and finally right again until you arrive at another part of the maze with Dokuraku-spawning "Hyoutan" scattered around it and a fourth gap-blocking pagoda. One specific pagoda after this section contains the second sacred item - the Kagami Mirror, which will make Kagekiyo invulnerable to lightning attacks when collected. The one next to it conceals the torii, which will transport Kagekiyo to the sixteenth stage when entered.

Stage 16 (Small Mode)
This stage, like the tenth one before it, features the caricatures of Namco employees that were later re-used in the end credits of Beraboh Man. So once Kagekiyo has rematerialized (still in his smaller form) and fallen to the ground, start running to the right and a caricature of the game's supervisor, Yukio Takahashi, will appear. Another one of the game's music composer, "?", will appear once you have dropped down to the platform below and jumped onto the pagoda, and a third one of Kazunari Mimura (the game's stereo papa) will appear when you jump off it in order to collect the Makimono in mid-air. A fourth one of Norio Nakagata (the game's director) will appear just before a Daimajin; if you can defeat him, he will leave an Inochi behind. Shortly after, you will see a "Kanameishi" moving up and down - another caricature of Nakagata will appear once you have jumped onto it. After making a big leap from the top of its height, continue running to the right until you see a Tsuzura in mid-air. Another caricature of Ryouihi Ohkubo (the game's programmer) will appear when you jump up to open it, and another one of "?" will appear once you have landed. One last caricature of Mimura will appear just before the torii which will transport Kagekiyo to the seventeenth stage when entered.

Stage 17 (Small Mode)
Once Kagekiyo has rematerialized (still in his smaller form), he will have to traverse a series of "Kojima" platforms in order to cross the Sanzu River below him. The first four move up and down, but the last six move around in circles - so great timing is essential if you want to land on them. Once you have made it over the raging waters, you will see a "Kanameishi" moving up and down with a Candle to the left of it and a Tsuzura to the right just before a Mitsubiryu; each of its three heads will leave a Ken behind when destroyed. Once you have destroyed it completely, it will leave the final sacred item behind - the Tsurugi Sword, which will stop Kagekiyo's sword power from going down when collected. Just before the torii, there are three Tawara, which will increase Kagekiyo's energy by 10 at a cost of 10 Zeni. Once Kagekiyo has entered the torii, he will be transported to the eighteenth stage.

Stage 18 (Big Mode)
Once Kagekiyo has rematerialized in his larger form after a four-stage absence, start walking to the right and hold your sword high in the air by pushing the joystick into the "north-east" position but watch out for the Tekyuu suspended in mid-air dropping down as you pass under them. About halfway through the stage, you will meet up with Benkei for a second time, and he now possesses a giant staff with a Tekyuu on each end. Once you have hit him enough times to defeat him again and collected the Ken he has left behind, you can continue on to the torii which, when entered, will transport you to the nineteenth stage.

Stage 19 (Small Mode)
Once Kagekiyo has rematerialized in his smaller form, he will have to traverse a series of "Kojima" platforms in order to cross the raging Sanzu River below him once again (some of which move left and right). You will see several Tawara, Tsuzura and Candles suspended in precarious positions along the way; ignore them and focus on getting to the torii which will transport you to the twentieth stage when entered (it is also suspended in mid-air, and you will end up in the "Pit Stage" if you miss it).

Stage 20 (Overhead Mode)
This is the stage where the creepy old woman seen at the start of the game appears for the third time. Once Kagekiyo has rematerialized (still in his smaller form), he will find himself surrounded by eight Kishokugan (which will each leave a Zeni behind when killed). Once you have destroyed them all, run to the right and collect as many of the nine Tawara as your Zeni amount will allow. Soon after, you will see six Jigokusha-spawning bogs. After destroying them all, run back to the left and enter the torii next to the remaining Tawara in order to be transported to the twenty-first stage.

Stage 21 (Big Mode)
Once Kagekiyo has rematerialized in his larger form, start walking to the right and hold your sword high in the air by pushing the joystick into the "north-east" position. The vortexes suspended in mid-air will drop poisonous mushrooms on Kagekiyo as he passes under them, but the Magatama Jewel will render him invulnerable to them. About a quarter of the way through the stage, you will meet up with Benkei for a third time, and he still possesses his giant staff with a Tekyuu on each end. Once you have hit him enough times to defeat him again and collected the Ken he has left behind, you can continue walking to the right - but you will now have to watch out for the Tekyuu suspended in mid-air which will drop down on you as you pass under them. About three-quarters of the way through the stage, you will meet up with Yoshitsune for a fourth time, and he has the same amount of energy that he had on the twelfth stage. Once you have hit him enough times to defeat him again and collected the Ken he has left behind, you can continue on to the torii which, when entered, will transport you to the twenty-second and final stage.

Stage 22 (Big Mode)
Once Kagekiyo has rematerialized (still in his larger form for the final confrontation with his arch-enemy), start walking to the right and hold your sword high in the air by pushing the joystick into the "north-east" position. Minamoto no Yoritomo tries to stay ahead of Kagekiyo and attacks by firing Inazuma at him, but the Kagami Mirror will render him invulnerable to them. Once you get close enough to Yoritomo in order to strike him and have hit him enough times to stop him from firing at you, he will turn into a giant statue of Buddha. Once you have hit him enough times in this form, he will be defeated and the background will turn black. Kagekiyo will then fall over and explode, just like he does when he runs out of energy. Now sit back and enjoy the ending.