Kid no Hore Hore Daisakusen/Gameplay

Controls

 * Joystick: Use the joystick to guide the kids throughout each stage. You can move in any of the four cardinal directions, provided there is a pathway for you to follow.
 * Button 1 - Attack: The action of the first button depends on whether you are holding a weapon or not. If you are not holding a weapon, you will dig a hole in the ground in front of you if there is no hole, or fill up the hole if there is.  If you are holding a weapon, you will use that weapon instead until it runs out.
 * Button 2 - Doors: The second action button is used to open and close doors. The arrow indicates which way the door opens.  If you open the door from the same side as the arrow, it will swing open.  If you open it from the other side, it will still swing open, but it will push you back as a result.  The same goes for closing a door; if you are in the way, you will get repelled.
 * 1 - 2 Players: Press either button to begin a single player game, or a two player alternating game.

Players
Each player controls one of the Hore Hore kids. Player 1 controls the blue kid, and player 2 controls the red kid. The kids' goal is to collect every treasure chest on the stage, then collect the key that appears, and use it on the door to travel to the next stage. There are 32 stages in all, with the last stage featuring a giant boss that is only defeated when all of the treasure chests have been collected. You have a time limit of 3 minutes in which to collect every treasure. You will lose one life if time runs out. The clock will reset to 3 minutes every time the player dies and returns. The kids are highly skilled at digging and filling in holes. That is both their primary offense and defense against the enemies that are running around the stage with them, trying to catch them. If a kid is touched by an enemy, they will lose one life. The enemies will fall into the holes dug by the kids, and then the kids can temporarily remove the enemy from the stage by filling in the hole. If an enemy is left in a hole long enough, it will eventually climb out and escape. The kids are also in danger of falling in their own holes. Once this happens, there is no escape and you will lose one life. A kid will also lose a life if they fall into water. If a kid runs over a "?" panel, it is possible for them to get a weapon, or a digging upgrade. Possession of a weapon prevents the kids from digging (or filling in) holes until the weapon runs out. The game is over when a kid loses all of his lives, or when he collects all the treasures from the 32nd stage.

Enemies
In each stage, the kids will be chased around by a collection of four different enemies. Two of the enemies are present in every stage, and dispatched to each time period in an effort to prevent the kids from collecting all of the treasures. The other two kinds of enemies will be contemporary occupants of that particular time period. All of the enemies, regardless of their appearance, will behave the same way. They will wander around the maze, trying to get a fix on the player, and then pursue them until the player gets far enough away for the enemy to lose them again. Enemies will typically fall right into holes without any hesitation. When the player buries an enemy, they will sometimes leave items behind. Enemies that are left in holes will eventually climb out and escape. Enemies that are buried eventually reappear somewhere else on the stage after a short period. In addition to the standard enemies, a stage may feature an extra enemy type. This extra enemy can't be trapped in the ground, but they can sometimes be killed by weapons.

Boss
If you manage to reach Stage 32, you will find a stage like no other. There are absolutely no walls in the stage. All of the enemies and items are scattered around the stage, and you can freely run up to them in any fashion you like, but the enemies are also free to catch you as well. In addition to the two alien enemies that are encountered in all time periods, and a few electric drones, you will encounter the boss of the game. This large being roams back and forth and will constantly position himself above you no matter where you go. In addition, he fires orbs at you from the top of his head while he moves back and forth. The only way to defeat him is to collect all of the treasure chests in this final stage. Once you do, he will be destroyed, and you will have won the game. The game will then start over at Stage 1.

Items
Throughout the game, your goal is to collect the between 12 and 16 treasure chests that occupy the stage. Only by doing this can you obtain the key which opens the door to the next stage. In addition to the treasure chests, you may see a few panels on the ground. They may contain a "?" on them like the one shown to the right, or they may contain a "P" on them. The "?" panels are mystery panels that contain a weapon. The "P" panels contain power-ups for the player. Other items may be found by burying enemies in the ground.