Kid Niki: Radical Ninja/Stage 1

Land of the Trees

 * 10: As you start running to the right, Blue fox clan members will constantly appear on either side of you, one to the right, and one to the left. Take each one on as they get close to you.


 * 9: The Blue fox clan will continue to give chase as you encounter two watch birds, one hovering just above the other. Jump up and strike at the height of your jump to remove both birds for a total of 100 bonus points.


 * 8: Jump over the first stump of ground, and strike the watch bird on your way over. You will notice that the Blue fox clan who pursue you can't jump over the ledges in the ground and will simply turn around and retreat.


 * 7: Three Striped fox clan member guard the rise to the hill above. Jump straight up and take them out with your sword as they begin to leap with you.  Then edge your way to the ledge they were standing on as you fall back down.


 * 6: One more Striped fox clan member awaits you at the far end of the hill. As you approach him and prepare to attack him, one or two Red fox clan members are likely to appear from behind.  It is better to deal with them sooner than later, so watch them carefully, and rush in to strike when it is safe to do so.  Duck if you feel they are about to attack.


 * 5: Descending the hill, the Blue fox clan will continue to pour on their attack. A Red fox clan member may approach you to attack from the right, so take him out quickly.  More watch bird fly above the ground at the end of the segment.


 * 4: In a relatively flat stretch of land, Blue fox clan members will approach from the right, while a single watch bird hovers just before a water mill.


 * 3: At the water mill, prepare to leap over the water. A watch bird and a Striped fox clan member await on the island.  After another leap, one more Striped enemy awaits.


 * 2: Leap over the last pool of water and jump up to the ledges on the mound ahead. Remove the final Striped fox clan member, and prepare to face the boss of the stage.

Boss: Death Breath
Death Breath is a man with a gigantic sized head. He has three methods of attacking you. One is by lowering his head in an attempt to ram you with it. Prepare to back away from him when he does this. The next attack does not actually harm you, but may put you in a bad position is his breath attack. He will inhale twice, before letting out a giant exhale which will push you a short distance away from him if you are standing too close. His final attack is to leap in the air and attempt to land on you. It is during this third attack that he is vulnerable to your attack. Be sure to swing your sword just as soon as his feet fall within range. He will bounce back, and your sword will be knocked loose from your hands. Retrieve your sword and prepare for the next chance to strike. Attempting to hit him during any other attack will merely result in your sword being flung from your hands. In the American version, you need only hit Death Breath three times, but in the Japanese version, you must hit him five times.

NES Differences

 * Striped fox clan members are simply pink. You will only encounter two of them when you approach the hill at 1-5.
 * Two Striped fox clan members await you at the end of the hill in 1-6, with a watch bird posted before each of them.
 * The jump after the water mill in 1-10 is a bit longer and must be timed properly.
 * Starting from 1-11 (shown right), Striped fox clan members are often placed on the opposite side of water while Blue fox clan members run to the water. You must time your jump so that you leap over the Blue fox clan member, and spin your sword in time to attack the Striped fox clan member as you are falling.
 * Like the Japanese arcade version, you must hit the boss five times to defeat him.

Secret Areas
1-9: Jiggle the direction pad left and right while standing on the very edge of the hill shown to the left and spinning your sword. You will begin to flash and enter a secret area. In this area, a Striped fox clan member will walk back and forth, spinning off clones that bounce towards you. Every fifth one that you kill will provide you with a 300 point coin, or a 500 point scroll. After 20 clones bounce off, the main fox clan member will bounce away on his own. If you kill enough clones, eventually the princess doll will appear. Jump up to collect it, and your outfit will turn white, indicating that you can survive one hit. When you head to the right, and leave the area, you will continue on from 1-11 (forcing you to bypass the second bonus).

1-10: When you reach the water mill, jiggle the control pad left and right, and spin your sword. If you hit the right area, you will be transported to a room where four objects fall to the floor for a limited amount of time. They can be coins worth 300 points or scrolls worth 500 points. When time is up, the objects will stop falling and the screen will flash. Your only option is to exit the room to the left and resume the game.