Labyrinth (Famicom)/Gameplay

Controls

 * : Use the direction pad to control Sarah and guide her around the Labyrinth.
 * : Press the a button to throw a projectile in the current direction that Sarah is facing.
 * : Press the b button to force your assistant character to stop moving. This can be helpful if they are far ahead of you and at risk for leaving the screen, or if allowing them to move would cause them to be separated from you.
 * : Press the start button to pause the game and bring up the sub-screen, which allows you to see your current amount of money, warp orbs, music boxes, and books, as well as the number of coins you've currently collected and the amount of key pieces you have assembled.
 * : Press the select button to pause the game mid-action.

Sarah
You play through the game by controlling Sarah, the young women who, just for one moment, wished that her crying brother would be taken away, and immediately regretted that wish when she found out that the Goblin King had kidnapped him. She now has 13 hours to make it to the castle in the center of the complex labyrinth or her baby brother Toby will become one of the goblins. As she tries to get through the labyrinth many of the Goblin King's minions will attack Sarah. Every time they strike her, they steal precious seconds from the remaining time that she has to rescue Toby. If the time ever runs out, Toby is lost to Sarah and the game will be over. But Sarah is not defenceless; she can throw stone quite well, and use them to remove enemies from her path. Sarah must collect the twelve pieces of the key in order to be granted access to Jareth's castle in the center of the labyrinth.

Jareth
Jareth is the Goblin King, and man who delights in the pain and anguish of others. He beguiles people into granting them their true desires, only to take delight when those people realize that they got more than they bargained for. In Sarah's case, Jareth has taken Toby off of her hands, as he intends to turn him into another one of his loyal goblin minions. He must offer Sarah a chance at reclaiming Toby, but he certainly doesn't have to be fair about it, and he doesn't intend to be. His very presence on the screen will cause Sarah's time to drain faster than normal. If you see him, shoot him immediately or scroll him off the visible screen!

Assistants
Assistants will appear to aid Sarah after she has attributed at least three hearts to them. They will appear to help her whenever she gives them another heart, or when she uses a Music Box to summon them. When they appear, they will throw stones when she does, and move in the direction that she moves. You can stop them from continuing to move by holding.

Other Characters
Throughout her adventures, Sarah will encounter other helpful characters, including her baby brother Toby, who is being held on the highest floor of Jareth's castle.