The Last Ninja/The Wastelands

Walkthrough
In the first part of the game, you need to collect the various items scattered throughout the map. You can get information about which item to collect by visiting one of the temples, but you are free to collect items in any order.

First, head south until you reach the sword. It should be three screens away, and you will encounter one enemy in the path. Return and continue north. When you reach the fork, continue forward. From here, you will need to collect any items you see, including a pouch, a key, and finally nunchakus on a dead body. Once you reach the body, return south to the fork, and continue north west.

Collect the smoke bomb, and step on the first branch in the swamp. To jump across, hold fire, and press up to jump straight onto the next branch. Continue jumping across in a straight line until you reach the other side.

When you reach the second fork, head down the side path to collect the apple (for an extra life) and shuriken stars. You may now return to the fork and continue to the north east, ignoring any other branches.

When you reach the dragon, stand directly against the dark gray section of the southern-most boulder. Equip the smoke bomb, and fire it at the dragon. If you connect, the dragon is slain instantly; run past the corpse and exit the first level. If you kill the dragon and return, it will recover and you will need to use another smoke bomb (if you run out, you can still collect another package).

Map
In this level, there are three sections. The first is a simple north-south path with a single fork. The second is also a north-south path, with two roads forking off. The third section is a loop between these two branches, although the safest path involves taking only the first branch until you collect the shuriken and returning.