Ganbare Goemon! Karakuri Douchuu/Gameplay

Controls
The controls for this game are dependent upon the context in which you are using them.

Overground/Underground

 * : Use the direction pad to control Goemon. Pressing a direction will cause Goemon to run in that direction.  Goemon can run in the four cardinal directions, as well as in each diagonal.
 * : Press the A button to make Goemon jump. Use it in conjunction with the control pad to direct which way Goemon jumps.
 * : Press the B button to attack. Ordinarily, Goemon attacks with his Kiseru smoking pipe, which he uses like a club.  He can only attack in four directions, whichever direction Goemon happens to be facing.  After he collects the sling shot, he can fire a koban coin at his enemies.  This too can only be fired in four directions.
 * : Pauses the action mid-game.
 * : Unused.

Dungeons

 * : Moves Goemon one step forward in which ever direction he happens to be facing.
 * / : Rotates Goemon ninety degrees to the right or to the left.
 * : Makes Goemon perform an about-face, rotating him 180° from his current direction.
 * : Press the A button to view the map, if Goemon currently possesses one for the particular dungeon he is in.
 * : Unused by itself. However, if you happen to possess an Inrou, the pill box that heals you if you are touched by an enemy, you can press A and B together to see the map of a dungeon, even if you haven't collected the map yet.

Shops/Dialogs

 * : Though only useful to reach the entrance of the dungeons, you can use the direction pad to run around in a shop.
 * : Press the A button to purchase the selected item in a shop, or to select the highlighted response in a dialog.
 * : Press the B button to cycle through the shop items, or dialog choices.

Player
This is Goemon, the hero of feudal Japan. As the name suggests, his character was loosely based on Ishikawa Goemon, the noble thief of Japanese folklore. Goemon is very much like a Robin Hood figure of Japan; he primarily steals from the rich in order to give back to the poor and oppressed. And that is precisely what you need to help Goemon do. Goemon is a very good hearted person with a strong sense of justice. Goemon must collect three passes in each of the 13 stages in order to advance to the next stage. He must do so within a set time limit, or he will be unable to help the poor. Upon escaping from each stage, he delights the nearby villagers by waking them at night, dispensing much of the money he has collected from the corrupt noblemen (this money does not come out of the fund that you are maintaining for Goemon). Goemon is capable of donning a lot of equipment that can protect him from several different kinds of attacks, but this equipment can wear down and break over time and must be replaced. Although he typically attacks with his Kiseru smoking pipe, using it as a club, he can upgrade his weapon to a koban coin firing sling shot, which allows him to attack his would-be captors from a distance. He can only take so many hits before dying, but if he finds a scroll, he can extend the number of hits that he can withstand by one. Goemon has only so many chances to complete his mission before he runs out of tries, but he can collect extra chances by finding the bonus life scrolls in dungeons.

Security Guards
These security guards are the low men on the totem pole when it comes to Japan's police force. They carry lamps with them wherever they go, and are always on the lookout for suspicious looking people to capture and build their careers upon. Whenever they spot a trouble maker, they shout "Goyou!" which is similar to "Freeze!" They are so desperate to catch a criminal, that they will even resort to tossing lamps at you.

Ronin
A ronin was a masterless samurai during the feudal period of Japan. A samurai became masterless from the ruin or fall of his master (as in the case of death in a war), or after the loss of his master's favor or privilege. Ronin's are not to be trifled with. Although they are not specifically interested in Goemon in any way, if he happens to cross their path, they will not hesitate to unleash their foul mood upon him.

Merchants
Merchants of all kinds run around town hocking their wares. In these lean times, they must do everything that they can to promote the sales of their goods and bring as much money home to their families. They view anyone who is not buying from them as competition, and as such will not hesitate to knock them down if they get in the way. The fish merchants shown on the right are only slightly more dangerous than the regular merchants because of their larger size, due to the containers of fish that they carry on their shoulder.

Thief
While there is honor among thieves, not all thieves share in the honor. Some thieves such as these only look out for themselves. Therefore, when you get hit by them, not only will you take a little damage, but you will also lose money as a result. Avoid tangling with these guys to keep from losing 50 Kobans every time they hit you.

Bushin
Bushin are true warriors who possess a pure fighting spirit. They wander around with their own agendas, or occasionally hire themselves out as mercenaries. Like the ronins, they care little about you, and they care even less for your presence. Keep a safe distance from them, or attack them before they have a chance to do you any harm.

Taxi Runners
In feudal Japan, two-men taxi services would run important paying customers from one location to another by carrying them in a cabin that was suspended from two poles, which the men carried on their shoulders. Lately, there haven't been many customers, so the taxi men have become desperate for work. They have become so desperate, that they will pick up any person they can ambush, drop them off at the starting location of the stage, and charge them 30 Kuban for the "favor". Don't let them sneak up behind Goemon and whisk him away.

Villager
Although the villagers are secretly appreciative of Goemon's efforts to help them, they know better than to openly support him in public. So villagers must appear apathetic to Goemon's presence at best, and hostile to him at worst, in order to prevent become a suspect of the government and getting arrested. You can avoid them all together, or put them out of their misery.

Mountaineer
Mountaineers live solitary lives up in the heights of the mountain ranges that dot Japan. They aren't too fond of visitors, and keep their sword brandished at all times. The mountain ledges are narrow, so be prepared to fight your way past them if you want to continue on to the end of the stage.

Crow
For unknown reasons, the bird's in Goemon's worlds are surprisingly hostile. Crows fly low over villages, and rain stones down upon Goemon. They can be attacked, but only a sling shot. A straw hat can serve as very good protection against the stones that crows drop. It's best not to get slowed down by crows in general.

Tengu
Air demons appear above the mountains as you get dangerously close to their home territory. They hover out of reach to all but the highest of mountain climbers and toss their wind blown fans your way. The float about in a figure eight and can be easily defeated when they are at their lowest altitude, but take care when fighting them, as they have no problem flying into Goemon.

Rice Barrel
Rice barrels will occasionally escape the hands of the men who handle them and end up rolling down the streets of many Japanese districts. There's no way to destroy them, so all you can do is dodge them by getting out of the way or jumping over them. While a helmet can obviously protect you from boulders, they also have to ability to save you from one of these.

Boulder
Boulders bounce down along the mountainside from an unseen source up above. They get knocked back and forth as them tumble down, but they always seem to get in the way no matter where you go. A helmet can protect you from getting hurt by these falling threats.

Omitsuchan
Omitsu is a sweet and kind hearted young lady who aids Goemon in his quests. She appears from time to time, dressed in her fashionable kimono. If you spot her, run up to her and touch her in order to collect 1000 bonus points. However, if you mistake her for one of the enemies, not only will she disappear, but you'll lose 50 Koban in the process! Keep your eyes open and don't attack until you are sure it's not Omitsu.