Karnov/Gameplay

Controls

 * / : Use the joystick or direction pad to control Karnov's movement. Press left or right to make him run in either direction.  Press up or down when near a ladder to climb.  Press down while standing on the ground to make him crouch.  Pressing left and right also changes which item in the inventory bar is currently highlighted.
 * / : Press the first action button on the arcade, or the B button on the NES control pad, to make Karnov breath fire. The number of shots Karnov fires depends upon how many power-up orbs he has collected.
 * / : Press the second action button on the arcade, or the A button on the NES control pad, to make Karnov jump in the air. Karnov will jump the same height, regardless of how long you hold down the jump button.  The shoe item not only increases Karnov's speed, but also his jumping height.
 * / : Press the third action button on the arcade, or the Select button on the NES control pad, to utilize the currently highlighted item in the inventory bar.
 * / : Begin a new game. Only on the NES, press the Start button to pause the action mid-game.

Karnov
You control Karnov throughout his efforts to collect all of the pieces of a treasure map and amass fortune and wealth. The image on the left is how Karnov appears in the arcade game, while the image on the right is how he appears on the NES/Famicom. He is a powerful man originating from central asia, in what was considered the Soviet Union at the time of the game's production. The source of Karnov's powers are unknown, but he possesses the extraordinary ability to breath fire. The fireballs that he spits travel far and somewhat fast. By collecting particular orbs, he can double and ultimately triple the number of fireballs that he breathes simultaneously. Karnov is also able to jump, although given his size, his jumping ability is a bit slow and heavy. Karnov also has a few other abilities, but he requires the collection and activation of particular items in order to access them. In the arcade, Karnov will instantly lose a life if he touches any of the enemies, or the projectiles that they fire at him. In the home conversion of the game, Karnov can actually withstand two hits. The first hit will turn him blue, and if he sustains a second hit while still blue, he will lose a life. However, if you manage to collect a power-up orb while blue, he will return to his normal red color and be able to survive an extra hit. If all of Karnov's lives are lost, the game will end.