This game is played in a linear fashion, requiring the player to play through each stage, from start to finish, and defeat the boss at the end of the stage, before advancing to the next stage. While each stage is presented in a different environment, every stage has a similar set of features.
General strategy[edit]
While it is considerably easy to continuously leap your way to the end of the stage and fight a boss, this strategy is not recommended for a number of reasons.
Item collection[edit]
Building up a good inventory of items in the beginning of the game is key to your success later on. Since it becomes considerably more difficult to collect items near the end of the game, you are far better off taking some time to collect a good number of items in the beginning. In Demon Sword, this may mean collecting many red orbs, and even a few black orbs. In Fudo Myouoden, this especially means amassing a large quantity of Substitute dummies. Note that only one item may appear on the screen at a time. If a new item is about to appear, it will replace the old item. Therefore, if there is an item on the screen that you wish to collect, it's a good idea to stop attacking enemies until you collect it, in order to minimize the risk of losing it. Keys are the most common item you will find. Never risk your life to collect a key. If you ever need one, you won't have to wait long to get one.
Boss difficulty[edit]
In addition to collecting items that sustain your life throughout the passage of the stage, it's also important to collect items that will help you defeat bosses. Each boss has a small weak point that typically requires you to get rather close to them in order to ensure a successful strike. Collecting special items will help reduce the degree to which you must put yourself in danger while fighting against a boss.
Stage complexity[edit]
While it's rather easy to leap through the earlier stages, it gets more and more difficult to complete the stages with the same technique. Some stages require that you go through a cavern with a ceiling. Other stages are set up in a way to punish those who try to blindly leap from location to location by placing pits of spikes or fire in areas where you are likely to drop. It is far better to move through a stage cautiously and learn how it is arranged before you try to quickly speed through it.
Note, however, that there is one penalty for remaining in a region of a stage for too long.
Skeleton dogs[edit]
If you remain in a particular section of a stage for several minutes, the normal enemies which appear will be replaced by ravenous skeleton dogs. These dogs are very difficult to evade, and even harder to defeat. When this occurs, your best bet is to immediately leap out of the area, and continue to advance in the stage until the enemies return to normal. You can also escape these dogs by entering a door.
Doors[edit]
In every stage, there are a number of locked doors that you may locate. In order to open these doors, you must have a key. (Note that if when you enter through a door, you lose the effect of whatever immediate item may be active at the time, such as speed or shadow fighters.) Behind each door, you may discover a "heaven" scenario, or a "hell" scenario. In the "heaven" scenario, a tall Buddha statue awaits you with a special item in the palm of its hand. In the "hell" scenario, you are sent to a room where you must do combat with a mini-boss. If you successfully defeat the mini-boss, you will obtain a special item before exiting the room. In Fudo Myouoden you can make use of the Escape Door item to leave the room if you do not wish to battle. Furthermore, in Fudo Myouoden, the room in which these fights take place will be dark unless you possess a torch. Even when dark, it is still possible to make out the arrangement of the room. Note that the mini-boss you fight in a room will remain the same throughout each world, regardless of stage. You may exit and reenter a door as many times as you like, provided you have enough keys. However, while you can obtain more items by defeating a mini-boss in the "hell" scenario multiple times, you can only obtain one item from a Buddha statue in the "heaven" scenario.