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.
Items
| Item | Description | Found |
|---|---|---|
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Pass: Three of these are required to pass through the gates of every stage in order to pass on to the next stage. Two are typically found in secret underground tunnels who entrances must be discovered while the third is always located in a dungeon. Of course, you can always buy them instead if you can find a shop that sells them, but expect to pay a very hefty price. | Underground Dungeons Shops |
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Sling Shot: The sling shot is an upgrade to Goemon's traditional weapon, a traditional Japanese smoking pipe known as a kiseru, which Goemon uses as a club. The sling shot fires coins at Goemon's enemies, but these coins do not come from Goemon's own supply of money, and he can never run out. His outfit changes from red to white when he has the sling shot. | Shops |
 |
Maneki Neko (or Beckoning Cat): The good luck charm provides Goemon with his only means of offensive upgrade. By catching the Maneki Neko, Goemon becomes equipped with the mighty sling shot, in addition to earning some money. Maneki Nekos can be found in some of the boxes that line the streets of Japan. They bounces away from Goemon when they appear. | Overground |
 |
Sandals: By collecting Sandals, Goemon's speed and jumping distance steadily increases. Goemon can collect up to three sets of Sandals, at which time his speed and jumping distance will be at it's greatest. Not only will this make him faster, it will also allow him to jump over obstacles that would be otherwise impossible. | Underground Shops |
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Tako Mask (or Octopus Mask): These Octopus Masks appear from within the crates along the street just as Maneki Nekos do. If Goemon manages to catch one as it bounces away, his sandal count will increase by one (unless he already has a full set of three.) | Overground |
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Hammer: The hammer is a rare item which can be found by jumping over particular locations above ground. Once found, they can never be revealed again throughout the rest of the stage. Collecting the hammer grants Goemon with invulnerability for a limited period of time, during which time he can kill enemies simply by running into them. | Overground |
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Dango (or sweet dumplings): Dango are sweet dumplings that are traditionally served together on a skewer. If Goemon collects one of these tasty treats, all of his missing health will be restored. | Underground |
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Ramen: Many shops sell their own unique custom ramen recipes that Goemon can purchase in order to refuel his health. Buy one of these when you've received too many hits and don't wish to risk dying. | Shop |
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Onigiri: By purchasing a set of rice balls known as Onigiri, Goemon will be able to instantly replenish all of his missing life if his life is ever depleted to zero. This is a valuable item to have and can save you from a lot of unnecessary back tracking, so have one on you at all times. | Shops |
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Hour Glass: If you purchase an hour glass from the store, you can extend the time that you have remaining to find three bills as pass through the stage's exit gates. If you are having a difficult time locating everything, you may opt to purchase one of these in order to give yourself more time before you face losing one of your lives. | Shop |
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Straw Hat: Purchase a straw hat to protect Goemon from light objects that fall from the sky, objects that are typically dropped by the birds that like to fly overhead. One Straw Hat will protect you from five such droppings. You may wear the straw hat at the same time as the helmet. | Shops |
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Armor: Equipping armor allows Goemon to withstand five projectile attacks thrown at him by his enemies. These can include the lamps thrown by the security forces, or the bubbles blown at him by crabs. | Shops |
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Helmet: While the straw hat protects Goemon's head from lighter objects falling from the sky, the helmet protects him from far heavier objects like boulders, and even the rolling rice barrels that can appear in the streets. The helmet will protect Goemon five times, and can be worn in conjunction with the straw hat. | Shops |
 |
Omamori (or Talisman): In certain sections of a city, a taxi service provided by two men who carry a cabin between them are so eager for fares, that they literally force people to become their customers. By purchasing a talisman, Goemon will be able to withstand an ambush by the two taxi runners, up to five. | Shops |
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Inrou (or pill box): Contained inside the inrou are five herbs that will instantly restore a single unit of damage if Goemon is touched by someone. Their use is automatic, and cannot be controlled. They also provide Goemon with the ability to see the map of a dungeon by pressing  + , even if Goemon has not collected the map. |
Shops |
 |
Bonus Life: This sheet is known as an Ooiriburuko, which is a bonus paid to employees when they are dealing with a huge volume of people. In the case of Goemon, it is an item that can only be found in dungeons that will grant him an extra life. The location of these bonuses are not displayed on the map. | Dungeons |
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Candle: A candle is a very useful item indeed. It allows Goemon (and you) to see the hidden stairwells that lead to the underground passages that typically contain one of the three passes needed to escape the stage. If you're having trouble locating all of the entrances, a candle can really come in handy. They only last a short while, so use the time wisely. | Shops |
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Scroll: Scrolls are very rare and very valuable. They increase the number of hits that Goemon can receive before dying by one. Only four exist, so Goemon's health can be raised to a maximum of seven. They can only be found on stages 1, 5, 7, and 11. Collect them at all costs! | Underground |
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Coffer: Coffers are boxes that contain a good sum of money inside. Collecting a coffer increases your money count by 100. Very useful to collect, they can be found in Underground passages, as well as in dungeons. | Underground Dungeons |
Bonus Items
Throughout the game, you may encounter one of these 12 bonus items. They appear whenever you shoot or jump at the right location on a stage where a bonus item can be found. If you collect one, you will earn 1000 points, 5000 points, or an extra life. Once you make a bonus item appears, you must collect it before it leaves the screen, or you can never collect it again. Note than some of the items are representative of other Konami games, such as the Moai from Gradius, or the bell from TwinBee.