(A): As you begin moving to the right, you'll encounter an orc guarding the approach to the first jump. After leaping over the gap to the next platform, continue running without hesitation to avoid being struck by slime that drops from above and a plant that rises from the ground. If you stop, you are likely to be hit by one of them. Once you’re safely past their ambush point, turn around and destroy them—plants are always valuable targets worth eliminating.
(B): Skeletons will start to rise from the ground in this area. As you approach the first treasure chest, be alert for a falling boulder trap. You'll hear a warning tone just before it drops. As soon as you trigger its appearance, quickly retreat to the left until the boulder disintegrates. Then you can safely proceed to collect the chest.
(C): At this point, you have a choice to make. It is wise to climb the pillar and investigate the platform to the left. Slimes will fall from above near the cave entrance, and two mummies will emerge from the cave—these caves always contain a pair. Defeat both mummies before freeing the captive, then enter the dungeon behind him.
(D): When you reach the top of the dungeon, you’ll see a snake coiled around a pillar and an orc off to the right. The snake poses little threat, but the orc can be dangerous. If possible, eliminate him from the platform where the captive was waiting. As you proceed right, beware of skeletons that rise from the ground and a man-eating plant that lurks just before the exit, ready to trap the unwary.
(E): In front of the wall on the upper right, you'll find a captive (present only in the international version) who hints that items can be hidden inside walls. Strike the wall to reveal a secret barrel that increases your current armor power by two levels. Then climb the pillars, clear out the snakes, and visit the captive on the upper left platform—he runs a shop. If you can afford it, purchasing the Level 3 weapon is highly recommended. After checking the chest to his left, return to the right. The line of arrows marks a one-way jump; once you leap across, you won’t be able to return to the previous section.
(F): As you jump to the next level, a heavy grouping of enemies will drive you to the right in search of safety. However, be on the lookout for a falling boulder, and retreat as much as possible in order to avoid the excessive damage it deals. Then proceed to the right. You don't need to hold up in order to make the next jump, but it certainly helps.
(G): There is another hidden item to the right of the chest, but it is a few blocks off the ground, even with the bottom of the lower pillar. Once you begin breaking the blocks and expose the Yashichi inside, the easiest way to get it is to stand on the ground, hold up and to the right, and jump into the area. Collect the Yashichi for an extra life. When you start making your way up and to the left, be on the lookout for a POW. Grab it as soon as you see it to quickly destroy a plant and a boulder. Watch out for one more plant before you make it to the next pillar.
(H): Climb up the pillar and remove the nuisance Fire Demon waiting for you above. Then climb back down and strike the left wall. If you hit the area even with the lower pair of hooks, you'll expose a dragonfly. Collect this to increase your score by 50,000 points, which is incredibly helpful with reaching the next vitality increase. Once you've done so, return to the top, and make your way to the right. There's one more boulder that you'll have to watch out for, before you make it to thep final leap into the boss arena.
Boss: Four Stone Heads[edit | edit source]
In the second stage, you won't yet be treated to a novel boss. Instead, you'll get a more difficult version of the first boss. Instead of two heads, there are now a stack of four. As before, there is only one head with orange eyes, and this is actually the only head whose destruction matters. With four heads bouncing around in a limited space, it's a little difficult to avoid colliding with any of them. You can attempt to systematically remove the heads one by one, or you may choose to focus singularly on the one with orange eyes in an attempt to destroy it before the others have a chance to destroy you. If your armor was below level 2 by the end of the battle, it will be restored to level 2 by the start of the next stage.