Ganbare Goemon 2 contains a number of items, and they are found in a variety of places. Some of these items instantly upgrade (or downgrade) the player's power, while others are stored until they are needed. Items that are stored appear at the bottom of the screen.
Money (known as Ryo) is necessary for purchasing items from shops. As you progress through the game, items get more expensive, so it's important to have a good supply of money available. Items also get more expensive after you purchase them. You can obtain money in a couple of different ways:
Attacking enemies usually nets you 5 or 10 Ryo per defeat.
Locating coffers (shown left) in underground passages earns you 100 Ryo.
Jumping over purses (shown right) in outdoor sections makes Ryo appear. You earn 5 Ryo for each coin that appears until the purse is empty.
Whenever you see a woman, young or old, run to them and touch them to earn 50 Ryo. However, if you attack a woman, you will lose 100 Ryo, so be careful.
Any remaining time that you have at the end of a level is converted into an amount of Ryo.
As you play through the game, you will no doubt notice gourds (shown right) scattered throughout the outdoor sections. In Japan, the gourd is often associated with divinity and found in many regional folk tales stemming from Taoist beliefs. Its curvaceous shape is commonly met with affection as a symbol of good luck, good health and prosperity. In the game, they (usually) contain power-ups, and to make them appear, you simply jump over the gourds. Once you reveal what it contains, the gourd turns into a rock, but as soon as you leave the scene and return, the gourd will be available again.
Maneki Neko: A beckoning cat statue is a symbol of good luck, and they are your key to upgrading your weapon. Collecting one advances your weapon to the second level, and collecting a second advances it to the third level. After that, collecting further cats will alternate your weapon between the second and third levels.
Otafuku Mask: Collecting a mask will increase your speed, as well as your jumping distance. Your speed is indicated by the pair of shoes (shown right) displayed in the lower left corner of the screen. You can increase your speed twice. The first speed increase is indicated by a pair of red shoes, and the second increase is indicated by a pair of white shoes.
Poop: If you are unfortunate enough to reveal poop from the inside of a gourd, let it go. If you do pick it up, it will be as if you were struck by an enemy, and if you are above the first level weapon, your current weapon level will drop by one.
Most of these items are only obtainable by purchasing them from a store. However, it is possible to be awarded these items as bonuses from other portions of the game.
Item
Description
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.
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.
Armor: Equipping armor allows Goemon to withstand eight attacks from his enemies, whether they are direct attacks, or projectile attacks.
Straw Hat: Purchase a straw hat to protect Goemon from objects that fall from the sky, such as rocks or objects dropped by the birds that fly overhead. One Straw Hat will protect you from ten such attacks.
Candle: A candle is a very useful item indeed. It allows 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.
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.
Arrow Man: Possession of an Arrow Man will display an arrow above the scene when you are exploring the first-person dungeons that reveals which way to go in order to reach the exit. Somewhat expensive and unnecessary, if you locate the map in each dungeon, you can figure out the way to escape without Arrow Man's help.
Elephant: Similar to Arrow Man, the Elephant can be used inside of the first-person dungeons. If you are truly lost and feel there is no hope for escape, you can press to be instantly warped to the dungeon exit. Typically unnecessary, but can be good in an emergency.
Bonus Life: This doll can be purchased for a large sum of money. Each one you buy extends the number of extra lives you have by one. Shops are not the only place to find these, you can reveal a number of hidden extra lives throughout the game.
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.
Gyro: The gyro 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 gyro grants Goemon with invulnerability for a limited period of time, during which time he can kill enemies simply by running into them.
Overground
Package: This red package is crucial to extending the amount of health that each character has as they play through the game. Finding it will cause your health meter to increase from 8 to 12. It can only be found in one of the secret passages.
Underground
Dango: 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
Map: As you explore each of the first person dungeons, it is possible to discover a map which will display the layout of your current dungeon, your position in it, and all of the items which you have yet to find and claim, as well as where the exit can be found. Locating the map can make exploring the dungeons much easier.
Dungeons
Key: A key is needed to unlock a door in the last level of the game. Be sure to collect it in order to advance through the castle.
to be instantly warped to the dungeon exit. Typically unnecessary, but can be good in an emergency.
