Controls[edit]
: Use the direction pad to control Kuros through the Kingdom of Elrond. Press left or right to make Kuros run in either direction. Press down to make Kuros squat. Pressing up has two purposes, both of which require items to activate. If you have the Potion of Levitation, you can press up to rise a short distance off the ground before jumping. If you have the Feather of Feather Fall, hold up while falling to slow your descent.
: Press the A button to make Kuros jump. The longer you hold down A, the higher you will jump off the ground. It is possible to leap off of defeated enemies by releasing A and pressing A again before landing.
: Press the B button to swing Kuros' sword. If you possess the Dagger of Throwing, or the Battle Axe of Agor, pressing the B button will also cause Kuros to toss one of these weapons out ahead of him.
: Press the Start button to begin a new game, or to pause the action mid-game.
: If you have certain magic items in your possession, you must press the Select button to activate their effects.
Kuros[edit]
You must guide Kuros through the various forests and caves in the Kingdom of Elrond in order to reach and assail the evil Malkil's castle, and rescue the princess. Armed with his weapon, the Brightsword, Kuros must survive battles against monsters, and locate enough diamonds in each stage to progress to the next. In order to accomplish this task, Kuros must rely on his jumping ability to leap over long drops and reach distant platforms. Kuros can even bounce off of defeated enemies to reach higher locations.
As an experienced warrior, Kuros has several means of dispatching enemies. He can swing his sword to slice enemies. Once he collects the Dagger of Throwing, or the Battle Axe of Agor, he can toss weapons out that fly back to him like a boomerang. If the enemies are weak enough, he can even defeat them by stomping on them with his feet. And lastly, certain special items like the Boots of Force or the Staff of Power can be used as weapons if Kuros has them in his possession.
Thanks to the armor that Kuros wears, he can sustain a number of hits before he is overwhelmed by damage. A life meter containing 12 bars can be seen throughout the game in the lower left corner of the screen. When Kuros is hit by an enemy or a projectile, some of the bars from the meter disappear. The only way to fill the meter is to collect meat, which refills two bars of health, or to complete a stage, at which time the meter refills at the start of the next stage. When he is down to 25% of his life (3 bars) the music will change to alert you of Kuros' critical situation. If the meter empties, Kuros loses one life and he will continue in the same spot with his next life.
If Kuros runs out of lives (indicated by the number of helmets shown at the bottom of the screen), the game is over, but you can press any button to continue where you left off. Upon returning to the game, all of Kuros' inventory and diamond count will remain unchanged. Only your score is reset to zero.
Throughout the game, you must find and collect various items that will vastly improve Kuros' chance of survival. To do this, you must typically find the three different color keys which unlock several doors and treasure chests. Additionally, several defeat enemies will drop items, from diamonds to coins, or even one of three different colored potions which temporarily enhance one of Kuros' abilities, or grant him invulnerability.