Mr. Goemon

Mr. Goemon is a 1986 arcade platformer from Konami and the starting point of what later became the long Ganbare Goemon series, known in the West as Mystical Ninja. Its hero draws on Goemon Ishikawa, the legendary outlaw of Japanese folklore — a figure Japanese popular culture has been reworking for centuries.

The game itself is fast side-view running action: Goemon dashes through stages, hops over enemies, grabs items and makes use of anything lying on the ground. Compared with the later series entries, which added exploration, shops and comedic dialogue, this arcade origin is far leaner — pure arcade pacing and score-chasing.

1986 found Konami in an exceptionally productive stretch, turning out arcade hits one after another while beginning its push onto home consoles. Mr. Goemon was born right on that boundary: in the arcade it had to earn its keep through immediate gameplay, yet its hero proved strong enough to carry a long-running home franchise afterwards.

Two players can take turns in classic arcade fashion. For fans of the later Goemon games there is a particular pleasure in seeing how modestly the whole brand began — no gadgets, no sprawling towns, just a thief with quick feet.

You can boot this piece of Konami history directly in your browser on OldGame.cz and trace the arcade roots of the series on your own keyboard.