Ganbare Goemon - Sarawareta Ebisumaru!

Ganbare Goemon: Sarawareta Ebisumaru! is an action-adventure platformer and the first portable entry in Konami's long-running Goemon series . The story follows the mystical ninja Goemon as he sets out on a quest to rescue his best friend Ebisumaru, who has been kidnapped by the villainous Jubei Yagyu . Unlike many console entries in the series, only Goemon is playable—Sasuke and Yae do not appear . The gameplay is reminiscent of classic Zelda titles, played from a top-down perspective where players travel between towns, accept quests from NPCs, and navigate enemy-filled stages to retrieve items and clues . The game is structured across eight levels, each featuring its own narrative subplot, tricky platforming sections, and challenging boss encounters . Goemon can acquire upgrades and items from shops, including armor and rice balls that restore health .

Game Boy

Released exclusively in Japan on December 25, 1991, this title was developed and published by Konami, with music composed by Akihiro Juuichiya, Shinji Tasaka, and Yoshiyuki Hagiwara . The game was never released as a stand-alone title in Western territories . However, it was later included in the Konami GB Collection compilations—released in Japan in 1997 and in Europe in 2000 for the Game Boy Color—with a localized title screen reading Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon . The European version also featured a Super Game Boy color palette and borders . The original Game Boy version was later re-released on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console in Japan in 2012 . The game is remembered as a solid portable adaptation of the Goemon formula, offering a more streamlined experience compared to its Famicom predecessors, with a focus on platforming and exploration .