Play Ganbare Goemon - Kurofunetou no Nazo (Japan) Online

Konami released Ganbare Goemon: Kurofunetou no Nazo for the Game Boy in 1997, a time when handheld adventures often meant condensed versions of console ideas. This one sends the series' eccentric hero, Goemon, on a quest involving pirate ships and mysterious islands, all rendered in the platform's familiar monochrome style.

You control Goemon, navigating screen by screen through side scrolling areas and occasional top down sections. Your main goal is to explore each stage, defeat enemies with your extending pipe, and gather special items to progress. Signature mechanics include using coins to purchase power ups from shops and switching between characters like Ebisumaru for specific puzzles. The pacing is brisk, with moderate difficulty spikes in later stages, especially during boss fights. It feels like a compact, quirky adventure that makes good use of the hardware's limitations.