| SNK Corporation of America, of Sunnyvale, California, published the NES cartridge (NES-AN-USA). Its manual carries a 1987 copyright for SNK Corp. of America and was printed in Japan. | front cover (image 1)back cover (image 16)back cover (image 16) | Manual |
| In the NES manual Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, tells her own story: weary of her dull life in the castle, she sets out into the Fantasy World, where she can find weapons, take to the sky with wings, and become a mermaid to explore the ocean depths. | printed p. 4, The Storyprinted p. 4, The Storyprinted p. 4, The Storyprinted p. 4, The Story | Manual |
| On the NES, the A button dodges enemies and breaks brick and rock walls, and is used together with the control pad when Athena is underwater or in the sky. B picks up weapons; without one, Athena kicks. Select shows the objects collected so far. The game is for one player only. | printed p. 5, The Controllerprinted p. 5, The Controllerprinted p. 5, The Controllerprinted p. 5, The Controllerprinted p. 5, The Controller | Manual |
| The NES screen shows the score, a life gauge that falls with each hit, a timer, Athena's strength (attack) and hit points (defense), and her remaining lives. Athena dies when the life gauge reaches 0 or the timer reaches 00. Destroying enemies and picking up money bags score points. | printed p. 6, Screen Displaysprinted p. 6, Screen Displaysprinted p. 6, Screen Displaysprinted p. 6, Screen Displaysprinted p. 6, Screen Displaysprinted p. 6, Screen Displays | Manual |
| At a certain stage of the game Life Flowers appear. Smashed by kicking or with a weapon, they release Life Hearts, each adding 1 to the life gauge, and sometimes Crystal Hearts, which add 2. | printed p. 7, Life Flowersprinted p. 7, Life Flowersprinted p. 7, Life Flowersprinted p. 7, Life Flowers | Manual |
| Weapons appear when Athena destroys enemies or breaks rock and brick walls. The NES manual lists a billy club, a sword that turns blue, yellow, then red as its power grows, an iron ball and chain, a bow and arrow, a hammer, a magic stick, a fire sword, a fire arrow, an arrow, a magic scroll, and the magic book, the strongest magic. | printed p. 8, Weaponsprinted p. 8, Weaponsprinted p. 8, Weaponsprinted p. 9, Weaponsprinted p. 8, Weaponsprinted p. 8, Weaponsprinted p. 8, Weaponsprinted p. 8, Weaponsprinted p. 9, Weaponsprinted p. 9, Weaponsprinted p. 9, Weapons | Manual |
| Defense objects come in three grades, green, blue and yellow: helmets that let Athena break rock and brick walls by jumping, armor for three levels of defense, and shields against frontal attack, the yellow Lion's Shield the strongest. | printed p. 10, Defense Objectsprinted p. 10, Defense Objectsprinted p. 10, Defense Objects | Manual |
| Breaking walls also reveals treasures: money bags for score, a magic lamp that opens the way to the next world from a hidden room, an hourglass that extends the time, a shell necklace that turns Athena into a mermaid, and a Pegasus wing that lets her fly. Passing through the K-mark slate keeps her weapons and treasures for the next level; destroying it kills her and loses them. | printed p. 11, Other Objectsprinted p. 11, Other Objectsprinted p. 11, Other Objectsprinted p. 12, Other Objectsprinted p. 12, Other Objectsprinted p. 12, Other Objectsprinted p. 12, Other Objects | Manual |