| Data East USA of San Jose, California, published the NES cartridge; its manual's back cover reads © 1987 Data East USA, Inc. | back cover (PDF p. 16)back cover (PDF p. 16)warranty page (PDF p. 15, no printed number), Limited Warranty | Manual |
| The NES manual begins the story in the peaceful village of Creamina, where the Treasure of Babylon has been kept hidden for centuries. Ryu, a huge and evil dragon, carries it off and leaves his minions behind, and the villagers' one hope is Jinborov Karnovski, known as Karnov, a one-time circus strongman who shoots fireballs. | p. 5 (PDF p. 6), How to Playp. 5 (PDF p. 6), How to Playp. 5 (PDF p. 6), How to Playp. 5 (PDF p. 6), How to Playp. 5 (PDF p. 6), How to Playp. 2 (PDF p. 3)p. 5 (PDF p. 6), How to Play | Manual |
| On the NES, the control pad moves Karnov and left and right also select Options; A jumps, B shoots, Select uses an Option, and Start pauses. The game is for one player, and controller 2 isn't used. | p. 3 (PDF p. 4), Names of Controller Parts and Operating Instructionsp. 3 (PDF p. 4)p. 3 (PDF p. 4)p. 3 (PDF p. 4)p. 4 (PDF p. 5)p. 4 (PDF p. 5) | Manual |
| Karnov starts with three lives on the NES. A first hit turns him blue and a second while blue costs a life; a Super Fireball restores his colour, and two or three of them give him double or triple fireballs. After the last life the game can be continued from where it ended, three times. | p. 7 (PDF p. 8), Super Fireballsp. 7 (PDF p. 8), Super Fireballsp. 7 (PDF p. 8), Super Fireballsp. 7 (PDF p. 8), Super Fireballsp. 7 (PDF p. 8), Continuation Modep. 7 (PDF p. 8), Continuation Mode | Manual |
| The NES manual lists ten Options, some of which can be stocked and used later: Boots, which double his jumping power for a time; Bombs, which also break walls; a Ladder, to reach a high Option or dodge an attack; a Boomerang; a Clapper, which destroys every enemy on screen but a stage's boss; Glasses, which show hidden Options; a Swimming Mask for the swimming scene of Stage 5; Wings for the flying scene of Stage 8; a Shield good for five hits; and the K Mark, fifty of which give an extra life. | p. 9 (PDF p. 10), Optionsp. 9 (PDF p. 10), Optionsp. 9 (PDF p. 10), Bootsp. 9 (PDF p. 10), Bombp. 10 (PDF p. 11), Clapperp. 10 (PDF p. 11), Glassesp. 10 (PDF p. 11), Swimming Maskp. 10 (PDF p. 11), Wingsp. 10 (PDF p. 11), Shieldp. 10 (PDF p. 11), K Markp. 9 (PDF p. 10), Ladderp. 9 (PDF p. 10), Boomerang | Manual |
| Each stage of the NES game ends with a hint for the next. By the manual's hints, Stage 4 crosses icy mountains, Stage 5 the Black Sea, and in Stage 9 Karnov meets Ryu in a deep forest atop the mountain. | p. 11 (PDF p. 12), Playing Hintsp. 11 (PDF p. 12), Playing Hintsp. 12 (PDF p. 13), Playing Hintsp. 12 (PDF p. 13), Playing Hints | Manual |