I still rememer how annnoying this was
This game is a good old fashioned pain in the ass hard game to beat. But. It is not that hard and frustrating that you think its imposible. As you go through the stages you get used to how to kill tougher baddies and where to get thh better items. The dark stages were always hard for me but you could get a lantern that would light the whole stage. You acquire this eithe buy saving credits (another picked up item) or finding hidden passages, usually through a destroyable wall at the top of screen.
Graphically the levels have the same kind of blocky shapes but it changes the colours and styles up to keep it different. The bosses look pretty cool as far as an 1980's game.
The sound in this game was catchy. I remember thinking when I fiist got a mobile phone hat could do ringtones good, that it would beecool to have this music as as ringtone. Sundd fx are also good like the swooshing sword things you an throw and the big explosinos when you launch thh massive bombs. (an item that destroys everythingon screen, and is the hardest thing to get)
Overall this is a great game if youv remembered playing it back in the day. I think though if I was to randomly get this on VC or somethinggit wouldnt be as cool or entertaining.
Bottom Line:
If you want a challenging pain in the ass style game, this one is the best because overcomming that challenge is achievable and more rewarding and with this game you can overcome it.