Cadash

Cadash is an early example of a trend that took hold in Japanese arcade games in the early 1990s: the "platform RPG". Cadash borrows much of its gameplay from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, combining side-scrolling platform action with an RPG system of stats, levels, money and magic. In the arcade version, four characters can play simultaneously, and in the console versions, up to two players can choose from four different characters: Fighter, Mage, Priestess and Ninja, each with different attacks, stats and abilities. Players then progress through each level, killing monsters and bosses, collecting keys to open doors, and earning gold and experience. Gold is also obtained from slain enemies and treasure chests. Villages sell items, weapons, armor, and (in the console versions) extra lives, with each village you appear in offering better equipment. Some villagers and benevolent creatures also provide information. The arcade version has a limited playtime, which can be extended by buying increasingly expensive hourglasses in stores or by collecting rare bonuses. In the stores and hidden places there are healing herbs that restore 10 HP when brought to zero, and antidotes that cure poison inflicted by certain enemies. There are also two elixirs in the game that act like healing herbs, except that they restore all HP. The game consists of five stages. Stages one, two and four consist of two worlds, above and below ground. Stage three consists of three worlds. Stage five takes place entirely in Cadash Castle. The environments vary greatly, from pleasant meadows to caves and from forests to underwater worlds. Some enemies you'll encounter in these levels come from common mythology, while others are completely invented for the game.