"Wizards and Warriors".
This Item is a relic from the past through and through. It was made to eat quarters.
When it went to the N.E.S. they gave the player unlimited continues. making the difficulty dramatically less. It was the first game allot of kids completed for the N.E.S.
At First glance you might think its a "Mid-Evil Exterminators" story. Most of the Foes are Bugs, Birds, Bats, Snakes, and other Rodents. Later on (Near the end of the game.) you get the Ghosts, Goblins, Skeletons, and Wizards. The goals are simple. Survive the Onslaught, Bribe the Mercenaries (The men in the rusted suits.), Collect the Keys, Open the Doors to Advance, Defeat the Boss to save the Damsels (All blonds tied up.), Sum-up the score and REPEAT. The "Power Ups" are one of the best features. The limited potions (Brown is Invulnerability, Pink is High Jump, and Blue is Propel.), The unlimited potion, Levitate (Press and hold up), The Feather (Slows fall. Hold up.), The Boots that open chests without keys (Press select.), The wand that stuns (Press select.), The Throwing Boomerang Daggers or Axes, and others add to the fun of enduring the Journey of this game.
The Graphics were very Simple yet attractive.(One or two colors for each "sprite", and only a handful more for the backgrounds.) A very "Less is More" school of thought went into play. Same thing with the music. Though it all worked effectively alluring players (at the time) to invest time and energy.
I recomend this game for "control pad" handy players. Its a nice platform game from the past that can give a person something new to view. (Mario can't be that attractive.)
The challenge is all about Endurance.(Or having allot of quarters for the classically minded.). Marginal Backtracking is required, But it doesn't take a "photographic memory" to enjoy or progress. That's my review and I've had enough.
Peace out.

Good review. I didn't understand part of the middle when you started saying which buttons to press.

Some Games have no manual. (Any more.) I inserted directions on how to use the power up items. May come in handy for new players who are interested but have no idea how to "rock" with this title. The Double Dragon 3 comments lead me to believe that a few hints and tips might come in handy. Old Games are a puzzle to even begin to work the controls to sometimes. For the newer Generations of gamers, this can be intolerable. Even if the game is made easy by new inventions. No one has to play this particular title. I just included a few tips to assist and help a person enjoy it a little more if they are curious enough to give it a go. Hope I answered Your question.
Good Luck.
Peace.