How to Play

Use the Directional Pad to move Popo (or Nana) left and right, respectively. Press the A Button to jump and press the B Button to swing your hammer. Press the Start Button to pause and resume the action during gameplay.

On the Main menu, press Up or Down on the Directional Pad to select your starting mountain. Use the Select Button to cycle between available game modes, and press the Start Button to begin the game.

Game Modes

Ice Climber offers two game modes:

A 2-Player game requires the use of a second controller. The player using Controller 1 plays as Popo, while the player using Controller 2 plays as Nana. 2-Player games can be cooperative or competitive, depending on how the players use their respective characters.

Progressing through the Game

Mountains

Ice Climber takes place across 32 different mountains, each of which is divided into eight numbered floors and a large bonus stage. To conquer a mountain, you must climb past all eight floors and enter the bonus stage. From that point on—whether or not you successfully complete the bonus stage—you’re guaranteed to move on to the next mountain in the sequence.

Numbered Floors

Although bonus stages can be very challenging, a mountain’s numbered floors hold its greatest dangers. Until you overcome Floor 8 on a given mountain, taking damage or falling off the screen results in the loss of your climber. A mountain is considered conquered the moment you’ve overcome all eight of its numbered floors and entered the bonus stage.

Bonus Stage

Each time you conquer a mountain’s eighth floor, you begin a bonus stage. In a bonus stage, your primary goal is to reach the Condor above the mountain within the allotted time. Each bonus stage also contains vegetables that you can collect for extra points. A bonus stage ends when you grab on to the Condor, fall off the screen, or run out of time. There’s no penalty for failing to clear a bonus stage—falling (or running out of time) doesn’t cost you a climber, and you’ll receive credit for any vegetables you managed to collect before leaving the mountain.

Basic Gameplay

Moving

Use the Directional Pad to move left and right. Release the Directional Pad to stand still. Be aware that it takes longer to stop or change direction when moving on icy platforms. Unless an obstacle (like a pillar) is blocking your path, you can also move past the border of the area to appear on the opposite side of the screen.

Jumping

Use jumps to leap over enemies, move between platforms, or destroy overhead blocks. During a jump, your climber’s hammer is automatically raised above his or her head—this means that each jump also serves as an upward attack.

Striking

Perform strikes to damage enemies and objects directly in front of your climber. Use strikes to defeat Nitpickers, stun Toppies, or shatter chunks of ice—just know that you cannot perform strikes while jumping or falling.