Basic Controls
Move
Press Left and Right on the Directional Pad to move Pit in the corresponding direction. When Pit is near a ladder, press Up to climb.
Jump
Press the A Button to make Pit jump. Perform jumps to move between platforms or leap over enemies.
Crouch
Hold Down on the Directional Pad to make Pit crouch. Crouching is used to dodge projectile attacks, but it also allows Pit to drop down from certain types of platforms. While Pit is crouching, press Left or Right to make him slide in the corresponding direction.
Aim
By default, Pit aims his bow in the direction he’s facing. Hold Up on the Directional Pad to make Pit aim upward.
Attack
Press the B Button to shoot Pit’s bow or swing an equipped Mallet.
Equip Mallet
Press the Select Button to equip a Mallet from Pit’s inventory. Mallets can only be equipped in fortresses, and they should only be used to free Centurions from statues. Press the Select Button while a Mallet is equipped to put it away.
Displays
Screen Display
During gameplay, the screen display offers two useful pieces of information:
- The number of Hearts in Pit’s possession
- Pit’s current level of Endurance
Hearts are the currency of Angel Land. Use the Hearts you collect to buy useful items from Stores and Black Marketeers. Pit can hold up to 999 Hearts at a time.
Endurance indicates how much punishment Pit can sustain before he succumbs to his injuries. Red sections indicate remaining Endurance, while the blue section indicates lost Endurance. At the beginning of the game, Pit has only one bar of Endurance. You can unlock up to four additional bars of Endurance by achieving high scores.
Menu Display
During the game, press the Start Button to pause the action and open the Menu Display. This screen contains additional details about Pit’s current status and your overall progress.
Total
This is the amount of points you’ve earned since starting the game. Your total score updates each time you reach the checkpoint at the end of the stage.
Score
This is the amount of points you’ve earned since your last checkpoint. When you reach the next checkpoint, this number is added to your total score.
Heart
This is the number of Hearts in Pit’s possession.
Endurance
This meter shows Pit’s current level of Endurance.
Strength
This indicates Pit’s current attack power. When the game begins, Pit’s Strength is indicated by a single arrow. To improve this rating, Pit must perform well enough to impress the god of the Sacred Chamber. Each time Pit is deemed worthy enough, his Strength rating increases by one arrow, and his attacks become noticeably more powerful.
Map
This slot is filled when Pit collects a fortress’s Check Sheet. If Pit also has a Flaming Torch, the Check Sheet indicates his current location. If Pit has a Pencil, the Check Sheet indicates any locations that have already been visited. Once Pit leaves a fortress, the Check Sheet, Pencil, and Flaming Torch are discarded.
Weapons
This displays any enchanted Weapons currently in Pit’s possession. If a Weapon is grayed out, it can’t be used. This happens when a Weapon hasn’t been activated, or anytime Pit is within a fortress.
Treasures
This indicates how many of the Three Sacred Treasures Pit has collected. Pit must collect all three of these items before he’s able to face Medusa.
Inventory Items
The Menu Display also contains six slots for inventory items:
- Water of Life
- Mallets
- Angel’s Feathers
- Flaming Torch
- Pencil
- Credit Card
When Pit acquires one of these items, it’s automatically placed in the appropriate slot.