Hinotori – Houou Hen – Gaou no Bouken is a 1987 action-platformer developed by Konami for the NES/Famicom, based on Osamu Tezuka’s classic manga Phoenix. You play as Gaou, a one-eyed, one-armed sculptor traveling through different eras of Japanese history to recover 16 missing pieces of a sacred Firebird painting.
How to Play
The core mechanic revolves around Gaou’s ability to sculpt gargoyle blocks. You can create these blocks out of thin air to build platforms, bridge gaps, and block enemy projectiles. Your main weapon is a thrown chisel, which can defeat enemies or destroy the blocks you’ve created.
- Movement: D-Pad (Arrow Keys)
- Jump: A Button (X Key)
- Attack / Throw Chisel: B Button (Z Key)
- Create Block: Down + B Button (Down Arrow + Z Key)
- Start / Pause: Start (Enter)
Tips
- Your sculpted blocks can be stacked up to three high. Use this to reach high areas or bypass difficult enemy formations.
- You can destroy your own blocks by hitting them with a chisel or touching them with your head from below. Be careful not to break the platform you are standing on!
- Look out for secret doors hidden behind destructible scenery or requiring specific block placements to access hidden rooms containing extra lives and power-ups.
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