General Information & Getting Started

Title Screen

Shin Onigashima has never been released outside of Japan and, to date, has never been translated into English. This walkthrough has been written for those English-speaking players who are curious about this game, and would like to know a little more about it.

Whether you want to play through the game yourself or simply want to know what happens, this guide has been written for you. All key events and plot points are provided, while the basic instructions for clearing the game are provided in both on-screen hiragana for players, and English to help understand your actions.

Emulation problems

If you are using this guide to play the original version of Shin Onigashima on an emulator, be warned that the most common ROM out there of the game is corrupted at the very start. There is a patch available to fix this problem that makes the game playable, although even after patching, the graphics in Chapter 9 (the very final chapter) are corrupt. While it is still possible to play through this chapter with corrupt graphics, it does damage the experience.

However, this corruption does not occur when playing on the NNNesterJ emulator, so this is recommended.

Saving the game

At the end of every chapter you will be prompted to insert Disk 1 Side A. This will save the game for you and return you to the title screen. You then have to select the second option from the menu and insert the next disk side you need to play.

Chapters 1-3 are on Disk 1 Side B, Chapter 4 is on Disk 1 Side A, Chapters 5-6 are on Disk 2 Side B, Chapters 7-9 are on Disk 2 Side A.

Getting Started

After the game has loaded and the standard Famicom Disk System disclaimer has displayed, the title screen will appear. Press START to open the file menu. Only one option is available at first:

  • Select (New Game)

You will be prompted to switch the Disk side, so eject Disk 1, turn it over and put it back in. The game will load after a few seconds.

Chapter 1

The elderly couple at home.

An elderly, childless couple have each been told in a dream by the guardian deity Hinoesama that the old man will find a baby girl and the old woman will find a baby boy. They must raise these children well, for they have an important destiny.

The next day comes and the hearth is going out. The old man decides to head to the woods to collect some kindling.

  • (Look) (Hearth)
  • (Look) (Room)
  • (Pick up)
  • (Move) (Grass Path)
  • (Move) (Grass Path)
  • (Look) (Grass)
Kintaro chases away the bear.

From the grass, the strange boy Kintaro appears and agrees to tag along.

  • (Talk) (Kintaro)
  • (Talk) (Kintaro)
  • (Move) (Grass Path)

Together they follow the path into the forest. A bear appears, scaring the old man and blocking the way forward. Kintaro chases the bear into the forest, leaving the old man alone to finish his chores.

  • (Talk) (Kintaro)
  • (Pick up) (Kindling)
  • (Move) (House)
The old man finds a baby girl in the bamboo field.

On his way home, the old man heads into the bamboo forest, where he becomes lost.

  • (Move) (West)
  • (Move) (North)
  • (Look)
  • (Use) (Knife)

A baby girl appears from the glowing bamboo stalk. The old man remembers the dream, and decides to take the girl home.

A rice bowl floats down the river.

The scene switches to the old woman on her way to the river to do some cleaning. As she goes, she passes the statue of Ojizosama, the Guardian Deity of Children, who (unlike the other statues) is undressed.

  • (Look) (Ojizosama)
  • (Dress) (Straw coat and hat)
  • (Talk) (Ojizosama)
  • (Move) (River)
  • (Look) (River)
  • (Pick up) (Bowl)

Back at the house, the old woman is shocked to see the new baby that has entered their lives, as the dream predicted - although the old woman dreamed she would find a baby boy. They decide to cook the rice bowl that the old lady found floating down the river.

  • (Look) (Hearth)
  • (Open) (Bowl)
  • (Put) (Hot water)
  • (Talk)
  • (Open) (Bowl)
A baby boy leaps out of the rice bowl.

A baby boy leaps out of the bowl, and the house is in turmoil. Two children have been delivered to the old couple!

  • Enter the name of the boy and girl in the text box. Press START without entering anything to choose from random default names for both children. For the sake of this guide, the common default names of Donbe for the boy and Hikari for the girl are used throughout.

Chapter 2

A snow fairy blocks the path.

8 years have passed since Donbe and Hikari were found. Now Hikari is a smart young girl and Donbe is a strong little fighter. Their parents send them on an errand to the next village to deliver a package to Mr. Ittai, a local merchant and storyteller.

  • (Open) (Door)
  • (Talk) (Old Man)
  • (Move) (Outside)
  • (Move) (North)

A Snow Fairy blocks the path, and has transformed the area around her into snow and ice. Donbe and Hikari will have to find a way past this spirit to reach the next village.

  • (Move) (South)
  • (Look) (Road)
  • (Look) (Hole)
  • (Look) (Hole)
  • (Change Character)
  • (Use) (Rice ball)
  • (Talk) (Mouse)
  • (Change Character)
  • (Pick up) (Mirror)

When Hikari tries to eat one of the rice balls it falls down the hole. A mouse pops out and tells you that if you shine sunlight on the snow fairy then it will leave. She gives you a mirror that you can use.

  • (Move) (North)
  • (Look) (Sky)
  • (Use) (Mirror)
  • (Use) (Mirror)
  • (Move) (North)
  • (Look)
  • (Move) (Shop)
Mr Ittai's shop.

The mouse's mirror trick worked and the snow fairy left, allowing the children to continue safely to Mr Ittai's shop. They deliver the package and a message from the old man.

  • (Give) (Package)
  • (Talk) (Ittai)
  • (Move) (House)
  • (Change Character)
  • (Talk) (Old Man)
  • (Talk) (Old Man)
The Avatar of Darkness has escaped.

Mr Ittai shows up back at Donbe and Hikari's house with an urgent message: The ancient dragon, the Avatar of Darkness, has appeared and is laying waste to the capital city. It has been eating the souls of humans and transforming them into Oni - soul-sucking demons. The Oni have been spotted heading in this direction.

  • (Change Character)
  • (Talk) (Old Man)
  • (Talk) (Old Man)
A kappa in the bamboo forest.

The old man goes to bed, leaving his toolbox out with the bamboo stalk and rice bowl inside. Donbe and Hikari look through the box and Kintaro arrives, telling them to go north to find more answers.

  • (Look) (Toolbox)
  • (Open) (Toolbox)
  • (Look) (Bowl) or (Bamboo Pipe)
  • (Talk) (Kintaro)
  • (Move) (Outside)
  • (Move) (North)
  • (Look) (Rock)
  • (Move) (Climb)
  • (Move) (North)
  • (Look) (Bamboo)
  • (Pick up) (Bamboo Piece)
  • (Move) (South)
  • (Move) (Descend)
  • (Move) (South)

Donbe retrieved a piece of bamboo from the bamboo field and returned to the bottom of the cliff where Hikari was waiting. They head south again to the river, where the moonlight is shining off the surface.

  • (Change Character)
  • (Look) (River)
  • (Look) (Ground)
  • (Look) (Sky)
  • (Pick up) (Stone)
  • (Talk) (Donbe)
  • (Use) (Stone)
  • (Change Character)
  • (Look) (Moonlight)
  • (Use) (Bamboo Piece)
  • (Move) (North)

The reflection of the moonlight was actually an unusual plate. Donbe climbs back up to the bamboo grove where he finds a crying Kappa. He is unable to stop the flow of the water because he lost his plate. When Donbe hands him the plate he is overjoyed. The water stops flowing and a cave is revealed at the bottom of the waterfall.

  • (Move) (Climb)
  • (Look) (Bamboo Grove)
  • (Look) (Bamboo Grove)
  • (Look) (Somebody)
  • (Talk) (Kappa)
  • (Give) (Plate)
  • (Move) (Descend)
  • (Move) (Inside the Cave)
An unusual craft with a message for the heroes.

A monstrous mechanical ship sits in the cave. The children have never seen anything like it. They receive a necklace and a bracelet from the machine.

  • (Change Character)
  • (Look) (Cave)
  • (Look) (Monster Saucer)
  • (Look) (Monster Saucer)
  • (Pick up) (Necklace) or (Bracelet)
  • (Move)
The Oni steal the souls of the elderly couple.

When they arrive back at home, Oni have descended on their house. They watch as the Oni steal their parents' souls and seal them in a bronze bell. Donbe is ready to fight, but Kintaro steps in and stops them. If they fight now they will be taken as well. He tells them of the Oni Fortress on a mountain to the north. They must head there if they want to save their parents.

  • (Fight)
  • (Look) (Window)
  • (Look) (Window)
Donbe and Hikari decide to save their parents.

Left alone in their derelict house, Donbe and Hikari agree to follow Kintaro's advice and infiltrate the Oni Fortress.

Chapter 3

A ruined shack on the way to the mountain.

On their way to the Oni Fortress in the mountains, Donbe and Hikari come across an old, ruined shack. They decide to take some supplies to help them cross the dangerous mountain pass.

  • (Look) (House)
  • (Look) (Log)
  • (Pick up) (Log)
  • (Look) (House)
  • (Open) (Trunk)
  • (Look) (Unusual Pipe)
  • (Change Character)
  • (Pick up) (Telescope)
  • (Move) (North)
  • (Look) (Cliff)
  • (Look) (Cliff)
  • (Change Character)
  • (Use) (Log)
Edging along a narrow mountain path.

With the chasm in the mountain pass cleared, the pair return to the shack to scavenge what else they can before pressing on.

  • (Move) (South)
  • (Pick up) (Hammer)
  • (Pick up) (Bomb)
  • (Move) (North)
  • (Move) (North)

A forked road ahead. The right path leads to an area where the rocks are warm, possibly with an underground spring. The left path leads along a narrow foothold to the entrance of the Oni Fortress.

  • (Move) (Right Path)
  • (Look) (Cliff)
  • (Look) (Cliff)
  • (Look) (Cliff)
  • (Use) (Hammer) (Cliff)
  • (Use) (Hammer) (Cliff)
  • (Move) (Back)
  • (Move) (Left Path)
  • (Move) (Climb)
  • (Move) (Climb)
  • (Look) (Road)
  • (Pick up) (Sulphur Ball)
  • (Move) (Climb)
The Oni Fortress in the mountains.

Outside the Oni Fortress, Hikari watches the Oni run away thanks to the smell of sulphur in the air caused by the ruptured cliff face - apparently it is a weakness for them. She agrees to go inside and steal the Bronze Bell their parents were captured in, while Donbe stays outside and secures their escape.

  • (Give) (Sulphur Ball)
  • (Change Character)
  • (Look) (Fortress)
  • (Look) (Fortress)
  • (Use) (Telescope)
  • (Talk) (Donbe)
  • (Move) (Fortress)
  • (Move) (Forward)
Hikari encounters the Tengu.

Inside the fortress, an odd Tengu appears behind Hikari. After fooling around for a while, he agrees to help if he can have Hikari's telescope. He had come here to steal the bronze bell, but the telescope will also do. She agrees and he gives her a choice of two bags of ash – one of which will make Hikari invisible.

  • (Use) (Telescope)
  • (Talk) (Tengu)
  • (Talk) (Tengu)
  • (Talk) (Tengu)
  • (Talk) (Tengu)
  • (Give) (Telescope)
  • (Blue)
Invisible Hikari escapes with the bell.

An invisible Hikari grabs the Bronze Bell, scaring the Oni that is guarding it. She then uses the Sulphur Ball to cover her escape.

  • (Move) (Further Inside)
  • (Pick up) (Bronze Bell)
  • (Use) (Sulphur Ball)
  • (Move) (Escape)
Donbe sets the bomb.

Outside, Donbe has rigged the bridge with the bomb they found at the shack. As soon as he sees Hikari is free, he lights the fuse and escapes the inferno.

  • (Use) (Bomb)
  • (Move) (Escape) – select quickly
The Oni Fortress is destroyed.

Watching the fortress crumble to the ground, a sore-looking Tengu flies towards the heroes. He gives them the bad news: the bell they just stole wasn't the one containing their parents. That's being held on the island of Onigashima, the stronghold of the dragon. Sure enough, the bell is empty. They hand the bell to the Tengu and decide to press on to the next village to see what they can find out about Onigashima.

Chapter 4

Donbe dives into the lake.

Donbe and Hikari arrive at a village by a large lake, only most of the village seems to have been swallowed by the water. They see a hut in the distance.

  • (Move) (North)
  • (Move) (North)
  • (Change Character)
  • (Look) (Cabin)
  • (Look) (Wall)
  • (Talk) (Man)
  • (Talk) (Man)
  • (Change Character)
  • (Use) (Bracelet)
  • (Move) (South)
  • (Talk) (Hikari)

Donbe is unable to read what is written on the side of the building, so when Hikari reads it an old fisherman who resembles Mr. Ittai appears. The village was once a shrine to the Ryukujin water tribe, and a great Dragon Temple has been swallowed by the lake. When Donbe shows the fisherman the bracelet, he tells them that legend says the bracelet is able to manipulate water.

  • (Move) (Dive)
  • (Move) (West)
  • (Move) (North)
  • (Use) (Bracelet)
  • (Change Character)
  • (Use) (Necklace)
  • (Change Character)
An ancient temple hidden underwater.

Deep in the lake, Donbe finds the Dragon Temple, but a swirling whirlpool prevents entry. He remembers the fisherman's words and uses the bracelet and the water begins to shine. Hikari uses her necklace on the surface and the whole lake shines. The vortex disappears and Donbe heads into the temple.

  • (Move) (North)
  • (Move) (South)
  • (Move) (South)
  • (Move) (East)
  • (Look) (Hedge)
  • (Pick up) (Torch)
  • (Move) (West)
  • (Move) (North)
  • (Move) (North)
  • (Move) (North)

Donbe returns with a torch and heads inside the temple, but it suddenly flickers out. He hears a voice that tells him a story about the people of this temple, the Ryukujin, and how it was abandoned when the troubles began. He receives the mallet of luck.

Donbe meets Ringo.

Donbe returns to the surface, but Hikari is nowhere to be seen. He starts to cross a bridge to look for her, but a dog stops him by barking at him.

  • (Move) (North)
  • (Talk) (Dog)
  • (Give) (Dumpling)

Donbe tries speaking to the dog, but it looks like it wants something. He feeds it a dumpling and the dog suddenly speaks, and introduces himself as Ringo. The bridge is broken, but they can cross the river by boat.

Hitching a ride across the lake with a Tanuki.

The two boat shops on the lake look dangerous. The Tanuki's boat is made of mud, while Usagi's boat is made of rickety wood.

  • (Move) (East)
  • (Look) (Boat)
  • (Move) (West)
  • (Move) (West)
  • (Talk) (Usagi)
  • (Use) (Torch)
  • (Move) (East)
  • (Move) (East)
  • (Use) (Torch)
  • (Give) (Koban Coin)

Donbe asks Usagi to light his torch for him and returns to the Tanuki. Using the torch, he cooks the mud until it becomes a hard, seaworthy vessel. They pay the Tanuki and cross the river.

Donbe appears as a fully grown boy!

In order to sneak past the gate into the town, Donbe uses the gavel of luck to shrink to an extremely small size, allowing him to climb onto Ringo's back and ride past the guard into the town.

  • (Talk) (Ringo)
  • (Use) (Gavel)
  • (Talk) (Ringo)
  • (Move) (Ride Ringo)
  • (Move) (North)
  • (Talk) (Townsperson)

When one of the townspeople takes the gavel and shakes it, Donbe reappears - only now he is a fully grown boy! Donbe and Ringo head towards the Oni stronghold near the capital city in search of Hikari.

End of Disk 1

Continue to Shin Onigashima Walkthrough: Disk 2