The player controls the titular Goemon, a thief in Edo who seeks to defeat demons in the city. Goemon travels through numerous stages while defeating enemies with a pipe or throwable object. He can jump on enemies to stun and push them off the levels. Enemies charge and grab the character, ending his life unless the player jostles the control stick to break free. Later enemies also have projectile weapons that the player must dodge. Levels feature either boss battles or a pile of gold bars at the end, worth various points depending on the level.