Play Higemaru Makaijima - Nanatsu No Shima Daibouken (japan) Online

Higemaru Makaijima came out for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987, developed and published by Capcom. It was part of that wave of early NES titles that experimented with action and exploration, a time when developers were figuring out what worked on the console.

You control a young boy named Momotar?, exploring seven islands to rescue a kidnapped princess. The game is played screen by screen; you move from one static area to the next, clearing enemies before you can proceed. Your main tool is a mallet, which you use to smash barrels. Sometimes barrels contain helpful items, like a bow for ranged attacks or a bomb to clear a path, but other times they hide enemies. The goal is to find a key on each island to unlock the exit. The pacing is deliberate, and the difficulty can be unforgiving, with limited health and enemies that respawn. It feels like a methodical treasure hunt where every smashed barrel holds a small surprise.