 Items are found either lying around or inside ceramic pots. Some pots materialize
out of thin air when Arthur passes through trigger spots while others are carried around by enemies, including bosses. Usually found items
are statues, coins or money bags that give points, but sometimes they are new weapons. Arthur can only hold one weapon at a time and
collecting another irrevocably replaces the old one, so more often then not, weapons are something to be avoided rather than collected. It is
entirely possible, for instance, to be thrown back by a collision onto a torch when you already have the knife, leading to much sadness.
Lance (aka Javelin)
Arthur's starting weapon. Travels straight across the screen, up to 3 at a time. A bit slow, but in the Arcade version, its good enough to use up to the last level. In the Famicom/NES
version, Dragons are immune to the Lance. In other words, you cannot pass levels 3 or 4 with it.
Knife (aka Sword)
Best weapon in the game. Like the Lance, but faster. In the Arcade, you'll see this starting on level 3. It's possible to get
even in level 1 on the NES if you are patient enough.
Torch (aka Fire)
I wouldn't exactly consider this a weapon. It's more like a hazard or debuff, since your current weapon is guaranteed to be superior.
Travels in an arc and then burns for a bit. Only 2 can be on the screen at a time, including the ones fizzling on the ground.
If this appears in a location such that you cannot avoid picking it up, it's usually better to just die. Note that in the Arcade version,
if you scroll the screen back a bit, dropped items (such as this) will disappear.
Axe
One of the more rare and interesting weapons. Like the Torch, the Axe travels in an arc and only two can be on-screen at once. Its
special property is that when it hits a target, it does its damage and passes on through. A useful case is the Dragon with its segmented
body. One Axe can damage its head and then pass through and destroy every body segment. Like the torch, you can also hit low targets,
such as a low-flying Blue Killer or a Skull, without ducking. However, for enemies that require rapid attacks like the Unicorn and
especially the Big Men, it's no good. You can't fire Axes fast enough to keep a Big Man paralyzed, so unless you have a good, comfortable
distance, you'll probably get hit. It also only starts to appear late in the game, possibly stage 3 but usually after. There is no
reason to get this instead of the knife unless you want a challenge.
Cross/Shield (aka Crucifix)
The Japanese Arcade version appropriately features a holy Cross as the final weapon. In the USA, this was changed to a shield with
an inoffensive orange chevron design. Interestingly, the NES version features a shield with a cross design on it. Go figure. This weapon has
a few notable properties. It only travels a short distance before evaporating... maybe a 5th of the screen. It will also block
enemy projectiles it hits, which is nice for the Wood Sprites and Red Areemers. In what looks like a bug, however, standing Cross/Shield shots will
actually miss the Big Men's shots. Finally, you have to defeat the 2 Satan's at the end of level 6 with this weapon in order to face
Astaroth. If you defeat them with anything else, the game tells you to get the Cross/Shield and sends you back to the beginning of
level 5. Speaking of Astaroth, this weapon will not block his fireballs.
The NES version drops weapons in plain view in predetermined locations, including the Cross early in level 6. However, in the Arcade version, since
the Cross/Shield is required to pass level 6 and is very tough to find on that level due to a lack of spawning enemies, it is highly
recommended to make sure you have it before you leave level 5. Losing the Cross/Shield on level 6 can extend your playtime by an hour
as you screw around trying to get it back.
One last comment: NES Unicorns are immune to the Cross/Shield, which results in fair bit of annoyance on level 6.
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