The Legend of the Mystical Ninja

The first game in the Japanese video game series Ganbare Goemon to have a western release. Most stages are separated into two sections. The first section is centered on town exploration where players gather information, buy items, learn special Judo attacks, play minigames, earn money, etc. The second section of each stage is a platformer section where the players fight through minor enemies until they reach the end and defeat a boss. (Wikipedia)