Janken or Jankenpo or Rock-Paper-Scissors or Roshambo is a game found in Alex Kidd in Miracle World and Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle. Although it is essentially a side-game, it is necessary to win at Janken in order to progress through the game.
Format[]
Janken is the same as the real life game of paper-scissors-rock. Each round, the player (and opponent) make their choice of the three options. Both participants then display their selection via their hand. The result is decided as follows:
- Paper defeats Rock
- Scissors defeats Paper
- Rock defeats Scissors
In the event that both participants choose the same, the round is a draw. The player must win 2 out of 3 rounds to progress. Failure to do so results in the player losing a life and being turned to stone.
In a complete game of Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Janken is played seven times - twice each against Janken's henchmen and once against Janken the Great himself. In Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle the player must play Janken at the Janken Houses, betting in-game money in order to win items.
In Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle, the layout of the Janken room is filled with animals, including pandas, bulls, cats, pigs, and rabbits, where they are located on the bottom screen of the room.