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Guardian Legend, The
The Guardian Legend is an action game released in 1989 by Compile for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Players control a transformable spaceship that can shift between airborne and ground-based combat forms. The gameplay alternates between vertical shoot-em-up sequences in the sky and side-scrolling action segments on the ground. Throughout the game, players navigate a series of caves and dungeons filled with robot enemies and power-up items. The control scheme allows fluid switching between the two forms, each suited to different enemy types and environmental hazards. Bosses appear at the end of major sections, requiring players to adapt their combat strategy based on the encounter type. The cave structure creates a loose exploration element, as players must find specific exits to progress. The combination of shooting and platforming action creates a distinctive gameplay experience.
- Developer
- Compile
- Released
- 1989
- Platform
- NES
- Genre
- Action
- Players
- 1P
- Rating
- 4.8 / 5 (1.9K)
- Last updated
Guardian Legend, The Controls — NES Keyboard Keys
Default keyboard bindings for Guardian Legend, The on our in-browser NES emulator. Plug in a USB or Bluetooth gamepad to auto-detect mappings, or rebind any key from the emulator settings menu.
| Keyboard | Console button | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| ↑ | D-Pad Up | Move up |
| ↓ | D-Pad Down | Move down |
| ← | D-Pad Left | Move left |
| → | D-Pad Right | Move right |
| X | A | Primary action (jump / confirm) |
| Z | B | Secondary action (attack / cancel) |
| Enter | Start | Start / Pause |
| Shift | Select | Select / Mode |
Rebind any key from the EmulatorJS in-game settings menu (gear icon → Controls). A connected gamepad auto-maps to the same buttons.
Guardian Legend, The Longplay & Gameplay Videos
Watch a full playthrough of Guardian Legend, The on NES before you dive in — recommended for getting a feel for the game's pacing, story beats, and difficulty curve.
Watch longplay on YouTube
"Guardian Legend, The" NES longplay 1989
Guardian Legend, The Cheat Codes
30 community-curated cheats for Guardian Legend, The. Tick any to activate them automatically when you click "Play with cheats" — or copy a code into your own emulator.
-
All Weapons At Maximum Level and Unlimited uses of EE
04AC:FF+04AD:FF+04AE:FF+04AF:FF -
All Keys, and Map
04B0:FF -
Infinite Health
0048:FFSXNSLZSA0048:3F -
Infinite "Shot"
003E:FF -
Have All Chip Upgrades
0046:1C -
Have Maximum ">>>>"s
006B:05 -
Hold Down Both A And B To Warp Past A Flying Screen
NZPISL -
No Bad Guys On The Screen
TNZVVO -
Start With A Very Strong Shield
YNZNVP -
Just Land
YNLVOG -
You Will Only Do The Flying Scenes And You Cannot Die
YUGAEK -
Press Select To Get More Energy Whenever You Need It
ZUTEKP
Show 18 more cheats Show fewer
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Speed Up Game
AEISSX -
No Enemies In Flying Scenes
EOZYYY -
Start With Lots Of Energy, More Than The Max
NNVAIAAK -
Infinite energy
AAXTIUNY -
Start with less energy
AXVAIAAG -
Start with more energy
EEVAIAAG -
Never use up shots
GXOAKLST -
Start on area 1
PAKVELAA -
Start on area 3
LAKVELAA -
Start on area 5
IAKVELAA -
Start on area 7
YAKVELAA -
Start on area 9
PAKVELAE -
Start with max attack
GAEAZPPA -
Start with zero shield (a lot of power!)
SZEAIPSA -
Start with max chips
AESAGYZL+EESAIYAA -
When you press select you get max chips
SAUALTSZ+SZUAITSA+NYUATTTO+SAUAYTSZ+SZUEPTSA+NYUEZTYO -
First Creature gives you all weapons
NNKELYGE -
Second Creature gives you the second group of 4 weapons with max level
NNKEGYAO
External references
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Guardian Legend, The released?
Guardian Legend, The was released in 1989 for the NES.
Who developed Guardian Legend, The?
Guardian Legend, The was developed by Compile, available to play in your browser on RetroGameSpace.
How many players does Guardian Legend, The support?
Guardian Legend, The is a single-player Action game for the NES.
What type of game is Guardian Legend, The?
Guardian Legend, The is a Action game for the NES, playable instantly in your browser — no downloads, no installs.
How can I play Guardian Legend, The for free?
Open this page and click "Play Now" — Guardian Legend, The runs free in your browser via WebAssembly emulation. No account, no payment, no installer.
Do I need to download anything to play Guardian Legend, The in the browser?
No. Guardian Legend, The streams from a public archive into a browser-side NES emulator. Nothing is installed on your computer.
Can I save my progress in Guardian Legend, The?
Yes. Save states are stored in your browser (IndexedDB) per game, and you can also use any in-game save the original NES cartridge supported.
Does Guardian Legend, The work on mobile devices?
Yes — the NES emulator runs on iOS Safari and Android Chrome. Touch controls overlay the game; landscape mode is recommended.
Is it legal to play Guardian Legend, The this way?
RetroGameSpace is a transient caching reverse-proxy and does not host first-party copies of Guardian Legend, The. Game files are fetched on demand from publicly-accessible archives. You are responsible for compliance with your local laws and the bring-your-own-ROM principle.
