These games revolve around the main character, Goemon, and his exploits. His character is loosely based on Ishikawa Goemon, the noble thief of Japanese folklore. While the early games emphasized Goemon as a noble thief, he eventually becomes more of a standard video game hero character. His trademarks are his blue bushy hair and weapon of choice, the kiseru. The games are set in a cartoonlike, mystical Feudal Japan, with many references to Japanese folklore. Although the series has its roots in action-adventure, the "Ganbare Goemon" series has features from genres including role-playing, puzzle video games, and board games. "Ganbare Goemon" is popular in Japan. The series consists of video games, with its success spawning a wide series of merchandise and an anime and manga series.