Love this game, though I never saw it in the arcades and have only played it through MAME. What you have to do is collect as many treasues as you can, then take them to the exit (the thief who appears on level 2 will steal treasure, but he can be shot, dropping all he has collected). The game gets more and more difficult the longer you stay on a level, and levels also get harder the deeper you go.
Milthy! How's it going man? I forgot this game existed when I discovered MAME. Super glad to finally try it all these decades later. Thanks for the tips! I'll be using them in my next play through.