Hello Everyone,
It is your old friend (or enemy) Oldschool777 with another review.
Today I bring you Jackal for the NES.
Overall=7
This is a action/shooter that was very typical for the time. It was first released in the arcades before being ported to numerous systems. IT can be played two player and in the NES version you could steal a life if you lose your last jeep,(ask your buddy if he minds,before you do that.) You play as a group of commandos in a jeep that is tasked with rescuing POW's (Prisoners Of War). You play as a squad of four men,according to the game,was effective enough for a rescue but not a noticeable blow if they were captured or killed. I believe they took inspiration from the British,who fielded a similar setup in WW2,but I could be wrong. You have to avoid being shot or ran over and one thing that the GTA generation can appreciate is you could run over infantrymen and they would make a satisfying squish sound.
You will search all over for prisoners and special prisoners. The prisoners give you points and the special prisoners will give you an upgrade to your weapon. You are armed with a machine gun that always fires up and grenade that is lobbed wherever you are facing. When you rescue a special prisoner,you gain a missile and it can be upgraded to extend the range horizontally and another upgrade adds the vertical range.
This is a one hit kill game and that might turn off a lot of players,but think of it as a challenge. You will get better and you do have unlimited continues. The controls are good and it feels responsive,but do not expect burning rubber here.
Graphics=6
The graphics are colorful and okay,but no real detail to the sprites. The backgrounds are kind of on the blah side,but are decent. You fight from jungles,to ruins,bases and so on with the backgrounds changing to fit the theme. They work but beware you do have the infamous NES scroll issue and that can lead to cheap deaths.
Sound=8
The sounds are wonderful and as I mentioned,the squish sound of the infantry is so fun. The machine gun and the explosives sound good and the warning klaxon before you fight a boss is great. The real star is the music. It is very catchy and you may find yourself humming along to it. It keeps you engaged and makes you want to keep fighting.
Addictiveness=7
This is a fun game,although as I said,this is a one hit and you lose a life type of game. This was typical of the period and should not be held against it. This game worked best in quarter long doses,and a two player mode is fun to go on a rampage. You will want to squish infantry,fight the enemy jeeps,tanks,turrets,missile launchers,and other hazards. Any section can be beaten,it takes patience to know when to rush in and when to retreat.
Story=5
This is a typical story,rescue the POW's and deliver them to the extraction point before fighting the boss. You probably have seen this story in movies and TV and other games,but weak and predictable story aside,it is a fun tour of duty.
Depth=7
The game is fairly straight forward,taking out the enemy emplacements and finding the special prisoners to power up your weapon. You can find special stars that destroy that screen of enemies and each stage has its own stage hazards. For instance in level 2,you are fighting in a Greek-inspired ruin and some the pillars will either fall at you or a bomber will bomb the pillars to dislodge them and try to smash your jeep. When you have the fully powered missile with the horizontal and vertical extensions you can hit stuff that was out of your reach and can ignore certain landscape features like a berm.
Difficulty=9
This game will kick your rear end and you will like it. You will want to come back to try get further. Be grateful this is an emulation,the original you had to beat in one play session. But that is how gamers like myself cut our teeth. The enemy is relentless and can be placed well enough that a frontal assault will end up costing you a life normally. You either have to fake out the enemy or have an upgraded weapon to make it easier. It can be done even with starting weapons. So pile into the jeep,buckle up head into battle. Those prisoners are not going to rescue themselves. Remember,to use the invincibility when your new jeep comes in. That can often tip the battle in your favor.
Hello Everyone,
It is your old friend (or enemy) Oldschool777 with another review.
Today I bring you Jackal for the NES.
Overall=7
This is a action/shooter that was very typical for the time. It was first released in the arcades before being ported to numerous systems. IT can be played two player and in the NES version you could steal a life if you lose your last jeep,(ask your buddy if he minds,before you do that.) You play as a group of commandos in a jeep that is tasked with rescuing POW's (Prisoners Of War). You play as a squad of four men,according to the game,was effective enough for a rescue but not a noticeable blow if they were captured or killed. I believe they took inspiration from the British,who fielded a similar setup in WW2,but I could be wrong. You have to avoid being shot or ran over and one thing that the GTA generation can appreciate is you could run over infantrymen and they would make a satisfying squish sound.
You will search all over for prisoners and special prisoners. The prisoners give you points and the special prisoners will give you an upgrade to your weapon. You are armed with a machine gun that always fires up and grenade that is lobbed wherever you are facing. When you rescue a special prisoner,you gain a missile and it can be upgraded to extend the range horizontally and another upgrade adds the vertical range.
This is a one hit kill game and that might turn off a lot of players,but think of it as a challenge. You will get better and you do have unlimited continues. The controls are good and it feels responsive,but do not expect burning rubber here.
Graphics=6
The graphics are colorful and okay,but no real detail to the sprites. The backgrounds are kind of on the blah side,but are decent. You fight from jungles,to ruins,bases and so on with the backgrounds changing to fit the theme. They work but beware you do have the infamous NES scroll issue and that can lead to cheap deaths.
Sound=8
The sounds are wonderful and as I mentioned,the squish sound of the infantry is so fun. The machine gun and the explosives sound good and the warning klaxon before you fight a boss is great. The real star is the music. It is very catchy and you may find yourself humming along to it. It keeps you engaged and makes you want to keep fighting.
Addictiveness=7
This is a fun game,although as I said,this is a one hit and you lose a life type of game. This was typical of the period and should not be held against it. This game worked best in quarter long doses,and a two player mode is fun to go on a rampage. You will want to squish infantry,fight the enemy jeeps,tanks,turrets,missile launchers,and other hazards. Any section can be beaten,it takes patience to know when to rush in and when to retreat.
Story=5
This is a typical story,rescue the POW's and deliver them to the extraction point before fighting the boss. You probably have seen this story in movies and TV and other games,but weak and predictable story aside,it is a fun tour of duty.
Depth=7
The game is fairly straight forward,taking out the enemy emplacements and finding the special prisoners to power up your weapon. You can find special stars that destroy that screen of enemies and each stage has its own stage hazards. For instance in level 2,you are fighting in a Greek-inspired ruin and some the pillars will either fall at you or a bomber will bomb the pillars to dislodge them and try to smash your jeep. When you have the fully powered missile with the horizontal and vertical extensions you can hit stuff that was out of your reach and can ignore certain landscape features like a berm.
Difficulty=9
This game will kick your rear end and you will like it. You will want to come back to try get further. Be grateful this is an emulation,the original you had to beat in one play session. But that is how gamers like myself cut our teeth. The enemy is relentless and can be placed well enough that a frontal assault will end up costing you a life normally. You either have to fake out the enemy or have an upgraded weapon to make it easier. It can be done even with starting weapons. So pile into the jeep,buckle up head into battle. Those prisoners are not going to rescue themselves. Remember,to use the invincibility when your new jeep comes in. That can often tip the battle in your favor.
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