Jackal/NES Walkthrough

Difference from the Arcade

 * Rather than a contiguous level with eight helipads and a boss battle, there are six distinct stages, each one helipad and their own boss battle.
 * There is no limit to how many POWs your truck can hold. You can collect as many as you can find.
 * Your score does not increase as you deliver consecutive POWs to the chopper. Rather, you get 500 points per POW when they reach the chopper, and an additional 2000 points for every POW you rescued once you complete the stage.
 * Instead of four weapon upgrades, there are only three. After upgrading from grenades to rockets, the next upgrade will make your rockets explode from side to side.
 * The final upgrade does not explode in four diagonal directions, but rather up, down, and side to side.
 * When you die, your explosive weapon does not lose one level of strength. Rather, you return to the game with grenades, no matter how powered up you were.
 * There are hidden star icons that you can collect which have various effects. To find them, a weapon must explode in their vicinity.
 * Green star: A green star will grant you one extra life.
 * Orange star: Upon touching the orange star, all enemies present on the screen will be destroyed.
 * Flashing star: Collecting a flashing star will instantly upgrade your weapon to the highest level.

Difference between the NES and FDS versions

 * The levels in the FDS version are only one screen wide, and only scroll vertically. The levels in the NES version are two screens wide and scroll both horizontally and vertically. Though they contain similar bosses, the stage layouts differ drastically.
 * The FDS version omits Checkpoint Alpha entirely, containing only 5 stages. And Checkpoint Zulu is much shorter, with the first half missing.
 * There are typically fewer prisons in each stage of the FDS version, although more POWs will appear from each prison.
 * While both versions offer two-player simultaneous play like the arcade version, the FDS version contains a special two player version, where player 1 drives the jeep and player 2 controls the weapons. While the second player can still only fire the main gun upwards, this player is in control of the direction that the explosive weapon is fired in, allowing it to be fired in a different direction than the one that the jeep is facing.

Stage 1 (Checkpoint Alpha)

 * You start in the lower left corner near a beach. Drive across the bottom to the right, and then up to find a hut containing a flashing POW. Collect this POW to upgrade your weapon from grenades to rockets.
 * Watch out for the cannons and guard that block the gate to the first encampment. Blow the gate up and then blast holes in the buildings to rescue the POWs. There's another hut with a flashing POW inside the encampment.
 * Continue driving up until you reach a bridge heading left. As you cross it, watch out for boats that fire at you from the river. On the other side, drive up until you see a tank. Destroy it, and then rescue another flashing POW from the hut above. Your weapon should now be at maximum strength.
 * Heading up, there are a couple of cannons perched on top of bluffs. If you have the strongest rockets, you can shoot the rockets at the bluffs and the resulting explosion will destroy them. If you have grenades, they will fly over the bluff walls. Otherwise, you have to attack them from the sides.
 * If you continue up to the right from the cannons on the bluffs you will encounter three cannons in a diagonal. Rush past them to the right and in the corner of the trees if you throw a grenade or shoot a missile you will find the first hidden star.
 * Watch out for more cannons above as you make your way to the left to get around the trees. Tanks will be waiting for you above the trees. In addition to more cannons place around the helipad, another hut containing a flashing POW can be found on the far left side.
 * Approach the helipad and drop off all of the POWs that you collected. Then drive up and make your way past four stationary guards. Once you drive up far enough, the boss battle will begin.

Boss
Four blue tanks will appear and chase you around the small clearing. The trees may get in your way as you try to drive away from them. These tanks appear one by one until all four are on the screen with you. They chase you around, firing fast bullets at you, but they aren't as manueverable as your jeep. They can be hit by bullets or explosives, but if you have exploding rockets, the explosions will not harm them; you must hit them directly with the rockets. One hit from explosives or four bullets will turn them from blue to brown. Another explosive or four bullets will finish them off. Focus on destroying one tank at a time, but don't hesitate to switch your attention to a different tank if one becomes easier to hit.

Stage 2 (Checkpoint Baker)

 * As soon as you start, a tank will be on the screen above you. Nearby is a hut containing a flashing POW. Two cannons are above and to the right of the hut.
 * Travel up between the ruins, and you will see two cannons above. To the left is a face statue which fires missiles at you. Keep a watch out for a nearby jeep that approaches you very quickly.
 * The stage encampment is to the right of the two cannons. Watch out for enemy soldiers as you rescue the POWs, including one flashing POW from the hut on the left.
 * After you blow up the upper encampment gate, you will be greeted by a tank and two cannons. Back up if you need to get away and get to a safe distance from which to attack. There's a hut with a flashing POW off to the left.
 * Further ahead, you will see a cannon sitting between two sets of stairs into the ruins. You can go to the left or the right. If you go to the left, be sure to fire an explosive at the very bottom left corner of the ruins to find a flashing star which will instantly upgrade your explosive to the highest strength.
 * As you cross the ruins, watch out for bomber planes and tanks. A cannon guards the exit stairs. One of the columns near the exit will break off and roll down.
 * Once you reach the grass, shoot the first hut to find a flashing POW. Watch out for the nearby cannon. More cannons wait above it, accompanied by tanks. Clear the area around the helipad first before dropping off the POWs. Watch out for a tank that might appear from the bottom of the screen as well.
 * As you drive above the grass, more columns will break and fall. Jeeps will appear and quickly chase you around the screen, and bombers will fly from the top of the screen to the bottom.
 * You will reach a bridge that crosses a body of water. In the water are more face statues which fire missiles at you. When you reach the top of the bridge, there will be two cannons waiting for you. Far to the right between the two tallest columns hides a green star. Two more cannons wait for you above. By the time you see them, the boss fight will begin.

Boss
The boss is four face statues side by side at the top of the screen. They each fire heat-seeking missiles at you, one at a time, from the right to the left. You'll have to shoot explosive weapons at them three or four times to destroy the statues. While you attempt this, you have to watch out once the missiles begin to appear. Back off as soon as you see one and use your gun weapon to destroy the missiles. Once it's safe to resume your attack, drive back up and hit each statue as quickly as you can. You won't have a lot of time before the next wave of missiles start. In addition, a tank may appear from the bottom of the screen. Destroy them as soon as they are visible. When you're down to one statue, you won't have to worry about backing off anymore.

Stage 3 (Checkpoint Charlie)

 * This stage starts out requiring you to blast open the gates to the enemy base. Once you're through, tanks will attack you. In addition to blowing them up, you can also destroy the jeeps that are parked.
 * Further ahead is a small body of water which you can use to your advantage and attack threats from a safe distance if you have fully powered rockets. Above and to the right of the water are two prisons that you can rescue POWs from.
 * Above the prisons, you must choose to cross one of two bridges. Either choice is fine, but you will be attacked on either side by tanks, soldiers, and boats. Regular gun ship will attack from the middle, while subs will surface and fire missiles at you on the far sides. A barrier is placed at the top of the right bridge, but it doesn't prevent you from driving around.
 * More tanks wait for you above the bridges. Two prisons containing more POWs are found on above you, with a cannon between them. There is a lone jeep parked below the right prison. If you blow it up, you will find a flashing star beneath it.
 * As you destroy a tank and drive up the left side of the stage, you'll see a laser generator. You must time your passage through this area so that you don't get hit by the laser. The first laser generator is the most difficult to pass since it fires constantly. Once more than one laser generator is visible on the screen, the timing gets easier since only one laser generator can fire at a time. Keep firing your weapons, however, to preemptively attack the tanks and soldiers that await you.
 * Once you're above all of the laser generators, clear the area of tanks, cannons, and soldiers so that it's safe to stop at the helipad. Once the chopper is loaded, blow up the gate to the next section of the base. Shoot an explosive directly into the middle of the four cannons above the gate to reveal an orange star. Touch the star to destroy all of the enemies on the screen.
 * After you blow up the next gate, watch out for turrets that conceal themselves below the ground. They fire a spread pattern of five bullets that are very difficult to avoid close up. Destroy all of the tanks before advancing to the top of the screen where the boss fight will begin.

Boss
The boss is a series of spreadshot turrets mounted on a ship. In order to destroy the ship, you must destroy all six of the turrets. They occupy hatches that open up so they can fire, before closing again. The turrets are only vulnerable to attack when the hatches are open. Fortunately, it only takes one explosive to destroy them, but you must hit them dead on, you can't harm them with rocket explosions. Additionally, tanks will appear from the bottom of the screen to make things more challenging. Note: in the FDS version, the boat is oriented vertically in the middle of the screen.

Stage 4 (Checkpoint Delta)

 * This stage features thick grass that will slow down your vehicle if you attempt to drive through it. Additionally, it will hide heat-seeking missile launchers. If you see missiles flying out of the grass, fire an explosive weapon in the direction of its source to destroy the launchers.
 * You start with a tank bearing down on you from above. Blast it, and then choose a path to follow on your way to the top of the stage. Remain on the darker portions of the grass where you can drive at regular speed. If you veer into the lighter green grass, you will get slowed down, and it will be harder to dodge fire from enemy tanks and soldiers.
 * Eventually, you will reach the foot of a mountain with a cannon on either side. You can choose to go around the mountain from either direction but watch out for boulders. The left side contains tanks, soldiers, and a truck, while the right side only contains landmines and soldiers, and is generally safer.
 * Above the mountain, you will find two huts that contain flashing POWs, as well as two cannons near the middle. Be careful of the cannon-equipped truck next to the left hut. Then blast open the gate on the left side of the next encampment. Rescue the POWs, watch out for the cannons, and blast open the gate at the top to find one more hut with a flashing POW.
 * As you approach the next mountain, a tank will attack. Destroy the tank, then blast the heat-seeking missile launcher near the bottom of the mountain. As you pass some train tracks, boulders will roll down the mountain. Once you drive between a row of landmines, a train will appear on the tracks from below you. If you shoot one well timed explosive, you can hit the engine, and the explosion will wipe out the whole train.
 * Even more dangerous than the train is the cannon-equipped truck waiting for you at the top of the pass. Study the way that it fires from a safe distance before engaging it and destroying it. Once you clear it, remove the tanks and cannons that occupy the area around the helipad before dropping off the POWs. Above that, four cannons and three tanks lie between you and the boss.

Boss
The boss of this stage is a giant helicopter. It rushes on to the screen from the top and flies about halfway down the screen while firing bullets at you. It drops three soldiers off who parachute down and proceed to attack you while the helicopter flies away to get reinforcements. It's only vulnerable when visible on the screen, but it will take direct aim at your jeep, so you have to move constantly while firing at it. Take as many shots as you can, moving immediately after doing so. Then when the helicopter flies away, clear the area of the soldiers that have dropped down. Wait for the helicopter to reappear and be prepared to fire at it as soon as you see it. It should take seven hits from explosive weapons to destroy it.

Stage 5 (Checkpoint Tango)

 * Rescue a flashing POW from the hut before crossing the first bridge. Watch out for tanks as you blast open the gates to the encampment which appears very early on in the stage. Once you rescue the POWs, you can take either exit, but the hut you find on the left side doesn't contain a flashing POW, it actually hides a tank.
 * After destroying the left or right gate, you must choose to drive across three different bridges. The wider bridge on the left contains landmines. The bridge in the middle actually hides a green star. Watch out for bombers flying overhead as you make your way across. Take out any cliff-mounted cannons that wait for you on the other side.
 * A flashing POW can be rescued from the hut above the middle and right bridge. You'll have to clear out the cannons perched on top of bluffs in the center channel before you advance. Several tanks are also waiting to attack you when you pass through the channel.
 * Once through, make your way to the right. A series of bluffs will protect a set of cannons and tanks. If you have a powered up explosive weapon, you can take them out in advance of driving past them. Otherwise, drive carefully past the bullets they fire, and take them out when you're above the bluffs. Be prepared to blast your way through a tank and three cannons after driving back to the left.
 * After blasting your way into the next encampment, watch out for the two tanks inside, including one tank which can shoot blasts of flame. Rescue the POWs and watch out for the landmine strategically placed right above the exit. More tanks and cannons will attack you as you escape. A hut off to the left hides another flashing POW.
 * The fight will intensify as you cross the bridge, which is booby trapped with three landmines. As you drive further, do not advance the screen until every visible threat has been destroyed. If you rush ahead too quickly, you may be overwhelmed by the enemy. The helipad is completely surrounded by cannons and soldiers. Even once you've cleared them out, you still have to worry about bombers while you drop off the POWs.
 * Destroy the gate above the helipad, clear away the cannons and tanks that appear, and approach the boss.

Boss
The boss of this stage is a large fortress. The fortress has an electrified gate that can't be destroyed until the entire fortress is rendered defenseless. There are five roof mounted cannons, two on the left, one on the right, and one on either side of the gate. The key to defeating the fortress, however, are the four garage doors that open and release tanks. At the top of each door is a flashing light, only visible when the door is open. You must destroy all of the lights above each of the four doors. Once a light is destroyed, that door will produce no more tanks. It's a good idea to get rid of the roof mounted cannons first, so that you have less to worry about while you focus on the doors. Then park your vehicle in front of one of the doors and fire at it when the door opens until the light is destroyed. Watch out for any tanks that appear from the door you weren't attacking. Once you've destroyed all four doors, the field surrounding the gate will disappear, allowing you to blast it and pass through it to the next stage.

Stage 6 (Checkpoint Zulu)

 * You begin the game in front of a set of barricades. If your explosive weapon is top level, you can use this to your advantage by blasting the tank and soldiers on the other side. As you make your way to the left, you will notice roof mounted cannons. Your explosive weapon will not be triggered by the walls of the building, so you can blast them directly.
 * As you drive through the parking lot, you can destroy the parked tanks. Just ahead, you will find two prisons which contain POWs. Do your best to clear the area before blasting open these prisons and collecting the POWs.
 * Blast through the center gate and watch out for a bomber plane that flies from the bottom to the top of the screen. Take care of the tanks and soldiers waiting on the other side of the gate. There is a large building in the middle with two roof mounted cannons. There are four prison buildings, two on either side of the center building.
 * After rescuing the POWs, you'll have to drive across one of the conveyor belts found on either side of the center building. Try to clear away as many threats as you can before crossing, as the belts will slow you down. Once you get across, blast the left gate to the next section, as the right one leads to a dead-end.
 * You've made it to the last helipad. In addition to tanks and bombers, keep an eye out for fast moving jeeps in this section. There are several roof mounted cannons that are worth taking out before you drop off any POWs. However, the biggest threat will come from helicopters that will fly on to the scene while you drop off POWs. Be prepared to move out of their way and destroy them if one appears.
 * Through the next gate, a group of tanks will attack you. In addition to the tanks, a turret will pop out of the ground. Once you clear the area, you must proceed through a narrow channel that is protected on both sides by two cannons each. Clear them out before driving through. Watch out for a helicopter that may appear as you proceed, and head to the right to blast open the next gate.
 * Watch out for the jeep on the other side of the gate, along with a few tanks. When you drive back to the left, you'll have to deal with another ground turret. A helicopter will appear from the bottom of the screen as you advance above the turret. You're better off ignoring it and driving on.
 * You will find four tanks waiting in four driveways, with a set of roof mounted turrets above them. In the leftmost driveway, you can find a flashing star which will upgrade your weapon to the best level. Drive to the right when it's safe, take out more tanks, and destroy the next ground turret.
 * As soon as you blast either side gate, you will approach heat-seeking missile launchers that are embedded in the ground. Destroy the closest one, and then take out the other before you advance. Take out the roof mounted cannons as well. The drive over the boss emblem painted on the ground to approach the center channel.
 * A conveyor belt throughout the center channel will slow you down. There are four roof mounted cannons on either side of the belt. Your best bet is to pick each one off one at a time before you attempt to drive through. Ignoring these cannons will surely get you killed. Once you reach the top, clear away the soldiers and the tank that guard the gate.
 * A helicopter will fly up from the bottom as you drive through the last gate. A tank and a handful of soldiers are all that stand between you and the final boss.

Boss 1
The first boss that you must face is a near replicate of the final boss at the end of the arcade game. Two laser cannons stand atop a large building in the center. These laser cannons are actually not much of a concern. They fire lasers in three different directions, and they are very easy to dodge if you park yourself directly in front of the building. You won't even have to move. You will have to worry about any tanks or helicopters that show up throughout the fight. Otherwise, focus all of your attack on the building itself. The lights inside will flash more and more rapidly as you get closer to destroying it.

Boss 2
Once the building is destroyed, the true boss appears. The true boss is a gigantic tank with a main turret and a side gun. The tank moves to the left and right throughout the fight, stopping only momentarily to fire. The main turret cannot move, but shoots a giant blast of flame down the screen whenever the tank stops. The side gun fires bullets continuously and can adjust its angle to aim at you. However, the tank moves back and forth so much that even when the gun shifts its aim, it's rarely on target. You have to worry move about errant bullets than those that are aimed directly at you. When the tank moves from one side to the other, you're best off moving in the opposite direction to avoid getting shot with flame. When it's safe, focus your attacks on any point on the tank. It will eventually become more red as you get closer to defeating it. Once it's destroyed, you have won the game.