J.J. & Jeff/Gameplay

Controls

 * : Press left or right to make your character walk in either direction. Hold them down to make your character run.  Press up to enter a door way.  Press down to squat and use your spray can (or pass gas in the Japanese version).
 * : Press the I button to kick the space in front of you.
 * : Press the II button to jump. You will jump higher if you are moving fast.
 * : Hold button I down while you press button II to jump higher while standing still.
 * : Press Run to start a new game, or pause the action mid-game.
 * : Press Select to choose between the two available characters at the start of the game.
 * : Press and hold both buttons to reset the game and return to the title screen.

Players
At the beginning of the game, you must choose to take control of one of two partners. In the American version, this is between JJ (top left) and Jeff (top right). In the Japanese version, it is between Kato (bottom left) and Ken (bottom right). While JJ and Jeff are purely made-up characters, Kato and Ken are famous Japanese comedians who had their own comedy series on TV around the time that PC-Engine was released. Regardless of who you select, the control and gameplay for either character is identical. Despite rumors to the contrary, there is no advantage or disadvantage to choosing either character. Whichever partner you do not choose to play with will appear throughout the game, sometimes with support, and other times to foil your efforts.

Each character starts out by walking, but ramps up to full running speed very quickly. They can jump, and the faster they run, the higher they will leap. However, you can get a character to leap at full height while standing still by holding the Kick button down when pressing the Jump button. Each character must run, jump, and kick their way through each stage of the game. A vitality meter is shown at the top of the screen. The meter will slowly deplete over time. You will also lose vitality when you are struck by an object or animal. If a player loses all of his vitality, he will lose one life. The game is over when all lives are lost. It is possible to restore vitality by collecting fruit or hamburgers which are scattered throughout each stage, by getting certain combinations in the slot machine game, or by finding your partner in a hidden area of the game.

The characters all have three ways to defeat an enemy; kick them, jump on top of them, or gas them by squattnig. Between the Japanese version and the American version, there is only one subtle difference in the way that you control J.J. and Jeff, and Kato and Ken. When you press down, this causes J.J. and Jeff to release a puff of gas from a spray can. However, it causes Kato and Ken to release of puff of gas in the form of a fart. While J.J. and Jeff release gas in the direction they are facing, Kato and Ken release gas behind them. In this way, Kato and Ken are better able to defend themselves from attacks from behind without changing directions. To achieve the same effect in the American version, the player must quickly turn J.J. and Jeff around before squatting.