Controls
Note that controls for this game have much higher lag than normal - it takes around 6 frames (1/10th of a second) for a kick or punch to start as soon as you press a button.
Bayou Billy
You control Bayou Billy throughout the game, as he attempts to rescue his girlfriend Annabelle Lane from the clutches of Godfather Gordon. You will control Billy through three different perspectives during the game; from the side during the side-scrolling brawler sections, in first person perspective during the shooting sections, and behind the vehicle during the driving sections.
During the brawling and shooting sections of the game, Billy has a life meter which is displayed at the top of the screen. It is designated by 7 red blocks. Each block represents multiple hit-points, so Billy does not necessarily lose a block every time he is hit. He will also not necessarily die when the last block disappears, although he is certainly only a few hits away from death. When driving in the American version of the game, you will die instantly from any collision or explosion. However, in the Japanese version of the game, you maintain the life meter, and won't necessarily die with every hit.
If Billy dies, he loses one life. You will earn one extra life at 20,000 points, and then one extra life for every 30,000 points thereafter. If Billy loses all of his lives, the game is over. After the game ends, you will have the opportunity to continue from the beginning of the stage that you died on, but you can only continue five times.
During the brawling stages, Billy has a handful of moves to rely on. He can punch or kick enemies that attack him. He can also perform a powerful Jump Kick move which is more powerful than his regular attacks. Billy can collect some weapons from enemies by knocking them out of their hands, including throwing knives, wooden beams, whips, and handguns. You can also knock out other useful items from enemies including health-restoring meat and life-protecting bullet-proof vests. Note that the enemy can also knock items out of your hands in the same way.