Dough Boy (Japan)

Dough Boy is a side-scrolling action game released on the NES, where players take on the role of an elite soldier tasked with rescuing captured hostages. The game unfolds across horizontally and sometimes vertically scrolling screens, requiring players to move skillfully to dodge and eliminate enemies.

The primary objective of each stage is to locate and rescue hostages who are held captive within buildings. To free them, players must shoot at the building's door until it is destroyed. Once the door is opened, the hostages are freed, and the player receives bonus points.

Your soldier is equipped with a basic rifle with unlimited ammunition. However, players can pick up power-ups such as grenades, which are limited in quantity but highly effective for clearing out groups of enemies or destroying tougher targets like tanks or turrets. Enemies include enemy soldiers, small tanks, and occasionally helicopters, all attempting to prevent you from completing your mission.

Each area in Dough Boy typically features multiple buildings and environmental obstacles. Time is a critical factor, as every stage has a countdown timer. If time runs out before all necessary hostages are rescued, the game ends. Players need to balance eliminating enemies to clear a path and quickly searching for and rescuing hostages.

The game's graphics feature the characteristic 8-bit style of the NES, with simple but recognizable characters and environments. The music and sound effects also contribute to the tense action atmosphere of the game. Dough Boy demands quick reflexes and good resource management (grenades) from players to overcome increasingly difficult challenges.