Jackal (USA)

In Jackal (also known as Top Gunner in some regions or the arcade version Rough Ranger), players control a heavily armed military jeep tasked with infiltrating enemy territory, rescuing prisoners of war (POWs), and eliminating all enemy forces. The game features a top-down perspective, with the screen scrolling both vertically and horizontally as you navigate the terrain.

Your jeep is equipped with two main weapon types: a forward-firing machine gun and a secondary weapon (grenades or missiles) that fires in the direction the jeep is facing. To upgrade your secondary weapon, players need to rescue POWs held in enemy camps or structures. When a POW is rescued, they may drop power-ups that transform your standard grenades into more powerful missiles or even guided rockets.

The primary objective of each stage is to rescue all POWs and deliver them to a safe extraction point, where a helicopter will arrive to pick them up. However, not all POWs can walk; some are injured and must be transported directly by the jeep to the helicopter. This requires careful driving to avoid collisions or falling into water, as every rescued POW is crucial.

Enemies in Jackal are diverse, including infantry soldiers, tanks, turrets, bunkers, and helicopters. Players must employ clever tactics, utilizing the terrain and weapon power to overcome obstacles. At the end of many stages, a challenging boss battle awaits, demanding precise aiming and evasive maneuvers.

The NES version of Jackal supports a two-player simultaneous mode, allowing two players to cooperate, controlling separate jeeps to complete the mission together, adding to the game's fun and strategic depth.