Overall 8.6 Graphics 6.9 Sound 7.9 Addictive 8.1 Story 5.1 Depth 6.1 Difficulty 8.3
7.5
Jackal NES Review THEKILLERJUNKER
One of the best aspects of the 80s was its unapologetic sense of machismo, action, and adrenalin. Well, at least when it came to the decade’s action films. You got Terminator, Total Recall, Die Hard, Rambo, Lethal Weapon, Predator: the list could go on. These kinds of films would have made great games that could have been enjoyed by both moviegoers and gamers alike. But unfortunately, movie based games are terrible for the most part and sadly all of these movies suffered the fate of being butchered into horrendous excuses for games simply made to get a quick buck. But every now and then, you get a game that fills in the void made by all of the garbage titles. Jackal is one of them. Just look at that cover: a soldier eagerly shooting his machine gun ontop a jeep while his driver cheers him on as a helicopter flies past by. It doesn’t get any more 80s than that. This game, along with Contra, was Konami’s love letter to all of those great action flicks that the decade was responsible for. But is it as fun as when it came out? Or is it an outdated piece of pop culture? Let’s find out.
Graphics - 8
Surprisingly, the graphics for Jackal are pretty good. But then again this is Konami we’re talking about. This game came out at a time when the company was making critically acclaimed games nonstop such as Castlevania and Contra and it shows. The game has pretty good visuals for the time. And considering how it’s a 2-D shooter, that’s a bonus. A lot of the NES shooters like Tiger Heli and 1942 are alright games but they lack any pastiche and come off as dull and drab. While Jackal isn’t exactly a visual masterpiece it still shows a decent amount of effort to look pleasing to the eye. The character sprites all look good and the background is pretty well done. And keep in mind that like Contra, Jackal is also an arcade port. And let’s face it, arcade ports are terrible for the most part. Jackal is one of the few exceptions where the NES counterpart looks visually enjoyable. Konami made great use of the limited resources they had at this time. While this isn’t the best looking shooter for the NES, Jackal shows a decent amount of effort in its visuals which is why it gets an 8 for the graphics.
Sound - 7
Along with having decent graphics, Jackal also has good music. Its tracks range from short and cheerful, to adrenalin pumping. With that said the music can become a little dull and tiring after a while. It’s not that the music is bad by any means: it’s just that this kind of music is common when it comes to these 2-d shooters. It makes Jackal hard to stand out from all of the other shooters that the NES offers. With the exception of Castlevania, Konami hasn’t been well known for their music in their games and it’s not hard to see why. Lack of original music aside, the sound effects save the game from going a little mediocre. The sound effects can be summarized in one simple sentence; it sounds fun when you shoot and kill. The sounds are the saving grace in this department; they’re just so satisfying. Everything from shooting your gun to watching tanks and soldiers explode sounds awesome in the warped 8 bit kind of way. And it’s not just Jackal that did this; Konami also used realistic sounds to great effect when they did Contra. While the music may be lacking, it’s the sound effects that save it from going mediocre which is why it gets a 7.
Addictiveness - 7
For the most part, these old 2-D shooters tend to get boring after a while. Many of the older NES shooters leave you shooting a blank background half of the time. This game manages to stay addictive for one reason: there’s always something to shoot. The game has the same philosophy as Contra where the gameplay involves you gunning down dozens, if not hundreds of enemy soldiers and obstacles. Because of this, the game keeps you on your toes, punishing you if you decide to get careless. There’s a rare instance when the game decides to get calm but for the most part, you’re left by yourself against hundreds of enemies and obstacles. Because of this, the game is pretty enjoyable and shows how capable Konami is when making something as simple as a 2-D shooter. But the biggest reason why this game is enjoyable is the fact that the screen doesn’t scroll. You read that right: you move at your own pace. This deviates it from all the other shooters in the NES library as it gives you more freedom to move around the stages. But at the same reason, it gives you less of an excuse to get yourself killed by enemy fire. The only problem is that it can get boring after playing for a while because of how you’ll repeatedly come across the same enemies. But for what it is, this issue doesn’t really hurt the game’s overall enjoyability which is why it gets a 7 for its addictiveness.
Story - 8
I’m not gonna lie, Konami isn’t exactly the most original when it comes to the stories they come up with for their games. Why do I bring this up? Because Jackal uses what is essentially the same plot as Contra and Rush n’ Attack: it’s up to the likes of one brave soldier and his ally to save the world from an evil terrorist organization that wants nothing but complete domination regardless of how they get it. So now you’re asking why the rating is so high. Simple: it’s so refreshing to see a story like this nowadays. Let me explain. A story like this would be made all serious and gritty about how Democracy is good and how Communism is the scum of the Earth. Nowadays games like Call of Duty and Battlefield have stories that feel more like propaganda than they do actual stories. With Jackal’s story, it’s done right; it doesn’t take itself as this serious dramatic borefest that so many new games do. It also helps that the story is short and simple; save your fellow soldiers and the world from the forces of evil. Why is it that modern games and even movies somehow make this cool idea about as exciting as reading the phone book? Jackal gives you a plot that doesn’t care about every single little detail. No mention of any country or type of government trying to take away the freedom of Democracy. None of that garbage. The story itself is like the action movies I mentioned; an entertaining premise that doesn’t take itself seriously, allowing its viewer to actually care about the story. Because of this, Jackal gets an 8 for the story.
Depth - 7
When it comes to these old 2-D shooters, they tend to lack any sense of depth. It’s as basic as it gets: You shoot down enemy aircraft and obstacles to win. Jackal unfortunately suffers from this. The main issue is that aside from your gun and grenades and rockets, you have nothing else to use when killing the enemy. One of the most enjoyable aspects of any shooter, whether it be run and gun, first person, or 2-D, is the amount of weapons you come across throughout the levels and stages. Because of this, it can get really boring after the first few stages with the same 3 weapons. But with that said I do like how your Jeep is also a weapon. That’s right: you can run over enemy soldiers with it. Well played Konami, well played. However, the game also doesn’t really have a variety of enemies. You have your standard foot soldier with his gun, your enemy tanks, your bosses, boats, and helicopters. With that said, it’s understandable how there’s only so many kinds of enemies when your game has a military feel to it. So I can’t give the game that much fault. The game does have a sense of depth but it leaves more to be desired which is why it gets a 7.
Difficulty - 8
Along with Konami’s other NES titles, Jackal is a rather difficult game. Just like many games from the shooter genre, the game is far from boring. While the first two stages aren’t that engaging or difficult, the game gets harder and harder with more enemies and obstacles. As you get to the later stages it begins to feel more and more like Contra; you find yourself facing dozens of enemies all while avoiding showers of bullets and rockets. And as usual, one hit and you’re dead. Because of this, the game requires you to get good and fast. But what makes the game difficult is how your Jeep works. You see, you have two ways of killing enemies: 1) Your machine gun and 2) Your grenades. Sounds straightforward right? Wrong. The first issue is that regardless of what position your jeep is in, your machine gun can only shoot up ahead. I’ve tried countless times and never has the machine gun shot anywhere below. This leaves you vulnerable to enemy fire from below. But then you have your grenades. You can upgrade them into rockets if you gain enough points from finding enough prisoners and getting the upgrades. With the grenades, you can shoot anywhere you want. Sounds like the only weapon you'd use right? Well it comes with a catch. The grenades have a delay unlike the machine gun which can fire infinitely. This can be frustrating at times; either you ignore the enemies at the bottom of the screen and risk getting shot at, or you use the grenades and dodge enemy fire so that you can reload your ammo. Because of this, the game gets a difficulty of 8 because of how it gets you to multitask about your weapons.
Overall: 7.5/10 - AVERAGE
When it comes to many of Konami’s NES games, Jackal is one of their more overlooked. With that said, it’s not hard to see why. While it might not be as engaging as Contra or Castlevania, it’s still a rather fun shooter. To me, this is how a lot of the action movie based games should have been like. Rambo, Terminator, Mad Max and countless other titles would have benefited from being a run and gun shooter like Contra or a simple 2-D shooter like Jackal. But today, those games are forgotten and for a good reason; the companies that made them cared more about their wallets than they did creating an enjoyable game. My final score is a 7.5/10. While it’s far from the best 2-D shooter for the NES, it’s still a rather enjoyable game that gives you a good run for your money. Not to mention, there’s no excuse not to get this game on the NES. It remains one of the cheapest games for the system; people sell copies of this game for less than $10. I recommend this game to anyone who’s fond of the 2-D shooter genre. And for those who really liked Contra, it wouldn’t hurt to try this game. Overall, this game is one of the best to get if you’re just starting out with NES collecting: it’s affordable and it’s enjoyable. What more do you need?
Graphics 8 Sound 7 Addictive 7 Story 8 Depth 7 Difficulty 8
Review Rating: 5/5
Submitted: 07-27-16
Review Replies: 0
7.5
I should have just bought this game, I was stupid endings
Jackal is a simple enough game, you are commandos in a jeep. The jeep shoots bullets and also throws grenades. You ended up packing the endless grenade box though, which is a good thing, because with no limit you can throw them nonstop and take out an army. Its two players too, as you both move around the battlegrounds, actually, it seems you are deeper in enemy lines -I'll explain later - and rescue P.O.W.s.
This game has an ebb and flow. Sometimes you are rescuing prisoners, breaking into their locked buildings against minimal troop resistance and driving them to a rescue helicopter, and other times its throwing you right into the enemy and letting them fire at will on you.
When I was a kid, I rented this game (as one could from Redbox nowadays) probably.. 8 times. With that money, I could have just bought it! Jackal was that fun for me. It gets the action just right. Lets go through my beat up memories here and see how it scores.
Graphics: 5
Aside from a few excellent looking bosses, the birds-eye view is so far away it hurts any kind of detail. The infantry soldiers almost look like stick men, the tanks are just about as big as your jeep - definitely not impressive! There is a helicopter boss who is really huge, which is kind of out of proportion to say, a rather small statue boss you killed on stage 2.
The backgrounds make up for it though, some are expected, an empty beach, military bases - others not so much, a Grecian ruin, complete with crumbling columns. The explosions in this game all look the same, and kind of cheap, really.
Sound: 8
Komani really turned up in the sound department. The music is excellent. This came out right about the time the first Metal Gear did, and you can hear the similarities the house did on them (and see it a bit in the title). The music is fast, and matches the rushed aspect of your attacks. You bomb the enemy and keep it moving, Sound effects are ok, but definitely weaker. Probably the best of them go to the final boss. The explosions though common, don't impress in the sound department either.
Addictiveness: 9
I LOVED this game. I would play it, beat the thing, think I was over it, and within a month, its hot and heady mixture of fast combat and tough difficulty would call me back. Now I look on it and it all looks a bit simple, really. But its still a really fun game, the difficulty is just enough to punish you without it feeling like you were cheated. And with two-player, its even more fun.
Story: 3
I uh, just know you are trying to get to the end. There wasn't any story for me, really. It almost felt like one of those old (wait this is old) arcade shooters. You just drop down and there you go. The game is hurt badly by this, and all you get to go off is a overall map - and a end level graphic that kind of looks like a comic book panel. Its not much, and I wish there was more to it, especially when you factor in the crazy last boss.
Depth: 4
This game doesn't do anything beyond shooting things, rescuing things, and dodging things. There is no powerups to collect, only P.O.W. If you rescue them (you don't have to) they will upgrade your grenades and you'll get rockets - which shoot further, and can be powered up (again with P.O.W. - get it) to have small projectile explosions. This is a very useful upgrade and you can flatten enemies in 4 directions with it - the shot even goes through foes to hit people behind.
Difficulty: 7
This is a good difficulty I feel. Its not a pushover, and has lots of new surprises thrown at you each level. The lasers traps are particularly interesting. I played a few times with a friend, he died every time on the lasers. Over and over. Ah well, no patience I guess. The bosses are impressive most of the time, and I enjoyed fighting them, from giant tanks to giant ships, its pretty much giant everything.
Overall: 7.5
This is a good game overall, excellent with two players. If you like military themed shooters this might be up your alley.
Graphics 5 Sound 8 Addictive 9 Story 3 Depth 4 Difficulty 7
Review Rating: 5/5
Submitted: 10-21-14
Review Replies: 2
8
Jackal - The Run'N'Gun Ghostbear1111
Jackal, released by Konami for the Nintendo Entertainment System, is one of the better run and gun style games for the NES.
The format is a top-down shooter where you take command of one (or two for two-player mode) jeeps and attempt to assault through one of the most hostile military environments the NES will throw at you. There are two weapons, a limited range machine gun that fires rounds to the top of the screen no matter what orientation the jeep is in, and a special weapon, which starts with grenades. Those grenades can be upgrade to missiles, missiles that explode left and right to cause more damage, and missiles that explode left, right, up and down to cause maximum damage. Once the jeep is destroyed, the player is reset with grenades and guns only. There are no upgrades for the machine gun.
A transport helicopter drops you off at the beginning of the game in a vaguely Central American looking map. Your objective is to attack through enemy held terrain, rescuing POWs along the way, dropping them off for extraction, and finally destroying the enemy's final weapon. Along the way, you're attacked by a host of infantry, jeeps and tanks, helicopters and attack planes, field guns, and even light speed boats and submarines. The jeep fits, somehow, unlimited rescued soldiers and there are weapon upgrades available if the jeep delivers all eight to a landing pad.
Jackal is fun. It's a game where you have to decide between shooting it out or running through the game. I played several times, once was to simply avoid the bullets and missiles flying at me. It's beatable both ways, though trying to fight your way often proves more difficult. The number of enemy rounds and cannonballs and explosives flying at you often makes maneuver difficult. The controls are responsive and you can make that little jeep dance on the map. Another nice point is you can go back down and left and right with the scrolling map. It's not Super Mario, where you're stuck and can't retreat if needed. There were plenty of times I need to run away to the bottom of the map and I could retreat without taking damage.
Lastly, the music may not age as well as some other games but the themes are upbeat, fast-paced, and enjoyable. It's easy to get lost in the game play with the music and the explosions and the speed. Enemy attacks seem to slide by the jeep and you continue to survive, even if you thought you were dead.
Give Jackal a shot. It's an excellent top-down shooter that encourages both attacking and avoiding. It's an enjoyable, sometimes overlooked diversion delivered by Konami for the NES.
Graphics 8 Sound 7 Addictive 7 Story 4 Depth 3 Difficulty 8
Review Rating: 4.5/5
Submitted: 04-06-17
Review Replies: 3
8.5
Original review name for Jackal on the NES. Frodlex
Alright, Today I'm doing a review on a game for the Nintendo Entertainment System called Jackal. This is a game which places you in the middle of a rescue operation to rescue your allies who have been captured by your enemies. I only played this game in order to make a review for it in order to win a competition.. But after starting up and playing a few seconds of this game I was hooked, I honestly mean that too, There are several reason I like this game as much as I do.. But there are also a few things that did bug me about the game and I'm going to go ahead and start my review now in order to show them to you. Enjoy
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Graphic: Alright, This is actually the area of the game where I have most of my issues, I'm taking into consideration that it's an old game for an even older system, But I still have a couple problems here.. Like the fact your Jeep's wheels don't move, Or the fact that there is next to no detail on the enemy soldiers.. And seeing as they are all supposed to be snipers... They have some pretty big bullets, Where can I get a gun like that? And the entire floor on most of the levels seems like the same color simply repeated and covered over with some obstacles. But enough of the negative, Let's focus on what I actually like about this game for a moment.
While I have my problems with the graphics, It's also surprisingly good considering this is still a NES game and game designers didn't have as much available to them at the time and there are some things that are still surprisingly detailed, Like the enemy tanks.. Or those weird head statues that re appear, Or the grenades you start out with, You can tell that people actually tried to do well when this game was designed. One thing I noticed is that the game reminded me a lot of Contra (Same designers I know.) Visually, And that's something I can't say I mind in the slightest.
My score... 6. Sound: Both sound effects and the music of this game are pretty enjoyable, I'm going to go ahead and start with the music first being the music junkie that I am.. Anyway, The music in this game is just awesome, I'm not sure how to explain it honestly, As amazing as the soundtrack is it's actually really short and does play in a loop that some might see as a little annoying, But honestly it never got boring to me and I enjoyed the thing from start to end. I can actually link the soundtrack here for those who want to hear it, The whole thing is only 5 minutes long though. [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6vDhqDCi68[/url]
As for the sound effects of this game, Well.. While they aren't that realistic I just simply can't blame that... First off, It's a game and we don't need actual explosions and gunfire left and right, That stuff isn't good for anyone honestly, It makes you irritated, Grouchy and all around frustrated. But I need to get back on track with this. The sound affects in this game are pretty catchy while still applying the desired effects such as... Boom! Bada bada bada etc... Overall I actually really like the sound of this game.
My score...8. Addictiveness: For the past two days I've been playing this game, And by looking at the comments on the game you see that Jordanv78 (A Global moderator at this time in case you read this later or did not know.) said this "This game is a shooter, made by Konami. 'Nuff said. Fun game. I still love playing it even though I've beaten it like a million times over the years." That being said, The thing that keeps me playing is the game-play, It's fun, Challenging, And most of all just plain addicting, Want a better explanation as to why it's so addicting? Why not try it out for yourself and then ask yourself why you like to play it. (Assuming you like the game.)
My score... 10. Story: Yay! Story time! Alright, I'm not sure this game has that much of a story, It's possible it's been told elsewhere or that I'm clearly missing something but this story is pretty straight forward and is basically just game-play as far as I know. (Still avoiding spoilers.) While it's pretty bland (As far as I know.) there is still a lot of potential with the base that we have with it, I could make a half decent fan fiction of this game even. (Good idea.) And hey, Maybe the designers had a huge story no one ever got to know about simply due to the NES's capabilities. But in the end there is nothing I can do but speculate here,
My score... 4.Depth: Well... Let me write for a moment while I think about this.. There honestly isn't much depth to it when it comes to story and there isn't much side stuff to do other than the hidden power ups and those weird star things I found (Unless I have more to discover and don't know it yet.) All in all there isn't too much to say here.
My score... 5.Difficulty: This game is interesting when it comes down to mechanics, You can get hit once before you die.. No exceptions, Some enemies are harder to take down than others while some enemies are just as weak as you if not weaker. The one thing you do have on your side though is mobility and the fact that you always fire your normal gun straight up, This allows you to run circles around your enemies while blasting a tank in front of you while also shooting that pesky turret on your left.
Here's the catch, While you have good mobility and some decent firepower inspite of your low endurance, There will be bullets and rockets everywhere, I mean three turrets shooting at you while 20 soldiers move in and a tank and two jeeps provide fire support for the jet trying to blast you from the sky, This game is straight up hard, There are people coming at you from everywhere.. And maybe not in the first couple levels, But three and onward is just a suicide mission. In order to beat this game you need focus, Control, A quick thinking mind, And a lot of skill. But the difficulty is what really makes it hard, I'm a pretty good gamer in most genre's but I have yet to beat this game myself to be entirely honest, And that's saying something right there.
My score...9. (Yes, there are still harder games out there.)
Overall: Alright, Time to wrap up this review, There isn't too much I didn't mention before so I'm going to make sure to add other things that weren't worth mentioning in the other areas of the review here, Such as the multi-player or the fact that game-play can get a little bit repetitive you focus too much on the game-play and just don't allow yourself to be entranced in the game itself. Or maybe the fact that when there are no enemies to kill it feels like you're three times slower.
But all in all this game is still really fun to play and I had a good time playing it myself, With the addicting game-play, The awesome difficulty, The awesome story I made up in my head while playing this and the music that kept me going through all of it.
My score... 8.5.'Well, That's it for my review on this game, I hope you enjoyed it and I hope even more so that you'll give this game a try in order to experience it first hand as I and the others who have played this game (Jordan for instance.) have< Enjoy yourself and have a good day.
Jordanv78 : I wanted to apologize for not asking permission for quoting you in this review and make sure that I'm not trying to steal credit or anything but simply using your words on this game to explain my point, And give you a chance to read this if you wanted to for any reason even if only to see yourself quoted.
Graphics 6 Sound 8 Addictive 10 Story 4 Depth 5 Difficulty 9
Review Rating: 4.3/5
Submitted: 08-17-13
Review Replies: 1
7.8
Jackal Review made by TornadoMudkip TornadoMudkip
Graphics ~ 8/10
This game has actually pretty impressive graphics for a NES game. I really loved to see a NES game with smashing graphics. Most of the NES games have really worse graphics in my opinion.
The colours didn't fit for other NES games but with this game that's another story.
Because you're a truck or car. (Just on the way you want to say, I prefer to call it a truck, called a jeep on the cover.)
The colour of that truck is green, and because you're shooting things like a cannon. This just fits perfectly in my opinion of course.
You're also in different places like a desert, the colour is orange, so that also fits wonderful.
The controls where easy to play, it wasn't that hard to find out how everything works.
If you move the truck, you really see if it's moving forward. Which is looking awesome.
A funny fact is if you destroy a house, people will come out. And with that you also can hit them!
Overall the game just looks good for a NES game. I would highly recommend people to see the graphics of this game.
Sound ~ 8/10
Ah.. Like always classic games have classic sounds, which I do love the most!
Strangely, the music into this game makes me in my ''Fired Up'' mode. Which means that I'll try even harder to beat this game. This also makes the game more fun if you ask me.
Lucky the sound isn't the same everywhere. Every level has a boss, which has another sound than the level that you play. The boss tune fits amazing for this game. This also makes me cheery with an exciting feeling. Which is feeling great.
Overall I can't really say more in this part. But I think this game has a worthy sound into the game.
Addictiveness ~ 7/10
This game was okay with playing. In my opinion, this game is better for males than females.
Because you're shooting a lot, I think this game is better for boys.
But there is also a great part...
Well the fact is, you can play this game with your friends, but sadly only one. That makes the game more fun, I would love to try this game out with someone on Netplay. That would be amazing!
Also, playing with friends is more fun than playing alone!
You can also try to get the highest high score, which gives me my ''Never Give Up'' spirit.
With that I always try to keep on and trying my very best for giving my all to get an amazing score!
Overall this game is pretty good for playing together, if there wasn't a 2 player modes, I wouldn't loved this game a lot.
Story ~ 3/10
Sadly I don't really understand the story. You must beat 6 levels with bosses, that's all.
Just shooting and trying to complete the game I guess. To save the world and everything!
Overall, this is really the worst part of this game because I even can't understand the story.
But just what I'm thinking, only shooting is actually a bad story.
I think the makers of this game could make a story with a little more depth into it. Then people could understand the story more. That would be more fun in my opinion.
Depth ~ 7/10
It depends how good you're in this game. If you're pretty good in this game, then I think you can beat this game in 1 hour or less. I guess.
If you're bad in this game, like me. Then this would take a little longer to beat this game. But if you don't give up and always try, I'm sure you can beat this game. Practise would help a lot as well.
The game offers are just okay for me. I've said things before in the review about what you can do.
Why just okay? I think the game could have a little more offers to beat. I actually love games which are a little longer.
Overall I think this could be a little better. If the game has more depth. The game become more brilliant then before.
Difficulty ~ 8/10
I'm going to say this about me, I find this game pretty hard to beat. I'm not very good in shooting games, I prefer Pokemon. I think I had just lucky when I'd beat the first level.
In my opinion this game is just too hard for me. But other players of this game will think something else of course. I think also many people found this game really easy to beat.
Overall, I guess that game just loves to kill me. Jackal doesn't want that I beat this game, lol.
Overall ~ 7.8
I started to play this game because play4fun asked everyone in the chat to make a review for this game. Well not everyone wanted to make a review but I loved to try. I was pretty surprised which game it was. Personally I think shooting games are nothing for me but I still enjoyed this, even when I died. Pretty impressive work of the maker of this game, I must say!
I'm glad that I played this game, I highly recommend especially the most males but also females to play this game, it's worth playing in my opinion.
And the last thing I would say is that I think that this Review is really bad. (And this isn't really a great day for me.)
I'm sorry, I can't make it better because I didn't really loved this game. (Not the feeling I have with Pokemon games.)
Graphics 8 Sound 8 Addictive 7 Story 3 Depth 7 Difficulty 8
Review Rating: 4.3/5
Submitted: 08-15-13
Updated: 08-15-13
Review Replies: 6
7.2
Jackal LegolasJJH
Jackal for the NES pits you right in the middle of the most dangerous rescue operation of your life! Jackal is a top view game where you control a Jeep containing 4 men armed with a machine gun and a grenade launcher which is upgradeable. Your goal is to save your comrades from enemy buildings and then drop them off at rescue points. Jackal is a fast paced action packed game not recommended for people with slow reflexes.
Graphics: 6 The games graphics are ok to average, I feel like their is something to be desired , maybe the games sprites could have been more detailed. In some of the locations their seems to be large areas with little to no detail.
Sound: 8 The games soundtrack is catchy, you know the games soundtrack can't be all bad if you find yourself humming the background music after playing the game , which I can say I've done with this game. The sounding of a boss battle about to begin does a good job preparing you for the intense fight. The sound effects for the guns and explosions are appropriate but could potentially been made louder or more dramatic.
Addictiveness: 8 The game is very fun, the controls are crisp and responsive and the pace of the game leaves you at the edge of your seat and screaming at the tv/computer screen once you die. The game contains 6 stages all with a boss at the end and after the first stage it becomes very difficult. The game can be played 2 player giving you endless fun with friends. The game also has a score system allowing you to compete for the highest score.
Story: 5 The story kind of seems like a cliché action movie script but these games are not played for their story. About the only plot twist I can really see in the game comes towards the end and it's a stretch as to if you would consider it a plot twist or not.
Depth: 7 The game is long once you consider how difficult it is to get to the final stages. If you were good it wouldn't really take all to long to complete the entire game, but it would take practice for anyone to become good enough to do so. I think the greatest re-playability of the game comes in the form of playing with friends and competing for high score.
Difficulty: 9 This game is very hard, and takes extremely fast reflexes (or incredible luck). I consider myself an above average gamer and I've only been able to beat the game 2 player.
Overall: 7.2 I take the average of the graphics, sound , addictiveness, and depth category's to get my overall score which is 7.2. I think this is a fair scoring for the game because it is a very fun game but it has its limitations in graphics and it may be slightly hard for some people. The game is very fun for the NES though because their is not a ton of other games exactly like it. Driving a military jeep equipped to the brim with firepower appeals to any action lovers. This is another one of those games best played 2 player, but can always be enjoyed solo.
Graphics 6 Sound 8 Addictive 8 Story 5 Depth 7 Difficulty 9
Review Rating: 4/5
Submitted: 09-15-12
Review Replies: 5
7
Jackel - NES shooter warmaker
Jackel is a traditional NES up-scrolling shooter. You command an Army Jeep and your mission is to rescue prisoners of war and destroy enemy bases as you go. You are armed with an upward firing gun and a grenade launcher which upgrades to missiles as you progress.
Story: The story is basic and doesn't have too much depth. You're on a mission to rescue your buddies and get them to helicopter landing pads to evacuate them. Once they're gone, you can continue on with your mission to destroy various bosses and bases on the ground. The truck is equipped with some firepower and you can improve it as long as you're not hit while driving. You can use the vehicle to run over infantry but you have to shoot turrets and other tanks. You're susceptible to air attacks as planes and helicopters fly overhead and drop bombs on you.
Graphics: The graphics are generic and you'll see the same sort of scroller combat simulator as most other NES games. The game does move quickly and there are a tremendous number of enemies, debris, and bullets and missiles that can hit you. The graphics do well to show the volume of artillery flying through the air at any given time and you fight in ruins, in jungle, on sand and beaches, and over bridges. The scenery is engaging and adds to the flavor of the game.
Sound: The music is attractive and upbeat. You may find yourself humming the songs and tunes after you're done playing and in the night while trying to fall a
sleep. The generic beeps and boops of shooting and explosions are nothing special but the music does make Jackel a more entertaining game to play.
Addictiveness: The game is a challenge and hard. You can play it over and over trying to beat it. Once you have succeeded and checked it off your scorecard as "NES Game Done" it is unlikely you'll come back except for nostalgia. Fighting through and succeeding is what will drive you to play over and over. There are a nice amount of unlimited resets and you don't have to limit yourself to only a few do-overs. You can take your time and finish the game.
Difficulty: This one is a doozy. The challenge is in dodging and evading flying ammunition. Columns collapse and roll toward you, the enemy tanks have better speed and fire further. Terrain makes narrow channels and forces you into particular paths that give you no room for maneuver. You can't take your eyes off the screen for a second and even enemies you pass by can and will come up from the bottom of the screen. There's no avoiding the mobile units. This game teaches you it is sometimes unnecessary to blow up every unit on the screen. Running and avoiding sometimes are better options. The ending is something you need to see and when you get there, you say, "Thank the lord that's over." It's a challenge, it s insanely hard and can frustrate even the most dedicated gamer and doing this without saving or using screenshots will test every person's reflexes.
Graphics 6 Sound 6 Addictive 7 Story 5 Depth 5 Difficulty 10
Review Rating: 4/5
Submitted: 02-02-14
Review Replies: 0
7
Jackal (NES) Oldschool777
Hello Everyone,It is your old friend (or enemy) Oldschool777 with another review.Today I bring you Jackal for the NES.Overall=7This is a action/shooter that was very typical for the time. It was first released in the arcades before being ported to numerous systems. IT can be played two player and in the NES version you could steal a life if you lose your last jeep,(ask your buddy if he minds,before you do that.) You play as a group of commandos in a jeep that is tasked with rescuing POW's (Prisoners Of War). You play as a squad of four men,according to the game,was effective enough for a rescue but not a noticeable blow if they were captured or killed. I believe they took inspiration from the British,who fielded a similar setup in WW2,but I could be wrong. You have to avoid being shot or ran over and one thing that the GTA generation can appreciate is you could run over infantrymen and they would make a satisfying squish sound.You will search all over for prisoners and special prisoners. The prisoners give you points and the special prisoners will give you an upgrade to your weapon. You are armed with a machine gun that always fires up and grenade that is lobbed wherever you are facing. When you rescue a special prisoner,you gain a missile and it can be upgraded to extend the range horizontally and another upgrade adds the vertical range.This is a one hit kill game and that might turn off a lot of players,but think of it as a challenge. You will get better and you do have unlimited continues. The controls are good and it feels responsive,but do not expect burning rubber here.Graphics=6The graphics are colorful and okay,but no real detail to the sprites. The backgrounds are kind of on the blah side,but are decent. You fight from jungles,to ruins,bases and so on with the backgrounds changing to fit the theme. They work but beware you do have the infamous NES scroll issue and that can lead to cheap deaths.Sound=8The sounds are wonderful and as I mentioned,the squish sound of the infantry is so fun. The machine gun and the explosives sound good and the warning klaxon before you fight a boss is great. The real star is the music. It is very catchy and you may find yourself humming along to it. It keeps you engaged and makes you want to keep fighting.Addictiveness=7This is a fun game,although as I said,this is a one hit and you lose a life type of game. This was typical of the period and should not be held against it. This game worked best in quarter long doses,and a two player mode is fun to go on a rampage. You will want to squish infantry,fight the enemy jeeps,tanks,turrets,missile launchers,and other hazards. Any section can be beaten,it takes patience to know when to rush in and when to retreat. Story=5This is a typical story,rescue the POW's and deliver them to the extraction point before fighting the boss. You probably have seen this story in movies and TV and other games,but weak and predictable story aside,it is a fun tour of duty.Depth=7The game is fairly straight forward,taking out the enemy emplacements and finding the special prisoners to power up your weapon. You can find special stars that destroy that screen of enemies and each stage has its own stage hazards. For instance in level 2,you are fighting in a Greek-inspired ruin and some the pillars will either fall at you or a bomber will bomb the pillars to dislodge them and try to smash your jeep. When you have the fully powered missile with the horizontal and vertical extensions you can hit stuff that was out of your reach and can ignore certain landscape features like a berm. Difficulty=9This game will kick your rear end and you will like it. You will want to come back to try get further. Be grateful this is an emulation,the original you had to beat in one play session. But that is how gamers like myself cut our teeth. The enemy is relentless and can be placed well enough that a frontal assault will end up costing you a life normally. You either have to fake out the enemy or have an upgraded weapon to make it easier. It can be done even with starting weapons. So pile into the jeep,buckle up head into battle. Those prisoners are not going to rescue themselves. Remember,to use the invincibility when your new jeep comes in. That can often tip the battle in your favor.
Graphics 6 Sound 8 Addictive 7 Story 5 Depth 7 Difficulty 9
Review Rating: 3.8/5
Submitted: 11-25-16
Review Replies: 6
8.8
Jackal is awesome! robert_stefan12
A pretty amazing game, I loved it when I was little and I still like it now as well. It's a rather simple game, a top-down shooter where you're controlling a jeep that can shoot out grenades, bullets and missiles. It has little to no plot, which is rescuing hostages that were taken by the enemy during the war, making the game even more simple, but it's good as it is because this game is focused more on the gameplay and did a great job at it. Anyway, let's start the scoring:
Graphics: 6
The Graphics are pretty meh, the background looks rather interesting at times (Stage 5 looks like you're on Mars), but most of the time it's rather dull and pretty disproportionate, this is most noticeable in the 4th Stage Boss aka the giant helicopter, the small size of the tanks or the giant grenades that you're throwing, they just don't feel right. Animations are nothing too interesting either.
Sounds: 9
The music for this game is amazing! The stage themes are one of the greatest NES music I've ever heard. Although, even if this game has three really wonderful songs, those songs, the boss theme and the credits are the only songs that this game has to offer (excluding the Intro, Game Over and the Level Clear themes, they're only about 20 seconds). At least this is much better than creating around 20 really boring songs, better to just make 3 great ones.
Addictiveness: 9
Game is very fun to play, I usually don't play the same games over and over again, this one though was one of the exceptions, it's even better that this game has a 2-player mode, you can have a lot of fun playing with another friend, try to score as much as possible, find all the hidden stars (Power-ups) or try to rescuing all of the hostages and safely escorting them to the chopper. Although the biggest thing that will make you play this game a lot is the difficulty, it's rather challenging and will take you some tries to beat it.
Story: 5
I gave it a 5 despite this game having almost to no story, which was, as I mentioned before, rescuing hostages during a war. Even though that's the main plot of the game you would've expected that the game would be less destructive, the objective of the game is to defeat a whole army instead of just rescuing hostages, so your role is more important than what the game is telling you. I gave it a 5 because this plot, as small as it is, isn't bad and it's not typical either.
Depth: 6
Not that much depth into it. You will mostly shoot things, dodge things, rescue hostages and collect power-ups. The power-ups are found while rescuing a special hostage (I like to call him a general) or some hidden power-ups. The general and some of the hidden power-ups will upgrade your weapon, the hidden power-up maxing your power. The other hidden power-ups are 1-ups and a power-up that destroys every enemy on the screen. These power-ups can't be collected and used after, reducing their usability. The Grenade is upgraded into one missile (which I think it's more useless than a grenade, it doesn't go over terrain like the grenade does). The missile can be upgraded (and thus, be a great weapon) into a missile that will explode in 2-ways and upgraded again for a 4-way explosion.
Difficulty: 8
The stage design can be pretty tough on some parts, I consider Stage 4 and Stage 6 the hardest of them all, Stage 4 for that annoying swamp, for the train and irritating enemy placement and Stage 6 for always having to dodge stuff because there's lots of enemies here. Some bosses are quite difficult, besides the 4th stage boss, which is pretty easy. The final boss though, is very strong, he has 2 phases and both of them are really tough to fight. I would have given a 9 or even a 10 for the difficulty, but the game is rather generous with lives, giving you 5 lives from the start while being able to gain lives by scoring or by finding 1-Ups (although they're quite rare) and also because it allows you to continue 3 times if you have lost.
Overall: 8.5
I recommend it to everyone interested in this genre, in my opinion, this game is a classic and the battle will truly make your blood boil.
Graphics 6 Sound 9 Addictive 9 Story 5 Depth 6 Difficulty 8
Review Rating: 3.6/5
Submitted: 03-28-13
Updated: 04-19-17
Review Replies: 10
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