Jackal

Jackal puts you behind the wheel of a jeep-mounted special forces unit dropped behind enemy lines. Driving in eight directions with turret fire bound to a second button, you fight through enemy camps, armoured columns and boss fortifications while collecting prisoners of war scattered across each stage.

The hook is the rescue system: every POW you pick up upgrades your weapon, from a humble machine gun and grenade launcher up to a rocket launcher with expanding blast radius. Lose a life and the hardware steps back down — so protecting your vehicle and nailing the pickups is the whole game. The Famicom version expands the arcade original with extra stages, new bosses and two-player simultaneous co-op.

• ▸Eight-direction jeep combat with two independent weapons
• ▸POW rescue system that permanently upgrades your firepower
• ▸Two-player simultaneous co-op with shared battlefield
• ▸Famicom version adds stages and bosses over the 1986 arcade original