Jackal (NES) Playthrough

A playthrough of Konami's 1988 action game for the NES, Jackal.
Jackal doesn't get the spotlight treatment as often as other Konami NES classics like the Castlevania, Gradius, and TMNT games do, but it certainly deserves the attention.
Jackal began life as the Japanese arcade game 特殊部隊ジャッカル (Tokkusyu Butai Jakkaru, lit. "Special Forces Jackal"), which was released in Europe as "Jackal" and in the US as "Top Gunner." The game was adapted, with some significant changes, to the Famicom Disk System as ファイナルコマン赤い要塞 (Fainaru Koman Akaiyousai, lit. "Final Command: Red Fortress"), and finally, a few months later it appeared (again, in heavily altered form) on the American NES as "Jackal."
The game places you in the role of an American soldier who has been sent deep into the jungles of Vietnam to rescue prisoners of war, hence the reference to Communism in the title of the Japanese FDS version. The intro sums it all up nicely:
YOUR BROTHERS-IN-ARMS ARE
HOSTAGES BEHIND ENEMY
LINES, AND YOU'RE THEIR
ONLY HOPE FOR FREEDOM.
BUT THE FIREPOWER YOU'LL
FACE TO RESCUE THEM IS
AWESOME.
RESCUE THE POW'S IN THE
BUILDINGS.
YOU'LL NEED A POCKET FULL
OF MIRACLES, AND THE
FEROCITY OF A WILD JACKAL.
If that's not poetry, I don't know what is.
You drive around in a jeep equipped with a machine gun and an upgradable grenade launcher, liberating prisoners from camps and getting them safely to the extraction point in each of the six stages. Since you're deep within enemy territory, you'll also have to mow down throngs of Charlie while taking out heavy weapon installations, and each stage is capped off with a big boss fight.
The stages are fairly large and offer opportunities for some limited exploration, and there are multiple paths through many of the areas, so there's a good bit of fun to be had from multiple replays. The controls are sharp, your weapons are more than capable of handling the opposition, and though the game steadily ramps up the challenge as you progress, it never becomes frustratingly difficult. It's surprisingly forgiving for a Konami game of its vintage. If you find Contra and Castlevania III to be a bit too demanding, this one might be more your speed, especially if you play in the 2P co-op mode. For as great a single player experience as it is, it's even better when you play it with a friend.
The graphics and sound are exactly what you'd expect from Konami in 1988. The stages are detailed and showcase a lot of variety, the flicker is kept to a reasonable level, the soundtrack bumps just as hard as Contra's, and the cutscenes look great.
Jackal is heaps of fun and an overall excellent game. If you don't already have a copy, you should go ahead and fix that. I promise you won't regret it.
YEAHHHH!
_____________
No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
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[@brianisaac1804]

I’m 48 years old, I still find myself humming the music to this game.

[@stephenschaffenberger6765]

It's some of konami's best from the NES era. It's right up there with contra and super c.

[@ClassicTVMan1981X]

Atsushi Fujio also did the music for the NES version of Gyruss.

[@michaelr9839]

The sound effects and music are stellar. Love this game

[@mikeanderson1876]

We need this on Nintendo online

[@CrabMeatElite]

When I was a 6-year-old kid and finally beat the final base...only to see that tank come out, I cried.

[@fatihmericozarslan3245]

Heck yes, one of my most favorite Konami games. Even Stage 3/6 soundtrack is superb.

[@Rodzilla97]

just beat this. pretty tough, but fair. found a safe spot on the last boss on my last life. i did have another continue, but no way i wanted to start that level over. pretty great game!

[@paymankhayree8552]

I loved this game as a kid. time flies

[@mariusamber3237]

Great co-op game, one of my favourites from the NES era. Other than that... it's short and sweet, as the phrase goes!

[@grant21999]

Great game. I loved it as a kid

[@Zaxares]

Fun fact: It's actually possible to destroy the final boss tank's machine gun turret separately before killing the tank itself, but it's very hard to land the grenades/missiles on target that most times it's just not worth the time spent trying. XD

[@SomeOrangeCat]

Konami was on fire back then.

[@lakshmiprabha25]

"This is the best NES action game i have ever seen."

[@germancastillo8478]

i love the soundtrack amazing!!!!

[@vdog4799]

Right on bro! I remember this!👍

[@roeuth]

This game is best played with friends.

[@MrSuperspeedsonic]

Jackal is truly a Konami classic for the console, I remember it used to be pretty cheap CIB a couple years ago but things always change. I enjoy the game obviously attempts for creative level design and don't fearing these amusing stuff happening from level 1 to the end. YEEEEAH!

[@carlosmattos2897]

Amanzing! My fist game.

[@palomino678]

OH NO, NOT THE ARC OF THE GRENADE

[@williedeguzman4423]

NES jackal machine gun only speed run or long play (no emulation just straight up OG nes console)

[@razorblade7486]

one of the first nee game i played aside from Mario and contra

[@benzenatizineeddine7816]

This is how our parents went to school

[@handsomestik]

Used to get this mistaken for break thru

[@johnfreddymendozahurtado7381]

Remake NOW!!

[@jshepard152]

11:55 Here?

[@avtechnick5845]

Who would win: 1. An army that's armed to the teeth? 2. Four guys on one jeep*? *Two jeeps, if we count 2-player playthrough.

[@Holy_Shit1]

We have pro player here! Keep it up and make it again

[@williedeguzman4423]

Any % speed runs don’t count fyi

[@ReyAngeloSarto-mz7tc]

Revolutions of 2099 aka 2099 spring: New States: Republic of China (on mainland as noncommunist federated state) Republic of North Korea Federative Republic of Siberia Russian Federation (democraticized) Vietnam (democraticized as noncommunist Republic of Vietnam) Laos (noncommunist monarchy restoration) Syria (democraticized as nonbaathist state) Cambodia (democraticized as retaining monarchy) Myanmar (federated state) Afghanistan (nontaliban federated state) Cuba (democraticized as noncommunist state) Venezuela (democraticized) Nicaragua (democraticized) Bolivia (democraticized) Iran (nonislamic monarchy restoration) Iraq (democraticized) Palestine (democraticized) Libya (democraticized as federated state) Yemen (democraticized) Sudan (democraticized) Eritrea (democraticized) Belarus (democraticized) Serbia (democraticized)

[@NintendoComplete]

You'll need a pocket full of miracles, and the ferocity of a wild jackal. This battle will make your blood boil.

[@AndrewSouzaGames555]

Ok Beleza Algun dia vou tentar zerar esse jogo Talvez no meu celular ou no meu Sup2 / portatil

[@christopherthibeault7502]

"Oh, I bet. I'm trying to play it with the POWER GLOVE!" --James Rolfe

[@therealisticgamer5834]

I agree👍

[@9b8ll]

Yeahhhhhhhh! Beating this game and with limited continues is no joke! But this game is brutal, fun and short

[@prijolegend4096]

After this Impressive Quote , Blood Boiling BGM plays 😍😘

[@Papayap0drida]

This game REALLY deserves a remake or at least a remaster. It’s a real masterpiece.

[@TheDutchGhost]

One was planned during the Wii era as one of Konami's Rebirth games but it got canceled.

[@Papayap0drida]

@@TheDutchGhost so sad it didn’t come 😔

[@TheDutchGhost]

@@Papayap0drida That and many other potential Rebirth games as Konami has quite a catalog of old games.

[@onahdenchris3250]

Play Renegade ops bro. You'll love it, it's just like this

[@andrexlegarda9027]

Try jackal squad now on play store is the remake

[@murrowboy]

I never questioned how they fit so many people in 1 jeep. lol

[@cetocoquinto4704]

Funniest man..cheers from philippines 😂

[@bestchannelintheworld]

this is probably the only arcade port on the NES with a perfectly balanced difficulty. Not overly hard, not boringly easy.

[@flood2k3]

I honestly think the nes version is way better than the arcade version, drastically different too!

[@rambro1stbud]

I came back to this game as an adult and realized it's more about screen management than anything else. Definitely on the easier side if you don't blindly move the screen vertically without clearing enemies as you go. For the final battle if you stay near the stairs and juke back and forth, you can lock the boss into moving between positions where it can't hit you.

[@palomino678]

Gradius 2 in Famicom was also nerfed in difficulty while adding its own difficulty, some bosses loses their bullet Hell BS but to compensate making the stages harder (For one, the final boss has an attack for a change)

[@7Roeth]

My little brother and I would play this for hours and hours. We both just loved this game as kids.

[@gjtrue]

Same here lol.

[@7Roeth]

@@gjtrue that's what makes the memory so sweet

[@KevinRichards-rk3gp]

The 80s were the days. This game brings back memories😎👍

[@wamrainc176]

This is the very first game I’ve ever played on NES when I was seven years old. Oh my God this is my childhood I freaking love it.

[@VahanNisanian]

This battle may make my blood boil, and I may need a pocketful of miracles, but it is a great game.

[@themadatheist1976]

Fun game played in the past. That jeep must be like the TARDIS, small on the outside, large inside, to carry all those people.

[@theodorehsu5023]

Yeah, the arcade had a limit of 8 passengers besides the driver and gunner, any more had to wait for a trip back.

[@MarcBarkyMarta]

"Here?" Still makes me giggle today. Underappreciated Konami gem of a game.

[@someguy5977]

And when they go back to saying 'yea!' its because they know its the right way due to the trail of destruction they are leaving again.

[@GDuncan8002]

​@@someguy5977 Today I got "We made it!"

[@xxHUNGRY4THETRUTHxx]

Blasting POWs from their cabins and rushing them to the drop zone always gave me great Choplifter vibes. This was one awesome Christmas present from Grandpa I'll always cherish.

[@ClassicTVMan1981X]

In the arcade version, your jeep only allowed you to rescue eight people at a time; this meant after you picked up the eighth hostage, an alert saying "FULL" will show up and this means having to skip some hostages before the nearest heliport, especially if you're looking for one or two to boost your power-up. While the NES version allowed your jeep to seat an unlimited number of prisoners, sacrifices were also made regarding points awards. No points were awarded for initially saving hostages -- when dropping them off at a heliport, each one was a constant 500 points; the final tally for each stage, except the last, is 2,000 points for each hostage saved. In the arcade version, initially saving a hostage was 400 points, and dropping them off at the heliport had a much larger points award chain: 1st hostage saved: 100 points 2nd hostage saved: 200 points 3rd hostage saved: 400 points 4th hostage saved: 1,000 points 5th hostage saved: 2,000 points 6th hostage saved: 5,000 points 7th hostage saved: 10,000 points 8th hostage saved: 20,000 points Completing this chain successfully also upgraded your power-up in the arcade version. While the arcade version had four power-up level strengths, the NES version reduced this by one.

[@rickn4301]

One of my favorite NES games. And it kills me the enemy doesn't notice this random helipad in the middle of everything

[@kac0559]

The ending theme song of this game is so beautiful. It always get stuck in my head. What a classic game

[@MacNifty]

One of the greatest 2 player and rotational stick games ever next to Ikari Warriors and Smash T.V.

[@bigduke5902]

I used to think the little jeep you play as is really funny. All it does is move up and down but it really feels like there's an engine in there.

[@ThingsOnDemand]

My best friend and I always used to argue what made it do that. I said it was supposed to be that whatever surface they were driving in is bumpy. He’d say that it was like cartoons with old cars, animated to shake in various directions to indicate it was running. Granted we were both five so the reasoning wasn’t really verbose and there was a lot of “nuh-uh”s and “yuh-huh”s but the logic was there. Pretty cool how just a little variation in animation makes a sprite “feel” real enough for little kids to insult one another over.

[@ClassicGameSessions]

Pure nostalgia. Finished this back in the day but haven't given it a good run to finish it in a long time - this inspires me to though!

[@setsuna7618]

I love this game so much. I always play this game with my sister!

[@Lali.143]

my favourite game thank you❤ par Android me kese khele please batao na

[@MrJimbo-ew9vk]

Not every day you see a old school game where you can kill the enemy by touching them (instead of vice versa). A lovely ode to vehicular homicide.

[@ClassicTVMan1981X]

In the original arcade game, when your jeep could no longer pick up any POWs (it can hold up to eight POWs), a warning sounded to remind you to go to the next heliport to drop them off to board the chopper. This did not carry over to the NES port.

[@jays8048]

I remmeber this game from when I was a kid, loved it. NES classic.

[@barryshockley6452]

Loved this game as a kid. Don't think I ever managed to beat it but I played it for countless hours. Jungle/Desert Strike and this were my jam.

[@chuckmanofgod]

I remember whistling some of the theme songs, especially the victory theme song. I love that one!!!!

[@GDuncan8002]

My left thumb is sore right now from playing Jackal. What a masterpiece.

[@miamiflorida2043]

Konami has always made great games this one was a all time favorite...

[@yukitakaoni007]

The version I play: The machine gun on the final boss tank bullet fly so fast my jeep barely run more than 2 seconds and instantly caught bullet

[@williedeguzman4423]

Omfg at least 1 player found the fucking star at level 1 so many long plays never

[@MidnightWildspirit]

running over enemies with a vehicle way before Halo. 😁

[@JeterSwisherFan88]

Games like this and others don’t get old.

[@iamthomaschoo]

yeah! jackal nes was oddly enough one of those games that was better than the arcade version.

[@MarshallFlores]

As great as Konami's other classic co-op games on NES.

[@thegamingchef3304]

My brother and I use to play this pretty often.

[@VahanNisanian]

A clear case where the USA NES version is the winner, not to mention much more complete. The FDS version, which was released first in Japan, feels like a scaled down port.

[@ClassicTVMan1981X]

Yep, unlike the Castlevania II port they had (Dracula II: The Accursed Seal), which had different sound channels that, I read, did not make the tunes heard in that version better than in ours (especially "Bloody Tears").

[@NintendoComplete]

Yeah, the Japanese version is fun, but iirc the entire first level is missing. There's no horizontal scrolling, either, so all the stages are really skinny and tall.

[@MohammadIrfanAnsari]

From the makers of Metal Gear (Konami), here's another war masterpiece of 80s n 90s ❤

[@kittykatbat]

This brings back so many memories

[@retnopramudia8537]

Need Evacuation Truck with M1919 Browning MG. LOL. . . 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@dereklocsin2383]

Save the troops! Blow up everything! Goodness, the soundtrack when you're playing this game Co-op...so beautiful

[@Cotivity]

I loved this game, as a kid. I made it plenty of times to the final boss, but never beat him...

[@eealexaglittermzeereignmar303]

Toyota Hilux Vigo Jackal 🇺🇸👮🏻‍♂️🏹🔫🚀🎖🚙🚚🚘

[@JuraIbis]

I loved Jackal and Silkworm.

[@Peter_Morris]

I don’t remember ever playing this game when I had a physical NES. But I do remember playing it on the early NES emulators and loving it! It’s a game that I always felt deserved some kind of modern upgrade.

[@murrowboy]

This was the perfect game in terms of difficulty for me. It wasn't easy to beat, it wasn't too hard as long as you get some practice. Took decent amount of time to beat it. Worth every penny. Great game.

[@metalman175]

he told me patience is a virtue, and I told him haste makes waste... Not sure which saying is better?

[@boxtank5288]

Considering Silent Scope 2, the Gunner of the Jeep might have been the one framed for a crime he didn't commit, causing him to ultimately be sent as a co-sniper for Falcon under extreme scrutiny because yeah, convict even if he didn't actually commit the crime.

[@greysilvers]

it's similar to mgsv tpp when you save prisonner and take them to chooper..........this game deserve a remake open world

[@farday124]

My favorite game when I was a teenager. I have finished all of stage of the game. 💥💥💥💥

[@metalman175]

my dad and I played this game till we beat it over and over... We were the best team ever.

[@KennyPowersGaming]

Me and my bro used to fuck this game up once a week. Rip Adam

[@SolCresta3405]

A real classic!

[@sonicskillz]

One of my childhood favorites! I mean, I was never good at it, but it was still one of my favorites!

[@vdog4799]

I hear you man! Me too👍 I love watching this guys games! Next best thing to olaying them and in some cases just as fun. Zeld 2 adventures of link come to mind here!!😁👍

[@vdog4799]

@goduskychris Chris Godusky Nice! I forgot the name of the store but I believe I rented it also. Those are some fun memories!

[@johnroscoe2406]

Can anyone explain the area where Japanese game devs went by codenames? What was that all about?

[@Charly9631e]

YEAHHHH! That's the only word I can say to this game.

[@Zaxares]

Here?

[@yong9613]

We Made It!

[@xtrollak]

hiç kuşkusuz Contra ile with en iyi oyun

[@vgaoct91]

Fantastic playthrough! What I learned from U Can Beat Video Games is that if you've got the lives to burn, you can machine gun the final tank and take it down quicker. I just re-watched the ScrewAttack Video Game Vault review of this... Just shameful that Handsome Tom and his partner resorted to cheating! And the former claimed the machine gun "Only shoots straight up" when it fires from the sides of the jeep. When I play this, there won't be any cheating. I'll practice, practice, practice and become so skilled I could drive circles around enemies!

[@NintendoComplete]

Thanks! This is one I learned quite well in my younger years. It's so damned fun! I had no idea the machine gun could even damage the tank. Why is it shameful that they cheated? I haven't seen that video. Were they claiming that they weren't when they were or something? He's right about the machine gun, though. No matter which angle you're facing, the gun will always shoot straight up the screen.

[@josephwintrich7294]

This did seem to be one of those overlooked when not forgotten games.

[@vishaal007]

Music and graphics are very similar to contra force

[@vishaal007]

Music and graphics are very similar to contra force

[@Ohiobushcraft]

Clocked some hours playing this

[@境浩次]

BGMでコナミってわかってしまうw

[@NintendoComplete]

超懐かしいねw

[@scaleartsg]

if i ever find programmer hori i will .....

[@kascnef]

Sound effect from blades of steel

[@BrandonLovesCameras]

For some reason I don't remember there being unlimited missiles. I need to play this again.

[@jshepard152]

They were unlimited. The difference was how many destructive smoke puffs would emanate from the missile.

[@berbero-amazigh195]

Can someone plz tell me where can I find this game in 2024 ?

[@jshepard152]

Assuming you have a NES console, the game is on eBay for $13 or less.

[@metalpunk7945]

This game rules!

[@tyson1fan487]

This was one of the few I never played and must not have known about it?

[@jshepard152]

Recommended.

[@zukoulou7464]

Operation : Mad Jackal. (Resident Evil 3 : Nemesis)

[@ryanhudgins9004]

One of my favorite games ever !!!

[@mscott3309]

I miss playing this game

[@wojtun23bialy44]

Ja tak samo bracie

[@jshepard152]

I got my NES from 1988 out a couple weeks ago and played it through. Just as great now as it was then.

[@K.O.D.-cj5vf]

Nostalgic Had This Game🎮💯Beat It Some Many Times I Was 9💯

[@son_60han]

Yeahhhh !

[@simonmejia6896]

YEAHHHH!

[@DuongDuong-en5vw]

This game reminds me about my grandpa, we play together when I was a kid. I miss him everyday.

[@Ihsyed786]

Feels like Contra