The stages are also littered with barrels, boulders, and other bits of scenery that can be pushed and used to drop onto bad guys. Some enemies will throw dynamite, which can be picked up and thrown back at them if you’re quick enough. Running inside certain doors will grant you some whiskey for extra points, or “refreshments” (!!) from one of the town ladies. The first stage has you trying to avoid a stampede by running on the backs of bulls, a few other areas have you riding on horses. There are lots of cool little features which fit in with the Old West theme. The whole thing is obviously very tongue-in-cheek, and adds a lot of personality. We won’t shoot him.” (Despite the fact that you spent the whole battle shooting at him, but let’s disregard that.) The final boss is a British gentleman named Sir Richard Rose, who fakes his death after several hits, removes a bulletproof plate from under his shirt, and proceeds to take more damage before dying for real, when he dramatically tosses his rose lapel aside. Simon Greedwell is a rich tycoon that cries out “Bury me with my money!” Chief Scalpem is a Native American, whose sister protects him before you deliver the final blow, claiming “Please, please don’t shoot my brother! He’s only following orders!” To which your character replies “Okay ma’am. There are items that increase the rapid-fire capabilities, too, or give you an extra weapon with a spread shot.Įach of the eight stages begins with a “WANTED” sign, showing off the boss of the level, each of whom has some unique distinction. The four heroes each wield two types of weapons – Steve and Billy carry six-shooters while Bob and Cormano use shotguns, each with different firing configurations. That game was crazy enough by itself, but it gets pretty chaotic when you have four players firing bullets at nearly half a dozen enemies coming out from all angles, especially since you die with a single hit.
This versatility, along with the looser controls and faster pace, makes the action feel a bit more like Contra. The major difference here is that you can shoot upwards, downwards, and even diagonally.