Gun Smoke 1988 By: Capcom

Overview:

GUN.SMOKE by CAPCOM© ... returns the player and game star Billie Bob back to life in a small bustlin' mining town during the infamous gold rush era.

GUN.SMOKE gives the game's one player the opportunity to combine personal skills with the fearlessness of Billie Bob. The brave combo sets forth to rid the flourishing township of ruthless gold-stealing bandits.

Every time the player and Billie Bob make a direct hit- especially a barrel- there's a release of hidden firepower. Billie Bob gains access to quick-acting ammunition, usually just in time.

Big hits means big saves. The GUN.SMOKE game player at the
joystick controls determines the destiny of Billie Bob - and the fate of the gold mining town and its people.

Are you ready to climb into the saddle

and accept the Captain Commando challenge?


--from the NES Gun Smoke instruction manual

Direct from the arcade, this vertical scrolling shoot-em-up stars a heroic cowboy who comes to save the town of Hicksville from the Wingate Gang.

Directions:

Definitely one of my favorites from the olden days, you just get to run around the screen shooting the heck out of everything in sight! Thank goodness for the machine gun, automatic fire sure saves wear on the thumb. Kill lots of bad guys for money. Shoot barrels to get power-ups.
You can buy cool weapons from certain helpful citizens, then use the inventory screen to equip them (you'll need to pick up some ammo first). The shotgun shoots a wide spread of destruction and can hold 120 shots. The machine gun lays down a continuous stream of hot lead while you hold down the button and can carry 400 rounds. The Magnum fires huge explosive rounds, but can only hold 100. The Smart Bomb wipes out all your enemies if you get hit, but you can only carry one at a time. Be careful, if you get killed with a special weapon equipped, you lose it.
You can buy ammo, wanted posters, and horses from another friendly type. Wanted posters allow you to meet the boss, otherwise each level will scroll through indefinitely. Horses keep you alive, they take three hits before they are shot out from under you. Other power-up items include boots which help you move faster and rifles which improve the range of your guns (you can have four of each), blue pinwheels to give you a short time of invulnerability, red pinwheels which give you an extra life, and POW which kills all enemies onscreen except bosses.