Overview and Gameplay
Gumshoe follows former FBI agent Mr. Stevenson as he searches for five Black Panther Diamonds and attempts to rescue his kidnapped daughter Jennifer from King Dom. Stevenson runs automatically through four phases: City, Sky, Sea, and Jungle.
Each phase requires timed jumps, accurate shooting, and safe movement past pits, enemies, falling objects, and other hazards. The first three phases contain one diamond each, while the Jungle holds the remaining two and the final confrontation with Zulie.
Controls And Mechanics
The NES Zapper shoots enemies and obstacles and makes Stevenson jump when fired at his on-screen character. Controller 1 Start pauses and resumes play.
Ammunition is limited for attacking hazards, while balloons restore bullets. Popping every balloon in a phase awards an extra life. Lucky Birds can release protective equipment, bonus points, or a Power Drink. Shooting targets increases the score, and remaining time determines whether Stevenson reaches the end of a phase.
Stevenson loses a life after colliding with hazards, falling below the screen, taking an enemy hit, or allowing the timer to expire. Shooting the Game Over screen activates Continue Mode from the last attempted phase.
Release And Credits
- Release year: 1986
- Developer: Nintendo R&D1
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Original platform: Nintendo VS. System
