Gumshoe
NES Game Guide
Mr. Stevenson is a retired detective whose daughter has been kidnapped by a mob boss King Dom. He must find the Black Panther diamonds in order to save her, but they are hidden all over the land.
Your level of control over Stevenson is limited. He runs forward blindly, and in order to make him jump you have to shoot him with the Zapper. You can also use the Zapper to take out enemies in his way. Stevenson has to navigate the stages and find secret passages in order to find all of the diamonds.
Characters
Mr. Stevenson
A retired FBI agent turned private eye. Mr. Stevenson's daughter has been kidnapped by King Dom. If he wants to see her again, Mr. Stevenson must travel the world in search of the five Black Panther Diamonds. Mr. Stevenson runs ahead, and it's up to you to use the Zapper to make him jump and protect him from danger.
The Inspiration for Mr. Stevenson
In an interview on Wired.com, Nintendo designer Yoshio Sakamoto discussed the inspiration for Mr. Stevenson:
So we had this old man who was running down the street, shooting things like a bottle, and it's not so much that you're shooting it, but you're telling it, "Jump!" This had changed quite a bit from Mr. Yokoi's original idea, but it had turned into something very interesting.
At the same time, I didn't even have permission from him, but I decided to make the character look a little like Mr. Yokoi. When he first saw it, he was very surprised: "What have you done here?"
Jennifer
Mr. Stevenson's daughter has been captured by King Dom. You must bring King Dom the five Black Panther Diamonds if you want to rescue her.
King Dom
A mean gang leader who has kidnapped Jennifer Stevenson in order to force her father to gather the Black Panther Diamonds for him. However, he may have underestimated Stevenson and his co-gunner.
Adamosde
This islander has a message for Mr. Stevenson. Meet up with him to end Stage 3.
Enemies
Skull
These deadly blocks appear in every stage. Touching them will immediately cause Mr. Stevenson to lose a life, unless he is wearing the Super Shoes. You might find some huge Skull blocks in Stage 2, but these are safe to walk on.
Bottle
Someone hurls this bottle at Mr. Stevenson from off the right the side of the screen. Shoot it out of the air before it hits him.
Gang Car
This car will drive up behind Mr. Stevenson, tooting its horn and trying to run him down.
Lucky Bird
It may look friendly, but touching Lucky Bird is not a good idea. Shoot it out of the air, and it might turn into a Roast Chicken or one of three power-ups.
Falling Rock
These rocks drop suddenly from above. Shoot them or find the Helmet so they bounce harmlessly off Mr. Stevenson's head.
Armadillo
This armored creature repels bullets when it's rolled into a ball, but it becomes vulnerable when it stands up. It appears on Stage 1 and Stage 4.
Explosives
This missile moves slowly across the screen. If you shoot it, it explodes into fragments that you have to dodge. It's better to ignore it or dodge it.
Crow
This speedy bird flies diagonally down across the screen. Shoot it to turn it into a Roast Chicken.
Fluffy Bird
This bird flies around like the Lucky Bird, but it only drops a Roast Chicken when shot.
Airplane
The airplane appears suddenly from behind Mr. Stevenson. Shoot it out of the air before it rams him. Who is even piloting this thing?
Flying Fish
This fish uses its fins to skim along the top of the water. If you're lucky, it will skim over the top of Mr. Stevenson's head.
Killer Fish
This rare fish will leap out of the water to try and take a bite out of Mr. Stevenson. It only appears in the hidden area of Stage 3.
Shark
This hungry shark gives chase in the deep water. If you shoot it once, it transforms into a shark skeleton. Shoot it a second time to defeat it.
Jellyfish
This creature floats in the water. Take it out before Mr. Stevenson swims into it.
Sea Urchin
This spiky creature is fired out of holes in the sea bed. Even if you shoot them, a new one will appear to take its place after a few moments.
Time Bomb
This bomb drops out of the jungle canopy. Shoot it quickly to stop it from detonating and sending explosive shards everywhere.
Giant Grasshopper
This giant bug leaps through the jungle. Shoot it out of the air before it rams into Mr. Stevenson.
Poison Bug
A venomous bug that flies through the jungle.
Rhinoceros
The Rhinoceros charges at Mr. Stevenson from behind. He is completely impervious to your bullets, so have Mr. Stevenson leap over him.
Alligator
If Mr. Stevenson spends too much time in the red lake in Stage 4, the alligator will appear and charge. Stay out of the water to avoid it.
Zulie
A terrible beast that lives in the jungle. It has swallowed the final Black Panther Diamond and stands guard in front of King Dom's hideout. Using the Machine Gun, Mr. Stevenson will shoot at it repeatedly. Make Mr. Stevenson jump to shoot it in the eye 20 times, knocking it backwards each time. Defeating Zulie will beat the game.
Items
Balloon
Every level has a load of red balloons. Pick them up for three extra bullets for your gun. Collecting a lot of them in each level will lead you to secret areas, and collecting every balloon in a level will reward you with an extra life.
Roast Chicken
Shoot any of the bird enemies and a Roast Chicken will be your reward. It gives you 200 points.
Power Drink
Sometimes the Lucky Bird will drop this drink. It "energizes" Mr. Stevenson, turning his coat pink and giving him an extra hit before he loses a life.
Helmet
Sometimes the Lucky Bird will drop this football helmet. It protects Mr. Stevenson's head from falling objects, such as rocks and bombs.
Super Shoes
Sometimes the Lucky Bird will drop these shoes. They protect Mr. Stevenson from the deadly Skull blocks.
Black Panther Diamond
King Dom is searching for these rare and precious jewels. There is one in every stage, except for Stage 4 which has two. Once you have all of them, you can confront King Dom in his hideout.
