I agree with your take, but none of these games are as frustrating as Bayou Billy. I wonder if some dev at Konami just hated Americans?
The NES version is harder than the Famicom version; enemies in the beat-'em-up stages are more aggressive and have more health, the player starts the shooting stages with less ammunition, and the driving stages have narrower roads. The driving stages in the Famicom version also give Billy’s jeep a health gauge, allowing it to withstand collision from enemy vehicles and road hazards, a benefit not available in the NES version.
I understand that changes like this were to do with the rental market, which was much bigger in the US compared to Japan; the idea being that if you made your game stupidly difficult but still reasonably compelling, people would just keep renting it until they finally beat it. Pretty cheeky move.
I agree with your take, but none of these games are as frustrating as Bayou Billy. I wonder if some dev at Konami just hated Americans?
I understand that changes like this were to do with the rental market, which was much bigger in the US compared to Japan; the idea being that if you made your game stupidly difficult but still reasonably compelling, people would just keep renting it until they finally beat it. Pretty cheeky move.