G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Cheats & Cheat Codes for NES

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero is a run-and-gun game that takes players on an adventure to defeat the notorious Cobra. The game is based on the world-renowned toy and media property. Published by Taxan in 1991 and developed by the team that would later form KID, this game brought action gameplay from the famous brand to the Nintendo Entertainment System. It later also spawned a sequel, G.I. Joe: The Atlantis Factor, also on the NES platform. In this article, we’ll take a look at gameplay, story, and cheats for G.I. Joe: A Real American.

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Premise

The game sets players on a mission to navigate through six challenging stages with the ultimate goal of bringing down the Cobra organization. Players form a team of three G.I. Joe characters, each with unique specialties and abilities. These abilities, in addition to weaponry, are used to tackle various obstacles and enemies. The game starts with the player choosing from Duke, Snake Eyes, Blizzard, Captain Grid-Iron, and Rock ‘n Roll, with General Hawk providing mission briefings and joining as a playable character in the final stage. Throughout the game, players collect power-ups to improve their characters’ abilities, use enemy vehicles for transportation, and plant bombs in Cobra bases to advance in the storyline.

The gameplay mechanics allow players to switch between the three chosen characters. This mechanic is similar to games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for NES. It means that players can use their unique strengths and abilities to pass challenges that are too tough with their current character. Each character has distinct stats, displayed in firepower, stamina, agility, and strength. The game takes players across a variety of environments from the Amazon to New York City’s sewers, while the final mission takes place in Cobra Headquarters.

The game is presented in a side-scrolling platformer format and follows in the footsteps of giants like the Mega Man series. In each stage, players fight through enemies with three of their chosen characters, dodging projectiles and avoiding obstacles. At the end of each stage, players take on various base commanders. In these boss battles, players are truly tested in their skill and effective use of different characters.

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Characters

In G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, players are introduced to a diverse cast of characters, each bringing their own unique strengths and abilities to the team’s mission against the infamous paramilitary organization, Cobra. The player character roster features unique choices from the silent killer in Snake Eyes to the massive firepower of Rock ‘n Roll. Even the leader of the group, General Hawk, who’s originally an NPC, becomes available later in the game. The distinct characters with unique stats are required to tackle different challenges efficiently. They also provide varied gameplay, whether players favor brute strength, tactical firepower, or stealth and speed. What’s better, the characters are swappable in the middle of the stages. Players choose three characters and can switch between them at any time. The stage bosses also include familiar faces from other G.I. Joe properties.

Player Characters

• Duke: Known for his balanced skills, Duke is a leader who becomes available in the late game and is invaluable in the Amazon mission.
• Snake Eyes: A master of agility and speed, Snake Eyes excels in conserving ammunition by using white fireballs. His unique combat style is best used in New York’s sewer mission.
• Capt. Grid-Iron: With the strongest fist power, Grid-Iron leads in the Black Hill Mission. His grenade launcher offers a compact yet powerful weapon option.
• Rock ‘n Roll: With the highest firepower, Rock ‘n Roll’s machine gun is a dominant force in the desert mission, despite his below-average other ratings.
• Blizzard: Specializing in stamina, Blizzard’s ability to shoot through walls makes him stand out in the Antarctica missile base mission.
• General Hawk: General Hawk is the only character capable of flight. Hawk is essential for the final showdown against the Cobra Commander. He becomes playable only in the game’s last stage.

Key Bosses

• Range Viper: A formidable opponent equipped with long-range weaponry. Cobra’s Range-Viper are wilderness fighters that excel in attacks from a distance. So stay, close while not getting too close to take damage.
• Metal-Head: Metal-Head specializes in heavy armor and explosive ordnance. This boss is a member of the Iron Grenadiers, bringing down massive damage as he jumps over the player.
• Overlord: As a master tactician, Overlord drives a mechanical vehicle that separates into two pieces. This boss both shoots missiles and rams with the cockpit of the vehicle, so be ready to duck or jump.
• Destro: Destro is a unique challenge, where the player has to destroy two forms of the same opponent. At first, Destro flies above in his ship. After the fairly easy first part, Destro jumps out of the vehicle and runs away. The player needs to both shoot Destro and avoid dropping into the void.
• Cobra Commander: The ultimate antagonist, Cobra Commander is the final boss in the game. This boss almost requires General Hawk, so keep him up and running. The attacks turn the player characters into a lizard temporarily.

Games in the Series

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero is part of a series of games for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Following the initial game, G.I. Joe: The Atlantis Factor was released in 1992. However, in addition to these two games, the G.I. Joe franchise features a number of games for other platforms as well. Here are all the games for the franchise:

• G.I. Joe: Cobra Strike (1983)
• G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (1985)
• Action Force (1987)
• G.I. Joe (1991)
• G.I. Joe Arcade Game (1992)
• G.I. Joe: The Atlantis Factor (1992)
• G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)
• G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout (2020)

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Cheats

Cheats in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero offers players various advantages. Players can skip to specific missions and quests, and even add energy and weapon levels for easier completion of the game. There’s also an interesting cheat that allows players to shoot on the second controller.

Shoot on the Second Controller

To activate shooting on the second controller, ensure a second controller is connected before starting a level. Let someone else press and hold the shooting button on the second controller, before entering the level. This should enable the character to shoot using the second controller’s input. However, if the button is released, shooting will stop and will no longer be enabled on the second controller during this stage.

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Cheats FAQ

Can I play as any character from the beginning?

Players can choose two characters from the roster for their team in addition to the automatically assigned character for each stage. However, not all characters are available at the beginning. The leader of the group, General Hawk, only becomes available in the last stage.

Are the vehicle segments mandatory?

While vehicles are not mandatory, using the likes of Buzz Boar or Battle Copter can certainly provide an advantage in certain areas.

How do I defeat the base commanders?

Defeating base commanders might require a mix of strategic character switching, utilizing power-ups, and mastering each character’s unique abilities. In G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, not all characters are equal and the same, so using their strengths is advised.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Screenshot for G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.