Gameplay
The player controls Detective Frank Harris, who must retrieve five pieces of a tunnel map bridging the real world with a cartoonish dimension known as Cool World, which is populated by cartoons known as doodles. Along the way, he must face off against the henchmen of Holli Would, a cartoon woman who seeks the Spike of Power, an artifact keeping the real world and Cool World in balance. Frank must also contend with members of the Popper Police (who were actually his allies in the film) and their police cruiser.
As Detective Harris, the player must navigate through four different levels and stop Holli Would while collecting coins and shooting at rogue doodles. These levels include the streets of Cool World, the road the separates Cool World from the place that the playful characters of Sweet Place live, the town of Sweet Place and its surrounding countryside. While four of them can be selected, a fifth one can only be unlocked by properly finishing all four levels.
Each level holds an important piece of a map that makes it possible for Detective Harris to travel to the Real World and back.
Read more about this topic: Cool World (NES Video Game)