Theres a code out there that gives you 100 continues, but even with that it would be tough. If you don't have the speed up power up when you reach the area 8 boss, there is no way to outrun the boomerang; it just hits you no matter how you you maneuver. I'm curious if anyone has actually beat it. I tried the MAME version and its even tougher without rapid fire. Its one of the ones that doesn't start you exactly where you died, like Ghouls and Ghosts.
The original arcade version does have the narrow screen as alex mentioned, but I didn't play it enough to get a sense of a gameplay difference, beyond a more authentic arcade look.