This game did not hold your hand. There were no "assist modes" or frequent checkpoints. If you ran out of lives, you were starting that level over from the beginning.
for the areas where these pirates appear, or are you looking for cheat codes to help get past them? Claw Cheats - PC Cheats Guide - IGN captain claw crazy hook
Use your pistol for a safe, ranged kill if you have ammo to spare. This game did not hold your hand
These pirates are most dangerous when they are actively swinging. Wait for them to complete their hook animation. captain claw crazy hook
This is the best option for modern gamers. A dedicated community has decompiled the original game engine and recreated it for modern systems.