Metal Slug Hostages

i'd like to get some definitive answers as far as secret hostages are concerned in Metal Slug. total number of hostages per stage are: 1-10,2-12,3-16(17?),4-20(23?),5-15,6-25(28?). these are the ones i know about:

1-4 hidden in the waterfall right before boss
2-3 hidden in small bush at end of bridge
3-4 hidden in trees that you can blow down in the snowy area (these come randomly; is it possible to get more than 4 in the snowy area?)
4-3 come down if you wait a while in the beginning,3 hidden in curtains above the stairs right before the bar, 2 hidden in the bunker that contains a third hostage in plain view, 3 hidden either at the top right or bottom left of the boss area (one or other of those places only, or neither; random?); there's supposed to be 3 more someplace which i don't know about (random?)
5-3 hidden in tree between buildings, 2 hidden in another tree after 1st set (again between buildings)
6-1 hidden by some leaves right at the beginning, another in that boulder above the tank near the beginning, 2 hidden in the cloud right before you have to get off the boat-thing near the end, 6 to 8 fall at the final boss after some time passes(depending on whether or not you're playing 2 player); according to a post on this forum there's supposed to be 3 more that you can get at the very beginning, around the bridge area, but the post was in italian and the translation done by babelfish didn't make it clear how to get those (not to me, anyway)

so, all you slug experts, could you shed some light on this whole situation?

3-4 hidden in trees that you can blow down in the snowy area (these come randomly; is it possible to get more than 4 in the snowy area?)

2 hidden for each tree, these are a Random.
+ 5 hidden during boss from top of the screen

4-3 3 hidden either at the top right or bottom left of the boss area (one or other of those places only, or neither; random?); there's supposed to be 3 more someplace which i don't know about (random?)

3 hidden in right /up of the boss zone, 3 hidden in left/down of the screen


6-1 hidden by some leaves right at the beginning, another in that boulder above the tank near the beginning

+ 1 hidden on bridge (down) at the start of the bridge...
+ 1 hidden during tank location (uknown condition)

alrighty, the whole bridge thing on mission 6 has just clicked into place for me(after reading his post and the translation of his italian post a few more times). the way it works is that you walk onto the bridge so that you're standing on the second plank. turn around and blast away while crouching: a hidden hostage should come out. then go right some more until you're on the tenth plank. again, turn around and blast away while crouching: two more hidden hostages should pop out. thanks to gemant's posts for clearing this up for me.

as far as mission 4 is concerned, though, i seem to be able to only get the 3 hostages regularly from the top right. i think i've only ever gotten the ones from the bottom left a couple of times, and that if i did so, i was the unable to get the ones in the top right. perhaps this is random. as in, you can only get one set or the other, or both. any thoughts, gemant?

in stage 4, in boss zone, you can obtain 6 prisoners.

no random.

1) rescue 3 prisoners in up/right zone.

2) destroy the boss on the ground

3) rescue 3 prisoners in down/left zone.

if you not rescue 3 prisoners in up/right, and scroll the screen in left direction.... the 3 prisoners in up/right zone disappear.

is the same for 3 prisoners in down/left zone.