Genre : Video Game
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: GRIN
Players: 1-4
Retail Price: $10 (XBLA, PS3), $15 (PC)
Availability: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC
Bionic Commando Rearmed is a shining example of how a game remake should be done. Capcom has helped bring one of the best NES games to the current generation of consoles and improved upon it in almost every way. If you played the original title when it came out on the NES, you absolutely need to pick up this game because it is not only everything you remember, but much more, as GRIN has at least doubled the length of the original title with its inclusion of all new challenge rooms and multiplayer components.
A good percentage of people may be unfamiliar with the Bionic Commando license as the game made its console debut on the NES twenty years ago. It’s actually hard for me to fully remember the game myself as I was only four when it came out, but I do have fond memories of playing it when I was a few years older. The new version did a great job of bringing back those old memories, while presenting a new product that will appeal to anyone looking for an amazing side scrolling action title.
For those people that either weren’t around to take advantage of the original title, or may have passed it by for whatever reason, you play the role of Nathan “Rad” Spencer. Spencer is an enhanced soldier who has been giving a bionic arm that he can use to grapple onto ledges and other items around the environment and swing to places that might normally be unreachable. Your goal in the game is to make it through the enemy territories in an effort to save Super Joe, who has gone missing after attempting to infiltrate the enemy force.
The environments and characters are instantly recognizable if you played the original game, and you will feel right at home with the controls. Although the controls are easy to pick up, they are extremely hard to master. Apparently with all his enhancements, Spencer either forgot how to jump, or somehow maybe that arm just weighs too much. This of course means that you need to learn how to use that arm to traverse parts of the levels that in a normal platforming gaming you could easily jump over. This may sound like it would impede your ability to advance through the levels, but once you learn how to master your bionic arm, you are able to move much faster and more efficiently through the environment. Your arm is not only used for swinging, though, as it is also a method of defense against enemy fire. Later on after you have received the arm upgrade you are also given the ability to grab soldiers and use them as a shield. Learning to master your movement and the uses of your arm takes a good deal of trial and error, and you will likely end up restarting numerous levels more than a few times.
You can never really lose the game as you are always able to start a level over from the beginning. What makes the game challenging is the fact that you only have three lives in order to finish each level before you need to start over. Throughout each level there are rooms you can enter that will save your progress if you die, but if you run out of lives you are taken back to the level select screen and forced to start over. This keeps the game interesting because you cannot run through each level recklessly, but at the same time your progress is always saved after you beat a level and you can never lose the progress you have made.
Your bionic arm is not the only tool in your arsenal. You begin with a pistol but you are able to unlock numerous other weapons as you make your way through the game that include grenades, shotgun and a rocket launcher. There are also hidden upgrades available if you are willing to go through the trouble of locating them, which can be an incredible challenge and may not always be obvious. In a change from the NES title you are now able to change your weapons on the fly instead of selecting which weapon you want to bring into the level from the start.
The way you choose which level you want to select is the same as in the original game. You are given an overhead view of a map with colored numbers that either represent allied or enemy territories. You are represented as a helicopter on the map and are able to descend on any of the squares once you are on top of them. Enemy squares represent a level you need to make your way through, whereas red squares represent allied spaces where you can try challenge levels, or unlock weapons and items you need to make your way through the game. Enemy trucks are also driving around the map and if you encounter them you are forced into an overhead level that you need to complete in order to continue. These overhead battles can be frustrating if you are trying to make your way to a specific spot on the map and do not really yield any positive reinforcement for completing them. They merely serve as an obstacle to prevent you from reaching your goal.
As you make your way through the allied squares throughout the game, you will unlock different challenge levels you can try your hand at. These challenge levels can also be played from the main menu, and some of the ones I tried were extremely difficult. The goal of each level is to make your way from one end of the room to the other and it normally involves making your way across a level full of spikes with some interesting swinging components. Once you have completed the room you can upload your time to the games servers and compare your time with other players. How people managed to complete that first level in under two seconds is beyond me, but I have in no way mastered the art of using the bionic arm.
Another drastic change from the NES classic is the inclusion of multiplayer support. You are now provided with a separate multiplayer component of the game that allows you to battle up to three of your friends using characters like Spencer or Super Joe. You have different game modes that include deathmatch, last man standing and don’t touch the floor. Don’t touch the floor was an incredibly fun game where you have unlimited health but gunfire will knock your character back and stun you for a moment, with your goal being to knock your opponent off of the level. As if this wasn’t enough, they also decided why not be able to play the entire campaign co-op. That’s right, you can now play with a friend through the entire story mode of the game and the difficulty is scaled to accommodate the two-player action.
Bionic Commando is clearly a must buy game if you are a fan of the series or of side-scrolling games. The game is available on XBox 360, Playstation 3 and PC so there is almost no reason for you to not be able to pick this game up. This game has definitely gotten me excited for the upcoming release of the new Bionic Commando sequel set to debut on current generation consoles early 2009.
