Retro Game Review: Bionic Commando

I know I'm a little late for the XBOX Live party.  I was pretty reluctant to sign up for an account, partly because I don't want to get addicted and have another monthly fee on my account.  However, I remained intrigued by the prospect of the Live Arcade, since I love indie games and would eventually be interested in downloading some.  With the recent announcements of Braid and other hot indie games, I decided to check it out.

The most interesting to me right now is the relatively recently released Bionic Commando: Rearmed.  It looks like a really faithful re-design of the original and the videos just look awesome (the metal version of the theme song is sublime, BTW.)  I haven't yet downloaded it, but I hope to soon.

I think it was an interesting choice of redux due to the limited popularity of the original, but what a good choice it was.  This is a good opportunity for me to talk a little bit about the original that inspired it all.

Bionic Commando was, and still is, an unusual game... in my opinion.  At the time I first played it, I was pretty young, and remember the game having a more serious tone than other NES games, similar to Metal Gear.  I don't remember much of the plot, other than that you have to penetrate deep into enemy lines to rescue Super Joe.  It's enough to get you interested, but you really don't play this game for plot.  Just remember that your objective is to destroy the power generators and rescue Super Joe, and you're good to go.  (Editor's Note:  I checked out the Wikipedia entry for Bionic Commando, you can find more of the plot info there.  I never knew there were references to Nazism and the Hitler regime in the original version, very interesting.  I'm not surprised it was censored for the American version of the game.)

First, you'll be presented with the map, in which you can select stages to tackle.  One of the great things about this game is that it is somewhat open ended, and gives you the ability to choose which levels you'd like to play.  Certain levels will be impassable without certain items or weapons, giving an element of discovery and mystery to the game.

Then, you'll see the weapon and item selection screen.  Here, you will choose the weapon and item you'd like to bring into battle.

Finally, the moment you've been waiting for - being parachuted into battle like a helpless piece of meat, waiting to be assailed by the magenta-robed soldiers with big guns.  

Actually, you're not really a helpless piece of meat.  You're an advanced, armed, cybernetic soldier with a bionic arm that functions like a grappling hook.  You can do all sorts of sweet stuff with this extending Inspector Gadget-esque tool, like snagging far away items, knocking soldiers back, and swinging from ceilings and other fixtures ala Indiana Jones.  Of course, this kind of ability comes at a steep price, as your character cannot jump.  This is one of the most unique things about this game, and truthfully, takes a lot of getting used to.  You can see an instance where the grappling hook would be best used in the photo above.

As you proceed through the levels, you'll find radio stations inside which you can communicate with HQ and receive valuable tips regarding your mission.  You can also wiretap and listen in to enemy communications, thus giving away more clues about what resides in future levels and your mission in general.  These are usually vague and humorously translated.

As you move forward, you'll start to acquire special weapons and items, such as the 3-Way gun, or the Flare Bomb.  It's largely up to you to discover where the best places are to use the items, and staying in touch with the various communication stations is key to discovering some of these.  The fact that this is all unknown to the player really adds to the challenge and mystery of the game.

Overall, Bionic Commando is a lot of fun... challenging fun.  I know it's a sacriledge, but I have never played the game through to the end, given that I did not own it as a child.  I acquired it more recently and as of yet have not had time to experience it through to the end, but I think I was able to get about 60% of the way through on rental copies from Dollar Video back in the day :)  I'd love to see someone post pictures of the ending sequence... otherwise, I'm going to have to put down Persona 3 and my other current gaming projects and play this one through.

Plot and Storyline: 2/5

Not a very deep plot, but enough to set the scene for the story.  Humorous, poorly translated dialogue gives an extra point here.

Graphics and Sound:  4/5

I think that the graphics in this game were excellent for its time and hold up well today.  The music, like most Capcom classics, was extremely well done and catchy.  

Challenge: 3/5

Definitely difficult, but not mind-numbing.  The level of challenge is perfect, in my opinion.  The ability to collect "bullets" to expand your life force reduces the challenge factor from many "one-hit-you're-doomed" NES games.

Play Control: 3/5

Generally, I found the control of Bionic Commando to be responsive and easy to use.  Hit detection was well done, but sometimes getting the grappling hook to catch properly was hit or miss.

Replay Value: 3/5  

There's plenty of variety in the levels, and the ability to progess through them in a custom order is nice.  Once you get through it once, you'll want to play it again.

Retroliciousness: 3/5

I loved this game, but I don't define any of my gaming experiences by referring to it.  I loved it and it had a really unique character, but is one of the less iconic Capcom classics.

Overall Pete Rating:  3/5

A solid and until now, overlooked classic gaming experience.  Great for when you're looking for something "different" enough from other platformers to stand out from the crowd.