Bionic Commando

"Games are the opposite of wine, they get worse with the years...Except for this one! It only gets better!"

It is funny...A common thing in the gaming world seems to be how older games lose their glory as time flows on. We all have those games that we played when they were new, when we were little children. We loved those games, and praised them, and then we try them again maybe ten years later, only to find out they are seriously outdated and boring. However, a few games break those rules.

Bionic Commando was one of the games Capcom released in their glorious NES days, when the Mega Man games were at their peak. Although it sold well, it never hit the huge success that the other games did, and was seldom mentioned when we spoke about classics. However, in recent days, it has got more respect. And this review is partially made for that purpose: To restore the forgotten honour and glory of Bionic Commando.

When I was young, I played Bionic Commando when it was first released. I was impressed, and liked the game, but somehow, I didn't buy it myself, and never played it that much. However, many years later, I remembered that game, and decided to try it again. I had a lot of fear, because I knew so well that many old games get squashed when you look at them with today's eyes...

...but what happened? I found myself highly addicted to the game! "Hey! W-What is this? It rocks! Yeah! It really rocks!!". Not only had the game aged amazingly well, it had also lots of entertainment that few modern games can bring up! Now how cool isn't that? I must tell you: I'm not a person who gives out 9:s and 10:s to all games I see. I'm generally very strict with high grades, and the golden number 10 is something I hardly ever give out, but in this case, I had to surrender.

Bionic Commando has one of the most perfect gameplays I've ever tasted. The controls are top-notch, and every time you die, you can never blame the game. It was only your fault. Sure, the gameplay is very different from other games, and at first, you're going to die a lot before you learn how to work it out, but as soon as you get used to it, you're in full co-operation with the main character.

It's important to explain the physics of the game, because one of the biggest differences in this game when compared to other action platformers, is that you cannot jump. Nope, you cannot jump! "Then", you ask, "how to get up on the platforms?". The answer lies in the game's name - BIONIC commando! You are equipped with a bionic arm, that works much like the grappling beam in Super Metroid, and the whip in Super Castlevania IV, except that you use it all the time, on all levels! This unique type of gameplay gives the game an incredible cool and original gameplay, that no other game has been able to copy.

Bionic Commando is really your normal platform action adventure game. You travel on a big map, and descend into various areas. By completing the areas, you get new items that you can use in other places. Complete the desert level, to receive a rocket launcher. It allows you to blast a way into the harbour level. There, you can acquire a permit that gives you access to the neutral area, where you can get a blue communicator from your team mates, and so on. It may have been used for very long, but the concept with the grappling hook always makes the game feel fresh and original. You swing around in platforms, reach up into high columns, bounce off enemies and bullets, do high risk maneuvers, hang in the roof shooting soldiers and so on. When you really master your bionic arm, the game becomes a cool and fast-paced action game with a high tempo.

Also, all the levels are excellent. They all have a unique design and challenges. During your quest, you will encounter dark caverns, where you will need flare bombs to turn on the light, jungles, where there are deadly quicksand pits and huge man-eating plants, factories, where you will ride mine carts in the best Indiana Jones style, computer laboratories, which are built like a maze, with tons of corridors and doors, harbour cities, where you have to do deadly swings over water pits, and so on. No level is like the previous one, and with the bionic arm, they become even more original. The game is a guarantee for having fun from the first minute until the last. The challenge level is also perfect, and very well-measured. The first levels are quite easy, while the last ones can be really horrible. But you will definitely make it, if you keep on trying. There are no unfair challenges here, like in many other games of this time.

Bionic Commando was also unique in another way, because it actually has some mature content, which slipped the censorship of that time. And to tell the truth, the game was actually about the second world war originally. The enemies were nazis, and the last boss was none other than Adolph Hitler. The censors didn't miss that one though, so for us Europeans (and for you Americans), we are stuck with the "Badds" and "Master-D".

The graphics and the sound are also excellent. The design of the territories and the characters are neat, and the military tunes that are played during the game set the atmosphere perfectly. There is also a quite good plot for such an early game, and it develops during the game with radio conversations and dialogues. But honestly, I wouldn't care if the aesthetics sucked big time. The gameplay is so awesome that Bionic Commando still gets a top score.

Bionic Commando has perfect controls, a super-unique gameplay, and lots of different levels, all with extreme entertainment. What more can you expect? This game is literally perfect! It's one of the best ones ever! You must try it out! You're going to love it! Just make sure you get used to the arm thingy, and you will be stuck by your old NES console forever!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 08/23/05