Bionic Commando: Elite Forces

"A great reason to own a GameBoy Color!"

Ahh, Bionic Commando! Who can forget the good old days when we played as a secret agent, surgically fitted with a special extending arm that he used to climb up to ledges and swing across platforms? Who can forget those days when we tapped the enemy, listened to them unknowingly tell us what we needed to know about what there was up ahead? Well, guess what: It's back and it's better than ever!

In what ways, you ask? First off, it's portable! Next, they've added a bevy of new features to the game, most notably to play as a male or a female commando (you can even name them!) In addition, you can sometimes engage in sniper battles, where finishing them will earn you extra power ups. Plus, there's a battery backup option which allows you to save up to three commandos!

Graphics: 10/10
For a GameBoy Color, they're very well drawn. The cinematic sequences are amazing. The animation is very fluid and lifelike. Even the sniper battles are extremely realistic, although you won't see anything as realistic as Soldier of Fortune, say, for instance.

Sounds: 10/10
The music sets the tone of each level very well, with a gung-ho type theme on the map screen. The gunshots echo in full clarity and rock the speakers. You'll even hear some digitized speech from time to time! While it's nothing as big as a 32-bit system, and it is a bit grainy, it is nice to hear some speech on a portable system!

Controls: 10/10
I'll admit, even I sometimes forget that you can't jump in this game. Instead, you use your grappling hook! Once you get the hang of it, though, you'll be swinging and rappeling like it's a second nature! You'll also learn that the hook makes a great weapon, in the sense that it stuns your enemies, giving you some breathing time!

Replay: 10/10
Although some areas you can't enter untill you complete others, the game is partially non-linear, giving you the ability to go to any area you want (within reason.) You can also replay previously defeated stages to see if you've missed anything. There may even be a couple of hidden stages thrown in to boot!

Another thing I might mention is the enemy attacks on ground. The patrols may intercept you as you move from area to area, and you'll fight in an overhead view. The thing I like about this is that there's a way to take advantage of this to earn extra lives! How? That's a secret!

Overall: 10/10
Without a doubt, Bionic Commando is definitely a classic game that deserves the remake that it got for the GameBoy Color! Even if you've never played it before, it's never too late to give this bionic classic a try!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 01/12/01, Updated 07/16/01