Snacko
Level: Smiter
Rank Points: 448
Registered: 06-08-2006
IP: Logged
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Bionic Commando: Rearmed (+3)
Nathan "Radd" Spencer cannot jump. This is an especially concerning fact considering he was selected to be the main character in a Capcom platformer. It's not like Radd is the first one-man army hired to take down a terrorist operation in a remote location, but his strange ailment made the idea all the more ridiculous, but never fear, Radd has something different, maybe even better! He has a bionic arm implanted into the flesh of his left arm. No, it isn't exactly practical, but in a world filled with easily grapplable catwalks and bosses with obvious weaknesses, maybe the battlefield is the one place that Radd can fit in.
Despite my introduction, the game is really much more about blowing things up than overcoming adversity. You see, Bionic Commando: Rearmed is the remake of Capcom's beloved NES platformer Bionic Commando. I know there was an arcade version, but Rearmed is based on the larger, deeper and harder NES version, you usually control Radd but between levels you are privileged to take control of Radd's helicopter pilot from which you can fly to more than three times the amount of levels in the arcade version. Back on the NES, getting a bigger, better and faster exclusive sequel to a popular arcade game was a big deal and even today it's unusually long and deep for a side scroller especially with the advent of weapon upgrades strewn about the friendly camps. This sandbox style is restricted, however. The game has an initially annoying tendency to stop you from progressing through a level without a certain item or, in one case, making things a living hell without said item. The upside of this is that you get a new upgrade or weapon after almost every level, there's a surprising amount of variety for such a long shooter.
Back to the gameplay, despite not being able to jump, Capcom loaded every level with difficult leaps. Radd's abilities are for the most part focused on his arm. Radd can grapple up to platforms, block bullets, swing over gaps and later can even grab enemies and use them as human shields. The controls are almost unchanged from the original other than the new abilities. Swinging and grappling will feel incredibly clunky to anyone who isn't familiar with either the NES or GBC games, but they aren't impossible to get a hold of and two new tutorials help things along.
It is a testament to how great the original was that its aged so well, and Rearmed keeps the elements that should have stayed (like some of the better level layouts, the control scheme and the nonlinear progression) while every new element adds a lot to the game, the "VR Mission" style Challenge Missions are great for masochistic fans and the bosses are unanimously much more enjoyable than the original's. The only element that really hurts the game at all are the overhead stages. Bionic Commando was a major departure from its prequel and the inclusion of these stages was one of the few links to that game. I'm not suggesting that they be removed entirely, but the Commando series recently graduated to a twin-stick control method and the overhead stages feel even more clunky than they did 20 years ago. They're also about three times as long as before, which multiplies the frustration of running into an enemy truck on the world map.
One of the more enticing additions to the game, aside from the new levels, weapons, upgrades are the Challenge Rooms. Very similar in concept to Metal Gear Solid's VR Missions, the Challenge Rooms are hilariously difficult deathtraps that exist in the game world as "training missions" but, as one character says, "it's like you need training for the training". These rooms will appeal to only specific types of gamers, but give the game great mileage for fans. The rooms have full leaderboard support which almost makes up for the lack of online multiplayer. Other new features include a new hacking minigame and a scoring system.
Yes, this remake has multiplayer. I haven't been able to try it yet, but it's gotten a fairly good response from the fan base and I'll try to update this review once I've given it a go.
Anyone who beat the NES version will remember the strangely uneven censorship. All references to Nazism and Hitler were removed, replaced with much stranger text, while the incredibly gory exploding head in the ending was left untouched. BCR is censored in much the same way, but it plays out like a parody or the original game's translation and censorship. Radd will often trash talk machines that can only beep, only to take offense at one sequence of beeps or the other, Albatross still aims to revive a Hitler-esque villain other than Hitler himself (as in the uncensored version) and the FSA continually promises to send backup to absolutely no avail.
Spencer may not be able to jump, but 20 years later he's still incredibly fun to play as. BCR is one of the best remakes ever and one of the most purely fun downloadable games of all time.
BCR is available on Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network for $10 while it is available on the PC for $15. From what I've heard there is no difference between the versions aside from better graphics in the PC version.
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Director of the Department of Orderly Disruptions
[Last edited by Snacko at 08-16-2008 11:18 PM]
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