Bionic
Commando: Rearmed by developer and publisher Capcom—PC
(Steam) retro reflection written by Hamza
with a purchased copy.
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Video game remakes rarely reach the notorious, controversial heights
of Hollywood remakes. Not because there aren't many, but because
almost all of them manage to translate well to the modern audience.
The original Need for Speed Hot Pursuit and Most Wanted were
positively received in their time; and their high-profile remakes
were nothing short of extraordinary, bringing substantial style and
glamour to substance. Very few people objected. Half-Life pioneered
the path for first-person shooters, and was considered "untouchable"
until the still-in-development Black Mesa changed all that. Initially
approached by gamers with trepidation, it is now closely followed by
everyone who's played even a minute of it. The 2012 remastered
version of Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers is to me perhaps the
standard benchmark when it comes to applying a fresh coat of paint.
Grin's 2008 HD remake of the 1987 seminal classic, Bionic Commando,
is as close to a perfect translation for the modern audience as can
get.
In Bionic Commando, you play the role of the titular hero named
Spencer. Your primary task is to rescue Super Joe, who has been taken
hostage by who can be said as one of the most memorable villains ever
to grace video games; Generalissimo Kilt (who bears more than a
passing semblance to Hitler and may very well be the model-basis for
Street Fighter's M. Bison). Playing pretty much similarly to its
side-scrolling, action contemporaries, Bionic Commando was unique in
the regard that Spencer could not jump. By removing an integral part
of the platforming experience, Bionic Commando was able to
distinguish itself from its peers and allowed Capcom to experiment
with perhaps the first instance of a now-ubiquitous weapon; the
grappling hook.
A truly innovative device, the grappling hook is what Spencer uses to
travel around; swinging off ledges, lamps, platform edges and just
about anywhere the hook is capable of reaching. Though chiefly a
device for moving around, the hook (or claw as it is sometimes
mentioned) can also double as a weapon. You can reel-in enemies and
throw them at each other; or you can reel-in barrels and other
hard-to-reach items and use them as either defensive shields or
projectiles. This ability comes in handy (see what I did there?) most
especially at boss battles. Your weapons, both primary and secondary,
have infinite ammo, meaning you never have to worry about strategy
and all that nonsense. Love the rocket launcher a little too much?
Why not use it for the entire level, and when the boss appears, tear
him a new one? Fancy the machine-gun more? No problems, it's yours
for the keeping!
Challenging with an extra amount of oomph, Rearmed really stings you
with its difficulty and steepness of the learning curve. A game for
beginners, this is not. But this doesn't mean veterans should treat
it as a walk-in-the-park either. The 1987 original is easily among
the most difficult on the NES, and Rearmed is just as hard, with
several of the levels guaranteed numerous re-attempts. If everything
were to be taken aside, the two reasons I'm going to state below are
perhaps the selling point of the game and where 90% of the fun lies,
respectively.
The graphics, for one, are simply drop dead gorgeous. A perfect
marriage between 2D and 3D - with 2D being the backdrops and the
characters 3D -, the graphics and the artwork are stunning and
handsome. Some of the scenery require more than mere minutes of
observation, and don't be too surprised if you catch yourself gaping
at a particularly impressive backdrop longer than you usually would.
A further extension for reason one is also the animations; smooth,
crisp, and a delight to watch. While you're falling from great
heights, your character starts to yield his bionic arm in relation to
the decreasing altitude. This subtle effect, coupled with the landing
animation, will make you want to fall off high places more. In the
game mind you, not in real life.
The second reason is the co-operative gameplay. This should go
unelaborated but what the heck, I might just as well. Up to two
players in campaign mode - and four in competitive deathmatch and
similar matches - the carnage is best experienced like this. Player
two gets to control Super Joe, who is basically Luigi to the titular
hero's Mario. The thrill of taking down the enemies with your best
buddy is beyond 11; the co-operation required to takedown a boss
simultaneously imminently leads to victory shouts and smug happiness
should the other die in the process. You will notice that in
co-operation mode, you and your buddy will gradually focus all your
energy from killing soldiers to being the first commando to find the
elusive "extra life" icon or secret areas; and believe me,
that is when the fun really begins. The only mildly frustrating thing
about two-player mode, and overall in general, is the responsive
nature of the screen.
Should either of you get too far from each other, the screen splits
in two; sometimes horizontal, sometimes vertical, depending on which
plane you're in. Though it's not a major deal, a-great many cheap
deaths have occurred due to its unfortunate timing to split the
screen. Also, many areas will require the both of you to stay
together if you're to stay alive because once the screen's split, you
won't be able to see more than a few feet ahead of you; and that can
make all the difference between life and death. I do wish they had
adopted the infinitely stretching as in Drive to Survive (a.k.a
Mashed), where the screen keeps on stretching to keep the action in
view.
Notwithstanding certain flaws, like untimely glitches and minor - but
sometimes game ruining - bugs where your character would get stuck
half-way in a wall, Bionic Commando Rearmed is a quintessential
modern co-operative game. In single-player it is equally fun, but
with a friend the fun doubles, triples even. You may not know now,
but Rearmed will the source of your fondest, epic gaming memories a
few years later down the line. I highly recommend it.
Score: N/A
Note: Screenshots used in the body of this article are from MobyGames here.
