Bionic Commando
Reviewed by Dominic Cote
Bionic Commando is another great title from the makers of Street Fighter and
Mega Man. While Bionic Commando hasn't received the major attention that some
of Capcom's larger franchises, it's still a quality title.
Graphically, Bionic Commando is one of the best titles I've seen on Nintendo's
portable. There is no blurring when things speed up, and the enemies are quite
varied, as are the weapons. Explosions are done well enough to serve their purpose.
While the main map isn't exactly impressive, it does manage to recapture the feel
of the NES classic.
The soundtrack is once again among the best for the Game Boy. Rather than just a
bunch of random sounds like in most Game Boy games, the soundtrack actually
serves a purpose and is pleasing to listen to (though that Game Over tune may get
on your nerves, since you'll hear it often enough). Explosions are again well done,
as are weapon noises. Communication may sound a bit odd at first but recapture
the spirit of the NES Bionic Commando.
Control is excellent, though there's a large learning curve, especially if you haven't
played the NES title of the same name. Not being able to jump will definitely throw
some gamers off, as it's a unique feature in this type of game. The main part of the
game is being able to use the bionic arm effectively. Rather than jumping over
obstacles, you're forced to use your arm to swing over things, climb up them, or
latch on to them. This is something that won't come easy, and also something that
must be truly mastered in order to be able to defeat the game.
Unfortunately, this game does have its flaws as far as control goes. While not
being able to jump can be attributed to the uniqueness of the title and can't be
considered a flaw, not being able to move over while you're falling (except for
your arm) will get on your nerves sooner or later. Also, the first weapons are
pretty much useless in many areas and can present a problem. It can also be a
pain to not be able to equip more than one item and one piece of armor at one time.
The password feature can kind of get annoying. First, it's kind of complicated,
using pictures instead of numbers/letters. Also, it's kind of long. Making a mistake
is easy to do, which can be annoying since you'll get an error message and won't get
a second chance to correct it. Instead, you'll have to go back to the main screen,
re-enter the password screen and hope you don't make a mistake the second time
around. All this password entering can get annoying.
Bionic Commando is a whole new game compared to the NES version, though it does
have several features of the NES title and presents a few of the same challenges
(especially at the end). The idea of this title is completely unique and is something
that I'd like to see on more games. Not being able to jump, but having to instead rely
on your extending wire arm to get from place to place is a welcome change from
the standard action/platform titles that we usually see.
BC is a ton of fun. The concept combines with solid gameplay to make for a great
amount of enjoyable playing time. Unfortunately, once you beat it, you might not
want to play it again for a while, since you've solved all the puzzles. After a while,
losing some of the ability to use the arm and needing to master it again can allow
for a reason to play the title.
Overall, Bionic Commando is a great title, and one that I'd definitely like to see
in today's generation of consoles. Another great product from the folks at Capcom
Graphics- 9.4
Sound- 9.1
Gameplay- 9.1
Concept- 10
Fun- 8.8
Replay Value- 7.9
Overall- 9.3