GRAPHICS SOUND CONTROL FRUSTRATION FUN FACTOR OVERALL

NES 1 Player Action Maybe when Capcom sat down to make this game they were thinking, what could we do if we took away jumping in a regular platformer game? Well, if you're thinking, "How the hell can you have a platformer without jumping around like some kind of lunatic the whole time???", then you're dead wrong, my friend. I don't know what those programmers were smoking when they thought of giving the guy a bionic arm, but they sure weren't smoking anything when they made this game. Bionic Commando has some of the most innovative and precise gameplay for any NES game. It had a great storyline, good graphics, and dirty (for the NES) language to put a cherry on it all. there are even some battle scenes that seem to come straight out of Commando for the NES, and they add a little variety to the game. When you put it all together, it is games like this that made the NES the best system ever. As in pretty much every other Capcom game, something happens in 198X, where some megalomaniac tries to take over the world (ahem.... Dr. Wily ahem.. hmm..) excuse me. Anyhow, The Badds had secret plans to build a death machine called the Albatros. Thankfully, the Badds are long gone, but neo-nazis led by Generalissimo Killt and his Imperial Forces have found the plans for it and decide this heinous death machine. So the good guys send our hero Super Joe (anybody remember Commando??) and the little prima donna doesn't come back. So, our story begins... You are Ladd, and your legs are mysteriously incapable of making you jump! So he did the natural thing and picked up a bionic arm down at the friendly neighborhood Wal-mart. So you get to swing your self around with a bionic arm and kill stuff. Sounds like fun to me!! Anyways, now that Super Joe's gone, it's up to Ladd to save his ass, and the world while he's at it. You get a transmission from a fellow soldier explaining how Joe screwed us all up and how you have to bail him out. Now, unlike most games of the time, there is not just one stage after another. You can pretty much go anywhere you want if you have enough power. The bionic arm is bar none one of the coolest ideas ever for any video game. You can use it to climb up onto platforms or to swing over gaps, or even give your enemies a good punch in the stomach from a safe distance. If it wasn't for the arm, this game would be your average platform shoot 'em up, but nothing special. There are 19 areas, with 12 combat areas and 7 neutral areas. The neutral areas are helpful with finding important items, and also gaining information, like "What the heck are you doing here, you jerk!". Graphics: The graphics in this game are superb and the sprites are very well detailed. They pulled off the detail on Ladd extremely well. You can even tell he's wearing sunglasses. Also, in the communication and speech parts, the faces of the characters are very well drawn out and should be the envy of NES games everywhere. There are a lot of colors, the backgrounds are good looking, and overall, the graphics are just about as good as you can get with an NES, especially considering that this game was made in 1988. The graphics never get boring, either. The sunset in level 5 and the side of the mountain innlevel 3 make for dynamic and pleasing visuals. The only thing that I have against these graphics is that the faces of some of the enemies are either barely there or non existent. They are not as well drawn as your main character, but that is not such a huge deal. Sound: Don't get me wrong the sound is very good in this game. Every tune seems to fit the board that you're on, and never gets boring. The sound effects fit the game very well, and there is no question what is going on when you hear certain sound effects. The bionic arm even makes a very reassuring "shwiiink" when you use it. I'm sure everyone who has played this game remembers how the alarm you set off after wire-tapping in certain levels completely scares the shit out of you. A very nice touch in my opinion. The songs are simply phenomenal in this game. Any die hard bionic commando fan can surely remember the entire level one tune. They were catchy, fitting, and never got boring. That is exactly what I look for in a video game. Control: The gameplay in Bionic Commando is what really made this game stick out. The bionic arm goes where you want it to go every time. Once you master the arm which does not take very long, it is like second nature. I applaud Capcom for pulling off the arm so well because the gameplay is what could have broke, but made, this game. There are a lot of power ups in this game, and a lot of different items that can help you out, like the rocket launcher, the ever-elusive helmet, or the mysterious function of the pendant. Frustration: This game isn't that frustrating, but some parts can get you throwing a controller around. For example, on levels 3, 6 and 11, if you aren't spot on exactly right with the bionic arm, you're screwed. Otherwise, Bionic Commando is challenging but not impossible. I have beaten it many times and I still find it a challenge every time. Bionic Commando is a great game to pick up on a rainy weekend or an insomniactic night. (insomniactic?) Bionic Commando is a blast every time you play it, and it always worth it to spend an hour or two to see that ending. ......BOTTOM LINE: Personally, this is my favorite game ever. In my opinion it has it all: good graphics, great music, solid gameplay, replay value, and an awesome ending. If you don't have this game, I IMPLORE you to pick up the first one you find, because this game is worth well over 50 bucks for the amount of fun you get out of it. But, lucky for you, you can probably find a good copy for 5 bucks. A must have for any gamer, definitely one of the best. Now lets get to our local funcoland or wherever you get your games and let's blow up Hitler's head! -gimmethebaaawl