Bionic Commando Rearmed Review

BY Rabie Hassoun | POSTED: 20 August 2008

Old school meets new school.



Another week and yet another remarkable live arcade game for us to download. After running around collecting puzzle pieces in Braid, this week we will be swinging across Bionic Commando Rearmed by Capcom. Rearmed is a remake of a classical NES game that many of us have enjoyed and played over and over again. This XBL arcade release is similar to the old Bionic Commando game in many ways yet features some interesting changes and tweaks that will surely attract both the old school and young generation of gamers.

The first thing you will notice about this side scrolling game is the graphics. Compared to the old game, the graphic is a huge improvement for sure. As you might have guessed our hero here is blessed with a mechanical arm that he will be using for nearly every move in the game.  You will be able to swing across platforms, pick up enemies and even shield yourself against bullets using that very same arm.  As the old fans of the series might recall, this is not just a “run in and blast off the enemies” kind of game. You actually need to climb and swing across platforms to fully complete each level.

The game still does not feature a jump button, which tends to be very frustrating at certain points within every level. Instead of just jumping off a sand bag, you will need to swing across one or two platforms to get across. That alone is weird considering all the fire power you got on hand, why not just blast that sand bag open and get it over with? Speaking of fire power, the game comes with a set of fresh weapons we enjoyed messing around with. You have the futuristic laser gun, the controllable rocket launcher and the standard pistols and machine guns.

Moving from one level to another is a piece of cake thanks to a map that you can easily navigate. While on the way to the next level, from time to time you will be attacked by a group of enemies opening up a small mini game. Here, all you have to do is kill every enemy in your way until you reach the end. This part of the game is an ideal place for you to test out any new weapon you might have acquired earlier. Speaking of mini games, in each level you will have a computer to hack. Using a small, yet interesting, mini game you will be able to hack the enemy’s computers to gather information and open up sealed doors.

The one thing we really dislike about Bionic Commando Rearmed is the controls. The D-pad for the Xbox 360 will make life a bit rough for you during the game. Take the swinging part as an example; you will surely lose a life or two trying to execute a swing with a tough angle thanks to the controls. The map itself will get frustrating at times while picking the next level. You might find yourself stuck in a fight you did not ask for, again, thanks to the controls.

On the bright side, the game features a very cool online and offline coop mode that many people will surely enjoy. Even if you lose connection to the internet while playing an online coop level, the AI will take over until you get back online. The game also allows up to 4 players to duke it out, offering more than enough value for an XBLA game. The graphics, like we mentioned earlier, is awesome, making this the best graphics any side scrolling game was blessed with ever. The music, to the delight of the hardcore fans, is some of the classical 8-bit music that was remade for this game, adding up to the already great “old plus new” formula this game boasts.

With not so many great retail games out right now, Bionic Commando Rearmed is a great game for you to try out in this hot summer. It offers everything the old fans of the series could have wished for plus some new features for everyone else to enjoy. Capcom did a great job with this remake, redesigning nearly everything from the bosses to the levels and even the game’s overall interface. Get used to the controls and you will be enjoying a really great game at a very affordable price.