Bionic Commando
| Bionic Commando | |
|---|---|
 North American boxart | |
| Developer(s) | Capcom, Software Creations |
| Publisher(s) | Capcom, Go! |
| Designer(s) | Tokuro Fujiwara |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, NES/Famicom, Game Boy, Game Boy Color. |
| Release | JPN July 20 1988 NA 1988 EU October 26 1990 (dates for NES version) |
| Genre(s) | Platform game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Bionic Commando (トップシークレット, lit. "Top Secret") is the name of several video games, beginning with an arcade game produced and released by Capcom in 1987. It was later released for several home computers (ported by Software Creations and published by Go!).
More widely regarded is the sequel (Top Secret: Hitler's Revival (トップシークレット ヒットラーの復活) in Japan) released for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Further sequels have also appeared on the Game Boy and Game Boy Color, these two games being more closely related to the NES game than the arcade original.
On October 19, 2007, Capcom announced a new Bionic Commando game for the Playstation 3, PC and Xbox 360. The new game is being made by Swedish developer GRIN, and looks to feature gameplay inspired by the NES installment.
On January 16, 2008, Capcom announced a remake of the NES installment (titled Bionic Commando Rearmed) for the Playstation Network and Xbox Live Arcade. It is scheduled to be released in Spring of 2008.
Though the protagonist varies depending on the game, the most famous is Rad Spencer, from the NES, Game Boy, and seventh generation console installments. All protagonists in the series are soldiers equipped with a bionic arm featuring a grappling gun, allowing the protagonist to pull himself forward or swing from the ceiling. The series is notable for being one of few instances of a platform game in which the player cannot jump. To cross gaps or climb ledges, the hero must use his bionic arm.
1987 arcade game
The original arcade installment consists of the commando Super Joe (the hero from Commando and Speed Rumbler), who transverses through five levels from a forest to a base, in order to stop a threatening armed force. The levels themselves are, like any conventional platformer, straightforward, with many situations in which there are enemies and other dangers lurking, while at the same time, cliffs that must be passed through.
Prizes like points and power-ups can only be obtained from crates that come on the screen in a parachute, which can be revealed by shooting them. Unlike most of the later games, the player cannot use the arm and shoot at the same time, the arm cannot be used in the air and the only power-ups are weapon enhancements.
This version was later compiled and released in the Capcom Classics Collection for the PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2, and Xbox.
Computer ports
Home computer ports of the game, (available for 8-bit computers Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum and 16-bit computers Amiga and Atari ST) generally received average or decent reviews, apart from the ZX Spectrum version which was greeted by some critical praise, receiving ratings of 9/10 and 92% from Your Sinclair and CRASH.
For Commodore 64 there are two distinct versions: a US version by Capcom, and a UK version by Software Creations. The UK Commodore 64 version seems to be the most well-received computer port, while the US version is considered poor.
The music for the computer conversions was arranged by Tim Follin, using a music playback engine programmed by Follin's brother, and has been considered to be of high quality.[citation needed] The original music was composed by Harumi Fujita for the YM2151 arcade-game sound chip. Tim Follin rearranged original compositions and utilized capabilities of computer sound chips well; the music on stage four is mainly Follin's own composition. The game's music sounds very different on every machine due to differences in sound chips. The Amiga version features music that is based on well-chosen instrument samples while the C64 version is a great example of utilizing the capabilities of the SID-chip. The Atari ST music is well done despite of the limitations of the YM2149 soundchip.
1988 NES game
Unlike the arcade game, the NES installment (technically a sequel, though it bears the same name outside Japan) is an action/adventure game, in which the player has to explore each stage and obtain the necessary equipment to progress through the game. The story featured in the English version of the game begins with a search for Super Joe, who was the main character of the arcade version and Commando.
The original Japanese version of Bionic Commando placed the character in a battle against futuristic Nazis. The final boss was Adolf Hitler, who had been resurrected by evil scientists. All references to Nazism were removed from the American release: the swastikas were replaced by albatross figures, the enemies were renamed from "Nazis" to "Badds" (though the backstory in the instruction manual referred to them as Nazz) and the overall difficulty of the game was reduced. The final boss's name was changed to "Master-D", but he still clearly resembles Adolf Hitler. There is a notably gory ending sequence in which he is shot in the face, which was kept intact in the American version; an unusual move, considering Nintendo of America's heavy censorship issues at the time. All these changes remained for the European version, but the game manual still mentions Nazis.
Stage-selection map
Another original feature of Bionic Commando is that, instead of moving in a straight path through the levels, the player can, between levels, move around on a map-like screen. The player can move his helicopter one space at a time between the areas, represented by numbers.
Once above a numbered area, the player can either choose to play it or move to another area. The player has to complete the current level to move on, although he can go back to the map by pressing either Start, A, and B, or Select, A, and B (depending on the version).
There are also green enemy trucks on the map, and if the player runs into them between icons, he will be forced into an overhead battle, similar to the previous game Commando. Certain enemies can be defeated there to get extra continues.
Some of these stages are neutral areas, in which the player gets information as well as items that might be helpful. In these areas it is forbidden to fire any weapon or the player will be attacked by a squadron until he or she leaves the stage.
Bionic arm
Rad Spencer sports a gun with one hand and an extendable bionic gripper device on the other. His bionic arm can be extended and rotated in 45-degree increments, from horizontally left to directly upwards to horizontally right. Once attached to something, Rad can pull himself to wherever the arm has latched, typically leaving him swinging back and forth under the point of connection. From this position, he can swing off or hoist himself up to the point of connection.
Rad's bionic arm can also deflect some types of bullets and grab certain enemies and items.
Other features
A well-known feature in this game is the possibility of communication with allied forces in order to get useful information on the current stage the player is in, or some hints. Also, the player can tap into the enemy forces' communication lines for the same results, though the enemy will sometimes detect the infiltrating line and send a squadron to attack the player.
Enemies can sometimes be defeated for "bullets", which, if the player gets enough of them, will add extra units of health. This is important because the player only starts with one life point. A maximum of nine life points can be gained, after collecting a total of 300 bullets.
Music
The NES version of the music, produced and composed by Junko Tamiya (under the pseudonym "Gondamin"), is also very highly praised for its militaristic compositional element. Two songs from the Arcade versions are used in some areas.
A section of the theme from area one is used in the song 'A Million Exploding Suns' by self-proclaimed 'Nintendocore' act Horse the Band.
Novelization
A book was written in the Worlds of Power series of novels based on Bionic Commando (the American NES version). The Bionic Commando is Jack Markson, who loses an arm when ninjas attack his hotel room and kidnap Super Joe. The Federation replaces his missing limb with a bionic arm that has a grappling hook and a number of other gadgets that are not featured in the game, like a flame thrower and a device that forces prisoners to tell the truth. Like most books in the series, violence was toned down to non-lethality in most cases (he usually shoots enemy soldiers with tranquilizers), although certain events, like the deaths of Hal and Killt, are kept. Much of the game's middle is skimmed over in order to fit it all into the book.
Re-releases
The NES game has been re-released, along with Mighty Final Fight and the NES edition of Strider, in the Capcom Classics Mini-Mix compilation for Game Boy Advance.
1992 Game Boy game
The original Game Boy sequel was, for the first time, known worldwide as Bionic Commando. It is a futuristic follow-up to the NES version, with refined control, more detailed graphics, a different plot, and some new scenarios (though it heavily borrows settings from its predecessor). It is also possible to continue the game, by use of a password system. This game is not as well-known as its NES predecessor, possibly due to its release platform, its relatively small production run, or a general lack of publicity. This game is much more story-oriented than either of its predecessors, introducing many characters and manga-style illustrations.
Bionic Commando: Elite Forces
In 1999, under license from Capcom, Nintendo Software Technology developed and released a Game Boy Color game named Bionic Commando: Elite Forces. Though it borrows some elements from its predecessors, it is a completely different game, with a different plot. The characters (an unnamed male or female commando) have a few more moves, such as the ability to climb down from platforms. There are some special features, such as the ability to save the game via battery back-up (which has been known to introduce a game-freezing bug), some shooting sequences, and a choice of protagonists. Also, the characters sport rotoscoped animation, similar to early '90s games like Prince of Persia or Out of this World.
2008 sequel
On October 16, 2007, a new Bionic Commando game was announced for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC (and possibly Wii), to be developed by GRIN and published by Capcom.
In 2004, a previous remake of the original game was reportedly in the works by Capcom Studio 8 to be released for the Playstation 2, but the project was abandoned when the studio closed in 2006.[1] [2]
Bionic Commando: Rearmed
On January 16, 2008, Capcom announced a remake of the NES installment (titled Bionic Commando Rearmed) for the Playstation Network, Xbox Live Arcade and Windows. It is scheduled to be released in May 14, 2008.