In the days of 8 and 16 bit consoles, perfect conversions of popular arcade games to home consoles were not always possible. Some developers would produce cut-down versions of their games for home, eliminating animations, reducing colour palettes and cutting the number of on screen sprites to get games to run better on less powerful hardware. A few developers took a different approach; using the arcade version as inspiration for a game produced exclusively for the consoles.

Capcom had some success with this path on the NES, producing new versions of popular arcade titles like Strider and Bionic Commando for the home systems. In the case of Bionic Commando, the home version ended up being quite a bit better than the arcade game, resulting in a bit of a cult following. In order to refresh everyone’s memory before the release of the latest Bionic Commando game, Capcom has commissioned GRIN to develop a remake of the NES game.


Bionic Commando Rearmed is set in a futuristic war zone, where an evil force known as the Badds is trying to resurrect their fallen leader, Master D. The Federation responds to the plan by sending in super soldier Super Joe (the hero of Commando) to deal with the threat, but contact is lost and Joe disappears, thought to be captured by enemy forces. As a last ditch effort, the Federation sends newly augmented soldier Nathan “Radd” Spencer behind enemy lines to rescue Super Joe and foil the enemy plot. It’s a retread of the plot from the western version of the NES game, which is somewhat different to the original Japanese version, where the main enemy were Nazis set on reviving Hitler, but the gist is the same.

Radd Spencer’s grappling hook arm sets him apart from regular soldiers, allowing him to navigate all sorts of terrain, grab distant objects and deflect bullets. The problem is that the arm is so heavy that Radd is unable to jump – but the claw’s retractability means you won’t have to. Swinging around Bionic Commando Rearmed’s massive levels is a real thrill, and much more satisfying than any other aspect of the game. Even so, you’ll find yourself missing the jump button when Radd is unable to make the most basic of leaps without the aid of his arm.


Bionic Commando Rearmed is an extraordinarily challenging game, much like the original version. Despite having a more advanced physics system behind the swinging, Bionic Commando Rearmed is demanding when it comes to timing, which isn’t helped by a somewhat primitive control system. The game often ignores your commands to change direction, and is never helped by the Xbox 360’s insufficient directional pad. I’d expected that the game would feature slightly more natural control, but it seems to stick rather closely to the original game. The grappling system takes a lot of getting used to, but eventually becomes second nature.

Stage design is the real star of Bionic Commando Rearmed, with some really intricately constructed levels. Players who master the grappling arm will find all sorts of hidden areas and secret power-ups. GRIN took the opportunity to change the game’s health and continue system to make it a little more user friendly, and created a whole new set of incredible boss fights (though they do repeat). For some reason they opted to keep the game’s top down sections, which seem completely at odds with the rest of the game. They’re essential when one takes into consideration their role on the world map, but it’s a shame they really could have used a substantial upgrade.

GRIN has offered up plenty of extra material to keep players coming back after they finish the story. A series of 56 challenge rooms has been included to test your grappling mettle. They’re somewhat reminiscent of Metal Gear Solid’s VR training missions, in that you need to complete a set task in a short amount of time. They’re also excruciatingly difficult, meaning that only the best of the best will ever make their way through. Multiplayer options have also been included in the form of two player cooperative and four player competitive play. Neither option is available online, but the cooperative play is far more compelling.


Bionic Commando Rearmed’s visuals are its strongest aspect. The characters are highly detailed and animate with astonishing fluidity. Even more impressive are the backgrounds, which are huge, intricate constructions, packed with painstaking levels of detail. The lighting and shadowing are also amazing, showing the full strength of GRIN’s proprietary engine. Renowned gaming artist Shinkiro is responsible for the impressive portraits used in the menus and communication sequences. The game runs at 60 frames per second, but has occasional hiccups. Bionic Commando Rearmed also has a profoundly different soundtrack which combines the 8-bit synthesised tunes of the original game with more modern electronic music. It might not be to everyone’s liking, but you should be able to appreciate the unique approach.

GRIN has raised the bar of production values for downloadable games with Bionic Commando Rearmed. The game has visuals that go above and beyond what any other downloadable game offers, and the sheer thrills given from swinging around the game’s massive levels is unmatched. GRIN’s decision to not significantly update the game’s controls and overhead sections really hurts the overall experience. Still, Bionic Commando Rearmed is a fine game, and amazing value at just 800 Microsoft Points ($13.20).