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To a generation of gamers, the title Bionic Commando means one thing – hardcore gameplay. Often regarded as one of the hardest, most unforgiving games of its genre, the Capcom series has had a surprisingly deep history. This makes sense because commando missions are usually top secret. Here's the declassified history of Bionic Commando.
Most videogame fans think that Bionic Commando started as one of the classic titles for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Wrong! The game was originally released in 1987 to Japanese arcades as Top Secret. It featured a commando with a bionic arm. The game stood out from the sea of platforming titles because the hero couldn't jump. This was unthinkable in a genre dominated by games like Donkey Kong and Double Dragon. Instead the vertically challenged character had to fire a grappling hook and swing across gaps and hurdles while shooting enemies. The gameplay took great precision to master. Most casual arcade fans didn't grasp the concept right away.
When Capcom released the game in the U.S., the advertising sold it as a sequel to a previous Capcom arcade hit Commando, even though it actually had nothing to do with that game. The character, who was unnamed in Top Secret, was given the Super Joe name of the main character of Commando in print ads. The name never actually appeared in the game. Super Joe would later appear properly in later games. It wasn't a huge hit but was popular enough to be ported to computers like the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and the ZX Spectrum. In fact, there were two versions for the C64. The original arcade game was never brought to consoles.
The NES version of Bionic Commando that came out one year later was technically a sequel. Titled Top Secret: Hitler's Revival in Japan, the game wisely ditched the controversial name for North America. All mentions of Nazis were removed but the final boss was still recognizable as Adolph Hitler. It probably never caused much of a media storm because few gamers got to that point. The gameplay was kept the same but this version allowed players to choose missions from a map, revisit sections, and unlock new equipment. The character was finally named, Ladd. Super Joe was officially brought in. Sent in previously, he was now a prisoner of the bad guys. Ladd was sent in to rescue Super Joe. The difficulty and lack of a save system probably drove away most gamers. But the game was frequently in the library of the emerging videogame rental market. It was one of those games kids would say, "If you think you're good, go rent Bionic Commando. That game is tough!"
In the long run, the game proved more popular in western markets than in Japan. When it was brought over to the new Nintendo Game Boy portable system in 1992, the name Bionic Commando was used worldwide. The hero was renamed Rad Spencer. As the best of the Bionic Commando Corps, Rad was tasked with stopping the Doraize Dukedom's plan to launch Albatross, an invincible flying fortress. Bionic Commando's look switched from military to anime futuristic with spiky red hair. The game mercifully featured a password save system that let players pick up where they left off.
Bionic Commando: Elite Forces was the next title in the series. In an odd move, the game wasn't put out by Capcom. Instead it was it was licensed by Nintendo who developed and published it for the Game Boy Color. Commando "Super Joe" Gibson, captured once again, sends a garbled message that the peaceful land of Karinia is threatened by the Avars. Their evil leader Arturus plans on launching the Albatross Project. This time the gamer gets to choose to be an unnamed male or female bionic commando.
Not a true entry in the Bionic Commando series, Capcom's Lost Planet game for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Windows PCs featured many of the game's mechanics. The hero had a grappling hook that allowed him to swing nearly anywhere in a 3D environment. Many reviews of the game mentioned the similarity, which may have lead to Capcom greenlighting a true sequel.
Much like this summer's Star Trek movie, Bionic Commando got a reboot with last year's Bionic Commando Rearmed. Developer GRIN decided to remake the NES Bionic Commando in an effort to better understand the series before working on a proper next-generation version of the game. (And probably to build recognition and buzz for a series that hadn't seen a release in a decade.) The game's graphics were redone using 3D technology but kept the 2D perspective. It featured several enhancements like co-op mode, challenge rooms, and 3D puzzles. The commando was renamed Nathan "Rad" Spencer, keeping the anime look of the Game Boy Color version. The final boss, a.k.a. Hitler, was nicknamed "The Leader." It was released as a downloadable game for Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, and Windows PCs, garnering rave reviews.
Now that you've been debriefed, report for duty on Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 for the newest Bionic Commando game out right now!
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