Bionic Commando Rearmed (PS3-PSN)

Howdy folks. Thanks for posting this article. I know I’m no longer around to provide you with your WTC needs, but I wanted to write a review on a game that really deserves a closer look.

Let me first make this point very clear: This is by far the best deal you can get on a new game to-date. This game is very light on the wallet at a mere $10, but it easily can stand up to $40-50 games.

So, have you played the original Bionic Commando before?  This is a remake/enhancement of the original. Bionic Commando stars…some 80s dude in a killer side-scrolling adventure. Unlike Mario and Sonic, though, this guy can’t jump! Instead, you must utilize your bionic arm to reach platforms above and swing in a Spiderman-esque way to reach where you want to go.

So, that gives you a lot of sweet gameplay trying to figure out where and how to go. It’s like what Joe Swanson from Family Guy would do if he was in a videogame world where wheelchairs were banned and…if he could walk. OK, maybe that doesn’t make sense. How about Michael Jordan if he couldn’t jump. Still doesn’t work? Well, think how Earthworm Jim plays, how you can whip yourself to reach further areas. So, while this game is technically 20 years old, it’s still very novel today because most platformers don’t do this. While a 2D platformer that doesn’t star Mario or Sonic doesn’t sound very intriguing, it really is. This game is really fun to play.

The audio in this game itself is worth the $10. Even if you don’t have the gripping tunage of the eight-bit version stuck in your head from back in the day, you’ll still love these tunes. They’ve got a house/techno feel to them, and they really get you pumped up for some new-age 80s gaming.  The visuals are also REALLY awesome. They stay true to the original, using bright/contrasting colors, awesome particle affects, and, oh yes, rag-doll physics when blowing away enemies.

The controls work…good. They basically play just like on the NES, and I recommend using the d-pad over your analog sticks.  I’m not a big fan of Xbox controls, so I recommend the PS3 version. Still, nothing too fancy about the controls. Luckily now you can do “real-time weapons change.”

They’ve added in some local multiplayer deathmatch and co-op play.  That’s right—you and your grandma can search for Super Joe together in the entirety of the single-player time. It’s probably the best co-op experience I’ve seen. The screen only goes split-screen when you move apart enough to trigger it. The game introduces these challenge rooms that show off ridiculous stage layouts that require some…no, wait…ALL of your cunning. There’s also online leaderboards for scores on regular levels and challenge rooms so you can go for the gold against the world or your friends. I assure you, the “gold” reference has nothing to do with Shawn Johnson or your mother.

Only thing that could have helped the replay value was online play, but then again, this game is only $10, so…even if there were no leader boards, challenge rooms, or co-op, the replay value (again based on the game’s price tag) would be good because there are achievements and varying difficulty levels. The game does have medals in the PS3 version, which are equivalent to the Xbox achievement points. Hopefully when trophies are added, these will be retroactive.

While the scores are slightly tilted by the fact that the game’s only $10, Bionic Commando: Rearmed still stands on its own as superior to many full-priced games. Go get this game. It’s like a chicken sandwich and some BBQ sauce from Checkers.