Bionic Commando

Surprisingly, Bionic Commando is a game that I had only seen when I was younger and never really played until 2013! I had people swear up and down that it was such a good game, but somehow, despite my love for Capcom titles, this one slipped through the cracks!  

Surprisingly, Bionic Commando is a game that I had only seen when I was younger and never really played until 2013!
Jessica Brown (aka "Allahweh")

However, I played the game as part of my "Retro Play Show" as a live-stream and had a blast with it.

Bionic Commando is set in the fictional year of 198X A.D. and players control Federation operative and super-soldier Ladd Spencer as he is sent into the enemy territory of the Empire to retrieve the captive soldier Super Joe (from 1985's "Commando"). 

In this game, the player goes area to area, wire-tapping computers to find out special information, collecting special items, and searching for clues to what the Empire is up to. The trick is that you cannot jump at all and instead must use Spencer's bionic arm to grab platforms, swing across large pits, and defeat foes in tandem with his weapons. 

This game was surprisingly non-linear and you had to talk to NPCs, search for secret areas, and figure out where to go next - something that was very different for games of this era. 

This game is an action platformer through and through, but it has a lot of puzzle elements and an interesting story. 1988 was the year that "Mega Man 2," one of my favorite games of all time and another Capcom favorite, was released! So...I was busy playing that! :)

Review by - Jessica Brown - AKA 'Allahweh'

Bionic Commando Gameplay NES
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The Retro Play Show Bionic Commando - Allahweh