Bionic Commando (Nintendo, 1988)

Bionic commando is one of the slew of original Capcom arcade titles that was ported to the NES with a facelift. It is very different from its arcade counterpart---a lower difficulty, more levels, and more balanced, quest-type gameplay were key changes Capcom made for a wider audience, and it paid off big time. In Bionic Commando, you play as the titular hero, whose mission is to rescue "Super Joe" (who is actually the hero from "Commando," another Capcom arcade/NES title) from the clutches of the evil Empire, who more than slightly resemble nazis. The thing that seperated Bionic Commando from its action counterparts were two main areas. First, the mission requires the gathering of clues and materiel from your allies (and consequently sabotaging the enemy.) This semi-nonlinear gameplay deviates from the old "Contra" style of games, which follow the "run to the right and shoot stuff" formula. Secondly is the power of the hero's awesome bionic arm, which allow him to grapple overhead beams and swing from them, kicking enemies in the face and playing the part of Tarzan, if Tarzan had a rocket launcher. In another sequence of gameplay, where the hero and the battlefield are seen from above, he can swing it around his head like a chain, and bat away enemy bullets!
Bionic Commando remains one of the defining games of both the NES and Capcom. The gameplay was so unique that few tried to copy it, and even fewer did it successfully. If you see it, pick it up. You won't be disappointed.

There are a ton of Classic NES - Nintendo games that get me all fired up... well Captain Commando happens to be on that list and right near the top...

You are a soldier with a bionic arm that is like a super grappling hook... The army has picked you to go and rescue another elite soldier named Super Joe... The best part about this game is the bionic arm which allows you to attach to flooring and swing around like a mechanical monkey while shooting bad guys left and right...

Hint: in the first underground level that you come across with enemy soldiers, run back and forth shooting them and collecting the glowing pebbles... upon gathering a certain amount it will raise the number of health that you have which is really helpful.. also you will probably need continues so make sure to go after the moving caravans on the map screen and collect the little eagle symbols that are dropped during the fight with them...

This game is awesome. If you stink at it, oh well you suck because the controlls are awesome! The graphics are good for the NES, and the music is really good. I love this game and I loved it as a kid. I remember playing this when my friend rented it. Me and my friend were in a level that had us just blasting bad guys left and right with the bazooka. His dad came in which was a marine officer. He made us turn it off, said we were too young to play games that had us killing men. I dont blame him since we were 8 years old but I knew then that it was a cool a game and had to own it. :) And it is!!!
You're a commando with a bionic arm sent to rescue Super Joe. That's his name...go figure. The bionic arm pulls you to different levels in the stage. You get weapon upgrades and it has the goriest ending of any NES game I know of. Advice. Dont shoot when you're in a neutral zone and run into the trucks on the map. Kill the guy with the shield and you'll get a continue. A must have for this game.

Okay lone soldier, it's time to become a hero. You delve into action with a gun, & a bionic arm. This arm can be used to swing, push, grab, & especially pull yourself up to higher levels & platforms.

Your initial weapon is a standard one shot at a time rifle. As you progress through the levels you'll find more weapons to aide you. These include the machine gun, the 3-way gun, and bazooka. You can also stock up on various equipment, like a flare gun, or health pack. It also adds a little bit of strategy to the game, as you have to choose which weapon and equipment to take with you into the levels.

To throw in a little variety to the game, you'll come across spots when the action switches from side-view to overhead.
The levels are challenging enough, and they have a decent variety of enemy's and environments.

A must have for any action-lovin' NES owner out there.

I wasn't too keen on playing this game, despite the awesome title name. It was quite troublesome for me to get used to the fact that your character does NOT jump so it took a few days to use the bionic arm to swing to other buildings. That is the biggest challenge of the game but it does start to pick up later on...

...until the final levels (Area 11 and 12). I was able to make it to the boss on Area 11 but it was completely hard to swing the arm over past the fire pits of doom. It took several tries and continues, which brings to the point that you can continue as much as you want (you need to fight on the overhead battlefield a lot) but it could take you 3 hours to finally complete the game. Be warned, after you beat the boss you still have to make it out of Area 12 alive by shooting the helicopter cockpit (accurately, or else you will die in a single shot) and then 60 seconds to get out of the level (a la Metroid, I must point out).

So unless you are a hardcore Bionic Commando fan, it's probably best that you play the 2 Game Boy Color sequels before delving into this NES title.