A late review for a game that's still totally Radd.
Capcom ought to come out with Remake: The Game, already. Don't get me wrong-because in no way am I going to complain about a faithful retelling of one of my favorite NES games, but really now… this business of cashing in on old hits is getting a little ridiculous. At least they're willing to mix things up by releasing more than a simple port, which not only works in this game's favor but stands as a testament that hard work can pay off in any medium.
Bionic Commando Rearmed starts off on the right foot by having slightly altered controls and a tutorial; a must for those who haven't played the original, as oh-there's no jump button! Heathens! Instead, players new to the series will be growing accustomed to an awesome grappling arm they'll use to swing across gaps and throw barrels at enemies, amongst other things. Thankfully, the analog sticks will do just as well as the D-pad for aiming, which can be a real pain when you're talking about diagonal directions. It may seem like an archaic playstyle by today's standards, but back in the day all we needed was a bionic arm and a rifle. Turns out, that's still all it takes to save the freakin' world.
Obviously, the game isn't going to last for eons, but it'll sit well with anyone looking for an old-school approach to game structure, and on easier difficulty levels can be blown through within under an hour. That's okay, though, because as I said we haven't got just a simple port on our hands. Along with new sections in the single-player game, Capcom was nice enough to throw in some multiplayer options in the form of co-op and deathmatch, which provides the game even longer legs than its fans have already given it.
With a next-gen Bionic Commando on the horizon, this was one of the smarter moves that Capcom could have made in spreading an awareness of the series, and they did it well. They even managed to spice things up by re-tooling boss fights, puzzles, and later sections in the game to sit more comfortably with the way gaming has evolved. There's enough content in the extra VR missions, multiplayer, and main game to call this game a steal at ten bucks, but the basis of a remake is to revive an old style of play and game structure. The game can become a test of patience near the end, and although there are possible adjustments to be made for ease of play, there are just some things that just don't age well. At least they clean up nice.
