Decent game, amazing music (Bionic Commando)

Member Name: Burning_Darkness

Product:	Bionic Commando
Date:	17/08/09 (21 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: solid gameplay, varied visuals, levels and enemies, superb music

Disadvantages: Short, can get repetitive`

Originally released as an arcade machine in 1987, Bionic Commando is an interesting little platform game in which you play as a special agent with an extendable arm that you can stretch upwards above your head indefinitely to grab on to ledges and pull yourself up, whilst simultaneously blasting away at oncoming enemies with one of a range of rifles. The plot requires you to fight through four long levels to prevent the opposing force from launching a deadly missile attack, starting off in a forest hideout before progressing to an 'Enemy Outpost', 'Underground Base' and lastly the 'Final Base'.

The gameplay is very straightforward, allowing you to choose a path upwards, with the platform game being as much about vertical progression as horizontal progression, and though the gameplay is largely rather standard there are lots of interesting innovations present, such as parachuting enemies, attack-helicopters, destructible doors and huge, several-screens-tall robots that you must clamber across.

Whilst fun the game can be completed in around 30 or 40 minutes, and on the commodore 64 version at least there are no sound effects, although the game makes up for this oversight a thousandfold by the introduction of some truly spectacular varied and futuristic-sounding midi music tracks that vastly improve the gaming experience, and can be listened to endlessly without ever becoming boring. A decent platformer then, made great by a fantastic musical score.

Summary: Fun, but the music makes it a classic