One of the best remakes yet this year!

Bionic Commando: Rearmed is a remake of an arcade title that was popularized by its port to the Nintendo Entertainment system (NES) in 1988.  This updated version has newer graphics, new weapons and online rankings along with updated musical score to round it out.  While the game is a remake, they did not duplicate the original. Capcom and Grin joined forces to update this classic in a way that makes it fun to play, challenging enough to keep you interested and with enough rooms/levels to get your money’s worth.

Graphics: 80% - Clean graphics, true to the original
The graphics in this game are very clean and true to the original NES game. The levels are very similar to the original in layout but with significantly higher resolution graphics and detail.  Smooth scrolling and crisp colors highlight this game.

Sound: 95% - Just Awesome
The sound in this version is just incredible; essentially they took the original soundtrack and updated it to match the new stunning graphics.  While the sound is outstanding, it does not over power the game, but nicely compliments it.  The soundtrack for this game has become so popular that, as I have read, it has been released on iTunes.

Gameplay: 85% - True to the original
Bionic Commando: Rearmed is a spot on remake of the original with some of the levels looking identical to the original with updated graphics.  Playing this game through the first time on the lowest (easiest) difficulty still proved to be quite challenging.  It seems that the only thing that establishes the difference in the difficulty is the number and durability of the enemies.  The maneuvers necessary to navigate the levels can be quite challenging even on the lowest level.  The bosses at the end of each level are difficult enough that they are almost a miniature game in and of themselves.  The mechanics of swinging and grappling seem very close to real gravity with the exception of some of the small moves that seem to defy gravity.

Multiplayer: 50% - Local multiplayer only
One of the few negatives about this remake is that there is no online gameplay.  The only multiplayer option that this game has is local  multiplayer and I found that to be disappointing as this would be a great game online: get a couple of guys together online and battle away.  The local multiplayer works very well though, I had my videogame addicted wife try the second controller and after a few minutes of getting the hang of the grappling hook she did pretty well.

Controls/Interface: 90% - Very Intuitive
The controls for the game are very intuitive and simple; you have the grapple button, the gun button, and the movement pad.  The fun comes when using a combination of the three buttons for more complex moves like grabbing a barrel and throwing it.  The tricky part about the controls is the timing of the moves.  I found it easy to learn the controls but quite challenging to learn the timing of the button presses to achieve the desired result.

Summary: 80% - Well thought out and fun to play
The soundtrack and stunning graphics make this game a feast for the senses.  There are five levels to keep you busy for hours. For extended play there are the local multiplayer options named Last Man Standing, Death Match, and the oddly named Don't Touch the Floor.  Overall, this game is a lot of fun and for 800 points ($9.99), it won’t break the bank buying it.

This review was done on the Xbox 360 version of the game.

Fast Facts:
Publisher: Capcom
Web: http://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/b/bcrearmedxboxlivearcade/
Developer: Capcom
Release date: 8/13/2008
PEGI: M (Mature) for Blood and Gore, Language and Violence
Format: Side Scrolling
Genre: Action

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