It was a Christmas, long ago. My parents were doing pretty well at work. My brother and I were old enough to not fight with each other all the time. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, even though we never used the fireplace in the warmth of California's "winter". And we had an NES, purchased a few months ago for a birthday present. Thus, we knew that some games were on the way, and awaited the grand morning with breathless anticipation.

We didn't even have to wait 'till morning that year. Our folks, in a fit of brilliant insanity, suggested we open presents on Christamas Eve. This was unprecedented! A revelation! A night that would probably go down as one of my favorite childhood memories, in no small part due to the receiving of both the NES Advantage and Capcom's Bionic Commando, and benchmark in my enthusiasm that would help define what I look for in games to this day.

Bionic Commando has it all. Action, intrigue, character and variety. The Bionic Commando of the title is on a mission that takes him across multiple themed levels, from mountains to towns to cavernous industrial bases, attempting to find the root of the evil military movement that is sprouting in the small island country that serves as the setting of the game. As you progress, you earn multiple weapons, have a face-to-face with the leader of the military complex in a neutral zone (!), battle enemy troops in side-scrolling and top down missions, rescue your comrade, and ultimately, kill Hitler! Sure, they renamed him Master-D for weak American stomachs, but you can't tell me I didn't blow up Hitler's face. Check out the amazing sequence here.


Bionic Commando's well implemented hook (pun intended) is a bionic arm, as illustrated above, that takes the place of the characters inability to jump. Capcom implemented this device flawlessly, designing the levels and enemy encounters around mastery of the arm mechanic. Swinging from hook point to hook point got only more addictive as the game went on, and there's a good reason people are excited about both the remake and the sequel Capcom is teasing us with. But can lightning strike twice? We'll have to wait and see, but that's another discussion.

To me, Bionic Commando set a standard. Maybe it was the atmosphere in which I received it, but the game seemed to be everything I could want. Progressivly tricky, yet ultimately conquerable levels. A systematic mission structure that made me feel like I was accomplishing something on the world map. Just enough text and cut-scenes to give the story some meat, and push you closer to the ultimate goal (of killing Hitler!). And an awesome ending that felt like closure to the mission. It didn't take me or my brother long to master the game, but we kept coming back for more, and loved saving the world every time.

Bionic Commando cemented my appreciation for 2D action, over-the-top bosses and clever game mechanics. It opened the door to all the Metal Gears, Resident Evils, Castlevanias and Metal Slugs I've played over the years, and best of all, it has stood the test of time. I look forward to revisiting the Bionic Commando world, killing Hitler... er, Master-D, and saving the world yet again.

GigaMach
-is surprised he hasn't had to have a bionic thumb installed for all the years he's been gaming.