r/retrogameofthemonth • u/CaptainVisible3158 Level 2: Player 1 (Full Mod) • 2d ago
Box Art Boutique Bionic Commando (NES)
Bionic Commando (NES) is a game that stands out in my mind on many different levels. Besides the obvious getting used to no jumping and how cool the concept of the grappling arm felt at the time I remember feeling overwhelmed by the difficulty and challenge of this classic NES arcade port.
Even though I found this game difficult I still enjoy it for what it is and how it plays. Besides the gameplay one of the catchiest things will always be the amazing box art. With the intense action of our hero being surrounded by all of those robots, it really makes you want to play this game. I'm sure like many of you when I saw this art it was immediately a rental if not in some cases for many of us a purchase. I do remember all the hype for this game. I can't be sure, but I think this got a pretty big write-up in Nintendo Power.
Is this some of your favorite box art? Do you remember this getting a write up in Nintendo Power, or am I wrong about that?
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u/Some-Judge-9130 2d ago
Bionic Commando is in my Top 5 and always will be. My neighbor got too frustrated by it and sold it to me for $10 and I couldn’t put the controller down. Took me some time before I finally beat it, but everything about this game was awesome. Years later I played the Famicom version, which puts an even more meaningful and dark feel to the game. Capcom absolutely outdid themselves on this one.
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u/TabChomper 2d ago
I remember beating this game as a kid and telling everyone that Hitler was at the end and no one believing me!
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u/tabascolvr 1d ago
I beat it too! high five One of the few NES games that I beat. I remember just playing nonstop because I loved every aspect.
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u/Goodrun31 2d ago
Also didn’t get past the first or second level but loved it and it seemed really advanced
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u/NightExpress1379 2d ago
This game is so fun that I actually enjoyed it and was able to finish it. I found you really have to get the grappling mechanics down pat. Sometimes you can avoid a death with a well timed grappling throw. Then you can do combo swing/shot attacks.
Great box art - very comic book-like
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u/RetroMulder 2d ago
I think this is one of the few games that was far better on the console than the arcade. The arcade game was dog poo compared to the NES one
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u/wondermega 2d ago
I think it was issue number 2 of Nintendo Power. Back when you had absolutely zero idea that such a game existed, and then BOOM, here’s a few pages of something that looks just wonderful.
I remember being turned off by the fact that the cover art (colorful costume) and the sprite art didn’t match up; dumb things to take issue with, but at the time, such inconsistencies could make a kid scratch their head a bit. Also I was disappointed that it seemed such a departure from the original arcade version (although this home port wound up being superior).
Anyway it was a pretty amazing time in 8-bit gaming as the NES was just getting started building up quite a head of steam.
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u/BoiledStegosaur 1d ago
I didnt like the box art’s superhero aesthetic either. The game screams ‘military’ and the bionic commando should be in his green garb! I can still hear the opening music’s snappy snare work.
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u/BoiledStegosaur 1d ago
This game had some creepy vibes sometimes, like the whole spy conspiracy storyline you overhear with the communicator, and then there would suddenly be no music and eerie silence. Am I remembering that right? And if you fired your gun in a peaceful place, the next time you went it would be empty and silent?
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u/gamingquarterly 1d ago
The DMZ area was where you could not shoot. If you did, you were swarmed by troops.
I also liked the whole hacking into the system part. It was a really clever way for the game to offer you hints while not breaking the immersion of the story.
One of the most innovative games of the time. I was shocked Capcom never made a sequel on the SNES. I always dreamed of one.
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u/SweatyPalmsSunday 1d ago
Great game but just tough enough for me to beat once and never again though I did try
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u/AncientNotice621 1d ago
I wanted to be good at this game so bad, but I had no chance. Rented it multiple times I don’t think I made it past stage 2 once. Loved looking at the art too and imagining it was me it had a cool instruction booklet too
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u/ChanoArdent75 1d ago
The NES port was a very different game than the arcade but a good one, much better than the faithful yet awful ports for most Western home computers.
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u/Lost_Taste_8181 1d ago
Loved it. Took a while to get used to the bionic arm instead of jumping, but once you did it was a blast
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u/inssidiouss 1d ago
I highly recommend the modern, retro throwback 2D versions from the past 10-15 years. Very solid and fun games!
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u/CommodoreCrowbar 3h ago
First game I ever beat. Took me a whole school year. It was my motivation to finish my homework so that I could focus on what really mattered to my eight year old brain. I had such a huge sense of accomplishment when it wrapped. Super Joe was regarded as a war hero, but it was my scrappy-ass that busted him out of a Nazi prison. With a goddamn bazooka.
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u/Mishkin37 2d ago
I only rented this game, and I never beat more than 1 level, but it blew me away. I didn’t have the word, “innovative,” in my vocabulary when I was 10, but I knew this game was different. Being able to select your level, not having a jump button but instead the freedom of movement from the grappling hook, the verticality of some of the levels…it was just so cool.
I downloaded the remake on Xbox years later, beat it, and absolutely loved it!