My favorite Games of All-Time #17: Bionic Commando - Originally published on 1UP - April 21, 2006

Bionic Commando should need no introduction. 1UP's Crucial Classics rank Bionic Commando in the #20 spot. If you are a fan of the action platformer then Bionic Commando should be a game that you not only play but have to beat. The version that makes my #17 spot is the Nintendo one, not the arcade and not the Gameboy versions.

Bionic Commando came out during the 8-bit golden era, when arcade classics were being turned into console titles by the boatload. Capcom had mastered a gameplay technique rarely used in a platformer or in the arcade. Pitfall was the first game that allowed players to swing from vines, Jungle King/Jungle Hunt soon followed. The game mechanic in Bionic Commando blew these games out of the water. The main character, Captain Rad Spencer, ran and used a gun, not unlike his Contra contemporaries. What made him special was that he could also attack enemies and swing through a level via a mechanical claw.

The arcade version did look better than the NES one. However the NES version had changes to the story, tighter control, hidden features and more polish with the ending. Just like the other Capcom arcade to home games (Trojan, Gunsmoke) these details helped make the NES version better than the arcade game.

Bionic Commando will be most remembered for the swinging element. Players could perform, and often times had to, death defying movements through enemy compounds. All the while avoiding spike pits and soldiers. The high ratio of near misses and miracle claw grabs helped keep gamers on their toes. Those that bothered to snoop around levels were rewarded with not only weapon upgrades but plot advancements as well.

The story in the game was one for the ages. It still ranks as one of the favorite game plots for my brothers and I. Despite censorship and translation issues we could tell right away that the opponents were Neo-Nazis trying to bring Hitler back from the dead. To make things worse they also planned on taking over the world with a giant airship called the Albatross. Solid Snake and Metal Gear eat your heart out!

As Rad Spencer you not only did you have to defeat the Nazi menace and their diabolical machine but you also had to rescue "Super Joe" the previous super soldier sent to stop the Albatross. If you want to read all about the plot and characters just visit these two sites. They have all the particular details that I'm leaving out.

There are very few games that capture the sense of high adventure in the way that Bionic Commando does. The final level was one of the most memorable levels of all time. After defeating Albatross you must swing up to reach a hangar, then in one fluid motion swing out and drop down and fire a missile into the cockpit on Hitler's escape helicopter.

As if that wasn't difficult enough you have to locate Super Joe and get out of the military base before it explodes. And you thought the end of Metroid was a nail-biter! The ending to Bionic Commando was one of the best, if not the best videogame endings ever.

After defeating the Nazi menace and saving Super Joe you are caught in the middle of an explosion. Cut scenes tell us that your rescue helicopter can't stick around because the base is about to explode. When it does you are left wondering what happened to our hero.

Suddenly out of the fire a helicopter emerges. The bionic claw attached to the landing gear. We pan back and see our hero holding onto the other end of the claw. Rad Spencer and Super Joe are alive!!!

That was one of the first videogame endings that my brothers and I remember cheering for. The adventure was worth the payoff. The game delivered the complete package. It controlled great, had a fantastic story and delivered an ending better than Hollywood could ever do.

Since that time the mechanic of a ranged weapon and a way of locomotion that worked for Bionic Commando has come up in games. Most recently with Rygar, God of War and of course Spider-Man.

It looks like Kratos will even get to use his Blades of Chaos to do some swinging in the next God of War. See, even David Jaffe knows that the Bionic Commando had something special. To see a speed run of the game just check this link. Until next time, have a great weekend!

I’d like to hear your personal top-10, top-20, top fighting games, top sports games, or top games in any genre. Let me know in the comments section please. As always if you would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!