@ruba-dub-dub: its slicker because he like the ps3 more lol

airdom

@Codemasterflex: @FP_slomo788: @Archaotic:
Thanks for the replies all.

suya123

...the d-pad... I never even thought to try and just used analog stick. Worked fine, but I'm pretty sure that when I beat the original version I was using an NES Advantage.

After finding out there was no online multi, I kinda wished I'd gotten it for PS3 though.

rezlow

Oddly enough, I use the 360 d-pad to play. No problems here.

J-Boogie

I downloaded this game over the weekend from PSN, me and my friend are having a good time (and frustrating) but good time.

Kai200X

This dude is carrying what appears to be a 100+ pound mechanical arm, he runs VERY slow so how can we expect him to jump and use energy just latch on to something swing and be done with it. I think him not being able to jump or climb IS the reason to get this game it creates challenge that climbing would otherwise not be there.

My fav part of this game? the freakin music.

lilaliendog

Great review minus the HATED Faithful part. The Bionic Arm is what makes this game, if jumping was aloud it would take out about 90% use of the arm, maybe even more, pretty much making the arm useless. He wouldn't be a Bionic Commando anymore, he would just be a Commando (with a big metal swinging arm that he almost never uses).

FaMiCuS

@ruba-dub-dub: It has a lower coefficient of kinetic friction.

kingmanic

@FP_slomo788: Hells yeah. I got it for the PSTRIPLE and had a blast playing MP with 3 of my buds for about an hour. Pure chaos. Wish the co-op and MP had online though.

def PD

got it on 360, been playing it with the analog stick and its ok stuff

Silenced

I was wondering when the heck you guys are going to comment on BCra. I mean this game is damn hard...atleast the for the challenge room. I find it difficult to 5 star or even complete some of them at all. Now the game is pretty good...some areas can use some changes. I mean pink blob in the sewer stages...come on...that needs to change. And collision detection could use tweaking as well. I'm no where close to touching the bad guys and i get a deduction. Besides that...I say the game is perfect. I love the swinging and the no jumping bothers me a little, but I think it has to be for it to be bionic commando. The idea here is to use your arm to escape enemies.

karateka

@FP_slomo788:
Just to clarify, the 360 version has challenge rooms too. From that article you linked, though, it looks like PSN will get additional exclusive challenge rooms... and from what I've read elsewhere on this site, the PC will have exclusive unique rooms too.

vr0oM

how is the PS3 version "slicker"?

ruba-dub-dub

I got the game and wow are the controls awful. To shoot horizontally while falling hold down and press shoot? ... Okay could we not just have used one of the 20 other free buttons on the controller to shoot horizontally?

The tutorial itself even says hey we know these controls aren't great but don't worry you won't use them often.

Oh and yes not being able to jump is stupid. I don't care that the original game didn't let you jump, if we can improve it we should. At least put the option in there. As it is they seem to have pleased the 1% of people who are hardcore oldstyle bc fans and annoyed the 99% of normal gamers.

Although im always confused that people are still trying to use d-pads for games... there is an analog stick you know. It always seems to be for fighting games etc where people think you need to exactly direct inputs, yet arcades use joysticks which are basically identical to thumbsticks. Analog sticks let you do quarter circles etc much easier too.

Zim

I don't know why everyone feels the need to use the D-Pad on 360. I much perfer a functional, well working D-Pad for the 360 but thats not the case. The analog stick gave me no problems and I just beat the game this morning.

ZenGaijin

@kingmanic:

The Nes version also doesn't fire at a 45 degree angle by default... that makes the controls very tricky since you're always moving from Down on the D-Pad to Diagonal Up. I played through it right before this came out, and it's 10x more frustrating than playing with the analog stick on 360.

I do wish they'd fix that D-Pad on the 360 controller though. It's just so gross.

Jonpaulk

Played at my friend's on coop mode. Was A-wesome fun challenge.

We didn't finished it, after beating the bad guy and saving Super Joe, the game crashed while loading a hacking minigame in the following level.

Then I went home. Other then that, great playability!

Kyolux

use the analog stick on the 360...and stop hating the xbox luke!

airdom

I think his legs have atrophied from all that damn swinging. I WANT TO FUCKING JUMP. Ugh.

Eville1 says SKUse me a sec.

@PepsiPerfect:
Unfortunately, it looks like there was a falling-out between Capcom and Valve for an undisclosed reason right before release, so you probably won't be seeing it on Steam.

Archaotic

He cant jump because the arm is too heavy! Feel better Kotaku?

Seriously this game is so much fun. It makes you remember that games today are easy.I love the challenge and the graphics on PS3 are impressive.The game makes me wonder can I really play 8-bit Mega Man?

jackal888

@suya123:
The PS3 version has an extra challenge room or two, and the PC version is going to get a whole set of extra ones added as a patch after release. That's the only real difference.

Archaotic

Please, please, PLEASE bring this to Steam.

I'd rather keep my PC digital downloads to one platform.

PepsiPerfect

I have the Ps3 version, and it's fantastic, but I've been using the analog stick.
My brother uses the D-Pad and swears by it for control, but both seem to work as well for me.
Great review, though.

@JN64Lover: Then Microsoft's plan has worked. Get you to buy the points in bizarre increments so you spend the money because you have it already bought.

@relax_guy: You sure it was Kotaku? Like, did you have any other tabs or sites open? Because I've never heard of Kotaku ever posting an ad like that.

Ad-hominem

I downloaded the demo. The graphics are cool, but the color palette looks too awash in pink or something. I wasn't really thinking about picking this up with so many other downloadable titles worth my dough (Geometry Wars 2 and Pixeljunk Eden to name a couple), but the demo was fun and I really liked the idea of the challenge rooms (2 in the demo).

NoMoMoJo

Sigh.
The 360's D-Pad, don't try and justify that you like it. It's a pile of dookie.

Stalkumi

it's as hard as i remember it. complete with screaming "fuck" everytime i missed a ledge. the challenge rooms are cool, although i suck completely at them. i'm half way through and i have to say that it's a game that hardcore gamers should have and appreciate. in a time where games are being made easier to accommodate casual/non-gamers, it's a great sign to see this kind of game back out there. alot of people may have missed this one on the NES and most new school gamers may have missed it altogether.

capcom is doing a great job with the re-releases. hope we get more.

jfx316

@relax_guy: Relax, guy.

Ironic?

Anyways, I have to agree, the smooshy 360 d-pad is taking it's toll on me - nevertheless, I wish more games could be resurrected with this much love and effort... The remixed 8-bit tunes alone seem worth the price of download. Imagine the possibilities!

AngryEddy

I tried the demo and just couldn't get into the overly-precise platforming... at least not when combined with the finicky controls. That could be partially because they released Braid first, and it's just so many miles ahead in terms of nostalgic platforming fun.

Figment

@Jawmuncher: You're not missing much with remote play. While cool in theory, it's too laggy (at least on my home gigabit wireless network). Although technically minimal, the lag definately messes with the timing needed for swings, even for some of the simpler sections.

As for the challenge rooms, I heard that there were extra challenge rooms in the PS3 version.

PissedPS3Fan

If we really want an excuse for the silly "can't jump" remarks, I'd say something ultra nerdy, like how the only bionic part is his arm, and that's probably heavy to be jumping with.

Now everyone can be happy.

taidan19

Oh so satisfied with this release. Playing through co-op with my hubby has been one of the better gaming experiences we've had in recent memory. : )

Good stuff! Get it!

SilentSeraphin

Already bought on Day 1. Took a little time, but I've taught my g/f how to play. Now we can co-op and still look sexy doing it!

Chromeo

I really need to download it, I'm not sure what system though, leaning toward 360 due to the M$ points I have.

JN64Lover

gotta love the love, so many games these days just dont have that anymore....

Lethardicus

@Jawmuncher: I found the PS3 d-pad perfect for the platforming parts but both the analogue stick and d-pad to suck for the overhead bits. I vaguely recalled they sucked in the NES one too.

kingmanic

I'll probably pick it up with the left over Microsoft points I have from Castle Crashers.

Pieman2

"Anyone who hasn't played the original will wonder why a super soldier, capable of superhuman feats, can't...jump."

That's like saying why can't Braid's Tim shoot fireballs. The limitation makes the game what it is.

djsyndrome

@Codemasterflex: [www.ps3fanboy.com]

FP_slomo788

@suya123: You're right. Well I don't know about PC but I know there's a challenge room exclusive to the PS3 version. Plus Remote Play.

FP_slomo788

@suya123: The challenge rooms are in the 360 version too, but I think the PC version will get some exclusive ones as part as an update because of its higher price.

Codemasterflex

I was going to make a comment about this post but I can't believe what i am looking at... I AM THE 999,999TH VISTOR!?!?1 I WIN A PRIZE.

kotaku, please don't put adds like this up. they fail.

relax_guy

the challenge rooms are in all three versions.

salmonax

For what it's worth the controls are actually analog, as you can see in Spencer's movement.

Burguois, Teabagger of Olde

I use the analog stick on my 360 controller. Works fine for me.

Jagged Toaster

"Anyone who hasn't played the original will wonder why a super soldier, capable of superhuman feats, can't...jump."

Because if he could jump this would be like every other platformer from the 80's. Not being able to jump may be frustrating in the first 10 minutes, but by the end you should be so good at that "Shoot up, let go, Shoot diagonal" that a lack of jumping shouldn't be a problem.

Not being able to jump "down" to the next level, that's my gripe.... but again, all of these limitations make for more creative level design.

Jonpaulk

I was happy with the controls on the 360 with the analog.
Couldn't really play with the D-Pad on either system.
Ended up buying the 360 just for the achievements though I did miss out on remote play.

Jawmuncher

I don't think I ever played this game before, or at least I don't remember it... Perhaps I'll get it at some point...

TheFaze

I just love how you put both faithful in loved and hated.

Anyways, QUESTION!! I've heard that the challenge rooms are only for PS3 and PC or am I getting the wrong information here.

suya123

I agree whole heartedly. I have it on the 360 and the D-Pad alone will make you want to rip a cow's tit's off.

acez2087

Love this game. It brings back old-frustrating memories. It looks beautiful and and really fun.

Love the new challenges room. Co-op and multiplayer are lots of fun, I just wish it would've been online (at least multiplayer) !!

Mr_Miniwheat

@moidsch: That would be so badass.

On the subject of BC, good to know it's good, I'll get it when i get a PS3.

Placentasaurus

@ Zim
If they added the ability to jump it would screw up half of the puzzles in the damn game. I still own the original and I bought re-armed on ps3, day of release. Personally, I love a challenging game and the addition of a jump button would make this game too easy. Many of the moving platform sections would be completely negated because you wouldn't have to time your swing just right to land on a moving platform. Instead, you could just stand at the ledge and wait til it got close and hop on, where is the challenge in that?

BretzE

@Jonpaulk: The Nes version also doesn't fire at a 45 degree angle by default...

Thats not true; the only difference in the arm controls from the original is that you couldn't fire the arm straight forward when you're in the air in the nes version.

beril

I don't understand the complaints that the game doesn't have a jump button. That's sort of the point of Bionic Commando (which is my favorite NES game of all time). Complaining that the character can't jump is like complaining that Mario can lose his fireball power when he gets hit. It's a fundamental design element of the game, and one that has been faithfully preserved in the remake.

I'm playing it on a PC using a wireless PS2 controller, which I'm thinking from a graphics and control standpoint may be the optimal configuration. Got my PS2/USB adapter from RadioShack for like $15.

AtomicPlayboy

I play on 360 using the analog stick and have had no trouble.

Shoemaster

@ZenGaijin:

"To shoot horizontally while falling hold down and press shoot? ... Okay could we not just have used one of the 20 other free buttons on the controller to shoot horizontally?"

When standing still, pressing left/right and grapple behaves differently than pressing down and grapple. I'm not sure if this is any different when falling. But there are certain enemies you will not be able to destroy by pressing down+ grapple to shoot left or right.

Since you already have to press left or right to tell the arm which way to shoot, personally I don't think another button would make this any better...

Jonpaulk

"Your father's Bionic Commando"!?

Way to make me feel old for owning an NES, Luke. Geez.

C-Stick

I don't agree with the complaints at all. If the guy COULD jump, it would completely destroy the gameplay entirely. What's the point of that? Maybe his arm is so freakin heavy, and he's got regular puny human legs, he can't jump. There ya go.

It would be the equivalent of giving the Prince of Persia the ability to fly.

Also, why use the d-pad at all? I have the PS3 version and the game works great with an analog stick.

Overall, my only complaint is that it crashed once because I was exiting a room when it was trying to save stats. Other than that, the game has been problem-free and very enjoyable. Also some of the dialogue is hilarious. I also bought the soundtrack :)

gfyjo

TOTALLY worth it.

InsidiousTuna

I've got the 360 version and it's fine. I agree, the d-pad is, as always, utterly horrendous. Thankfully, the analog stick is just fine.

The game is ok. It's really, Bionic Commando. It looks beautiful, but in the long run, it's Bionic Commando.

I got it simply because I had fond memories of my friends and I trying to get past certain parts only to get pissed off and hurl the game at the wall. We finally quit playing this so we could get all the way through T&C Surf and Wizards and Warriors.

beta_angel

Everybody wins! Woohoo!

BC:R is the hotness. I'm having a blast.

dead_red_eyes

For those whining about the 360s d-pad, use the stick instead, works fine.

I'll be picking this up soon.

DragonNinja

I recently fired up Bad Company on a friends 360, and was reminded how horrible the 360's D-pad is.

*NGAGE FOR THE WIN!!!

*trying to avoid being called a PS fanboy.

Thorax

@djsyndrome: what? cuz tim doesn't NEED to shoot fireballs. it ISN'T a mario clone! it's an homage if anything.

the soldier NEEDS to jump. i hated that he couldn't way too much. fun game, but no dice for me. i'll wait for Galaga Legions and Castle Crashers, thx.

also, the analog from the 360 DID make me want to rip a cow's tits off. XD

Soulgenesis

Namco/Bandai, time to revisit Rolling Thunder. : )

moidsch

It's more like a puzzler/platformer. You just got to wrap your head around the fact, that you can't jump. I enjoy it alot.

Seppli

@Archaotic: Yeah, i know, I only just got the PS3... and it's the whole "new" thing :D

rezlow

@karateka: Some people enjoy having their ass handed to them repeatedly so long as it's fair. That is as long as the thing that handed their ass wasn't a cheap mechanic or broken gameplay.

High damage Exploding boss = cheap
Figuring out his pattern and get the correct timing = fair

Broken camera = cheap
precision dodging = fair

1 hit death with continue requiring level restart = cheap
good continue system = fair or even easy

high speed hard to dodge Projectiles from off screen = cheap
complex rewarding combo system = fair

kingmanic

Copped it the day it was released. Haven't stopped playing it since. Worth every penny and more. Between this Madden 09 and Soul Calibre?!?!? Damn my 360 is getting WORKED

FunKrusher

I would really be pissed if capcom left out online to sell it to us later. They better give it free or there's going to be backlash.

karateka

The game works perfectly with the analog sticks. Why would you even try the d-pad anyways?

Seppli

@ruba-dub-dub:
I've heard (and several reviews have mentioned) that the textures and lighting are a little more refined on the PS3 version than the 360 version due to the lack of a size limit on PSN. It's nothing huge, but it's there.

Archaotic

The reviewer has, perhaps, forgotten about the thumbstick located on the 360 controller, just above the d-pad.

@rezlow: PS3 doesn't have online, either.

Does Not Equal (ダズノット)

"Anyone who hasn't played the original will wonder why a super soldier, capable of superhuman feats, can't...jump."

His whole body isn't super, just his arm... and it makes him heavy. Robocop couldn't really jump either.. though he did sort of lunge jump onto Cain at the end of Robocop 2. That sort of blew my mind when he did that though.

BallPtPenTheif

Yeah, the D-Pad on the PS3 works very well with Bionic Commando from my experience of the demo. Not sure about the 360 version but it didn't sound well. Remote play and the Challenge room exclusive I guess make the PS3 a better buy :P

I'm still on the fence though. Not 100% sure if I'm going to get it. This review helped though :)

tironabardheblu

Why do people use the d-pad at all in games? I use either the joystick or my hori arcade stick for all my games.

I don't think I have a single friend that uses the d-pad...even in fighting games.

Shandy706

Never played the old one but I'm loving this one. GODDAMN is it hard though.

GreyFoxV1

The not being able to jump criticism is weak. If they changed that they would have to change everything in the game. If you want to jump maybe you'll be able to in the remake coming out later.

Plumbtree

Anyone who hasn't played the original will wonder why a super soldier, capable of superhuman feats, can't...jump.

He weighs a lot, only a mechanical arm can get his ass off the ground.

lordargent

/agreed.

Not jumping was part of what make Bionic Commando awesome for the NES.

Complaining about it, seems like you were forcing yourself to find something to gripe about.

balls187 upside yo head

I did fine with the analog stick on 360. Any time the claw went in a direction I didn't want it to... it's 'cuz I'm an idiot and suck. :D

Poojipoo

Thats a silly thing to do. They have reviewed the game using the d-pad. Even the tutorial used the analog stick to every example. They've suffer for nothing.

Petrush

I just bought this game today on my PS3 and I am loving it! I only played a little bit of the Bionic Commando on the Game Boy Color (was that based off the original as well?).

This is one of my favorite DLC I have on my PS3!

nflsonic

I have got to agree with the review 70% this time around(only because i haven't tried the PS3 version yet, though i have hopes that it truely controls ALOT better).Though the 360 version LOOKS and Sounds AWESOME,it CONTROLS are so awful that you can't even play the game the way it's meant to be played.I'm hopig the PS3 version's controls are good as those
who have tried/played it have said it is because if 2 versions of
this remake were trash, it would be one of biggest disappointment from Capcom in a VERY long time.

Sugaray

I never actually played the original, in anybodies opinion does the remake of the game stand on its own merits?

excel_excel

Woeful collision detection? What? Are you kidding me? It's like that for a reason. Using the collision detection as it is allows you to cheat your way through floor sections you shouldn't normally be able to grapple through and it basically is the only way to get top 10 times in the Challenge rooms. Understanding how to cheat the grapples is half the fun.

And you're never required to hold diagonal directions at all if you actually know how to play the game (well, the map screen I guess) so I'm not sure why people complain so much about that.

Ueziel

This game reminds me why I didn't game much in the 80's and very early 90's.

rentson

heh, I didn't even realize you could use the d-pad. I was using the stick the whole time.

Mii

your so-called reviews feel like commercials imo. but this is a blog after all so i guess you can't expect them to aspire to being "objective"...

kraembaer

The d-pad was always garbage on 360,i use the analog tick and it works fine.Still getting it for psn also.My only complaint is the new dam albatross level,its horrible.Those cheap ass platforms that dissapear are soo annoying,almost threw the controller. Those platforms are a joke.

BLADDERMETAL

@Islandkiwi:
I still don't understand the difficulties people have with the 360 d-pad. I haven't had a problem with BC... hell, I play Virtua Figher 5 and Soul Calibur 4 with it as well and don't have any problems.

Mommar

Use the analog stick it feels great with it. I don't understand why we are still using the d-pad.

Paradyme

Man I wish they would do this with Super Metroid.

atreyuxx7

Yeah on 360 trying to get him to aim his grapple hook in a diagonal direction becomes an exercise in frustration!

Orionsaint

Sorry, no jumpee, no money.

Islandkiwi

Yeah, I agree on the 'review'. Good stuff. I picked it up, it tis filled to the brim with good ol' kick assery. I do prefer using the D-pad for old school remakes like this though (just to be completely accurate) and my ownership of a PSP were the two main reasons I purchased it for PS3. So far, it was totally worth it. And I haven't even hit the challenge rooms yet!

CitizenInsane27

Why can't you jump?

BECAUSE IT'S BIONIC COMMANDO.

I don't see anyone complaining about Mario not having a telescopic arm.

coach_mcguirk

I got this game on the PS3, and I can honestly say that this game does not have any of the cons mentioned. PS3 has a wicked good d-pad, and it's stayed true to that concept.

to be really honest. It's hard to say that being nostalgic and true to certain gameplay mechanics is a bad thing. This is a hard game at times, and not being able to jump is a part of this. It doesn't remove gameplay, it adds it in certain cases.

Zelda has a scheme where jumping is limited to jumping off objects and land forms. But this nostalgic quality has always added more to the puzzle nature of the game.

NewSpecies

The game looks and moves fantastic, even if the controls are a bit wonky.

DugDawg

@Soulgenesis: Ummm. Why does he "need" to jump? This game was designed for the grappling hook mechanism, from start to finish. Not being able to jump makes this game what it is. You have to rethink the way you play the game; this game is as much a puzzle game as a platformer. If you could just jump around from platform to platform there would be nothing interesting there. I don't expect them to add a grappling hook into mega man or mario and i dont expect bionic commando to add jumping. This game is what it is because of the way you get around, if you didnt know that when buying it thats too bad.

Yokai

Bought this on the day and I couldn't be more happy. I was grateful to have an easy mode so I could play through, getting acclimated to the arm again (it was tough the first time and yes, it was tough this time as well). This is pretty much the perfect remake. It's both keeps and adds just the right amount of stuff to make/keep it awesome. I can't wait to see what Grin is working on next. They are obviously passionate about their work and I hope that continues in the future.

Anybody wishing this game allowed jumping doesn't really get what made it great in the first place. If you want to jump in 2D, you're welcome to play some Mario, Metroid, Mega Man, Castlevania, Contra or Ninja Gaiden. You play BC for something different and unique. What's wrong with that?

chuffhoncho

[quote]The Bionic Arm is what makes this game, if jumping was aloud it would take out about 90% use of the arm, maybe even more, pretty much making the arm useless. He wouldn't be a Bionic Commando anymore, he would just be a Commando (with a big metal swinging arm that he almost never uses).[/quote]

*allowed

I don't necessarily think thats true at all...I mean, on the first screen of the demo (which is where I stopped playing because there's no excuse for this type of crap), there's numerous instances where a jump swing would have fit without breaking the game design. Makes absolutely no sense to me no matter how much you defend it, almost as poor a design decision (I know its faithful, I own the original) as no jumping in Perfect Dark on 360. Also, no ability to shoot up? What the hell were they thinking? The game has so much potential yet it seems they sat on all the functional ideas.

stryder19

@Zerozaki Ishiki: I need to be able to start swinging when I'm hanging straight down.

if you use the shotgun, then you'll swing...

Petrush

Downloaded it and love it. Nice to have something that offers a challenge again then just a game I blow through in a week. At times I do want to throw the controller, but what good is a game if you can beat it in 3 days?

D-Lish

@Zerozaki Ishiki: Yeah, with the lamp you are screwed because there's only 1 point where you can grab, but if you are hanging on a ledge or something. Release it then shoot at at an angle and you can start swinging again.

karateka

@Zerozaki Ishiki: If you have the shotgun, you can kickstart a swing by firing it.

Lancehead

Playing this all day yesterday. Love the game!

As for the controls issue, yeah its not that great but it stays true to the original by not letting you jump. So ya kinda have to take it for what it is.

Also it was great to see the Yashichi acheivement in there!

yashichi8bit

Is the multiplayer also on the PC version?

Syril

It looks like the number one complaint for people is that you can't jump. You can't jump because that's part of the puzzle solving of only being able to use your arm.

No one knocked Portal for not being able to shoot the damn turrets even though your holding a gun.

Akira119

I don't need to jump.
I need to be able to start swinging when I'm hanging straight down.
I often try to fire the arm at the next target before I've actually let go (is there some way to manually let go without losing the momentum of the swing? Must experiment) and that ends up reeling you in. Then you end up hanging from a lamp over water and the only thing you can do is kill yourself.
Frankly, using the same button to reel yourself in as you use to fire it is stupid. Up should reel you in. Ninja Five-Oh should not have better grappling controls than Bionic Commando.
Oh, and hit detection? There's a challenge room in the second set where you've got to drop down a small gap between a block of spikes and the platform you're on. Sometimes you slip right down, sometimes the spikes just randomly kill you. Absolutely no way to tell which will happen. I've died there often enough to be pretty sure it isn't that I'm tilting the stick too far.
Don't get me wrong, I'm really enjoying the game, but I definitely think the controls could have been a lot more intuitive.

Zerozaki Ishiki

"you'll want the PS3 one, just for this (that and the PS3 version's a tiny bit slicker)."

WTF? I am so sick of Kotaku's ps3 bias, its not even funny, its extremely irritating. Considering they look exactly the same (and its ma freaking arcade title), it just shows how far Sony Zombies will go... And especially on a site like kotaku. Luke Plunkett, u really are pathetic...

Pbombas

wtf?! why is anyone playing this with the d-pad? Its so much easier with the stick... You deserve to have died a million times if u play with the d-pad lol.

Pbombas

@Eville1 says SKUse me a sec.: Go play mario then. Bionic Commando IS Bionic Commando because there is no jump and thats what makes it fun and interesting.

Yokai

No jump no money is no excuse. Some people were bitching about, not being on Steam...no money. Man some people.

This is a remake, so it's sticks to the original, but if you wait for the new bionic commando, I'm sure it can jump. You guys should wait for that version. I'm only saying that you are use to being able to jump in most game, and it seem strange for a game not having that, but I didn't say you should be able to jump.

Saying bionic commando should be able to jump is like saying Snake shouldn't sneak in metal gear.

karateka

@gfyjo: great thanks, looks like this a first day purchase when I get my PS3 this friday!

excel_excel

@lordargent: i thougth that same thing when i was a kid. this review is lacking logic.

Petrush

Great game, glad I got it, and the controller may not be perfect, but that just adds to the challenge.

coalhalo

Kinda surprised there was no mention of remote play, which works very very well and looks amazing on the PSP...

Quijanoth

Im not sure that the reviewer ever even played the origional bionic commando... There are tons of differences between the new game and the old. They've added in new secrets into each level, as well as added an entirely new level to the end of the game. All the bosses are completely new, and nothing like the original. They added over 50 'challenge rooms' that were not in the original game. They added 2 player coop. In rearmed you have a health meter, opposed to the bullet system of the original game. They added a new system of hacking terminals by completing mini-game puzzles. The claw mechanism has been refined and there are tons of ticks and uses for the claw that were not in the original game. There is a head to head multiplayer mode, with multiple game types. You can grab people and barrels with your claw and throw them. etc...

It's kind of bad journalism to review something and include things that just aren't true at all. Maybe you haven't played the original since back in the day, but if you are going to wrongly compare it over and over, you might as well get it on an emulator and play it for a few minutes.

Yokai

The no jumping comments are ridiculous. Having to use the Bionic Arm is the whole point of the game. *facepalm*

Valaris

@excel_excel: I never played the original either, and I'm having a blast with Rearmed. You don't need the nostalgic feeling of 'playing an old favourite' to enjoy the game.

gfyjo

@Orionsaint:

Its as simple as hitting the B button you don't have to input any directions to fire diagonally.

ZenGaijin

why complain about DIGTAL CONTROLS??
the D-Pad offers precision while the analog stick leaves you guessing.

MS should redesign their assy controller with a functioning d-pad, blame MS

Gutter_Trash

i agree with the frustration at the lack of jumping. i know itd probably be controversial and change what made the game what it was 20 years ago, but thats the reason i never much liked the original in the first place. i absolutely love 2D games with current gen graphics though, more please.

anyone ever play ninja five-o? i would have loved to have played that game as super joe/radd spencer shooting a gun instead of ninja stars, and using a bionic arm instead of a grappling hook.

shouryuuken

Already own it and love getting owned in single player co-op mode regularly. :)

sascha23

@beem: Heh, except for me, who actually has the original BC NES cart; the 360 d-pad is inferior to the original NES d-pad, and that has nothing to do with Sony either way :P

DaiMacculate

I think its a bit wrong to complain about not jumping. The stages are designed with this in mind, it gives the stages an extra puzzle element since you can't just jump over the obstacles.

meatee

This game is excellent, even on the 360, though I agree the d-pad sucks and this game adds more evidence to that case :P

DaiMacculate

I've found the Hori Fight Stick (VF5-endorsed) to be fantastic for this game (as well as Braid). I agree the 360 D-pad us crap, so if you've got $60 to burn, pick that stick up.

crewwolfy

While I'd love the 360 to have a D-Pad (that piece of crap it does have really doesn't count as a D-Pad) the thumbstick works fine for this game. The tutorial even tells you to use the thumbstick (on the 360, at least). Yeah, I know sidescrollers are supposed to suck with an analog stick but both Braid and BC:Rearmed both rock my socks using the thumbstick. I guess we've overcome that hurtle, finally.

(Yes, I took a chance on Braid despite being really disappointed with the demo. And man it's fucking great. I beat it twice in a row the day I bought it.)

dowingba

i think this is the shortest hated list ive seen.

stryker1800

You used the D-pad to fire the arm??? Dude! Use the left stick!

Reuptake

@taidan19:
Cute but you shouldn't need to go that far.
The fact is, if Spencer could jump the game would be broken.
I don't understand people who think the game would be better with jumping.. it would ruin the game.

Sure.. maybe a re-imagining of the gameplay where the levels are made from scratch and all that.. that might be a fun game and a little lighter and less tactical for people that don't like the challenge or just want to fly through the levels with ease like a Marion game.. that could be alright. but Bionic Commando as it is, is all about not being able to jump.

Bastard11

I have the 360 version, really enjoying it. Its pretty tough, but I like a game I can't beat in 50 minutes. The soundtrack is fantastic, as well. Good game, try the demo first to see if you can get used to the controls. The conversations are funny too.

Thrillkiller

@Pbombas:
Most people complaining of the 360's d-pad are those primarily used to playing on Sony d-pads, thus find it hard to adapt. I personally have no issues with it (the 360's d-pad).

beem

Im not a 360 fanboy, but the analog stick is perfectly suitable for playing the game.

MP-Geist

@tironabardheblu: The 360 has challenge rooms including exclusive rooms not in the PS3 version. No PS3 advantage here. Remote Play=useless. The input is too laggy for any sort of twitch game like this.

OutsideTheBox

I love this. They've said through the development we'll get trophies for the PS3 in it, and I'm wondering if it'll work off the medals already in the game or if they'll be non-retroactive as well.

The reason for Uncharted not being retroactive was because you could move save files around between consoles, for some reason I don't see that being a problem with this game.

magnakaiser

Oh 360 controller, you could have been the best controller EZAR, but...that d-pad...oh my.

NPlace

@balls187 upside yo head: Or not truly appreciate what made BC some awesome in the first place. =)

And if I remember correctly the grapple arm shoots up-forward by default; at least it does on the PSN version, it's been a few months since I played the NES rom of it.

def PD

Can anyone recommend a replacement controller for the 360 with a decent d-pad? Can't remember which game it was now but the stock controller's d-pad was driving me up the wall for another game recently too.

slight

This is the best remake of the original ever created.

They even included the ending from the original game.

TigerClaw305

Considering your only cons are.. well.. pointless to whine about, this game obviously earns a major thumbs up no?

I've never even *tried* to use the D-Pad. Analog works fantastically.

As for not being able to jump? How is that even a *complaint*? Holy smackers people, if you're that desperate to find something to nit-pick about....

MrBionic

"...there's never been a game to make you hate the console's awful d-pad as much as this one."

Am I the only one who's played BC: Rearmed and the updated Prince of Persia Classic with a thumbstick? Call me strange, but it doesn't feel right to control a 3D character model with the d-pad, even though said character model still moves in 2D space.

josh924

@Jonpaulk:

I agree. The lack of a jump is sometimes frustrating (because were are so used to having it) but is what sets it apart. It was a design decision. I mean, its not like the game was made to completion and then the designers where like, "Crap! We forgot the JUMP!" It is fully realized and used to increase the tactics and strategy in the game.

cmcginn

Hmm, if Kotaku says it's that good, I actually might buy it. Yes, I trust your reviews that much. Also, my first thought was "what a cool haze effect" and I have a knack for retro games, so...

Is it distributed via Steam?

Barts

No LIVE co-op = a skip from me.

Lanhoj

The original was one of the first NES games I ever beat, and it still stands out as one of my favorites. The difficulty, mainly because of the lack of jump, made the success so much sweeter. I am so getting this on Friday.

BrandonW

ninja five-0 was much easier than the original bc, because of the jump button and the ability to control your direction in the air. i'd take a remake of that one too.

loopholezero

As a few have said, I gave up on the stock MS controller d pad long ago. I use the joystick for this game and it works perfectly fine. If you absolutely have to use a d-pad though, I suggest some of the third party controllers. Some of those d pads are great, especially compared to the shit one on the 360 controller.

Now as far as BCR goes.. its absolutely great. The original is one of my favorite games of al time though so I would obviously love this version as its just the same stuff. The challenge rooms are a great addition though. If only co op was online, it would be perfect in every way shape and form.

I really hope this game does well across the platforms and makes some other devs bring back some of the great old games but recreated like this one. There are definitely a handful of games that would be just as great as this one remade.

VonDante

not being able to jump, not being able to reverse time to undo mistakes, not being able to regenerate health by waiting, not having a rail gun, not being able to run faster, not being able to crawl, not being able to use the Force to turn the guards against each other.
this game has a lot of faults, i guess.

how about saying "i don't have enough skill and i don't have the patience for getting said skill" ?

loopholezero

Tried the demo on PS3. The puzzle on the console is so hard to effing see! And I never realized just how... green.. his green was.

sayoko

This game is equal parts awesome and infuriating. Part of the old school charm I guess.

yeah write

No jump button?
sure..why not give the player in Portal the ability to climb walls or jump on walls? Or to lift herself up when you can clearly see the ledge MANY FPS HAVE HAD THAT ABILITY WHY NOT PORTAL?! OMG PORTAL = 5/10!!

There are so many games that should have everything that the games prior had if people are going by this logic!!!
*Super facepalm the people in here*

DrSac

I downloaded the demo and haven't had a chance to mess with it yet. After this review though I am pretty much sold. It was what my impressions of the game were from the video. thanks for the great review!

Awoken

@C-Stick: I had an NES too! But er... my father is the one who paid for it, and all the games. Dude, I even had RBI Baseball, the infamous unlicensed one!

dowingba

Bionic Commando is a great, great game. Awesome graphics, I had the same good old feeling I use to have when I was young playing on my NES.

Some of the challenges are very hard. I did some of them 30 time because I was craving for the fifth star!

jfcromp

@OutsideTheBox: Actually, the PS3 version has an exclusive challenge room.

Fact checking my friend...it never hurts. ;)

[blog.us.playstation.com]

sascha23

"Digital Controls - We reviewed the game on the 360 (though we have also played it on PS3)". Their statment says that they played it on the PS3 too

PowerButton

Picked it up for PC...And I'm so crushing. Literally, this game may make me a fanboy of Capcom's. The graphics are top notch, the music is stellar. The boss battles are a lot of fun (maybe too easy on normal difficulty) and the humor, ahh...the days when games didn't take themselves so seriously and the jokes were funny. This game feels great and makes you believe that you ARE a gaming god when you nail a string of ten or twelve swings in a row.

And I agree, this project drips with love and polish. Much love capcom.

MasterSauce

It's a generally solid game, but the split screen setup can be downright infuriating. There's no option to always or never have split screen, and the algorithm used to determine when to pop over to split screen mode is pretty bad. Basically it waits as long as possible, zooming out just enough for the player characters to be just inside the borders of the screen, usually resulting in one of the players having zero visibility in the direction they're moving until the game finally gives in and siwtches over to split screen. And they use some fancy-looking wipe to switch between regular and split screen modes, rendering players effectively blind for half a second in a game that is all about timing.

The top-down encounters are ridiculously easy to the point of being a complete waste of time.

The world map is bizarre and pretty much incomprehensible at first. A map legend would have gone a long way.

Good game otherwise, with often hilarious dialogue.

Toasticus

If they'd added jumping to Rearmed, it would have necessitated level redesign. Did it seem a little odd, back in the day, that the guy couldn't jump? Yes. But the 'too much weight due to bionic arm/no bionic legs' theory is as good as anything else I've heard.

Although it does seem odd that the weight of the bionic arm isn't too great to prevent Joe from running about/etc. If his arm weighs so much, why doesn't he lean to one side at all times? Also, if the thing was so darn heavy, wouldn't he plummet like a stone once he'd completed a swing/arc and detached? He'd go more *down*, then *over*, if you will... wouldn't he?

Whatever.

dae_giovanni

@PowerButton: It says right in the damn article that they're reviewing the 360 version. Holy fuck, man.

dowingba

@PowerButton: "We reviewed the game on the 360". Maybe that's why.

josh924

I just want to know..... Why in the heck you dont mention on e of the most prominent features on the PS3 side. The Remote Connect for this game between the PS3 and the PSP.

This is the ablity to play in any place in the world this game on your PSP held within your PS3.I am more in the believe that Kotaku are biased more to the xbox 360 side.

I not fanboy but key features for PS3 games are always excluded for the Kotaku's reviews

PowerButton

@dae_giovanni: Jumping Flash. One of the PS1's greatest games. Jumping Flash 2 was even better.

Ueziel

@dae_giovanni: nice over-reaction.

Jumping works for many games. Not being able to jump, however, shouldn't ever be considered a flaw.

Different mechanics for different games.

Not too terribly difficult to wrap the head around I'd think...

MrBionic

@josh924: Oh i see, altought the title dont say (xbox 360), i thought i was a "general" review.

I hope in the next "Bionic Commando Rearmed Review: Swing Low, Sweet Re-Release (PS3) ". They make mention of this feaure.

Sorry for what i said if i was wrong

PowerButton

*EDIT* why did I put an apostrophe in Zeldas?

MrBionic

Clearly: Jump = lame.

Therefore, the worst videogame ever made was that... PS1 title... with... mecha-rabbits... whose title I can't even be bothered to go look up, right now...

Frogger comes in a close second, though... all that slimy bastard ever DID, was jump! Sheesh!

Jumpman... I'm looking in your direction...

dae_giovanni

I dunno. I haven't felt a need to use the D-pad in this one. Aside from the overhead scenes (which are as easy as they were on the NES), it's pretty much a four direction game.

GorbyGipper

@chuffhoncho: Yes. The fact that the game plays like Chain Chomp on a stick is because I suck.

justhesh

@dae_giovanni: which, ironically, is probably the weakest of the Zelda's. heh.
(in my opinion, of course. I'm sure it has rabid fans too)

MrBionic

I don't agree with the cons, for reasons stated in many other comments. If the "this gen" BC doesn't have jumping and swinging together, I'll be surprised though. I think bigger problems are with the lack of co-op options, like no online and the fact that a few parts are more difficult than I personally enjoy because one bad swing can result in a lot of frustration (such as the secret passage levels). But that's just the game. However, I don't care for lots of really hard challenging platforms in succession, I prefer it when they respawn you with some lost health on your last platform, like in Metroid 3 (even that didn't have many similarities to BC:RA).

RonJeremy4Pres

@Jonpaulk: Link CAN jump! (response applies to Zelda II only)

dae_giovanni

Use the stick, never had any problem with the stick im playing Soul Calibur 4 with the stick aswell. Only maneuver that is hard with the stick is diagonal stuff, but you never need to use diagonal in this game since he swings diagonal when you dont push anything.

I hate the D-Pad on the 360 controller if it wasn't for the D-Pad this controller would imo be the best controller ever, but because of the D-Pad i would say PS1/PS2 has the best controller (PS3 controller was a disappointment SIXAXIS just sux every game that even bothers to use it just sux and the shoulder buttons are crap).

Mundus

@justhesh: Or you just suck, don't blame the controls.

chuffhoncho

@Lanhoj: Honestly, people that skip the game for no online multiplayer are complete fools. The game was originally single player only. It's meant to be single player only. Aside from the boss fights, multiplayer even feels a bit tacked on overall. It's really obvious that it was always supposed to be single player only. It's just sad that Capcom had to give in this generation's ridiculous screams and cries for multiplayer in every game. Is it really so hard to enjoy a game by yourself?

Ueziel

Zelda is good, but why can't Link jump?

Oh wait, my bad.

Jonpaulk

D-pad my ass. The game's cotrols just suck, don't blame the controller.

justhesh

@PowerButton: Yeah, they played the PS3 version, but the review is for the 360 version.

josh924

@Barts: No steam

fugit

If you had the ability to jump, you wouldn't get as familiar w/the arm hook. I had trouble at first with the d-pad, but then I realized the default is for the hook to shoot diagonal up. That's the only direction that is a problem w/the d-pad so it really doesn't matter. Street Fighter is a different story.

Spartan1308™

@narq: I believe the levels were designed with this in mind - unless you are into cheating.

fugit

@Zim: The game would suck if you could jump. Besides, his arm's way too heavy

fugit

oh, and the 360 controller sux ass for this game. I use the analog stick...but its not much better than the control pad. =(

kablammyman

the game is all types of awsome! I really want to email the developers and say "thanks" and just tell them how great they made this remake!

I honestly havent wanted to keep playing a game in a really really long time. Its apparent that the love was the #1 reason why they remade this game, and becasue of that, its probably the most FUN I've had gaming since MvC2 on the dreamcast.

kablammyman

I love the idea of Bionic Commando and even the gameplay of the first level. The quircks about all of the other levels still make me very angry. Spikes that kill you too easily or the arm not quite functioning like you think it should. Just a few mechanics really stick out as "what idiot thought this was right".

The thing I hate the most? You can go up a level and throw grenades below you, but you can't jump down. Why? Why can't I jump down? I can go up, not down. Talk about only going half way on an idea.

narq

@Flashfire: I use the analog stick on the 360 for fighters. So there, now you know one person. (and I'm not horrible at them either.)

MrBionic

i don't feel like i can be nearly as accurate on a 2d game with the stick as i can be with the D-pad. like 50 people have said "just use the stick!" it's not that simple for everyone, as some of us prefer the pad, which is why we have that option. when there are 8 set directions, i like to know EXACTLY what i am pressing so it goes smoothly, not have a 360 degree range of motion and figure i'm about right.

people keep bringing up fighters too. i don't know a single person who uses the analog when they're playing fighters on a regular controller. D-pad is just more p