bionic commando rearmed

Rearming the Music – and Memories – of Bionic Commando

4:00AM Owen Good | Of all the features in Bionic Commando: Rearmed, other than its fundamental game play, nothing bridges 1988 to 2008 like the game’s soundtrack. Its driving, blood-pumping, head-nodding rhythm is instantly recognisable as the music from the NES classic of 20 years ago, and it has won praise from many who have reviewed the game. Simon Viklund, of Stockholm-based developer Grin, did more than personally oversee the soundtrack as the game’s creative director. He composed it himself. It’s an unusual combination to find in the development of a game. Both skill sets would be served by Viklund’s own personal attachment to Bionic Commando, a love shared by others on the Grin/Capcom team behind the game. Conversations with Ben Judd — Capcom’s producer for both BCR and next year’s 3D version of Bionic Commando — and others close to the project revealed an attention to detail that bordered on obsession. “At the time I think we just loved what we were doing,” Judd said. “We were all fans of Bionic Commando. Some of us have incredibly fond memories when we played it as kids. We didn’t want to be lazy. We didn’t want to be cheap. We wanted to give this title our best.” Last week, Viklund and I had an in-depth discussion of the music. The talk was less about the mechanics of assembling it — he’s a classically trained musician and adept at several instruments, I’m not — but more the inspiration and memories behind it. The soundtrack is available for download both at iTunes and sumthingdigital.com (where listeners can also buy the original 8-bit soundtrack, and compare the two). More than just great music, it’s the guts of a legitimate remake, of something that honours a classic more than imitates it. And a look inside the minds of those who knew they were toying with nostalgia — including their own — for a beloved title, and felt a strong commitment to doing this the right way. More »

Bionic Commando: Rearmed First Week Download Numbers

10:40PM Brian Ashcraft | Bionic Commando: Rearmed is a proper downloadable game. It’s meaty — like a real game! Reviewers and players seem to be picking up on that. And for a downloadable title, the game’s doing pretty good across the platforms. But how good? Over at the official Bionic Commando site, producer Ben Judd writes: While I have to admit, throwing out a number like 100,000 seemed pretty overzealous after seeing how hard digital titles are to sell, I still hoped we could reach that lofty goal. Boy, did I miss the mark. 7 days — over 130,000 units. Holy fiddlesticks! That may not seem impressive compared to package titles that sell in the millions but compared to other digital titles that is a friggin JUGGERNAUT! …Consumers voted with their dollars. They basically have sent the message loud and clear: We are tired of meta-emulated crap. We want the titles of yesteryear to be paid the proper respect. We want them done right. And if the price is right, we’ll buy. That’s a nice message, you know. Hopefully other developers are, you know, listening. BC Weekly Field Report: #12 [Bionic Commando] More »

Bionic Commando Rearmed Review: Swing Low, Sweet Re-Release

4:00AM Luke Plunkett | Let’s get this out of the way right now: Bionic Commando Rearmed isn’t a “reimagining” of Capcom’s 1988 classic. It’s not “based on” the characters or premise, it’s not a sequel, it’s not a prequel. This is the original Bionic Commando, albeit with a freshly-applied coat of paint, and it brings to the 360, PS3 and PC all the pros and cons that go along with that. So. Considering this is a remake of a twenty year-old game, is it worth all this fuss? Worth your time? Your money? More »

Bionic Commando Rearmed Sneaks On To Australian PSN

9:00PM Logan Booker | Oh, where did you go little Bionic Commando Rearmed? You didn’t make it to the last PAL PSN update a few days ago. We’ve been so concerned! Good for Rearmed (and us I suppose) that the classy remake found its way there today. Super-sneaky! It’s going for $15.95 if you’re interested, and don’t mind the $5 tax for being Australian. [Thanks Brendan] More »