Bionic Commando (1988 video game)

Bionic Commando, originally released as Hitler's Resurrection: Top Secret (ヒットラーの復活 TOP SECRET(トップシークレット), Hittorā no Fukkatsu: Toppu Shīkuretto) in Japan, is an action-platformer video game released by Capcom for the Family Computer and Nintendo Entertainment System in 1988.[3] It is based on the 1987 arcade game of the same title.

"Master D" redirects here. For the British rapper, see Deeder Zaman.
Bionic Commando
North American box art
Developer(s)Capcom
Publisher(s)Capcom
Designer(s)Hatchan
Composer(s)Junko Tamiya[1]
SeriesBionic Commando
Platform(s)Famicom/NES
Release
  • JP: July 20, 1988
  • NA: December 1988[2]
  • EU: October 26, 1990
Genre(s)Action, Platforming
Mode(s)Single-player

As Ladd Spencer, a member of the FF Battalion, the player has to explore each stage and obtain the necessary equipment to progress.[4] Spencer is equipped with a mechanical arm featuring a grappling gun, allowing him to pull himself forward or swing from the ceiling. As such, the series is one of few instances of a platform game in which the player cannot jump. To cross gaps or climb ledges, Spencer must use his bionic arm.

Gameplay
Since Ladd cannot jump in the game, he uses his bionic arm to swing across gaps and obstacles.

Bionic Commando is a platformer in which the player controls Ladd Spencer, whose mission is to rescue Super Joe and to stop the Albatros project.[5] Players begin the game on an overworld map, where, Starting at Area 0, players can move Spencer's helicopter to any connected Area on the map in a nonlinear fashion. However, once Spencer's helicopter moves, the enemy ground vehicles will also move. Once the helicopter reaches its destination without crossing over the path of an enemy vehicle, the player can choose to "descend" and play that area or to "transfer" to a different Area.[6] However, if the helicopter is intercepted by an enemy vehicle, then Spencer must engage the enemy in an overhead shooter level similar to Capcom's own Commando. Spencer, armed with a weapon and his grappling hook that he can swing around in a circle to deflect bullets and enemies, must defeat the enemy soldiers and reach the end of the stage to continue on. These stages are the only stages where the player can earn a continue.[5]

When Spencer descends into an Area, the player must choose which equipment to take with him,[7] And is then dropped into a sidescrolling platformer level, where the player must first find one or multiple Communications Rooms - where the player can communicate with allies or wiretap enemy conversations - and then proceed each Area's Computer Room, where a boss will be guarding the computer core the player must destroy to clear the Area. Spencer cannot jump, so the player must use Spencer's weapons and his bionic arm to defeat enemies and navigate platforms and obstacles. Players can extend his bionic arm overhead, directly in front, and above at a 45-degree angle, and can grapple to higher platforms, swing across chasms, and pick up items. Additional equipment such as weapons, protective gear, and communications devices can be found by clearing Areas or finding them in levels, some of which are vital to progressing further in the game. In addition to the regular "combat areas", there are also safe "neutral areas"; non-hostile zones where Spencer can gain additional information from allied and enemy soldiers and find items. If Spencer fires his weapon in any neutral area, an alarm sounds, and all soldiers will become hostile to Spencer.[5]

Plot

Bionic Commando takes place sometime in the 1980s and centers on two warring states: the Federation and the Empire. One day, Federation Forces discover top secret documents about "Albatros", an unfinished project developed by the Empire's predecessor, the "Badds"[8] (also known as the "Nazz"[9] or Nazis in the Japanese version). Imperial leader Generalissimo Killt decides to complete the project himself. Upon learning the Empire's plot, the Federation sends in their national hero, Super Joe (the main character from the 1985 Capcom title Commando[10]) to infiltrate the Empire, but he is captured. The Federation then sends in a second operative named Ladd Spencer[11] to rescue him and to uncover the secret behind the Albatros project.[9][12] Spencer is a member of the FF (Double Force) Battalion, a team of commandos specially trained to use wired guns to infiltrate enemy bases.[4]

Spencer starts in Area 1, in which he is told that the first several areas, already infiltrated by Federation troops, have communication devices and rooms that can be used to stay in contact with the Federation and for wiretapping to gain intelligence from the Empire.[13] Upon reaching Area 3, Spencer finds through enemy intelligence that Super Joe has been transported to the Imperial "disposal area",[14] which a Federation spy later confirms.[15] However, upon reaching the disposal area, an Imperial commander tells Spencer that Super Joe has been transported elsewhere.[16] Eventually, Spencer rescues Super Joe,[17] who informs Spencer that the Albatros project is a powerful laser cannon the Badds were unable to complete.[18] However, the one person vital to the project's completion, Master-D (Hitler), is dead, and Generalissimo Killt has been unsuccessfully trying to resurrect him. Super Joe tells Spencer that they must stop Killt before he succeeds, and he asks Spencer to accompany him to the Imperial base located in Area 12.[19]

When Spencer reaches the Imperial base, Super Joe tells him to break the power system in order to release two power barriers that are guarding the incomplete project.[20] After doing so, Super Joe tells Spencer to defeat Killt and escape while he goes to destroy the base's power source.[21] When Spencer reaches Killt's chamber, Killt boasts that the Albatros project has been completed without Master-D's help, turning off the device that would have resurrected him.[22] As Killt is about to kill Spencer, electric shocks begin to occur around the holding tank containing Master-D's body, reviving Master-D and instantly killing Killt. Master-D then exits the tank and approaches Spencer, saying that he will use the Federation's forces to take over the world.[23] Spencer vows to fight against Master-D, who calls Spencer a "damn fool" and unveils the Albatros.[24] After destroying the Albatros, Spencer encounters a dying comrade named Hal, who gives Spencer a bazooka and tells him that Master-D is escaping and that he needs to shoot the bazooka into the cockpit of Master-D's escape chopper.[25] Spencer uses his bionic arm to swing himself towards Master-D's escape chopper and fires the bazooka into the cockpit; upon doing so, Spencer screams: "Your number's up! Monster!" Then, in a series of slow-motion frames, the game shows Master-D's head explode.[26]

The alarm inside the Imperial base then sounds off, saying: "This base will explod [sic] in 60 seconds."[27] Spencer manages to escape the base when he realizes that Super Joe is still inside, and he runs back in to rescue him. The Federation's commander then orders the full evacuation of the base, but then, as the base explodes, a chopper appears with Spencer holding on to Super Joe while hooked on the chopper with his bionic arm.[28] Spencer then informs the commander that he has Joe and that they are returning to the Federation base.[29] The game's ending then shows Federation troops around Spencer and Super Joe as they celebrate their victory. Super Joe then says how the Federation has a new hero in Spencer Spencer while saying how different he feels from the praise given by his comrades.[30] Then, after showing the ending credits, the game forwards to August 2, 2010, which an old Super Joe recalls the entire story and hope that it will live on.[31]

Development

Localization
The use of the Nazi Swastika in the Japanese Famicom version (above) was replaced with a new avian symbol for the English NES version (below)

For the release of the international version of the game, several changes were made. All references to Nazism in text and imagery were removed for the English localization. The Empire in the Japanese version was actually a neo-Nazi nation and the Imperial Army's insignia was a Nazi Swastika with a thunderbolt behind it. In the English version, the Nazis were referred as the "Badds" (though the back-story in the American version's manual referred to them as the "Nazz").[9][32] The Imperial Army's Swastika insignia was changed into a new one resembling an eagle, and the leader of the villains, originally called Weizmann in the Japanese version,[4] was renamed Killt.

One of the most prominent differences involves the ultimate antagonist of the game, who is meant to be a revived Adolf Hitler in the Japanese version. For the English version, the character was renamed "Master-D".[32] There is a notably gory ending sequence in which Hitler's face explodes, which was kept intact in the English version.[33] Additionally, the word "damn" was left in an end-game dialog sequence of the North American release, which was a rare amount of profanity for an American NES release.

In addition to the graphical changes, the difficulty of the game was rebalanced and some of the areas were made less difficult.[34]

Music

The music for the game was created by videogame music composer Junko Tamiya, who was credited under the pseudonym "Gondamin".[35] Two songs from the Arcade versions are used in some areas. The music for the original arcade game was developed by Harumi Fujita. Tamiya adapted two of the original arcade tracks (The "Bionic Commando Theme" and "The Powerplant") and expanded the soundtrack by adding several more new songs in the console versions for the Japanese Famicom and the NES ports of the game.[1]

Reception
Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
1Up.comA+
Famitsu26/40[3]

According to Capcom employee Ben Judd, the game did not sell well in Japan.[36][37]

In 1997 Electronic Gaming Monthly ranked it the 32nd best console video game of all time, assessing that the fact that the player could not jump and had to instead swing around with his bionic arm added an unexpected level of depth to the platform genre.[38] Nintendo Power ranked it as the 17th best Nintendo Entertainment System video game, describing it as one of the console's most original action games due to the ability to swing.[39] GamesRadar ranked it the fourth best NES game ever made. The staff called it a classic and praised its grappling mechanic.[40] The Japanese magazine Famitsu gave it 26 out of 40.[3]

Remakes and re-releases

A portable adaptation of Bionic Commando was released for the Game Boy in 1992. The Game Boy version is based on the NES game, featuring the same gameplay and stages, as well as a similar plot, but changes the present day setting of the NES version into a futuristic one. A second remake, titled Bionic Commando Rearmed, was developed by GRIN and released in 2008 as a downloadable title for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.

The original NES version of Bionic Commando is one of three NES games featured in the Game Boy Advance compilation Capcom Classics Mini-Mix, the other two games being Strider and Mighty Final Fight.

Novelization

The game was novelized as Bionic Commando by J. B. Stamper as part of the Worlds of Power series of novels based on the NES version. The main character is identified as Jack Markson, who loses an arm when ninjas attack his hotel room and kidnap Super Joe. The Federation replaces his missing limb with a bionic arm that has a grappling hook and a number of other gadgets that are not featured in the game, like a flame thrower and a device that forces prisoners to tell the truth. Like most books in the series, violence was toned down to non-lethality in most cases (he usually shoots enemy soldiers with tranquilizers), although certain events, like the deaths of Hal and Killt, are kept. Much of the game's middle is skimmed over in order to fit it all into the book.

References
  1. "Junko Tamiya Interview: Creating Capcom's Incredible NES Scores". Video Game Music Online. 2014-05-19. Retrieved 2016-02-13.
  2. "List of release dates from Nintendo.com" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-12-18.
  3. "ヒットラーの復活 トップシークレット [ファミコン] / ファミ通.com". www.famitsu.com. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  4. Top Secret: Hitler no Fukkatsu Instruction Manual Archived 2016-06-02 at the Wayback Machine, p. 4.
  5. "Bionic Commando". Nintendo Power. Redmond, WA: Nintendo (2): 6–17. September–October 1988. ISSN 1041-9551. OCLC 18893582.
  6. Bionic Commando Instruction Manual, pp. 7–9.
  7. Bionic Commando Instruction Manual, pp. 10–12.
  8. Bionic Commando (Introduction). Ladd Spencer: "In 198X we've found the Badds' top secret material called Albatros which was never put into practice."
  9. Bionic Commando Instruction Manual, p. 4. "In 198X we've found Nazz's top secret material called Alatros [sic], a plan which was never put into practice."
  10. "Commando (arcade flyer)". The Arcade Flyer Archive. Retrieved May 2, 2012. A crack soldier called "Super Joe" who has undergone special training has received a highly secret mission and is about to enter this fierce war.
  11. Bionic Commando (Ending). Ladd Spencer: This is Ladd, our mission accomplished.
  12. "Bionic Commando". Nintendo Power. Redmond, WA: Nintendo (2): 6–17. September–October 1988. ISSN 1041-9551. OCLC 18893582.
  13. Bionic Commando (Area 1). MA-1: "This is MA-1. I've been waiting for you. Many of our agents have already infiltrated the sectors you will be travelling. To contact them you must find a communication room. Your success depends on staying in touch. You should be able to wiretap and intercept important information."
  14. Bionic Commando (Area 3). Anonymous Imperial Commander: You transported Joe? Anonymous Imperial Soldier: Yeah, over to disposal area. Heroes always look good.
  15. Bionic Commando (Area 5). Federation Spy: "Are you from the Federation? I'm a spy for the Federation. I just saw that Joe was taken away, they headed towards area 8."
  16. Bionic Commando (Area 9). Imperial Commander: "Your effort is wasted. We've just transferred Joe to another location."
  17. Bionic Commando (Area 7). Ladd: "Mr. Joe, I've come to rescue you." Super Joe: Thank you. I'm sorry to cause so much trouble."
  18. Bionic Commando (Area 7). Super Joe: "Captain, something terrible is going to happen. Remember there was a plan in the Badds' secret documents' about building a huge laser cannon. The empire is trying to accomplish what the Badds' couldn't do."
  19. Bionic Commando (Area 7). Super Joe: "However they cannot complete this project because the person with the key knowledge is dead. His name is Master-D. To finish the project, Killt is trying to resurrect him but has been unable to do so. Captain, we must stop him before this project gets too big. I'm going to Area 12 now. Can you fight with me?"
  20. Bionic Commando (Area 12). Super Joe: "This is Super Joe. This area is divided by 2 barriers. In order to break the barriers, you should break the power system. Find the power system."
  21. Bionic Commando (Area 12). Super Joe: "This is Joe. I'm going to destroy the power source of the base. Defeat the leader and get out!"
  22. Bionic Commando (Area 12). Generalissimo Killt: "But you're too late. The Albatros has begun to move. Not necessary to wait for Master-D to revive. I've just cut off the switch for the revival device. Master-D will never rise again."
  23. Bionic Commando (Area 12). Master-D: You woke me from a long sleep. Now I have no more use for you. I'll take over your army and rule the world.
  24. Bionic Commando (Area 12). Master-D: "What, you're going to fight against me? You damn fool. If that's what you want, I'll show you the horror of the Albatros!"
  25. Bionic Commando (Area 12). Hal: "I'm Hal, Master-D is...leaving. I won't last long. I take this bazooka. Go get him! Th ... there is a chopper down here. Aim at the cockpit as you jump. You can do it!"
  26. Bionic Commando (Area 12).
  27. Bionic Commando (Area 12). Voice: This base will explod in 60 seconds. Evacuate right away.
  28. Bionic Commando (Ending). Ladd: "Is Joe still inside?" [runs back into the base] Commander: "What happened to the Captain? We cannot wait any longer. We are going to escape now!" MA-1: "Please wait just little longer... Hey, what's that?"
  29. Bionic Commando (Ending). Ladd: "This is Ladd. Our mission accomplished. Super Joe is safe. We are returning now."
  30. Bionic Commando (Ending). Super Joe: "Battle has ended and we have a new hero now. I was feeling different as I received the blessings from comrades."
  31. Bionic Commando (Ending). Super Joe: "Now, so much time has elapsed and I'm old now. I think it's time for me to tell you the whole story. I hope this story will be told for a long time. 2010.8.2 Joe."
  32. Robinson, Martin (2008-01-17). "Bionic Commando Rearmed Preview". IGN. Retrieved 2018-07-22.
  33. Sandvik, Per Arne (2002-11-15) The Horror! Archived 2013-07-03 at the Wayback Machine Encyclopedia Obscura. Retrieved on 2008-07-09
  34. Elite Coder. "Bionic Commando Famicom Version".
  35. Bionic Commando "The Soundtrack" (Media notes). Sumthing Else Music Works. 2009.
  36. "Why 'Bionic Commando' Is Finally Back In 2008 - And How The PSP Played Two Key Roles". MTV News. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
  37. "Destructoid interview: Bionic Commando's Ben Judd". destructoid. Retrieved 2018-07-22.
  38. "100 Best Games of All Time". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 100. Ziff Davis. November 1997. p. 140. Note: Contrary to the title, the intro to the article (on page 100) explicitly states that the list covers console video games only, meaning PC games and arcade games were not eligible.
  39. "Nintendo Power - The 20th Anniversary Issue!" (Magazine). Nintendo Power. 231 (231). San Francisco, California: Future US. August 2008: 71. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  40. "Best NES Games of all time". GamesRadar. 2012-04-16. Retrieved 2013-12-05.
  • Bionic Commando Instruction Manual. Sunnyvale, CA: Capcom. 1988. NES-CM-USA.
  • Top Secret: Hitler no Fukkatsu Instruction Manual (in Japanese). Capcom.
  • Capcom (December 1988). Bionic Commando (Nintendo Entertainment System).
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