Bionic Commando

[Melbosa]

Everyone has to have played these on the old 8bit systems?  No?  Oh they were a blast.

Well Capcom is remaking them for this generation: http://ve3d.ign.com/videos/17808/PC/Bionic-Commando-Re-Imagined

Capcom Entertainment, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today confirmed the return of one of its classic franchises with the announcement that Bionic Commando is in development for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Sony Computer Entertainment?s PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3) and Windows-based PC.

Taking its inspiration from its 8-bit namesake released on the Nintendo Entertainment System back in 1988, Bionic Commando features Nathan Spencer (voiced by former lead singer of Faith No More, Mike Patton), a shining example of the technological advances made by the Federal Bionic Armaments Development Division. After distinguishing himself in a fierce conflict against the Imperials, Spencer is betrayed and falsely imprisoned by the very people he unquestioningly served.

Three years later, on the very day he is due to be executed for his supposed crimes, an experimental weapon detonates in Ascension City, unleashing an immensely powerful earthquake coupled with a radiation shockwave that leaves the city in ruins, wiping out its populace. Military intelligence suggests that a large terrorist search force has moved in and occupied Ascension City, but as yet their motives remain unclear. With the terrain in ruins and the terrorists in control of Ascension City?s air defenses the FSA has only one option open to them ? the reactivation of Nathan Spencer.

Bionic Commando harnesses the power of the latest generation of hardware to fully exploit the swing mechanic that made the original title so unique. The ruins of Ascension City and its surroundings provide an engaging environment of towering buildings, suspended roadways and monorails, deep canyons and sheer rock faces that allow gamers to traverse each area via multiple routes using swinging, rappelling, climbing and wall walking techniques.

An expertly trained operative, Spencer is able to target and take out enemies while hanging upside down, climbing a building or even in mid-swing. At close quarters, the bionic arm packs a mean punch, while from a distance, objects such as boulders and cars can be grabbed and launched at enemies.

The development team behind Bionic Commando represents a unique and compelling collaboration of cultures and skills, consisting of an American Producer living in Japan, a Japanese Creative Advisor and highly-rated Swedish developer GRIN providing a European influence. This partnership provides a further example of Capcom?s strategy to work with the best developer talent, while maintaining the unique elements of creativity and approach to game design for which Capcom is renowned.

[Mr. Analog]

There was a big announcement about this in typical Capcom style (HUGE NEWS == Bionic Commando). It was an ok game, I suppose, but not earth-shattering to hear of a remake. I guess we'll have to wait and see what it's like, hopefully they can pull out some development magic on this one and make a kick ass game.

[Melbosa]

So I read an article on this today with a Producer of the game form Capcom.  What I thought was funny was this part of the interview:

VideoGamer.com: What kind of things spring to mind?

BJ: Without a doubt, the save system. A lot of those games you had to beat with one sitting. I remember playing Ghosts and Goblins, on the fifth level, and having to leave it on for three days because I just couldn't beat it. There's just no way, no password, no save, no nothing. So, things like that. Bionic Commando, of course being able to update the weapons so you weren't just using the bazooka all the time. It's nice to be able to make fixes that the developers didn't know back then - they didn't realise until the game came out, in hindsight.

We've actually got phone calls from other developers saying 'you arseholes, now because you've made a game at such high quality and priced it at $10, now that's the gold standard. If we try and put out a game for $15 people are going to say, well what about Bionic Commando Rearmed? What if we put out a game that's just meta emulated, they're going say we're being greedy'. Because we've raised the bar to that level now we've got other developers on their toes, where they should be. There's a lot of potential there, but right now people are being too damn lazy. They're not paying the respect to the old classic games that they should.

Full Article here: http://www.videogamer.com/xbox360/bionic_commando/preview-1254.html