Gaming Market Trends

As most people know and do these days when u find something good on the market you go ahead and flog it for all its worth

In the gaming market the latest trend to be flogged or rather the latest trend that is in the process of being flogged is strategy games genre. In the past strategy games were reserved solely for the PC market and rightly so as well.

The….uhh….left arm of the law.

Having played games from the late 1980’s through to the current day and age, I’ve come to love a lot of games and game genres for that matter. A certain genre that’s always had a place close to my heart, is the 2D side-scroller (aka platform games). At the mere mention of the name “side-scroller”, images of Commander Keen and the Vortigons come to mind. Along with Dangerous Dave, Crystal Caves, the original Ghosts n Goblins, Duke Nukem 1 and 2….the list goes on and on.

The genre kept evolving with new games being released adding more elements and twists to the play. One such release that really stood out, was Abe’s Oddysee in 1997. A fresh take on platform adventures with beautiful environments to travel through, an interesting world and story and a control system that worked. The year after saw the release of the second game in the planned five game series, Abe’s Exoddus. Continuing the success and innovation of Abe’s Oddysee and allowing gamers more time with the unlikely hero, Abe.

But all of that is irrelevant, really. It just serves as a means of showing that I’m a big fan and follower of the genre. And one of the favorites being the original arcade Bionic Commando and the NES version.

When the announcement came that they were making a 3D Bionic Commando, I was actually not that thrilled. Bionic Commando is like a fragile piece of equipment in a shop. It’s the mentality of “You can look, but don’t touch! You’re probably going ot break it”. Even more so when they announced there will also be a re-make of the original game. But as time went by and the trailers and screenshots started floating about the internet, I started to relax a bit more. It looked like they were doing a pretty good job. And what else would I have expected from the creators of the original game.

Thrilled was I, when I purchased the game over the weekend for PC and started the download. Words like “agony” come to mind when I think of how I watched the progress meter fill up. But all of that is in the memory box now. The one that I keep under the bed in the darkest corner. In it’s place, are warm, fuzzy feelings. Feelings of nostalgia reborn. Feelings of “happy as can be”.

Bionic Commando Rearmed (BCR) lives up to it’s promise. The promise of being a re-make of the original game. When playing the game, it feels like you’re playing the old one…..but not really. It’s a strange feeling indeed. Everything seems familiar, yet new at the same time. The arm is there, the jump isn’t there and the frustration is there, yet it’s all coated in a beautiful layer of coloured pixels. The graphics are eye-wateringly beautiful. And I don’t mean the colours are so bright they make your eyes water. I mean tears spring to one’s eyes when looking at BCR and seeing how Private Spencer is all grown up now…..*sniff*.

Bionic Commando Rearmed in action

The gameplay is a ton of fun, yet just like the original, completely unforgiving. For some of the later levels, you really need to have mastered the bionic arm, dodging, blocking bullets, shooting and swinging all at the same time. The game can get pretty intense (specially if you bump up the difficulty) so hardcore gamers will be pleased with the difficulty. Specially the Challenge Rooms scattered through the game (which you can access from the main menu once you’ve unlocked them). They truly are challenge rooms. They’re simply a scenario you’re presented with and your objective is to get through it as quickly as possible. Based on your time, you get a rating between 1 and 5 stars. And if you can beat the time of the creator of the level, you get a nice badge to show that you’re the king.

The game also supports a multiplayer mode which I’m keen to try out. Swinging around like a bunch of monkeys trying to shoot each other with powerups dropping all over the show sounds like the formula for fun, if you ask me. And doing it all in a gorgeous looking environment like the one BCR presents to you, it can only be a pleasure to play.

The overall feel of the game can be summed up into one word, “Complete”. It doesn’t feel as if there’s
anything wanting from the title. You’re never left feeling “I wish they did that”, or “It would have been nice if they added feature <insert feature here> to the game”. This game is well-rounded, well-executed and well-everythingelse.

The only negative thing about the game, is not about the game itself. It’s about the state of current gaming affairs. Most gamers are used to being spoonfed when it comes to gaming and difficulty settings that rarely challenge. In this regard, BCR is every bit as difficult as the original was. It’s not an impossible game at all, but the try-try-again nature of it is going to frustrate more than a few gamers. And proof of this is already spreading across the internet with people moaning about how difficult it is.

But in my books, that just seals the deal. Capcom wasn’t scared to stay true to the original game. They stuck to their guns (and experimental arms), and produced a proper re-make of a classic, loved game. If you’re feeling a) up for a challenge, b) nostalgic, c) in the mood for something fun or d) a really good game, give Bionic Commando Rearmed a try. I’d recommend it on any platform it’s available on. Even though the PC version is $5 more expensive than the console versions, I’d still say it’s a steal for the amount of game you get for your money. It more than outweighs the price.

So get swinging, rolling, shooting and jumpi running and get your copy of Bionic Commando Rearmed. It’s charms will grow on anybody and will have you coming back for more punishment =)