Ye Olde School

August 28, 2008 on 7:45 am | In PS3, Recommendations, XBOX 360 | No Comments

As the cost for developing graphically stunning titles increases, the modern gaming industry is beginning to resemble the movie biz more and more. Publishers don’t want to pour a lot of time and resources in a new idea only to see it tank, so formulas and franchises are the norm.

That’s where downloadable content comes in. Cheap to buy and cheap to make, the fair offered on both Xbox Arcade and the Playstation Store can be quirky and fun because it can afford to take a few risks.
Another plus is that such bite-sized stimulation doesn’t require the heavy time investment that say, delving deeply into Metal Gear Solid 4 does. You can get your video game fix and quickly be on your way, allowing for the development of a fully functioning social life and career.

With that preamble in mind, I highly suggest investing $10 bucks in the downloadable remake of the NES classic “Bionic Commando,” dubbed “Bionic Commando: Rearmed.”

The game combines both old and new elements into something refreshingly different. For once, there are no invading alien species hellbent on the destruction of mankind, i.e. “Gears of War,” “Halo,” Resistance” and practically any other shooter in recent memory. Instead, your task is a simple “rescue this dude, kill the bad dude.” The game throws in plenty of snarky dialogue and other interactions, though, to compensate for the lack of dramatic depth.

The gameplay mechanics offer the kind of challenge almost completely forgotten in today’s convenient age of constant checkpoints and endless lives. The game’s titular hero possesses a bionic arm that can grapple onto any metal object or platform. Traversing of the levels is accomplished by using this ability to swing, grab and lift yourself up and across the many obstacles.

The modern update adds a wickedly (and often brutally) refined swing mechanic, a host of upgrades and weapons, challenging level design and numerable boss fights. For those thirsty for even more, the game also throws in over 50 special challenge rooms, which present the player with a virtual obstacle course to navigate in just 30 seconds.

A warning for those easily frustrated: The difficulty level of this game can be absolutely insane at times, with each swing requiring exact timing and a limited amount of lives allotted for each level (Trust me, the challenge rooms will test even the most mild-mannered). But hey, that’s all just part of the old school charm.