Rearming the Music — and Memories — of Bionic Commando

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 recognizable 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.”

Bionic Commando Comparisons

Show of hands, how many of you got Bionic Commando: Rearmed and then went out and found the ROM for the original Bionic Commando and played it? Tooling around on the Bionic Commando blog I found a link to two videos Gametrailers put up last week, splicing gameplay from both titles and highlighting some things you might have missed.

Did you see the movie Wanted or read Mark Millar's comic series and think to yourself, "This would make a nifty video game?" Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment apparently did, and they've tapped Bionic Commando developer GRIN to get the job done. The game picks up where the movie left off, continuing the adventures of sad-sack turned master assassin Wesley Gibson. Expect plenty of curved bullets, slow-motion "assassin's time" events, and an advanced cover system to help deal with the fact the guns don't shoot straight anymore. Here's the first set of screens for the game, available later this year for "consoles and personal computer". Hey, I have one of those!

Bionic Commando Has Control Issues

"Wow I suck," I thought to myself as I sweated through a demo of GRIN and Capcom's upcoming sequel to the beloved Bionic Commando. The nice gentleman from GRIN guiding me through the level was being extremely patient with me, but I sensed he was a bit frustrated as his simple instructions - run, jump, press A to shoot out your arm and then release when the blue hourglass shape appears on the HUD to signify the optimal angle - were consistently met by me falling into a pit, or off the side of a bridge, or any number of places that you could fall.

"The controls are skill-based," he explained with a smile, taking the controller and easily navigating the part I was having issues with. He made it look so simple, but then I suppose he's logged a few more hours on the game. He tells me that once you master the controls you'll be able to do amazing things. Unfortunately fifteen minutes isn't long enough.

Bionic Commando Devs Fear The Japanese

Swedish developer GRIN, working on Capcom's new Bionic Commando title as well as the PSN/XBLA update of the original one, were entertainingly forthcoming during an industry conference in the Netherlands where they talked about the tough path for an independent developer.

Managing director Bo had some blunt language for the harsh reality of game development as a business, something the audience may occasionally lose track of when levying certain accusations at development studios:

“Really, to get started, you’re not making a game for a gamer, you’re making a game for a publisher," he said. "And that’s how it is. They know the product, they are paying for the product, and they want you to pull through... on time.”

Also, apparently working with the Japanese is scary:

Capcom's big-budget revitalization of its Bionic Commando intellectual property has the potential be outshone by its classic remake, Bionic Commando Rearmed, as far as hardcore fans are concerned, but the new-gen update, the one starring Nathan Spencer, shouldn't be overlooked. Both are graphically gorgeous in their own ways, with Rearmed presenting a tight, clean and colorful 2.5D re-skin, with the all-new Bionic Commando appearing to be an impressive visual achievement, stuffed with attention to detail and smart level design.

Bionic Commando's move into the third dimension looks to potentially present challenges on par with the original NES classic, bringing a rather complex mechanical arm-swinging mechanic (plus jumping!) into a more freely navigable 3D space. Add to that camera control that's totally up to the player and Bionic Commando could be seen as overly complex, a potentially rough 2D to 3D transition.

We're still hopeful despite that, for reasons we'll hopefully make clear.

Bionic Commando Rearmed, Shipping Soonish

Good news! XBLA and PSN title Bionic Commando Rearmed seems like it's getting one step closer to digital shipping. On developer GRIN's official site, the game's Creative Director Simon Viklund blogs:

The final date for completing Bionic Commando Rearmed is closing in - we're stabilizing the game and polishing all the details now, and soon this product of almost a year of late nights and hard work will ship to a digital distribution channel near you!

...Within weeks we will see with sad eyes how it leaves to enter the approval process, and I'm sure that just days after things have calmed down here at the office and our schedules say "wait and see", the team and I will already start longing to get back to the backbreaking work we've gotten used to during the project.

Western games are really starting to come into their own. No wonder some think that Japan's place in the gaming sun has set. Japan-based-Capcom producer Ben Judd disagrees! While his Bionic Commando title is being developed by a buncha Swedes, he hasn't given up on The Land of the Rising Sun. According to Judd:

I mean, don't make any mistakes: The Japanese guys know that the west is starting to kick ass and take names, and they are studying those games. And from what I know of Japanese motivation and business practices is, if they ever feel that there is something that they're not staying on track with, or on target, then they study it, see what's great about it, then they learn how to do it better.

A lot of people talk about the Japanese industry being, you know, on the way out, in terms of design and stuff like that. I don't think that they're out yet. I think that they'll come back.

Let's Learn About Bionic Commando Rearmed

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