Xbox 360
Originally released in arcades in 1987, Bionic Commando was a massive hit for developer CAPCOM. With a next-gen sequel out before Christmas, it seems they're hoping to rekindle interest in the series.
Rearmed is insanely old-school, mixing classic platform elements with tons of nods to the original. Sent behind the Imperial enemy lines to rescue captive agent Super Joe, Nathan "R.A.D." Spencer is in for one tough mission.
Packing a powerful bionic arm, Spencer can grab objects, swing across chasms, climb platforms and even punch bullets out of the air. He's seriously kitted out. As you might expect, there's a catch: our hero can't jump or vault over obstacles, which may put many people off.
While this is faithful to the original, it feels odd at first. You must rely on Spencer's arm to traverse each level. Thankfully, there is a helpful tutorial mode and tons of challenge rooms to beef up your swinging skills.
Once you get your head around Spencer's ape-like moves, you will be pulling off all sorts of crazy maneuvres with the greatest of ease. Eventually, you will wonder why you ever questioned the lack of jump button in the first place.
Armed primarily with a simple rifle, you must tear your way through hordes of enemy soldiers and robotic foes, through over 15 levels of non-stop action. Each level boasts an imaginative end boss, each of which takes some cunning to dispatch.
Thankfully, you can hack security terminals to gain information on each enemy's weak spot. This is a fun distraction. However, if you mess up when hacking a terminal, it triggers an alarm and more enemies bear down on your position. Not good when you're low on health.
With tons of unlockable weapons and upgrades, there is much to discover here. There are even some fun, if a little uninspired top-down stages, which will test your bullet dodging skills. But largely, these don't come close to the excitement of the main levels.
Hats off to developer GRIN for bringing such a retro title into the current generation and making it work. The blend of 8-bit and modern visuals looks great as does the funky remixed music from the original. It just may prove a bit too difficult or weird for newcomers.