Developed and published by Capcom in 1987. Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Al82_Retro Add me on Google+: http://bit.ly/1tPwL1u So, I was looking through my back catalogue of videos and noticed that video quality of Bionic Commando didn't live up to my own quality standards, so I decided to re-record a new longplay at higher resolution (the original was 640 x 480). The original arcade version of Bionic Commando remains one of my favourite games ever. I first laid eyes on it in an arcade whilst on holiday with my parents back in the late 1980's and I was hooked. The attract mode looked so amazing seeing the main character swinging from branch to branch using the bionic arm; I'd never seen anything like it before. Platform games were certainly nothing new, but most were limited to a fixed horizontal or vertical scrolling plane; Bionic Commando featured large levels that allowed ultra-smooth eight-way scrolling. The objective of the game is to fight your way through five action-packed stages to defuse a nuclear warhead and to defeat the evil dictator who intends to launch it. The player must defeat legions of hostile troops whilst also keeping an eye on the equally hostile mutant creatures inhabiting certain levels. Some of the enemy troopers are equipped with grappling hooks that allow them to climb after the player, so take these guys out as soon as possible. Unlike most platform games that allowed the character to jump, the player is required to use an extending arm with claw to grab on to distant platforms. The arm retracts, pulling the player up on to the platform that it is latched on to. It can also be used to swing left and right from the platform, the momentum from which can be used to leap across gaps in the level. Any enemies in the way will be bowled over, which is a really great touch and very satisfying to boot! The platforms in each level are arranged in such a way as to present the player with a multitude of routes by which to reach the level exit, so there is certain sense of freedom that other games in the genre simply didn't offer at the time. In order to aid the player, supply packs will float down from the top of the screen on tiny parachutes. The packs contain medals, rations and hip flasks that can collected for points. Bonus weapons will occasionally appear as well, each of which have their own strengths and weaknesses. Players must either shoot the parachute or hit it with the bionic arm to release the contents, which can then be collected; items can easily float out of reach if you're not careful, so be quick to collect them! Fortunately, the bionic arm can be used to grab these items from distant platforms and also out of the air if timed correctly. Bionic Commando features some good graphics for the time, wit ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG620nr7vko

Game Info --------------------------------------------------- Developer: SNK Publisher: SNK Year of Release: 1991 Game Review & Impressions --------------------------------------------------- Having recently completed a longplay and written a review of King of the Monsters 2, I realised I really ought to check out the first game in the series to understand the sequel better. KOTM 2 has its own problems, but I figured that to understand the design decisions better, I should probably go check out the original game. Unlike KOTM 2, which is closer to a side-scrolling brawler, King of the Monsters is really just a wrestling game. Players duke it out in one-on-one battles against another monster, slapping, biting and stomping one another to the point where one becomes so exhausted, they can be pinned and counted out. Of course, what makes the game stand out among its contemporaries is the fact the wrestlers just happen to be monsters the size of skyscrapers and the rings are cities which get totally wrecked during the course of each bout. The cities are beautifully rendered, with tiny cars, trucks and other vehicles tootling along highways, while jets roar overhead. The level of detail conveys the sense of a living, breathing city, at least to the point where you start to feel some level of concern for the inhabitants of each building which gets squashed, torched, or ripped up and hurled in your opponent's direction. Each of the monsters can punch, claw and attack by tapping A and B buttons respectively. It's possible to jump, admittedly somewhat clumsily, by pressing A + B respectively, which allows monsters to grab planes out of the air, as well as evade attacks. Dash attacks can be initiated by double-tapping on the joystick, which are especially effective, owing to the fact these will knock opponents on their ass instantly. In a further nod to its wrestling mechanics, a downed opponent can be picked up and a grappled which, if executed successfully, will see the hapless beast tossed around like a ragdoll. On the subject of grapples, the outcome of these is still really hard to predict. You can wiggle the stick and mash buttons all you like, but who wins the clinch still feels somewhat random. Given that grappling is such a big part of the game, I wish the developers had designed the game so that players could consistently determine the outcome, although I suspect the reason was in part to hasten the player's demise and force insertion of another coin. And it's this point where King of the Monsters falls down for me. Being able to hurl your opponent into a building is by far the most entertaining part of the game, so the lack of predictability undermines much of the game and sucks some of the fun out of the whole thing. Similarly, the fact opponents can only be defeated on the third pin makes the whole count-out utterly pointless. Although I love the aesthetics, the fact the game's mechanics seem to have been architected to disadvantage the player deliberately make it difficult to enjoy. The multiplayer experience might be more enjoyable, but as a single player game, there are definitely better titles. Information & Trivia --------------------------------------------------- TBC Video Notes --------------------------------------------------- TBC Related Longplays & Videos --------------------------------------------------- TBC Chapters --------------------------------------------------- 00:00 Attract mode 1:00 Geon vs. Woo (Loop 1) 3:20 Geom vs. Poison Ghost (Loop 1) 6:00 Geon vs. Rocky (Loop 1) 8:20 Geon vs. Beetle Mania (Loop 1) 10:55 Geon vs. Astro Guy (Loop 1) 13:05 Geon vs. Geon (Loop 1) 16:00 Geon vs. Woo (Loop 2) 17:40 Geon vs. Poison Ghost (Loop 2) 20:00 Geon vs. Rocky (Loop 2) 22:24 Geon vs. Beetle Mania (Loop 2) 24:25 Geon vs. Astro Guy (Loop 2) 26:45 Geon vs. Geon (Loop 2) #neogeo #retrogaming #longplay ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1dFkBCYrTY