Review: Bionic Commando for the Xbox 360

Bionic Commando on the NES was one of my favorite adventure games featuring a crazy story involving Badds and a guy with the title of Generalissimo. The final boss’ name was “Master-D” and instead of spinning records, he was an exploding head that looked suspiciously like Hitler. Years later, I found out that WAS supposed to be Hitler, but thanks to localization tweaks, it was changed to the name of someone that might have been been on MTV.

Bionic Commando's come a long way since this came out more than two decades ago.

So here we are with not one, but two games based off of Capcom’s controversial, head asploding title. One, Bionic Commando: Rearmed, is a remake of the NES game which, itself, was actually based off of the original arcade version without so much story behind it. And now we’ve got the full console treatment with…Bionic Commando.

The Commando has been updated with a gritty attitude and dreads to match, but the story is still reminiscent of the badly translated version that we were treated to in the States. And he’s in 3D. The polished controls go far in making you feel like a swinging hero without boundaries, but there are a few short circuits in this bionic production inducing enough frustration to question whether it was worth the pain of having to go through it all.

So here’s the field report from this operation for anyone interested in the details. Not quite the tear jerking return that I was expecting, but the eighties-style charm is hard to resist if you like that kind of thing.

Xbox 360 Review: Resident Evil 5

The demo left me a little cool on Resident Evil 5, especially after playing through Dead Space, but the full game was a welcome surprise once I had “relearned” the controls and got back into the swing of things. The game became a lot more entertaining afterwards and it was filled with everything that I’ve come to expect from Capcom: twisted villains, story steeped in Resident Evil’s lore, fun extras, solid voice acting, great graphics, and awesome unlockables.

Some things also took a little getting used to, such as the real-time menu, but this is also a great way for newcomers to get into Resident Evil without having to know about everything that occurred before. But for veterans, there’s plenty for them to feel nostalgic about here while running for their lives at the same time.

A complete field report has been prepped here if you want the gory details.

Chris Redfield returns with a new partner

IGN delivers an SFIV fashion show

According to IGN, it looks like SFIV is going to have a slew of optional costumes available, the same ones that could be purchased with in-game currency earned on the arcade version. GiantBomb and the Escapist have both taken a look at what is coming down the runway for our favorite fighters and while the extra content is welcome stuff, the delivery options are still up in the air. Speculation seems to be turning towards premium DLC, but Capcom has been mum on the subject so far. In any case, here’s a rundown on what IGN’s captures have gone through but I suggest watching the video just for the action. It’s hot stuff.

Starting it off is El Fuerto as the the chef that will pummel anyone that puts ketchup on their eggs.

Ryu, clad in ripped pants and doing his best Shirtless Kirk impression, is temporarily distracted by Chun Li's fashionable appearance in a dark gown that does little to hold back the God Legs she is about to stomp all over him with.

My rope is bigger than your rope! Why do I have rope?!

Zangief's plain green pants are nothing compared to E. Honda's...rope. Wearing huge rope must mean Absolute Fist Smashing Badassery or something.

Dhalsim's alternate costume isn't much to look at, but Blanka's best Livingston impersonation racks up points for making him the dapper wild man of Street Fighter.

Guile's muted yet distinctive look pales in comparison to Ken's black gi.

Don't pay any attention to the bars, Balrog's Rocky hopes are dashed by Vega's Spanish Conquest. Ruffled shirt and spandex pants don't compare to Balrog's fighter duds, though. He'll be back for a rematch.

Abel's Olympic dreams haven't ended in 2008 as he comes out in tights and C. Viper's open shirt sexiness and black pants aren't really all that exciting. But it looks great in action.

Rose's magic scarf and gypsy look isn't quite as cute as Sakura's Ryu cosplay sans pants, but both work.

Yeah, that's Dan in the purple and pink. He's got pads to protect his awesomeness against Gen's masked Manchurian manliness of bone crushing facepalms.

Rufus, in his best Green Slime cosplay costume for Dragon Quest, really hated El Fuerto's cooking.

Fei Long's beach look is about to be tossed aside by Cammy's pantless attack of ultimate sorrow. The only thing she's missing from her costume is the Hammer and Sickle, but we all love her anyway.

M. Bison's ripped uniform makes Sagat's clean cut sparring suit look absolutely outmatched here. Like M. Bison cares, anyway.

Street Fighter IV Collector’s Edition…wow, now that’s a CE

Kotaku reports that Capcom has changed the box art for the SF4 CE to something “more cool”, but that’s not what’s interesting about the packages pictured here (images from Kotaku also). They’re both getting different figures for the fans:

I'm not a PS3 fanboy, but come on, who wouldn't want Ryu glaring at them like this as a part of their figure collection? I promise, I won't tell them about your Sailor Moon fetish...

And who do 360 owners get? Cammy? Chun Li? No, they get a figure of the new fighter, Crimson Viper. While it's still cool and all, I kind of wish Capcom chose someone else. Neat pose, though, and I see she's got the regulation Capcom Cleaveage shot.

Both versions are virtually identical and will cost $80 on release. Both will have a movie that covers the events from SFII on to explain how everyone has gotten together for SF4. The 360 version of the movie is on a game disc while PS3 owners get theirs on Blu-Ray. That makes sense considering that HD-DVD is all but dead at this point and not everyone will have the attachment for their 360s.

There’s also a strategy guide sampler, not that veterans will want to reach for that anytime soon since they’ll be busy punching and kicking each other as soon as they can get the disc into their console of choice.

It sounds like a great deal for both consoles, despite some of the differences, as the hype machine begins ramping up for its release next year. I’m not a fighter fan myself, but I’m interested to see just what gamers are going to think when they get a chance to put this through its paces. Both veterans and newcomers should find something to like with this. If there’s one thing that Capcom’s big releases always try to do, it’s to slowly ease everyone into the new ideas that their wonder factory continues to come out with.

Can’t wait to see more!