Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Bionic Commando’s signature mechanic revolves around Ladd Spencer’s bionic arm, which replaces the typical jump with a versatile grappling hook. You latch onto fixed points in the environment—rails, ceilings, and poles—and swing yourself through levels, creating a sense of fluid momentum that feels both novel and challenging. Mastering the timing and trajectory of your swings becomes essential, as the lack of a conventional jump forces you to plan each move carefully.

The arm does more than just transportation: it can grab enemies directly, yanking foes into melee range for a quick takedown or pulling them off ledges. This dual-purpose tool amplifies combat strategy, as you decide whether to engage from a distance with your sidearm or pull adversaries closer for a hand-to-hand finish. Each level also dispenses key items—radar enhancements, weapon upgrades or passcodes—that unlock secret areas and help you progress in non-linear fashion.

Between missions, you must equip the correct-color communicator to decode incoming messages and uncover mission objectives. This small but clever touch adds a light puzzle element: miss the right communicator, and you risk wandering blind through enemy territory. Even seasoned platformers will find themselves revisiting earlier stages with new items in hand, lending Bionic Commando a rewarding “Metroid-lite” exploration loop that keeps each playthrough fresh.

Graphics

As a retro release of the late 1980s, Bionic Commando sports a crisp 8-bit aesthetic that still holds up for fans of pixel art. Levels are distinctively themed—jungle outposts, frozen wastelands, mechanized factories—each palette carefully chosen to provide atmospheric variety. Backgrounds often feature subtle parallax scrolling, giving a sense of depth that belies the hardware’s limitations.

Character sprites are well-defined, with Ladd’s bionic arm animated fluidly as he swings, extends, and retracts. Enemy designs range from standard infantry troopers to larger mechanized walkers, each sporting enough detail to make their attack patterns instantly recognizable. Explosions and weapon fire utilize bold, primary colors to keep the action readable even in busier set pieces.

Cutscenes and inter-level briefings use simple text and static images, yet they feel authentic to the era. The communicator screens feature colored overlays that match the item in use, reinforcing the importance of puzzle progression. Though primitive by modern standards, the graphics in Bionic Commando create a cohesive world that feels alive—even if rendered in just a few dozen colors.

Story

Set in an alternate 1980s, the world is torn between the Federation and the Empire, a regime claiming succession from the notorious Badds (also known as the Nazz). The Empire’s leader, Generalissimo Killt, has resurrected a dark project codenamed “Albatros,” threatening global security. When the Federation’s hero Super Joe is captured during an assault, the military dispatches Ladd Spencer of the FF Battalion to rescue him and uncover the Empire’s clandestine plans.

Story beats unfold primarily through brief text exchanges and static portraits between levels, emphasizing strategic communication over cinematic flair. The colored communicators you collect aren’t just puzzle tools—they also reveal snippets of dialogue and classified intel crucial to understanding the broader conflict. While the narrative isn’t groundbreaking, it provides enough context to motivate your mission and lends weight to each new discovery.

Rather than a sprawling epic, Bionic Commando opts for a lean, mission-based structure. Each stage is introduced with a clear objective—rescue hostages, retrieve keycards, sabotage enemy hardware—then punctuated with in-field updates. This keeps the pace brisk and the stakes focused, making every level feel like a vital chapter in Ladd’s daring rescue operation.

Overall Experience

Bionic Commando stands out as one of the era’s most inventive platformers, primarily thanks to its signature bionic arm mechanic. The learning curve can be steep—early swings may send you tumbling into abyssal pits—but once you master the physics, traversal feels immensely gratifying. It’s a refreshing departure from run-and-jump formulas, rewarding both skillful timing and creative problem-solving.

Difficulty spikes and occasional trial-and-error sections can frustrate modern players accustomed to generous save systems. However, the satisfaction of finally pulling off a perfect swing-to-grapple sequence or unearthing a hidden item is hard to match. The need to swap communicators for hidden intel adds a unique layer of strategy, ensuring you remain engaged beyond simple combat challenges.

For retro enthusiasts and newcomers alike, Bionic Commando offers a compelling blend of action, exploration, and light puzzle-solving. Its tight level design, memorable arm mechanics, and atmospheric presentation make it a standout title that still resonates today. If you’re seeking a classic that rewards perseverance and creativity, this is one mission you won’t want to skip.

Retro Replay Score

7.7/10