In August 2008, two games were released that had a very big effect on the gaming industry. But you couldn't buy them at Gamestop, Best Buy, or Walmart. They were only available digitally, at first on Xbox Live Arcade. One of them, Braid, was an artsy but obtuse 2D platformer that pretty much single-handedly jumpstarted the indie revolution. Now, I'm not here to to debate the merits of Braid or its creator. But it was a significant game that heralded a whole new world for the industry, and we can trace the reborn genre of 2D games including Ori and the Blind Forest, Hollow Knight, and many lesser (and sometimes pretentious) games back to Braid, as well as the dawn of the digitally-delivered indie game industry.
But this blog isn't about Braid. It's about another game that was released in August of 2008 for Xbox Live Arcade (and I think Windows too at the time). That game is Bionic Commando: ReArmed, a remake/reenvisioning of the original 8-bit NES game Bionic Commando. Updated with modern graphics, a revitalized soundtrack, and some new (and sometimes questionable) features, it was an immediate hit, especially for those of us who had a lot of nostalgia for the original game.
Nowadays we take 2D remakes like this for granted. We've had it done for Ducktales, Mickey Mouse Games, and many another ancient hit. But Bionic Commando: ReArmed (mostly) did it first.
I was thrilled with the release of this game. I enjoyed it very much. I have to admit, I must have beat the original NES game dozens of times, each time culminating in the payoff of watching Hitler's head explode. I loved everything about that game. At the time, I probably could have beaten it blindfolded (maybe not).
The thing about remakes like this is they finally provide us with the games we always imagined we were playing when we were younger. It's easy for young people to look back at the crappy NES graphics and find it hard to imagine why anybody would play them. But our imaginations were part of those experiences. With a remake like ReArmed, we finally saw the game we always imagined (sort of).
Neither of these games is a masterpiece (not to me, anyway). But their effects on the video game world can barely be comprehended.
I did make it all the way through the game but I quickly gave up on the challenge rooms. I got the sequel on PS+ one time, I think, but never did get around to playing it. At least the PS3 has a much better D-pad.
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