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Bionic Commando Rearmed reduced on Steam
Steam has restarted its "Midweek Madness" offers now that its two weeks of madness have ended. From now through Thursday at 4PM PST, you can get Bionic Commando Rearmed for just five bucks, half off its normal price! If you've never checked out Bionic Commando, this is a great chance to do so before Rearmed 2 hits on February 1. We promise we won't judge you for never having played Bionic Commando if you do this soon. But we'll warn you, that window's closing. We feel an urge to just completely go off on someone who's never played one of the best NES games ever, or its beautifully executed remake. Five dollars is a small price to avoid that lecture.
Former GRIN devs form Whiteout
From the knocked-out teeth of developer GRIN comes a new studio: Whiteout. GI.biz reports the team is currently working on a CryEngine 3 project, for which it has already created a playable prototype, and will generally focus on downloadable titles. This is likely a wise direction to take, considering Bionic Commando: Rearmed was GRIN's one real success amidst the retail disaster trifecta of Bionic Commando, Wanted: Weapons of Fate and Terminator: Salvation. Whiteout is at least the third studio to respawn (which is a totally different studio) out of the death of GRIN. Outbreak Studios formed before the corpse was even cold, while Might&Delight -- made up of the Rearmed team -- is also grappling new projects.
Bionic Commando Rearmed Trophies are almost here
Hey, remember Bionic Commando Rearmed? Probably not, seeing as it came out almost a year ago. It was a pretty decent remake of the NES classic. Only one problem -- it didn't have Trophies. Still, Capcom promised they'd patch them in. Then they canceled that promise. Then they promised again. Now, finally, we've been told via the company's official Twitter account that the Trophy patch has been approved for the US, with Europe scheduled to be approved in the next few days. The upshot of which is that you "may" be getting your long-awaited Trophies within the next "7 to 10 days." We're pretty sure most of you will have moved on by now, but it's the thought that counts.
Bionic Commando Rearmed update coming to XBLA as well
Worried about news that Capcom's Bionic Commando Rearmed was getting patched with Trophy support as well as new difficulty levels on PlayStation Network, with no mention at all of an Xbox Live Arcade patch? We feared the worst and asked Capcom to set us straight. A spokesperson told us, "Yes yes of course, same new Easier modes on both platforms." There you have it! Eleven days ago Capcom's John Diamonon assured us that the patch (at least on PSN) "should be available real soon"; however, as of today, neither patch has appeared. We'll go ahead and assume the new release date is "really really soon." %Gallery-14181%
Grab Bionic Commando Rearmed on XBLA for $5 this week
Major Nelson received accurate information this week indicating that the Xbox "deal of the week" would be Bionic Commando Rearmed for 400 ($5). A small reminder: to take advantage of the deal, you must have an Xbox Live gold membership, otherwise it'll show as the standard 800 ($10). It's also worth noting that the Metacritic average for BCR is an 85, while the super new and flashy Bionic Commando is 70. Which one is getting five of your dollars?
Bionic Commando Rearmed NOT swinging in at $5 this week [update]
Major Nelson notes that this week's Xbox "deal of the week" (which actually lives up to its name, for once) is Bionic Commando Rearmed for 400 ($5). That's less than what you'll spend at the McDonalds drive-thru -- and a whole lot healthier. The only thing diminishing our fanfare of this deal is that the PSN already dropped the BCR price last week. Either way, the price is something worth jumping for joy over. Sorry, Radd. Too soon for jumping jokes? Update: The Major was apparently given misinformation. BCR is still $5 on PS3's PSN.
Bionic Commando Rearmed drops to $4.99 on PSN
Capcom Unity has announced on its Twitter account that the excellent Bionic Commando Rearmed has received a price cut on the US Playstation Store. Specifically, the once $10 game is now available for only $4.99. If you haven't taken the plunge on the beautifully revamped remake, there's no time like the present. After all, it's not like you get to explode the head of a resurrected World War 2 dictator every day. And, even if you did, it wouldn't be this cheap.
Capcom: No online play for Bionic Commando: Rearmed the 'right choice'
In a rather exhaustive postmortem of Bionic Commando: Rearmed on Gamasutra, Capcom producer Ben Judd shared his opinion that excluding online play from Rearmed was "the right choice." Said Judd, "After seeing the large amount of headaches, additional production time and cost that comes with adding online, I'm glad we made the choice not to include it." He noted that many digitally distributed games are plagued with online problems and that "additional sales would not have been equivalent to the additional pains" needed to add online play to the game. While we certainly have to agree that digitally distributed games have their share of online problems -- something any XBLA user can tell you -- we can't help but imagine the glories online play could have brought to Bionic Commando: Rearmed. At least we'll still be able to swing online in the upcoming 3D remake.
Bionic Commando Rearmed scores super first-week sales
Ben Judd, Capcom's Bionic Commando, er ... commander, reports in his latest blog entry that the PSN/XBLA/PC release, Bionic Commando Rearmed, saw combined first-week sales of 130,000 copies across the three platforms. The news prompted Judd to exclaim, "Holy fiddlesticks!" Judd qualified his excitement, saying, "That may not seem impressive compared to package titles that sell in the millions but compared to other digital titles that is a friggin juggernaut!" Seemingly very pleased with not only the reviews (which are averaging above 80%) and sales of his first game as producer, he made a point to let gamers know how they've impacted Capcom's digital strategy going forward. "Basically, we have set a standard in digital gaming," he said, adding, "The bar has been raised and you have let developers around the world know that if they invest the time, money, and heart into making (and remaking) some great games, you will support that initiative." We have a pretty good feeling that, following the success of BC:R, Judd's going to have a much easier time getting Capcom brass behind whatever project he chooses to tackle next.
BC Rearmed week one sales exceed 100K
Well good lord. After its first week of availability, Bionic Commando Rearmed has sold 130,000 copies. Capcom's own Ben Judd reported the news on the Bionic Commando blog with the appropriate fervor, saying, "Holy fiddlesticks!" He followed up his elation saying that while the sales pale in comparison to retail titles, 130,000 copies qualifies Rearmed as a "JUGGERNAUT." One of the important and overlooked elements of this story is that Rearmed was made available on Xbox Live Arcade, PSN and PC, so we're not sure exactly what percentage each service pulled. Regardless it's obvious that Rearmed has struck a chord and Judd notes that this proves that gamers do enjoy seeing the games of yesteryear made available again, so long as they are "done right" and for the right price. We couldn't agree more.
PSN Thursday: Bionic Commando Rearmed, Street Fighter Alpha
This week's PSN update is just overflowing with machismo. We've got Bionic Commando Rearmed grappling against Hitler Master-D and the world warriors battling it out in Street Fighter Alpha. Just a note of warning, SFA does not support online play -- come to think of it, neither does Bionic Commando Rearmed. It's all old-school offline gaming up in this joint. There's plenty of new videos to check out this week and we're looking forward to seeing what this BioShock PS3 theme looks like. The grimps over at PS3 Fanboy have this week's European update hanging from a thread of silk over in their garden. Check out this week's NA PSN update after the break.
Bionic Commando Rearmed not on Steam tomorrow
Capcom's Christian Svensson informs on the company's site that Bionic Commando Rearmed won't be available tomorrow on Steam. Apparently, Capcom and Valve could not come to agreeable terms at "the last minute," meaning the game will have to be purchased through other outlets. BCR will be available tomorrow on Direct2Drive at 8AM Pacific and on other sites later in the day. Considering Steam has become many people's trusted go-to PC digital distribution source, it appears the group getting hurt most by Capcom and Valve's standoff is the consumer. It's worth pointing out that the game is available now and $5 cheaper on consoles ... just saying. [Thanks, AtomicPlayboy]
Metareview -- Bionic Commando Rearmed (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
Much like Cher, Bionic Commando Rearmed has taken something old and freshened it up with the help of modern technology -- but much of the same ol' game is still there, caked under the cosmetic changes. The reviews are swinging in about the XBLA nip/tuck version of the classic '80s platformer and it appears -- for those who can put up with the unrelenting difficulty -- all systems are go: The remake is competent and won't give us the desire to turn back time* and play the original again. (A warning for many of you: Despite being on Xbox LIVE, Bionic Commando Rearmed's cooperative and multiplayer modes are both offline-only leading some of us here at Joystiq to dub it Moronic Commando or Bionic Command'oh -- take your pick. Seriously, Capcom. That's a deal breaker for a lot of us right there.) IGN (94/100): "The best elements of the original are back, but have been upgraded to be better than before. The new bosses add a more interesting challenge and the final level is one for the ages. And, of course, the visuals are brilliant. The remastered soundtrack is fantastic as well. From top to bottom, Bionic Commando Rearmed is an incredible game that's well worth owning." OXM UK (80/100): "[BCR] is unapologetically old-skool, from the inability to jump right through to the spiked pits that bounce you back a few feet minus a huge chunk of your health. Bosses have attack patterns, health pick-ups have to be earned and each level has been designed around blind leaps of faith and tiny margins of error." EuroGamer (80/100): "Between the multiplayer modes and the Challenge Rooms, there's more than enough innovation to make up for the minor irritations of the retro controls. Far from perfect, Bionic Commando Rearmed is still a much more complete and robust package than either 1942 Joint Strike or Commando 3 and another impressive addition to Capcom's download library." OXM (70/100): "Rearmed quickly wears out its welcome and devolves into a series of frustrations. Precision platforming is required for almost everything, and failure often leads to death. The latter half of the game is especially unforgiving, although ironically, the end-level bosses aren't nearly as bad as the path you took to get to them. We recommend bringing a friend along in the excellent new co-op mode."
This Wednesday: Bionic Commando Rearmed, Fable 2's casino sidearm
Part 3 of the exciting five-part XBLAugust series, in which our heroes now throw aside their time warping abilities and receive an implanted bionic arm for swinging around and shooting non-Hitlers into oblivion. If you wish to enlist into Bionic Commando Rearmed on Xbox Live this Wednesday, you're going to have to shell out 800 MS points (US $10). PC and non-Euro PlayStation 3 owners will also get their BCR fix this week, although those who favor the keyboard and mouse will pay a $5 premium. Also coming out this week is Fable 2's XBLA gambling counterpart Pub Games, which will let you earn money now before the game's October 21 release. Entry fee to ye olde casino is 800 MS points (US $10), or free if you pre-order Fable 2 at a participating retailer. %Gallery-14181%
Bionic Commando Rearmed's divergent finale
***Spoiler Alert -- Final Warning*** The original Bionic Commando ended with a battle against The Albatross warship and then Master-D. IGN tells us that Rearmed's ending is going to be a little different. The Albatross is now its own level, and apparently the longest level in the game, with challenging rooms that will require shutting down a security system to battle Master-D. Don't worry BC fans, we've been told before the original ending is still "historically accurate." Bionic Commando Rearmed will be available on August 13 -- be sure to check out videos of the new Albatross level after the break. %Gallery-14181%
E308: Joystiq Rearmed
When (and we're talking hypotheticals) you're in a Capcom meeting room and there just happens to be a gigantic replica Bionic Commando arm lying about (with working claw), what else is there to do but put it on and crush Yoon's head? Jem Alexander had to face that tough choice in real life, and he kept a cool enough head to make the smart move. Apparently, Bionic Commando producer (and voice of Phoenix Wright!) Ben Judd constructed this arm in his spare time ... when not working on Bionic Commando. It's amazing work (even if it doesn't shoot a grappling hook). %Gallery-24249%
Bionic Commando Rearmed gets delayed
We hope you're sitting own. The anticipated XBLA title, Bionic Commando Rearmed, has been delayed from its original May release. According to a classified communique found on the Bionic Commando blog, the game is complete but still requires some bug fixing, certification process before it's ready for release. No word on a new release for the title, which still plans to hit the Xbox 360, PC and PS3 simultaneously. Our friends at Joystiq has spared you the hassle of having to click through the entire retro text message found on the site which you can find after the break. [via Joystiq]
Rumor: Bionic Commando Rearmed this Wednesday
Last week didn't see any kind of XBLA release due to the massive popularity of GTA IV, but now that that particular sales storm has passed, what is the next release for the Live Arcade? Common sense might say that it'd be Happy Tree Friends: False Alarm, given that it was pushed back into May. And that still might be possible as XBLA games can release in pairs. However the Australian site PALGN has Bionic Commando Rearmed set for a 05/07/2008 release, so if they're right we might be seeing that one sooner than we thought we would have. We certainly haven't heard anything else about this week's XBLA release ....
Bionic Commando Rearmed multiplayer video blowout
Fresh from Japan for visual consumption, GameVideos got hold of some Bionic Commando Rearmed multiplayer vids. We've placed the main multiplayer trailer above, with five other videos after the break. The M-rated title is still scheduled to release in May on XBLA and PSN for $10; the PC version may have a different price and features. No word yet when Capcom plans to release the totally obvious product tie-in of a real-world mechanized grappling arm at retail. %Gallery-14181%
Bionic Commando Rearmed grapples with M-rating
Bionic Commando Rearmed's website unleashed a pre-emptive strike, announcing the game received a Mature rating from the ESRB. The ESRB has not yet listed the game on its own site. Having had some hands-on time with the game ourselves, the only reason we could come up with the title receiving the M-rating was due to the final scene. *SPOILER ALERT* The site states in one of its "communications" that the M-rating means players will see the "historically accurate" scene where Hitler's Master D's head pops like a can of Pringles -- but now in glorious HD. The communication jokes it'll be the "best five seconds of [its] entire life." %Gallery-14181%
