Commando
System: NES
Release Date: November 1986
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Genre: Shoot ‘Em Up
Here we are with the next Capcom title in the Captain Commando “Challenge Series.” Commando is a run ‘n’ gun shoot ‘em up starring Super Joe. You must advance through four stages of an endless wave of enemies. The goal is to get to the end with the highest score, which you can increase by rescuing hostages across the stage.
Super Joe is equipped with two weapons to do his killing. You shoot your rifle with the B Button in whichever direction you are facing. You can move in eight directions, which you will need to do in order to shoot before getting shot. Super Joe can also throw a grenade with the A Button. The grenade is only thrown upward, so it’s not the most useful tool. Joe starts with five grenades and can collect more positioned generously around the stage.
There are hidden items strewn throughout the stages that you unlock by walking in certain places and hidden passages that open up by being hit with a grenade. This is usually when you can find hidden hostages for a points bonus.
Enemies aren’t the most varied bunch. Gray soldiers are the most common enemy type. They run around slightly slower than Super Joe and shoot sporadically in his general direction. Sometimes these soldiers hide behind barricades of some sort and must be hit with a grenade in order to defeat. Sometimes they wield knives and move a bit quicker than their rifle equipped counterpart. At the end of each stage, there is a gate that triggers the final battle. You have to kill every enemy on screen before moving to the next level.
There are a TON of graphical distortions that occur, from flickering to enemies just outright disappearing. It’s way too easy to get stuck on terrain in the level that you shouldn’t like the fronds of a palm tree. When you die, you respawn at an earlier checkpoint, which in one case is right on top of a trench that kills you when you move. I got frustrated with the poor design and decided there was no chance I would play through four levels of repeating stages.
Graphics: 1.0
Graphics are very brown and very green. Not pleasing.
Sound: 0.5
At least the songs have different notes. Doesn’t make it pleasing, though.
Gameplay: 1.5
Shooting works. The grenades don’t work when you want them to.
Difficulty: 1.5
The difficulty is strictly the amount of enemies that are being thrown at you at any given time.
Fun Factor: 0.5
I don’t think this is a fun game. The arcade version is probably way better.
Overall Grade: 1.0
Commando earns a D. I feel like there are stages in Bionic Commando that are similar to this. We’ll find out in July.