Traditional wisdom suggests that fictional superstars never change. Bugs Bunny, Homer Simpson and Superman, for example, have endured for decades with more or less the same appearance. They never age, never look incredibly dated (save for a few misguided revamps that die off) and consistently appeal to a new generation. The same can’t be said for videogame characters, though.
As a technology-based medium, game heroes and villains cannot remain the same. They must constantly evolve, or risk looking “last gen.” That doesn’t mean the new or old designs take precedence, it just means no developer will ever, ever leave its creation alone. Now, with decades of console history to pull from, let’s take a look at the “old” designs and see how they stack up against their modern equivalents...
In mid 2008, Capcom unveiled its life-size, wearable bionic arm to the world, and from the moment I saw it I felt an irresistible urge to parade around town in the ridiculous thing. After months (literally months) of asking, Capcom had the good graces to lend me its extremely expensive, one-of-a-kind prop with no oversight or guidance. Just do whatever you want, man! The result is the above video, first posted on December 18, 2008, and it’s been one of my favorite things that’s ever posted on the site. The "bit" is me walking around trying to do normal things with a bionic arm, all of which prove how impractical the damn thing actually is, which leads to me apparently nuking the city.
Pardon our geekboners, but holy f**k Mega Man 9! Instead of dragging our boyhood hero through any more tired Star Forces or Battle Networks, those understanding folks at Capcom are giving us the Mega Man game we’ve always wanted.
What took ya so long? And more importantly, why haven’t other games turned to their pixilated roots when MM9 is making it look so damned easy? Tecmo Bowl is about to rise
All gamers in need of a tough-as-balls challenge absolutely have to check out Bionic Commando Rearmed. It’s a badass recreation of a classic NES title, sure, but stands tall today as one of the best games we’ve played all summer. Part of the fun stems from the 56 challenge rooms that put your arm-swinging skills to the ultimate test – oh wait, make that 57 rooms.
Let’s point fingers! Ever wonder why games are still treated like a child’s medium? Well, part of that responsibility rests on the shoulders of Nintendo of America and the censorship they exhibited during the dominant period of the NES, Game Boy and SNES.
From the medium’s inception, Japan seemed to have no qualms in dealing with themes no heavier than those found in movies and TV, such violence and sexuality.
Until very recently, Bionic Commando was one of those long-lost franchises that held a lot of promise but just never made it to the big time. Today, we've got sequels and remakes aplenty, though it all still goes back to the NES original. The\xA0soundtrack is typical Capcom excellence, though nothing matches the song played during the game's first level. It's something like a military march mixed with the grandest symphony ever constructed, suggesting you're on a serious life-or-death mission behind enemy lines, but oh man, are you in for a high-flying adventure.
Top-notch song embedded inside, plus the astounding remixes.
Say hello to our brand-new TalkRadar template! Now each and every podcast has its own page, making it searchable and comment-able for our everlovin’ fanbase. This week we welcome Scott Butterworth from PlayStation: The Official Magazine, discuss dudes who look like chicks and answer more questions from the listeners.
Unsung, underrated and unbelievably good. Sit back, relax, and enjoy.
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