Plenty of franchises in all areas of media have proved that it’s never too late for a comeback, and now it’s time for a popular Capcom property to return to retail. The original Bionic Commando appeared on the NES in 1988 to much acclaim – and the new iteration is set to take advantage of the various advances in gaming in the last two decades.
With the game based on one of the publisher’s oldest IPs, Capcom is excited to be delving into its back catalogue for the new release. The company’s head of UK marketing Stuart Turner explains: “We’ve got high hopes for Bionic Commando. In most people’s eyes, this is a new IP despite the original game being released 22 years ago. But this is a re-imagining of the classic 2D NES version of the game, taking the ‘core elements’ of the original and bringing them to the present day.”
GOING COMMANDO
Players take on the role of the original protagonist, ‘Nathan R.A.D’ Spencer: a soldier equipped with a bionic arm that features a grappling gun, allowing him to swing from buildings and ceilings.
“This game is all about swinging,” says Turner. “Less what goes on behind net curtains of suburbia, more Spiderman without the spandex. Nathan’s armed with a large bionic arm, a series of large weapons and a massive attitude.
“His bionic arm enables him to traverse the city by grappling onto objects and swinging through the air. It brings on a whole new dimension to gameplay where you’re constantly having to move around all 360 degrees of a level to take out snipers, or throwing yourself off buildings 100 floors high during a boss battle.”
Things have obviously changed since Nathan first came to consoles. While his latest outing holds true to the concepts and style of its predecessors, Capcom has been able to breathe new life into the franchise with the features that, while common in today’s titles, weren’t available in the ‘80s.
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Not only is Spencer and his world portrayed in more detail than ever before, it also features a range of online multiplayer options that bring Bionic Commando fans a completely new experience.
“It’s online where people will be most surprised,” Turner explains. “People might think they’ve seen games like a Deathmatch or Capture The Flag before, but these take on a whole new dimension. When people can traverse over massive distances incredibly quickly by swinging throughout a level, or throw a car or object across the playing area, or even just pluck an opponent out of the air and slam them against a cliff face, you know that this isn’t a conventional online game.”
GUNNING FOR RETAIL
Of course, after such a lengthy absence since the original game, Capcom is keen to raise awareness of Spencer’s return. While the XBLA and PSN remake of the first Bionic Commando have aided the publisher’s efforts, extensive marketing plans are also in place for the new game.
“The TV campaign should see solid early sales but it’ll be word of mouth that will drive the title in the long term,” explains Turner. “We’re confident that we’ll have a considerable online community playing Bionic Commando from launch.”
Ads will be running on various channels during the opening weeks of the game’s launch, targeting viewers of key sports events such as the FA Cup final, the Champions League final and the run in of the Premier League. There will also be pre-rolls appearing on Virgin’s On Demand system.
Elsewhere, a major campaign will target a mixture of games websites and mainstream destinations, with site takeovers planned for such familiar online portals as MSN, FHM and Zoo. Retailers will also be able to order a full range of POS from Centresoft.
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