If there are two characteristics that most retro Capcom games are known for, they would be quality and challenge. Bionic Commando certainly constituted as both, given how its swinging mechanic introduced a new way for platformers to be played. Instead of jumping across gaps a la Mario or Mega Man, gameplay relied on your bionic arm, which was essentially a mechanical grappling hook. This tool allowed you to traverse environments in an almost Tarzan-like fashion, and for the time, there was nothing else quite like it. Bionic Commando Rearmed is developer GRIN's attempt as modernizing this classic formula. Much like its predecessor, it retains much of the fun of swinging around and blasting enemies, but some clunky controls and brutal difficulty mar an otherwise excellent remake.

In true Bionic Commando form, Rearmed does away with the jumping conventions commonly associated with 2D platformers, leaving your bionic arm as the primary means for navigation. Surprisingly, the swinging mechanic has been nearly carbon copied from the NES title, with a few minor tweaks. Your grappling hook can only be fired directly upward, at 45 degree angles, or straight ahead, and you can still reel yourself in at any time. New to rearmed, however, is the ability to latch onto certain objects and chuck them around, as well as grapple enemies toward you for use as a human shield.

Most of the stages are ripped directly from the original title.

Controlling these actions may sound simple, but this is actually where are most of the game's challenge comes from, as Rearmed requires split second timing for many of its jump puzzles. This is exceptionally true in the later stages, where utmost precision is required and failure often results in death. When you combine this steep learning curve with sluggish controls that were first pioneered in the late 80's, you naturally have a recipe for some frustration. It doesn't help that most modern gamepads make things even more aggravating, as it's not uncommon for the grapple to shoot in a direction you didn't intend. The Xbox 360 controller is especially guilty of this offense. Fortunately, if you get stuck, you can help alleviate this a bit by switching to easy mode. Not only does this make enemies easier to take down, but it inserts platforms in locations where you would usually die, effectively allowing you to climb back up and try again. The problem is that secret areas are unavailable in this mode, so if you want to see everything offered in the game, you need to play on medium or higher.

Once everything clicks though, Bionic Commando Rearmed is a great deal of fun. This is in large part due to the reworked weapon system and updated enemy AI. Instead of bringing one weapon into a map, the game now allows you to switch guns you've acquired on the fly. Given how certain enemy types are more susceptible to specific weapons than others, you'll be frequently switching between them depending on the situation. Enemies also exhibit behavior beyond what is commonly seen in 2D titles. They'll often run and hide for cover or pursue you downward if you try to ignore them. They're far from infallible, but it's a breath of fresh air to see enemies that do more than just stand still and fire at random intervals.

The game's story mode follows the same format as the original, with you once again guiding your helicopter through an overhead map of a fictional war-torn region. The objective is to clear every enemy compound while acquiring power-ups and new weapons that are scattered in both friendly and enemy territory. Each level (with the exception of the final one) follows the same structural layout as those found in the NES game, communication rooms and all. There's a new hacking mini-game which awards you with health and bonus points if you complete it, but it's not very interesting and its puzzles tend to repeat themselves. Boss battles are still here too, but they have been completely re-envisioned for this new version of the game. In order to succeed, these fights require you to use your bionic arm in an often creative fashion. Bosses aren't inherently difficult either; it's the process of getting to them that's much more challenging. The top-down missile battery encounters also make a return, and while they are just as boring and brief as ever, it's nice that they were included for completeness' sake.

On top of the single player mode, there are also quite a few extras included in the package. For one, there's a pretty significant amount of multiplayer content. The most notable is, of course, the option to play cooperatively with a friend. It's definitely a solid addition, and the game even transforms into a split screen if you and your buddy get too far apart. There's even a competitive component, in which you can face off against up to three other opponents in a variety of modes. In case that's not enough, you can also unlock up to 56 challenge rooms, each with their own leaderboard scoring system. If there's any downside here, it's that you can't play any of the multiplayer modes online.

The competitive multiplayer arenas are a fun little extra.

Of course, the most noticeable upgrade offered in Rearmed is its presentation. For a small downloadable title such as this, it's quite impressive how superb it looks and sounds. The game places a lot of emphasis on bloom lighting, which creates a radically different feel for every stage. There are a lot of other unique touches too, like parts of levels that only contain the silhouettes of you and your enemies, or the wireframe effect used in the challenge rooms. The audio is equally excellent, with some great remixed music and sound effects. Ultimately, the presentation doesn't slack one bit, and it's one of Rearmed's strongest aspects.

As far as the differences between platforms go; they're mostly minor. The Xbox 360 version suffers from a bit of screen tearing at times, and as mentioned before, the accuracy of the D-pad can be a problem. The PC and PlayStation 3 versions also load significantly faster than their 360 counterpart, and the PC obviously allows for more resolution options. There are small content differences as well, as the PS3 version contains an extra challenge room and the PC will feature free downloadable levels in the near future. This was likely announced to accommodate for the inexplicable 5 dollar price hike for a PC copy of the game.

When it comes down to it, Rearmed is good example of how to reinvent a classic title. It features many of the updates and extras you've come to expect from a proper remake, yet follows the formula laid out by its predecessor extremely close. While long time fans might object, the game could have used a bit more attention in the control department, as well as an upgrade to the swing mechanic. It was needlessly punishing back in the day and still remains so. Despite that fact, Bionic Commando Rearmed is a first-rate downloadable title, and if you don't mind 2D platforming gameplay with a bit of old school challenge, this is one to check out.