Roll back your time pieces, but still keep with the times in this graphically updated, fly by the seat of your pants remake of the NES classic. Capcom's Bionic Commando: Rearmed looks absolutely incredible. There's something special about side-scrollers in general, but this one uses the new 3D (yes, three dimensional) graphics engine that its big brother will use once release early next year. What does this mean? Quite frankly, with Rearmed, you're going to be treated to fully 3D models, including dynamic lighting, all set in a fully 2D world. This update does nothing but great things to bring this title up to the times, yet it continues to retain the overall feel of the original.

In much the same way that the graphics of Bionic Commando: Rearmed have been based from the good old days, so does that of the audio. Preserving and pumping up the original music and sound fx is also a huge plus in keeping with the original feel of the game. Those of you who missed out on Bionic Commando the first time around are in for a nostalgic treat, because with this download, you'll be getting something even greater than we played 20 years ago.

Greatness aside, I do have to mention the incredibly difficult-to-read text on the screen, unless you have your Xbox connected to an HDTV. For those of us who have yet to take that plunge, just remember that you may have to sit a bit closer to read menus as some of the sub-text is extremely small and the bullets on-screen are hard to see in some cases. While the menus do have a cool look to them -- as if to have the graphics and text written on the side of a cube -- it does make them that much more difficult to read. The entire game is presented in a letterboxed view, so, while it does allow for more field of view, these other problems do arise... and hence Bionic Commando: Rearmed can't receive a perfect score (even though the gameplay deserves it).

Two decades can really take a toll on some of the great games that we remember well. Often times, what we remember as a top 10 title may not play all that kindly if we were to take a true outside perspective by today's standards. However, there are titles that do get released which can still stand the test of time. Although few and far between, most of the games you're currently thinking of tend to come from a handful of characters from the heyday of the Nintendo Entertainment System. But there is one title in particular that stands on a pedestal for me, and it doesn't contain the words Mario, Donkey Kong, or Zelda. However, it does come from the era of those titles, it has stood the test of time, and it would be equally great to this day if you were to dust off your NES and pop it in this second. Of course, I'm talking about Bionic Commando, a title that, in my opinion, was the greatest game of all time in terms of gameplay and pure entertainment and challenge. Fortunately for us old-schoolers (and those who never had the pleasure twenty long years ago), we don't have to fight through the NES's blue flashing screen, or blow on the contacts of an old cartridge to get the game working, because Bionic Commando: Rearmed has finally hit the digital airways and is available for download on Xbox Live Arcade.

Updated for the times not only graphically, but in more subtle aspects as well, Bionic Commando: Rearmed does a great job of tying the past with the present in multiple ways. Take for instance the conversations between enemy soldiers when you hack their network looking for information. Not only do you get the same great dialogue (well, "great" from a 1988 perspective, that is) as the original game, but some of the text has been updated as well. As an example, during one such conversation between enemies, one soldier uses web chat (ROFL) to describe his emotion. While a bit on the cheesy side, it fits right in with the rest of the conversations in the game.

Bionic Commando: Rearmed puts you in the shoes of a vigilante named Spencer who is in search of P.O.W. "Super" Joe. At his disposal are a handful of weapons, including a shotgun, laser, rocket launcher, and Joe's own sub-machine gun, among others. But most importantly is Spencer's mode of locomotion in this true platformer, his bionic grappling hook arm. In order to "jump" from platform to platform (there isn't a way to simply jump), you must master the use of the grapple, both to attain greater heights and to swing Tarzan-style as you grab onto platforms, ledges, and power-ups.

Every weapon contains its own power-up as well, and each level contains secrets within. Rearmed has the same great challenges that lie within the original, and finding them can sometimes be as difficult as figuring out a way to reach them. As you progress, you'll drop from your chopper into different areas, both friendly and enemy territories, finding out deeper information, collecting items that will help you begin future areas, and kicking some major ass. Each enemy zone also contains a boss fight that can sometimes be tricky, but paying attention to your enemy hacking station conversations will give you excellent insight in how to defeat them after you figure out their patterns (this is an old side-scroller, after all).

In addition to the great classic game, Bionic Commando: Rearmed also throws in some excellent bonuses. Throughout the single-player campaign (and multi-player co-op) you can unlock a series of Challenge Rooms (over 50), which are basically very small, timed challenges that require precise use of your grappling arm. Swinging to great times also pays off with Xbox Live as your times are automatically uploaded and compared with Friends or all who have purchaseD the game. Also included are the most excellent multiplayer modes. While there are only three (Deathmatch, Last Man Standing, and Don't Touch The Floor), their fun factor more than makes up for quantity... especially with the ability to play up to four players on-screen at once. Of course, the two-person co-op version of the single player campaign is excellent as well, with slight modifications, including the need to work as a team to defeat enemy bosses. It is quite possible that Bionic Commando: Rearmed is one of the best remakes of all time.

Bionic Commando: Rearmed will not only have you enjoying every minute of play time, but also ready to throw your controller across the room. Yet as hot as you'll likely get, the game will also have you grasping the controller for dear life because your frustration will quickly turn into a flat-out addiction, and you won't be able to put the controller down.

Putting it bluntly, the original Bionic Commando is one of the hardest games of all time, and Rearmed is no different in terms of sheer gameplay. Based on a number of lives, your bionic hero will need to play it cautiously and locate extra guys along the way. In the original, as soon as you spent your lives, you'd have to restart from the very beginning of the game. [On a side note, I have never known anyone personally that has made it through the entire game on NES. In fact, I have never even come close.] So it is with somewhat open arms that I accept the fact that Rearmed has what amounts to unlimited continues, just restarting from your last saved game progress after failing your mission. It's not to say, however, that those open arms aren't without hesitation. In fact, the game is just as difficult as I remember with this one exception, which is also why I have a small amount of regret. While it's great to finally be able to make it through the entire game (okay, I'm on the last stage as we speak... and indefinitely stuck on some difficult grappling), I also am a bit disappointed that the developers didn't limit the number of continues.

Even with this "cheat," if you will, rest assured that you will get your money's worth when you pick up Bionic Commando: Rearmed in the number of gameplay hours that lies ahead. The fact is that the stages aren't all that huge, but you will have to replay them over and over again. However, the feeling of accomplishment when you finally defeat each mission is that of pure pride. As an added bonus, the replay value of Rearmed is also quite high not only because of the multiplayer aspect, but also because of the difficulty of the secrets, as you likely won't find them all the first time through the game.

Rearmed makes great and efficient use of the Xbox controller. Movements can be controlled with either the Left Analog Stick or the D-pad, but I personally prefer the seemingly greater feel of the D-pad (maybe it's a nostalgia thing). Switching weapons is now a breeze as well with the Left and Right Bumpers, and grappling, grenades, and weapons are controlled with the face buttons. In all, a game's controls couldn't be any better.

Have I mentioned that the original Bionic Commando on NES was the greatest game of all time? Sure, that may just be my opinion, but rest assured that if you've never played it, you'll likely fall in love from the moment you reach your first territory. Fortunately for us all, we don't have to dig out that old console, because Bionic Commando: Rearmed is my new favorite game of all time... hands down. It is the type of title that you can pick up and play for five minutes or five hours and you'll enjoy every second.

The only downside to this game is the unlimited continues, at least when compared to the original classic. There is something taken away with this feature, and newcomers probably won't appreciate the true difficulty of twenty years earlier through this remake. However, it also needs to again be mentioned that this new feature does allow for some great pick-up-and-play action whenever you see fit to turn on the console. The addition of the multiplayer and challenge modes more than makes up for this slight setback, making Bionic Commando: Rearmed worthy of a true videogame crown. In fact, even the Achievements are, for the most part, actual Achievements that will also give you a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment, unlike many other games that manufacture them as a last thought. Do yourself a favor and download Bionic Commando: Rearmed. You won't regret it.