It’s always fun when a game can bring you back to feel like it’s a classic game; like the ones that you played when you were younger. Unfortunately, I was not one of the many people who were in to the Contra series. Going on looks alone, 8-Bit Commando will be very reminiscent of that series. This title is a side-scrolling shooter, and there are six levels to it.
This may seem like a short game, but the game is actually pretty difficult so each level will take a bit of time to complete. Five minutes are all you have to complete the level. If you die, you will be re-spawned with full health but the same time as when you passed the checkpoint (of which there are a couple of in each level).
The starting weapon is a standard gun, but upgrades can be picked up by defeating enemies and inanimate objects such as barrels. These weapons include a flame-thrower, a three shot blast (shotgun maybe?), a homing missile, and a gun with bullets that have more gravity than you. Honestly though, there is a gun that shoots bullets that do not go anywhere and are therefore useless for shooting enemies above you. The different weapons appear to do the same amount of damage regardless of which that you use. Also, there in no way to distinguish between which weapon is which on the battlefield because they all are the same little symbol. If a weapon upgrade is not dropped, then it will be a health boost which looks like a first aid symbol.
The sound in this game is catchy and does not get tiring, even after dying about a million times. Most of the time dying in the game is attributed to control malfunctions. The buttons for jumping (Z) and shooting (X) are right next to each other, and can be confused. Shooting in different directions can be done by pressing the arrow keys, but shooting left or right or diagonally upwards in either direction will cause your character move because the buttons are the same.
Enemies are often just other humans shooting at you, which is only problematic when they are above you because they are constantly shooting. The time it takes to aim up to shoot at them will be increased by the fact that you have to dodge bullets while you are doing it. Other enemies include hostile vehicles (like a tank or wrecking ball), and even what appears to be angry wolves.
This is a great game that will challenge and amuse fans of classic games. 8-Bit Commando is developed by 2DEngine, and is available for purchase on their official site.
There used to be an embeded media player here, but it doesn't work anymore. We blame the Tumbeasts.
[Image via 2DEngine]
[Video via 2DEngine]
