Description
Bionic Commando, released in Japan as Top Secret (Japanese: トップシークレット, Hepburn: Toppu Shīkuretto), is a 1987 action platform game released by Capcom for the arcades. It was later released for several home computers (ported by Software Creations and published by Go!). Capcom later produced a home version for the Nintendo Entertainment System, also titled Bionic Commando, that was drastically different from the original arcade game.
The game was advertised in the United States as a sequel to Commando, going as far to refer to the game’s main character as Super Joe (the protagonist of Commando) in the promotional brochure, who was originally an unnamed member of a “special commando unit” in the Japanese and World versions.
The protagonist of the game is a commando equipped with a bionic arm featuring a grappling gun, allowing him to pull himself forward or swing from the ceiling. The series is notable for being one of few instances of a platform game in which the player cannot jump. To cross gaps or climb ledges, the hero must use his bionic arm. This was the first game to feature a grappling gun/hook, which later appeared in games such as Earthworm Jim and Tomb Raider.
