Late last week I posted a quick giveaway article for one of our Bionic Commando lunch boxes. They are extremely rad (says so right on the back) and I’m happy to pass one along, but in order to win it I wanted to hear your favorite BC memories, be they personal anecdotes or gameplay-specific moments that stuck with you. After reading all the comment entries, I’ve chosen a winner as well as a few honorable mentions.

And the winner is… “David ,” with no last name given in the profile. As a fellow NES gamer, his story struck a specific chord with me:

“Back in the day, I tried to play through the NES game with the aid of a guidebook written by someone named Jeff Rovin. I didn’t get very far, though, because ol’ Jeff recommended tackling the levels in numerical order. Needless to say, I no longer consult that book for help with the game.”

It’s a sentiment many of us can identify with – not having a clue what to do in game, and turning to a guide book or costly “game counselor” only to find they’re equally vague and unsure of what to do next. No message boards to scour, few magazines to read… it really was the Wild West when it came to beating games. Hearsay and rumor were good enough for us, con sarn it! (For what it’s worth, I think  this is the book that tormented you, David).

Thanks everyone for entering, and I’ll try to get a few more giveaways up this week. Taking us out are a handful of other stories I enjoyed for various reasons. And for what it’s worth, I actually won this particular box at a multiplayer event for the 2009 Bionic Commando. I may have conspired with a certain GamesRadar editor to ensure we finished in the top 10, hee hee…

I never played Bionic Commando before Rearmed, but I was floored by the great job Simon Vicklund did on the soundtrack. I still listen to it in my car at least once a week and blare it out the windows — the neighbors must know of Power Plant’s greatness!
WonsAuto

I remember playing Mega Man 2 and Bionic Commando at my neighbor’s house. I thought they were the greatest games I had ever seen and was whistling the stage music of both games for WEEKS and begged and begged my parents for those two games until I got them. I played Bionic Commando so much and my thumbs would sweat every time I played and got further and further. I MUST have this lunchbox!
Uncle Scourge

When I was a kid (7 years old) I used to play this game on an arcades near to my house. I was too short to reach the controller of the arcade machine properly so the owner of the arcades lent me a Coca-Cola box (those in wich you can put a lot of bottles) to climb it and play so I remember being swinging with the box at the time Spencer was swinging XD I fell down a couple of times and it was really embarrassing.
Jaime

One of the best things that ever happened to me was finding my old NES along with Bionic Commando in my parent’s garage last year. As a kid I could never beat the first level but now, as an adult, I can never beat the first level.
Spooky

I was 8 years old the first time I played Bionic Commando. The boy down the street had rented it so I went over to play this game he was making a big fuss over. It didn’t take long for the game to royally piss us off but we still loved it. Back then, I didn’t know any cuss words but the closest thing was “turd”. “That stupid turd shot me!” “Shoot that turd up on the wall”. The next day I went over before he had to take the game back and said “You ever figure out how to make that turd jump?” he said “Nope” to which I replied with “Guess we will have to keep using his rubber arm”. Kids are stupid.
Red Rock Candy

I would have to say finding & collecting all the Yashichis. It took me many tries & hours to find them and then get them (seriously, some were frustrating), but finally hearing that sound that I collected it was like angels singing. & then collecting the final one & seeing that achievement pop up was such an accomplishment.
Zonic

Bionic Commando was one of the first NES games I ever owned and that lunchbox really fills me with much nostalgia.

I actually remember I had this generic little G.I. Joe figure whose arm I would tie a gray piece of yarn to and pretend he was Radd Spencer.

I loved the game, but as a kid, I could never beat it without the use of a Game Genie. The first time I ever beat it without cheating didn’t come until I was a teenager, but it was definitely one of the greatest moments in my gaming life. I was pretty surprised to see that the final boss was Hitler, though (this was before I had the internet), and I could tell it was him even if his name had been changed.

I have a lot of fond memories of Bionic Commando, and to this day, it’s still one of my favorite video-games. The music from the game was always so catchy, too, and one of the things that kept me wanting to keep advancing in the game, because I wanted to hear more of the soundtrack. Area 5’s music is still my favorite, for how haunting it is, and how it really sets the mood.

It seems I keep typing more things I remember about this game each time I think I’m about done with this comment, but that’s just how much I love the game, and how it’s been a part of me for so long. I honestly never thought I’d see the day that the series would make a return, but I’m glad that Bionic Commando is no longer obscure, like it seemed to be when I was growing up. It definitely deserves a spot in the pantheon of iconic Capcom series like Mega Man and Street Fighter.
Clown Prince of Crime