Even more personal tales of Game Boy goodness as part of the platform’s 25th anniversary! This time around it’s Bionic Commando and Mega Man IV taking center stage, with the former coming to us courtesy of ol’ GregaMan!

Bionic Commando (1992)

You guys have already heard me rave about the NES game, the remake of the NES game, and the 3D reboot, so it may not shock you to learn that I’m also a fan of the Game Boy version of Bionic Commando.

You’d be forgiven for assuming that the GB version were just an inferior port of the NES classic, but I encourage you to check your prejudice and wise up, sucka. The game actually released in 1992, some four years after the NES counterpart. Albeit on a technologically more limited piece of hardware, that’s four extra years of game-making expertise, not only for Capcom, but for the whole then fledgling industry. 

The game does hit a lot of the same notes as the NES version, with similar level designs, reprised characters like Super Joe, and of course the series’ trademark jumplessness and character progression, but it’s more different than you might expect. For one thing, the overall aesthetic eschews the NES game’s war-inspired imagery in favor of a more futuristic, action figurey look. This had the dual effect of curbing any lingering raised mom eyebrows—that is, over the NES version’s not-so-subtle references to real-life villains of the past—while also giving the game’s various factions a distinct look without having to rely on the use of colors. Clever! And that cyborg look is hardly out of place in a game about people with cybernetic enhancements.

↑ Rad Spencer looking extra rad, extra bionic.

Also not to be overlooked is the fine-tuned swinging mechanic. To my knowledge—and I have actively tried—the NES game does not allow you to drop from a straight-up hang and immediately grapple diagonally onto that same platform, while the Game Boy game does. I know I’m delving into the nitty-gritty, but this is an invaluable technique that allows you to sort of micro-correct your positioning on a platform, as well as reinitiate a swing if you’ve accidentally reeled yourself to a stand-still. Know what I mean? That’s four years of game-making expertise put to use.

↑ New, GameBoy-tailored designs abound!

The game also has plenty of brand-new content—new bosses, different dialogue, a different bonus stage format, and even some thoughtful surprises. At one point you have to navigate a stage without any weapons.

↑ Even the nerds on the comm unit sport hip new cyber-designs.

If you’re a Bionic Commando fan, this is an absolute must-have on your 3DS Virtual Console. Pick it up now !

Mega Man IV (1993)

I’ll be honest – I missed this the first time around. I’d kept up with the NES games but let the GB titles slip after the first, mainly because I had to be pretty picky about which games I’d get for birthdays, holidays etc. That and my Game Boy was stolen in 7th grade, so that factors in too 😛

BUT! What I didn’t realize until way later was how much MMIV stands out. Sure it features familiar bosses from NES 4 and 5, but we also get new cutscenes, a new villain (Ballade!) and Dr Light’s lab/store, which would become a series staple from this point on. This makes MMIV not just a great game, but also an  important  one within the wider Mega Man discussion.

Happy to say you’ll be able to pick this up on 3DS Virtual Console in May, along with II, III, V and Xtreme 1-2. The first one launches 5/1, but which will it be??

Stylish cleaning platformer  Dustforce just hit the Xbox 360 Marketplace, so we thought it’d be a good time to stream some more of it!

Now I’ve played some Dustforce a long time ago on Steam and now recently when it came out on PS3 and Vita (cross-save!), so I’m NOT a pro at the game; but that’ll be part of the fun. Who knows, maybe by our third our fourth live stream, I’ll be able to  360 no scope MLG SSS-rank without breaking a sweat! Guess you’ll have to tune in to find out…

twitch.tv/capcomunity at  4pm PT

The DuckTales Remastered OST has arrived on Amazon’s MP3 store ! For less than $10 you get 90 minutes of top-notch VGM from Jake Kaufman… AND the original NES tunes to boot!

1
Title Theme – Jake Kaufman 

2
Trouble in Duckburg – Jake Kaufman 

3
Money Bin – Jake Kaufman 

4
Quack-a-rooney – Jake Kaufman 

5
Scrooge’s Office – Jake Kaufman 

6
I’ll Be a Roast Duck – Jake Kaufman 

7
The Amazon – Jake Kaufman 

8
Transylvania – Jake Kaufman 

9
Well Bless Me Bagpipes – Jake Kaufman 

10
African Mines – Jake Kaufman 

11
The Himalayas – Jake Kaufman 

12
The Moon – Jake Kaufman 

13
I’ve Got a Bad Feeling About This – Jake Kaufman 

14
Boss Battle – Jake Kaufman 

15
Mount Vesuvius – Jake Kaufman 

16
Dracula Duck – Jake Kaufman 

17
The Dime Chase – Jake Kaufman 

18
Game Over – Jake Kaufman 

19
Gyro’s Hidden Stage – Jake Kaufman 

20
Or Rewrite History – Jake Kaufman 

21
Death – Jake Kaufman 

22
Stage Complete – Jake Kaufman 

23
Magic Coin – Jake Kaufman 

24
The Richest Duck in the World – Jake Kaufman 

25
DuckTales Theme and Credit Medley – Jake Kaufman 

26
The Moon (Piano Arrangement) – Jake Kaufman 

27
Title Theme (8-bit Version) Capcom 

28
Trouble in Duckburg (8-bit Version) Jake Kaufman 

29
Money Bin (8-bit Version) Jake Kaufman 

30
Quack-a-rooney (8-bit Version) Jake Kaufman 

31
Scrooge’s Office (8-bit Version) Capcom 

32
The Amazon (8-bit Version) Capcom 

33
Transylvania (8-bit Version) Capcom 

34
Well Bless Me Bagpipes (8-bit Version) Jake Kaufman 

35
African Mines (8-bit Version) Capcom 

36
The Himalayas (8-bit Version) Capcom 

37
The Moon (8-bit Version) Capcom 

38
I’ve Got a Bad Feeling About This (8-bit Version) Jake Kaufman 

39
Boss Battle (8-bit Version) Capcom 

40
Mount Vesuvius (8-bit Version) Jake Kaufman 

41
The Dime Chase (8-bit Version) Jake Kaufman 

42
Game Over (8-bit Version) Capcom 

43
Gyro’s Hidden Stage (8-bit Version) Capcom 

44
Or Rewrite History (8-bit Version) Jake Kaufman 

45
Stage Complete (8-bit Version) Capcom 

46
Magic Coin (8-bit Version) Capcom 

47
The Richest Duck in the World (8-bit Version) Jake Kaufman

UPDATE: Stream now on YouTube for those who missed it, or just want to rewatch my  (mediocre) archery techniques over and over and over…

Hunt monsters with us today at  3pm PT  for  Monster Hunter Mondays ! We’ll be at  Help D Lobby 10 , on the Wii U version of MH3U.

In addition, if you wanna just watch and chat, we’ll be at  twitch.tv/capcomunity !

Back in 2011 I posted a weeklong tribute to Capcom’s presence on the Super NES, which at the time was celebrating its 20th birthday. In April 2014 the Game Boy hit its milestone 25th anniversary and plenty o’ folks around the web are posting their favorite games and memories of Nintendo’s black-and-white portable.

So, seems like the perfect time to post some of  my  fave GB Capcom titles, seeing as we published SO MANY amazing games for the platform and a number of them played a big part in my childhood.

1989, just after the GB launch. Probably playing Super Mario Land or Alleyway, though the below game wasn’t far off…

Gargoyle’s Quest (1990)

I wrote about this bad boy on Halloween 2011, so you can check out a more thorough post right here . But it bears repeating that 1) This was a robust, intense game that’s worth replaying even today, and 2) It’s available on the 3DS eShop right now .

The tl;dr version of the aforelinked post is that GQ starts as a seemingly simple side-scroller, then gradually reveals itself as a grand adventure in the style of other classics like Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. Firebrand traverses an overworld map, then digs into 2D action levels, gains powers and abilities… honestly a whole lot for a handheld title in 1990. A great game that you can pick up today.

Darkwing Duck (1993)

I think DW was the last Disney Afternoon show I really followed, but in that time I was glued to the TV to see the latest episode and which villain might take center stage. When the NES and GB games came out, of course I had to pop ’em in and take a peek… and was delightfully surprised to see Capcom’s Disney legacy was still running strong.

Like many GB games it’s an action platformer, but DW played a bit like “Mega Man meets Disney,” which made it just that much more awesome. The similarities came as no surprise, as DW came from folks who were making great MM titles in the same general timeframe.

Speaking of which, those MM titles are about to hit the 3DS eShop, starting May 1 with the winner of our recent poll. Stay tuned for the winner, and then a new MM title every Thursday in May!

Any Game Boy memories relating to these two games, or any others for that matter?