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Retro-Review Head-to-Head: Bionic Commando - Arcade vs. NES

In 1987, Capcom released their first dedicated arcade cabinet, a rather middling platformer called Bionic Commando.  Touted as a sequel to their popular Commando in the US, Bionic Commando was a somewhat unique, if unspectacular, platformer whose biggest gimmick was that the player character could not jump, but instead had to use his bionic arm as a grappling hook and swing across chasms. 

One year later, Capcom redesigned the game from the ground up for release on the Nintendo Entertainment System.  This new Bionic Commando bore little resemblance to its arcade progenitor, and it was all the better for it.  Read on to find out why Bionic Commando remains one of the NES's most endearing games, while the arcade version is little more than a footnote in Capcom's illustrious history.

Retro-Review Head-to-Head: Double Dragon II: The Revenge - Arcade vs. NES

Double Dragon II: The Revenge
Arcade/Nintendo Entertainment System

Developer: Technos (Both Versions)
Publisher: Technos (Arc)/Acclaim (NES)
Release Date: 1988 (Arc)/1990 (NES)

After the success of the original Double Dragon, a sequel was inevitable.  And like the original game, that sequel would be ported to numerous consoles, including Nintendo's unstoppable NES.

Double Dragon II is a slight improvement over its progenitor, at least when it comes to the arcade version.  Similar to the first game, the NES version was radically changed once more, but how those changes stack up to it's coin-operated big brother may surprise you.

Retro-Review Head-to-Head: Double Dragon - Arcade vs. NES

Double Dragon
Arcade/Nintendo Entertainment System

Developer: Technos (both versions)
Publisher: Taito (Arc)/Tradewest (NES)
Release Date: 1987 (Arc)/1988 (NES)

It may seem unfair to compare the technologically inferior NES to far more powerful arcade hardware at first.  However, as was the case with many arcade-to-NES "ports," the NES version of Technos' seminal beat 'em up Double Dragon is quite a different beast from its arcade predecessor. 

I remember the initial disappointment I felt when my favorite arcade game at the time came home in a vastly different way.  Time and repeat playthroughs, however, would change the way I felt.  Though it may have been lacking in some areas, the NES version of Double Dragon is almost as good in its own way as its arcade counterpart.

In this article, I'll break down and examine the strengths and weaknesses of both versions, point by point, and we'll see who comes out on top.