Bionic Commando Rearmed
FAQ/Achievement Guide V1.3
Written by Paul Acevedo
Created on: 08/17/08
Updated on: 10/03/11
Contents:
1. Introduction
2. Version History
3. Rearmed Versus Original
4. Rearmed Platform Comparison
5. Controls
6. Gameplay Tips
7. Area Walkhroughs
8. Items and Armor Locations
9. Weapons and Weapon Upgrade Locations
10. Secrets and Yashichi Locations
11. Database Entries
12. Challenge Rooms
13. Multiplayer
14. Achievements, Trophies, and Medals
15. Unlockables, Easter Eggs, and Glitches
16. Patches
17. Links and Resources
18. Special Thanks
19. Contact Information
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1. Introduction
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This FAQ and Achievement Guide covers Bionic Commando Rearmed, a
downloadable game for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC.
Bionic Commando started as a 1987 arcade spin-off of the Commando
series. Both Commando and arcade Bionic Commando star a man named
Super Joe. However, just as the Commando games are called "Wolf of the
Battlefield" in Japan, arcade Bionic Commando is called "Top Secret".
Top Secret is actually not a very good game, due to its clunky
controls and absurd difficulty. You can check it out on Capcom
Classics Collection for PS2, Xbox, and PSP. Lucky for us the
Bionic Commando legacy did not die here...
1989 saw the release of an NES sequel to Top Secret, known as
Top Secret: The Resurrection of Hitler in Japan. The enemies were
modern-day Nazis attempting to revive Adolf Hitler so that he could
complete his doomsday device, the Albatross. The American version
removed all Nazi references, changing the enemies to "Badds" and
Hitler to "Master D". Super Joe was no longer the hero, as he
was kidnapped by the enemies. Rad Spencer stepped in to become the
new Bionic Commando. While not a huge blockbuster in its day, NES
Bionic Commando developed a cult following and is often remembered
as one of the best NES games of all time. Nintendo insidiously
refused to allow Capcom to release NES Bionic Commando on the Wii's
Virtual Console, but it was included as part of Capcom Classics Mini
Mix on GameBoy Advance a few years ago.
Do you think Rearmed is the first remake of Bionic Commando? Ha!
You're wrong, but I'll forgive you because I like your spirit.
The 1992 original GameBoy title Bionic Commando is actually a revamp
of the NES game. The plot was redone, replacing the Nazi Badds with
a new army, the Doraize. Many other small changes exist, such
as the main character starting with a life bar and the ability
to change weapons and communicators during a level. The Albatross
became an entire level as well... Many of these alterations carried
on to Rearmed.
After spending many years MIA, the series returned to life briefly
in 2000's Bionic Commando: Elite Forces for GameBoy Color. This is
yet another retelling of the original game's story, changed up so
much that Super Joe has become Commander Joe. He probably eats
Admiral Crunch cereal, but I digress. Elite Forces was developed
by NST, a far less capable studio than Capcom or Grin. The addition
of a second, female playable character is appreciated, but the
Neutral Zones are gone and the game is really rough around the edges.
It was released in America and Europe but not Japan.
Another eight years of silence lapsed before Bionic Commando returned
to the masses. An American translator working at Capcom Japan, Ben
Judd, successfully pitched Bionic Commando Rearmed to his superiors.
Originally conceived as a PSP game, Rearmed instead switched to
next-generation consoles and PC. A new, fully 3D Bionic Commando
game was developed as well. Judd worked closely with Swedish developers
Grin to create both games.
Bionic Commando (the retail title) debuted in 2009 after many delays.
Sadly, it lacks much of ReArmed's polish. Stages cannot be replayed
for items, radiation barriers kill the player, and the inane story
is outright disrespectful to Super Joe. It is still a fun game though.
The retail title bombed, as did Grin's other 2009 games. A few
months after Bionic Commando's release, Grin closed its doors for
good.
Bionic Commando Rearmed is Grin's magnum opus - the best game they
ever made. Fans and newcomers alike can experience the original NES
Bionic Commando game in beautiful modern glory. The retail sequel
is now quite affordable, so open-minded gamers may want to give
it a shot as well.
Finally, Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 launched on XBLA and PSN in 2010.
The sequel comes from Fat Shark and by all accounts it lacks some of
the magic of the first game. Spancer certainly has a goofy mustache,
which is still better than dreadlocks. Even if Rearmed 2 is a little
less amazing than the first game, fans of Bionic Commando should
definitely get it anyway.
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2. Version history
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08/17/08 Version 0.4 FAQ created.
08/19/08 Version 0.5 update. Added walkthroughs for Areas 2, 5, 14,
15, and 16. Added list of Challenge Rooms. Added Unlockable
Challenge Room codes to the Unlockables section.
08/22/08 Version 0.5a update.
Added walkthrough for Area 6
and
Aaron Sedillo's Challenge Room code to Unlockables section.
Sorry progress is so slow - I've been really busy, darn it.
08/25/08 Version 0.9 update. All Area Walkthroughs but 12 and A are
now complete. Added Major Nelson's Challenge Room to the
Unlockables section. Combined Yashichi and Secrets sections
and made other minor formatting changes. Almost done!
08/28/08 Version 1.0 update. Area 12 walkthrough added. Unlockables
section updated.
08/29/08 Version 1.1 update. Rearmed Versus Original section is
finally finished. The Walkthrough and Secrets sections
are complete as well. Go Go Bionic!
2009 I took a year off to finish my Literature degree! :D
01/13/10 Version 1.2 update. Intro updated with info about the
retail sequel and Grin's demise. Clean as a Whistle
and Cat Burglar Achievements updated.
Created Patches section. Finally, the game is now
available through Steam!
10/03/11 Version 1.3 update. Added mention of Bionic Commando
Rearmed 2 to intro. Updated Challenge Rooms and Super Hard
Achievement sections with links to useful forum threads.
Updated Links section to remove dead links.
Corrected a few minor errors here and there.
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3. Rearmed Versus Original
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Bionic Commando Rearmed keeps everything that made the original
game great as well as adding loads of new features so that even
experienced fans can have a fresh experience.
First, the most obvious updates: the graphics have been redone in 3D
using the same engine that powers the full Bionic Commando sequel.
Despite the new 3D graphics, this game retains the original's 2D
perspective. Brilliant character art by Toshiaki "Shinkiro" Mori
populates the new between-level cinemas featuring Nathan Spencer
and new character Haley as well as the pre-fight boss cinemas and
Communicator Room sequences. The music was masterfully composed and
updated by the game's creative director Simon Viklund. The "Meet With
the Enemy and Descend" music featured in Rearmed's overhead areas is
actually a remix of the original Commando Theme music. The NES'
overhead music now plays in the Secret Tunnels areas, which utilize
a side-scrolling perspective in the remake.
Rearmed includes a few gameplay modernizations that most players
will appreciate. Spencer now starts with a full life meter, unlike
the original game, which forced players to collect bullets from
downed enemies in order to build up a life meter. Defeated enemies
randomly drop health refills or score tokens instead of bullets.
The remake adds a save feature as well as unlimited continues. In
the NES game, players had to earn continues by defeating strong
enemies in the overhead areas. These were actually really easy to
acquire, so the old game basically had unlimited continues as well.
Still, being able to save and come back to the game at will surely
encourages players to explore and enjoy the areas instead of simply
rushing through them. Don't think these changes make the game too
easy, either. Rearmed adds selectable difficulties, which range
from rather Easy to frustratingly Super Hard.
The game's setting has moved from the present to the near future.
The story has greatly expanded, with Spencer working for the
Federal States of America and fighting the fascist Imperial Army.
The Neutral Zones of the old game still exist, but they're not so
neutral any more. They are now FSA Camps, and firing your weapon
will not cause everyone to freak out and attack you. Generalissimo
Kilt does not appear in Area 15 liked he used to; Spencer doesn't
encounter him until Area 12. Speaking of Area 12, the cinema at its
conclusion plays out a bit more realistically. The Albatross is
no longer the boss of that Area - it has been upgraded to a full
new level, Area A.
Communicator Rooms worked differently in the old game. Originally,
you had to select the proper Comms Chip for an area at its outset.
If you brought the wrong one, the communicator just spouted
gibberish and the area had to be replayed. Now Comms Chips work
automatically. Hacking the Enemy Network in the original version
carried the risk of random detection by the enemies, who would
attack Spencer immediately if things went afoul. In Rearmed,
success in hacking is determined by playing a simple minigame.
Failure results in bad guys endlessly respawning from certain
doors throughout the area, but nothing happens in the Communicator
Room itself.
The weapons and items systems have been greatly improved. Like
the Comms Chips, the NES game required Spencer to select a single
weapon and a single item prior to beginning an area. In Rearmed,
weapons are switchable on the fly. The weapons are different, too.
Grenades, the Plasma Rifle, the Vector Cannon, and especially the
Shotgun add depth to the gameplay. The Shotgun allows Spencer to
create momentum for a swing while hanging, enabling jumps and swings
that were never possible before. The Bazooka (rocket launcher) has
been toned down from the NES game. It still does tremendous damage,
but it no longer kills bosses as quickly and its splash damage will
kill Spencer if he's not careful. As for items, they work
automatically and in tandem. The POW Item did not make the cut
in Rearmed.
The Tank Droid enemies in the original game spawned dwarf enemies
when destroyed. Now they drop Mini Tank Droids, which is probably
more realistic. Some enemies that were human in the NES game have
become droids in this one - namely the Barrel Droid and Propeller
Droid. The fly trap enemies in Area 3 became bear traps, while
their accompanying moth and spider enemies are nowhere to be found.
As for those missing dwarfs, they still show up as the pilots of
boss vehicles. The bosses have changed a lot. The old bearded
soldier boss is MIA except for a cameo in the "Hacking the Enemy
Network" portion of Area 12. In his stead, new bosses the
Fabricator, the Power Pod, and the Siege Machine make their debut.
The D-1 Beetle returns but requires a more skillful approach to
defeat. The old Bionic boss (or is it the Bionic enemy from the
original secret tunnels?) has been promoted to a full storyline
character, Gottfried Groeder. And let's not forget The Leader,
who awaits players in Area A...
Do you think the pillars that block the entrance of Area 4 and
the landmines in Areas 2 and 7 are new? They actually appeared in
the Famicom version of the original game. The interrogation sequence
in Area 19 was censored in the American NES version as well. Kudos
to Grin for restoring these cool elements of the Japanese game.
There are many other minor changes and additions, but I don't want
to spoil the fun of finding them on your own. Go out there and
get swinging!
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4. Rearmed Platform Comparison
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Xbox 360
--------
-Price: $9.99
-Filesize: 240 MB
-Loading times: Slowest - The game is probably decompressed on the fly,
resulting in longer (but still reasonable) load times.
-Exclusive features:
-Exclusive Challenge Room: Major Nelson's Challenge Room
-Unique problems: This version misaligns shadows in some places,
so it looks slightly worse than other versions.
Playstation 3
-------------
-Price: $9.99
-Filesize: 374 MB
-Loading times: Medium
-Exclusive features:
-Remote Play: Why anyone would want to play the PS3 game remotely
through a PSP is beyond me, but the feature works
pretty well.
-Exclusive Challenge Room: None
-Missing Features: This is the only version with no known exclusive
Challenge Room.
PC
--
-Price: $9.95 from Steam (also available in a combo pack with the
sequel) and other online sources
-Filesize: 350 MB
-Loading times: Fastest
-Exclusive features:
-Best graphics (on an appropriately powerful system)
-Missing features: The PC version lacks online leaderboards or
Achievements.
-System requirements: The game is not going to run at a very nice
framerate on these specs. Rearmed uses way more
resources than you would expect and has
no level of detail settings.
-Windows XP (SP2)/Vista
-Intel Pentium 4 2 Ghz/AMD XP 2200+ processor
-1GB RAM
-650 MB free hard drive space
-128 MB DirectX 9c compatible card/ nVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT/or ATI
equivalent
-DirectX 9 compatible sound card
-Note! If you got the game somewhere other than Steam, make sure to
download the version 1.01 patch, which enhances graphical
performance and fixes the Joe's Machine Gun upgrade.
Regional Differences
--------------------
-The game is censored in Germany, Japan (!), and South Korea. The
Leader's death sequence has been edited.
-The Japanese/German Xbox 360 versions have stackable Achievements.
-The PC version of Rearmed is actually available on disc in a few
small countries, such as Poland. Go Poland!
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5. Controls
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Xbox 360 Controls
-----------------
-You definitely want to set your control Type to C in the Settings
menu. These are the controls that I will list.
Left Stick: Movement
D-pad: Movement
Right Stick: Control Hyper Bazooka rockets
X button: Fire
A button: Bionic Arm
B button: Grenade
Left bumper: Switch weapon
Right bumper: Switch weapon
Back button: Inventory
Start button: Pause
Playstation 3 Controls
----------------------
-Type C Controls listed here:
Left Stick: Movement
D-pad: Movement
Right Stick: Control Hyper Bazooka rockets
Square button: Fire
X button: Bionic Arm
Circle button: Grenade
L1 button: Switch weapon
R1 button: Switch weapon
Select button: Inventory
Start button: Pause
PC Controls
-----------
-These are the default keyboard controls. If you use an Xbox 360
controller, the same control types as the Xbox 360 version will
become available and you should pick Type C.
Arrow keys: Movement/Control Hyper Bazooka rockets
J key: Bionic Arm
K key: Fire Weapon
L key: Grenades
I key: Switch weapon
O key: Switch weapon
U key: Inventory
1 key: Pause
Using the Bionic Arm (all platforms):
-Blocking projectiles: Hit any projectile (besides rockets) with the
Bionic Arm to block it. This is essential on
the Super Hard difficulty.
-Fire Arm diagonaly up: Press the Bionic Arm button with Up-forward
or no direction pressed.
-Fire Arm horizontally: Press the Bionic Arm button and forward.
-Fire Arm low: Press the Bionic Arm button and Down or Down-forward.
-Fire Arm straight up: Press the Bionic Arm button and Up.
-Swinging and hooking in mid-air:
-Swing and release: Press and hold forward until you reach the
end of your swinging arc.
-Change direction: While moving in the air, press the opposite
direction + the Bionic Arm button to fire in
that direction. Press Up + the Bionic Arm
button to fire the arm straight up, stopping
your lateral movement.
-Extend forward in midair: While moving in the air, press Down +
the Bionic Arm button to fire the
Arm horizontally.
-Scaling: While the Bionic Arm is hooked to something, press the
Bionic Arm button again to real yourself in and stop
swinging. Then press Up to climb up (if possible). You
can't climb down - you'll have to fall off the platform
if you want to do that.
-Getting under a platform: I'll say it again: if you need to get
under something, you'll have to walk
off the edge, and then immediately
turn towards the edge and fire your
arm at it to grapple on.
-Pulling/lifting: Fire the arm at certain objects to pull towards
them or pick them up. If you lift the object,
you can throw it normally by pressing the Bionic
Arm button or throw it low by pressing Down +
Bionic Arm.
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6. Gameplay Tips
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Difficulty Settings
-------------------
-Easy: Extra platforms appear in some areas and the Flying Droid
enemy will not appear in Area 5. Unlimited lives.
-Normal: Probably the ideal difficulty for your first playthrough.
Unlimited lives.
-Hard: Enemies gain new moves and appear in increased numbers.
Spencer takes more damage from hits. The hacking minigame
is now timed.
-Super Hard: Beat the game on any difficulty to unlock Super.
Enemies get a lot more moves and you have to constantly
block their fire or learn new ways to dodge it.
Spencer can take even less damage.
-Saving: The game saves automatically whenever you complete an area
or when exiting certain areas if an item has been picked up.
-Scoring: Points are awarded for beating an area quickly, avoiding
damage, and collecting Score Tokens from fallen enemies or
by completing the Hacking minigame.
-Checkpoints: Whenever you enter a door, it serves as a checkpoint.
This includes Communicator Rooms and secret rooms.
After going through one of these doors, you will respawn
there when you lose a life. Note that in Co-op,
players automatically respawn next to each other
until either player runs out of lives.
-Communicator Rooms: These offer you the choice of Contacting HQ
(which sometimes unlocks doors), and Hacking
the Enemy Network.
-Hacking Minigame
-----------------
-Hacking is ALWAYS optional. It is never required to complete an
area.
-The rewards for winning the hacking minigame include health and
score bonuses - plus the intel, which may reveal boss weaknesses.
-How to play:
-A series of glowing circles emanate from the yellow sphere. These
indicate which direction the Sphere while move when you press a
button.
-Spin the puzzle cube and press the button to make the
yellow sphere shoot forward. If the sphere does not hit a target
when fired, you lose the minigame and will be attacked by enemies.
-Red blocks stop the sphere and serve as stepping stones on your
way to the goal, the Green block.
-Hitting a blue block will teleport the yellow sphere to the next
blue block.
-You basically need to rotate the cube until you can find a direction
to fire the sphere in that will not result in it shooting out into
space. As you move from block to block (making sure not to
backtrack), you will eventually reach the goal.
Other Tips
----------
-Make sure you do the basic tutorial and especially the
Advanced Tutorial (found in the Area 0 Challenge Room) to learn
proper swinging strategies.
-Stockpiling 1ups:
Collect a bunch of extra lives from the FSA Camps, Meet With Enemy
sequences, etcetera. Save your game by completing any Area,
including the FSA Camps. Now tackle whatever area is giving you
trouble. If you run out of lives, just reset the game,
exit to the Dashboard, or whatever. When you restart you'll
still have all your lives.
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7. Area Walkthroughs
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Overview Map
------------
Soundtrack: Okay, We'll Move
-For some reason it's difficult to move diagonally on the map. Why
didn't they use the NES movement system? Oh well. If your controller
has analog sticks, pressing it lightly in any direction will highlight
the path it thinks you are choosing. Press it all the way when
you're on the right path.
Area 0 - FSA Headquarters
-------------------------
Soundtrack: The Bionic Commando Main Theme Rearmed
Items required: N/A
Items in area: Revolver Upgrade
Items awarded: N/A
Secrets: 1 (Friendly Fire - requires 2 players)
Enemies: N/A
Boss: N/A
-Make sure you try this area before moving on to the real areas. You
can practice your swinging here as well as pick up the Revolver
upgrade.
-The first door contains the first set of Challenge Rooms and the
Advanced Tutorial. Remember to do the Tutorials!
-After exiting the Challenge Room door, grapple onto the roof above
to proceed.
-The third floor of the FSA Headquarters has a room which contains
the Revolver Upgrade.
-Below the Revolver Upgrade room on the first floor is the Yashichi
Door. Come back after collecting all 12 Yashichis to get the BC
Purple Matrix, which is an unlock for the new Bionic Commando game.
-Secret: Friendly Fire
First ask yourself if you want to make your Co-Op game more challenging.
If so, this secret is worth going after... Maybe - it's tough to get.
Above the Revolver Upgrade room are some platforms and another room.
But how do you get to them? I was afraid you'd ask. You must swing
from the left-most corner of the roof above the door. Either grapple
onto it and use the shotgun for momentum or get on top of the roof
and walk off the ledge, turning right and grabbing onto the corner.
Swing left and grapple towards the platform there. You have to
grab the right side of the platform with your arm barely extended.
Then immediately fire the arm straight up to grab the platform
above. Both of these platforms retract; you can keep grappling up
to avoid falling all the way down. Get on the left-most edge of the
bottom platform. Now try to get a swing going from the right-most
corner of the top platform. Swing right and grab onto the next roof
in order to get into the door. Inside are two switches which must be
hit simultaneously, so you'll want to have a second player join in
at the end.
Area 1 - Oil Refinery
---------------------
Soundtrack: The Bionic Commando Main Theme Rearmed
Items required: N/A
Items awarded: Grenades
Secrets: 2 (Yashichi, Secret Challenge 1)
Enemies: Patrol Soldier, Cover Soldier, Heavy Weapons Soldier,
Battery Powered Generator
Boss: D-1 Beetle
-You can grab and throw the blue barrels here. They can be used to
block bullets, you know. Make sure you hold Down while throwing if
you want to hit a soldier in front of you.
-Make your way to the top of the first building and enter the
Communicator Room. Choose both options on the COmmunication Terminal
and make sure you master the hacking minigame now, as there is no
pentalty for failure in Area 1.
-Communicator Room 1:
HQ Topics: Communicator Rooms unlock doors, hacking the enemy network
Enemy Topic: D-1 Beetle
-Exit the Communicator Room, drop down a few platforms to the right,
and then grapple onto the lamp post to swing across to the right.
-You can fight Cover Soldiers in a few different ways. One is to
wait until they stand up, fire a few shots at them, and then quickly
duck down or block their fire with your arm, and repeat until they die.
Another method is to grab the barrels they hide behind and throw
them, removing their cover.
-Make your way to top of this building. Before you enter the door, you
should see part of a lamp post off to the right of the building.
The Yashichi is over that way. Don't try to get it yet.
-Enter the door and then exit, giving you a checkpoint in case you die
as you try to get the Yashichi.
-Secret 1: Yashichi
You'll need to get a swing going from the small platform with a
concrete block and a red door on it, or from the roof above it. I
prefer the roof. Go back up to the cave door and swing right from the
tiny roof above that. Immediately turn left and grapple onto the roof
above the platform that I mentioned. Make sure you have a hanging swing
going after you've grappled onto it. Swing off to the right and quickly
grab onto the lamp post. If you can't grapple onto the top light, you
may be able to grab the bottom one before you hit the water. Swing
to the next light on the right, and then the third and final one. Make
sure you have good arm length for the third light and then swing off
to the right and grab the platform just above the water. Climb up
for the Yashichi. Just die or call for extraction if you can't get
back from the secret area.
-Return to the door and enter the Cave.
-Fall or use the elevator to enter the first path down and to the right.
-A Battery Powered Barrier blocks your path. Either line up correctly
with the elevator or pull yourself up to the ceiling in front of it
and fire at the top generator portion to destroy the barrier.
-Proceed right. You'll need to crouch and use the arm to pull yourself
under the low ceiling. Make two swings to the right, being careful
not to hit the ceiling and stop moving, in order to get the 1up.
Fall down and head back to the vertical shaft on the left.
-Take the elevator up to the next path on the right and enter the
Communicator Room.
-Communicator Room 2:
HQ Topic: Hacking
Enemy topic: D-1 Beetle
-Swing left across the vertical shaft and take out the Battery Powered
Barrier to proceed.
-Secret 2: Secret Challenge 1
You need grenades or the Bazooka to get this. Head left from the
Communicator room until you drop down one level and come to a short path
with a Heavy Weapons Soldier and a blue barrel. Hit the crack in the
wall with an explosive to reveal the secret area.
-Whether or not you went after the secret, go all the way up and left
to find the door to boss room.
-Boss 1: D-1 Beetle
Grab onto the box witht he blue light underneath it and swing up to
the level that the Beetle occupies. The Beetle has an attack in which
it flies forward and tries to flatten you, so watch out for that.
Grab and hold onto a barrel. Study the Beetle's movement pattern
and throw a barrel into its exposed lower region when it flies low
enough. Then get as close as you can and fire away. On Normal you
can take out over half its life with the upgraded Revolver if you
fire fast enough. When the weak point switches to the top of the robot,
get onto the top platform and quickly grab a barrel. You'll need it
to block the Beetle's shots. Wait for the right moment and throw the
barrel again, then wail on its weak spot with your gun once more.
-Co-Op Boss Strategy:
The Beetle shifts its weak spot when a barrel its thrown at it, but
it can't shift it again for a few seconds after that. Have one player
throw a barrel from the top, forcing it to switch its spot to the
bottom. The second player should be ready to attack the lower weak
spot as soon as the boss gets in a good position.
Area 2 - Sewer Station
----------------------
Soundtrack: The Bionic Commando Main Theme Rearmed, Leap of Faith
Items required: Green Comms Chip
Items awarded: Shotgun
Secrets: 3 (Yashichi, Grenade Upgrade, Secret Challenge 2)
Enemies: Land Mine, Slime Blob, Tank Droid, Mini Tank Droid,
Fly Droid, Fly Droid Operator, Shielded Soldier
Boss: Fabricator
-Swing over the Land Mine, which is a little nod to the Famicom
version of the game. Enter the door to the Sewers.
-Immediately step away from the door and grapple onto the ceiling
if you want to avoid the Slime Blobs. They will always head towards
Spencer, no matter where he is. If one catches you, just grapple
onto something to get out of it.
-Proceed to the right until you see a pit and a locked door.
-Secret 1: Yashichi
Drop down the pit and quickly swing right. Swing again until you
land on the ground. Ride the elevator up slightly and grab the
Yashichi on the right. Take the elevator up the door.
-Head up until you encounter the Tank Droid. Blast it with the
Plasma Rifle, and then take care of the Mini Tank Droid that drops
from its remains.
-Go up and left to the Communicator Room.
-Communicator Room:
HQ Topic: Imperials are crazy
Enemy Topic: Fabricator
-Head left and swing over the spikes, staying up high to get to the
next area with a Tank Droid and Slime Blobs.
-Go all the way left before you even think of dropping down any holes.
-Secret 2: Grenade Upgrade
-Walk all the way to the left-most wall, just under a platform with
a Tank Droid on it. Hold Down and toss a grenade. You should hear
an explosion and a chime indicating that a secret wall has been
removed. Now wall off the edge to the right. As you fall,
immediately grapple to the left and find your way onto the
platform with the Boss Door. Up and to the left of it a passage
has been revealed. Fire your arm straight up and climb to the
door to get the Grenade Upgrade.
If you fell past the Boss Door platform, you can still get back up
to it with some creative swinging.
-Fall past the boss room and head all the way down and right for
an extra life - but watch out because falling through the holes
at this level will kill you.
-Swing up and left to the elevator. Ride it like you mean it.
-Secret 3: Secret Challenge 2
After riding the elevator all the way up, you'll enter a large
room that's filled with enemies. There are two switches in this
room - one on each wall. Press Forward and the Bionic Arm button
to latch onto each switch, and then tap the Arm button rapidly
until the switch lights up blue. Ride the next elevator which
is located in the top-right corner of the room. The secret door
will now be opened at the left of the elevator's exit.
-Walk right from the secret door and fall down the shaft. Walk
right and fall down the next hole, quickly turning to grapple
on the platform to the left. Enter the boss door.
-Boss: Fabricator
The boss occasionally spins around wildly, in which case Spencer
needs to stay in the middle of its arch to avoid taking damage.
Its main attack is with metal spikes that shoot towards you. Each
spike lights up before firing, so pay attention and block that
spike with your Arm when it comes out. After you block a few spikes,
the Fabricator needs to recharge. Quickly swing from the driver's
box to the left and grapple onto the machine, pulling yourself
straight up. Fire away at the driver. You'll fall off after a
little while and will need to block the spikes again before gaining
another chance to attack the driver. Two chances is all it should
take on Normal.
-Co-Op Strategy:
The boss fight is similar to single-player except that the
Fabricator can fire two spikes at once. Both players must be
ready to block them.
Area 3 - Secret Mountain Base Pass
----------------------------------
Soundtrack: Bionic Commando Main Theme Rearmed
Items required: Power Claw, Green Comms Chip
Items awarded: Permit
Secrets: 2 (Yashichi, Secret Challenge 3)
Enemies: Bear Trap, Close Combat Soldier, Soldier, Shielded Soldier
Boss: Power Pod
-Hit the barrier with your upgraded Bionic Arm.
-Swing from the wooden platforms to make it across the quicksand.
-Watch out for the Bear Traps, which make a sound just before going
off. You can run past them if you're quick enough.
-Travel up and left until you find the door with a 3 above it.
Don't go through it yet.
-Secret 1: Secret Challenge 3
From the first door, drop down one level and head all the way right,
which will be less than one screen's distance. You need to blow up
the top-right corner with a rocket from the Bazooka. To do this,
stand on the left edge of the platform to the left (rather than
being on the platform under the place you're aiming for). Use your
Arm to hang from the ceiling and fire a rocket to the right, making
sure you're far enough away that it doesn't hit a rock and damage you.
This will cause a path to form up above and leading off to the right.
You can swing up there and use the shotgun to push yourself through
it, but don't bother. Just head southeast until you reach the end
of the path and a secret door.
-After you're done grabbing the secret, head through the door to the
next area with the 3 above it.
-Drop down the shaft and then swing down to the left to reach the
Communicator Room.
-Communicator Room:
HQ Topic: Deflecting shots, continues (hee hee)
Enemy Topic: Power Pod
-If you want to get the 1up, drop straight down from the Communicator
Room and swing left just before hitting the spikes. Fire the Arm too
late and it's curtains for you, though.
-From the Communicator Room, swing to the right, past the Soldier
and over the spike pit.
-Secret 2: Yashichi
After swinging right across the spike pit, don't fall down. Swing
as close to the right edge of the roof as possible. Swing right
and immediately fire your Arm straight up to grab the platform and
climb up. Ride the elevators up to the Yashichi, which lies in the
top right corner of the map. Go left back to the Communicator Room.
-This time drop down after the spike pit instead of going up for the
Yashichi. Ride the elevator down or just drop down and swing left
to avoid falling in the hole and dying.
-Make three fast swings left across the spike pits (much easier than
in the NES version), and enter the Boss Room.
-Boss: Power Pod The boss emits thin blue beams of light before it
actually fires its energy weapons. Avoid those blue beams. It also
has an attack in which twin lasers fire from the stop and rotate
down towards the bottom; just get in the middle of the room to
avoid them. Use the lights to swing under the Power pod and quickly
fire your Arm up to grapple onto it. Retract the arm and hang
from the boss until it goes all the way down, shooting the drones
that try to knock you down with the Plasma Rifle. Don't use the
Shotgun because you might swing into the drones by mistake and the
damage it does to the power pod is pretty low. Once the boss hits
the bottom and flips over, fire away at its vulnerable left side.
You can switch to the Bazooka to do extra damage; just don't stand
too close.
-Co-Op Strategy:
When two players are present,one person's weight is not enough to
lower the Pod. Both heroes must hang from the boss until it hits
the bottom and flips over.
Area 4 - Weapons Storage Cave
-----------------------------
Soundtrack: Bionic Commando Main Theme Rearmed
Items required: Flares
Items awarded: Plasma Rifle
Secrets: 2 (Yashichi, Secret Challenge 4)
Enemies: Close Combat Soldier, Patrol Soldier,
Shielded Soldiers, Bomb Expert, Fly Droid Operator
Boss: 1st Platoon
-Make sure you have the Flares to light the darkness of the cave.
-Use the Bionic Arm to pull each of the stone pillars down and clear
a path.
-Swing aright over the spikes, dropping down to kill the Close
Combat Soldier. Proceed right to the Communicator Room.
-Communicator Room 1:
HQ Topic: Darkness, Haley
Enemy Topic: 1st Plattoon
-Head up and to the left. The two left-most walls are cracked and
can be desroyed with grenades or the Bazooka. Destroy the lower
one first. Make sure you have passed through its secret door before
attempting to get the Yashichi from the upper secret area.
-Secret 1: Secret Challenge 4
Blow up the lower of the two cracked walls northwest of the
Communicator Room.
-Secret 2: Yashichi
Blow up the cracked wall on the next level up from Secret 1, behind
the Close Combat Soldier. Swing left twice over the spike pit and
quickly fire the arm straight up to grab the climbable platform.
You can also accomplish this with rapid short swings, even if you
mess up and lose your momentum. Climb all the way up and then fall
and immediately swing to the right. Climb up again and use short,
quick swings to make your way across the spike pit. The Yashichi
lies at the end. Drop down the shaft to the left.
-Remove the pillars to the right and kill the enemies behidn them.
Swing forward on the ceiling and fire your arm up to grab the
climable platform. Get the 1up.
-Swing across the pit to the right and go northeast and enter the door.
-Make your way right to the boss room, defeating enemies and blocking
their shots as necessary.
-Boss: 1st Platoon (Commander Totmacher and His Loyal Legion)
-Climb up on the yellow platform and swing across. Throw a grenade
at the Commander to defeat him. You can also swing into him with
the Iron Boots if you have them. Finish off the remaining troops
to win the battle. Easy peasy!
Area 5 - Construction Site
--------------------------
Soundtrack: Heat Wave
Items required: N/A
Items in area: 1up
Items awarded: Bazooka
Secrets: 2 (Yashichi, Secret Challenge 5)
Enemies: Soldier, Cover Soldier, Droid Sprinkler Cannon, Propeller Droid
Boss: Siege Machine
-Secret 1: Yashichi
Walk all the way right until you encounter a concrete block that you
can't climb over. Walk back a little bit and start climbing up until you
reach the small building with a picture of a hard hat on it. Get on top
of that building. You want to swing from the point on the roof above
the small building that is just under a blue barrel. Make a couple of
swings until you're under the blue barrel and then swing right to land
on the concrete block. The Yashichi is just past it.
-Proceed up the building. When you get to the floor that has four lamp
posts and a concrete block on it, you should be able to see a 1up
above and to the left of that floor. Climb up to the next level, which
contains two small buildings. Swing from the left-most building and
grab onto the ledge that houses the extra life. Swing right and keep
going up.
-Communicator Room 1:
HQ Topics: Investigate the assembly line, be careful
Enemy Topic: Siege Machine
-Continue climbing up. You'll encounter Droid Sprinkler Cannons and
Propeller Droids. You can often proceed without destroying the
Cannons. Duck to avoid Propeller Droid's energy attacks. You can
hit them with your arm to make them drop closer to your firing range.
-Secret 2: Secret Challenge 5
You'll eventually encounter a locked door on the left with some sandbags
and two stacked blue barrels beside it. Go up past the second Communicator
Room, all the way to the floor with the Boss Room. There is a blue switch
on the right edge of that floor. Hit it with your Arm and fall back to the
locked room. Grab Secret Challenge Room 5 from inside it.
-Communicator Room 2:
HQ Topics: Munitions shipment
Enemy Topic: Siege Machine
-Climb up to the Boss Room.
-Boss: Siege Machine
The Machine's treads have a glowing weak spot on them. Throw grenades at
the weak spot until the treads are destroyed. Dodge the boss' bombs until
its rear wheels start to spin. Then dash back to the platforms on the
left. Climb up and grab onto any of the three bolts on the front of the
Siege machine. Press the Arm button rapidly to remove the bolt. Repeat
this for the other two bolts, hopping down to lure the boss back towards
you as needed. When the bolts are gone and the cockpit is revealed,
climb up to the top and throw a grenade, fire a gun, or use your arm
to defeat the driver. He'll also die if he rams the platforms again. Watch
out for the wrecking ball that the Machine shoots when its cockpit is
exposed.
-Co-Op Strategy:
Two players can defeat the Siege Machine a little faster than usual if
they coordinate properly. If each player pulls on a separate bolt, the
boss will usually reel back after one of the bolts comes out. Savvy
players will each grab a different bolt and time their Arm button presses
so that the bolts come out at the same time, thus knocking out two sections
of the machine at once.
Area 6 - Docks
--------------
Soundtrack: Heat Wave
Items required: Bazooka, Green Comms Chip
Items in area: 1up, Plasma Rifle Upgrade
Items awarded: Power Claw
Secrets: 2 (Yashichi, Plasma Rifle Upgrade)
Enemies: Mini Tank Droid, Fly Droid Operator, Soldier, Barrel Droid
Boss: D-1 Beetle v2
-Fire the Bazooka into the barrier to destroy it.
-Swing on the lights, making sure to time it so that you don't hit any
spiked balls.
-If you swing off the second or third light and quickly fire your arm
straight up, you can latch onto the left-most platform above and get
the 1up.
-Proceed to the right and climb to the top of the building.
-Swing to the right onto the blue platforms and large purple metal crate.
-Secret 1: Yashichi
From the purple crate you can see two lamp posts to the right. Latch onto
the right side of the light and pull yourself up. Latch onto the next
light, trying to grab the right side. If you get the left side, pull
yourself up, then try to grab the right side again as you fall off. Once
you manage to get the right side of it, climb up and latch onto the third
light. From there, swing left and grab the platform to reach the Yashichi.
This is much easier in Co-Op as you can have one person wait on the purple
box while the other person attempts to traverse the lamps. If that person
fails, he can kill himself and respawn on the purple box. It's really
hard to get back on top of that box otherwise, as you have to carefully
swing under the platform beneath the purple box, grab the light to the
left of it, and then pull yourself up.
-Fall back down to the right and swing from the lamp posts until you
land on a small building with a door.
-Communicator Room 1:
HQ Topic: Docks
Enemy Topic: Albatross project status
-Exit the Communicator Room from the door on the right.
-Get on the blue platforms and swing to the lamp post. From it you can
swing to the next building.
-Secret 2: Plasma Rifle Upgrade
Walk all the way to the right edge of the building. Fall off the edge and
quickly and grapple to the left. You want to hang just to the left of the
right-most light and drop straight down. The door below leads to a room
with blue switches on the upper-left and upper-right parts of its walls.
Hang from the ceiling and shoot them with the Plasma Rifle to open the
locked door (the middle-most door in the room). The upgrade is inside.
-Continue up the building. When the blue barrels start rolling towards you,
either grip the ceiling or use the Air Vent Blocks to bounce over them.
-Destroy the Barrel Droids as soon as you can by firing at them just after
they've thrown their barrels. You can't shoot through the barrels.
-There's a portion of the ceiling on the right side of the building that
can be climbed to skip a little bit of the barrel dodging. Keep an
eye out.
-Enter the Boss Room.
-Boss: D-1 Beetle v2
The same strategy from Area 1 applies here. The Beetle has picked up
a new attack - rockets, which can't be blocked by barrels. Still, this
battle is even easier as the Bazooka takes the Beetle out very quickly.
Area 7 - POW Camp
-----------------
Soundtrack: The Bionic Commando Main Theme Rearmed
Items required: Vector Cannon, Permit, Blue Comms Chip
Items awarded: None (Head to Area 18 for Joe's Machine Gun)
Secrets: 3 (Yashichi, Secret Challenge 6, Joe's Machine Gun Upgrade)
Enemies: Tank Droid, Soldier, Land Mine
Boss: Groeder
-Secret 1: Joe's Machine Gun Upgrade
Come back and get this secret after you get Joe's Machine Gun. Instead of
entering the door at the beginning, fall to the right and grapple the
ceiling before plummeting to your demise. Carefully grapple all the way
right, and then make your way up to the secret door. Use Joe's Machine
Gun to shoot the switch that opens it.
-Shoot the two switches at the beginning with the Vector Cannon to unlock
the door. Proceed.
-The Bazooka is quite effective against the Soldiers and Tank Droids in this
area.
-Head all the way northeast. The Communicator Room is on top of a red tower.
-Communicator Room:
HQ Topic: Rescuing Super Joe
Enemy Topic: Groeder's threat
-Secret 2: Secret Challenge 6
Climb on top of the roof of the Communicator Room building. There are four
lamp posts to the right. Swing back and forth between them to reach the
platform to the right, using the shotgun to gain momentum as necessary.
-From the Communicator Room, journey left, swinging from each tiny platform
to the next. If you fall, you'll pass by the 1up on your way back to the
Communicator Room.
-The Boss Room is all the way to the left. Don't enter it until you have
the Yashichi though.
-Secret 3: Yashichi
From the Boss Room door, walk off the edge to the right. Immediately
turn left and grapple onto the platform, being careful not to let your
Arm extend too far and knock you into the wall. Reel yourself in and then
drop down. As you fall, quickly grapple onto the ceiling of the tunnel
in the wall. If you fail, you'll hit the land mines, so try not to fail,
okay? Use grenades to destroy the land mines if it comes to that.
Playing in Co-Op would be helpful once again as one player could
remain by the Boss Room and act as a respawn point in case the other
player is killed by the Land Mines.
-Return to the Boss Room door and enter.
-Boss: Gottfried Groeder
Part 1:
Groeder swings around and fires energy blasts. Dodge those and try not
to let him swing through you. Get close to him when he stops to charge
and blast away with the Shotgun. After you damage him enough, he evacuates
through the door on the right.
Part 2:
You must make it to the end of the hallway without being killed by
Groeder's arm attacks from above. It's hard to see and react to them
quickly, so press the Inventory button to semi-pause the action and get
your bearings as needed.
Part 3:
Now you can finish "Grody" off with the same strategy you used to hurt
him before. Go through the door to find Joe after winning.
Area 8 - Hi-Tech Factory
------------------------
Soundtrack: Power Plant
Items required: Permit, Blue Comms Chip
Items awarded: Shinguards
Secrets: 2 (Yashichi, Shotgun Upgrade)
Enemies: Soldier, Bomb Expert, Fly Droid Operator
Boss: 2nd Platoon
-Enter the building.
-Swing onto the platforms and go up a couple of platforms.
-Secret 1: Shotgun Upgrade
On the right there is a platform with a Bomb Expert, just above a
platform with an Air Vent Block. Get on the Bomb Expert's platform
and use the roof above to swing to the right. You'll need to fire the
Arm straight up and cling onto the one grabbable tile. Use the Shotgun
to gain momentum and then swing to the left and fire your Arm up
to grab the roof above. Reel yourself in and use the Shotgun for
momentum. Swing right and enter the door.
-Jaunt all the way up. You will encounter a door on the left as well
as one off to the right. Which do we enter? You could take several
paths through this area, but let's do it my way and go through
the door on the right.
-Now ride the elevator up and take the top-most door.
-Head up and to the right.
-Communicator Room 1:
HQ Topic: Sneakers
Enemy Topic: 2nd Plattoon
-Go northeast and collect the 1up.
-From Communicator Room 1, take the door in the northwest corner.
-Get on the moving platform and fire your arm straight up. Continue
climbing to the next Communicator Room.
-Communicator Room 2:
HQ Topic: Anti-air Convoys
Enemy Topic: Spencer, Enemy morale
-Secret 2: Yashichi
From the Communicator Room, climb up to the door on the top-left
but don't enter it. Grab the ceiling above it and use the shotgun to
start a swing. Swing off to the right and quickly fire the Arm straight
up to grab a platform (which is off-screen until you swing high enough).
Climb it and scoop up the Yashichi.
-Go through the door on the left now and ride the elevator down one
level to the Boss Room.
-Okay, you have to fight through a corridor of enemies before you reach
the Boss Room. It will be much harder if you failed to hack the enemy
network earlier. Anyway, the Bazooka is great here.
-Boss: 2nd Platoon (Commander Von Verstand and his Relentless Ranks)
Darn if this Platoon isn't just like the first one. Climb up on the
yellow platform, swing right, and grenade or swing into the Commander.
Then paint his friends dead.
Area 9 - Waste Disposal Facility
--------------------------------
Soundtrack: Leap of Faith
Items required: Permit, Blue Comms Chip
Items awarded: Vector Cannon
Secrets: 1 (Yashichi)
Enemies: Cable Backpack Soldier, Soldier, Flying Droid Operator
Boss: Siege Machine v2
</pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
-Enter the facility. Duh.
-Shotguns are the best way to defeat the Cable Backpack Soldiers, until
you beat this area and get the Vector Cannon.
-Walk right and fall down the first pit.
-Secret 1: Yashichi
As you fall down the first pit, immediately turn left. Grapple onto the
ceiling of the path to the left as you fall. If you miss it, you'll have
to call for extraction and try again. Fall down the next shaft. The
door to the Yashichi is currently locked. Reaching the door at the
beginning of the area allows you to return to it later, after you have
unlocked it. Grab the Bolted Wall and tap the Arm button rapidly to
continue to the right.
-Climb up the platforms to the right, and fall down the first pit you
find up there. Immediately turn left and grab the 1up with your Arm.
-Go back up and continue right. Go up to the Communicator Room.
-Communicator Room:
HQ Topic: Super Joe
Enemy Topic: Siege Machine v2
-Walk left and shoot the blue wall switch. Each level of conveyor belts
has one of these. Climb up and hit all 5 of them.
-It's time to backtrack to the secret door. Drop down between the holes
in the conveyor belts, keeping as far left as possible to avoid the pit
of Molten Metal that's towards the right. Fall down the Retracting
Blocks by the Communicator Room and journey west back to the Secret
Room and its delicious Yashichi.
-Note! The Yashichi is way easier to get in Co-Op than single-player.
Have one player stay at the Communicator Room while the other player
hits the switches. The one who stayed behind can travel back to the
secret door without having to bother with the conveyor belts. Once
that player passes through the Secret Door, the person who hit the
switches will be transported there as well.
-Return to the Conveyor Belts room and head all the way northeast to
the Boss Room.
-Boss: Siege Machine v2
The Siege Machine's bombs now have a larger blast radius, so you
will have a harder time standing between them to avoid being hit.
The Machine can also bust through walls. After you've destroyed the
tread, lure it forward and then run as far left as you can as it breaks
the wall. Each time you lure it forward after that, you will have to
leave 2 rows of platforms between Spencer and the boss to prevent
him from taking damage. Get just far enough to the left and climb on
the remaining platform to reach the bolts that need unscrewin'.
Once you knock out the driver, the Machine's final charge will take
out several rows of platforms, so run as far left as you can.
-Co-Op Strategy:
Remember that both players can grab a different bolt and time their
Arm button presses so that the bolts come out at the same time, knocking
out two sections of the machine at once.
Area 10 - Tech Assembly Plant
-----------------------------
Soundtrack: Heat Wave
Items required: Yellow Comms Chip
Items awarded: Health Recovery Pills
Secrets: 2 (Yashichi, Vector Cannon Upgrade)
Enemies: Droid Sprinkler Cannon, Soldier, Slime Blob
Boss: Power Pod v2
-The Droid Sprinkler Cannons are back but they can fire in more directions
than before. The Vector Cannon is a good way to deal with them.
-Proceed right until you encounter a spike pit with a spiked platform above
it. Grapple onto the platform, then swing left and immediately fire your Arm
straight up to grab the next platform.
-Now grapply the roof above you and use the shotgun to get a short swing
going. Swing to the right and quickly grab to the left, making sure your
Arm doesn't get too long and cause you to hit the wall.
-Swing right and grab the 1up.
-Swing left across the spike pit and grab the platform to the left. Climb up.
-Secret 1: Vector Cannon Upgrade
Now you could go up and left to encounter the Slime Blobs. Instead, walk to
the right and press Forward + Arm to grab the right wall. Press Arm again to
pull yourself to it, causing you to dangle from the corner. Fire the Shotgun
for momentum. Swing left and immediately shoot your Arm straight up to
grab the hard-to-reach platform. Climb up, and swing right. Use the Vector
Cannon to hit both of the blue switches and open the door.
-Drop back down and head left, allowing the slimes to carry you under the
spikes - or using the shotgun recoil to get under.
-Don't let the slimes carry you into the next spike pit. Swing left to the
Communicator Room.
-Communicator Room:
HQ Topic: Albatross progress
Enemy Topic: Power Pod v2
-Walk left and you'll see a spiked pit. Grapple onto the lower part of the
ceiling above the spikes, reel yourself in, and wait for the moving platform
to arrive. Drop onto it and ride across the spike pit, ducking under the
spiked ceiling at the end. Carefully step off the moving platform onto solid
ground.
-Fall down the pit to the left.
-Secret 2: Yashichi
The path to the right has a spiked ceiling. Duck in front of the spikes
and turn left. Fire the shotgun repeatedly until the recoil pushes you past
all the spikes to the prize at the end.
-Head left, then climb up to the Boss Room.
-Boss: Power Pod v2
Pulling the boss to the ground isn't enough this time. Once it's as far down
as you can pull it, you must run to the side, climb up a platform or two,
and then swing onto the Power Pod. Ride it until it hits rocks bottom. Make
sure you are standing on the left side, not the right side of the pod when
it hits - it's only vulnerable from that side. Joe's Machine Gun is rather
effective against the drones that aim to knock you off. Attack the boss
with the Bazooka after it has flipped.
-Co-Op Strategy:
Like before, both players will need to weigh the boss down simultaneously.
Area 11 - Furnace
-----------------
Soundtrack: Leap of Faith
Items required: Yellow Comms Chip
Items awarded: Bulletproof Vest
Secrets: 2 (Yashichi, Secret Challenge 7)
Enemies: Close Combat Soldier, Mini Tank Droid
Boss: Fabricator v2
-Swing across the ceiling, grappling onto each subsequent higher portion, until
you reach some platforms that you can drop down to. If you fall too early,
you might hit the molten metal, or you may hit an isolated platform. Ride
the moving platforms back to the start and try to take the ceiling route
again.
-All the way to the right there is a 1up to grab before you start working
your way up.
-Go up to the Communicator Room.
-Communicator Room:
HQ Topic: Albatross
Enemy Topic: Fabricator v2
-Secret 1: Secret Challenge 7
Head left from the Communicator Room, until you reach a concrete block that
bars your pathway. Swing left and drop down. There is a shaft just to the
left. Fall and quickly grapple onto the ceiling of the room in the left side
of the shaft. A small hole in the wall leads to a bolted wall. Use your arm
to open the wall. Drop and return to the Communicator Room. Go left again, but
this time don't fall after swinging over the concrete block; grapple onto the
first cylinder above instead. Swing left and try to land in front of the
second shaft. Fall down it and grapply onto the ceiling to the left. Enter
the secret door.
-Secret 2: Yashichi
It's easy to die while going for this one, so I suggest getting Secret 1 and
completing the area first. That way you can fully concentrate on the Yashichi
when you return. Head back to the Communicator Room, enter and exit, and then
go west to the same concrete block as before. Grapple just above it with your
arm, reel yourself in, and then fall down so that you are standing on the
block. Face left and grapple your arm in that direction, Now swing forward and
immediately fire your arm straight up to grab on the circular platform just to
the right of the cylinders above. You want to grab the left side of the circle
so that you can pull yourself up and slide off to the left. Just as you slide
off, fire the arm straight up and grab the next circle. From this circle,
swing left onto the first cylinder. Grapple onto the platform on the right.
Now just swing all the way left until you reach a platform which contains
a few enemies and the Yashichi.
-To progress towards the Boss Room, go left from the Communicator Room. Swing
left over the concrete block and grapple onto the first cylinder. Swing left
along the other cylinders (three rows of them) until they run out, at which
point you'll want to swing left and land on the western platform down below.
You could also grab the rooftop after the three cylinder rows if you're really
careful, in which case you'd just need to swing all the way to the most
western wall and fall down to the Boss Room door. But if you didn't grab on to
the roof, touch the Air Vent Block and grapple from the cylinder just to the
left, then the next one, and swing to the door.
-Boss: Fabricator v2
You got your Simon in my Bionic Commando! The 'ricator now attacks with three
spikes in a row. Watch the order that the lights flash and prepare to block
all three of them in sequence. If you fail to block any of the three, the
process starts over. Otherwise, the boss is the same as it ever was.
Area 12
-------
Soundtrack: Rise of the Albatross
Items required: Yellow Comms Chip
Items awarded: None
Secrets: 1 (Yashichi)
Enemies: Mini Tank Droid, Droid Sprinkler Cannon, Shielded Soldier
Boss: None
-Areas 12 and A are more challenging than most, so it'd a good idea to visit
the FSA Camps and stock up on lives before attempting the final areas.
-Go down the first elevator.
-Secret 1: Yashichi
Head left from the first elevator and enter the door. Clear the enemies away
and climb up the two platforms. Swing all the way to the right edge of the
ceiling. When you get to the end, fire your arm straight up and then reel
yourself in. Use the shotgun to make a small swing to the right, firing the
arm up again. Once you reach the top, the shotgun will help you swing right
to the Yashichi.
-Go back out and head right from the elevator. You'll come to a place with
two doors. Don't enter the left door, but do go in the Communicator Room
on the right.
-Communicator Room:
HQ Topic: Network unhackable, Keeping Haley safe
Enemy Topic: Troops moved to Albatross, electrical drainage
-At the bottom of the elevator shaft, take the left door. This leads to
the room we avoided entering earlier. The bottom path is much safer.
Climb up to the door in the middle of the room on the right side,
avoiding the electricity on the floor. Enter the door... to your destiny.
Or something.
-Inside this door, you'll want to take out the enemies with the Vector
Cannon. Then grapple and hang fromt he switch on the right part of the
ceiling until its light goes out.
-Now it's time to get out of the electrified room. You could carefully
swing over the electric shocks, but it's easier to just climb to the
top of the room and exit from there.
-Now head back down the elevator. Proceed right through the deactivated
barrier and take the next elevator.
-Go in the door on the right. Drop down and make your way left, avoiding
the electricity and destroying the droid enemies.
-Climb up to the switch, fire your arm forward to grab it, and then press
the arm button repeatedly until the switch goes off. Get out of the room.
-Take the elevators all the way down and left. You'll end up in a tunnel
thats is lined with spikes.
-This is the hardest part of the area, and yet much easier than the NES
version thanks to our friend the shotgun. Carefully grapple right and
pull yourself in. Fire the shotgun, hold right, and immediately grapple
right again. Do not allow yourself to fall at all - just quickly grab the
ceiling each time you launch yourself forward with the shotgun.
-Enter the door at the end of a cinema but no boss! The area is over.
Area A
------
Soundtrack: Rise of the Albatross
Items required: Complete Area 12
Items in area: Bazooka Upgrade, BC Prototype Weapon
Items awarded: N/A
Secrets: 1 (BC Prototype Weapon)
Enemies: Mechanical Crunchers, Droid Sprinkler Cannon, Soldier,
Heavy Weapons Soldier, Bomb Expert, Mini Tank Droid
Boss: The Leader's Helicopter
-Area A is the hardest in the game, so make sure you have lots of 1ups
from the FSA Camps before attempting it.
-Enter the second door on the right and go up the elevator.
-You'll see three doors: The Gear Room, the Gas Room, and the Electrical
Room. Tackle each one in order.
-The Gear Room:
-Drop down to the southwest corner of the room and enter the door. Hang
from the switch to turn on the Mechanical Crunchers outside.
-Walk right, carefully avoiding getting crushed by the Crunchers, and
stand on the last one. Fire your arm from atop it to proceed.
-Walk right, using the 2 moving platforms to stay off the spikes. Climb up.
-Use the Vector Cannon to thwart any enemies you see. Move left across the
Retracting Platforms. At the end of the path, wait until it's safe to
drop down the hole without being hit by Crunchers. Dropping down
onto the top one while it's extended is the way to go.
-Head back up to the door you first entered from. Soldiers now spawn
from a door on the left. You have to patiently traverse a tunnel of
Mechanical Crunchers before you reach the door. Stop and wait between
each one that you pass.
-On Easy-Hard difficulties there is a trick to skip the Gas and Electrical
rooms. First deactivate the Gear Room switch. Now get between the Mechanical
Cruncher and the gas valve. Stand as close to the gas as possible, then
turn left slightly and crouch. Fire the shotgun, pushing yourself into the
gas. Immediately run to the right through the electrical barrier! This may
take a few attempts, but it can save you a lot of trouble.
-If you didn't skip past them, here's how to complete the Gas and
Electrical Rooms:
-The Gas Room:
-Shooting the Yellow Barrels will emit a poison gas. Make sure you're far
away from them before firing.
-Drop down the series of platforms, waiting for the gas to stop spewing
from beside them each time.
-Head left. Watch out for the retracting platforms! They'll drop Spencer
onto spikes, and I happen to know that he hates spikes worse than people
who wear their baseball caps to the side. Fashion crimes aside, just
run across them without stopping, and swing from the platforms above
when you can.
-Go up and through the door.
-A tunnel full of gas valves now blocks your progress. Gasp! Wait, it's
not as hard as it looks. You can get very close to the gas without
taking damage - just make sure Rad's face doesn't touch it. Now study
the valves on the ceiling. When a valve stops firing, it's safe to walk
through it, even if it looks like gas remains in the air. Stay on your
toes and you'll make it across to the shutoff switch.
-As you make your way back, blast enemies with the Vector Cannon before
you get within their range.
-The Electrical Room:
-Head down the elevator and proceed right. Note that like the gas valves,
Rad can stand really close to the electricity without taking damage.
-Drop down the shaft and walk left. Wait for the electricity to stop,
then swing left once. Pull yourself up to the ceiling before you
hit the next electrical barrier. Wait until it stops and then use the
shotgun to swing past it.
-Go down the next elevator to a series of circular platforms. You'll
have to swing across them without falling into the electricity below.
-Ride another elevator to the first electrical switch. Pull it and
continue downward.
-Walk left between four electrical barriers and then climb up.
The second switch is behind another electrical barrier to the right,
but you can't reach it yet. Darn that switch!
-Swing left across the ceiling, avoiding the moving electrical discharge
below. Time your swing over the next discharge and flip the third switch.
Now the second switch is unguarded!
-Hit that second switch. The elevator no longer functions, so return to
the third switch and drop down. Be ready for a bunch of hostiles.
-Go right and then up to a room with circular platforms. Climb on top
of one and fire your arm straight up to a higher one. From there, grab
the ceiling, swinging if necessary, to proceed up. Exit to the left.
-Now that all 3 rooms are cleared, travel right. Collect the 1up and
go through the door.
-Now you must proceed left and up through a series of retracting platforms.
Don't worry, not every single one retracts. If you fall through one by
mistake, you can sometimes grapple onto it before plummeting to your
demise. It's important that you learn to walk across the long series of
retracting platforms. Keep your feet on two different platforms at once
so that if one retracts the other will still support you.
-Here is a step-by-step guide:
-From the door, grapple to the retracting platform to the left, and
swing to the solid platform left of that.
-From the first solid platform, swing across the long retracting platform,
landing on the solid platform on the left.
-From the second solid platform, swing all the way left. Only retracting
platforms lie here. Grapple up from each one along the left edge until
you're at the top. Swing right and land on the third solid platform.
-Swing right from the tiny retracting platforms, making your way
to the fourth solid platform, which contains a 1up.
-Drop off the 1up platform and grapple onto its underside. Swing
right, landing on the tiny platforms and dropping down to the
fifth solid platform on the right.
-Walk right across the series of retracting platforms and grapple
onto the seventh Solid platform above.
-Grapple straight up three levels of retracting platforms and then
walk left across a series of them. At the end, drop onto the final
series of retracting platforms and carefully walk across it to
the last solid platform, which holds the exit door.
-The next room contains hoards of soldiers. There is a 1up towards the
top-left, near the beginning.
-Head northeast until you find some electrical barriers, one of which
blocks a door. Head up and pull the switch to deactivate the left barrier.
-Go left, fighting the enemies you encounter, and pull the next switch.
The door to the right is now open.
-The next door has a couple of switches at the top. Kill the fascists
that block your path, pull the switches, and exit.
-Take the elevator up. Head left past the deactivated barrier.
-Get on the moving platform and then drop and hang from it. Fall onto
the second moving platform and crouch quickly. If you miss and hit the
electricity, you may still be able to pull yourself up.
-Climb up, and then drop and grapple onto the third moving platform,
pulling yourself up before it moves above the electricity.
-Ride the third platform all the way left and walk off it at the end
of its path. Grapple and pull yourself up before you strike the
electricity at the bottom.
-Pull the switch and then dispatch the enemies. Don't go right yet!
-Secret 1: BC Prototype Weapon
Now that the last switch is pulled, head back to the door that
contained two switches. You can even kill yourself
and respawn at the door. From that door go directly left past the last
deactivated barrier. Collect the FSA icon.
-Return to the last switch and head right. Fire your arm up and use
the shotgun to reach the elevator. Take the next door. There's no
going back from here.
-Climb up the platform and run left. You'll get the Bazooka Upgrade.
-Farther left you'll see two switches on the ceiling. Shoot them both
by steering your Bazooka's rockets. Take the elevator between them
up to the boss.
-Boss: The Leader's Helicopter
Use your arm to block the Leader's missiles - they won't hurt you
if you take them out from a sufficient distance. You can also shoot them
down with your Revolver. On Hard or above you'll want to Press
the Inventory button to pause the action and determine where the missiles
are coming from. If the rockets are coming from the sides, it helps to
run away from them so that you can get a better look at their trajectories.
When the helicopter drops down to fire its machine guns, run the other
way and shoot the cockpit with the Bazooka. If you're far enough
underneath the back of the chopper its bullets can't hit you. Steer a
rocket into the cockpit from there to avoid getting hit. If it misses
you'll get shot but can fire back for a sure hit. Don't shoot his bullets as
they will make your rockets explode.
Eventually the Leader will start attacking you with lasers.
Watch the direction the helicopter leans and immediately sprint in that
direction to avoid getting hurt. Press the Inventory button if you need
to slow things down and determine where he is leaning. Dodge a few times
and you'll have another opportunity to shoot the helicopter while it's
firing its machine guns.
-Even after The Leader goes down, it's still not over! Ride the elevator
back down and exit through the door on the left.
-Go right and then up. You'll see an enemy on the left - fighting him
is optional and not really a good idea. Go left and up around him,
then exit the door at the top to experience the ending sequence.
FSA Camps:
Area 13
-------
Soundtrack: Amongst Allies
Items required: N/A
Items in area: Flare, 1up
-The first door's Challenge Room unlocks Challenges 1-8.
-The door with the syringe over it contains a 1up. It's
in the top-right corner of the room.
-The room above the 1up room has the Flares.
Area 14
--------
Soundtrack: Amongst Allies
Items required: N/A
Items in area: Blue Comms Chip
-The first door contains Challenges 25-32.
-The door above the Challenge Room contains the Blue Comms Chip.
It is a lovely Comms Chip.
-The third door is locked until you complete Area 8.
-The lamp post up and to the left of the second building can be
grappled to, but it leads nowhere.
Area 15
-------
Soundtrack: Amongst Allies
Items required: N/A
Items in area: Green Comms Chip, 1up
-The first door's Challenge Room unlocks Challenges 9-16.
-The second building's upper door contains the Green Comms Chip.
-The second building's lower door contains a 1up in the usual
top-right corner.
Area 16
-------
Soundtrack: Amongst Allies
Items required: N/A
Items in area: Iron Boots, 1up
-The Iron Boots are in the very first door. How could you miss them?
-The second door is locked until you complete Area ?.
-The third door contains Challenges 17-24.
Area 17
-------
Soundtrack: Amongst Allies
Items required: Permit
Items in area: Yellow Comms Chip, 1up
-The first door contains the Yellow Comms Chip.
-The second door contains Challenges 33-40, but not love. Love is
so hard to find.
-The third door is locked until you complete Area ?.
Area 18
-------
Soundtrack: Amongst Allies
Items required: Permit
Items in area: Joe's Machine Gun
-The first door contains Challenges 41-48.
-The second door is locked until you complete Area ?.
-The third door, guarded by Desmond Troyer, or Destroyer to his friends,
is locked until you complete Area 7. Come back when that's done for
Super Joe's Lucky Sweater, I mean, Machine Gun.
Area 19
-------
Soundtrack: Amongst Allies
Items required: Permit
Items in area: Secret Tunnel locations
-The first door contains Challenges 49-56.
-The second door contains an enemy prisoner. This exchange was censored
in the American NES game. Beat him with your Arm until he confesses
the Secret Tunnel locations. You could even kill him afterwards if you
were feelin' like a villain.
-The third door is locked until you complete Area ?.
Secret Tunnels:
-To unlock these routes, go to Area 19 and find the second floor room
that contains an enemy POW. Hit him repeatedly with the Bionic Arm
to force him to reveal the secret routes.
-You can choose not to descend when passing through the Secret Tunnels,
which allows you to simply travel the overhead map faster.
-Both Secret Tunnels have a door at the beginning which can be used to
exit the area.
Secret Tunnels 14-17
--------------------
Soundtrack: Killt's Hidden Treasures
Items required: Vector Cannon (you could do this with other weapons
but it would be 20 times harder)
Items in Area: Secret Dossier
-Swing to the right and land on the moving platform. Fire the Vector Cannon
to hit the blue switch at the top of the screen.
-Swing from the platform that's above and to the right. Repeat this until you
land on a solid platform with a moving platform to the right of it. A
blue switch is visible in the bottom-right corner of the screen. Drop off
the left side of the platform you're on and immediately grapple onto its
underside. Reel yourself in and shoot the switch with the Vector Cannon.
-Climb back up and grapple onto the moving platform. Quickly reel yourself
in and ride to the right. Drop and swing from the next couple of platforms,
making your way up on top of them. At the very top another switch is visible.
Shoot it, man!
-Swing right from the platform that the third switch rests on, grappling
onto the next platform at the top. If you land on the platform beneath it
(beside some spikes), edge towards the spikes and fire your Arm straight
up to grab the platform above. Use the Shotgun to begin a swing.
-Swing right and land on the vertically-moving platform. Crouch and fire
at the switch on the bottom-left.
-Walk off the vertically-moving platform and onto the small ledge that
sticks out from the right. Turn left and face the moving platform. Grapple
onto it and reel yourself in, but don't climb onto it (obviously).
-Now use the Shotgun to help you swing right and under the next platform.
Grab onto the platform past that and pull yourself up. Risky!
-Head right by grappling under the next platform. You'll see three moving
platforms, some ugly spikes, and the final switch.
-Swing and grab the top moving platform, pulling yourself onto it. There is
a single block above you on the left side - quickly grab it before you
hit the spikes.
-Now swing right, on top of the platform with spikes under it. Notice how
there is another block above you on the right side? That block is key to
moving on, but not just yet.
-Drop down on the right side and land on the middle moving platform. Crouch
and shoot the fifth switch on the left. The last moving platform appears
to the east! Guess how you get to it! Not the hard way, silly.
-Ride the middle platform until the top moving platform is left of the spikes.
Grapple onto it, climb up, and get above the spikes again.
-Grab the block that's above and to the right, using it to swing right.
You should land on the platform with the exit door. Don't exit, silly!
-Walk off the platform to the right and grapple to the underside of the
platform. You want your Arm to be long enough so that you can see the
moving platform below you. If it's not long enough, carefully drop and
get a better grip. Drop down onto the last moving platfdorm.
-Ride the moving platform to the right. At the end of its path you have to
walk off the right side and grapple onto the platform that contains
the Secret Dossier. I find it easier to drop down and hang from the moving
platform and then swing to the last platform though.
-Just kill yourself or call for extraction. You'll keep the Dossier.
It's over, YEAH!!!!!!!!!
Secret Tunnels 15-18
--------------------
Soundtrack: Killt's Hidden Treasures
Items in Area: Helmet
-This tunnel requires lots of grappling to the bottoms of moving platforms.
Sometimes you can't grab onto them unless you are holding Up-Forward
when you press the Arm button. Odd, I know.
-Wait for the first moving platform to show up. Rather than getting on
top of it, fall and grapple onto the bottom. Reel yourself in and wait.
-Fall onto the second platform or grapple onto its bottom.
-Continue to the right, taking the upper (harder) or lower (easier) path,
until you arrive at the vertically-moving platforms.
-Swing to the vertically-moving platform to the right.
-Fall right and grab the next vertically-moving platform. Swing right
from its underside. Try to land on the stationary platform or go a
little farther and grab the bottom of the platform that the Helmet
rests on.
-Once you get the Helmet, just fall and die. There is no
reason to complete the area.
-But if you really want to, you can fall and grapple under the
platform, and then carefully swing onto the moving platform to
the right. From it, you'll want to fall and grapple onto the next moving
platform. Get on top of it and climb to the platform above that before
you hit the spikes. Good luck, ya masochist!
Overhead Areas: Destroy the anti-aircraft gun at the end to exit.
Meet With the Enemy - Marsh
---------------------------
Soundtrack: Meet with Enemy and Descend
-There is a 1up on the right side of the screen, just past where some
crates are situated on the left side of the screen.
Meet With the Enemy - Snowfield
-------------------------------
Soundtrack: Meet with Enemy and Descend
-There is a 1up just past the first house on the left.
Meet With the Enemy - Stone Desert
----------------------------------
Soundtrack: Meet with Enemy and Descend
-There is a 1up on the right, just past a stone with a wooden
cart behind it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
8. Items and Armor Locations
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Pickups: Enemies randomly drop pickups when killed, but not 1ups.
-------
-Score Token (blue sphere):
Gives you points. Points are good.
-Health Pickups (green +):
These come in 3 sizes. Larger ones replenish more health.
-1up (mini Nathan Spencer):
Adds one extra life. Each area contains a single 1up in a specific
location. They only respawn after you run out of lives and use
a continue.
Items: These are found in specific locations.
-----
-Comms Chips:
Spencer cannot use certain Communicator Rooms without their
corresponding Comms Chips.
-Red Comms Chop:
Starting item. Used in Areas 1, 4, and 5.
-Green Comms Chip:
Used in Areas 2, 3, and 6.
Found in the upper door of the second building in Area 15.
-Blue Comms Chip:
Used in Areas 7, 8, and 9.
Found in the first room on the second floor of Area 14.
-Yellow Comms Chip:
Used in Areas 10, 11, and 12.
Found in a room on the second floor of Area 17.
-Flares:
These light up Area 4.
Found in the second-floor room in Area 13.
-Health Recovery Pills:
Increases Spencer's life meter.
Awarded for completing Area 10.
-Iron Boots:
These cause Spencer to damage enemies when he swings into them.
Kickin' rad.
Found in the first door of Area 16.
-Permit:
Allows access to Areas 7, 8, 9, 17, 18 and 19.
Awarded for completing Area 3.
-Power Claw:
Allows Spencer to grab and throw enemies with the Bionic Arm.
Awarded for completing Area 6.
-Secret Dossier:
Causes a Secrets icon to pop up whenever you are near a secret area.
Found in Secret Route 14-17. See Area Walkthroughs section for
detailed instructions.
-Yashichis:
These don't do anything on their own, but Areas 1-12 all contains one.
Collect them all for an Achievement and to open the Yashichi Door
in Area 0.
Armor
-----
-Each piece of armor allows Spencer to take absorb one enemy attack
per area without taking damage. So if he wears all 3 pieces, Spencer
will not lose any life until he has taken four hits in an area. As
each piece is used, a red line will appear over it on the
Inventory screen. Armor only works for the first life you use in an area.
After you die once, armor has no effect until you fail the mission or
move on to the next area.
-Bulletproof Vest:
Awarded for completing Area 11.
-Helmet:
Found in Secret Route 15-18. See Area Walkthroughs section for tips
on reaching it.
-Shinguards:
Awarded for completing Area 8.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
9. Weapons and Weapon Upgrade Locations
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Enemies are weak or resistant to certain weapons. When they're hit
by an effective weapon, they flash red. Ineffective weapons cause
a yellow flash.
Check the Area Walkthroughs or Secrets and Yashichi Locations
sections for specific locations of the weapon uprades.
-Revolver:
The standard gun is versatile but only fires one shot at a time
until upgraded.
-Effective against: Human enemies
-Starting weapon
-Revolver Upgrade:
This allows the Revolver to fire up to 3 bullets in rapid succession.
-Found in Area 0 in a door on the second floor.
-Grenades:
Once earned, you can throw grenades at any time, regardless of which
weapon is selected. They can open some secret passages too. Only one
grenades can be thrown at a time until upgraded.
-Effective against: Anything on the ground
-Awarded for completing Area 1.
-Grenades Upgrade:
Allows Spencer to have two grenades on-screen at once.
-Found in Area 2.
-Plasma Rifle:
Can fire shots rapidly
-Effective against: Droids and Shielded Soldiers (weak against humans)
-Awarded for completing Area 4.
-Plasma Rifle Upgrade:
This allows you to charge a powerful shot by holding the fire button
and then releasing it. This kills most smaller droids in one shot.
-Found in Area 6.
-Bazooka:
This weapon is very powerful, but its rate of fire is slow and a
rocket's splash damage can kill Spencer in one hit. Enemy bullets also
cause its rockets to explode, so be careful. The bazooka can open some
secret passages.
-Effective against: Distant targets
-Awarded for completing Area 5.
-Bazooka Upgrade:
Allows Spencer to control the rocket's flight path with the right
analog stick.
-Awarded during Area A.
-Shotgun:
The shotgun is only effective at close range. Its most important function
is causing Spencer to sway back and forth when he is hanging.
-Effective against: Close enemies
-Awarded for completing Area 2.
-Shotgun Upgrade:
Increases the Shotgun's power and firing range.
-Found in Area 8.
-Vector Cannon:
Shoots a reflective laser at forty-five degree angles. The beam
disappears after the third reflection. It fires up when Spencer is
standing and down when he crouches.
-Effective against: Droids, Out of reach enemies (weak against humans)
-Awarded for completing Area 9.
-Vector Cannon Upgrade:
Adds a second beam to the Vector Cannon, making it easier to hit things
and do more damage.
-Found in Area 10.
-Joe's Machine Gun:
Fires shots rapidly, but must be reloaded after enough bullets are
fired. If you have a partially-used clip, fire off the rest of the
shots when no enemies are around to force a reload. Another little
drawback is that you can't move and fire at the same time.
-Effective against: Everything!
-Found in Area 18 after completing Area 7.
-Joe's Machine Gun Upgrade:
Does more damage and can fire more bullets before reloading.
Initially this upgrade was broken, but a patch eventually fixed it.
-Found in Area 7.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
10. Secrets and Yaschichi Locations
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Secrets include hidden items, Secret Challenge Rooms, and Yashichis.
Once you have collected a Yashichi or Secret Challenge Room, you can
die, get a game over, or call for extraction without losing the
Yashichi or Secret Challenge, as long as you make sure to complete
an Area and save the game. When playing Co-Op, either player can pick
up the Yashichi - it will still credit the first player's save file.
Weapon upgrades will only be retained if you complete the area after
picking them up.
Area 1
------
-Secret 1: Yashichi
First enter the door to the Cave so that you have a checkpoint. Go back
outside. All the way to the right there is a lamp post that you must
grapple to. You'll need to get a swing going from the small platform
with a concrete block and a red door on it, or from the roof above it.
I prefer the roof. Go back up to the cave door and swing right from the
tiny roof above that. Immediately turn left and grapple onto the roof
above the platform that I mentioned. Make sure you have a hanging swing
going after you've grappled onto it. Swing off to the right and quickly
grab onto the lamp post. If you can't grapple onto the top light, you
may be able to grab the bottom one before you hit the water. Swing
to the next light on the right, and then the third and final one. Make
sure you have good arm length for the third light and then swing off
to the right and grab the platform just above the water. Climb up
for the Yashichi. Just die or call for extraction if you can't get
back from the secret area.
-Secret 2: Secret Challenge 1
You need grenades or the Bazooka to get this. Head left from the
second Communicator room until you drop down one level and come to
a short path with a Heavy Weapons Soldier and a blue barrel. Hit
the crack in the wall with an explosive to reveal the secret area.
Area 2
------
-Secret 2: Yashichi
From the Sewer Entrance, head right until you come to a pit and
a locked door. Drop down the pit and quickly swing right. Swing again
until you land on the ground. Ride the elevator up slightly and grab the
Yashichi on the right.
-Secret 2: Grenade Upgrade
From the Communicator Room, head all the way left over the spike
pit and past the hole that leads down to the boss area.
Walk all the way to the left-most wall, just under a platform with
a Tank Droid on it. Hold Down and toss a grenade. You should hear
an explosion and a chime indicating that a secret wall has been
removed. Now wall off the edge to the right. As you fall,
immediately grapple to the left and find your way onto the
platform with the Boss Door. Up and to the left of it a passage
has been revealed. Fire your arm straight up and climb to the
door to get the Grenade Upgrade.
If you fell past the Boss Door platform, you can still get back up
to it with some creative swinging.
-Secret 3: Secret Challenge 2
Fall past the boss room and head all the way down and right for
an extra life - but watch out because falling through the holes
at this level will kill you.
Swing up and left to the elevator. Ride it like you mean it.
After riding the elevator all the way up, you'll enter a large
room that's filled with enemies. There are two switches in this
room - one on each wall. Press Forward and the Bionic Arm button
to latch onto each switch, and then tap the Arm button rapidly
until the switch lights up blue. Ride the next elevator which
is located in the top-right corner of the room. The secret door
will now be opened at the left of the elevator's exit.
Area 3
------
-Secret 1: Secret Challenge 3
From the door with the 3 above it, drop down one level and head
all the way right, which will be less than one screen's distance.
You need to blow up the top-right corner with a rocket from the
Bazooka. To do this, stand on the left edge of the platform to the
left (rather than being on the platform under the place you're
aiming for). Use your Arm to hang from the ceiling and fire a
rocket to the right, making sure you're far enough away that it
doesn't hit a rock and damage you. This will cause a path to form
up above and leading off to the right. You can swing up there and
use the shotgun to push yourself through it, but don't bother.
Just head southeast until you reach the end of the path and a
secret door.
-Secret 2: Yashichi
Exit the Communicator Room. head right across the spike pit.
After swinging right across the pit, don't fall down. Swing
as close to the right edge of the roof as possible. Swing right
and immediately fire your Arm straight up to grab the platform and
climb up. Ride the elevators up to the Yashichi, which lies in the
top right corner of the map. Go left back to the Communcator Room.
Area 4
------
-Secret 1: Secret Challenge 4
Use a grenade or rockets to blow up the lower of the two cracked
walls northwest of the Communicator Room.
-Secret 2: Yashichi
Head all the way northwest from the Communicator Room to a cracked
wall guarded by a Close Combat Soldier. Blow it up with grenades
or the Bazooka and then head left. Swing left twice over the spike
pit and quickly fire the arm straight up to grab the climbable
platform. You can also accomplish this with rapid short swings, even
if you mess up and lose your momentum. Climb all the way up and then
fall and immediately swing to the right. Climb up again and use
short, quick swings to make your way across the spike pit. The
Yashichi lies at the end. Drop down the shaft to the left.
Area 5
------
-Secret 1: Yashichi
From the start, walk all the way right until you encounter a concrete
block that you can't climb over. Walk back a little bit and start
climbing up until you reach the small building with a picture of a hard
hat on it. Get on top of that building. You want to swing from the point
on the roof above the small building that is just under a blue barrel.
Make a couple of swings until you're under the blue barrel and then
swing right to land on the concrete block. The Yashichi is just past it.
-Secret 2: Secret Challenge 5
Climb up the building. You'll eventually encounter a locked door on the
left with some sandbags and two stacked blue barrels beside it. Go up
past the second Communicator Room, all the way to the floor with the
Boss Room. There is a blue switch on the right edge of that floor.
Hit it with your Arm and fall back to the locked room.
Area 6
------
-Secret 1: Yashichi
Just after the first building, you should swing onto some blue platforms
with a Droid Operator on them. They lead to a large purple crate. From
the crate you can see two lamp posts to the right. Latch onto
the right side of the light and pull yourself up. Latch onto the next
light, trying to grab the right side. If you get the left side, pull
yourself up, then try to grab the right side again as you fall off. Once
you manage to get the right side of it, climb up and latch onto the third
light. From there, swing left and grab the platform to reach the Yashichi.
This is much easier in Co-Op as you can have one person wait on the purple
box while the other person attempts to traverse the lamps. If that person
fails, he can kill himself and respawn on the purple box. It's really
hard to get back on top of that box otherwise, as you have to carefully
swing under the platform beaneath the purple box, grab the light to the
left of it, and then pull yourself up.
-Secret 2: Plasma Rifle Upgrade
Walk all the way to the right edge of the building. Fall off the edge and
quickly and grapple to the left. You want to hang just to the left of the
right-most light and drop straight down. The door below leads to a room
with blue switches on the upper-left and upper-right parts of its walls.
Hang from the ceiling and shoot them with the Plasma Rifle to open the
locked door (the middle-most door in the room). The upgrade is inside.
Area 7
------
-Secret 1: Joe's Machine Gun Upgrade
Come back and get this secret after you get Joe's Machine Gun. Instead of
entering the door at the beginning, fall to the right and grapple the
ceiling before plummeting to your demise. Carefully grapple all the way
right, and then make your way up to the secret door. Use Joe's Machine
Gun to shoot the switch that opens it.
-Secret 2: Secret Challenge 6
Climb on top of the roof of the Communicator Room building. There are four
lamp posts to the right. Swing back and forth between them to reach the
platform to the right, using the shotgun to gain momentum as necessary.
-Secret 3: Yashichi
From the Boss Room door, walk off the edge to the right. Immediately
turn left and grapple onto the platform, being careful not to let your
Arm extend too far and knock you into the wall. Reel yourself in and then
drop down. As you fall, quickly grapple onto the ceiling of the tunnel
in the wall. If you fail, you'll hit the Land Mines, so try not to fail,
okay? Use grenades to destroy the land mines if it comes to that.
Playing in Co-Op would be helpful once again as one player could
remain by the Boss Room and act as a respawn point in case the other
player is killed by the Land Mines.
Area 8
------
-Secret 1: Shotgun Upgrade
Enter the building and head up a couple of platforms. On the right there
is a platform with a Bomb Expert, just above a platform with an Air
Vent Block. Get on the Bomb Expert's platform and use the roof above to
swing to the right. You'll need to fire the Arm straight up and cling
onto the one grabbable tile. Use the Shotgun to gain momentum and then
swing to the left and fire your Arm up to grab the roof above.
Reel yourself in and use the Shotgun for momentum. Swing right
and enter the door.
-Secret 2: Yashichi
Upon entering the Power Plant, head up and take the northwestern door.
Then take the top door, just above the Boss Room. After going through
that door, grab the ceiling above it and use the shotgun to
start a swing. Swing off to the right and quickly fire the Arm straight
up to grab a platform (which is off-screen until you swing high enough).
Climb it and scoop up the Yashichi.
Area 9
------
-Secret 1: Yashichi
At the start, enter the building, walk right, and fall down the first pit.
As you fall down the pit, immediately turn left. Grapple onto the
ceiling of the path to the left as you fall. If you miss it, you'll have
to call for extraction and try again. Fall down the next shaft. The
door to the Yashichi is currently locked. Reaching the door at the
beginning of the area allows you to return to it later, after you have
unlocked it. Grab the Bolted Wall and tap the Arm button rapidly to
continue to the right. Go up and right to the Communicator Room. Exit it
and then walk left. Shoot the blue wall switch. Each level of conveyor belts
has one of these. Climb up and hit all 5 of them. Then you must backtrack
to the secret door. Drop down between the holes in the conveyor belts,
keeping as far left as possible to avoid the pit of Molten Metal that's
towards the right. Fall down the Retracting Blocks by the Communicator
Room and journey west back to the Secret Room and its delicious Yashichi.
-Note! The Yashichi is way easier to get in Co-Op than single-player.
Have one player stay at the COmmunicator Room while the other player
hits the switches. The one who stayed behind can travel back to the
secret door without having to bother with the conveyor belts. Once
that player passes through the Secret Door, the person who hit the
switches will be transported there as well.
Area 10
-------
-Secret 1: Vector Cannon Upgrade
Now you could go up and left to encounter the Slime Blobs. Instead, walk to
the right amd press Forward + Arm to grab the right wall. Press Arm again to
pull yourself to it, causing you to dangle from the corner. Fire the Shotgun
for momentum. Swing left and immediately shoot your Arm straight up to
grab the hard-to-reach platform. Climb up, and swing right. Use the Vector
Cannon to hit both of the blue switches and open the door.
-Secret 2: Yashichi
-After the Communicator Room, walk left and you'll see a spiked pit. Grapple
onto the lower part of the ceiling above the spikes, reel yourself in,
and wait for the moving platform to arrive. Drop onto it and ride across
the spike pit, ducking under the spiked ceiling at the end. Carefully step
off the moving platform onto solid ground. Fall down the pit to the left.
The path to the right has a spiked ceiling. Duck in front of the spikes
and turn left. Fire the shotgun repeatedly until the recoil pushes you past
all the spikes to the prize at the end.
Area 11
-------
-Secret 1: Secret Challenge 7
Head left from the Communicator Room, until you reach a concrete block that
bars your pathway. Swing left and drop down. There is a shaft just to the
left. Fall and quickly grapple onto the ceiling of the room in the left side
of the shaft. A small hole in the wall leads to a bolted wall. Use your arm
to open the wall. Drop and return to the Communicator Room. Go left again, but
this time don't fall after swinging over the concrete block; grapple onto the
first cylinder above instead. Swing left and try to land in front of the
second shaft. Fall down it and grapply onto the ceiling to the left. Enter
the secret door.
-Secret 2: Yashichi
It's easy to die while going for this one, so I suggest getting Secret 1 and
completing the area first. That way you can fully concentrate on the Yashichi
when you return. Head back to the Communicator Room, enter and exit, and then
go west to the same concrete block as before. Grapple just above it with your
arm, reel yourself in, and then fall down so that you are standing on the
block. Face left and grapple your arm in that direction, Now swing forward and
immediately fire your arm straight up to grab on the circular platform just to
the right of the cylinders above. You want to grab the left side of the circle
so that you can pull yourself up and slide off to the left. Just as you slide
off, fire the arm straight up and grab the next circle. From this circle,
swing left onto the first cylinder. Grapple onto the platform on the right.
Now just swing all the way left until you reach a platform which contains
a few enemies and the Yashichi.
Area 12
-------
-Secret 1: Yashichi
Head left from the first elevator and enter the door. Clear the enemies away
and climb up the two platforms. Swing all the way to the right edge of the
ceiling. When you get to the end, fire your arm sraight up and then reel</pre><pre id="faqspan-3">
yourself in. Use the shotgun to make a small swing to the right, firing the
arm up again. Once you reach the top, the shotgun will help you swing right
to the Yashichi.
Area A
------
-Secret 1: BC Prototype Weapon
Progress through the level past the Gear, Gas, and Electrical Rooms,
and past the external retracting platforms section. The next large
room contains several switches that must be pulled to lower electrical
barriers. Once the last switch is pulled, do not go right! Instead head
back to the door that contained two switches. You can even kill yourself
and respawn at the door. From that door go directly left past the last
deactivated barrier. Collect the FSA icon.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
11. Database Entries
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Some of these things can be found in multiple places. I'm only
listing where I found them, so your experience may be slightly
different. That's what makes life interesting.
1. Locations
1. Imperial Convoys
2. Meet With Enemy
3. FSA Camps
4. Area 01
6. Area 02
7. Area 03
8. Area 04
9. Area 05
10. Area 06
11. Area 07
12. Area 08
13. Area 09
14. Area 10
15. Area 11
16. Area 12
17. Area 13-19
18. Secret Tunnels
2. Equipment
1. Weapon Handling
2. Small Health Pick-up
3. Medium Health Pick-up
4. Large Health Pick-ip
5. Score Token
6. Extra Life
7. Yashichi
8. Revolver
9. Revolver Upgrade
-Found in Area 0
10. Grenades
-Awarded in Area 1
11. Grenade Upgrade
-Found in Area 2
12. Plasma Rifle
-Awarded in Area 4
13. Plasma Rifle Upgrade
-Found in Area 6
14. Bazooka
15. Bazooka Upgrade
16. Shotgun
17. Shotgun Upgrade
18. Vector Cannon
-Awarded in Area 9
19. Vector Cannon Upgrade
-Found in Area 10
20. Joe's Machine Gun
-Awarded in Area 15 after completing Area 7
21. Joe's Machine Gun Upgrade
-Found in Area 7
22. Red Comms Chip
23. Green Comms Chip
24. Blue Comms Chip
25. Yellow Comms Chip
26. Shin Guards
-Awayded in Area 8
27. Bulletproof Vest
-Awarded in Area 11
28. Helmet
-Found in Secret Tunnel 15-18
29. Iron Boots
30. Health Recovery Pills
31. Permit
-Awarded in Area 3
32. Flares
-Found in Area 13
33. Secret Dossier
-Found in Secret Tunnel 14-17
34. Power Claw
-Awarded in Area 6
3. Enemies and Hazards
1. Patrol Soldier
2. Cover Soldier
3. Heavy Weapons Soldier
4. Shielded Soldiers
5. Bomb Expert
6. Close Combat Soldier
7. Cable Backpack Soldier
8. Fly Driod Operator
9. Fly Droid
10. Barrel Droid
11. Propellor Droid
-Found in Area 5 on Normal or higher difficulty
12. Mini-Tank Droid
13. Tank Droid
14. Droid Sprinkler Cannon
15. Imperial Sidewinder Motorcycle
-Found in the Meet the Enemy sections
16. Battery Powered Barrier
17. Central Powered Barrier
18. Bear Trap
19. Blue Rolling Barrel
-Found in the second half of Area 5
20. Slime Blob
21. Spikes
22. Quicksand
23. Molten Metal
24. Mechanical Crunchers
-Found in Area A
25. Retracting Blocks
4. Bosses
1. D-1 Beetle
2. D-1 Beetle V2
3. Siege Machine
4. Siege Machine V2
5. 1st Platoon
6. 2nd Platoon
7. Power Pod
8. Power Pod V2
9. Fabricator
10. Fabricator V2
11. The Leader's Helicopter
5. Plot Elements
1. The Database
2. The Imperial Army
3. The FSA
4. Project Albatros
5. Super Joe
6. Gottfried Groeder
7. Haley
8. Generalissimo Killt
9. The Leader
6. Environments
1. Doors
2. Air Vent Block
3. Stone Pillars
4. Cracked Wall
5. Cracked Floor
6. Mechanical Lever
7. Trigger Block
8. Bolted Wall
9. Blue Barrels
10. Yellow Barrels
-Found in the Gas Room of Area A
11. Outer Wall 1
12. Outer Wall 2
7. Technology
1. Communication Terminals
2. Communicate With HQ
3. Hack Enemy Network
4. Challenge Simulation Terminal
5. General Challenge Room Rules
6. Bullets
7. Challenge Room Stars
8. Bionic Commando Trailer
-Highlights the progression from the NES game to the new Bionic
Commando title. Check it out for a preview of the BC Retro Outfit.
On the Xbox 360, this option will prompt you to download the
video from Xbox Live.
9. www.bioniccommando.com
10. BC Retro Outfit - Unlocks original version of Radd in the next game
11. Prototype Weapon (looks like an FSA icon)
-Found in Area A behind an electrical barrier. See Secrets
section for specific directions.
12. BC Purple Matrix
-Found in Area 0 Yashichi door after collecting all 12 Yashichis.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
12. Challenge Rooms
--------------------------------------------------------------------
These must be found in the main game before they become available in
the Challenge Rooms menu. In the single-player main game you can
actually play the challenges right when you find them, but they are
unavailable in Co-Op. Some areas of the main game contain Secret
Challenges, which are listed in the Secrets section. There are
also some Unlockable Challenges that can only be accessed by code;
the Unlockables section lists these codes. Also note that scores
will only be submitted to the leaderboards if they are accomplished
while the console is online.
For a full text walkthrough of each Challenge Room, check this thread:
http://www.xbox360achievements.org/forum/showthread.php?t=86663
YouTube videos can also be a big help.
1-8: Found in Area 13
---
-1: Hooked Up
-2: Timing
5 Star Time: Under 5 seconds
Cimb onto the white platform and fire your arm diagonally to
swing from the first white ceiling tile. You have a brief moment
to fire your arm and catch the second tile.
-3: Basic Swings
5 Star Time: Under 5 seconds
-4: Make it Quick
-5: Warming Up
5 Star Time: Under 5 seconds
-6: Crescent Climbing
5 Star Time: under 3 seconds
-7: Dragon Run
-8: Hazardous
9-16: Found in Area 15
----
- 9: Three Steps
-10: Reach Out
Fall and grapple onto one of the white platforms. You have to
swing from either one and then immediately fire your Arm straight
up to grapple onto the final platform.
-11: Outer Bounds
-12: Stamina
-13: Harsh Environment
-14: The Cliffhanger
Walk off the first white ledge and immediatey turn and short
grapple to it. Do not rell yourself in. Swing to the right and
grapple to the next ledge at the closest possible point,
immediately holding up when your hook connects (not before),
and reel yourself up. Repeat this until you get to the end.
-15: Another Way
Walk off the first white platform and immediately hold right to
fire the arm horizontally and grab onto the next platform. Reel
yourself in, run to the next ledge, and repeat until finished.
-16: Roundabout
17-24: Found in Area 16
-----
-17: The Lost Cause
-18: Trial and Error
-19: Stay Away
-20: The Perfect Swing
-21: With a Swirl
-22: Bouncer
-23: Step Up
-24: Purpose in Life
25-32: Found in Area 14
-----
-25: So Many Bullets, So Little Time
-26: All About Width
-27: Five Tokens
-28: Do It Your Way
-29: Ups and Downs
-30: Graceful Fall
-31: Elevation
-32: Six Swings One Drop
33-40: Found in Area 17
-----
-33: Backtracking
-34: Another Perfect Swing
-35: Delta
-36: Drag and Drop
-37: The Ravine
-38: Hang in There
-39: Zig Zag
-40: Jumping Commando
41-48: Found in Area 18
-----
-41: Winning Formula
-42: Condor
-43: Funhouse
-44: Airborn
-45: Reach for the Top
-46: Fool Me twice (their capitalization error, not mine)
-47: Foor Floor Fall
-48: Up, up, and Away (their capitalization error, not mine)
49-56: Found in Area 19
-----
-49: Twists and Turns
-50: Nice and Slow
-51: Going Down
-52: Forked Path
-53: Torture
-54: One by One
-55: Optional
-56: Final Exam
Secret Challenges: Found in Areas 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 11
-----------------
-57: Secret Challenge 1
-58: Secret Challenge 2
-59: Secret Challenge 3
-60: Secret Challenge 4
-61: Secret Challenge 5
-62: Secret Challenge 6
-63: Secret Challenge 7
Unlockable Challenges: See Unlockables section for codes
---------------------
-Aaron Sedillo's Challenge Room
-EuroGamer Challenge Room
-GamesRadar Challenge Room
-IGN Challenge Room
-Major Nelson's Challenge Room (Xbox 360 version only)
Eagle Badge Time: 10.5
--------------------------------------------------------------------
13. Multiplayer
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Co-Op: The entire single-player game (excluding Challenge Rooms)
can be played in local (offline) multiplayer with two-players.
The second player controls a red version of Nathan Spencer,
whose unofficial name is "James Gapanese" according to
a poll at BionicCommando.com. Co-op game progress is saved on
a separate file from single-player progress. Achievements/
Medals can be earned in Co-op, but only the first player
will receive them.
-When a player loses a life, he or she will respawn
next to the remaining player.
-Some boss patterns change slightly in Co-op.
Multiplayer (Versus) Mode: This is a competitive mode for four local
(offline) players. It plays like a
simplified Smash Bros.
Characters: Stats:
-Nathan Spencer: Ammo: 3 Damage: 3 Health: 3
-Generalissimo Killt: Ammo: 3 Damage: 2 Health: 4
-Gottfried Groeder: Ammo: 2 Damage: 4 Health: 3
-Super Joe: Ammo: 4 Damage: 3 Health: 2
Modes:
-Deathmatch: The person with the most kills when time runs out or
who reaches the kill limit first wins.
-Last Man Standing: Whoever survives the longest without running
out of lives is the winner.
-Don't Touch the Floor: Weapons cause no damage but players can be
knocked down. Whoever does not touch the
floor becomes the victor.
Arenas: Soundtrack:
-Reactor Rage Bionic Commando Main Theme Rearmed
-Construction Chaos Heat Wave
-Marvelous Mountain Meet the Enemy and Descend
-Toxic Tunnel Power Plant
-Fatal Factory Heat Wave
-Platform Panic Power Plant
-Warehouse War Intruder Alert
-Subterranean Standoff Bionic Commando Main Theme Rearmed
-Lethal Liquid Rise of the Albatross
-Basement Brawl Heat Wave
Items: Players must use the Bionic Arm to pick these up unless
the Touch Pickup option is enabled under the Pickups menu.
Weapons can only be fired a limited number of times
before depleting.
-Shotgun (blue shotgun bullet)
-Plasma Rifle (3 blue lines)
-Bazooka (blue rocket)
-Vector Cannon (blue reflecting arrow)
-Joe's Machine Gun (3 blue bullets)
-Large Health Pickup (green plus)
-Shield (yellow man)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
14. Achievements, Trophies, and Medals
--------------------------------------------------------------------
These are listed according to their difficulty. All Achievements but
H4><0rz, Intel Collector, and Elite Commando can be unlocked on any
difficulty level. All Achievements but A Real Challenge can be
unlocked in co-op multiplayer but unfortunately only player one will
receive Achievements.
Single- or Multiplayer:
Meet with Anhiliation: 20 Points
---------------------
Description: Kill all foot soldiers and enemy trucks on a Meet
With Enemy sequence.
Tips: Run into a truck on the overhead map to start a Meet With Enemy
sequence. Kill every single enemy, which is really easy. Every
weapon is better than the Revolver for this task except the
Plasma Rifle.
Faster Than a Speeding Bullet: 20 Points
-----------------------------
Description: Block 100 projectiles using the claw.
Tips: Only the side-scrolling areas count towards this Achievement,
not the Meet With Enemy encounters. The block count is
cumulative - you don't have to do it all in one area. Still,
it might be easiest to just pick a spot with a stationary
enemy and block its fire repeatedly. Area 5 works very well
as you can reach up to block projectiles that can't possibly
hit you. Also blocking is essential on Super difficulty, so
you could earn this one there without even focusing
on it.
Pacifist Pride: 20 Points
--------------
Description: Clear any of Area 1 - 12 without firing your gun.
Tips: You are allowed to use grenades and swing into enemies or throw
them while going for this Achievement. Early on, Areas 5 is
the easiest place to go for it. You don't have to kill any
enemies to reach the end of the level, though the Propeller
Droids may be hard to dodge. The boss likes grenades... And
of course by "likes grenades" I mean that he can be killed
by them. If you're really patient, Area 12 is even better
than Area 5. You only have to kill one enemy (the last
Shielded Soldier) and there is no boss. Finally, if you're
having trouble on Normal, you can always do this on Easy -
just remember that starting a new game will erase your existing
save file.
Cat Burglar: 20 Points
-----------
Description: Get to the boss of Area 05 within one minute and thirty
seconds.
Tips: This will take multiple tries. I recommend doing it after
you have all the other items so that you can shake off a few
hits. Ignore enemies as much as possible and stick to the right
side of the tower as you climb up, moving left as necessary.
If you're fast enough you can avoid fighting or getting hit by
the flying enemies. Enter the only second communicator room,
Contact HQ, back out, and hurry up to the boss room. You
should receive it after entering the last door.
Clean as a Whistle: 20 Points
------------------
Description: Clear Area 02 without touching a slime blob.
Tips: Make sure you have the shotgun before attempting this
Achievement (of course). If a blob touches you, pause and
call for extraction.
When you enter the first door, immediately run right and drop
off the starting platform. You must grapple up-right and pull
yourself up right away; any hesitation will do you in. Make
sure you don't hold forward while attempting the all-important
first grapple, either. Once you are safely dangling, it's
just a matter of using the shotgun to swing and avoid the
blobs. Head straight to the boss after entering the first
Comm Room.
The Emperor's New Clothes: 20 Points
-------------------------
Description: Obtain the Shin Guards, the Bulletproof Vest and the
Helmet.
Tips: The only one you'll have to go out of your way for is the Helmet
in Secret Tunnel 15-18, as the others are awarded for completing
Areas 8 and 11 as you progress through the game. See the Area
Walkthroughs section for tips on reaching the Helmet.
Private Arsenal: 20 Points
---------------
Description: Obtain every weapon and weapon upgrade.
Tips: Revolver Upgrade: Found in Area 0.
Grenades: Awarded for completing Area 1.
Grenades Upgrade: Found in Area 2.
Plasma Rifle: Awarded for completing Area 4.
Plasma Rifle Upgrade: Found in Area 6.
Bazooka: Awarded for completing Area 5.
Bazooka Upgrade: Awarded during Area A.
Shotgun: Awarded for completing Area 2.
Shotgun Upgrade: Found in Area 8.
Vector Cannon: Awarded for completing Area 9.
Vector Cannon Upgrade: Found in Area 10.
Joe's Machine Gun: Found in Area 18.
Joe's Machine Gun upgrade: Found in Area 7.
See Weapons and Upgrades section for full details.
One Dozen Yashichis: 20 Points
-------------------
Description: Collect all twelve hidden Yashichis - one from each of
Area 01 - 12.
Tips: See the Secrets and Yashichi Locations section. Go on, I dare
you.
Intel Collector: 5 Points
---------------
Description: Acquire all database logs.
Tips: This Achievement cannot be earned on Easy difficulty because
the Flying Droid enemy only appears on Normal or higher.
Browse the Database Entry Locations section for more tips.
H4><0rz: 10 Points
-------
Description: Hack through all the hacking games on Hard.
Tips: This can be earned on Super Hard difficulty if you want to
make your Super Hard playthrough even more tedious and
challenging. Challenge Room puzzles are harder and have time
limits on Hard and Super Hard.
Elite Commando: 5 Points
--------------
Description: Clear the game on Super Hard.
Tips: View this thread for useful tips:
http://www.xbox360achievements.org/forum/showthread.php?t=86567
Single-Player Only:
A Real Challenge: 20 Points
----------------
Description: Acquire at least one star in each of the Challenge
Rooms 1 - 56.
Tips: The Challenge Rooms section of this guide has the answers
you seek.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
15. Unlockables, Easter Eggs, and Glitches
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Unlockables
-----------
Rearmed:
-Super Hard Difficulty:
Beat the game on any difficulty to unlock this punishing difficulty.
-Friendly Fire Mode:
Requires two-players to unlock and only affects Co-Op games. See the
Area 0 part of the Walkthrough for details.
-Unlockable Challenge Rooms:
At the title screen (not the main menu) enter these codes to
access a few hidden Challenge Rooms. They will appear at the end of
the Challenge Room list. Unfortunately you must enter the codes
each time the game boots up and only one code can be active at a
time. These codes only work on English versions of the game.
An Xbox 360 Controller is required to use the codes in the PC version.
-IGN Challenge Room:
-Xbox 360 and PC:
Up, Down, Y, X, X, Y, Down, Up, Left Bumper, Left Bumper, Start
-Playstation 3:
Up, Down, Triangle, Square, Square, Triangle, Down, Up, L1, L1, Start
-GamesRadar Challenge Room:
-Xbox 360 and PC:
Right Bumper, Y, X, X, Up, Down, Left Bumper, Left Bumper, Up, Down, Start
-Playstation 3:
R1, Triangle, Square, Square, Up, Down, L1, L1, Up, Down, Start
-EuroGamer Challenge Room:
-Xbox 360 and PC:
Down, Up, Down, Up, Left, Left Bumper, X, Left Bumper, X, Y, Start
-Playstation 3:
Down, Up, Down, Up, Left, L1, Square, L1, Square, Triangle, Start
-Aaron Sedillo's Challenge Room: This is a user-submitted design
from a Capcom contest.
-Xbox 360 and PC:
Right, Down, Left, Up, Left Bumper, Right Bumper, Y, Y, X, X, Start
-Playstation 3:
Right, Down, Left, Up, L1, R1, Triangle, Triangle, X, X, Start
-Major Nelson Challenge Room (Xbox 360 only):
Left Bumper, X, X, X, Right, Down, Left Bumper, Left, Y, Down, Start
Bionic Commando (the retail game, not Rearmed):
These unlocks are tied to the game's save data on Playstation 3 and PC,
while the Xbox 360 version generates a unique code which is possibly
tied to the console or user's GamerTag.
-BC Retro Outfit:
Play as the classic version of Rad Spencer in the new game. Unlocks
automatically.
-BC Prototype Weapon:
Found in Area A. Details coming soon.
-BC Purple Matrix:
Collect all 12 Yashichis and then enter the Yashichi Door in Area 0.
Easter Eggs
-----------
-In Area 5 the wrecking ball from the NES game does not show up as a
hazard, but there is a poster of it on the wall.
-There is also a poster of the yellow hard hat enemy from the Mega Man
series in Area 5.
Glitches
--------
Rearmed was developed by Grin, not Backbone Entertainment, so there
aren't any glitches. ;) Just kidding, there's a few.
-When playing Area 4 in Co-Op, if one person enters the
cave while the other stays outside, it gets dark outside too.
-The Playsation 3 version sometimes crashes while saving, particularly
in the Challenge Rooms. This causes the user's save file to be
deleted! Augh!!! This problem may
-The upgraded version of Joe's Machine Gun does not increase its
clip size over the non-upgraded weapon like it's supposed to.
Will this be fixed in a patch?
--------------------------------------------------------------------
16. Patches
--------------------------------------------------------------------
All three versions received a patch after release. The console patches
fixed the Joe's Machine Upgrade. Before the upgrade did nothing, but
now it works. Easy and Normal modes were made easier in several
ways: some stages receive slight tweaks (and Albatross B
has been excluded), players respawn closer to where they died, and
lives are now unlimited on Normal.
The Playstation 3 patch adds Trophy support. Save files created
prior to the patch must be deleted in order for Trophies to work.
The PC patch is version 1.01 and must be downloaded and installed
manually (unless you bought the game from Steam). It fixes Joe's
Machine Gun Upgrade and improves graphical performance. It does
not rebalance the difficulty.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
17. Links and Resources
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Bionic Commando fans will enjoy some of these links. Of course they
are subject to change without notice. Nothing is forever, baby.
-The official Bionic Commando website: bioniccommando.com
-The official game site on the net, loaded with videos,
stellar podcasts, and comics. Sadly lacks information on Rearmed 2.
-The Bionic Commando Database:
http://www.thealmightyguru.com/Reviews/BionicCommando/Wiki/
index.php?title=Main_Page
-All the information you could want about each entry in the
Bionic Commando series, including maps, translation notes, and more.
-Hardcore Gaming 101: Bionic Commando:
http://hardcoregaming101.net/bioniccommando/bioniccommando.htm
-While this article is written in nerd-speak, it's easily the best
rundown of the history of the series.
-The Bionic Commando Rearmed Soundtrack (c/o Sumthing Digital):
https://www.sumthingdigital.com/AlbumDetails.aspx?albumid=3664
-Purchase this awesome soundtrack in MP3 format with no DRM for
only $9.99. They also offer the sequel's soundtrack for $9.99,
the NES soundtrack for $2.99, and "The Bionic Jam" song for $.99.
-Bionic Commando Soundtrack Covers and Booklets:
http://www.bioniccommando.com/en/fan_site_kits
-If you like Rearmed's soundtrack, you'll probably enjoy
brilliant composer Simon Viklund's extensive liner notes.
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18. Special Thanks
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-Thanks to the staff at Grin who were very supportive in the making
of this FAQ. Grin will be sorely missed.
-Thanks to website Hardcore Gaming 101 for information on the series
history.
-GameFAQs and BionicCommando.com forums user BTHR Zero X did a great
job of compiling all the item locations in one place, which I
referenced occasionally for this guide.
-Xbox Live and Achieve360Points Forum user Nitramuse provided
the full list of Database entries, saving me valuable typing time.
Thanks for your support, dude!
-Thanks to the Bionic Commando headquarters fansite and its contributer
Zexyz for providing a few details about the differences between
the Famicom and NES versions of Bionic Commando.
-GameFAQs user Darius Triplet provided lots of detailed information
about weapon and item functions as well as the Hard difficulty.
-Landis Casner gave me some tips (and even a video) for unlocking
Friendly Fire mode.
-Gardevoir2040, whose identity remains a mystery to most, risked
detection by the TimeCops just long enough to provide a tip for
earning the Pacifist Pride Achievement/Medal.
-GameFAQs user Griffinmills compiled a comprehensive list of the
many differences between NES Bionic Commando and Rearmed, from
which I hand-picked the most significant for the Rearmed Versus
Original section of this FAQ.
-BionicCommando.com moderator DVincent pointed out that Steam
now sells the game, which I had totally forgotten about.
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19. Contact Information
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EastFAQs: Making games eastier since 2003!
I'd love to receive your suggestions and questions.
Email: eastfaqs at gmail dot com
Xbox Live and Steam username: EastX
Sega Saturn Net Link Handle: Eastman
Bionic Commando Rearmed copyright 2008 Capcom Co., Ltd.
This document is copyright 2011 by Paul Acevedo. It may not be posted
anywhere but gamefaqs.com, ign.com, and mycheats.com without
permission.
Behind every Bionic man, there's a Bionic woman.
