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

Bionic Commando (1992)

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

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

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

↑ Rad Spencer looking extra rad, extra bionic.

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

↑ New, GameBoy-tailored designs abound!

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

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

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

Mega Man IV (1993)

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

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

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