Together Retro: Captain Commando

[racketboy]

Trying out this under-loved sidescrolling brawler for August.
Share your thoughts here
http://www.racketboy.com/retro/2009/08/ ... mando.html

[SpaceBooger]

A good reason to boot up the arcade cab again!
Like you Racket, I have never played this game... instead I keep playing the same Beat 'em ups. Time for something new.

[Dakinggamer87]

Captain Commando is a classic.. I haven't played this gem in years..

[SpaceBooger]

So I just played it on my arcade cab and if I was spending real money I would have gone through at least $8 in quarters. These Capcom beat-em-ups are challenging.

[Ramatut4001]

I love Captain Commando. This a TR I can participate in!

[racketboy]

I love Captain Commando. This a TR I can participate in!

And I finally realized your avatar is from CC as well

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

Captain Commando rocks, what other game lets you beat up people in both an aquarium and a space station!?!

None, that's how many.

[Hatta]

Yeah, it is pretty hard. That last boss is super cheap too.

[DCsegaDH]

The first time I played this game was on the Capcom Classics Collection game,its really fun.

[Luke]

I’m kind of surprised this thread isn’t loaded of reviews and comments for Captain Commando. Sure, it’s a cliché 1990’s side-scrolling beat ‘em up that borrows many elements from other fighters, but it redeems itself by its level designs and great co-op play. Here’s a quick review of my thoughts on the game.

Keeping up with the tradition of every other fighter in the 90’s, Captain Commando’s intro informs us that a bad guy has taken control of a metropolitan city. Captain Commando also keeps the tradition of showing said bad guy looming over the city. It’s the classic beginning to a 90’s video game.


So after you either press start or pop a quarter in, you get a choice of four characters to control: a stock hero, a Ninja, a knife wielding anorexic, and a baby in some type of mini tank. The best way I can describe the Baby Head character is it looks like a baby controlling ED 209.


(btw-if you haven’t seen Robocop lately, shame on you)

Like most beat ‘em ups, each character has their own special move that drains their own energy, but is worth using when surrounded. Mack the Knife’s move reminds me a lot of Leonardo’s move from TMNT 3 on the NES.



The similarities to TMNT, Final Fight, and Streets of Rage don’t stop there. They have similar characters, bosses, health gauges, attacks, power ups, level designs (elevator and surfing come to mind), and stories.

(recognize this guy?)

Does it take anything away from the game? Not to me. It’s still great, but much better when playing with a friend. The point power-ups are great, who knew that collecting Teddy bears and prints of Mona Lisa would be so valuable. The weapons are a refreshing addition too. Grenade launchers, pistols and assault rifles are a welcome change to what would seem to be a regular run of the mill side-scroller. In short, it’s an arcade classic that has aged really well, and is worth a second look –or a first look if you haven’t played it yet.