Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine

Live Arcade Thievery

Monaco is a throwback to the tabletop games of old. It takes a top-down view in the same vein as the classics of the eighties, Pac-Man, Space Invaders, and Centipede. I can still remember waiting for a table at Western Sizzler as a child and playing a tabletop Ms. Pac-Man, but I digress. This Xbox Live Arcade beauty has won several independent game of the year awards. It has a 79 on Metacritic, which is pretty good considering its graphics would fit right in with those other tabletop games. Let's just say they don't rely on stunning CG to cover the lack of a quality game.

Monaco proves you don't need mind-blowing graphics to create an enjoyable game. It has a fun story, a good sense of humor, a nice melange of character options, and challenging gameplay. Put them all together and you get a unique game that takes you back fondly to your earliest years in video gaming. You can keep the "you're old" jokes to a minimum. I realize I'm dating myself here. The comparison to Ms. Pac-Man or, more accurately, Gauntlet, are apt in both visual depiction and enjoyment.

The gist is that you are a part of an Ocean's Eleven-like team of thieves, burglars, and general n'er-do-wells. Holding down L2 or left trigger put you into "sneak" mode. This made you fairly hard to detect, but if you walked in front of an officer, it didn't matter at all. You start the game with four of the eight character types. The other four must be liberated from captivity before they can be used. Along the line you rob banks, steal yachts, crack safes, kill cops, and cause country-wide mayhem. The story was cute, but not where developers placed their focus. The focus was clearly on unique and addictive gameplay.

All of the speaking in the game is in French, which is strange considering the developers are based out of San Francisco. However, I suppose the events of the game do take place in Monaco, so it makes sense on those terms. You can play the game in single player mode, but it really shines when four players are trying to be stealthy together. The chaos is unlike anything I've seen in Halo or Call of Duty. Instead of it being four times easier, as is usually the case when you fill out a multiplayer team, it was four times more challenging. Keeping one character hidden is hard enough. Keeping four out of all the guards' line of sight was nearly impossible. I was definitely the weak link in the chain, too. In my defense, my friends had been playing for two weeks and it was my first time. Now that you've heard my excuse, you'll understand I know that of which I speak when I say that you spend a LOT of time in multiplayer reviving teammates. 

The line-of-sight display used in Monaco means you can only see what was visible by your flashlight or ambient light from the environment. Even though certain rooms may be on the screen, unless you are physically in them you can't see what's going on. It would be nice to know whether there are cops inside or not. This effective visual decision made picking locks and entering new areas nerve racking, but in a good way. It was one of the little stealth additions that make Monaco a success. When you aren't relying on stunning graphics as so many of today's games do, you absolutely must have extra polish on your gameplay to get any attention at all from the gaming public. 

cast of characters

There are eight playable character types in Monaco. Each one brings a certain set of skills to the action. I found the Cleaner to be the most effective in the early going. Later on, the unlockable Mole became a personal favorite. Here is a list of the characters and their powers:

• The Hacker can disable computers and cameras faster than other characters. He can also create computer viruses from outlets. 
• The Cleaner can knock out unsuspecting guards. If they don't see you coming, you can put them to sleep for a short period of time. The Cleaner also uses med-packs faster than other characters. 
• The Pickpocket has an adorable pet monkey that collects coins and other loot for him. Hector (the monkey) won't alert guards, so you can stay hidden while he does the dirty work for you. The Pickpocket also hides in bushes faster than his compatriots. 
• The Gentleman can create a disguise while hidden. It doesn't last very long, but can be vital in keeping you from meeting your maker when being tailed by five or six trigger-happy coppers. For some reason, they don't seem to realize that they were shooting at you not seconds before once you don a disguise. He also enters getaway vehicles faster than the other thieves, but I never found that to be an advantage as you were pretty much free-and-clear once you reached the car. 
• The Mole has the ability to chomp through most walls and obstructions. This was invaluable when you were trying to escape from a bevy of guards. It also made getting around the board more straightforward. One of the problems I had with the game was the inability to tell what was a door and what was a wall. With the mole, you could go through either. 
• The Redhead has the ability to seduce a single enemy. More than one and she was toast, but she can get one guard to chill out if he's chasing her by himself. She also revived teammates faster than any other character type. 
• The Locksmith can, fairly obviously, pick locks very quickly. That includes doors, safes, cash registers, and ATMs. 
• The Lookout has the useful abilty to see every guard on a level while sneaking. She can move faster than any of the other types. She can also open windows, vents, and stairs faster than the rest. 

retro revolution

The music is as retro as the graphics. It brings to mind Scott Joplin and leans heavily on piano music from the first half of the twentieth century. The opening music sounds like it belongs in a saloon in Dodge City with Wyatt Earp dealing Faro. It also plays a part by informing the action. When you are undetected, there is little to no soundtrack. Someone just tickles the ivory. However, when a posse of guards is hot on your trail, the Joplin-esque piano really kicks into high gear. I found it to be a quality addition that really improved the overall experience. 

The game is very challenging, sometimes a bit too much so. It operates under the same gameplay model as those previously mentioned games from the eighties. You aren't supposed to be able to clear a level on your first try. This model varies widely from most modern games. Many of today's titles have levels that are passable on your first try. The focus is more on progressing the story line than mastering each individual level. For example, I knew every level warp, extra life, secret trick, and negative world in Super Mario Brothers. In today's games, an online walkthrough is almost always required to learn every secret that a title has to offer. For completionists, online walkthroughs have become a completely necessary part of the gaming experience. Many people, myself included, purchase 400-page game guides in order to achieve the same level of knowledge about a game that used to be acquired via multiple deaths and playthroughs. 

One reason for this shift in gaming trends is simply the size of games. HowLongToBeat.com claims Ms. Pac-Man takes 2-3 hours to beat, but I never came anywhere close to lasting that long. It took 3-4 hours to cover every level of Super Mario Brothers. Some single missions in Skyrim could take that long. To reach the same level of completionist OCD relief in Skyrim as Mario, you would have to spend at least 200 hours playing the game. If Skyrim missions were as difficult as those in Monaco, that number would be closer to 1,000. At first, the requirement that you replay levels over and over was a tad annoying. As the game went on, though, I grew to love the older style of gameplay. Like Mario Brothers and Pac-Man, you are given three lives in Monaco. Once you use them up, it's game over. It's been quite a while since I played a game with a limited number of lives. The retro-style design and gameplay were great fun and a nice change of pace from most of my recent fare. Although it could be a bit disheartening when you failed a level for the tenth time, it made it all the sweeter when you finally cleared it. I did more yelling at this game on my television than I have at anything short of sports for a long time, both out of anger and sheer joy.

the math

Objective Score: 8/10

Bonuses: +1 for making a supremely rewarding game despite the lack of graphics on par with this generation's biggest titles. I'm not a huge "independent" gamer, but Monaco has convinced me to give more Live Arcade indie titles a try. 

Penalties: -1 for being so difficult as to possibly turn off some gamers before they really get into it. If I didn't have to play it for this blog, I might not have made it through.

Nerd Coeffecient: 8/10. Well worth your time and attention. 

Retro Review: Mega Man

Today it's time for a walk down memory lane. I'll be reviewing the 8-bit Nintendo classic Mega Man. It has spawned at least 50 sequels on various consoles and was one of the most popular games on the original Nintendo system. This was in my top 5 favorites on the 8-bit machine along with Super Mario Brothers, Mike Tyson's Punch Out, Bionic Commando, and Contra. The one thing these games all have in common is their replay-ability. I spent a good portion of my elementary and middle school years playing these games, probably in the thousands of hours, as depressing as that admission may be. Mega Man's boss fights and weapon upgrades were a first in those early days of gaming. 

For those who were on Mars and didn't play Mega Man, it was a side-scrolling shooter-type game where you had to face a series of six enemies before facing the evil Dr. Wily in order to finish the game. Once you beat an enemy you were able to take on their powers in order to use them against the rest of the evil robots you faced. All seven robots, the evil six and Mega Man, were created by Dr. Light. However, his assistant Dr. Wily stole the robots and re-programmed them to follow his evil commands. Mega Man was the only one who was able to withstand the re-programming and he is tasked with fighting through his former brethren in order to stop Dr. Wily. 

the enemies

Bombman

As if you couldn't guess, Bombman throws bombs at you. Once you reach him, he jumps around the room tossing bombs in your general direction. As long as you could avoid the explosions, he was a relatively easy boss to take down. His only chance was to get you stuck in a corner and blast away. If you kept moving, you were probably fine. I usually started off with Bombman due to his easy beat-ability. It's like basketball, start shooting layups and work your way out to three pointers to build your confidence. 

Gutsman

Gutsman, on the other hand, was one of the most difficult levels in the game. Not only was his level one of the hardest, Gutsman was one of the two hardest bosses in the game. Gutsman would jump into the air. When he landed, it could not only damage you, but it also dropped a boulder that he would throw at you that caused considerable damage. Using the power you gained from Bombman was the best way to take him down. Hitting him with three bombs was enough to waste him and move on to the next level. 

Cutman

Cutman's level was a lot harder than he was, but there was a key to beating him that, if you screwed it up, meant your life. I died a lot more falling from beams in this level than I ever did from Cutman. The aforementioned key to beating him involved using the power you gained from Gutsman. Cutman was probably the most agile opponent you faced. He flew around the room and tossed boomerang-shaped scissors at you. There were two boulders in the room that you had to pick up and use to hit him. If you scored on both hits, he was done. If not, you were probably the one that ended up dead. 

Elecman

Elecman was another of the more difficult enemies in the game. He shot an electrical beam in all directions and three hits from it was all she wrote for our hero. On the flipside, if you used the power you gained after beating Cutman, you could finish him off in three shots, as well. His level included many electrical obstacles that required split-second timing to negotiate. Other than Gutsman, this was likely the toughest level to get through in order to reach the boss. 

Iceman

Iceman was a relatively easy beat if you had already taken down Elecman. He, fairly obviously, shot ice arrows at you while floating through the air. You had to jump between the ice arrows in order to avoid damage, but retaliating with your Elecman power quickly finished him off. Once you got the timing of his attacks down, he was easy to deal with.

Fireman

I usually saved Fireman for last because he was pretty tough. Using common sense you could figure out that the powers you gained from Iceman were the best attack to use against him. Every time you hit him, he fired a blast of fire at you. All you had to do was time your jump over it correctly, then hit him again. However, this was harder than it sounds. His attack was a large fire burst and it was easy to mess up your timing and get burned. Other than his attack being quite powerful, he was a relatively easy boss because he never left the ground and never fired at you until you fired first. So long as you timed your jumps perfectly, he was not that difficult, but timing your jumps perfectly took some measure of practice. By the end of my Mega Man playing days I could do it with my eyes closed, but when I first got the game this maneuver was one of the more difficult moves to pull off consistently. 

Dr. Wily

Getting to Dr. Wily was pretty tough. You had to fight past another two new bosses as well as facing all of the other boss characters again. First off is a big lava monster that shot parts of himself, boiling lava, at our hero. When he opened his eye to attack, you had to hit him in it. There was no other way to damage the guy. After him, you had to battle Cutman and Elecman again. Then you fought a Mega Man clone. He had all your powers with the minor detail that they're more powerful than yours. After you killed off your clone, they brought in someone I've seen called "Bubbleman". He fires bubbles. Scary, I know. The room has four boulders in it, hinting that your Gutsman power is probably the best way to beat him. After that, you re-fight Bombman, Fireman, Iceman, and Gutsman in that order. Finally, it's time to meet the big boss himself.

Dr Wily appeared in his red spaceship and fired at you with his cannon. After you were able to destroy his cannon, Wily's damaged ship started its last gasp attacks. His cannon and cockpit both explode and his attacks sped up considerably. Once you finally hit him enough using a variety of the powers you gained throughout the game, you win! Woohoo! 

why i loved it

The total gameplay time was probably a bit under 10 hours. It wasn't like Super Mario Brothers where you could sit down and beat it in an hour or two. Other than Zelda, it was one of the longer great NES games that required a bit of time input to finish. When you put a decent amount of time into a game, the payoff seems like it's more worth the effort than shorter, albeit fantastic games like Mario Bros. and Contra. Mega Man also took a considerable amount of time to figure out how to beat each level. Unlike today's games where, unless you're playing on Insane difficulty you can usually clear most levels with five deaths or less, I probably died 10-20 times per level in Mega Man. Games have changed considerably in that facet over time. Very few of today's games require so many attempts to clear a level or beat a mission. Although they have vastly increased in story quality, their overall difficulty has definitely dropped since the days of Mega Man and its ilk. 

Mega Man was one of the greatest games on the original 8-bit Nintendo. Although it may have spawned a few too many sequels, the original will always hold a special place in my heart. Hopefully it does for you, too. I hope you've enjoyed this trip down memory lane. Next week I'll get back to current games and review Bioshock Infinite. See you then!

the math

Objective score: 9/10

Bonuses: +1 for breaking ground in games by adding the ability to add power-ups to your weaponry.

Penalties: -1 for taking the easy way out by having you replay each boss in the final level.

Nerd coefficient: 9/10. Very high quality/standout in its category.

Bionic Commando Rearmed

A Classic Re-booted

Let me start by saying the original Bionic Commando was one of the games I played most on the 8-bit Nintendo. The only game I finished more than it to this day is probably Super Mario Brothers, the third being Mega Man, which I plan to review in an upcoming post. When I had an hour free to play a game, I beat Mario. When I had four hours free, I beat Bionic Commando. Mega Man could be difficult and wasn't the guaranteed win that I had in Mario and Bionic Commando (I'm looking at you, Gutsman!). To say I spent a good portion of my younger years on the original would be an understatement. I honestly don't want to know how much time I spent playing Bionic Commando because the results would likely be both shocking and a bit depressing.

The designers made it a priority to stick as much as possible to the original look and feel of the game without having it actually look 8-bit. With that mission, they overwhelmingly succeeded.

What's New?

While the designers stuck to the original in most areas, there are some new additions. The main upgrades are in the music and graphics. It has a new soundtrack that takes advantage of current console capabilities while staying true to the music from the original. The melodies and themes are identical, just produced using modern synthesizers. As a huge devotee of the classic, the soundtrack made me feel right at home.

The graphics were also completely re-done. Again, the developers took full advantage of the capabilities of the modern console and Rearmed really looks fantastic. Although it's technically a 2D side scrolling game, it appears much more three dimensional than the original. Even though you can only travel on the X-axis, everything from Nathan Spencer (you) to the environments and buildings have more of a 3D look than the 8-bit version.

If you remember, or even if you don't, there were particular zones in which your pilot would drop you on the map to partake in the game's action. The red zones on the map are controlled by the Federation (the good guys), also known as the FSA. The white zones are enemy areas controlled by the Empire (the bad guys) where fighting and boss battles take place. Challenge zones were added to the game's neutral areas to give them more of a raison d'etre, as it were. They were pretty bland in the first version so these areas were added in order to give you something else to do while there. They involve timed challenges where you navigate different areas using your bionic arm. Enemies aren't involved. It's all about using your arm to get around and avoid spikes and other dangers. I didn't do all of these for the sake of time, but the ones I did were fairly entertaining. You get a grade and some extra points out of successful, timely completion.

Another addition is the ability to play cooperatively with a friend. Unfortunately I don't know anyone that bought Bionic Commando Rearmed so I wasn't able to partake in this addition, but it's something I would have really enjoyed. 

So What's the Downside?

One glaring omission is the purposeful removal of all Nazi references. The Japanese version of the game included them, but they were taken out for western audiences as pictured above. As you may recall, Project Albatross was the name for the Empire's plan to re-animate Adolf Hitler. Your job is to stop them and save missing FSA agent "Super Joe". However, the final boss still has an uncanny resemblance to history's greatest monster and he is referred to as "The Leader", a direct English translation of Der Fuhrer. Even so, I hate to see classics cleaned up for the sake of political correctness. Besides, if it could pass in the 80s, why is it faux pas today? 

Summary

While this game doesn't really hold up against today's best selling games with regard to graphics, the gameplay is just as sharp as Modern Warfare or Skyrim. Playing this re-boot of a Nintendo classic brought back some great memories. For fans of the original that are looking for a trip down memory lane, I can't recommend this more highly. It doesn't break any new ground, but it wasn't supposed to. Bionic Commando Rearmed is just a modernized version of the 1980s classic made for those of us who didn't hang on to our 8-bit systems and cartridges for three decades. If you're looking for the next Modern Warfare, you should probably try Battlefield instead. For those of you that are as old as I am and actually owned an 8-bit Nintendo when they were the height of technology, Bionic Commando Rearmed provides a fun gaming experience paired with soothing reminiscence and nostalgia. If you loved the original, you'll love this one, too. 

The Math

Objective score: 8/10

Bonuses: +1 for holding true to a bona fide video game classic.

Penalties: -1 for caving to PC pressure and removing the Nazi references.

Nerd Coefficient: 8/10. Well worth your time and attention. 

Read about our scoring system, in which average is a 5/10 here.

8-Bit Remix Jam!

Happy Friday!