Commando is a vertical-scrolling WWII run n' gun game released for the arcades in 1985 by Capcom and later ported by Elite Software LTD to multiple home computer formats such as the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, MSX and the 16bits Atari ST and Amiga systems. There were also additional ports for some video game consoles such as the Atari 5200, Atari 7800, Nintendo NES etc. The game is exceptional for its gameplay, though it's a bit tough.
Review
STORY / GAMEPLAY You are Super Joe, a Special Forces member, dropped (from a helicopter) into a jungle aiming to rapidly eliminate a massive army of enemy soldiers. You are called to shoot your way through large numbers of military hordes and save the prisoners of war. Your mission is quite tough and the only you can trust is your machine gun and your (limited) hand grenades. The enemy soldiers are either wandering around shooting and throwing grenades at you or they hide in various spots, drive army vehicles towards you etc. So shoot, shoot and...shoot again and do not forget, by any means, to rescue the captured soldiers from the enemy!
GRAPHICS / SOUND The game features nice visuals, without having to fill the screen with impressive details. The CPC version uses good colors (although this...mustard-colored ground looks pretty odd) and nicely detailed levels (including trees, lakes, bridges, vehicles, barracks etc). The sound on the CPC is very good, including a menu tune and an in-game tune, including a few sound FX (like gunfire). Note the funny sound (cartoonish) when you get killed!
COMPARISON Compared to the other 8bit versions, the C64, ZX and BBC Micro I must say that the C64 version runs smoother in terms of gameplay and also the intro music on the 8bit Commodore is better (but of limited sound FX). The Sinclair ZX version is playable enough too (much like its competitors) and the 128k-based systems offer great sound including a nice in-game tune (better than the one found on the CPC!). I've spent many hours in playing this excellent title and I must admit that I'm still doing it!
CPU: ZiLOG Z80 4MHZ MEMORY: 64 KB or 128 KB of RAM depending on the model (capable of being expanded to 512k using memory extension boards) GRAPHICS: Motorola 6845 address generator, Mode 0: 160x200 / 16 colors, Mode 1: 320x200 / 4 colors, Mode 2: 640x200 / 2 colors, A colour palette of 27 colors was supported SOUND: The CPC used the General Instrument AY-3-8912 sound chip, providing 3 channels Mono Sound (via internal speaker) but capable to offer Stereo Sound provided through a 3.5 mm headphones jack (with pretty impressive outcome!). Also, it is possible to play back digital sound samples at a resolution of approximately 5bit. This technique is very processor-intensive though.
The Amstrad CPC 464/664/6128 (default) color palette
RGB 27-colors palette (16 on screen)
Comments
comment on 2019-05-02 08:36:55
alex76gr
Join Date: 2017-03-19
Παλιό και αγαπημένο παιχνίδι. Θυμάμαι σε πίστα που είχε έναν διαγώνιο δρόμο, η ταχύτητα του παιχνιδιού έπεφτε στο μισό για κάποιον λόγο. Έχει πολύ ομαλό κάθετο scrolling, το βίντεο εδώ αδικεί το παιχνίδι.