Progress therefore becomes a question of working out your vertical route, rather than simply running and gunning. Upward movement is by the arm only, and this can be stymied by inconsiderate stacks of barrels or crates on the platforms above. There's still no jump button, for instance. However, this fealty to the source also means that the gameplay may feel clunky to anyone not versed in the previous games. 'Isn't this silly?' the game seems to ask, 'But also awesome fun?' As with the NES version, if your helicopter runs into enemy trucks, you're dropped into a top-down shooting section not unlike Commando. Indeed, the whole tone of the game is slyly humorous, playing up to the bombast of gaming history without ever feeling disrespectful. These communication scenes are utterly faithful to the 1988 original, although the cheesy dialogue is now deliberately tongue-in-cheek, and boasts at least one cheeky dig at Metal Gear's lengthy codec scenes. Doorways in enemy levels lead you to communications rooms where you can opt to hack into their system, via a new and rather fun maze-style mini-game, or report back to base, essentially acting as a checkpoint.

In every case you make your way up and across the level using your arm. Levels are selected by guiding a helicopter over a map, with the option to touch down in enemy territory to start the action, or at a friendly base to restock and learn new actions. You can also use it to clobber enemies, although your arsenal of weaponry is considerably better suited to this task. This can be used to swing across gaps, pull yourself up to higher platforms and to grab distant objects. You play, somewhat predictably given the title, as a soldier equipped with a mechanical arm. Click those blue words and you'll see what I mean. In both gameplay and structure, Rearmed is a spruced up remake of the NES version of Bionic Commando, almost down to the last detail. This latest jaunt to Do-Over City is perhaps its most faithful yet - while also deviating most from the source material. Capcom has been riding the download train pretty hard this past month or so, offering up rejigged remake-sequels to both 1942 and Commando.

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