Club Admiralty Blog
A blog about life in general, in as many languages as I can manage. Ενα ιστολόγιο περι ζωής, πολυγλωσσο - σε όσες γλωσσες εχω μεράκι να γράψω.
Bionic Commando xbox 360 | done
Saturday, Nov 16 2019, 12:02 360, Entertainment, FPS, Retro, video games, VideoGames, XBOX PermalinkOne more game from the "completed a while ago" pile that I have not written about. This one is Bionic Commando for the xbox 360, and I completed it on 5/18/19. This video game felt like a sequel to the NES version of the game (which I haven't played a ton).
The game is a 3D world interpretation of what the classic bionic commando game. You use your bionic arm to attack and swing around the city to meet your objectives. While you're trying to get from point A to point B baddies (humans, robots, humans with lots of guns) come at you. I think the most satisfying attack in this game is grabbing someone with your bionic arm and rappeling into them. It's almost like a dance.
That said, the game does get a bit tiring after a while since the combat is pretty repetitive. I do like the environmental puzzles but I dislike that you can't float. If you fall into the sea you sink. yes, I know the bionic arm is heavy, but you mean to tell me that you've developed such a level of technology and you can't figure out how to make a bionic man float? The other annoying thing is that the city has pockets of radiation, which harms you, and you need to figure your way around. This isn't a bad thing, but it does serve as a game mechanic to keep a seemingly endless world contained.
Here is the synopsis from wikipedia, if you're interested in the plot:
The events of the game take place ten years after the original game. The game follows Major Nathan "RAD" Spencer, a government operative working in the fictional Ascension City and an Operative named Joseph Gibson aka "Super Joe" (voiced by Steven Blum) for the Tactical Arms and Security Committee (T.A.S.C) that trains bionic operatives like Spencer. After he is betrayed by his own government and falsely imprisoned, the Great Bionic Purge begins. Before his execution, an experimental weapon detonates in Ascension City, unleashing an earthquake along with a radioactive shock wave that leaves the city destroyed and wiping out its populace. The terrorist force known as the "BioReign" claims responsibility, threatening invasion. Spencer is freed to redeem his name along with the T.A.S.C's and is reunited with the bionic arm of which he was stripped.
During flashbacks the player learns that two years prior Spencer and his bionic partner Lt. Jayne Magdalene failed to eliminate two rogue bionics who had allegedly murdered a handful of people. Spencer resolved to help the two bionics escape when he and his partner discovered that the FSA were actively rounding up and forcibly rehabilitating bionics; something that both Spencer and Magdalene were themselves. Soon after the two rogue bionics and a wounded Lt. Magdalene escaped, Spencer was arrested by the FSA and sentenced to be executed for his treason.
Returning to the present, Gibson releases Spencer on the condition that he assist the FSA against the threat to Ascension City. When given this ultimatum in exchange for his freedom, Spencer initially turns it down, but Gibson tells him he has knowledge of Spencer's missing wife. As Spencer progresses through Ascension City, he discovers information on Project Vulture, a super weapon being sought after by the terrorists. Spencer is ordered to retrieve the item before the Bio-Reign terrorists can. After finally gaining access to the item, he is betrayed by Joe who reveals himself as the leader of Bio-Reign. Joe has also enlisted the help of Gottfried Groeder, a character introduced in Bionic Commando Rearmed.
Joe then reveals that Spencer's wife never left, and alludes to the concept that she is actually part of Spencer's bionic arm. According to Super Joe, in order for bionics to work perfectly, they have to sync with their host on both an emotional and physical level. In this case, Spencer's wife was the perfect candidate. After this revelation, Spencer hastens his pursuit after Joe who activates Project Vulture before Spencer reaches him. Magdalene tries to stall Super Joe, now in a Bio-Mech suit, but she is killed while Spencer is forced to helplessly watch. In a fierce mid-air battle, Spencer kills Joe and ultimately stops Project Vulture. He falls back into the hole of The Vault from which he, Joe and the vultures had ascended earlier.
In the epilogue a brief conversation in Morse code is shown between the sniper (Thomas Clarke) who'd been following Spencer, and an unknown party. The first message reports that the Vault had been occupied and the Vulture Sentry System had been "disabled" before requesting further instructions. While the coded reply was not decrypted from Morse code for the audience (encrypted message is in German once decrypted), it apparently reveals the following declaration in response: "Execution of Phase Two Prepared. Activate Project Albatros [sic]."
Overall, this was a quick run for me. I got 26/49 achievements making for 415/1000 points. I am sure there were other achievements for collecting the various collectibles throughout the game which required some fancier acrobatics than I had time for 😃. It wasn't a bad game, but I am not sure if it's worth pulling my 360 out of storage to play again. I wish it came to backwards compatibility so it would be an option for playing on the xbox one (or future) consoles.
The game is a 3D world interpretation of what the classic bionic commando game. You use your bionic arm to attack and swing around the city to meet your objectives. While you're trying to get from point A to point B baddies (humans, robots, humans with lots of guns) come at you. I think the most satisfying attack in this game is grabbing someone with your bionic arm and rappeling into them. It's almost like a dance.
That said, the game does get a bit tiring after a while since the combat is pretty repetitive. I do like the environmental puzzles but I dislike that you can't float. If you fall into the sea you sink. yes, I know the bionic arm is heavy, but you mean to tell me that you've developed such a level of technology and you can't figure out how to make a bionic man float? The other annoying thing is that the city has pockets of radiation, which harms you, and you need to figure your way around. This isn't a bad thing, but it does serve as a game mechanic to keep a seemingly endless world contained.
Here is the synopsis from wikipedia, if you're interested in the plot:
The events of the game take place ten years after the original game. The game follows Major Nathan "RAD" Spencer, a government operative working in the fictional Ascension City and an Operative named Joseph Gibson aka "Super Joe" (voiced by Steven Blum) for the Tactical Arms and Security Committee (T.A.S.C) that trains bionic operatives like Spencer. After he is betrayed by his own government and falsely imprisoned, the Great Bionic Purge begins. Before his execution, an experimental weapon detonates in Ascension City, unleashing an earthquake along with a radioactive shock wave that leaves the city destroyed and wiping out its populace. The terrorist force known as the "BioReign" claims responsibility, threatening invasion. Spencer is freed to redeem his name along with the T.A.S.C's and is reunited with the bionic arm of which he was stripped.
During flashbacks the player learns that two years prior Spencer and his bionic partner Lt. Jayne Magdalene failed to eliminate two rogue bionics who had allegedly murdered a handful of people. Spencer resolved to help the two bionics escape when he and his partner discovered that the FSA were actively rounding up and forcibly rehabilitating bionics; something that both Spencer and Magdalene were themselves. Soon after the two rogue bionics and a wounded Lt. Magdalene escaped, Spencer was arrested by the FSA and sentenced to be executed for his treason.
Returning to the present, Gibson releases Spencer on the condition that he assist the FSA against the threat to Ascension City. When given this ultimatum in exchange for his freedom, Spencer initially turns it down, but Gibson tells him he has knowledge of Spencer's missing wife. As Spencer progresses through Ascension City, he discovers information on Project Vulture, a super weapon being sought after by the terrorists. Spencer is ordered to retrieve the item before the Bio-Reign terrorists can. After finally gaining access to the item, he is betrayed by Joe who reveals himself as the leader of Bio-Reign. Joe has also enlisted the help of Gottfried Groeder, a character introduced in Bionic Commando Rearmed.
Joe then reveals that Spencer's wife never left, and alludes to the concept that she is actually part of Spencer's bionic arm. According to Super Joe, in order for bionics to work perfectly, they have to sync with their host on both an emotional and physical level. In this case, Spencer's wife was the perfect candidate. After this revelation, Spencer hastens his pursuit after Joe who activates Project Vulture before Spencer reaches him. Magdalene tries to stall Super Joe, now in a Bio-Mech suit, but she is killed while Spencer is forced to helplessly watch. In a fierce mid-air battle, Spencer kills Joe and ultimately stops Project Vulture. He falls back into the hole of The Vault from which he, Joe and the vultures had ascended earlier.
In the epilogue a brief conversation in Morse code is shown between the sniper (Thomas Clarke) who'd been following Spencer, and an unknown party. The first message reports that the Vault had been occupied and the Vulture Sentry System had been "disabled" before requesting further instructions. While the coded reply was not decrypted from Morse code for the audience (encrypted message is in German once decrypted), it apparently reveals the following declaration in response: "Execution of Phase Two Prepared. Activate Project Albatros [sic]."
Overall, this was a quick run for me. I got 26/49 achievements making for 415/1000 points. I am sure there were other achievements for collecting the various collectibles throughout the game which required some fancier acrobatics than I had time for 😃. It wasn't a bad game, but I am not sure if it's worth pulling my 360 out of storage to play again. I wish it came to backwards compatibility so it would be an option for playing on the xbox one (or future) consoles.
Comments

Nostalgia sells...and it's expensive!
Friday, Nov 15 2019, 16:00 Android, Motorola, nostalgia, Phone, Technology, Telephony PermalinkAs I was browsing my RSS feeds the other day I saw that Motorola has a new RAZR phone coming out. I still have my old RAZR 3G in a drawer somewhere as a backup phone in case my smartphones die 😁 (wonder if the battery is still any good). The original RAZR phone was an insane $500 (if memory serves me right) for a "dumb" phone that was network-locked. This is at a time when I could buy an unlocked SonyEricsson phone or Nokia phone for about the same amount of money.
Some key specs for this phone (from TechRadar) are:
I do like the form factor (I miss flip phones from time to time), and I like that external notifications display, as well as the folding display design. I am not as enthused about the lack of headphone jack and use of eSIM. I still like the idea of SIM swapping when I travel (and not everyone supports eSIM as far as I know). I also don't see any support for SD cards.
I don't see this replacing my Z-series moto phone anytime soon, despite the nostalgia factor (also don't want to spend $1500 on a phone) 😜
Some key specs for this phone (from TechRadar) are:
- Main internal folding screen: 21:9 aspect ratio, 2142 x 876 pixels, 6.2-inch POLED (plastic OLED)
- Front screen: 4:3 aspect ratio, 800 x 600 pixels, 2.7-inch GOLED (glass OLED)
- 16MP main camera, f/1.7 aperture (no ultra-wide lens or zoom lens)
- 5MP front-facing camera
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 processor
- 6GB RAM
- 128GB storage
- 2510mAh battery capacity
- Android 9
- 15W TurboPower fast-charge
- Fingerprint scanner on the front in the bottom 'chin'
- Speakers also mounted in the front chin
- One USB-C slot on the bottom of the phone
- No expandable storage slot
- No SIM slot (the phone uses eSIM)
- No headphone jack
- No wireless charging
I do like the form factor (I miss flip phones from time to time), and I like that external notifications display, as well as the folding display design. I am not as enthused about the lack of headphone jack and use of eSIM. I still like the idea of SIM swapping when I travel (and not everyone supports eSIM as far as I know). I also don't see any support for SD cards.
I don't see this replacing my Z-series moto phone anytime soon, despite the nostalgia factor (also don't want to spend $1500 on a phone) 😜

Archive
Feb 2021
Jan 2021
Dec 2020
Nov 2020
Oct 2020
Sep 2020
Aug 2020
Jul 2020
Jun 2020
May 2020
Apr 2020
Mar 2020
Feb 2020
Jan 2020
Dec 2019
Nov 2019
Oct 2019
Sep 2019
Aug 2019
Jul 2019
Jun 2019
May 2019
Apr 2019
Mar 2019
Feb 2019
Jan 2019
Dec 2018
Nov 2018
Sep 2018
Jun 2018
May 2018
Apr 2018
Mar 2018
Feb 2018
Jan 2018
Dec 2017
Nov 2017
Oct 2017
Sep 2017
Aug 2017
Jul 2017
Jun 2017
May 2017
Apr 2017
Mar 2017
Feb 2017
Jan 2017
Dec 2016
Nov 2016
Oct 2016
Sep 2016
Aug 2016
Jul 2016
Jun 2016
May 2016
Apr 2016
Mar 2016
Feb 2016
Jan 2016
Dec 2015
Nov 2015
Oct 2015
Sep 2015
Aug 2015
Jul 2015
Jun 2015
May 2015
Apr 2015
Mar 2015
Feb 2015
Jan 2015
Dec 2014
Nov 2014
Oct 2014
Sep 2014
Aug 2014
Jul 2014
Jun 2014
May 2014
Apr 2014
Mar 2014
Feb 2014
Jan 2014
Dec 2013
Nov 2013
Oct 2013
Sep 2013
Aug 2013
Jul 2013
Jun 2013
May 2013
Apr 2013
Mar 2013
Feb 2013
Jan 2013
Dec 2012
Nov 2012
Oct 2012
Sep 2012
Aug 2012
Jul 2012
Jun 2012
May 2012
Apr 2012
Mar 2012
Feb 2012
Jan 2012
Dec 2011
Nov 2011
Oct 2011
Sep 2011
Aug 2011
Jul 2011
Jun 2011
May 2011
Apr 2011
Mar 2011
Feb 2011
Jan 2011
Dec 2010
Nov 2010
Oct 2010
Sep 2010
Aug 2010
Jul 2010
Jun 2010
May 2010
Apr 2010
Mar 2010
Feb 2010
Jan 2010
Dec 2009
Nov 2009
Oct 2009
Sep 2009
Aug 2009
Jul 2009
Jun 2009
May 2009
Apr 2009
Mar 2009
Feb 2009
Jan 2009
Dec 2008
Nov 2008
Oct 2008
Sep 2008
Aug 2008
Jul 2008
Jun 2008
May 2008
Apr 2008
Mar 2008
Feb 2008
Jan 2008
Dec 2007
Nov 2007
Oct 2007
Sep 2007
Aug 2007
Jul 2007
Jun 2007
May 2007
Apr 2007
Mar 2007
Feb 2007
Jan 2007
Dec 2006
Nov 2006
Oct 2006
Sep 2006
Aug 2006
Jul 2006
Jun 2006
May 2006
Apr 2006
Mar 2006
Feb 2006
Jan 2006
Dec 2005
Nov 2005
Oct 2005
Sep 2005
Aug 2005
Jul 2005
Jun 2005
May 2005
Feb 2005
Dec 2004
Nov 2004
Sep 2004
Aug 2004
Jun 2004
Apr 2004
Mar 2004
Feb 2004
Jan 2004
Jul 2003
Oct 2000
Jun 2000
May 2000
Mar 2000
Jan 2021
Dec 2020
Nov 2020
Oct 2020
Sep 2020
Aug 2020
Jul 2020
Jun 2020
May 2020
Apr 2020
Mar 2020
Feb 2020
Jan 2020
Dec 2019
Nov 2019
Oct 2019
Sep 2019
Aug 2019
Jul 2019
Jun 2019
May 2019
Apr 2019
Mar 2019
Feb 2019
Jan 2019
Dec 2018
Nov 2018
Sep 2018
Jun 2018
May 2018
Apr 2018
Mar 2018
Feb 2018
Jan 2018
Dec 2017
Nov 2017
Oct 2017
Sep 2017
Aug 2017
Jul 2017
Jun 2017
May 2017
Apr 2017
Mar 2017
Feb 2017
Jan 2017
Dec 2016
Nov 2016
Oct 2016
Sep 2016
Aug 2016
Jul 2016
Jun 2016
May 2016
Apr 2016
Mar 2016
Feb 2016
Jan 2016
Dec 2015
Nov 2015
Oct 2015
Sep 2015
Aug 2015
Jul 2015
Jun 2015
May 2015
Apr 2015
Mar 2015
Feb 2015
Jan 2015
Dec 2014
Nov 2014
Oct 2014
Sep 2014
Aug 2014
Jul 2014
Jun 2014
May 2014
Apr 2014
Mar 2014
Feb 2014
Jan 2014
Dec 2013
Nov 2013
Oct 2013
Sep 2013
Aug 2013
Jul 2013
Jun 2013
May 2013
Apr 2013
Mar 2013
Feb 2013
Jan 2013
Dec 2012
Nov 2012
Oct 2012
Sep 2012
Aug 2012
Jul 2012
Jun 2012
May 2012
Apr 2012
Mar 2012
Feb 2012
Jan 2012
Dec 2011
Nov 2011
Oct 2011
Sep 2011
Aug 2011
Jul 2011
Jun 2011
May 2011
Apr 2011
Mar 2011
Feb 2011
Jan 2011
Dec 2010
Nov 2010
Oct 2010
Sep 2010
Aug 2010
Jul 2010
Jun 2010
May 2010
Apr 2010
Mar 2010
Feb 2010
Jan 2010
Dec 2009
Nov 2009
Oct 2009
Sep 2009
Aug 2009
Jul 2009
Jun 2009
May 2009
Apr 2009
Mar 2009
Feb 2009
Jan 2009
Dec 2008
Nov 2008
Oct 2008
Sep 2008
Aug 2008
Jul 2008
Jun 2008
May 2008
Apr 2008
Mar 2008
Feb 2008
Jan 2008
Dec 2007
Nov 2007
Oct 2007
Sep 2007
Aug 2007
Jul 2007
Jun 2007
May 2007
Apr 2007
Mar 2007
Feb 2007
Jan 2007
Dec 2006
Nov 2006
Oct 2006
Sep 2006
Aug 2006
Jul 2006
Jun 2006
May 2006
Apr 2006
Mar 2006
Feb 2006
Jan 2006
Dec 2005
Nov 2005
Oct 2005
Sep 2005
Aug 2005
Jul 2005
Jun 2005
May 2005
Feb 2005
Dec 2004
Nov 2004
Sep 2004
Aug 2004
Jun 2004
Apr 2004
Mar 2004
Feb 2004
Jan 2004
Jul 2003
Oct 2000
Jun 2000
May 2000
Mar 2000
