Commando

[BassGuitari]

Are there any other fans of Commando?

 

The game always seems to get trashed in reviews, or whenever it comes up in discussion, but I've been having a lot of fun with it lately.

 

Sure, it's not an arcade-perfect port ("loose approximation" might be a more fitting description), but I think the relatively primitive and distinctly Intellivisionish graphics serve the game well. And the sound, at times, in some ways reminds me of something almost approaching NES quality. Even the controls operate smoothly (although consistently accurate aiming can be tricky). All things considered -not the least of which being the type of game Commando is, which tends not to be Intellivision's strong suit- it's remarkable to me that the Intellivision pulled this game off as well as it did.

 

So far, I've only gotten past the first level once (on a technicality, even; my bullet hit the last guy after he hit me with a grenade, and it passed me on anyway!). I'm pretty garbage at Commando, but I'm finding it one of the more compelling games in my not insignificant Intellivision library. My Intellivision II got a bit of a workout the other day when I played Commando for what turned out to be over an hour in one sitting.

 

(I wish I could say the same for Pole Position, which I really want to like, but I'm having a hard time getting into; are there brakes in this game, or can you only downshift?)

Edited March 22, 2010 by BassGuitari

[Tempest]

Commando is pretty good, but the controller makes it brutally hard. I don't think I've ever passed the first level.

 

Pole Position on the other hand is an abomination unto the Lord. It's a crap port that should never have been attempted. Not everything INTV did was gold unfortunately.

 

Tempest

[ed1475]

I like Commando a lot too. My only complaint is that the ending of each mission is insanely difficult. I've only been able to get to the end of mission two. I'm guessing there might be 4 missions to the game (it doesn't say in the manual). I've got a video of it on Youtube.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMe7GkvF6Vo

 

 

As for Pole Position, I didn't like it at first either. Once I learned how to play it it isn't that bad. So far I've been able to get thru two of the four racetracks. You use the upper and lower side buttons for changing speeds and getting by the other cars.

[BassGuitari]

I like Commando a lot too. My only complaint is that the ending of each mission is insanely difficult. I've only been able to get to the end of mission two. I'm guessing there might be 4 missions to the game (it doesn't say in the manual). I've got a video of it on Youtube.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMe7GkvF6Vo

 

 

As for Pole Position, I didn't like it at first either. Once I learned how to play it it isn't that bad. So far I've been able to get thru two of the four racetracks. You use the upper and lower side buttons for changing speeds and getting by the other cars.

 

That's my trouble with Pole Position. You can shift gears, but you can't brake, as far as I can tell. This is especially problematic since cars have a tendency to hog both lanes, particularly at turns and corners. So you can either downshift and hope you slow down enough before you hit them, drive to the edge of the track and hope you don't hit a sign, or say "F@#$ it," hit the car anyway, and play Commando instead.

 

At the end of the first level in Commando, I can take most of them out by camping in a position where I can fire diagonally into the doorway, and lay down the firepower; usually, not a single one makes it more than two steps out the door, if even that far. The trouble comes when one of the enemy appears from the side of the screen and forces to me move, lest I get blitzed with grenades (which they throw, interestingly, faster and more accurately than the bullets they -or I- fire from guns...). In the midst of that distraction, a few guys have made it out the door, and I'm forced to scramble like Steve Young as I try to avoid fire and grenades from four or five directions. Inevitably, I get lit up.

[thrax]

I had not heard of it until i discovered emulation. I kind of like it as it sorta reminded me of Frontline. Maybe it wasn't underrated as OP states but rather not discovered. Had this been an early intellivision release i think it would of been more popular.

[SoulBlazer]

I always thought the NES version was the best port of Commando, but when I played the Intelivision version in emulation I was surprised at how good it was. Probaly the second best home port. I recall playing another version, I think it was the 7800, that was bad.

 

Pole Position, though...ugh. Even the Blue Sky Rangers on their website admit the game shouldn't have been tried.

[the.golden.ax]

I've never played it on INTV, but have been trying to pick up a copy. We stuffing shirts into bags again Friday ? We can talk about it then. My love of commando is on another platform. It was my favorite 7800, bought it new back in the day from Toys R Us. Was one of the most expensive games I ever personally bought as a kid at $19.99.

 

AX

[Tempest]

I think the 8-bit version is good. Better than the Intellivision version anyway, probably worse than the 7800 version though.

 

Tempest

[BassGuitari]

I've never played it on INTV, but have been trying to pick up a copy. We stuffing shirts into bags again Friday ? We can talk about it then. My love of commando is on another platform. It was my favorite 7800, bought it new back in the day from Toys R Us. Was one of the most expensive games I ever personally bought as a kid at $19.99.

 

AX

 

Ha, no...no T-shirts this year! We're trying to have the swag bags put together before setup on Friday night, but in case that doesn't happen, at least we/I don't have to screw around with any stupid T-shirts on Friday night. It's going to be great to see you and Tempest again!

 

Thrax, I think you have a point about INTV Commando's relative lack of popularity. It just came out too late in the system's life, although that couldn't really be helped since the arcade original didn't even come out until 1985. However, I will point out that this thread is one of the only places I can think of where attitudes toward the game, obviously from people who are aware of it, are -so far- generally favorable.

 

I have the NES, Commodore, Atari 2600, and Intellivision versions of the game. I could never get my NES copy to work, and I actually think the highly-lauded music of the Commodore version is obnoxious (but it's a good game otherwise). I haven't played the Atari 2600 version in a long time, but I don't remember being particularly impressed...I suppose I'll have to give it another spin! So unless I get my NES copy to work, as it stands, the Intellivision may actually be my favorite version of the game. Does it have secret bunkers, though?

 

I've not played the Atari 7800 or Amiga versions, though, or the Atari 400/800 version, which for all intents and purposes didn't exist until a few years ago.

[the.golden.ax]

Do you have a 7800?

 

AX

[cparsley]

Ninja Golf on the 7800 is an awesome title

[jaybird3rd]

I really like Commando on the Intellivision. I've played the 7800 version the most, and it's probably still my favorite overall, but I was very impressed with what John Tomlinson (the programmer) was able to accomplish with the Intellivision version. There had to be some compromises in the graphics, of course, but the gameplay translates to the Intellivision so well--despite the difficult controls--that this never bothered me. The sound and music are almost as good as the 7800's, even though that version had its own POKEY chip in the cartridge.

 

When you consider that the Intellivision was nearly ten years old by 1987, and when you consider how favorably its rendition of Commando compares to those of much newer systems, it really demonstrates how skilled the programmers had become at making the most of what the Intellivision hardware was capable of. There were relatively few Intellivision players by that time who could appreciate it, unfortunately, but Commando is a great game on the Intellivision nevertheless.

 

As for Pole Position ... I think that game demonstrates that they had begun to reach the limits of what the system could realistically do. INTV was trying all kinds of new ideas at that time, but some of the more ambitious ones (such as the flight simulator game John Sohl was working on) just weren't feasible on the Intellivision. I think Pole Position was a borderline case: I appreciate what they were able to do with it, and they almost pulled it off, but the Intellivision controls in particular weren't well-suited for that type of game. The lack of a braking feature is what really hurts it.

 

EDIT: I just read the Pole Position manual, and apparently there are ways of making a turn while slowing down or while maintaining a constant speed. I'm sure I was doing the latter, which would explain the trouble I've had negotiating some of those turns. There must have been a reason why a straightforward braking feature was left out, since the game seems to go out of its way to offer alternatives (turning while slowing down, automatic deceleration by letting go of the disc, etc).

[BassGuitari]

Do you have a 7800?

 

AX

 

Indeed I do. I've got a decent handful or two of games for it (including Rampage, Beef Drop, and Alien Brigade), but no Commando.

[jeremysart]

Ahhh, Commando.

Its got great music and sounds, and the game play is fun.. but boy is it a tough game. If I dont die at the bridge, I die at the end of the level

[the.golden.ax]

Okay, so now what do you think of Commando on 7800?

 

AX

[+Rev]

Okay, so now what do you think of Commando on 7800?

 

AX

 

 

 

there is a commando game on 7800? who da thunk it was possible

[Bill Loguidice]

EDIT: I just read the Pole Position manual, and apparently there are ways of making a turn while slowing down or while maintaining a constant speed. I'm sure I was doing the latter, which would explain the trouble I've had negotiating some of those turns. There must have been a reason why a straightforward braking feature was left out, since the game seems to go out of its way to offer alternatives (turning while slowing down, automatic deceleration by letting go of the disc, etc).

 

I imagine it's probably related to the way the system registers multiple button presses (poorly) and the awkward way you'd have to use the controller.

[jeremysart]

After reading this post, I decided to hook up my Intv II and pop in Commando. I found myself playing it for over an hour last night, and went right back at it this morning. I still cannot beat the first level, its so frustrating! But I have gotten much better at it.

This game I have noticed, tends to give me a case of bad potty mouth. But no matter how pissed I get at the game, I want to play it even more. I always get shafted once I let more than 5 guys at the "gate" come onto the screen, one of them ends up walking into me and killing me.

 

Hah, the "commando" on the title screen reminds me of the intermission screen in Duke Nukem 3D.

[Rik]

Game reviews are somewhat good to get an idea of what a game is like,other than that,they are pointless.It's foolish to avoid a game because a reviewer said so,i'll judge for myself and so should everyone! I love INTV Commando,hard as heck.

[BassGuitari]

Okay, so now what do you think of Commando on 7800?

 

AX

 

I'll let you know! I haven't had a chance to get out my 7800 yet. But, I'm sure I won't be disappointed!

[the.golden.ax]

I'd like to see someone do some map hacks. It's a great game.

 

AX

[Rik]

After reading this post, I decided to hook up my Intv II and pop in Commando. I found myself playing it for over an hour last night, and went right back at it this morning. I still cannot beat the first level, its so frustrating! But I have gotten much better at it.

This game I have noticed, tends to give me a case of bad potty mouth. But no matter how pissed I get at the game, I want to play it even more. I always get shafted once I let more than 5 guys at the "gate" come onto the screen, one of them ends up walking into me and killing me.

 

Hah, the "commando" on the title screen reminds me of the intermission screen in Duke Nukem 3D.

Yeah!that's it!I knew the Commando screen reminded me of something I've seen before,couldn't pinpoint it.Duke Nukem 3D,a blast of fun to play,that game is!!!!