Commando (video game)

{{Infobox video game

|title = Commando

|image = Commando flyer.png

|developer = Capcom

|publisher = {{vgrelease|JP/EU|Capcom{{cite web |title=Video Game Flyers: Commando, Capcom (EU) |url=https://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=thumbs&db=videodb&id=219 |website=The Arcade Flyer Archive |access-date=30 May 2021}}|NA|Data East{{cite magazine |last1=Compasio |first1=Camille |title=Around The Route |magazine=Cash Box |date=June 8, 1985 |pages=43–4 |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/d/dd/CashBox_US_1985-06-08.pdf#page=43}}|UK/IRE|Deith Leisure{{cite magazine|title=Overseas Readers Column|magazine=Game Machine|issue=263|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=1 July 1985|page=26|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19850701p.pdf#page=14}}|DE|Nova Apparate GmbH|SPA|Sega, S.A. SONIC}}

|designer = Tokuro Fujiwara

|composer = Tamayo Kawamoto

|platforms = Arcade, Nintendo Entertainment System, Apple II, Atari 2600, Intellivision, Atari 7800, BBC Micro, Acorn Electron, Amiga, Atari ST, ZX Spectrum, MSX, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, Virtual Console, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

|released = {{vgrelease|JP|May 1985{{cite web |title=Commando (Registration Number PA0000246461) |url=https://cocatalog.loc.gov |website=United States Copyright Office |access-date=6 May 2021}}{{cite magazine|title=ゲームで見るカプコンの歴史|magazine=Gamest|volume=7|lang=ja|date=April 1987|url=https://archive.org/details/gamest0007/page/n17/mode/1up}}|NA|May 1985|EU|July 1985}}

|genre = Run and gun

|modes = Single-player

}}

Commando, released as {{Nihongo foot|Senjō no Ōkami|戦場の狼|Senjō no Ōkami|group=lower-alpha|lead=yes|extra=lit. "Wolf of the Battlefield"}} in Japan, is a 1985 vertically scrolling run and gun video game developed and published by Capcom for arcades. The game was designed by Tokuro Fujiwara. It was distributed in North America by Data East, and in Europe by several companies including Capcom, Deith Leisure and Sega, S.A. SONIC. Versions were released for various home computers and video game consoles. It is unrelated to the 1985 film of the same name, which was released six months after the game.

Commando was a critical and commercial success, becoming one of the highest-grossing arcade video games of 1985 and one of the bestselling home video games of 1986. Though not the first miitary-themed run and gun video game, it spawned numerous clones following its release while popularizing the genre. Its influence can be seen in many shooter games during the late 1980s to early 1990s.

The game later appeared on Capcom Classics Collection, Activision Anthology, and on the Wii Virtual Console Arcade, as well as Capcom Arcade Cabinet for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. A sequel, Mercs, was released in 1989.

Gameplay

Image:Commando-mame.png

The player takes control of a soldier named Super Joe,{{cite web|url=http://www.arcadeflyers.com/?page=thumbs&db=videodb&id=219|title=The Arcade Flyer Archive - Video Game: Commando, Capcom}} who starts by being dropped off in a jungle by a helicopter, and has to fight his way out singlehandedly, fending off a massive assault of enemy soldiers.

Super Joe is armed with an assault rifle (which has unlimited ammunition) as well as a limited supply of hand grenades. While Joe can fire his gun in any of the eight directions that he faces, his grenades can only be thrown vertically towards the top of the screen, irrespective of the direction Joe is facing. Unlike his assault rifle bullets, grenades can be thrown to clear obstacles, and explosions from well-placed grenades can kill several enemies at once.

At the end of each level, the screen stops, and the player must fight several soldiers streaming from a gate or fortress. They are ordered out by a cowardly officer, who immediately runs away, although shooting him in the back awards the player bonus points. Along the way, one can attempt to free prisoners of war as they are transported across the screen by the enemy.

Some home console ports of the game contain hidden underground shelters that can only be accessed with grenades. Inside these shelters are prisoners for the player to rescue. Some of these ports also include items. Among the items included in the NES version are a more powerful machine gun upgrade, an unlimited grenade upgrade, and "glasses" to let the player view all the hidden bunkers. The player will lose these upgrades after losing a life.

Extra lives are given at 10,000 points, and per 50,000 scored up to 960,000; thereafter, no more lives. Play continues until the last Super Joe is dead, or survives 140 levels, which ends the game.

The arcade version contains eight unique levels. The NES version contains only four unique level designs, but repeats those levels with minor changes and increasing difficulty to create a total of sixteen levels.

Development

The game was developed by Capcom, where it was designed by Tokuro Fujiwara. He was concurrently leading the development of both Commando and Ghosts 'n Goblins at the same time. Both games sold well for Capcom upon release.{{cite magazine |title=The Man Who Made Ghosts'n Goblins |magazine=Continue |volume=12 |date=October 2003 |url=https://www.glitterberri.com/developer-interviews/tokuro-fujiwara/}}

Ports

A home version of Commando developed by Capcom was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Activision released a port of the game for the Atari 2600 and INTV released a port for the Intellivision. An Atari 7800 version by Sculptured Software was published in 1989.

Elite released versions for many home computers. They released the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, BBC Micro, and Amstrad CPC versions in November 1985.{{cite magazine |title=The Smash Hit No. 1 Arcade Game! Commando |magazine=Computer and Video Games |date=16 November 1985 |issue=50 (December 1985) |pages=2–3 |url=https://archive.org/details/computer-video-games-magazine-050/page/n1/mode/2up}} The BBC Micro and Acorn Electron versions were developed under contract by Catalyst Coders, while Elite developed the Amiga, Atari ST, Acorn Electron, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC and Commodore 64 versions.

The Commodore 64 port's theme, a more complex and extended version of the arcade music, was created in less than 12 hours by Rob Hubbard, "[I] started working on it late at night, and worked on it through the night. I took one listen to the original arcade version and started working on the C64 version. [...] By the time everyone arrived at 8:00 in the morning, I had loaded the main tune on every C64 in the building! I got my cheque and was on a train home by 10:00".

The arcade version was re-released on the Virtual Console as Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando in Japan on October 5, 2010, in North America on December 6, 2010, and in the PAL region on December 17, 2010.

=Unreleased versions=

A version for Atari 8-bit computers was created by Sculptured Software in 1989, intended to be released by Atari Corporation for the XEGS. However, although the game appeared in Atari catalogs of the time,{{cite book |title=The Atari Advantage |url=http://www.atarimania.com/catalog-atari-atari-usa-_122_8.html |year=1989 |publisher=Atari Corporation |access-date=2011-02-08}}{{cite book |title=Atari Video Game Catalog |url=http://www.atarimania.com/catalog-atari-atari-usa-c034003-rev-a_123_8.html |year=1987 |publisher=Atari Corporation |access-date=2011-02-08}} it never reached the market in spite of being completed. In the 2000s the game's prototype cartridge was found.{{cite web|url=http://www.atariprotos.com/8bit/software/commando/commando.htm|title=Commando page on AtariProtos.com|access-date=2008-01-07}}

Reception

{{Video game reviews

| ARC = true

| A2600 = true

| C64 = true

| iOS = true

| NES = true

| PC = true

| ZX = true

| CVG_ARC = Positive

| CVG_A2600 = 77%{{cite journal |title=Complete Games Guide |journal=Computer and Video Games |date=16 October 1989 |issue=Complete Guide to Consoles |pages=46–77 |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/9/98/CompleteGuideToConsoles_UK_01.pdf#page=46}}

| CVG_C64 = 37/40{{cite magazine |title=Software Reviews: Commando vs Rambo |magazine=Computer and Video Games |date=16 January 1986 |issue=52 (February 1986) |page=15 |url=https://ia800604.us.archive.org/view_archive.php?archive=/1/items/World_of_Spectrum_June_2017_Mirror/World%20of%20Spectrum%20June%202017%20Mirror.zip&file=World%20of%20Spectrum%20June%202017%20Mirror/sinclair/magazines/Computer-and-Video-Games/Issue052/Pages/CVG05200015.jpg}}

| CVG_PC = 35/40{{cite magazine |title=Software Reviews: Commando |magazine=Computer and Video Games |date=16 December 1985 |issue=51 (January 1986) |page=17 |url=https://ia600604.us.archive.org/view_archive.php?archive=/1/items/World_of_Spectrum_June_2017_Mirror/World%20of%20Spectrum%20June%202017%20Mirror.zip&file=World%20of%20Spectrum%20June%202017%20Mirror/sinclair/magazines/Computer-and-Video-Games/Issue051/Pages/CVG05100017.jpg}}

| CVG_ZX = 35/40

| CGW_NES = Positive

| TA_iOS = {{Rating|2|5}}

| rev1 = Cash Box

| rev1_ARC = Positive

| rev2 = Computer Gamer

| rev2_ARC = Positive

| rev3 = New Straits Times

| rev3_C64 = 9/10{{Cite news |date=10 January 1986 |title=Games Review |pages=12 |work=New Straits Times |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JgROAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA1&article_id=5059,2326397}}

| rev3_PC = 9/10

| rev3_ZX = 9/10

| rev4 = The Video Games Guide

| rev4_ARC = {{Rating|5|5}}{{cite book |last1=Fox |first1=Matt |title=The Video Games Guide: 1,000+ Arcade, Console and Computer Games, 1962-2012, 2d ed. |date=3 January 2013 |publisher=McFarland & Company |isbn=978-0-7864-7257-4 |pages=57–8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xzMYYrsDaAEC&pg=PA57}}

| award1Pub = Computer Gamer

| award1 = Best Coin-Op Game of the Year

| award2Pub = Golden Joystick Awards

| award2 = Best Arcade-Style Game{{cite journal|title=Golden Joystick Awards|journal=Computer and Video Games|date=May 1986|issue=55|page=90|publisher=EMAP|url=https://archive.org/stream/Computer_Video_Games_Issue_055_1986-05_EMAP_Publishing_GB/Computer__Video_Games_Issue_055_1986-05_EMAP_Publishing_GB#page/n89/mode/2up}}

| award3Pub = Crash

| award3 = Best Shoot Em Up
Best Wargame (runner-up)

}}

=Arcade=

In Japan, Game Machine listed Senjō no Ōkami on their June 1, 1985 issue as being the most-popular arcade game for the previous two weeks.{{cite magazine|title=Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)|magazine=Game Machine|issue=261|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=1 June 1985|page=23|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19850601p.pdf#page=12|lang=ja}} In the United States, it had topped the American RePlay chart for upright arcade cabinets by November 1985.{{cite magazine |title=RePlay: The Players' Choice |magazine=RePlay |date=November 1985 |volume=11 |issue=2 |page=6 |url=https://archive.org/details/re-play-volume-11-issue-no.-2-november-1985-600DPI/RePlay%20-%20Volume%2011%2C%20Issue%20No.%202%20-%20November%201985%20%28Compressed%29/page/6}} In the United Kingdom, it became one of the top-grossing arcade games in London West End test locations, leading to orders for thousands of units in the UK alone, where it became a major hit.{{cite magazine |title=Commando |magazine=Crash |date=12 December 1985 |issue=24 (Christmas Special 1985/1986) |url=https://www.crashonline.org.uk/24/commando.htm}} Commando similarly became a major hit across Europe.{{cite magazine |title=Who Dares Wins |magazine=Computer Gamer |date=October 1985 |issue=7 |url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gamer_Issue_07_1985-10_Argus_Press_GB/page/n60/mode/1up}} It had become the world's top arcade game at the time.{{cite magazine |title=The Smash Hit No. 1 Arcade Game! Commando |magazine=Computer and Video Games |date=16 December 1985 |issue=51 (January 1986) |pages=2–3 |url=https://archive.org/details/computer-video-games-magazine-051/page/n1/mode/2up}} Commando sold more than 15,000 arcade PCB units by June 1985.{{cite book |last1=Meades |first1=Alan |title=Arcade Britannia: A Social History of the British Amusement Arcade |date=25 October 2022 |publisher=MIT Press |isbn=978-0-262-37235-0 |page=184 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LudaEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA184 |access-date=5 August 2023 |quote=Capcom's games were excellent, and its Commando was immensely popular, selling more than 15,000 PCBs by early June 1985.}}

Commando ended the year as the highest-grossing arcade game of 1985 in the United Kingdom, while also outperforming Track & Field, the UK's highest-grossing arcade game of 1984.{{cite magazine |title=Commando: Soldier of Fortune |magazine=Your Sinclair |date=January 1986 |issue=1 |page=54 |url=https://archive.org/details/your-sinclair-01/page/n53}} In the United States, it was one of the top three highest-grossing arcade video games of 1985, along with fellow Data East releases Karate Champ and Kung-Fu Master.{{cite magazine |title=1985 Operator Survey: This Poll Says Go Gettum! |magazine=RePlay |date=November 1985 |volume=11 |issue=2 |pages=91-102 (93-4) |url=https://archive.org/details/re-play-volume-11-issue-no.-2-november-1985-600DPI/RePlay%20-%20Volume%2011%2C%20Issue%20No.%202%20-%20November%201985/page/93}}

Mike Roberts of Computer Gamer called it "a very exciting game" and said "the quality of animation and graphics is superb."{{cite magazine |last1=Roberts |first1=Mike |title=Coin-Op Connection |magazine=Computer Gamer |date=July 1985 |issue=4 |pages=18–9 |url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gamer_Issue_04_1985-07_Argus_Press_GB/page/n17/mode/2up}} Computer and Video Games praised the fast-paced gameplay, smooth movement, rousing music jingle, and cartoon-style graphics, while criticizing the lack of color in the graphics.{{cite magazine |title=Arcade Action: Commando |magazine=Computer and Video Games |date=16 July 1985 |issue=46 (August 1985) |page=108 |url=https://archive.org/details/cvg-magazine-046/page/n107}} Cash Box magazine said it "is fierce and strategic, the graphics realistic and the fire power explosive" which makes it "an exciting and challenging play experience."{{cite magazine |title=War-time Action |magazine=Cash Box |date=November 2, 1985 |page=50 |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/f/f2/CashBox_US_1985-11-02.pdf#page=50}}

=Ports=

The home computer ports of Commando topped the UK software sales charts in December 1985,{{cite magazine |title=The Software Chart |magazine=Computer and Video Games |date=16 January 1986 |issue=52 (February 1986) |page=64 |url=https://archive.org/details/computer-video-games-magazine-052/page/n63/mode/1up}} becoming the seventh best-selling game of 1985 in the UK.{{cite magazine |title=News Desk: Exploding Fist tops Gallup 1985 charts |magazine=Popular Computing Weekly |date=20 March 1986 |page=4 |url=https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1986-03-20/page/n3}} It topped the charts again in January 1986,{{cite magazine |title=The charts |magazine=Your Computer |volume=6 |issue=3 |date=March 1986 |page=17 |url=https://archive.org/details/your-computer-magazine-1986-03/page/n16/mode/1up}} and went on to become one of the top three best-selling games of 1986 in the UK.{{cite magazine |title=Yie Ar tops charts for 1986 |magazine=Popular Computing Weekly |date=12 February 1987 |page=6 |url=https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1987-02-12/page/n5}} In the United States, the home computer versions received two Gold Awards from the Software Publishers Association in 1987 for more than 200,000 units sold in the region.{{cite book |last1=Petska-Juliussen |first1=Karen |last2=Juliussen |first2=Egil |title=The Computer Industry Almanac 1990 |date=1990 |publisher=Brady |isbn=978-0-13-154122-1 |location=New York |pages=3.10–11 |url=https://archive.org/details/computerindustry00kare/page/n265/mode/2up}}

The NES version released in 1986 sold {{nowrap|1.14 million}} copies worldwide.{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080116224723/http://ir.capcom.co.jp/english/data/million.html|archive-date=2008-01-16|url=http://ir.capcom.co.jp/english/data/million.html|title=Platinum Titles|publisher=Capcom|access-date=2008-11-10|date=2008-09-30}}

New Straits Times reviewed the BBC Micro, Amstroid CPC, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum versions in January 1986, calling it a "must-have" war simulation "to end all war simulation games" with "fast and furious" action "bordering on the impossible." Computer Gaming World said in 1988 that "few cartridges can equal [Commando]'s non-stop action" on the NES.{{cite magazine | title=Video Gaming World | magazine=Computer Gaming World | issue=51 | date=September 1988 | url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_51.pdf#page=52 | access-date=2016-04-17 | last1=Worley | first1=Joyce | last2=Katz | first2=Arnie | last3=Kunkel | first3=Bill | pages=52}} TouchArcade reviewed the iOS version in 2017 and gave it a score of 2.5 out of 5 stars.{{cite web |url=https://toucharcade.com/2017/03/24/wolf-of-the-battlefield-commando-mobile-review/ |title='Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando Mobile' Review – Don't Disturb My Friend, He's Dead Tired |last=Musgrave |first=Shaun |date=2017-03-24 |website=TouchArcade |access-date=2018-09-25}}

NintendoLife wrote, "Commando might be one of the few examples of the stripped-down ports actually being stronger than the original game. These later ports added powerups, better music and depth to the gameplay that are all sadly lacking in the arcade original."{{Cite web |last=Reed |first=Philip J |date=2010-12-10 |title=Review: Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando (Virtual Console / Virtual Console Arcade) |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2010/12/wolf_of_the_battlefield_commando_virtual_console |access-date=2022-05-17 |website=Nintendo Life |language=en-GB}}

=Accolades=

Computer Gamer magazine's Game of the Year Awards gave the original arcade version of Commando the award for best coin-op game of the year, beating Paperboy and Marble Madness.{{cite magazine |title=Game of the Year Awards: Best Coin-Op Machine |magazine=Computer Gamer |date=February 1986 |issue=11 |page=15 |url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gamer_Issue_11_1986-02_Argus_Press_GB/page/n13}} After being ported to home computers, Commando was voted best arcade-style game of the year at the 1986 Golden Joystick Awards,{{cite journal|title=Golden Joystick Awards|journal=Computer and Video Games|date=May 1986|issue=55|page=90|publisher=EMAP|url=https://archive.org/stream/Computer_Video_Games_Issue_055_1986-05_EMAP_Publishing_GB/Computer__Video_Games_Issue_055_1986-05_EMAP_Publishing_GB#page/n89/mode/2up}} and won the award for best shoot 'em up game of the year according to readers of Crash magazine.{{cite web|url=http://www.crashonline.org.uk/27/awards.htm|title=CRASH 27 - Readers' Awards|publisher=crashonline.org.uk|access-date=2015-09-03}} In 1996, GamesMaster rated the game 57th on their "Top 100 Games of All Time."{{Cite journal |date=July 1996 |title=Top 100 Games of All Time |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/c/cf/GamesMaster_UK_044.pdf |journal=GamesMaster |issue=44 |pages=76}}

Legacy

Commando was a highly influential game, popularizing the run-and-gun shooter genre along with military shooter themes. It led to run-and-gun games becoming the dominant style of shoot 'em up during the late 1980s to early 1990s, when Your Sinclair called Commando "the great grand-daddy of the modern shoot 'em up" genre.Bielby, Matt, [https://worldofspectrum.org/archive/magazines/your-sinclair/56#19 "The YS Complete Guide To Shoot-'em-ups Part II"], Your Sinclair, August 1990 (issue 56), p. 19 It has also been credited as the "product that shot" Capcom to "8-bit silicon stardom" in 1985, "closely followed by" Ghosts 'n Goblins.{{cite magazine |title=Capcom: A Captive Audience |magazine=The Games Machine |date=18 May 1989 |issue=19 (June 1989) |pages=24–5 |url=https://archive.org/details/the-games-machine-19/page/n23/mode/2up}}

Commando spawned numerous clones following its release.{{cite web |title=Wolf of the Battlefield Commando |url=https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Arcade/Wolf-of-the-Battlefield-Commando-280130.html |website=Nintendo of Europe GmbH |date=17 December 2010 |access-date=6 April 2021}} Home computer clones and imitators released later the same year include Who Dares Wins and Rambo.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=ACE/Issue26/Pages/ACE2600113.jpg |title=Blasts from the Past |magazine=ACE |issue=26 (October 1989) |date=November 1989 |pages=113–115 |access-date=2012-11-07}} The most successful Commando imitator was SNK's arcade hit Ikari Warriors (1986), which spawned two sequels.{{cite magazine |title=「怒」を作った男 |trans-title=The Man Who Made "Ikari" |magazine=Continue |date=March 2001 |url=http://shmuplations.com/snkgoldenage/}} The run-and-gun shooter format of Commando was also adapted into a side-scrolling format by Konami's Green Beret (Rush'n Attack) later the same year.{{cite magazine |title=Konami's Barmy Army |magazine=Commodore User |date=26 February 1986 |issue=30 (March 1986) |page=13 |url=https://archive.org/details/commodore-user-magazine-30/page/n12}}

=Sequels and successors=

Commando was followed by a sequel titled Mercs in 1989, which was known as Senjō no Ōkami II in Japan. However, it was not as successful as Commando or Ikari Warriors. Tokuro Fujiwara was disappointed that he did not develop a Commando sequel sooner, as the arcade market already had numerous Commando imitators by the time Mercs released. A second sequel, Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 was released as a downloadable title for the Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network in 2008.

Outside Japan, the arcade version of Bionic Commando was marketed as a sequel to Commando and the main character, a nameless soldier in the game, is identified as "Super Joe" in an American brochure for the game. Super Joe would appear as an actual supporting character in the later versions of Bionic Commando for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy, as well as in Bionic Commando: Elite Forces. In the 2009 version of Bionic Commando for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the character of Super Joe is identified as Joseph Gibson, one of the three player characters in Mercs.