Commando Download (1986 Arcade action Game)

I don't think I've ever seen a worse conversion of a legendary C64 game to PC. While I was still playing games on my old Commodore 64 (RIP), I really enjoyed both Commando and it's successor, but this version...sucks!

Commando is a simple action game with a single infantry unit running through enemy positions with a machine gun and a few granades. Run, shoot, kill...

Commando has been one of favourite classics since I first got my first computer which was a Commodore 64. This is a conversation from the Commodore 64 format to the PC. To be honest I'm quite disappointed with the result. Not only because the game only runs in CGA graphics but also because the game has gotten some bad changes such as the controls in the game.

Before I get back to that I would like to explain a bit more about what the game is about. You play as a single soldier and you have to fight against a complete army. Once in a while you will stand in front of a large gate where there will be many soldiers running out of the gate to kill you. Once you have killed all of them you advance to the next level. This happens a few times and you will finally reach a house where you have to kill everyone. Once that is done the game starts over and well, you should know what happens. It might sound boring but it was one of the first action arcade games that delivered great gameplay.

Sadly the CGA graphics is poorly done and the controls have seen changes as well and that results in that whenever you use the "right" function your character will continue to run right which further means that your character actually can't stop. A big change compared to the original game where you could play with a joystick and be able to stop as well. The Commodore 64 version was really addictive and I still remember my personal record that was above 48 million points (I let the game run for 3 days as you couldn't save) but this PC version simply isn't the same because of the graphics and annoying controls. If you have the option - go for the original Commodore 64 version.

A poor conversion of Data East arcade game of the same name. There are many things wrong with Commando that make the game much inferior to the arcade original. For starter, the control is very limited: you can only shoot in 4 major cardinal directions, meaning that you need to run around in circles and time your shots to shoot diagonally. Levels are repetitive to the extreme, and all you do is run around and try to fend off an entire army by shooting and throwing grenades, which were just flashing white squares that are difficult to see. About the only thing Quicksilver did right with this game is that it is a lot of fun to find secret entrances to new area. But then again, THAT is in the original arcade game. Overall, a sub-par conversion that could have been much, much better. The poor CGA graphics doesn't help, either (and there are already many other games during that period that utilized CGA more effectively, e.g. Tau Ceti and Alley Cat).

How to run this game on modern Windows PC?

People who downloaded Commando have also downloaded:
Conflagration, Commando Enhanced, Commando (2004), Commander Keen 7: Keen Dreams, Cool Spot, CD-Man Version 2.0, Clone Invader, Golden Axe