A classic among classics.
Let's start with the characters. First we have Captain Commando. The name alone is ridiculous. Why not call him Seargant Soldier? Probably because it's not ridiculous enough..that's why. Cap is the leader of our little troupe. He's like a cyborg cop what has electric shockwaves that spew out of him. Then we have Mack the Knife...I guess he's an alien that looks like a mummy with a backwards baseball cap on. He runs around stabbing people with knives...just like the classic song suggests! We also have the Ninja guy..I forget his name...but he's a Ninja guy who has a sword and likes to throw smoke bombs. And finally we have Baby Head. It's a baby controlling a huge mechanized killing machine...parents will let their kids do anything they want these days.
The plot is really simple and classic. A big bad dude from another planet invades and his hordes of minions are set up for you to take down. Keeping up? Good. You have to go through level after level, beating up bad dudes and bosses until you reach the main bad dude. It's not rocket science...it's kick-ass fun.
The fun of this game is in all the details. The levels explode with interesting things to look at. As you fight through the levels, you can't help but look at the beautiful backgrounds. You'll notice some amazing artwork...like the scary looking prehistoric fish in the museum...and you'll notice some bizarre things happening....like in the aquarium, a killer whale is on a hospital bed being experimented on...I'm NOT kidding!
Then there's the enemies...oh my lord how the enemies look great. The screen is filled to the brim with henchmen..and they look fantastic! Everything about them makes them fun to beat up. Especially when you notice how some of them act and react. They have a great design from the start. As soon as you see them, you can't help but smile. It's the classic henchman design.
The bosses are a riot. Mutant menaces that you get to pound on. Just hack and slash. It's really fun with the Ninja guy, because when he beats a boss, he cuts him in half!!
Everything about the game makes the 10 year old in you giddy as hell. In fact, it makes you want to quit your job, buy some action figures, watch cartoons, and eat sugary cereal. Seriously. This game represents a lot of why it was so fun being a kid during this era....and a lot of why it isn't fun being a kid now. Sorry new kids. You're getting screwed.
So try to go out and find this game at an arcade somewhere. And when you play it, and you see a 10 year old running around...point and laugh at him knowing that he'll never have the childhood you had. And then go back to your meaningless job and pathetic life and start sobbing....knowing you'll never get those glory days back.