Commando (Arcade, Capcom)

Commando is the quasi-prequel to Bionic Commando. You are Super Joe, a super-soldier taxed with fighting an opposing army by himself. Manly!

Data East Copyright Strings
Alternate copyright strings can be found in each version starting at in memory.

These strings match the custom copyright messages used by Data East in their games, or rather, match their openings (they would be followed by STOP centered on the screen and then a longer, legalese block of text). The actual game uses a very different and more standard copyright string: [commandoj / commando / commandou] USE AND EXPORT OF THIS GAME OUTSIDE THE / WITH IN THE / OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY OF THE COUNTRY OF JAPAN / COUNTRY OF THE JAPAN / UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / / AND CANADA IS IN VIOLATION OF COPYRIGHT LAW AND CONSTITUTES A CRIMINAL ACT In fact, even the Data East-distributed US version uses the Capcom message!

Attract Mode


The Japanese version has an extra screen in Attract Mode advertising a PGC (Play Game Card).

Receive the Capcom Club PGC!!


 * Address, full name, age, sex, telephone number
 * Original certificate number
 * Current favorite games
 * Commando high score and game center/arcade where you earned it
 * Thoughts on gameplay

'''(address)

'''[postal code] 547

'''3-8-51 Nagayoshi Kawanabe, Hirano-ku, Ōsaka-shi

'''Capcom Club

Commando PGC clerk

High Score List
Like most early Capcom games, the number of characters per name was shortened from 10 to 3.

Bug Fixes
The text giving information on extra lives has a typo in all non-U.S. versions: An erroneous zero.

Additionally, there's a bug in the Japanese version's sound driver that mutes one of the instruments on the Last Area Clear track. This was fixed in all other versions.

Space Invasion
A special version of the game called Space Invasion was made specifically for the West German market.

This is based off of the World version of the game, as evidenced by the identical unused copyright string at

This version replaces all of the human soldiers with aliens. Or robots. Possibly alien robots.