1/1/2024 0 Comments Eurpoean contra hard corps romOften looked at as the inferior 16-bit Contra next to the supposed masterpiece that was Contra III, those who actually played it knew better. If only it was a little bit longer (that’s what she said). Beyond the stellar visuals and incredible audio, Contra III is simply one of the most polished action games ever made with some of video game history’s most memorable boss fights. It’s a bit surprising that this was a 1992 game, as it stands among SNES games released 2 and 3 years later from a graphical standpoint. Its biggest innovation was the grappling hook which brilliantly took advantage of the verticality offered by the DS’ two screens, of which it fully utilized both for gameplay. It is also one of the best action games on the PS2, period.ĭespite unfairly forsaking a few great Contra games with its snarky title, Contra 4 was a great return to form for a series that had had a very bumpy 15 years at that point. But those that did found a game that combined great 3D environments with rock-solid 2D–and only 2D–gameplay, capturing the spirit of classic Contra with modern visuals (and amazing fire effects). _ 6 – Contra: Shattered Soldier (PS2)Īfter the two abysmal PS1 offerings, people were justifiably skeptical to give SS a fair shake. They also made the characters more nimble and acrobatic than ever before, bridging the gap with series rival Gunstar Heroes. Not a Contra game in title but in every other way–story, characters, music, publisher– Uprising was developed by Arc System Works, bringing their gorgeous hand-drawn anime art style to the typically grimy and gritty franchise. But for Contra-starved gamers who will take any little crumb of the series they can get, a “greatest hits” is better than nothing, and this was a fun, fitting tribute album– one that is sadly no longer available to buy or even download outside of emulation. Like the other games in the “ReBirth” line, Contra ReBirth is more like a mash-up of levels, enemies, and gameplay elements from previous games than an entirely new entry. It’s also notable for being the first entry to finally make auto-fire a default option rather than needing an upgrade for it. The only completely original Contra game for a handheld until Contra 4 (the rest have been ports), Operation did an admirable job of bringing the frenetic action of a Contra adventure to the GB’s small, monochrome screen. Not as polished as the 2D games, but a solid and enjoyable action game nonetheless. The result was, for what it’s worth, the best non-side scrolling Contra game ever made. ![]() And that was assuming you could get even past the horrendous slowdown and flickering.Īfter successfully reviving the brand with the side-scrolling Shattered Soldier, Konami got cocky and gave isometric perspectives and 3D movement another shot with Neo Contra. The unique skills of the selectable characters added nice depth, but the action itself wasn’t polished or fun enough to be worthy of the Contra name. It makes sense how different Force is from the rest of the series, as it began development as a non- Contra game called Arc Hound. The abysmal polygonal visuals–even by 1996 standards–didn’t help matters much. ![]() Perhaps that was understandable pre-DualShock, but a terrible fit for Contra. Same perspective, but you awkwardly have to move where you want to shoot. The premise of Contra as a twin-stick shooter is a decent one, but Legacy of War isn’t a twin-stick shooter. _ 12 – Contra: Legacy of War (PS1/Saturn) It was also single player only, taking away the one thing that might’ve redeemed this disaster. Remember 3D action games before lock-on? If you said “no,” consider yourself lucky. ![]() It starts off so promising with a side-scrolling 2.5D level, and then completely goes off the rails with behind-the-back 3D stages that are some of the most nausea-inducing of the era. Apologies to our European readers who know most of these games as Probotector and/or Gryzor, but this list uses North American titles/versions only.
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