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A worthy sequel

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: March 30, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Contra: Shattered Soldier is a 2D "run and gun" shooter for the Playstation 2 reminiscent of games like Rush 'n Attack, Elevator Action, Mega Man, etc. Compared to the better games of the Contra series, it holds its own. A unique twist that distinguishes this edition from its predecessors is the ability to switch between 3 different weapons on the fly instead of picking up power ups. There is also a special weapon that shoots in all directions that you can use by holding down circle, but it is not very effective. All in all, a fun game, and worthy of including in any list of Contra games worth owning.

Just couldn't get into it

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: January 07, 2008
Author: Amazon User

It has a co-op mode, but neither of us were that into it. We played it for a little while, but just gave up.

Almost too hard to be fun.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: June 19, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Ok everyone knows how hard this game is. ITS HARD OK??? Besides that, the game design and graphics are amazing. I really wish they would make the new castlevania games in the same style.

Contra Shattered Controller

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: September 06, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Contra Shattered Soldier. One of the hardest games to ever come out on the PS2 besides exclusive japanese titles (Ibara, Shooting Love Trizeal, Mushihime-Sama,Imperishable Night, etc) The best thing about Contra Shattered Soldier is that it makes some minor changes to the original gameplay, but it still keeps the core elements of the Contra series which is great.

At first I would like to start out with the gameplay. Though most of the gameplay is the same as the original Contra, the one main difference that you will notice is that now you start of with 3 weapons instead of obtaining them, and the fact that the weapons can be charged up. I personally liked this because it adds more strategy to the gameplay and it is better than picking up individual weapons for different situations. You got everything you need all in one gun and a button push away. The other main difference is that they added a level completion percentage that raises everytime you kill a certain badguy or object.

Now it is time for the difficutly. Contra Shattered Soldier is a pretty challenging game (Not something that everybody claims to be challenging like Devil May Cry 3). The first time I played it I couldn't even get past the 1st level in a matter of tries, and even when I did pass the first level, I did not get 100% completion on it, because of the specific things you need to find and look for in the levels, and in the 2nd level I actually died a little bit over 30 times the first time I tried it, and I only kept on dying more and more as the levels went on. This game might be tough, but that's what makes it fun, i've never played any other game that has you fighting 7 bosses a level. The game itself takes only 30 minutes to beat if you are good at speed runs but you will be playing it for months untill then.

Now onto the level design. Contra Shattered Soldier has a pretty good level layout, there are many badguys and the nice 2D to 2.5D is pretty nice, it still keeps the Contra feelings.

Music. Contra Shattered Soldier has a good musical score in my opinion, even though it only has metal and trance songs, the music fits the levels and helps get that adrenaline pumping during battle. Actually out of all the hundreds of games that I have played in my whole life Contra SS has been the only game to make my heart pace.

Now the story. I think this is also one of the better things of Contra Shattered Soldier. The game doesn't really have a story, it's not that I don't enjoy a game with a good story, it's just that Contra has never been about that, so i'm glad they stuck nothing but gameplay. There are no stupid interrupt scenes like in Anubis. Zone of the Enders that cut away from the fun and destruction, as soon as the onslaught starts in Contra Shattered Soldier, it practically keeps on going on for the next 30 to 50 minutes.

All in all Contra Shattered Soldier is another great game to add to your PS2 collection that seperates the men from the boys, or if you are female the woman from the girls.

YESS!! probably the toughest contra game ive played.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: December 04, 2005
Author: Amazon User

ok so all the contra games are hard right? well now think of the previous contra games, and imagine trying to complete them all in one sitting, with no continues to help you clear the game. that is what SS is like simply put. it is HARD. if you like a challenging (impossible) game than this is great, it really takes a frustrating amount of concentration and practice to play this game. whats more is its a game which i can play one day, and just pick it up a week or two later and play it again just for the heck of it, and get better each time. i enjoy this game quite a bit, its really well made. the graphics i think people mentioned before well arent what a ps2 game should look like. i never noticed this until it was mentioned though, all of the aliens and robots look fine, but the player models look like total crap, and its a little stupid how all the constantly respawning enemies just seem to explode, not die bloodily like in neo contra. still have no problems with it, just couldve been done better in my opinion. if youve played the contra series before, and like action games but ur not really sure u want to spend hours killing your fingers in a frustrating battle, then you might want to check out neo contra instead, also for the ps2, its a lot less challenging and features better graphics and actual 3d gameplay. in SS the soundtrack is pretty good in my opinion, some of the riffs are pretty cool. it takes numetalish stuff and some techno (i think) and plays them repetitively, i think its actually quite good ingame. ill buy the soundtrack if i see it, i do want it. well if youre a contra fan, chances are youll like this game, its worth a try. i also recommend the contra alien wars game for snes and gba. thats pretty hard too.

contra 4

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: October 01, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I know what you are saying "but there are way more then 4 contra games" well your wrong. They never put any contra games on genesis or psone. Contra would suck on a small screen so why put it on gameboy. And konami don't make another contra game after this one. The only contra games out are the original, super c, contra 3 the alien wars, and contra shattered solider.

Insanely Hard and Every Bit as Brilliant

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: February 08, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Why oh why aren't there more 2D games like this being made? I've got nothing against 3D, but I don't like how gaming companies have completely stopped making classic style 2D games, such as this, and Contra: Shattered Soldier is a hell of a game.
It is incredibly difficult, so much that I completely gave up on it for awhile and was even tempted to sell it. But I didn't, and recently I gave it another go, and was glad I did so. This game can be mastered with only a moderate amount of effort, and is incredibly fun if you do so. The action is fast paced, unrelenting, unforgiving, and you have to get it down to a science. The graphics are beautiful, and makes me long terribly for more 2D action just like this(ahem...Symphony of the Night 2, please?). There is a huge variety of awesome looking creatures, mini bosses, and BIG bosses. The sounds are great, and the industrial metal soundtrack is really very good. All around an exceptional game. It even has unlockables you can achieve as your skills improve.
I highly recommend this game to fans of the series and lovers of difficult, 2D action. Stick with it and it's a very rewarding and enjoyable game that's great for letting off some steam. If, however, you think 2D is dead and should be left that way, or if you can't handle anything beyond the majority of squishy, easy games that come out these days, I suppose you should stay away.

For Contra Fans Only

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: November 26, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Long has it been since I've seen a game like this. Back When I was a small child, my favorite video games were ones like Super C for NES and Contra III: Alien Wars for the super nintendo. Both were hardcore action games. The feeling of being overwhelmed by enemies and battling supremely challenging foes was an intoxicating experience.

Now comes Contra: Shattered Soldier, reviving the nostalgia of impossibly difficult combat action. I would imagine only old-school Contra fans would enjoy this title, because it's so difficult, has very simplistic gameplay, and the overall genre of an action-arcade shooter.

My only complaint is that it is alittle too short, but other then that, its a classic.

Konami is bored with 2D and it shows

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 1 / 8
Date: August 05, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This is a 2D game with some 3D elements. To me the graphics didn't look all that great. Nearly all explosions look about the same. The backgrounds are uninspired. The music is appropriate but very simplistic and dull.

What's far worse, is that the gameplay isn't very Contra. The character moves with slow speed and reflexes compared to main enemies, which sometimes move with lighting speed. Main enemies tend to fill up the entire screen, leaving you nowhere to go. Just about all of this game is fighting your way exactly to the letter. If you want variety and change your tactics, the character dies. No, that's not "old school" for anyone who played Contra or Super C.

The narrow choice of weapons reflects the narrow choices that can be made while playing Contra Shattered Soldier. Only three weapons are available. Machine gun, grenade launcher, and flame thrower. Each weapon has to be used in a particular situation, making the gameplay very unimaginative and limited. In other words, not fun.

I didn't find any movies between stages, only a few mute conversations between Bill and Lucia, etc. The only movie I've seen was the game introductory movie. I did like the movie, but it wasn't integrated into the gameplay, unfortunately. Being Bill's partner, Lucia isn't in the movie much at all. Don't expect any involving story. There is no voice acting in this game either.

On the positive side, the "easy" mode will allow you nine lives and a hundred continues. However, you can also only finish the first five stages, if you play the "easy" mode. Supposedly two more stages can be reached on "normal" mode. Only three lives and three continues are given for the "normal" mode.

This game may be easier and more fun in 2-player mode. One of very few things this game may still be good at.

Konami didn't spend much time or money on this game. That's for sure. It may appeal to people who like any game that starts with the name Contra. Even so, I would stay away from this disappointment. Rent it if you have doubts.

This game could have easily achieved a much better overall quality, possibly grabbing the interest of non-Contra fans as well. Here are the problems. Insufficient gameplay, very few weapons, not enough stages, hybrid 2D/3D too uninspired, no intermission movies, no voice acting, inadequate music. Super C made it hard to put down the controller. Not so with Contra Shattered Soldier!

I liked the 3D Contras better than this game. Clearly Konami is ready to move on, which they proved with Castlevania: LoI very well. I would rather see Konami half-fail at something new, than fail so badly at something they were once so good at.

HARDEST GAME EVER

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 5 / 9
Date: June 11, 2004
Author: Amazon User

DO not buy this game if you think it will be easy. I can't even beat it with cheat codes and with two players. There are only about 7 levels and I get to about the 4th. It is really really hard. The weapons are cool though.

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