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Old School Right Down to the Core

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 20 / 22
Date: November 16, 2007
Author: Amazon User

In the mid to late eighties a run and gun shoot 'em up game called Contra hit store shelves. It's a game mostly remembered for being insanely difficult. So much so that the developers gave players a code (which would later be dubbed the "Classic Konami Code") that would give them thirty lives and they'd still end up seeing the game over screen. But with persistence (and a good memory) Contra could be conquered. Later, we got Super C as a follow up and later the all time best: Contra III: The Alien Wars. Unfortunately, after that, many Contra games to follow (save for Hard Corps on the Genesis) were not good games at all. The Playstation games were said to be the worst of the series, and even though Shattered Soldier returned to old roots, it just wasn't enough.

Now, fifteen years after Contra III: The Alien Wars, we finally get a true Contra sequel. And it's everything the original Contra back in the 80's was. That is to say it's insanely hard, you only have so many lives and you'll see that game over screen millions of times, maybe within the first level alone. When I say this game is difficult, it's no joke. This game was specifically made for Contra fans. So if you didn't like the series before, you are surely not going to like this game by any means.

Contra 4 takes the basic run and gun gameplay of the original and does nothing to mess with a tried and true formula. You'll go through the levels blasting anything and everything that moves while you jump from one platform to the next to avoid falling in chasms. You'll also be avoiding enemy gun fire and watching out for enemies that are running blindly from one side of the screen to another. Your eyes must be sharp if you want to survive. You begin with a basic rifle, but along the way you'll be able to find other guns. Such as the Machine Gun, the Laser, and the Contra classic: The Spread Gun. There are more weapons to collect. You can carry two guns at a time and switch between them on the fly. You can also "upgrade" a weapon by collecting it a second time on top of the original for an extra punch. Very simple game to play, but insanely difficult to master. Luckily, there are difficulty levels to choose from, but choosing Easy will cause you to miss out on the real experience of what Contra is.

Unfortunately, like the previous games, once you get enemy movements down, it will actually become insanely easy. That is to say if you memorize where every enemy appears and when you'll succeed. The problem is learning this trick of trade as you'll have to die several times. Each level also ends with a boss who is just as difficult as the level itself. Many times you'll do well in a level only to be killed by the bosses. This Contra has the biggest, baddest boss battles yet.

Contra is also unforgiving in the fact that its one hit and you're dead. You have a set number of lives to begin with, depending on which difficulty level you choose. Once all those lives are gone its game over. You have a set number of continues to use. This is not a game for the casual gamer. It doesn't let up for a second.

That may ultimately be the problem with Contra 4. The simple fact that it's just an insanely difficult game overall. So much so that most gamers will be turned off simply because of being frustrated to death. Not even the first level is simple. If you really want to test how good a gamer you are, by all means, pick up Contra 4. Another small problem is that it spans two screens and keeping an eye on both screens when there is literally danger coming from all around can take a moment to get used to. It doesn't help that the little space in between can hide some of those dangers as well.

Contra 4 doesn't use the DS to its full potential. This is a 2D side scroller through and through. There are some 3D effects brought out, but not a whole lot. Your character sprites are a little pixilated. It doesn't push the DS to its limits but the levels are incredibly detailed with great looking backgrounds. The level design of this game is ingenious. For anyone who is a fan of the Contra series, there's a lot of nostalgia in the level designs (the very first level, for example, is a jungle). The game also sounds fantastic, with some great sound effects. Some of which were lifted from the original games. Even better, some levels use old classic tunes that are remixed.

There is also challenge mode. This is a mode where Contra veterans can really test their skills by having to do certain task in some stages. Here you'll do some things like go through a challenge without missing a single enemy or going through a challenge using limited ammo or sometimes even no ammo at all! There are 40 challenges in all and they'll test even the best Contra players.

Contra 4 really is a good game. A game that relies heavily on the old school roots that made the first three games such a heaping success. If you stick with it and don't wimp out, Contra 4 is rewarding.

Pros:

+Intense gameplay to keep you on your toes
+Really great soundtrack
+Simplistic gameplay
+A good challenge

Cons:

-When I say a good challenge... I'm not kidding. And while many will like a good challenge, there will still be some gamers--perhaps even Contra fans--who will believe this game to be a little much

Great trip down memory lane

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 18 / 21
Date: November 16, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Let me preface my review by saying this:

This game is hard.

Will you die a lot? Yes.

But with that said, Contra 4 is an amazing game that takes me back to the days of the first Contra on the NES. I can remember playing that and getting frustrated because I kept dying...yet, I went back for more. Same thing applies here. You aren't going to get through this game by blindly jumping, moving, and shooting. You will need to remember where X enemy appears, when a power-up is going to appear (and what kind it is), the pattern of a boss...all the skills that used to be required when playing a game like this back on the NES. Patience is key.

Again...this game is hard. You will get frustrated. But not from cheap AI. There really were only a few times where I was killed because of a cheap hit; the only one I can remember at the moment is when an enemy was "hidden" by the space between the top and bottom screens.

But don't let that deter you from purchasing it. If you have been looking for a challenge, want an old-school 2D action game, or are a die-hard Contra fan, this is for you.

If not, go play one of those new modern games that holds your hand, gives you unlimited continues and/or lives, and changes your diaper before you go to bed.

Only real mean (and women) need apply.

Oh yeah baby, this is the Contra I remember

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 19 / 19
Date: November 20, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Konami's legendary Contra series makes it's debut on the DS in all it's old school, arcade shoot 'em up action glory. Proving that the series is best in the realm of 2-D, Contra 4 is a throwback to the glory days of the original arcade game and the 8 and 16-bit era of gaming, as it provides huge levels, insane weapons, and unnerving difficulty. The game's grueling levels are spread about using both of the DS' screens, as enemies come at you from all sides. This alone makes Contra 4 worth checking out, and only adds to the game's difficulty, which even on Easy mode, is provides quite a bit of challenge. The controls are dead-on, the level designs are flawless, and the boss battles are epic; all of which adds up to one of the best action games to hit the DS yet. There are extras included as well to celebrate the Contra series' 20th Anniversary, including a Museum that reflects the series' run on consoles over the years, and an interesting Challenge mode that once completed, can unlock the NES versions of Contra and Super C. The only downside to Contra 4 is what has already been said: the difficulty. The difficulty may be a turn-off for new age gamers who didn't grow up with the Contra series, but for the rest of us who did, Contra 4 is a sheer blast.

Classic Contra gameplay

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: December 23, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Instead of trying to experiment with new gameplay mechanics, WayForward decided to just use the old mechanics and update the presentation. So basically you have the "feel" of the old games, but with more frames of animation, better graphics with great colors, and so on.

The best thing about this game is how they managed to capture the "feel" of the old Contra. They made certain things right, like the arc of the jumps, the travel speed of the bullets, the way they blink that certain way, the noise that your character makes when he lands on a platform, or the particular noise that a bullet makes when it hits a target. They also kept a lot of the enemies in the same poses and gave them similar animations to the ones in the older games. It's the subtle details like this that let you know that this is a genuine Contra game and not some experimental project that they just slapped the Contra name on.

You see many other franchises lose sight of the little things that made a particular game stand out. They may have similar characters and other qualities that justify it as a franchise game, but the qualities that made the original special are not there. Many of the later Sonic games have been accused of this, as well as the 3D Castlevania titles, and of course the 3D Contra titles as well. Contra: Shattered Soldier, while a decent game, suffered from this as well. In contrast, Contra 4 really is a true franchise title.

Overall, the game plays like a mix of Contra for the NES and Contra III: the Alien Wars for the SNES. If you liked those games, you will enjoy Contra 4.

Great Remake of a Classic

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: December 09, 2007
Author: Amazon User

As a fan of the original NES version, I had high hopes for this game. I haven't really been to impressed with most of the arcade-style games for the DS. This one is just as much fun as the original (which is included as an unlockable bonus). It has Easy, Medium, and Hard play levels. The medium level is roughly the same difficulty as the original. The hard level is pretty difficult. There is also an unlockable "Challenge Mode" which requires you to perform specific tasks.

Old School Contra

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: December 17, 2007
Author: Amazon User

For those who are not familiar with the Contra series, it is a platform shooter which began as an arcade series and made it's way unto the NES, SNES, Genesis, PS1, PS2, and now the DS. This is the 4th version of Contra, but it is worthy to be called the "true sequel" to Treasure's Contra III: The Alien Wars.

The game is very similar to many of the Contra games in the past, for instance the 1st stage is almost an exact replica of the 1st stage from Contra I, and there are many other stages that are heavily borrowed from other games as well (most notably Contra I, Super C, and Contra III). This is not a bad thing at all mind you and for those who think that taking ideas from older games is a step back in development does not know about how the series took a major fall ever since Contra III.

This game is not easy and that's how Contra games are supposed to be played. There are 3 modes of game play: Easy, Normal and Hard. On easy you get 5 continues and 10 lives, on Normal you get 3 continues and 5 lives and so on (the game is very difficult so if you never had any experience with any Contra games, be prepared to lose a lot of lives on the 1st stage). The game includes 6 power ups which are: Machine Gun, Spread Gun, C Cannon/Blast, Homing Missiles, Fire and Laser. You are allowed to have 2 different weapons (which can be switched with the 'L' button) and the weapons can be powered by twice (normal and hard mode), otherwise if you are playing on Easy, the weapon is powered to the max after getting it.

The game play is very similar to Contra III, except for a few minor inclusions such as a grappling hook and with the DS you will utilize both screens for playing the game. You will not use the bottom touch screen as all functions are done by the button pads.

Conclusion: If you have been waiting for a true sequel for Contra III, then get this game as it will satisfy you with the tight controls and challenging game play. For those who never tried out the series I advise you that this game is not easy at all (even on easy) so be prepared to be frustrated if you cannot pass the 1st stage. Also, this game requires 2 DS carts to play multi player mode (trust me you do not want to play solo and this game was always meant to be played together)

Old School

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: February 03, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Reminds me of the good old Contra on the NES. Just as hard and decent visuals. Highly recommended if you liked the original and are into action/shooters but not if you give up easily as it's relatively difficult even on 'easy'. However, I bet there's a code to give you more lives (up, up, down, down, left, right...etc.) Give it a go!

Contra 4 is an excellent addition to the series

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: December 26, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Contra 4 is challenging, fun and contains plenty of unlockable content (including alternate characters to use). It will keep you busy for hours. If you were a fan of Contra 3 or some of the other classic titles, this release is definitely going to satisfy. The only deviations from most of the other Contra games are the grappling hook and the weapon power-ups starting off at half power. The DS has both screens being used at almost all times to show the battle. The top screen often has to be monitored for oncoming fire as you run along the bottom. The only time the top screen is a map instead of an extension of the bottom is the indoor stages.

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: January 21, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This game was awesome. I am a huge fan of the contra titles on the nes and the snes. When I heard this game was going to be released for the DS I made a reservation and I bought a DS just so I could play this game and be ready. This game brought back so many memories as I played it. The game has so many refrences from its predacessors which gives you the awesome contra feeling a lot of classic gamers know. I hear too many poeple complaining that this game is too hard, I actually found it suitable because it was difficult like all the others. My best streak on this game was not losing a single life until the last level on the normal difficulty, things start to get a little crazy in the last level. The last boss(Black Viper) at the end of the harvest yard was awesome, especially the music! I recomend this game for people who love challenging games that require lots of quick actions. Once you start getting the hang of this game you will get that Contra feeling I'm talking about. I am going for hard mode right now, so far I made it to the 5th level, its a great challenge, and you get to play with the classic contra soundtrack. Its a great buy also because you can unlock Contra and Super C for the nes, I finally get to play those great classics on the bus to school. I hope that Konami thinks about making another contra game like this one for the DS because I am very satisfied=D Oh, one more thing, you can unlock the PROBOTECTOR from the European version of contra and play as him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Konami creates another classic

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: February 01, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Just like everyone else has said, this game IS hard, but NOT impossible. I have completed the game on Hard difficulty setting and nearly all of the challenges. In my opinion, the level of difficulty is the best part of the game. It is very challenging, but rest assured that with persistence and some skill, you can beat this game and the challenges. However, I would not recommend this game for the novice gamer.

The game has 3 difficulty settings, easy/normal/hard. The first of which leaves out the last 2 levels. Playing on easy is still difficult but you get the advantage of fully upgraded weapons with just one weapon pickup. It requires 2 pickups on normal and hard. Beating the game on any difficulty setting unlocks the challenges. Beating the challenges unlocks additional content which includes the first 2 contra games (Contra on NES and Super C) as well as different characters to play as and misc. other things such as a contra museum and comics.

Pros:
- The level design is very good with full utilization of the 2 screens.
- Bosses are quite impressive and span both screens.
- Good graffics (for the DS, we aren't talkin HD here)
- Excellent gameplay.
- Very challenging.
- The grappling hook adds alot to the game play.
- Cool weapons and upgrades.

Cons:
- Lags slightly in multiplayer which can lead to deaths
- Very hard, not for the novice gamer

I put the difficulty as both a pro and con since it could be either depending on what you seek in a game. All things considered, I enjoy this game more than Contra and Super C. But since both those games are unlockable, you get to enjoy them all in one package!

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