 Review By: Siou Choy |
Developer: | Wayforward Technologies |
| Publisher: | Konami | |
| Genre: | Side-scrolling Shooter | |
| ESRB: | Teen | |
| # Of Players: | 1-2 | |
| Online Play: | No | |
| Accessories: | Wi-Fi (local) | |
| Buy Now: |   |
Contra is one of those games that I grew up with as a kid, starting with its earliest incarnations on the NES. Like many of my peers, I find I can still rattle off the “30 lives code” (AKA the infamous Konami Code) with ease. So I can honestly say that I was pretty excited about Contra 4’s release on the Nintendo DS. That said, little appears to have changed from that hoary original – whether that’s a good or bad thing depends on the gamer’s personal viewpoint. Yet another faceless alien invasion has foisted itself upon Earth once more, and it’s up to a group of Special Forces Commandos to stop them (yes, against my personal politics and beliefs, this is very much a pro-military franchise). They have lame names like “Mad Dog” and “Scorpion” to distract you from the fact that it’s the exact same character design with different color pants four times over (fashion emergency - call in Queer Eye!). Contra 4 can be played solo, or as a two-player game via the DS’ wireless Multi-Card Play. Of course, this marketing gimmick does require both players to have their own copy of Contra 4…far be it from these guys to pass up on a free nickel of available consumer funds!
A lot of the levels feel surprisingly close to the original NES Contra - it actually starts off with a fairly identical jungle level, and end of the level boss battles don’t fall too far from the bush, so to speak. The general impression is that the developers had no ideas in mind, stole the original template line for line, then made slight tweaks so as not to infringe copyright or something equally absurd. While speaking as a fan of the series the end result is still fun, it’s more than a bit disappointing that they couldn’t find even a glimmer of creative spark in their collective heads to come up with something that at least appeared to be new…but then, look at today’s music scene, or (shudder) the crap coming out of Hollywood. I won’t even discuss the idiot box – I unplugged that overflowing toilet of “entertainment” a good 5 years ago…
One minor addition to the Contra bag of tricks they did manage to come up with is the ability to grapple. Unfortunately, this actually turns out to be one of the more disappointing things about Contra 4 – with this additonal function, the game feels more like a ripoff of Bionic Commando, and not anywhere near as good as its source material. The grapple is limited to one direction and one direction only - you can’t use it to move to the sides or even diagonally. The levels where the grapple is needed to complete the area are rather painful to get through, as you find yourself stuck holding on for dear life while being shot at from every direction; and this without any ability to properly manuver around. Can you say “human target”? Might as well paint a bullseye on your chest. Great design, guys.
The one actual change to the original lies in adaptation to its console. The DS dual screen makes Contra 4 more wide open and challenging. This is particularly evident in levels where you’re stuck doing a lot of climbing, as you really have to keep an eye out on what’s happening in both the top screen (where at least half of your enemies lie) and bottom screen (where you are).
Switching between and tailoring various weapon upgrade choices to each particular area is an essential skill to make your way through the game. It’s always wise to save certain upgrades, such as Spread Shot or Laser, to get through particularly difficult parts of the game, and not waste them on areas that prove to be relatively smooth sailing.
The game is loaded with a lot of goodies to keep you playing for awhile. Beating the game will unlock new features and modes of play. You can also visit the Museum in the game and find out a little bit about the history of Contra.
Contra 4 is every bit as challenging as the original Contra. The “Easy Mode” of play isn’t all that easy – in fact, it’s rather difficult. Needless to say, therefore, that “Hard Mode” could overwhelm even the most seasoned of gamers. Either way, it’s not out of hand to find yourself somewhat confounded in the first few levels, before you can get a good feel for the game. Once you get your bearings, though, it’s almost like you never stopped playing the original…literally, given the few changes between the NES version and the “state of the art” DS version, 20 years later. And who the hell gets by in this world, making almost no changes or improvements on a given design over a 20 year period? (cough – Konami, apparently- ahem)
Bottom Line:
I was a big fan of Contra when it first came out on the NES. After all these years, it’s been one of the few games outside of RPGs and old arcade classics (we’re talking Pac-Man and Popeye-era here) that I can still go back to and enjoy same as ever, as if time had stopped for the past two decades. Contra 4 brought back some nice memories, and despite its lack of creativity in design, managed to add a few as well. The final word? If you enjoyed the Contra series, you’ll find little to complain about in Contra 4.
| Pros: | Cons: | Final Score: |
|---|---|---|
|
| 8.5 |
Posted: 2008-01-16 10:48:43 PST