Contra 4 ... Oh yes!

[Alpha]

"Contra 4" is a clear statement: ignore all those others; this is the first true Contra game since 1992.

 

 

But is it really? Come to think of it, what does "the first true Contra game since 1992" mean, anyway? In a nutshell, it means turning back the clock a decade and a half to create a game patterned closely after the series' classic NES and SNES versions. The transgressions (and, admittedly, innovations) of the series' PlayStation-era 3D installments have been wiped clean; Contra 4 is strictly a 2D game in the Super NES sense, built entirely of sprites and bitmaps and parallax backgrounds. Only the double screens and slick animation give away the game's hardware and era.

 

.....

 

Contra 4 has its own distinct flavor. This is due in large part to the dual-screen design of Nintendo DS; both screens feature active play space, and players can easily swap between the two by dropping down from above or using a grappling hook to instantly move upward. The hook also comes into play during the first boss encounter, which at first resembles the base at the end of Contra's level one: a wall of guns and sensors, with a sniper perched at the top. Destroy the base, however, and it rises to span both screens, with new gun emplacements filling the screen with fire; players have to grapple to a helicopter at the top of the upper screen to destroy the reinforcements. Like the game itself, it's a new and challenging twist on an old favorite.

 

Yes, challenging -- Contra 4 is tough. Konami tells us that the difficulty is still being tuned so that the easiest difficulty is friendlier to novice players. Of course, playing on easy will ultimately be unsatisfying; in classic fashion, the beginner's game ends well before the true final level. The normal and hard difficulty is no cakewalk, with a satisfying toughness that demands sharp reflexes and a moderate amount of memorization, and manageable with practice...even with hazards on two screens at once.

 

Also new to this iteration of Contra is the ability to combine weapons. This works strictly with two weapon drops of the same type -- for instance two spreads, or two machine guns. "We considered adding the ability to combine weapons," Hulett admits, "but ultimately decided that we want this to feature elements that belong in Contra rather than some other action game." Some combo weapons are quite familiar, while others are completely new; the flamethrower, for instance, initially resembles the spinning flame wheel from Contra, while its upgraded version is a large ball of fire a lá Super C. The homing gun, on the other hand, becomes a nigh-invincible homing spread when doubled up.

»» Read the full article!

[Mooney]

This looks like it will kick major ass. I'm going to get it as soon as it comes out.

[Mooney]

New video: Contra 4 Gameplay

 

This really does remind me of early Contra games... only thing that seems to be missing is background music.

[Ryuken]

i'll only play it if i can have infinite life or continues cuz i suck at contra, lol