Contra: Hard Corps

"Contra series reaches its peak!"

My history with Contra

I've played Contra series for as long as I can remember. The NES hit ''Contra'' and the sequel ''Super C'' were my definite favorites. I spent a full weekend at my friend when he got a SuperNES and the ''Contra 3: The Alien Wars'' cartridge. The Contra games were packed with action, very hard to beat, and most of all Fun.

Contra gets more Fun in the ''Hardcorps''

The Red Falcon's been dumped. A good idea, I would probably have gotten bored shooting the same creeps again and again. More than that, the game has received a new anime look. The briefings are great (Have you seen ''Dominion: Tank Police''? Wait until you see the Hardcorps' boss!) as well as the choices you get to make along the storyline. The game has no more as pressing an atmosphere as the other Contras when there are no alien beasts running around. The game is lighter and sometimes even hilarious with its interesting plot twists.

The possibility to choose from four different characters is nice, especially if you're playing with a friend. The characters are quite different from each other, but not as much as to hinder playability. Each character has four different weapon pickups, one of them replacing the ordinary machinegun. The weapon received depends on who picks it up - another reason to choose pick your character(s) smart! On to the scoring, however:

Gameplay: 9/10

The gameplay in Contra the Hardcorps is great. You can make choices about the storyline in the game and therefore feel more control over the game. The levels become linearly harder, not suddenly boosting from childsplay to insanity like some games...

Story: 10/10

The story is excellent. The persons in the story, ranging from the heroes to the villains, are interesting and packed with personality. You can hear that someone is ''cool'' or hideously evil from their voices, and the personalities become even more clear when reading their conversation. The story becomes quite complicated from the simple start, depending on the decisions you make. The absence of Red Falcon aliens makes the game different than the other Contras, but in a positive way. Definitely material for a good manga or anime.

Audio/Video: 9/10

The Genesis isn't a SuperNES. Still the guys at Konami have made the game look neat and sound great without even slowing up the game. Clever programming has made SuperNES - style visual effects possible on the Genesis system. The graphics on the characters and the background is colored appropriately and animated to the best. No slippery-looking animation or drugged colors! Just wait when you see Browny and Fang fighting as a team...

The sound effects are nice and appropriate except for the megabomb effect, which sounds a little weird. No other mistakes, however. The music is excellent. From the 133bpm hardcore-beat in the first level to the other techno tunes in the game, it's just perfect. The music matches the events flawlessly, and creates an anime atmosphere to the game.

Controls: 8/10

The controls in the game are good. You have precise control over your character and have full feel of the movements the character makes. The Contra maneuvers are all in the Hardcorps, with the addition of the slide, which lets you slide quickly away from any danger. The only thing I had some trouble getting used to were the firing controls, but they are easily learned. The Genesis controller only has three buttons, so one of the buttons works as an aim/weapon change button. When you get the hang of it, it's straightforward and easy to use.

Replayability: 10/10

The replayability of this game is recommendable. The ability to make choices about the storyline along the game and to choose from four characters truly makes the game unique in its variability. In two-player game the Hardcorps becomes a work of art. This game is a total party hit, in addition to the single player value. I have owned the cartridge for five years now, and have completed it for about four times per year. It still keeps up my interest.

To buy or rent?

Well, all I can say is that if you can buy it, buy it. It is definitely one of the best games available for the Genesis. The price doesn't matter. If you can't find one to buy, it's definitely worth renting. This is one of the few Genesis games I still own, and probably will keep it to the kingdom come.

The ending conclusion

I think this game is really worth the 9. The game is great, in addition to being the best Contra ever made in my opinion. This article is my opinion, however, so go ahead and try it for yourself!

Ossi Makinen
Part-time gamer since 1982

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/28/01, Updated 01/28/01