Contra: Hard Corps

"Tiny robots with large guns will one day inherit the earth."

Hey. This is my first review, but that's because I'm lazy and all the other games I love have like 50 reviews already. Anyways, on with the review.

Graphics:

This game looks damn good considering its age. There is no noticeable breakup or slowdown, and huge well-drawn bosses animate fluidly. There's lots of huge explosions, and even some neat special effects like in the boss fight against the giant robot who chases you down a highway. Enemy design is excellent and sometimes wacky, ranging from a giant cyclops robot to a bunch of tiles that form a tank and a helicopter. The characters are kinda small, but it's Contra. They're supposed to be small so the bosses are that much more intimidating. :)

It doesn't look as good as Vectorman or Sonic & Knuckles, but it's still got some of the best graphics on the system. (9/10)

Sound:

This game has some awesome, fast music. My favorite is 'Format X', played while fighting the mad scientist bosses. There's hardly a bad tune in the bunch, it's all good. A bit low-quality, but almost everything on the Genesis is. The sound effects are good too, with lots of explosions and even a few voices. The voices are grainy, but once again that's to be expected on the Genesis.

Very good sound effects and great music, one of the best action game soundtracks on the Genesis. (9/10)

Story:

Who the hell cares?

Gameplay:

It's a bit, well, hard. You'll want to play it more, though, and you will get better gradually. Control is simple, and very tight. Most bosses are easy once you know their patterns, but some will keep you on your toes every time you fight them. One interesting thing of note is that this game consists almost entirely of boss fights, their frequency is almost as high as that of Alien Soldier (another excellent Genesis action game). The regular enemies, when they're around, come at you very fast and from all angles. Of course, they all blow up real good.

There are four characters in this game, each with different weaponry and such.

Ray: The typical Contra guy. He has series staples like the spread gun, homing missile, and grenade launcher. He's good for long-time fans of the series or first-time players who want to use a well-rounded character.

Sheena: She's similar to Ray, with some variations in the weaponry. For example, she has a spreading laser whose shots home in on enemies instead of the homing missile. I don't use her much, I don't like her weapons at all. I'm sure there are some people who use her, though.

Fang: This werewolf has some seriously powerful weaponry, including a short-range Fire Punch and an Ion Punch that can take out most bosses in a few hits when fully charged. His regular gun is great, too. The only downside is that he's HUGE. It's really hard to dodge enemy fire with him, but he's so powerful that they're usually dead before they get the chance. There are a few parts of the game that are made very difficult if you use him, though.

Browny: Definitely my favorite character. He's a tiny robotic soldier - so small that you don't need to duck under most enemy fire. Not only that, but he can fire his jetpack in midair, essentially a double jump. His weapons are a bit odd, but powerful once you know how to use them. His laser chain is arguably the most powerful weapon in the game, capable of annihilating some bosses in mere seconds.

So, it's basically Contra with multiple characters and even more bosses than usual. This formula works great, and this game is definitely my favorite in the series. It's even better with two people, of course. (9.5/10)

Replay Value:

This game is not particularly long, but it has multiple paths - at two points in the game, you can make a choice between two options. The first choice also affects what level you get after the second choice. There is a total of six paths through the game, and therefore six endings. Personally, I prefer a short game with multiple paths than a long game with one path - you don't have to sit there for four hours to beat it. Add in the multiple characters, the high difficulty, two-player simultaneous play, and the fact that it's just a great game...well, you'll be playing it for a while. (8.5/10)

In conclusion, I definitely recommend this game. If you're a fan of action games, you can't go wrong here - it's one of the best on the Genesis, which is saying a lot. (9/10)

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/29/02, Updated 07/29/02