Contra: Hard Corps

"Fluffy Laughing Hyena!"

Hard Corps one of the best Contra games I ever played. It has a certain arcade-like thrilling speed to it that can't be found in the other games of the series; this game is something special.

Graphics (ten out of ten)

The graphics are incredibly detailed and set a certain mood. From the ruined city to the jungle to the fortress corridors, everything looks to be well made with lots of care taken. Special effects set a new standard for the Contra series; massive and generously used explosions and various pyrotechnics are to be found. It's extremely cool to blast a dozen enemies with a blazing stream of energy. There are some three dimensional effects that are very well done and actually make sense. Aside from the sheer coolness of the Hard Corps's visual element, everything moves incredibly fast without slowdown. The game starts with a sort of truck driving at insane speeds plowing through everything until it hits a car and crumples... You probably get the point.

Sound (eight out of ten)

The music is awesome; a fast-pased techno that matches the game perfectly. While the tunes aren't paticularily catchy, they do set the right mood. To be honest, the other Contra tunes from the 8-bit games were somewhat more memorable, but the increased pace of this game calls for a change of music as well.

As for the sound effects, they're rather flat, especially considering the visual flair and the good music. The voice-overs are scratchy and distorted and actually take away from the game. The poor quality of these samples is hard to explain considering that the SNES, a similar 16-bit system can handle proper voice-effects, as can the NES. Maybe Sega never caught on, but whatever the case, the voices are simply annoying.

Controls (ten out of ten)

Sega made its controller very hyena-friendly; all the large buttons are on the front for easy pawing. Hard Corps used the controls rather well, A to switch weapons, B to fire, and C to jump. A and B together switch modes from the standard Contra control scheme (where you can run and duck while shooting) to a new scheme (where you can only aim while shooting). Both are useful and I found myself switching between them. The game is responsive and quick, very important in this arcade-style thrill ride.

Story (ten out of ten)

Unfortunately, I cannot read Japanese, so I have no idea about the story. However, there is an excess of dialogue (especially since other Contra titles have NO dialogue period) which probably means that there is a story. I think that Red Falcon (which is a bizzare alien, not a falcon) is somehow involved, considering its symbol on the credit screen) Due to the history of Contra games, I'll give this one a high mark.

Gameplay (fifteen out of ten)

From the blazing speed to the extreme firepower to the sheer coolness of scenes, everything seems to be drenched in excitement. While a lot of the game's thrill is in the pyrotechnics, the actual game is solid and still hyper-speed. Most of the game involves side scrolling dodge 'n' fight action, with quite a few variations such as hanging onto an airplane or riding a who-knows-what on a highway. There are four unique characters, a wolf, a robot, and two soldiers. The wolf is definately the coolest and as is the easiest for a hyena to relate to. The characters have different weapons, which is a nice touch. The weapons are all unique and have various uses. For example, the wolf has a machine gun that can be converted into an energy spewing cannon, a flamethrower, a chargable energy shot, and a close-range outward explosive weapon. They all have different uses, even though some may seem useless at first. Some are better than others, but you can hold them all at the same time, which is a nice touch.

A new feature is that a character can get shot, smashed, etc. three times before dying. Of course, the enemies can take more hits too, but that's just fair. While older Contra games had a slightly less frantic pace, Hard Corps desperately needs more durable heroes and villians. A good trick is to switch your weapon to one you don't need or one that is weaker, because dying also costs you your weapon. Somehow, racking up points does NOT get you extra lives, so if you get fragged a lot near the beginning of a level, there's no way to get those lives back, other than continuing and starting from an earlier point.

Overall, Contra: Hard Corps ROCKS!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 02/08/03, Updated 02/08/03