Contra: Shattered Soldier

"What good gaming is all about."

One of the biggest banes of hardcore gamers is the steady decrease in difficulty. For some reason, this becomes more and more common, making the hardcore reconsider what exactly does ***** slapping a game mean? Yes, gaming in essence has always been a huge macho trip. A testosterone orgy of guns and action based solely for the redefining of how much ''bad ass'' am I? In some regards, this game works, in others it fails. That is, after all, the purpose of gaming. And because of this, this review will definately be centered around that aspect as a core factor.

Story 10/10
It's functional for it's purpose which is all you can expect. People looking for more are the same as those who want explanations for the backgrounds in DDR or a character based story development for Madden. You play as Bill Rizer and you are to kill aliens. You never needed more for the original, why should you here? Because of this, I give the story a perfect score. Yes, it's not epic. It fits it's job perfectly, which is all you can really expect. If you want romantic epics filled with danger and intrique, you've obviously been spoiled by the newest generation of games. Not everything needs to be Metal Gear Solid 2.

Sound 10/10
From the screaming of aliens to the blasting of bullets, this game's sounds fit the fill to a T. Only a couple times did I stop to say, ''Well that sound was kinda lame.'' After immediately figuring out the sound was a pattern signal, I quickly dispelled the thoughts. And as if the satisfying music of gunfire isn't enough, they top off the masterpiece with beautiful hard edge rock. No, not like Limp Bizkit, but more like the thrashing cheese banger stuff of Pantera in style. Annoying alone, yes. But accompanied by a huge robotic monster being blasted to pieces? It fits... perfectly.

Gameplay 10/10
Controls are spot on and responsive as all getout. Which is needed since the days of lame controls died in the 16 bit era. No longer can developers ship titles with poor controls and high factors of difficulty to stores without everyone taking notice. If you die in this game, it's your own damn fault, and that is the beauty of it. It was too often when a character wouldn't respond to a jump press in time to save you. Old schoolers know this all too well and even expect the same issues with Contra. Once again, this is not an issue. The gameplay, meanwhile, remains your typical ''dodge a screenful of bullets'' affair mixed with mild platforming. If you've never played Contra, Metal Slug, of the others, you are in for a treat. This is gameplay boiled down to it's most purist form, and the graphics are just icing on the cake. Graphics are usually where games like this suffer for their choice of following the path less traveled.

Graphics 9/10
I am not going to mince words, there are some problems but very, very few. Occasionally warning sprites will not appear. This is rare and very hard to spot. Sometimes there is mild pop-ups. Once again, you have to be looking to notice it. Character animations are sometimes stiff. This is where you will notice it suffer. Everything has a set animation for each action and very rarely does the animation blend will together. It would have been nice to see the skiing robot put away the gun while priming the backpack for missile volleys. Nope, because they are seperate, it makes the bosses appear dumb, as if they have a ''to do'' list when fighting invincable soldiers.

Robot Boss: Okay, I lobbed the death charges, walked about for a bit, and did my mecha uber blast attack.....
Bill: Hurry up and start you next phase already!
Robot Boss: Oh yeah, pointless hop volley!

Yeah, it's a small complaint considering just how impressive everything looks, but it's still there. But the good part is that these same robots and bosses feature so many great changes to structure and attacks that one hardly ever remains a focus. And yes, the camera angles do demand you become instantly impressed with the death you have to face. Graphics alone begins to intimidate you. And yes, the levels are beautiful to behold as well.

Difficulty 10/10
You remember the tripe I was spewing at the top about gaming being nothing more than an electronic pissing contest? I do so mean it. This is why this game is not for everyone. It can and will be a huge blow to your ego. It will attack fast, heavy, and without mercy. Expect to put some serious time in survival alone, not including offensive details. All the bosses have apattern and survival lies in recognizing those patterns. Some are easy, some are hard. Cryptic, no? But once you crank up this game, you'll instantly understand. If you have something to prove, this is your battle ground. If you use codes, cheat devices, or strategy guides, stay away. Stay far away. This game offers no quarter. That is why this has to be one of the most humbling experiences on the market. Even on easy, most will continue several times before even beating their first stage. Remember, nothing worth obtaining is ever so easy. This will be a hideous uphill battle but well worth it. After all, how many have the patience for such punishment?

Replay ?/10
This is the major wild card. Are you the kind of person who enjoys the trip or the destination? Why? Simple, your rewards and changes after beating the game are minimal at best. There is no second quest or seceret mission. There is only the hardcore trip to the end. Of course almost all old school games are like that. The road traveled is much more interesting than where you have ended in my opinion and I am currently on my 23rd playthrough. The original Contra had much more than that. Alien Wars even more. So do you strive only for the destination? If so, mark a 1. If not, then jot down a 10.

Conclusion: This is what gaming is about. Purified gameplay, mind numbing challenge, huge explosions, and a boat load of robots (and even robot boats). If the simple pleasures of pure carnage beg of you, then play this game. But be warned, difficulty is higher than the beginning of the second stage. It's a hard road traveled but well worth the blisters you obtain.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 12/23/02, Updated 12/23/02