"The King Of Run 'n Gun Returns!"

In the 32-bit era of gaming, Contra fans were more than left out in the cold, they were insulted. I would have much rather seen nothing, than the atrocities Konami unleashed upon us.

Contra fans now have a reason to rejoice with the release of Shattered Soldier. This game brings gaming itself back to the roots of what a true action game can be. This game has flash, depth, and a killer difficulty rating that's sure to keep you glued to the TV for hours on end.

Graphics: 10
This is the most visually stunning game I've seen in quite some time. Some would disagree with me on that, simply becuase the game is a standard 2-D shooter comprised of polygon backgrounds and enemies. The attention to detail is almost jaw-dropping. Each stage is just bursting with background activity and some of the enemies you'll encounter are probably the most grotesque and original to date. Weapon fire, and explosion effects are vibrant and never in the way, and the animations running at an easy 60 frames per second are smooth and well-detailed. The game doesn't skimp on cinematics either. The opening cinema is enough to make you want to jump in and start killing stuff. The game uses this cinematic style throughout stages as well, dramatically changing the viewpoint from which you're fighting, though keeping the battle on a 2-D plane. Boss fights are probably the more breath taking moments in the game. You haven't lived till you've seen the end boss of Stage 1. Most disturbing thing ever animated. Overall the game has a very polished and sleek look to it.

Audio: 8
Contra: Shattered Soldier's soundtrack is a nice blend of hardcore metal tunes with some industrial influence thrown in to create the mixed bag. Weapon sounds are pretty realistic and crystal clear, but they're in the way. I've found that the game lacks a good balance of sound effects to music. You'll probably hardly ever hear the pumping soundtrack over the constant machinegun fire. It needed to be balanced out and there's no option to do so under the options screen.

Story: 7
Contra: Shattered Soldier does have a storyline, although most really won't care why Bill Rizer is out there whoopin around Alien behind. The story flows like a typical action movie would however. It's got some suspense, but you're not gonna get into any lengthy discussions about it. I think it was really put in to make the game seem longer. I'm thinking it's a good idea they didn't try to voice over the cutscenes too.

Gameplay: 10
Contra: Shattered Soldier takes what's made the series so enjoyable and they've revamped it for the new generation. Despite it's look, this game is very bare-bones. You can run, jump, shoot, duck, and climb all while still fixed on a 2-D horizontal or vertical axis. Only one major aspect has changed this time around. Instead of shooting down weapon capsules for weapon upgrades, your characters now start with 3 weapons, each possessing 2 different attacks. You can simply cycle through to any weapon you need for any situation, rather than hoping you have the gun for the job. This makes things alot easier, but knowing the right weapon to use where isn't going to be enough to get you through this monster. Contra: Shattered Soldier picks up where Contra: Hard Corps' difficulty left off and expands on it greatly. Don't be terribly surprised to find that you've wasted all your continues on the first mission alone your first time playing. This game was designed to kick you around, but with good purpose. As you play you'll start to memorize boss patterns and stage strategies, and you'll soon find the game becoming much easier than before. My only problem is that the game is far too short, and it's too much stop and fight and not enough run 'n gun. Boss fights take up roughly 70% of your time, but they're incredibly intense.

Replay Value: 7
Normally a Contra game wouldn't have much replay value, but Shattered Soldier delivers with a reward system based on Hit %. Hit % isn't your accuracy of hitting targets, but a calculation of certain objects you've destroyed in a level. At the end of each mission you're given a Rank based on your Hit %, lives lost, and Continues used. You're graded throughout your progress and depending on how well you've done you'll be rewarded with one of 3 endings. There are a few more easter eggs to be unlocked with your Hit Ratio % that can be accessed in the options menu.

Overall: 9
Contra: Shattered Soldier delivers a wonderful action gaming experience. Fans of the series should be quite delighted with what Konami has put together, and those new to the series should be equally impressed. The difficulty may be a turn-off to some, but those who stick it out will see this one for the classic and sleeper-hit it's destined to be.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/01/03, Updated 01/01/03