Contra III: The Alien Wars

"The definitive Contra game!!!"

Few games can stand the test of time and always be a blast for anyone to play 10 years after its release. Contra 3: The Alien Wars is one of the few games that stand the test of time and will always be fun. This game is one of the very best games on the SNES with great graphics, great sound, awesome weapons and levels, and fantastic boss battles. Contra 3 is a game that everyone who is a big fan of action games should check out. Now, on with the review.

Gameplay: 10/10
It’s a side scrolling shooter! How can you go wrong with that? Contra 3 is a challenging adrenaline rush from beginning to end. Actually, not all of it is side scrolling though, as some are in an overhead view like Zelda or the 1940’s series. It was an innovative idea and was delivered nicely. The weapons are awesome, and the level designs are awesome too. All the levels are created differently, and are all challenging yet fun at the same time. The bosses are huge, mean and powerful (just the way I like it!). They all have different attack patterns and offer a nice challenge.

Graphics: 10/10
The graphics in Contra 3 are 2d perfection. They run really smoothly with no slowdown. That is pretty amazing considering the fact that this game has so much action happening all over the screen. Also, the backgrounds that are in the game are truly breathtaking. They are all colorful, different, and are very detailed. The enemy and boss designs are very well done and are better than ever. Also, your character is looking much better than ever in any other in the series. Contra 3 shows the true power of the Super Nintendo.

Sound: 10/10
Wow. You wanna hear some great music in a video game? Then check out the music in Contra 3! All of the stages’ music is very well done. There wasn’t a stage with bad music in it, there just wasn’t. The sound effects are very well done, the guns firing, the explosions, everything. All the weapons make different noises and are done appropriately depending on the weapons you use. The sounds of Contra 3 are awesome.

Control: 10/10
I personally don’t think that a shooter like Contra can have bad or complicated controls. It is very simple so you can just pick the controller up and play away. Another great thing in the control department of the game is that you can modify the controls to your liking, which is something I think that practically every game should have. Also, targeting your enemies is a snap so you won’t have to worry about that little detail. Switching weapons is easy and makes Contra 3 one of the few games on the Super Nintendo to use the shoulder buttons as a big part in the gameplay. You won’t likely have problems with the controls in this game.

Challenge: 8/10
As for the challenge factor, to be precise I would give it something around an 8.8. Don’t get me wrong, this game is still quite challenging. It’s just that, compared to the other games of the Contra series, this is not the most challenging entry. Some of the levels may offer a challenge, but compared to the original Contra, this just does not stack up in challenge. Don’t be discouraged, this game can still make you sweat.

Replay Value: 10/10
Replay Value to the 5th power of replay value. There aren’t useless secrets or anything like that. The replay value is built on pure fun.

Contra 3: The Alien Wars is one of the best games on the SNES and is one of the best of the genre. Contra 3 is the best one of the series and will not disappoint fans of the series.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 05/21/03, Updated 05/21/03