Contra III: The Alien Wars

""Let's Attack Aggressively!""

The 'Contra' series of games has proven that everything can be made more entertaining by simply blowing it up. The plot of this game revolves around things that need to be shot, and upon their being shot, they explode all pretty-like. There's some sort of hubbub about the Earth being invaded by aliens or something, but really, who cares?
Anyhow, various locales are being terrorized by the outer space menace, and it's up to you (or you and a friend) to wipe out the nasty critters. This menace is apparently the most powerful and heinous force in history; then again, if you win the game, this alien superpower will have effectively been eradicated by a couple of color-coded commandos who look like Joe Piscopo impersonators. Pretty much the standard 'Contra' fare; the formula isn't broken just yet, so why fix it with needless thinking or plot structure?
As far as 'Contra' games go, this one may well be the best of the bunch. The production values are top notch, there's a genuine cinematic feel to some of the levels, and there are plenty of fancy weapons to unload on the baddies. (Needless to say, each type of gun spits an unlimited supply of insane ammunition across the board; in a more realistic game, the wild-firing commandos would cause more damage then the aliens.)
The graphics in the game are action-game excellence; big, colorful bosses and wild explosions being two highlights. The guns are fun and colorful, and the backgrounds convey a good sense of post-apocalyptic madness. Good stuff all-around.
The music isn't especially memorable, but it's not bad to listen to as you play. The sounds, however, are loud and wonderfully raucous, and this game is much more entertaining with a booming sound system behind you. In a game where everything blows up eventually, it's good to hear that the design team spent some time plugging in entertaining explosions.
As for the gameplay, well, hey, it's 'Contra.' You jump, you shoot, and that's about it. It's simple and works as well as it ever did. The game does make some noble and interesting attempts at changing up the pace a little, though, including a level on motorcycles, and even a ride on a series of missiles.
I have a few complaints, however. The overhead levels seem gimmicky, and are too easy and short. In fact, the entire game is over much too quickly; two or three more levels would have been excellent. (Or at least replace the overhead levels with more fulfilling, side-scrolling ones.) And anyone who requires at least a modicum of plot or purpose in his or her video games will probably want to avoid this game; it's quality action, but there's not a single brain cell in its head.
Still, if you're a little burnt out on overly-talkative role-playing games, nothing can relax you like some mindless 'Contra' carnage. Good to keep around in case you and your buddies want to enjoy an action game on a night indoors. And as I'm fond of saying, you can't go wrong with two-player cooperative games.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 05/21/00, Updated 05/21/00