"Contra the way it was meant to be, casual gamers beware!"

Contra 4 is the latest installment of the long running Contra series. Having been around for 20 years now, it is really the only series that's been capable of giving the Ghosts 'n Goblins franchise a run for it's money in terms of difficulty. In fact, Contra is more of a modern day GnG (Replace lances with machine guns and medieval demons with aliens). It's difficulty is what Contra is known for and many gamers, even gamers who haven't played the original, are aware of the famous "Contra code".

Contra 4 is basically a run, shoot, jump and duck game. It is really no different than the previous installments (Except maybe from a couple of their disasters like Legacy of War, or as I like to call it, Legacy of s...*holds back for younger audience*). However, this time around, it is much more hectic. Contra 4 takes full advantage of the DS double screen. You have to keep your eyes open in both screens, as enemies will occupy areas above you and below you. It really makes you feel like you're in the heat of a war, because the second you let up is the moment that you get killed.

Another thing that Contra is known for, is that you if you get hit once, you die. There is no health bar, no HP in this game. You would figure that the greatest soldiers in the world would be able to take a shot in the leg and the arm here and there, but no. You have to be perfect in your timing and really understand the levels to avoid dying a lot. This of course means that Contra 4 takes advantage of the saying "practice makes perfect". You will be dying, a lot, in order for you to learn where the enemies will be positioned, where the power ups are going to be and what movement patterns you will need to utilize to ensure your survival.

More on the game play, Contra 4 is a side scrolling action game where you will be running forward with a large machine gun in your hand and shooting everything in sight. You will also need to keep on the lookout for these flying devices where if you shoot them, a power up will appear. Power ups are really essential to survival, as the default gun is weak and only has a moderate rapid fire rate. Some of the power ups include the almighty spread shot, which shoots giant shots in four different actions and has a good fire rate, a laser which is basically a powered up version of the default shot and the homing missiles, which home in on enemies.

The graphics of Contra 4 are easily the low point of the game. The graphics are not very impressive at all. There are a few designs that I like, such as the giant robot in stage 4 and the background of the laboratory in stage 2. Nevertheless, for the most part this game was disappointing graphic wise as the DS is basically supposed to be a portable N64 graphic wise and this looks like a GBA title.

However, the graphics are really a moot point. I doubt anyone is really going to care about graphics, as long the game plays well, and this does just that. Contra 4 also takes platforming to new heights, such as in the end of stage 4 where you have to cling on the ledges of a giant, rotating rocket and have to jump from ledge to ledge. In addition to all of the action and difficulty, Contra 4 does not fail to satisfy what a Contra fan wants.

My favorite aspect of Contra 4, and many Contra games in general, is that it is actually a very intelligent game that takes a lot of strategy. You can't just blindly run forward and shoot everything in sight, you'll be dead with no continues left before you know it. You have to time many things; your jumps, deciding if an enemy is even worth killing at all and that you should run past it, and which power ups are best suited for the level that you're in.

Casual gamers may not like Contra 4, they might not like the fact that even on easy mode that they'll have to repeat levels over and over, and that the game must be beaten in one sitting (You can sort of "save" the game, but it's not really saving, you turn it off when you reach the checkpoint of a level, and the game will let you resume there at the cost of using a continue). Also, there are 9 levels in this game, and considering how difficult it is, casual gamers may not want to spend their hard earned money on this game.

Contra 4 plays homage to old games, in that the games themselves are a challenge and that you don't need to make up challenges and restrict yourself to make them challenging. There's only game I've played that I can say is harder than Contra 4's hard mode; Ultimate Ghost 'n Goblin's ultimate mode.

Overall, Contra fans and fans of difficult games will love this game, others might want to keep astray. The designers can be proud of themselves though, because this game was a great way to embody 20 years of Contra.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/16/07

Game Release: Contra 4 (US, 11/13/07)