"Good game, but it just isn't for everyone."

Contra 4, the newest addition to the Contra series, is much of a challenge, maybe too much for some people. However, it is because of this challenge that this game is fun. For a game such as Contra 4, the only major categories would be gameplay and replay value. Graphics is only thrown in there due to the various views that fans and critics have on it.

Gameplay 9/10
Basic gist. You have gun. You shoot aliens. You get power-ups. You move advance right or up (depending on the level and area). You get hit once and die. You die again. You die again. And you die again.

Okay, maybe that was too simplistic. Anyway, Contra 4 is a side scroller, so think of it as the old school Mario games where you go from point A to point B. However, if you are new to the Contra series or any other run and gun type game, you basically control a character, shooting aliens, jumping bullets and other attacks, until you get to the boss who you obviously have to destroy. Now, this point will probably be the turn off to some people. You DON'T have a life bar. You DIE in ONE HIT. You DIE in ONE TOUCH. You DIE by stupidly falling in a pit or in some levels the water. Basically this game is a challenging beast as you jump, duck, etc. in order to survive.

Thankfully, despite all the challenges, there are various power-ups that you can obtained to help make the enemies easier to deal with. Also, despite the difficulty, you can have an easier time with this game if you just play and practice. As you play the levels, everything pretty much remains the same such as enemy positions and various spawns. However, the only thing that changes would be where the enemies will shoot (as this is based on your position and it can change as you find optimal places to stand) and attacks (bosses might not do the same moves over and over although they have limited attacks). Basically, memorization and practicing are key to making your life easier.

Graphics 8/10
Okay, there are some people who aren't pleased with the graphics, saying that the game looks too GBA-ish or something relating to it being in 2D. I'll admit that Conta 4 does look like it could have been on the GBA, ignoring the top screen of course. However, graphics are basically a moot point for this type of game. You need every advantage to survive and having simplistic graphics make it easy for gamers to know how to dodge, jump, shoot, etc. It's just easier to know where your target and hit box are. If it were 3D, I'm sure there would be some issues with collision detection, taking this game from hard to impossible.

The reason for the 8/10 isn't because of the side-scolling levels. Heck, I consider those levels well done. These levels are colorful enough to prevent boredom yet simple enough so that you can concentrate at playing with the game. My complaints are from the 3D-ish levels, the ones where the camera is behind the character and you advance from room to room until you get to the boss. To me, these levels seem a little rough, leaving me with impression that could have smoothed out the graphics a bit, making it a bit more clean. In comparison to the original Contra, I rather be playing on that than this, at least for these levels.

Replay Value 9/10
Now I consider this game to have quite a bit of replay value. I'll admit there will be some people who will just play this game on the 'Normal' difficulty, beat the game, and just shelve it away. However, there is quite a bit in this game for those who are perfectionist or just want to get more bang for their bucks.

As one can see if they just click on the "Cheats & Secrets" section of this game, there is a Challenge Mode to this game that is quite easily (okay somewhat easily) unlocked. In this mode, you basically play a level (or part of one) while meeting certain requirements. An example would be pacifism. In this challenge, you would have to go through part of a level without dying and without being able to shoot. Others would include Low Ammo (limited shots), Speed Runs (time limits basically), and others.

Early on, Challenge Mode would help you unlock two previous Contra games, which basically triples the life of this game as some people would just be enticed to having to beat these two games before being done with Contra 4.

There is also a multiplayer option in this game if you happen to have a local friend with a copy of Contra 4. Sadly, I have not played with this a bit so I cannot comment much about. All I will say is that it is a nice addition, although I wish there was a Wi-Fi option such as online co-op.

Overall 8/10
Contra 4 is a great game, but it isn't for everyone. Anyone who isn't looking for a challenge or is too turned off by the fact that you can easily die should avoid this game. Otherwise, anyone who is a fan of the series or is looking for something much more difficult than current games should give this a look.


Gameplay 9/10
Graphics 8/10
Replay Value 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/19/07

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