"A must buy for classic gamers such as myself."

Introduction:

The Contra series goes way back to the year 1987 where the series first began on the Arcade machine. It then later on went on to the NES console where it made it's great debut. Over the years, Contra has gotten a little harder with each new release, and to this day, it's still believed that Contra: Hard Corps is the hardest in the series. Well, if you're an old school gamer, you won't want to miss this installment of Contra, as it makes you feel very nostalgic when comparing this with the original Contra on the NES.

Story 7/10:

Two years after the Alien Wars, mankind had thought that they were at peace. However, out of nowhere, Black Viper appeared from outer space and wreaked havoc on Earth. Previous efforts to save the Earth had been forgotten and soon, peace became nothing more than a distant memory. However, strange readings were detected from the Galuga Island and thus, Bill Rizer, Lance Bean, Mad Dog and Scorpion were sent on a final strike mission, in hopes of saving mankind.

Gameplay 9/10:

The 2D side-scroll shooter we all know and love is back and a little better than ever. You now have the hookshot in which you press X in order to shoot a grapple hook upwards to latch on to something and pull you up. Also, the classic Contra games such as the original Contra and Super C has been added and can be unlocked. The infamous Konami code is now used during the pause screen, and it's purpose is to upgrade the weapons in Normal and Hard Mode.

Music 10/10:

The soundtrack in this game is very good, and if you play Hard mode, you can hear a remixed version of the original Contra's first stage music. The music is well done, and fits perfectly with each situation they're used in.

Difficulty 10/10:

This game has 3 modes, and are very challenging. Even Easy Mode is pretty challenging if you don't have any Contra skills! You can also unlock Challenge Mode by beating one of the three game modes.

Rent or Buy: A must buy for old school fans and possibly newcomers to the series. Though there may only be nine stages, there's still quite a few things to do and the game is long enough to warrant a purchase.

Final comments:

Overall, I give this game a 9/10. It's a really great game, but can be frustrating at times. You often die here and there, but in the end, it's well worth your time and patience. As they say, to become a real man, you must beat the game on Hard Mode.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/19/07

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