Contra 4
Review
An old classic gloriously brought to life
by Bulerias
reviewed on NDS
Happy anniversary
Did anyone forget that this was Contra's 20th anniversary? WayForward didn't. They packed in a bunch of goodies. They included the NES versions of Contra and Super C, an interview with one of the developers, unlockable characters, comic books, and much more.
Contra 4... so much nostalgic goodness packed into one cartridge, it is almost unbelievable. Oh, and did I mention the dual-screen gameplay? The playing field is now twice as large, thanks to the elegant design of the Nintendo DS. The developers have introduced a new gameplay quirk in addition to the usual shooting: a grappling hook. You can use it to snatch onto various ledges on the top screen, and contrary to
what you may have read elsewhere, the ‘space between the screens’ isn't an issue at all. Not once have I lost a life due to hidden bullets creeping their way through
the screens. WayForward couldn't have pulled off the dual-screen gameplay any better.
Not for casual gamers
Of course, some gamers might scoff at Contra 4's lack of necessary features. Touch screen usage, online play, microphone utilization. I don’t agree. What makes the game such an amazing experience is that little has changed, and instead of drastically changing the formula, WayForward has opted to keep things simple and appeal to the hardcore crowd. Not many DS games do that anymore, and I for one appreciate this.
One thing has changed, however, and that is the graphical quality. Occasionally, you will notice some pseudo-3D effects. For example, the ‘base’ levels are almost completely rendered in 3D and some of the bosses in said bases are too. The controllable characters have also received a facelift; They are still 2D but they look much better. The backgrounds, weapons, and the majority of the game is SNES-quality, however. Yet somehow that is not a detriment. We have had our fair share of 3D Contras. No more, please. Since WayForward decided to keep the heinous difficulty level the series is known for, keeping 99% of the game in 2D is the next logical step. Bravo, WayForward, you didn't think it was necessary to dumb down the difficulty and game design for ‘casual gamers’! Classy game design is the very essence of Contra.
Unforgettable
So, it seems everything is great about Contra 4. Or are there any faults? Regrettably, there are a few. There is no single-card multiplayer for instance and multiplayer is what Contra should be all about. Forcing gamers to buy two copies to play... tsk, tsk. The NES games feel a bit botched up for there is no way –not even with two cartridges- to play multiplayer games in those. Lastly, the nigh-impossible difficulty might scare off even hardcore gamers. Even though it is not quite Hard Corps. And while I realize I have praised WayForward a paragraph ago for not dumbing down the difficulty, it might be an issue for some.
Petty criticisms aside, Contra 4 is, without a doubt, the DS's best game. Combining everything gamers loved from past installments and adding new innovations like the grapple hook, you won't want to put it down. Hell, the unlockables are some of the best in any game, ever. This is the sort of game that people will remember 10 or more years from now. It's the very definition of ‘modern classic’.
9.0
fun score
No Pros and Cons at this time
