Developer- WayForward Technologies
Publisher- Konami

What can we say? This game is Contra through and through. If you love the series, you will love this game, especially its portable aspect. Otherwise, it’s more of the headache-inducing bullet hell you’ve come to loathe. Hit the break for a completely unbiased review.

Let me start off by saying that I do like bullet hell games, specifically the Metal Slug and 194X series. At one point, I was even addicted to Contra: Shattered Soldier for the PS2 . So, maybe it’s just that I’ve had my time with the series, but something about this game really irked me and left a bad taste in my mouth.

I’m honestly disappointed with the graphics. Sure, some little things have improved, such as trees blowing in the wind and bullets splashing in water, but other than that it feels like they’ve combined a bunch of traditional levels from the 16 and 32-bit days and simply ported them to the DS . Now that may be a plus for many people and certainly there’s nothing wrong with catering to the fans. After all, I did excitedly post about Metal Slug 7 , which is sure be more Metal Slug and nothing else. However, besides the fact that this game is portable, there’s really nothing that you couldn’t get out of it differently than if you just dusted off your SNES and popped in Super Contra .

Action occurs on both of the DS screens and the “blind” space between them only serves to amp up the already infuriatingly difficult gameplay. Since the game utilizes tons of vertical level design you will find yourself in no man’s land, getting hit by a bullet you never even saw coming. How the hell can you have a bullet hell game on a handheld that blocks the center of the screen? Let’s take any console game, put a big black bar in the middle of your TV, and ask you to have fun playing it. You’d have to be two IQ points away from being legally retarded to enjoy yourself.

All the game mechanics you’ve become familiar with are here most importantly lock position, and multiple weapon storage. They’ve added a grappling hook for this version, but it has no attack properties and doesn’t accomplish anything a climbable wall couldn’t solve,. As for level design there are some fun moments, specifically jumping between hand holds on a rocket soaring through the air, and the return of front to back gameplay, but altogether the levels still feel too familiar.

If you like the Contra series, buy this game. It’s more of what you’ve come to love, it plays smoothly and you can unlock the original Contra and Super Contra . If you hate the cheapness that has become the hallmark of Contra deaths, steer clear of this title at all costs.

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