Contra (Xbox Live Arcade) Review
Posted by Dan Hirsch on 07.08.2008
A Classic game, an old Xbox Live Arcade release, and a brand new review!
Those of us who were lucky enough to remember when Genesis and NES were G-d’s gift to gamers will likely remember one of the all time classic NES games, Contra. This arcade port was the game that made the Konami code famous. It was a run and gun shooter where the gamer fought against mutants, aliens and robots in order to reach epic button smashing boss battles. So when it was released for Xbox Live Arcade, gamers should have rejoiced to see a classic game make a re-emergence for a new generation. But they didn’t. Why?
Contra’s gameplay remained the same. The gamer plays as action hero clones Lance (65 year old Burmese boatman Rambo) or Bill (Governator Dutch from Predator) as they run through levels mowing down enemies. Levels feature side and vertical scrolling along with the unique tunnel sections that made the original so great. There are also different weapon power ups available to improve rate of fire, spread, and damage done by your character's rifle. Gameplay is fast paced, involving a lot of well-timed jumps and shots to get through levels without losing a life. Luckily, for those who can’t finish the game with the limited number of one ups, the Konami code still works. 30 extra lives goes a long way for a game as challenging as this.
Another chunk of information worthy of note, the game available for download on Xbox Live Marketplace is the original arcade version of Contra. It’s essentially the same game that was ported onto the original NES, but with the difficulty ramped up and few less levels. Purists may cry out that this isn’t the proper version of the game to have ported to the 360, that it should have been the NES classic. These minor differences can be a big deal for those looking to relive the exact experiences they had in the late 80s. For those of who want to try out a vintage classic, this isn’t as much of a big deal.
When Digital Eclipse (now merged with Backbone Entertainment) converted Contra for XBLA, it appears they did that and pretty much only that. For a company that specializes in arcade emulation, they really stayed inside the box on this one. Sound effects and music are nearly identical to the original Contra. Aside from the added achievements, the only real addition would be an updated graphics options. But even this isn’t much of an add on. The only visual differences between the original and enhanced graphics are that the pixels have been smoothed out to remove the “squarish” look of the original graphics. So don't expect an updated version or new features, your getting the classic arcade game and thats about it
However, Digital Eclipse did improve upon the multiplayer by adding co-op play over Xbox Live. Unfortunatly the multiplayer, both online and local, is glitchy. The local multiplayer has a weird design quirk where a player can only re-enter the game after a partner dies. This becomes annoying during tougher levels, but makes you want to smack your friend when they keep pressing start to only pause the game while your dodging cannonballs and gun fire. During its original release, the online multiplayer was plagued with problems. And nearly 2 years later, it still is. I could not get online co-op quick match to connect me to a game, nor could I make a private match with a friend. It amounts to a lot of potential wasted.
The 411:
Yes, I know the game was released two years ago, but come on. Contra is a classic, and I felt like it definitely needed a review. Another reason I wanted to write a review for Contra was because I had a lot of fond memories of the game way back when. It was one of the first games I remember playing and was stoked when it was released of XBLA. Unfortunately, the game available on Live is a bit of let down. Maybe it’s the nostalgia talking ( I don’t know how, I was 6 when I first played the original Contra), but the game doesn’t seem to hold up as well as i remembered. Its what I like to refer to as Goldeneye syndrome. But from a completely neutral perspective of someone playing Contra for the first time, the XBLA version is a mediocre, bare bones game. The multiplayer is the definition of epic fail and nothing new has really been added. But, the game is still fun nonetheless, albeit in limited doses. For 400 Microsoft points, Contra might be worth it for new gamers to get a taste of a classic game. But for any old school gamers, you’re better off dusting off the NES.
Graphics
5.0
With minimal difference between original and “enhanced” graphics, there is no real visual improvement, despite a 21 year gap since the original release date.
Gameplay
7.0
The vintage run and gun gameplay brings a touch of old school to XBLA.
Sound
5.0
Same story here as with the graphics. The sound, despite some digital enhancement, remains nearly identical to the original.
Lasting Appeal
4.0
Between a broken multiplayer and the shortened version of the game, this will be a beat and forget. For crying out loud, there’s and achievement for beating the game in 12 minutes!
Fun Factor
7.0
Contra, despite its flaws, has value. To experience a classic and historical game or to just play a simple action shooter, it provides a fun distraction but that’s about it.
