Contra 4 (DS) Review

Posted by Ramon Aranda on 12.27.2007

It's been a long time coming, but Konami finally delivers a Contra game worthy of its legendary status.



Title: Contra 4
Publisher: Konami
Type: Action, Shooter
Players: 1-2

Though the Contra series has been around since the mid 80’s, there have only been a handful of true classic Contra titles such as Contra, Super C and Contra III: The Alien Wars. We’ve seen other games with ‘Contra’ in their title names that never lived up to the original games and fans have been waiting for years since the days of the Super NES to get a true sequel. Konami had been sitting on their hands until they finally unveiled Contra 4 for the Nintendo DS. Does this “true” sequel live up to the Contra name? We find out after extensive playing time with the game.

Gameplay

Contra 4 is pure Contra goodness from the very start. You begin the first stage in a recreation of the first level of the original Contra. Enemies spawn from both sides of the screen while power ups randomly show up floating above you. You can now hold onto two different weapons so you won't have to make that crucial decision of what weapon to pick up. To switch between weapons, all you have to do is tap the left shoulder button. If you have one weapon on you, you can switch to the empty slot so that you don’t overwrite the other gun you have. I recall when I was a kid playing Contra on the NES, the heartbreak of giving up my laser gun for the spread gun so it felt good to be able to hang onto both when I had the chance. Also if you pick up the same weapon twice you’ll double its power and the amount of area it covers; for instance if you’re holding the machine gun and you pick up another one, you’ll fire off with two barrels. Another example is that if you pick up two spread guns, you will be able to shoot towards more directions.

In true Contra form, the game is extremely hard. I don’t care if you’re a Contra veteran, you will get your ass handed to you. Luckily, there are three different difficulty settings that also give you a different number of lives. Be warned however, that even easy mode is no cake-walk although you’ll get the powered-up weapons without having to pick up the same gun twice.

The game uses both screens and luckily doesn’t suffer much from having the extra space between the two screens. The touch screen functionality isn’t ued here and it’s welcomed as the added controls would have felt out of place. This is old school 2-d side scrolling action here folks that never lets up. If there was one quip about the game is that multiplayer requires two separate game cards. Also the lack of online multiplayer is puzzling so you have to go out of your way to play with another friend.

Graphics

With the Nintendo DS becoming a hotbed for 2-d games such as the recent Castlevania entries, it was no surprise that the developers at WayForward decided to stay true to the Contra roots and stay away from a 3-d presentation. The game looks fantastic as it uses clean 2-d sprites while also using a little bit of 3-d for backgrounds and effects. This method works perfectly and I’m glad they stayed away from polygons. The characters all look crisp while the landscapes are colorful and detailed. The look reminds me a lot of Contra III: The Alien Wars but with higher detail and improved resolution; a great thing indeed.

Sound

Contra is simply not a game you will enjoy if you have it on mute or on low. Not that the game isn’t good enough to play without sound but rather the sounds of the game make it that much more enjoyable. Even if you don’t have a pair of headphones, the DS’ speakers manage to pump out the high quality sound from this game. But even so, you should try to use a set of headphones to enjoy the music. Themes from the first Contra in new remixed versions are found throughout while the game has its own new tunes. It was kind of a thrill just to start up the game and hear a newer version of the theme that plays when first turn on Contra on the NES.

Apart from the excellent music, the developers also jammed in various sound effects ranging from the weapons being used to the enemies you’ll encounter. Some slight voice-over was added to the main characters in order to give them more of a personality.

Fun Factor

The question should be; how could Contra NOT be fun? Let me tell you, if you enjoyed the first three Contra titles, you’ll definitely enjoy this one. The action is fast and furious and the difficulty ramps up as you progress. This is a title best enjoyed with two players but even as a single player effort, the fun never stops. You may find yourself a bit frustrated as you play if only because the game is extremely tough but you’ll feel rewarded when you pass each stage. The developers did a great job of recreating the feel and balance of the original titles while adding new gameplay elements.

Lasting Appeal

This is one of those games that you’ll have to play over and over again simply because you won’t beat it on your first few runs. In fact you may not beat it unless you’ve got a partner to play with or you’re a freak of nature. You can also challenge yourself by playing on higher difficulty modes. The game will keep track of your high scores while allowing you to choose from one of four characters. On top of that, as you beat the game on each difficulty, you’ll unlock new content such as the original NES version of Contra. It’s a nice little package that will promote replayability if only to better your scores. It would have been nice however if your top scores could be posted online as is the case with a few DS titles.

The 411

Contra 4 is a title that should not be missed by any fan of the series or fan of run and gun 2-d side scrolling action. This is a game that is meant for the hardcore; challenging, fun, rewarding and a dog-fight. Younger players will want to stay clear of this one but older gamers will eat it up. What a great job by WayForward and Konami for getting Contra back on its feet and bringing out the best in the series. A high recommendation on this one and belongs in any DS library!

Graphics	9.0	Excellent sprites and a touch of 3-d make this a beautiful game.
Gameplay	8.5	The formula remains the same but that's a good thing. Very challenging!
Sound	9.0	Classic tunes with good sound effects.
Lasting Appeal	8.5	Rewards you with unlockable content while recording your top scores. Multiplayer could have been easier to do.
Fun Factor	8.5	It's as fun as you remember Contra should be while kicking you in the face in difficulty.
Overall	8.7   [ Very Good ]

Screenshots
All 13 Contra 4 Screenshots