Contra: Shattered Soldier is seriously addicting

[Turrican]

Who likes SS also likes Hard Corps (fun fact: Japanese name could be read as "The Hardcore").

I prefer the others. Contra 4, Super Contra FC, Operation C, Spirits. Stages are more fleshed out and games are not so obsessively focused on bosses. Memory plays also a lesser factor, which increases the fun.

[Diabollokus]

There is a 6th?

What game path must I take to unlock said ending!

I remember 2 question points in the game:

1.the follow commander/ save research center
2. surrender and fight later/ fight to the end

creating 4 alt endings + 1 hidden, how to I access the 6th?

[stuminator]

It's on the research center + fight to the end path. It might not be considered a real ending though, since you're given the option to continue and restart the stage.

[Diabollokus]

Cheers! I'm gonna crank out the megadrive and probotector next time I'm home. Haven't 1cced that game in maybe 9 years.

EDIT: 6th ending removed from pal version

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=GN5ZhfgMnSE

[captpain]

Who likes SS also likes Hard Corps (fun fact: Japanese name could be read as "The Hardcore").

So can the English title...???

[Turrican]

Who likes SS also likes Hard Corps (fun fact: Japanese name could be read as "The Hardcore").

So can the English title...???

No, the english title is written Hard Corps, Hard as in "hard" and Corps as in "corps". The Japanese has katakana: "SA HADOCOA-"

[captpain]

Who likes SS also likes Hard Corps (fun fact: Japanese name could be read as "The Hardcore").

So can the English title...???

No, the english title is written Hard Corps, Hard as in "hard" and Corps as in "corps". The Japanese has katakana: "SA HADOCOA-"

So the pun/joke/whatever also exists in Japanese, is what you're saying... interesting.

[Obiwanshinobi]

I'll be man enough to confess I play it on easy (I know, I know, take it easy). Contra: Shattered Soldier on easy is just about as challenging a game as Gunstar Heroes on normal (nine lives per credit make up for a life bar and the checkpoint system prevents credit feeding). My point is: if the memorization brutality has put you off, pretend you're playing Gunstar Heroes or Alien Soldier and you're gonna be fine. On easy (with continues) it's pretty much another game (still fairly enjoyable). Whilst played "properly" it feels too much like one of those cinematic platformers you could play through with your eyes closed once you memorized each and every one set-piece. I'm not saying it's possible with Shattered Soldier, but the gameplay is a little bit too "predefined" for my liking. I prefer more freestylish action. Which is not to say I dislike Shattered Soldier. Quite the opposite: whereas not as brilliant an update as Gradius V (which I play on default settings without continues), Contra: Shattered Soldier creates that rubber band between me and my console.

[BIL]

What saves SS from being a pure rote memoriser is speed running. You can tear through most areas and bosses in a fraction of the time if you're aggressive and cram in charge shots, particularly the flamethrower's. I become catatonic if I have to watch someone take more than a single lap to demolish Mission 4's opening miniboss or break their stride on Mission 5's propellor traps, these days.

A bit more running and gunning, and SS would go from "very good" to "great" in my book. Sucks that its excellent strafing controls don't get put to more use, like in Mission 3's hectic opening run-and-gun area. If only it went from the great hoverbot miniboss to some more running and gunning after that.

[Skykid]

I fucking love Shattered Solider, it's one fierce game. The reason I bought my PS2 back in the day.

[BIL]

Yeah, there's no denying SS unleashes the fucking fury. I didn't realise how badass it was until I played it through on request for a couple of nostalgic pals who were amazed to hear the old Stage Clear jingle booming from the TV speakers. So many bosses get their shit utterly destroyed over the course of that game. The heli-bot's demise in Missions 1 and 5 had us cracking up, to say nothing of Mission 2's "mind yer 'ead mate!" boss downfall.

[Skykid]

Yeah, there's no denying SS unleashes the fucking fury. I didn't realise how badass it was until I played it through on request for a couple of nostalgic pals who were amazed to hear the old Stage Clear jingle booming from the TV speakers. So many bosses get their shit utterly destroyed over the course of that game. The heli-bot's demise in Missions 1 and 5 had us cracking up, to say nothing of Mission 2's "mind yer 'ead mate!" boss downfall.

You're literally bringing back all the good memories. There are few games that manage to up the ante like SS - I love the OTT rush of it. 2D gaming as it should be.
I'm going to go and dig it out.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Fuck yeah, charged flamethrower candy works a treat. Not an easy medicine to apply, but making the human-faced fish boss suck it down feels rather good. Mmm... Naughty, naughty game this.
I like the fact CSS is such a boss parade. The bosses are of mixed quality, but there's no guarantee that run'n'gun levels would be any better. Those funky controls are well implemented and it's not like you don't need 'em during the boss fights.

[Ghegs]

Booyah. Got the All S-rank clear without resorting to retries. I am pleased.

[BIL]

Good job! I still remember my heart pounding like crazy on the TLB when I got the S/All/No Retries. I wish the game gave some recognition for clearing it without restarts.

[jeremycarrier]

I remember being addicted to this game back in the day, getting that S-Rank All Clear with no death, learning every enemy like the back of my hand.

But its still an inferior game to Hard Corps. HC had more characters, more weapons, more levels(including secret ones and different paths), more colorful graphics(compared to SS, which was mostly pretty dull). And honestly, I'm not to big on the Boss Fest games like these two and Alien Soldier. Give me Metal Slug or Contra 4 any day.

[Alec]

Yeah Contra Shattered Soldier on PS2 fucking rules the house!

My favorite will always be Contra 1 on Nintendo