Contra Rebirth

[robthebanks]

This looks amazing! Thanks for sharing, this flew under my radar...

[UnscathedFlyingObject]

I thought people hated SS!

SS is one of my favorite. If they just made a new one like that with more level and less memorizing, I'd jump at it ASAP.

[Necronopticous]

This looks amazing. Tsugu-Min's sprite is ridiculously cute.

[Ed Oscuro]

I thought people hated SS!

It seems to split opinion amongst some people, but mainly people recognize it as a great game. I've yet to play it because I don't have a PS2. I do have a copy, pretty beat-up though.

[BIL]

Regardless of how one feels about Shattered Soldier's game design, it cannot be denied that this is how 21st century Contra should roll.

[UnscathedFlyingObject]

You're joking, right ?

I know that's from the intro of SS, but a Contra playing like that wouldn't be Contra anymore. Now, if you mean like that but on a 2D plane, then goddammit that's some darned awesome technology.

[Ed Oscuro]

Yeah, don't be misled by the devious powers of camera angles and render.

Sad to say that in this generation that's already in danger of looking quaint O_O

Honestly I think those FMVs, while great, nearly detract from the game because you're left thinking I WANT TO SPIN AROUND A CORNER or I WANT TO CUT A JUMBO JET IN HALF WITH A SWORD

[TLB]

I WANT TO CUT A JUMBO JET IN HALF WITH A SWORD

+1

[UnscathedFlyingObject]

Yeah, don't be misled by the devious powers of camera angles and render.

Sad to say that in this generation that's already in danger of looking quaint O_O

ummm, in Contra you ride dinosaurs, run on helicopter blades, hang on torpedoes while facing bosses, etc all during gameplay. That FMV is tame if anything.

[Ed Oscuro]

ummm, in Contra you ride dinosaurs, run on helicopter blades, hang on torpedoes while facing bosses, etc all during gameplay. That FMV is tame if anything.

Yeah, Neo Contra is obviously the stylistic pinnacle of the series

[BIL]

You're joking, right ?

No, I'm being serious. My previous two posts were directed entirely and exclusively at the series' image. Like I said, gameplay first. But if Contra got another major console release, I'd rather it kick ass like SS than pointedly try to evoke fond memories every ten seconds.

Referring to Contra 4, there - I've not seen enough of this game to judge it in any regard.

ummm, in Contra you ride dinosaurs, run on helicopter blades, hang on torpedoes while facing bosses, etc all during gameplay. That FMV is tame if anything.

Jesus, you got the wrong idea. >_> And I should really be clearer. I just want another outing as pissed off and vital as SS feels.

Now, if you mean like that but on a 2D plane, then goddammit that's some darned awesome technology.

I do think a more Metal Slug approach to close combat could move the series forward. It'd also allow more enemies with weapons, if 99% of them couldn't just bump into you for a kill.

[escadrille]

It's uncomfortable to think of the series' image as mothballed and relegated to nostalgia-bait.

That's how everybody's operating nowadays. RETROCLASSICRETRORETRO

CAN YOU TASTE THE NOSTALGIA?

"retro gaming" is a fad now, but fuck that. Kids can pose retro, I'm old enough to be retro. The idea of new games being made to match older ones I used to play suits me fine. I'm not a fan of the Mega Man series, but the treatment they gave Mega Man 9 is the ideal. Campom did it, no reason Konami can't do the same for Contra, Castlevania, and so forth.

[dave4shmups]

It's uncomfortable to think of the series' image as mothballed and relegated to nostalgia-bait.

That's how everybody's operating nowadays. RETROCLASSICRETRORETRO

CAN YOU TASTE THE NOSTALGIA?

"retro gaming" is a fad now, but fuck that. Kids can pose retro, I'm old enough to be retro. The idea of new games being made to match older ones I used to play suits me fine. I'm not a fan of the Mega Man series, but the treatment they gave Mega Man 9 is the ideal. Campom did it, no reason Konami can't do the same for Contra, Castlevania, and so forth.

Agreed. I'd love to see an HD contra game, but this one looks outstanding! I enjoyed Contra: Shattered Soldier, but it was far too punishing in terms of it's difficulty. Although, IMO, it had an awesome intro and OST. It also did not have the spread weapon, which is integral to Contra. Neo Contra tried to bring it back, but it was just shotgun spray, and not the same.

[BIL]

I think SS ditched the spreader due to the Hit Rate system. It would've been too easy to just sweep the screen and get 100% in trickier areas. Not that it couldn't have worked with some balancing, which I guess is what Neo tried. A weapon that blankets the screen by design and a precision-based score system just won't get along easily.

I'm a fan of the RSG-style weapon array, whichever weapons it features. Returning Hard Corps' unique characters would be even better. I'd rather get a Contra with levels and bosses designed around specific weapon sets, than go back to take-or-leave pickups.

My dream Contra would be SS controls, grading and fixed weapon sets, HC's unique characters, and the earlier games' less boss-centric level designs. Returning to action-platforming was something I really appreciated about Contra 4.

[Ed Oscuro]

SS kicks nostalgia in the nuts by telling you that EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS WRONG.

Edgy and XTREME.

[scrilla4rella]

I just beat this on normal with rest set to five (yeah I know, I suck). It's pretty interesting but like Gradius Rebirth it's only five levels. Having said that, I feel that the levels offer a perfect balance of retro throwback and new backgrounds and enemies that haven't yet been seen in Contra. I unlocked one of the hidden characters but the gameplay is exactly the same, same weapons too the only thing different is the sprite which kicks ass!

[iatneH]

I just got the game too and played the first level. It's awesome and everything I hoped for, a million things exploding all over the place. Can't wait to see the next levels.

edit: Still only at level 3 (normal, stock 3), but this is way over the top! Warning!! Buggies! Missiles!! Robo-ninja! Llaaaamaaaaas!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's almost like that highway stage of Gokujyo Parodius (might have it mixed up with another in the series)

[Ed Oscuro]

Cool, thanks for the updates guys.

[evil_ash_xero]

I wasn't pleased with this.

Too short, bad graphics(no even as good as III's), and...I dunno, was missing something.

It's certainly fun enough, but after 4, this just didn't cut it.

[UnscathedFlyingObject]

But 4 was so-so!

[FIL]

4 was great if you pretend III and Hard Corps don't exist.

They played it safe with 4, there wasn't anything particularly wrong with it, but it does feel like a step backwards.

[evil_ash_xero]

Can't agree with you guys on that one.

4 was definitely a remix/tribute game, but it wasn't like a faded picture. I think it was just as kick ass as the old ones, but it was just really similar. But a lot of the set pieces were wild(like the battle on the missle). And that last stage was the best incarnation of that last stage I have ever seen on a Contra game. It was sweet.

Well, one way or another, Rebirth is in no way shape or form better or as good as 4.

I'm sure there will be someone who shows up and says something how it's better, but i'd be really hard pressed to think of ANYTHING that it did better than 4. And the actual artwork(character art and whatnot) looked like shit too. But even if it looked good, it still would just be OK.

But as for the debate about III vs HC vs SS vs 4....

Well, i'm a fan of the platforming Contra, and not so much of the boss fight Contra. So, I liked III and 4 better than HC and SS right off the bat(although they are both good games). Part III vs. 4 is a lot tougher to call. Contra III's sidescroller stages are great, but it only has 4 of them. And they're not long. And the two overhead stages suck(yeah, worse than the behind the back ones in 4).

But III and 4 are both great classic Contra, even if 4 is a remix. Just my 2 cents.

s/m

[Cthulhu]

So today I went onto the Japanese WiiWare store to look for the Final Fantasy IV sequel. It wasn't there, oddly enough (seems it came out in English first on the Wii). But guess what was there? And yes, since I'm posting in this thread... Contra Rebirth is on the Japanese store for 1000 points. I bought it.

And it rocks face. In the good way.

Let's start with the delightful story. It's KONTORA year 3000-something. The President of the Galaxy has commissioned you, Bill Rizer, to save the galaxy. Again. Too bad you've just woken up from cryogenic sleep and have amnesia. Oh, and you're sent back in time to Central America in the 1970s to fight off time traveling aliens.

Delightful. This sense of irreverence continues throughout the game. Basically, the game feels like a big tribute to Contra III more than any of the other games. You have two weapon slots (not many weapons though - only 4 so far? good enough I guess) and you can switch between them and you have a "lock in place" button to stand still while firing. The graphics are quite good - and 2D anything these days makes me happy.

The levels are quite varied - but don't expect anything really sensical (Firefox disagrees with me that that's a word, but I don't care). The goal of this game is to give you neat stuff to blow up. And that it does very well. Often you'll be blowing up stuff while riding on cool stuff. The robo-llama sequence video showed that off nicely. There's also plenty of floating platforms and vehicles to ride on as well (note that you don't drive them, you just stand on them. Good enough.).

And yeah, there's my hastily cobbled together impressions. Well worth the points. Oh, and it's from the same people who did Gradius Rebirth (M2 software), so the difficulty is fairly high too. Also a plus if you ask me.

No word on a US or European release date yet AFAIK but it took Gradius quite a while... I imagine it could take this a few months too. It'll be worth buying whenever it comes out.

[Ed Oscuro]

sensical (Firefox disagrees with me that that's a word, but I don't care). The goal of this game is to give you neat stuff to blow up.

And that's the way Bill would want it.

From what I've seen the graphics were delightfully dark and Super Contra-ish. That's lovely. Nothing wrong with (most of) the Contra 4 graphics (just the generic look of some tilesets and bosses); it's just not Contra. But I'll have to look more closely to say more.

The word is "sensible," by the way.

ROBOT LLAMAS THAT RUN ON EXPRESSWAYS

[Gungriffon Geona]

I like how they have Browny's sister in this. that amuses me to no end.

[dial911]

!!!! Game is out - ranks up there with the best!

This one truly feels old school

[louisg]

Yeah they absolutely nailed the gameplay. It's challenging but never cheap. I'm thrilled

(Why can't the other recent run n guns be as good as a $10 WiiWare game?)

[Zeether]

I heard Zelos Force from Salamander is in this as the true final boss, is this true?

[dial911]

Yeah they absolutely nailed the gameplay. It's challenging but never cheap. I'm thrilled

(Why can't the other recent run n guns be as good as a $10 WiiWare game?)

I just gave hard mode a go and only made it to stage 3!

The overall difficulty takes a nice jump up - nightmare mode is supposedly unlocked after beating the game on hard... I can't even imagine what that will be like. The robot llamas straight rape you on stage 3 in hard mode

[ZOM]

bla bla bla awesome game

I like how they have Browny's sister in this. that amuses me to no end.

!!!! Game is out - ranks up there with the best!
This one truly feels old school

Yeah they absolutely nailed the gameplay. It's challenging but never cheap. I'm thrilled
(Why can't the other recent run n guns be as good as a $10 WiiWare game?)

God I need a Wii! Was just playing contra 4 the other day - not satisfied.