Contra: Hard Corps
Only the hardcore need applyGenre: action - gun
Publisher: Konami
Year: 1994
System: Genesis
Gameplay Score: 4
Gameplay Notes:
Only 40% draw distance. Why not more? It's Contra on crack. Way more difficult than other games in the series. The extreme difficulty is the key problem here. Enemies swarm and spawn quickly so you have to keep on the move. Can switch between shooting while moving or staying in place while shooting. Responsive controls. The biggest problem with this game goes back to the controller. Switching weapons is not practical during a firefight. And you're always in a firefight. I think the dev knew this so they let you change the mode and the weapons while on the pause screen, but it's still terribly awkward and breaks up the experience.
Level Design Score: 4
Level Design Notes:
Screen filling bosses that are nearly impossible to avoid. Like the robot head which drops blocks randomly such that luck is more important than skill. Levels don't overstay their welcome. Tons of variety and interesting events and set pieces. One of the most interesting games I've ever played. Again the difficulty is so high that you're unlikely to see many of the levels which is the only real knock I have on the design. Clearly steals and adapts a ton of ideas from Contra 3, but something is lost in the translation.
Theme Score: 3
Theme Notes:
Absolutely bonkers enemies and settings. A VW Beetle fires missiles at you for crying out loud. This is where the series went off the rails, in my opinion. It took it in a weird direction. Contra should be badass, not a Saturday morning cartoon.
Art Style Score: 5
Art Style Notes:
Amazing. Screen is full of stuff going on. It can be distracting, like Contra Rebirth for the Wii. But it's beautiful to behold. Incredible sprite work.
Audio Score: 3
Audio Notes:
Music lacks the impact of the tunes in Contra 3. It's missing the bass and the nuance and of course it's using the Genesis chiptune sounds that I don't like. Also the songs vary greatly from level to level. It makes the game seem less cohesive. Good, not great. Sounds are very nice, especially for the Genesis. Except for the voice samples. They're awful.
Overall Score: 79
Review ID: 844
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