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| Contra 4 | 
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| From: Konami
Category: Video Games
List Price: $19.99
Buy New: $14.36
You Save: $5.63 (28%)
New (31) Used (5) from $13.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  22 reviews
Sales Rank: 898
Platform: Nintendo Ds
ESRB: Teen
Media: Video Game
Batteries Included: No
Age: 12 - 20 years
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.4 x 4.9 x 0.6
MPN: 24128
Model: 24128
UPC: 083717241287
EAN: 0083717241287
ASIN: B000UZVL58
Release Date: November 13, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: BRAND NEW! FACTORY SEALED!!!
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 1-5 of 22 | | NEXT » |
Classic game, dressed up...a little August 13, 2008
Contra stuck pretty close to early games. If you can remember play the old nintendo games you will know that they are not "easy" like many of the games today. For instance, get hit once or touched once in this game, you die. I thought the dual screen might help expand the game, but found is was more distracting than helpful. If you risk a glance up at the top screen looking for the weapon upgrades flying by, something will pop out from somewhere and kill you. It does have some neat extras and bonuses and If you are not looking for some long involved adventure quest; then this is a great game to have in your library.
 What is happening to video games these days? July 23, 2008
I'm only 24 years old, and to the video game world I must be a senior citizen at this point. This is just a fair warning to those looking for a cool DS game...
Now I was so happy to see a side-scrolling action game for the DS (Especially Contra!!) as 3D games tend to get me a little frustrated... But any 3D game out there has not made me NEARLY as frustrated as this game made me (with the exception of Metroid Prime for GameCube). It is unbelievably, painstakingly difficult, even on EASY. I sometimes wonder who these people are who can actually sit down and complete a game like this while having a good time. Kudos to you talented gamers, but I guess shame on me for being an average gamer... And not only is this game darn near impossible, if you want to save and play it later you end up having to use 1 of your very precious continue's... What were the developers thinking? "hmmmm, how can we seriously irritate the gamer even more so... I have an idea! Let's punish them for not sitting through the entire game from start to finish!"
But hey... Maybe it's just me... I'm just glad they made cheat codes for this one (the same code as for the NES also!) otherwise I would have been very upset with this purchase
Good luck with this game it's a tough one!
A great addition to the Contra series June 18, 2008
Publisher Konami and developer WayForward did a great job of making this game feel like a natural sequel to Contra III. From familiar sound effects and familiar weapons to bosses and level design reminiscent of previous Contra games, Contra 4 will put you right back the Contra mindset.
The game comes packed with a ton of content. In addition to Arcade Mode, which is the standard Contra game, there are 40 challenges (unlockable by beating arcade mode on any difficulty setting) where a player must do things like maintain a certain accuracy or fire no shots for a portion of a level. Finishing a certain number of challenges unlocks the original NES Contra and Super C for play as well, although the emulation quality of these isn't so great. There are several other additional unlockable features like an interview with the series creator and additional characters to play as.
The game feels most like Contra III, in that the levels are very detailed and there are several great "set pieces." It also borrows Contra III's weapon switching system. It adds weapon upgrading, where obtaining the same weapon twice makes it stronger. It also adds two screen play. Action takes place on both screens, so a player must pay attention to both at once. This can be annoying as the spot where the hinge on the DS is creates a blind spot, though doing that is certainly better than ignoring the hinge area entirely and having players be unable to correctly judge how projectiles will move between the screens.
The game also borrows from Contra III in its difficulty. Contra III was significantly more difficult than Contra and Super C and Contra 4 follows that trend. Additionally, there is no 30-life code. This difficulty means that many people will be frustrated with the game, even on its easiest difficutly.
Contra 4 is a worthwhile purchase for anyone with nostalgia for the Contra games of old, or for any who want a challenging action game.
 The true successor to Contra III: The Alien Wars May 16, 2008
For the past 15 years my favorite Contra game has been Contra III: The Alien Wars for Super Nintendo. In all that time it seemed that Konami couldn't make a Contra game to equal the great Contra III. Well, it's finally happened. Contra 4 equals and at times even surpasses its predecessor in every way. Contra 4 is set in 2638, two years after the events of Contra III because, it turns out, the alien invasion of Contra III was merely the first wave. Bill Rizer and Lance Bean make their return as earth's last hope, and the DS lets you play with a friend if they also own the Contra 4 game card. I wouldn't say it's necessary to have a friend to enjoy Contra 4, as I played through the entire game by myself and had a blast. Unlike Contra III which had a couple of missions played from the top-down viewpoint, Contra 4 returns to the 3D corridor missions with the behind-the-player viewpoint from the original NES games. These missions are a LOT of fun and I enjoy them more than Contra III's overhead missions. Contra 4 features the same kind of 80's action movie music and enormous bosses, only this time the bosses stretch to twice the normal size into the second screen. New to the Contra series is the grappling hook which carries you into the top screen, and the addition of a second screen means there are twice as many aliens shooting at you but there's also twice as much room for you to move around in. It's a great next step for the series, but this game is not for everyone. I recommend Contra 4 to those hardcore gamers who are willing to play the same grueling missions over and over until they get it right. It's tremendously satisfying when you win, but if you're a fan of the Contra series you already knew that.
The Challenge That Improves Gaming May 7, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
CONTRA 4 is on the verge of becoming another Citizen Kane --- its greatness is being tarnished by its reputation. What is this game's reputation? According to Amazon reviews, CONTRA 4 is the pinnacle of toughness; therefore it either won't appeal to the masses, or is fundamentally flawed. CONTRA 4 fans have defended the game's challenge because it's designed that way. I'm gonna side with the supporters on this one.
First off, what is the game? Simply put, it's a side-scrolling shooter where you kill bad guys and aliens. CONTRA has been that way for 20 years, as have hundreds of other franchises. This "fourth" game (it's actually the 12th one, I think) has some throwback levels & bosses to pay tribute to the series' history. But it never feels stale, because there's always a barrage of enemies trying to stop you. NEW SUPER MARIO BROS did the same thing, and just like the platforming plumber's DS debut, CONTRA 4 is fresh and familiar.
There are 9 levels --- three are the "3D" perspective that first saw in CONTRA back in 1987, one is an on-rails vehicle stage, and the other five are traditional side-scrolling. You shoot, jump, and make your hands sweat.
What separates CONTRA from other shooter franchises is its level design, music, weapons, and enemies. There's practically no story in the game, and other than the style, nothing distinguishes CONTRA from other shooters. If you're looking for a conceptual reason why this series has been a leader in the genre, there really isn't one other than CONTRA is more fun. It's a toughie, but I'll address that later.
Unlockables for CONTRA 4 include:
Challenge Mode - a variety of short but difficult tasks. Examples include finishings levels with no ammo, time limits, and/or no civilian casualties.
Unlockable Characters - other than their appearance and voice, each character plays identically.
NES Games - the original CONTRA and SUPER C. Each have two screen ratio options. One fits the game to the DS screen. The other improves the resolution, but makes you use the shoulder buttons to see the top or bottom of the screen.
There are a few other things like an interview, comic pages, and the history of CONTRA.
Alright, now onto the main event! What is the deal with the difficulty of CONTRA 4? Let me confess that I think having the Easy Mode only have 7 of the 9 stages is kinda cruel, especially because it isn't exactly "easy". Other than that minor gripe, my take is that CONTRA 4, while it might frustrate from time to time, is tough for all the right reasons. The controls respond perfectly, I've found no glitches, each challenge is beatable, and it's always a blast to play. Games in 3D (i.e. DEVIL MAY CRY 3 or NINJA GAIDEN) are hard because they have camera issues, detailed animations, and combos to execute. But CONTRA 4 is a test of pure reflex & skill. You will improve as a gamer for going through it.
CONTRA 4 is one of the best action titles I've ever experienced on a handheld. Don't look at it like it's some sadistic machine. You'll utter a few F-bombs, but "FUN" is the one you'll use the most.
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