Part II: The Next Wave

Contra III: The Alien Wars (SNES, 1992) It was only natural that the Contra series would dive head first into the 16-bit era of video gaming. More powerful consoles could easily lead to faster, more exhilarating, and probably more challenging, missions. Contra III fails to disappoint! This time around, you lead Jimbo and Sully, supposed descendants of Bill and Lance from earlier games, where yet another alien takeover is beginning to take shape and must be diverted away from Earth. Visually, this is a masterpiece of a game, even if it is only a first-generation SNES game. The elusive Mode 7 method of graphic production, which allows for re-scaling and rotation of graphics on the fly, paved the way for more complex overhead levels and additional in-game effects. Contra III is also the first game in the series where you can climb walls, soon to be an often entirely necessary feat for future games; you can also ride vehicles for the first time in this game. It has been lauded as a classic game not just in the Contra series, but within the entire SNES library.

Contra: Hard Corps (Genesis, 1994) I never know what exactly to make of this game. It looks tremendously polished, and it sounds as though there are infinite explosions all over the place. But for whatever crazy reason, the developers decided to tweak the traditional method of creating a Contra game: instead of a series of levels where you have to shoot your way through waves of wacky but seriously mindless drones in order to meet up with the boss at the end, the game focuses heavily on a variety of bosses sprinkled generously throughout the entire game. In fact, most of the fighting done is against just boss characters. Furthermore, the level system gives a bit more variety with the ability to branch off into separate paths through the game, allowing you to pursue many different routes through the game (and to arrive at separate conclusions). There is storyline inserted between stages, where the devious Colonel Bahamut is trying to capture an alien cell to help him rule the world. Your character (out of four choices from the Hard Corps, including a half-human, half-wolf creature) can carry up to four weapons, but even this won't save your butt because Contra: Hard Corps is just plain difficult. I'd like to meet the person who can sanely complete this game without the aid of a cheating device. Y'know, they gave Japanese gamers a health bar, but American gamers get the shaft...

Contra: Legacy Of War (PS/SATURN, 1996) Another colonel seems to be trying his luck at overtaking the world with the help of alien embryo breeding, so a quarter of characters from the Contra team must stop his evil plan. As was the case with many other popular gaming franchises, Contra had to make that inevitable leap into the third dimension. The result? Oh dear goodness, we must all cry. Something went awry (possibly due to the fact that the creation of this game was outsourced to a different developer); suddenly the classic side-scrolling style has been replaced with a more 3/4 isometric point of view. The camera is a bit too close to the on-screen character and so many foes off-screen might just shoot you before you notice their presence! I remember playing this for the first time; how I did fail. You also had the opportunity to play this game with a pair of 3D glasses on, but as usual, that only further hindered the already difficult gameplay style. Japan didn't want this game; I can understand why.

C: The Contra Adventure (PS, 1998) It is apparent that it takes two mistakes for Konami sees the error of its ways. Even though Appaloosa (the developer behind Contra: Legacy of War) had created a monstrosity for the series, it was given the green light to produce another one. Similarly, it was received with much negative clamor. This time around, the game revolves around (Gasp!) an alien invasion! I wouldn't have guessed. Elements of side-scrolling madness, overhead stages, and even the third-person perspective, are all evident here, although they don't seem to have the tight controls or fun factor that Contra games of the 8-bit or 16-bit eras possessed. There are also puzzle elements, but I doubt any Contra fan really cares about solving puzzles. It's all about the death and destruction, isn't it? Appaloosa Interactive was not asked to make any more Contra games after this. The citizens continue to rejoice to this day.

Screenshots of 'Contra: Legacy of War' and 'C: The Contra Adventure' provided courtesy of The Contra HQ!