Contra Force
Reviewed by Bill O'Toole III
Graphics: 9
Well, what do you expect from Konami? Of course the graphics are
great. The first thing you'll notice here is that this isn't your normal
Contra game. This game takes place in several urban areas and even
on ships and airplanes with either a side-scrolling or overhead view.
The graphics are colorful and very nicely done, right on par for a
Konami game.
Sound: 9
Music is another one of Konami's strong points. This may not be the best
music they've produced, but it is very good. The sound effects are okay,
but they could have been better. Luckily, the music is there to make up
for the mediocre sound effects.
Play Control: 8
Well, here's something that Contra Force couldn't do better than the
previous two NES installments. Although the play control is pretty
good, Contra and Super C had much better control. The speed of the
game may be to blame for this one. Contra Force is plagued with a
lot of slow down, making the action slower than other Contra adventures.
Sometimes this is good since this game is much more strategy oriented
than the Contra that we're used to.
Fun Factor: 9
This game is a blast to play. I really like the new strategy elements
and the four selectable characters. This adds much more depth to the
game. You can have a computer controlled or human partner assist
you anytime, and the computer player can be set in certain formations
to cover you. You can actually feel the danger as you and your partner
run into battle!
Challenge: 7.5
This game isn't as hard as the other two Contras. With only 5 levels,
a very good player may be able to beat this game in an hour to an hour
and a half. However some parts of Stage 3 will challenge even the best
and Level 4 is pretty tough, too. However, wait till you get to the final
boss (Stage 5)! Some parts of the game are quite hard, but after you
get the hang of them they're a breeze. Also, unlimited continues go a
long way towards making the game easier.
Replay Value: 7.5
Although this may seem like one of those "beat it and chuck it" games,
something does keep you coming back for more. I can't quite explain it,
but I guess its just so good that you keep finding yourself wanting more.
Overall Score: 8.5
In my opinion, this is far and away the best of the Contra series. Although
I liked the original very much, I thought Super C was played out and just
too much like the original. The NES Contra series needed a change of pace,
and Contra Force delivered. Some die hard Contra fans may not appreciate
the changes as much as I did, but this game is defiantly worth checking out.