Many find that it is superior to Contra III, praising its fast-paced gameplay and high replay value. Their fates also vary with the different scenarios.Ĭontra: Hard Corps is generally considered to be an excellent game in the series. Along the way, you work with and encounter many characters that play important roles in both plot and gameplay. The plot involves an alien war hero, Colonel Bahamut, who has gone rogue and steals an alien cell to accomplish various goals (again, depending on the path you choose). The continue system is retained from its predecessor, Contra III, in which there is 1 or more checkpoints throughout many of the stages. This adds to the replay value of the game, as each path features different levels and bosses to fight. Browny additionally has a hover ability, one of the factors that makes him the easiest character to play with.Ĭontra: Hard Corps features multiple endings determined by decisions you make, and thus the paths taken, throughout the game during the plot progression. There is also a new maneuver: a slide that damages enemies while rendering you immune to hits for its duration.

With no difficulty settings, the characters’ functional differences are the primary determinant of difficulty. You play as the selected character until the end of the game or until a Game Over. You have 4 new characters to select from at the start of the game: Ray, Sheena, Browny and Fang, each with their own unique set of guns.

Simultaneous 2-player mode is retained, but carries over the increased boss longevity from Contra III. The fast-paced action is complemented by techno, electronic synth style soundtrack. As such, it is notoriously difficult, especially the North American and PAL versions ( see Regional Differences).

Indeed, Contra: Hard Corps is predominantly a fast-paced boss rush, with occasional run-n-gun sequences. The run-n-gun aspect is greatly toned down in favor of greatly increasing the number of boss battles and other sequences. This game takes the core gameplay of Contra III: The Alien Wars and modifies, as well as expands upon it. Contra: Hard Corps is Konami’s follow-up to Contra III: The Alien Wars, although it was designed with the intention of being a spin-off of the series.

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