Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Old style shooting!, 12 Sep 2004
This game is not for the faint of heart. It is immensely difficult, and will take many many hours to complete. Once completed however, you should be able to finish this game again without too much trouble. The trick is to learn the attack patterns of your enemies, and act accordingly. This game is like they used to make them: uncomplicated, tough but finishable, and if you like the type of game: a lot of fun!The gameplay of the Contra games, with the exception of the 3D versions, hasn't changed much over the years. Konami has done a great job using the PS2's hardware capabilities to create beautiful graphics, and atmospheric music and sounds to complete the gaming experience. It can be played with 1 or 2 players (simultaneously), and though staying alive with 2 players is slightly more difficult, the added firepower really comes in handy when trying to kill some of the most beautiful and deadly enemies I've ever seen in a Contra game. If you're up for an intense shooting experience, then this game is definitely for you. You might want to rent it first to see if it's not out of your league though. I've finished just about every Contra game produced, but the final enemy of this game is still getting the better of me.
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7 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing, even for the hardcore ..., 15 Sep 2003
The Contra games of old were good fun, no argument there. They were intense traditional 2D side scrolling shooters of the highest standard that really came alive when played co-op with a friend. This new game in the series hopes to carry on from those solid foundations to create a fanbase from a new generation of gamers whilst also giving more of the same for the cult hardcore following the older games created.
For the makers it was a matter of 'if it aint broke, don't fix it', so Contra, Shattered Soldier is very similar to the Contra games that came before it, but with improved graphics. Very little else has changed. The problem is, gamers these days expect a bit more. Retro games are fun to go back too for nostalgic memories or for an interesting glimpse of 'how things were' but the truth of the matter is, compared to todays games, most retro games are pretty short, shallow, and/or repetative. These days a new release costing over £30 is expected to deliver a bit more then the games of ten years ago. Contra does not.
Whilst the graphics, sound, and general presentation are good, the actual game is too short, too repetative, and too darn hard! More effort should have been made to modernize the Contra series without effecting it's basic gameplay - I'm sure this could have been done with a little bit of thought!
But the biggest criticism I have is the fact that after completing a level you can't save your game! The first four levels are IMMENSELY difficult, and you have to complete them ALL before you can save! And only ONE touch of the enemy will kill you. Which means you have to play over the first level uncountable times before you become familiar enough with the enemies movements to beat them and go on to level two - where you will die immediately and have to do level one all over again!! Frustrating to say the least!! This is a major problem for the game that will eliminate any enjoyment newcomers to the series may have got, whilst irritating the older gamers who enjoyed the previous games and have waited a long time for a modern update. Disappointing.
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