Sir Ilpalazzo
Member
Super awesome game. I probably do like Contra III and Hard Corps (and Uprising) a bit more, but SS sits very comfortably beneath them as a high-tier run-and-gun.
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Contra: Shattered Soldier - One of the hardest and best co-op run 'n guns ever made
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SolidSnakex
Member
ViewtifulJC
Banned
I actually prefer it to Contra 3 and Hard Corps in the annals of set piece heavy/boss rush Contra games...probably cuz I put so many hours into it to get that 100% S-Rank. And probably cuz the soundtrack is really dope.
RIP in peace Konami
edit: the flamethrower >>> everything in this game. Either the close range flames or the charged shot
RIP in peace Konami
edit: the flamethrower >>> everything in this game. Either the close range flames or the charged shot
s_mirage
Member
I haven't played it in a long time so my memories might be a little off, but I remember thinking that it was good but was difficult to the extent that you had to memorize the levels if you wanted to do anywhere near decently. This is typical in shooters, but Shattered Soldier seemed to require more of it than games like Contra 3 and Hard Corps.
I think that's probably why the game sticks out to me a lot. I also really enjoyed the original Hard Corps and Uprising, but Shattered Soldier has an interesting vibe and pacing that has really stuck with me lately. Completing levels with a high rank feels very satisfying.
Also I really enjoy the beginning intro cutscene to the game, sets up the plot in a cool way:
Chill Penguin
Member
This game is so awesome, have some great memories with it. My college roommate and i bought this at release in 2002 and spent weeks trying to beat it. Eventually we did and it was one of my most gratifying gaming achievements. Wicked hard game.
Polioliolio
Member
This game.. Hope someone buys out konami and rereleases these games on PC or something.. Too good. Real fucking hard.
Never beat it though. Hope to get around to it someday.
Let's talk about the story.. Which was something like, Bill Rizer being a criminal who killed half the world's population or some shit.
Never beat it though. Hope to get around to it someday.
Let's talk about the story.. Which was something like, Bill Rizer being a criminal who killed half the world's population or some shit.
TheRedSnifit
Member
It's pretty good, but IMO saying it's the best Contra game is like saying Metal Slug 5 is the best MS game. It's really only notable for being a step up from the entry before it
Contra 4 was the actual "revival" so far as I'm concerned.
Contra 4 was the actual "revival" so far as I'm concerned.
Lumpy Onion
Member
I loved this game. I remember hating the challenge at first but slowly I would chip away at it. The sense of accomplishment from it's mastery was something else. Kinda want to play again on PS3 because I know it will hold up for me.
This exactly. Figure out what to do and it'll be the same pattern every time. Not saying it's bad, but it's not heavy reflex action or really all that hard. Hard to learn maybe, since every new surprise will kill you, but not hard to execute once you know what to do.
fvng
Member
DotProduct
Neo Member
Shattered Soldier isn't a bad game, but it's definitely one of the most rigid of the Contra games, and this is coming from someone who is only one death short of unlocking that silly bonus cutscene you get for 100% destruction on all stages and no deaths. I personally think Hard Corps Uprising is a much harder game than Shattered Soldier, even taking into account the ability to earn tons of lives in Uprising mode.
You get all of the weapons available to you at all times, but usually the best one is charged flame shot. That one of the final phases of the final boss could be beaten by crouching in the corner and firing diagonally upwards is sort of a microcosm of the worst that could be in a Contra game: a situation where there is only one answer, that answer doesn't involve any action/platform gaming skills you've been developing over the course of the game, and there's no better answer that can be achieved through finesse.
The opening cutscene was kickass though, and weirdly one of the very best songs in the game was the Option menu song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3x5JwaZ1hc
You get all of the weapons available to you at all times, but usually the best one is charged flame shot. That one of the final phases of the final boss could be beaten by crouching in the corner and firing diagonally upwards is sort of a microcosm of the worst that could be in a Contra game: a situation where there is only one answer, that answer doesn't involve any action/platform gaming skills you've been developing over the course of the game, and there's no better answer that can be achieved through finesse.
The opening cutscene was kickass though, and weirdly one of the very best songs in the game was the Option menu song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3x5JwaZ1hc
I feel like this particular Contra game has a particular soul and feel to it that others kind of lack to me, there's also some nice visual tricks and treats that I think only the PS2 at the time could offer. I think it's fairly well known that III and Hard Corps along with the original are considered the classics in the series, I find this game to be the hidden gem in the series that doesn't get enough love.
DotProduct
Neo Member
I wasn't thrilled with how playing in 2P mode in Shattered Soldier doubled boss health. Increasing it so that they don't die too quickly is fine, but with the way the boss patterns work in Shattered Soldier, it isn't usually the case that having two players substantially increases the opportunities for damaging the bosses. As such, it tends to be more the case that if two players execute perfectly, you just beat the boss in the same amount of time as in 1P.
SS is definitely one of the underdogs in the Contra series, but I think deservedly so. That doesn't mean it's a bad game, because I certainly enjoyed my time with SS, but SS is squarely in the second tier of the Contra games.
Neo Contra has my favourite of all the over-the-top-hahahaha moments in the Contra series with the helicopter sequence, where the Contra guys are running on top of the helicopter's blades. Neo Contra going all-in on the top-down sequences of Super C and Contra III was an interesting choice, and while it continued the fixed-loadout SS brought in, it came with a diversity of loadout choices which SS didn't have. That alone kind of makes me want to put Neo Contra above SS, in spite of Neo Contra not having the platforming that I typically crave from Contra.
SS is definitely one of the underdogs in the Contra series, but I think deservedly so. That doesn't mean it's a bad game, because I certainly enjoyed my time with SS, but SS is squarely in the second tier of the Contra games.
Neo Contra has my favourite of all the over-the-top-hahahaha moments in the Contra series with the helicopter sequence, where the Contra guys are running on top of the helicopter's blades. Neo Contra going all-in on the top-down sequences of Super C and Contra III was an interesting choice, and while it continued the fixed-loadout SS brought in, it came with a diversity of loadout choices which SS didn't have. That alone kind of makes me want to put Neo Contra above SS, in spite of Neo Contra not having the platforming that I typically crave from Contra.
IIRC the reviews bombed Neo Contra so I stayed away, even if the topdown run and gun appealed to me (I'm a fan of Jackal, Ikari, Mercs, even the top-down Super C stages). You're saying it's pretty good? I'll have to check it out...
djplaeskool
Member
Awesome.
I actually remember playing this song in IIDX before realizing Neo Contra/Shattered Soldier were a thing...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POEj9oGIk_k
Neo Contra is good fun! It's certainly the most relaxed Contra in term of difficulty and pacing, though.
mrmickfran
Member
The GOAT
Tizoc
Member
Yes its control scheme doesnt allow for actual twin stick control xp
cj_iwakura
Member
Missed my chance to play it in Tokyo.TheSpaceBetween
Member
Loved this game. My friend and I would co op the shit out of it, and we could get to the final boss with only losing a few lives. However, he would proceed to absolutely wreck us and we never ended up beating it. I loved the multitude of boss battles in the game.
djplaeskool
Member
Yeah, the video I watch, the more I want to play these.
Both Neo Contra and Shattered Soldier are on PSN (PS2 classics for PS3) too.
Both Neo Contra and Shattered Soldier are on PSN (PS2 classics for PS3) too.
I feel the same, I think it lacks the twitch gameplay from the other contra games in favor of absolute memorization of the levels and boss patterns, specially since you pretty much can't make mistakes because need a high percentage on the levels to get to the end iirc.
User 479360
Banned
Wow, I remember this game. I think of it occasionally. I had a friend over and we beat it, but barely. We didn't have many lives left at the end, so we were elated.
Awesomely fun game.
Awesomely fun game.
vanDoughnut
Member
2hard4mee
But was fun, gratifying when we beat the first level. Also the enemy designs were repulsive, in a good way.
But was fun, gratifying when we beat the first level. Also the enemy designs were repulsive, in a good way.
FairFriend
Member
up there with shinobi ps2 as one of my favorite games on the system
djplaeskool
Member
So I wanted to go for the truly authentic experience, so I paid Amazon.jp a visit...
Fug Slanderson
Member
I never got to play it. I bought it but the disc must have been defective somehow because it didn't work.
FF Seraphim
Member
Oh man I remember back in the day calling off work to play this game when it first came out. Hell the 5th level boss music I still listen to.
I love this game! At one point, I was able to finish it S-Ranked, but man it has some pretty arbitrary deaths mixed in with the awesome. For instance, if you walk past the still blade of a propeller of a plane parked in the background...instant death. Gotta shoot it just so to get it to move and get your guy through without getting hit...also a bit of finger gymnastics necessary to fix your firing direction, charge shots, while still dodging obstacles and pressing multiple shoulder buttons simultaneously.
Doing the S-rank run at least allows you to burn a continue to restart a level, but by the end it felt like I had a complete routine worked out and was just trying to execute it. I might have to give Hard Corps the nod as best due to the slide tackle making most deaths feel avoidable the first time through, alone. Branching paths and the selection of wacky stages and bosses mixed in with the more serious stuff seal the deal.
Not nearly as crazy about Neo Contra...
Doing the S-rank run at least allows you to burn a continue to restart a level, but by the end it felt like I had a complete routine worked out and was just trying to execute it. I might have to give Hard Corps the nod as best due to the slide tackle making most deaths feel avoidable the first time through, alone. Branching paths and the selection of wacky stages and bosses mixed in with the more serious stuff seal the deal.
Not nearly as crazy about Neo Contra...
User 479360
Banned
I remember my friend and I spent a whole night with it, and were so elated when we beat it. We only had something like 2 or 3 lives left.
It was an exhilarating game.
It was an exhilarating game.
mikezilla2
Member
tried playing this with a friend recently but the frame rate seemed to dip a bit to much for my like in split screen ......
To Far Away Times
Member
Probably the best run and gun ever. Amazing game. 1CC'd it with an A rank back in January.
Split screen?