Support NeoGAF

[Saoh]

got Contra 4 a few days ago. MY GOD, this game is hard even on normal :S

i haven't played much but i can't get past the 2nd level on Normal and the 4th level on easy (stupid rocket boss, moves too fast compared to me). it's a bit frustrating at times :lol but i love it!!! damn i'm a girly man.

 

[The Main Event]

Only 10 challenges left to do.

Then I shouldn't have any problem finishing it on hard.

 

[beelzebozo]

this is one of the best games on ds. i snagged it the other day and subsequently got my ass handed to me on normal within three minutes in stage 1, bumped it back to easy, and still managed to lose 10 lives in that first level. fast-forward 24 hours, and i've managed to make my way through level 5 on easy, and i'm getting progressively better.

i suck, but i'm improving, and the game's design is fantastic. i can't wait to see what wayforward does next.

 

[Enk]

i suck, but i'm improving, and the game's design is fantastic. i can't wait to see what wayforward does next.

Ping Pals 2:Subhumanoid Meltdown

 

[Prime crotch]

There's just one thing I hate on the game design, if you have a level going up like the waterfall part you can't fall back down even if there's ground below because you'll die.

Oh 12/40 challenges and easy mode done.

 

[the androgyne]

What are the into-the-screen levels like guys? The reviews i've read seem to glaze over them. I hated the overhead levels in Contra III, so i cringed a bit when i first saw them in videos cause i'd prefer all side-scrolling. Do they take up a significant portion of the game?

 

[Sylar]

This game is fucking hard . I died on the boss of level 5 On Easy.

 

[ThirstyFly]

What are the into-the-screen levels like guys? The reviews i've read seem to glaze over them. I hated the overhead levels in Contra III, so i cringed a bit when i first saw them in videos cause i'd prefer all side-scrolling. Do they take up a significant portion of the game?

I was never a huge fan of the tunnel levels in Contra, but they're actually really fun in Contra 4. I HATE the overhead levels in Contra III as well, so much in fact that they make me not want to play the game. The 2nd one is pure torture. I like the overhead levels in Super C though, but overall I think the tunnels in Contra 4 are the best non-standard levels in the series.

Edit: Oh, and there's only 3 and you can get though them fairly fast, so no, they don't really take up a significant portion of the game.

 

[JRPereira]

You forgot to mention that the tunnel levels in contra 4 have absolutely kick-ass music.

 

[dolemite]

Man, this game is haaaaard.
Does it get any easier in the coop mode or is it enemies x 2 kinda game?

 

[ThirstyFly]

You forgot to mention that the tunnel levels in contra 4 have absolutely kick-ass music.

That would be redundant. All the levels have kick-ass music.

 

[JRPereira]

That would be redundant. All the levels have kick-ass music.

So you're saying it doesn't bear repeating?

 

[Johnas]

Well I'm glad to see this thread is still alive and well.

I'm tempted to try a no-deaths run on Hard, but I think I might wait a while before I do that, I don't want to get burned out on it. I wish there was another unlockable for finishing Hard mode, but it's satisfying enough just doing that really.

I so hope WayForward makes either another Contra game or Konami lets them do something else for them. I wouldn't mind seeing their take on Gradius actually, if the rumors about Gradius VI for PS3 being cancelled (or non-existent) are true, the DS would be a perfect place for it imo. I mean I'd rather it be on a console, but they've proven themselves with Contra 4.

 

[ThirstyFly]

So do the endings change depending on the character you're using, including unlockable characters?

I've only finished it with Bill so far.

 

[Captain N]

Contra has always been a hard game, but i'm so pumped for Christmas in hopes that it'll be under my Christmas tree. A buddy of mine might also be getting it for Christmas and if that's the case I will be playing this for most of the holiday.

 

[Pureauthor]

So do the endings change depending on the character you're using, including unlockable characters?

I've only finished it with Bill so far.

It doesn't change with Probotector, that much I know.

 

[Daigoro]

i traded in 2 brand new completely unmanly games this week and bought this instead.

i effectivly payed $70 for it and its worth every red cent.

time to grow some peach fuzz.

 

[Golden Darkness]

Contra 4's Japanese Boxart

Seems... less manly, doesn't it?

 

[The Main Event]

Just completed 36 challenges and unlocked Jimbo and Sully.

"It's time for revenge"
"Let's attack aggressively"

OMG OMG OMG.

 

[Scalpel Knight]

This is my first "dedicated" Contra (I played Contra 1/3/Hard Corps/Shattered Soldier a bit before) and sweet Jesus it's kicking my ass. I haven't gotten further than stage 2 on Normal - then again I haven't put that much time into it. I swear every time I lose a life I want to break down in tears because I want to play it perfectly.

 

[underfooter]

I just got to the end of level 5. I hadn't really sunk my teeth into this title until now, and WOW, I really enjoy it. It's got that old-school replay-value, and it has some outstanding 2D sprites and backgrounds.


Truthfully, I think one of the most important strategies is having the right weaponry for bosses, even if you have to die getting there because you were holding a gun rather than using it. It is the difference between having the memorize a bosses patterns and attacks and taking a few lives, and defeating it under ten seconds.

 

[HK-47]

Man this game has the best extras...

 

[beelzebozo]

Man this game has the best extras...

no question. the little museum that lets you view all the box art, and screenshots from each game is one of the best little easy features to add in a game. i would love for such a thing to be implemented into all sorts of different franchise games from konami and other publishers--the next castlevania, zelda, etc.

 

[AtomicShroom]

Holy shit this game is hard!

And this is coming from someone who can beat Contra on NES without dying a single time!

The game is much harder than either Contra, Super C or Contra 3, by far. It's almost not fun.

I do good as long as I don't die, with powered-up weapons. But as soon as I die once, I'm done for. Your default weapon is totally fucking useless. In previous Contras, you could always manage with it. Now you're absolutely fucking toast.

 

[Johnas]

Holy shit this game is hard!

And this is coming from someone who can beat Contra on NES without dying a single time!

The game is much harder than either Contra, Super C or Contra 3, by far. It's almost not fun.

I do good as long as I don't die, with powered-up weapons. But as soon as I die once, I'm done for. Your default weapon is totally fucking useless. In previous Contras, you could always manage with it. Now you're absolutely fucking toast.

You're correct in that powered-up weapons are the way to go, but depending on the situation you can accomplish quite a bit with the pea-shooter if it's all you have. I think you'll find that as long as you just keep playing after dying and losing your weapon(s), you'll make more progress than you imagined. Of course, you'll probably have to settle for different weapons than you had when you died, but give it a shot. If you get better while playing with just the default, you know you'll be even better when you get the good guns back.

There are a few areas, though, where it gets brutally hard. I still maintain that a certain part of Stage 7 is about as hard as Stage 9, and if I die once there I usually die a couple more times just trying to make it through without my weapons.

In my memory I want to say Contra III was harder than this game, but I haven't finished that game in ages, so the general consensus is probably correct there.

 

[Eteric Rice]

Contra 4 is indeed hard, as it should be.

I gave up, might take another wack at it in the future tho. >_>

 

[Johnas]

Contra 4 is indeed hard, as it should be.

I gave up, might take another wack at it in the future tho. >_>

Do it man, the game is awesome. One of the most pleasant surprises in gaming for me in quite a while. I was not expecting the awesome this game delivers.

It's totally doable with practice. You have to earn your progress, as it should be.

 

[Saoh]

i gave up on this game two days without playing and you lose all practice.

 

[Saoh]

i gave up on this game two days without playing and you lose all practice.

 

[ThirstyFly]

I do good as long as I don't die, with powered-up weapons. But as soon as I die once, I'm done for. Your default weapon is totally fucking useless. In previous Contras, you could always manage with it. Now you're absolutely fucking toast.

Yeah, it gets pretty brutal when you're working with the default weapon. Thankfully item blimps are pretty frequent.

Personally, I liked the rotating item selection used in Shattered Soldier and Neo Contra (even though the weapon lineup wasn't as useful in Neo). I hope if we get a Contra 5 (or whatever) they do something like shattered Soldier, so players aren't always screwed if they die.

What I'd like to see, is the weapon system from SS so you always have some useful gear and can adapt to different situations on the fly and keeping blimp/box powerups to be used to upgrade your weapons to level 2 firepower like in Contra 4, so there's still the weapon collecting aspect of the game.

 

[ForzaItalia]

Interesting. Gonna pick this up soon.

P.S. I noticed in the Gamespy review of 'Contra 4' that there was a 'Contra:Hard Corps' for the Genesis. I don't even remember this game at all.

Where would you guys rank it in the series?

 

[Fady K]

Snagged a copy 2 days ago. i tried *starting* it on HARD. LOL.

 

[NolbertoS]

So far, I can only make it to the last boss and die there. I make it with 13 lives and still manage to blow almost all of them to face the last boss, man the last level sucks ass, wish I could finish the game already, as I want to play the classics and refuse to get the 99 life glitch.

 

[Momar]

Interesting. Gonna pick this up soon.

P.S. I noticed in the Gamespy review of 'Contra 4' that there was a 'Contra:Hard Corps' for the Genesis. I don't even remember this game at all.

Where would you guys rank it in the series?

I'm pretty sure it's generally considered the most difficult one, could be wrong though.

 

[flammie]

So far, I can only make it to the last boss and die there. I make it with 13 lives and still manage to blow almost all of them to face the last boss, man the last level sucks ass, wish I could finish the game already, as I want to play the classics and refuse to get the 99 life glitch.

If you beat it on easy, you can unlock challenges, of which one of last ones is to fight the last boss. Its a good way to learn the patterns without getting through the whole game.

 

[Oh! My Car!]

In my memory I want to say Contra III was harder than this game, but I haven't finished that game in ages, so the general consensus is probably correct there.

I think you're right in your earlier comment. I can 1cc Contra 4 on hard now after a couple of months practice and S-Rank Shattered but to this day I can't beat Contra 3 on hard on a single credit.

 

[NolbertoS]

YES...motherfuckin' success GAF..Finally beat Contra 4 on Normal and unlocked the classic NES Contra and Super C, can't believe how outdated they are, and easy compared to Contra 4..I was breezing through Contra till I got bored on Level 7, can't believe how I can't stand the graphics anymore sigh, wish they could remake Contra 1, 2, 3 in a Contra compilation using DS or PSP graphics.

 

[dark10x]

In my memory I want to say Contra III was harder than this game, but I haven't finished that game in ages, so the general consensus is probably correct there.

No, it's not. Contra III is much easier overall, I believe, as there are simply fewer things coming at you. Contra IV has loads of random enemies and bullets just flying around the screen in addition to the more difficult baddies. When you add in the top screen, it can sometimes become overwhelming.

It reminds me of Metal Slug in that regard, but MS always had the knife attack to counter the stream of rushing dudes.

It is highly addictive, though. I'm enjoying the challenge of mastering it. I also appreciate that it isn't quite as memory based as Shattered Soldier and Hard Corps.

 

[jgkspsx]

Finally picked this up. Good God it's fun. Redemption at last for that abortion of a Sigma Star Saga. It's as hard, fast, and fun as that was easy, slow, and tedious.

 

[Pureauthor]

I just want to add that I've blitzed Challenge Mode. All that's left is Hard.

 

[Dash Kappei]

Can somebody help me figure out how the fudge do you beat the Low Amno 1 (and 2) challenge?

I can get to the big submarine/ship with 23 bullets out of 25 with either F or C or H, but then how do I sink it?
I swear it's driving me crazy!

(only 5 challenges to go though, not bad...)

 

[The Main Event]

I just want to add that I've blitzed Challenge Mode. All that's left is Hard.

Same here. I'm having a hard time not dying in the 3D stages. The enemy bullets are freaking fast.

 

[The Main Event]

Can somebody help me figure out how the fudge do you beat the Low Amno 1 (and 2) challenge?

I can get to the big submarine/ship with 23 bullets out of 25 with either F or C or H, but then how do I sink it?
I swear it's driving me crazy!

(only 5 challenges to go though, not bad...)

I used the Crush gun while hanging at the bottom screen and made sure that every shots connected to parts on the submarine.

I think I had some ammo left when I beat it.

 

[Dash Kappei]

I used the Crush gun while hanging at the bottom screen and made sure that every shots connected to parts on the submarine.

I think I had some ammo left when I beat it.

Wow... I was really hoping I didn't have to go down that way
Then again, practices DOES make you perfect.

Does the Crash gun needs to be x2 (dunno if there's even that many there)?

Thanks man.

 

[Johnas]

Wow... I was really hoping I didn't have to go down that way
Then again, practices DOES make you perfect.

Does the Crash gun needs to be x2 (dunno if there's even that many there)?

Thanks man.

I thought I'd quote myself from a couple of pages back on how I did that one.

I just finished that one a while ago.

Spoiler

I got to the end with 22 shots, and had two left over, so I used 20 shots total. Make sure you use one shot to get the Crush, it's the last powerup right before the boss. When you get there, head to the right and drop down and hang from the rightmost yellow bar, and aim down and to the left and use a few crush shots on the guns on the right side (that shoot the large orange balls). Grapple back up and run to the right to avoid the vertical lasers, or if you're quick you can stay down there and hit the lasers from where you already are, I usually went back up though and ran all the way to the right to avoid the lasers, then back over to the left straight up above the machine gun, then left to avoid the lasers again, then back down and right to take out the lasers. Sorry if that sounded too complicated.

After you take out the lasers, you can keep hanging from that rightmost yellow bar, just move over to the right when the machine gun fire heads your way, then when it turns and shoots back left, get over to the left side and aim down and left and hit it with one Crush shot. Do this over and over until it's finished, I think I used 10 shots to take it out.

I know that's wordy, but that's what I did. It sounds like you already know how to get there with most of your ammo intact, so I skipped that part.

 

[NolbertoS]

I have only the "Low Ammo" and "Beat the last boss" challenges left on Contra 4, before I unlock everything. I'll take a stab at HARD later in the year, as I'm Contra'd out, the game took alot of patience and timing. Can't wait for Contra 5, hopefully it'll add more Contra III levels, as the the overhead levels on Contra III were the Shit.

 

[Teknoman]

I have only the "Low Ammo" and "Beat the last boss" challenges left on Contra 4, before I unlock everything. I'll take a stab at HARD later in the year, as I'm Contra'd out, the game took alot of patience and timing. Can't wait for Contra 5, hopefully it'll add more Contra III levels, as the the overhead levels on Contra III were the Shit.

As long as theres a high flying missle riding stage, im good.

 

[Dash Kappei]

I thought I'd quote myself from a couple of pages back on how I did that one.

Wicked

Thanks for the strategies mate... I'll let you know if I make it alive

As long as theres a high flying missle riding stage, im good.

.

Quite possibly the best stage ever in a Contra game.

 

[Lee N]

Got this game last night.. and concluded that I was too tired to play Contra (I died alot).

Today it's going better though.

 

[Dash Kappei]

LOW AMNO 2 tips anyone?

(4 challenges to go)