Contra Force (Nes) CO-OP Playthrough / They call it Contra, but it's not really one. Very underrated
4Contra Force (1992) by Konami is probably one of the most underrated games on the system. Its greatest sin is that someone dared to give it the name of Contra, which has been a genre definer almost since its dawn. The game was originally supposed to be called "Arc Hound", but it was abruptly renamed to presumably sell faster. Only that it was already a period where Nes was already running on fumes and 16-bit consoles dominated the market. Contra was always the benchmark for fast action, smooth gameplay full of challenges. And Contra Force, however, bounces back from previously accepted standards and targets a completely different gameplay. It must be stressed here that it looks like the game came out in a hurry because its optimization is, to say the least, terrible and full of slowdowns. I assume that this is the main reason for all the hate towards this game..... yes it is visible and disturbs the smooth gameplay known from the previous parts of the game. But apart from that, the game is simply great....... graphics, music, level design, technical approach to the characters and their abilities...... well it's diverse and I don't know how anyone can dislike it.
Each character is a little different in terms of speed, jump height and the weapons they are given at their disposal. Here perhaps the most outstanding is Beans, whose specialty is planting bombs. When such a bomb explodes on the screen random explosions show up, which can hit the enemy or not..... also this character is rather a support, and playing it solo is rather problematic. Burns is the most balanced fast with good ranged weapons. Smith, on the other hand, is a sniper who is a cheat firing guided rockets :D And Iron is the slowest teammate who has the most potential to deal damage with rockets or flamethrowers. There are other weapons, but it doesn't make sense to use them when you have a choice of the above. It may not be the best balanced system, but in a co-op it gives the game a second dimension. The game, compared to its predecessors, thus becomes more tactical and richer in the experience of real cooperation...... Because we can't fool ourselves, Co-Op in previous games was about surviving as long as possible with a spread gun, and somehow it will be. Here it is much better implemented and has an impact on gameplay much greater than before. It's not a perfect game, but this level on a plane is something really special..... unique experience and probably my favorite level on a plane ever. If you are a hater then leave it alone and if you don't mind slowdowns and the fact that the game is called contra although it is not one, then go ahead and play it, because you probaby enjoy it.
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"Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio"