- Release Date: October 23, 2002
- Genre: Shooter
- Style: Platform Shooter
- Similar Games: Metal Slug X (PlayStation), Mega Man X7 (PlayStation 2)
Game Description
Making its debut in the arcades in 1987 and, more pervasively, on the NES in 1988, the long-running Contra series continues with Contra: Shattered Soldier for theAs with Contra, Contra III: The Alien Wars, Contra: Hard Corps, and various other titles in the series, two players can team up against the alien hordes and giant bosses. In this game players can select from
There are five basic missions to accomplish, such as stopping a hijacked military transport train loaded with weapons, but the decidedly linear gameplay basically consists of running, jumping, climbing (hand over hand), shooting, and shooting some more. From time to time there are vehicles to ride, such as snowboards and missiles, but the action-heavy nature of the game remains intact. The overall objective is to thwart Blood Falcon and his minions as they attempt to exterminate from the face of the earth an already beleaguered human population.
~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide
Roots & Influences
Contra: Shattered Soldier combines a lot of the elements found in Contra III: The Alien Wars (bosses, characters, and locations) and other titles in the series with the~ Matthew House, All Game Guide
Review: Overall
Ever since the highly reviled Contra: Legacy of War hit the PS back in 1996, fans of the beloved Contra franchise have yearned for a game that would take the series back to its run-and-gun, shoot-'em-up roots. The virtually palpable need amongst old-school gamers for a new 2D platform shooter in the mold of Contra, Contra III: The Aliens Wars, and Contra: Hard Corps was indeed great. Thanks to the good folks at Konami, who apparently listened to gamers' complaints about Legacy of War, the much anticipated moment has arrived in the form of Contra: Shattered Soldier for the PS2. And what an arrival it is.From beginning to end, Shattered Soldier is pure Contra goodness. Most of the hallmarks that make the series great are here, including finger-frazzling gameplay, the indispensable two-player cooperative mode, constant shooting action, and giant bosses with well-hidden weak points. In fact, many areas of the game pay direct homage to various games in the series, with Alien Wars being the most obvious and most frequent inspiration. The turtle boss at the end of the first level is a familiar sight, for example, but with a surprising, gleefully disgusting twist. Once killed, he turns around to expose a truly hideous sight: a bulging, gasping, puking, utterly sick looking face. Other familiar elements include latching onto flying missiles and hanging from a rail with one hand while firing at winged creatures.
Despite the game's faithfulness to the core titles in the series, there are a few missing elements that would have made the game even better. Gone is the fun-to-use and oh-so-effective Spread Fire, the powerful pinpoint Laser Gun, the breath-a-sigh-of-relief Barrier Shield, and the much-needed Helio Bomb, which could vaporize all onscreen enemies. Some will appreciate the convenient fact that the three weapons featured are always available (it is no longer necessary to grab power-ups), and the player performance aspect gives gamers a good reason to repeat levels that have already been completed.
Like Alien Wars, Shattered Soldier is way too short. Konami should have used the PS2's advanced processing power and prodigious memory to make the game at least twice as long. Luckily, they did use the system's advanced capabilities to good effect in terms of audio and visual effects. With its metal constructs and burned-out buildings, the bleak industrial look is very effective, and the backgrounds, which include cloudy skies, misting waterfalls, and textured mountains, are simply gorgeous. Heavy metal music and bone-jarring, controller-rattling explosions are icing on the cake.
Shattered Soldier will shatter the nerves of gamers too young to remember such 8- and 16-bit staples as one-hit kills, rigidly designed levels, and screen-filling enemy attacks. However, the brutally difficult gameplay will thrill those who were in their gaming prime during the heyday of the NES, the Super NES, and the Genesis. The action does get frustrating, but the enemies have learnable patterns, the controls are tight, and the balls-to-the-wall gameplay is truly a blast. For fans of the series, this game is a must-own. For most everyone else (wimps need not apply), it's at least a must-rent.
~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide
Review: Enjoyment
Those patient enough to put up with lots of deaths while learning the various enemy patterns will love this game. Frustration is a factor, but hardcore fans of the series will be pleased.~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide
Review: Graphics
The 3D-esque backgrounds mesh well with the 2D gameplay. Old-schoolers with an eye for beauty will enjoy playing a fun, faithful-to-its-roots retro title with updated visuals. The lighting and particle effects and the smooth frame rate are especially noteworthy.~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide
Review: Sound
The near-constant firing noises and rocking tunes mask the other sounds to a large degree, and there's not much in the way of voice effects, but you won't mind too much. This game is loud and proud.~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide
Review: Replay Value
The game's relatively high replay value is based primarily on its insane level of difficulty and its fun factor. Otherwise, it fails in this regard as it is way too short.~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide
Review: Documentation
With the exception of the levels, the manual gives a good overview of the game.~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide
Production Credits
Company 1: Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo ; Producer: Nobuya Nakazato ; Director: Nobuya Nakazato ; Player Designer: Yohei Kiyohara ; Enemy Designer: Yohei Kiyohara, Masaya Okada, Takehisa Yamada, Keiko Yamazaki, Takayuki Ando, Hitomi Namatame, Atsushi Ono; Background Designer: Noriyoshi Sato, Keiko Yamazaki, Takayuki Ando, Hitomi Namatame, Atsushi Ono; Program Director: Koj Yamamoto; Player Programmer: Keisuke Fukuda; System Programmer: Shuhei Wakabayashi, Shinsuke Nakajima; Enemy Programmer: Keisuke Fukuda, Shuhei Wakabayashi, Shinsuke Nakajima, Takahiro Sakuma, Nobuhiro Masuda, Taku Otani, Satoshi Kikuchi; Graphic Engine Programmer: Michio Horikiri; Character Design: Atsushi Tsujimoto, Takashi Tsuchiya; Character Director: Atsushi Tsujimoto; Background Designer: Takashi Tsuchiya, Takashi Tsuchiya; Effects Designer: Takashi Maruyama ; Motion Designer: Murazo, Tanaka Usagi ; Character Design: Naomi Hara ; Graphic Designer: Tanaka Usagi ; Mob Character Design: Tsuguro; Sound Effects Design: Akira Yamaoka, Tetsushi Takahashi; Music Composer: Akira Yamaoka, Sota Fujimori; Music Director: Akira Yamaoka ; Sound Programmer: Nazaki Matsushita ; Marketing Planning and Promotional Design: Osamu Shigeta, Taro Miyake, Morio Kishida, Mai Kitazama ; International Product Manager: Yukako Hamaguchi ; Assistant Director: Norio ; Product Manager: Kenichiro Honda ; Executive Producer: Gozo Kitao ; Company 2: Konami of America Inc. ; President: Tommy Gotsubo ; Vice President of Operations: Linda Stackpoole ; Vice President of Marketing: Chris Garske ; Vice President of Sales: Catherine Fowler ; Director of Product Marketing: Rick Naylor ; Director of Marketing Communications: Cherrie McKinnon ; Product Manager: Wilson Cheng, Jason Enos ; Producer: Ken Ogasawara ; Senior Manager of Public Relations: Tammy Schachter ; Senior Manager of Creative Services: Monique Catley ; Artwork and Illustrations: Ashley Wood ; Tester: Luke Robichaux, Mike Tang, Jayson Ayran ; Packaging and Layout: Department X
~ Keith Adams, All Game Guide
