Contra: Hard Corps

Contra: Hard Corps
Download Contra - Hard Corps and experience the intense, action-packed gameplay of the legendary run-and-gun franchise! Battle your way through hordes of enemies and save the world from an impending catastrophe. Lock and load, and play now!
a game by Konami
Genre: Action
Platform: Sega GenesisGenesis
Editor Rating: 7.7/10, based on 5 reviews
User Rating: 6.6/10 - 63 votes
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See also: High Score Games, Shoot 'Em Up Games, Run-and-Gun Games, Contra Games
Contra: Hard Corps
Contra: Hard Corps
Contra: Hard Corps

The Contras are back, and Ollie North is scared. Actually, not those Contras. Contra: Hard Corps, the first Contra game for the Genesis, continues Konami's line of fast-shooting explosive warfare, and you definitely get more bangs for the buck.

Counting on Contras

It's been five years since the end of the Alien Wars (Contra III on the SNES), but civilization has still not completely regrouped. The government, such as it is, has formed a new group of elite military grunts, who have taken the name of their fallen heroes' brigade, the Contras. Those that fear them, however, just call them the Hard Corps.

ProTip: To knock off ol' one- eye, aim and jump when the firestorm breaks out. If he throws the abandoned car at you, shoot him from the side.

Each Contra has his own weapons and special attacks (shown below and right). They'll need them as they face more malevolent metal mayhem than a GWAR concert. At the end of each level you square off with a boss so huge that it makes Roseanne Arnold look...well, smaller, at least. The bosses go from bad to worse, ranging from a cyber-cydops to a train with an attitude!

At the end of each stage, you face multiple-choice scenarios. Do you save the Research Center or exact revenge on an enemy? It's up to you to decide, and you'd better hurry. One hit, and it's back to buck private for you.

A Sight for Corps Eyes

For those of you who think that the Genesis isn't capable of eye-catching graphics, this game proves you wrong. Big, bad, strange-looking machines, vivid, detailed backgrounds, and some of the best-looking explosions ever are interlaced with smooth animation for a totally nuked-out firestorm of a game! Add in a few different perspectives, like a huge robot chasing you down the Information Highway, and you have a game that looks as tough as it plays.

The sounds are marginal but effective. The only thing you'll remember hearing are the explosions, which test the limits of TV speakers. The music has a Japanese techno hybrid sound that isn't too bad. The control in the game is as simple as pulling a trigger. You use one button ' to switch between weapons, one to jump, and one to fire. You can even change your stance during a stage: One setting lets you shoot and run, the other keeps you steady and immobile while shooting.

  • When fighting the highway boss, slide when the fist comes slamming down.
  • Get under the airborne enemies in Deadeye's stage. They only shoot from an angle.

On the Cantra-ry

As you're attacked from the land, air, and train tracks, you'll have to ask yourself one question: Do you feel lucky? Well, do you? Because this game will definitely wear the old thumbskis down to little nubs. If you haven't memorized the Contra mantra ("Kill 'em all and let Cod sort 'em out"), then you may not be ready for this intense title.

If you think you're hard enough for the Corps, then by all means, pick up a 'stick and start firing.

At the Research Center, you encounter these guys at the beginning. Jump over the missiles, and then shoot the marauders. They'll explode into their own machine.

Download Contra: Hard Corps

Genesis

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
  • Game modes: Single game mode

Player controls:

  • Up, Down, Left, Right - Arrow keys
  • Start - Enter (Pause, Menu select, Skip intro, Inventory)
  • "A" Gamepad button - Ctrl (usually Jump or Change weapon)
  • "B" button - Space (Jump, Fire, Menu select)
  • "C" button - Left Shift (Item select)

Use the F12 key to toggle mouse capture / release when using the mouse as a controller.

Game Reviews

People say:

8

I've always been a fan of Contra. I even bought the arcade version of Contra, and Super Probotector. The first level areas really good, but a little difficult. The cheap hits are everywhere, so it could be frustrating to some players. I like all the special effects used, and Konann has really outdone themselves this lime. If you're into guns, don't miss this great shooter! I guarantee you won't put it down for hours.

7

For those in the know, the name Contra invokes thoughts of all-out action and excitement, and that's exactly what you'w treated to. however, all Thai action leads to some serious confusion, because there's so much stuff flying around that easy to get hit by hidden bullets. Anyway, the game uses incredible special effects to the extreme which make it cool. On the down side, the game's hard difficulty will make it rough.

7

Contra heads into a new direction in the Genesis version of the classic military shooter. I like having to choose between four new characters and the weapons are very cool. The graphics and special effect are done well and the music gets you totally into the action, on the down side, I thought there were too many Mid-Bosses and not enough real enemies. It's also really difficult. Overall, a good game.

7

Not quite the same juice as the original Contra, but this is a tough game to test your skills. Four character e with diflerent weapon sets keep you guessing. The graphics and eountIs are good as is the control The levels are rather simple and there seems to be an abundance of Mid-Bosses. The game ie rather pattern-orientated and can get frustrating being so tough. If you have a pal. go two players for a better time.

  • Manufacturer: Konami of America
  • Machine: Genesis

A great assault-type game that lets you blast away at anything that moves. At times you're offered a choice as to how to proceed = defend or attack! Killer!

  • Machine: Genesis;
  • Manufacturer: Konami of Japan

Oh boy! Another entry in Konami's signature action series, this time for Genesis. You've seen 'em, you've played 'em, and you've loved 'em for years - well, I'm pleased to report that Hard Corps isn't about to let you down! It's everything a Contra game should be, and that's plenty!

This time around, you've got four characters to choose from, each of which handles his (or her) power ups in different ways. This goes a long way toward breaking up the action and putting in a little more strategy than usual - not that you really have to think much, mind you. Generally you can get away with just blasting everything that moves!

The game is a little short, but this isn't big problem. At certain points in the game, you're given a choice between two courses of action - for instance, do you chase down an escaping bad guy, or try to head off an assault on your base? There aren't really any 'wrong' choices, but you go to a different stage depending on what you decide. Basically, instead of making one long game, Konami has given us two shorter ones.

This is easily the most challenging Contra yet. Sure, some bosses have predictable patterns, but then there are those who attack you six different ways in no particular order! The learning curve here is pretty steep. If the game were completely linear, with the stages following each other, I doubt anyone would get through it!

Contra: Hard Cops is a video game produced and released in Japan in 1994, and in Europe and Australia under the name of Probotecto, and made available for Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. The game is part of the Contra series, serving as a follow-up to Contra III: The Alien Wars, released two years earlier. The game is a run and gun-style shoot'em-up style, or shooter, as we call it today.

The action happens five years after Contra III: The Alien Wars, when a team of commandos, Unified Military Special Mobile Task Force K-X, or Contra Hard Cops, has to combat the crime and illegal activities which are spreading fast after the war. The plot is also set around a hacker who, after getting into the security system of the city, programs all the robots to destroy everything around and cause panic. The characters will meet Colonel Bahamut along the way as well, who is a former war hero, trying to subvert the Government using newly-developed weapons.

The game follows the same gameplay as the other games in the series. The character has to pass several levels by killing every enemy and fight the boss in the end, to finish the game. All the levels in Contra: Hard Cops feature only side-view perspective, unlike previous games which had some levels shown in "3D view". The player can choose between four different characters. A maximum number of four players can play in the same time, but they can't choose the same character.

The player can jump, run and fire, and also fire while jumping or running. A new addition to the game, not featured in the previous versions, was the sliding technique, which can be performed by holding the direction-pad diagonally downwards while pressing the jump button. The character can't be hit by enemies while sliding, and can even harm some of them when touching.

In this version the player can now carry and handle up to four weapons, as well as bombs. Like in the previous games, when a player is hit by an enemy, the current weapon will be lost too.

The Japanese version was easier to play, due to the developers programming the game so as a player can get hit three times before losing a life. In the European and American version a player who was hit once lost a life. Characters in the European version were replaced as well.

The game was received very well in the launching year, though it wasn't awarded prizes. However, critics and players rated the game with a high feedback, offering an overall mark of 87.5 from 100 on Gameranking, 9 out of 10 on Sega-16, 7.25 out of 10 on Electronic Gaming Monthly and 10 out of 10 on Honest Gamers. Both critics and players rated the game with 8.8 on GameSpot.

Snapshots and Media

Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Screenshots

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