Contra Advance EX: Yay or Nay?

[josekortez]

Does anyone here actually like Contra Advance EX? I am considering a purchase, but the reviews are mixed. All of them say the game was made artificially difficulty by removing the Super Bomb that was in Contra III and not allowing you to switch weapons. Also, a few say that the Contra: Hard Corps levels were put in for absolutely no reason. Why would Konami do this and ruin a perfectly good game? (I just know someone's going to bring up Neo-Contra...)

I love Contra III. It's one of my favorite SNES games, so I alreadly own it, but the critics seem to think the GBA version is better left to the clearance shelf. What do you guys think?

[Bratwurst]

Avoid it like the plague and enjoy Hard Corps and III on their respective platforms as they were meant to be seen. Besides, the drop in resolution also cuts into the viewing area and that's never a good thing in Contra game.

[NE146]

I dunno. I personally dug it. Just think of it as a handheld mini-Contra and it rocks in my opinion. Additionally it has new stages, which are always a plus in my book. Just because you play this one doesnt take away any enjoyment of Hard Corps, III, on their respective platforms... because I can't really play any of those platforms while waiting in the parking lot at Macy's anyway :P

[SoulBlazer]

I happen to enjoy it. It IS more harder the Contra III, but it's a fun Contra game for the GBA.

[E Nice]

I dunno. I personally dug it. Just think of it as a handheld mini-Contra and it rocks in my opinion. Additionally it has new stages, which are always a plus in my book. Just because you play this one doesnt take away any enjoyment of Hard Corps, III, on their respective platforms... because I can't really play any of those platforms while waiting in the parking lot at Macy's anyway :P

Nomad - Contra:Hard Corps :D

What new stages? I thought it simply had some Contra 3 levels with two from Hard Corps.

They also left out the slide kick and the HC control scheme which I think would have worked better than the SS control scheme they used instead.

The game is somewhat alright, it just has that something missing feeling.

[NE146]

Nomad - Contra:Hard Corps :D

Why did I just KNOW someone was going to say that LOL


What new stages? I thought it simply had some Contra 3 levels with two from Hard Corps.

You're right. I was getting confused between this and Ghouls and Ghosts. Hey, it's been a while :hmm: :P . However, the 2 Hard Corps stages (like the train) are somewhat re-worked a bit aren't they? In the end, the game really aint the greatest version. But again, to me it's fine for a handheld mini-Contra.

[8-Bit Master]

It's good if you don't mind a watered down version of the SNES game that you can play on the go. :)

[calthaer]

I got it for $10 at KB Toy Works. I can say it was definitely worth the price. $20 or more? I dunno...

[Ed Oscuro]

It's good if you don't mind a watered down version of the SNES game that you can play on the go. :)

That's pretty much what it comes to.

I do hate the new item-bouncing trajectory (straight up, so if you stand in place after picking up a new gun, the old one will bounce right back on top of you and you'll lose the gun momentarily...it makes one realize quite clearly why Konami's SNES games tended to throw an item slightly backwards after you pick up a new one).

The original "cutscene" pictures are dumb, but at least not terribly drawn or badly resized from originals (see most character portraits in Metal Gear Ghost Babel for that accomplished by Konami -- examples of poorly drawn originals as well as a badly shrunked Solid Snake face are in evidence).

I also don't believe there is a way to keep more than one weapon at a time in this new version.

[Ed Oscuro]

Discounting bombs, that is.

[Gamereviewgod]

http://www.digitpress.com/reviews/contraadvance.htm

[calthaer]

You're right, Ed - there isn't any way to keep two weapons in this one. I almost forgot about that.

That in and of itself is a major negative for the title, IMO. There's just nothing like taking two flamethrowers and doing spinning spirals of flame. It's also really useful to have two guns on the top-down levels because then you can hold one in each hand, spin around, and just let 'er rip.

Not with Contra "Advance."

[Ed Oscuro]

That in and of itself is a major negative for the title, IMO. There's just nothing like taking two flamethrowers and doing spinning spirals of flame. It's also really useful to have two guns on the top-down levels because then you can hold one in each hand, spin around, and just let 'er rip.

You can keep two guns in Contra 3 at one time, but you can only use one at once (unless I missed something) and I can't think of a Contra game that actually lets you use two guns at once. That's what you're saying, right?

[E Nice]

If you hold down both shoulder buttons, I think, and press fire you'll jump firing both guns, giving a spiral effect of the bullets, in top-down levels you spin around.

Also, if you tap the button that lets you switch guns, or better yet use a pad that has turbo buttons, you will constantly switch between guns, basically giving the illusuion of firing both guns at once.

[Ed Oscuro]

If you hold down both shoulder buttons, I think, and press fire you'll jump firing both guns, giving a spiral effect of the bullets, in top-down levels you spin around.

Figures I'd not know about something like that. Thanks :)

[calthaer]

Yes, E Nice has it - holding down both shoulder buttons will make you the r0><0r commando, laying waste to scads of bads with full-on rip-roaring fury.

I tried to go in there and get a screenshot with two flamethrowers in a top-down level going BURN BABY BURN, but the first one with that is the desert one (the one with the roads doesn't have the flamethrower yet), and I realized I just plain suck at this game because I haven't really played it in years. I totally lost it on the helicoptor / missile part where you have to destroy that airship thing.

[suppafly]

I`d have to say YAY! I liked it!