Contra 4: Up Up, Down Down, Yeah Yeah!
There have, to date, been an assload of Contra games. By my professional estimation (otherwise known as "according to the internet") about 24 iterations of the Contra experience exist, as well as literally trillions of pieces of merchandise branded with the now-infamous Contra cheat code. What other meme, idea, symbol, or quote from a video game has penetrated so deep into geek culture that not only does it appear on t-shirts, it appears on post-Contra t-shirts so thick with irony that even God knows the code?
All your base are belong to Contra, if you ask me.
This cultural fervor around a game so simple yet so challenging that its cheat code spawned a fashion trend might explain some of the giddiness surrounding Konami's announcement today of Contra 4 (working title) for no less a game system than the Nintendo DS.
The new game will take place two years after Contra III: The Alien Wars, and naturally the game will take advantage of the DS' dual screens: spanning both screens at once, the action expands "across massive environments in which death can come from any direction," souped-up dual screen boss battles, and a new grappling hook accessory that lets players move vertically. It sounds like the action still scrolls horizontally, but with a greater vertical range that will give Contra 4 a lot more acrobatic fun. And violence, which is also fun.
What do we think, grunts? Is this the dawning of a new age, or are we over Contra? Press release after the jump, you know what to do.
KONAMI ANNOUNCES CONTRA 4 FOR NINTENDO DS™
Explosive Action Series Celebrates 20th Anniversary with Unique Dual Screen Presentation, New Gameplay Elements and Cooperative Multiplayer Mayhem
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – June 20, 2007 – Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., today announced Contra 4 (working title) for the Nintendo DS™. Marking the 20th anniversary of the quintessential action franchise, the game pushes 2D side-scrolling action in an all-new direction with gunplay that spans two full screens, original gameplay mechanics that grant players deadlier abilities than ever before, and frantic multiplayer functionality.
Contra 4 takes place two years after the events of Contra III: The Alien Wars. After saving earth from invasion by Red Falcon, Bill Rizer and Lance Bean are confronted with a new extraterrestrial menace: the terrifying Black Viper. Joined by hard-boiled mercenaries Mad Dog and Scorpion, the warriors must once again wage war against an entire army of invaders.
Refining the 2D side-scrolling genre the series established 20 years ago, Contra 4 delivers pure action at a fever pitch as players jump, shoot, and dodge oncoming hazards. Utilizing a new dual screen presentation, the action spans both screens of the Nintendo DS, giving players the opportunity to battle across expansive environments in which death can come from any direction. The use of both screens for the game’s core action also allows for massive boss battles as players try to seek and destroy the weak points of sky-high enemies. A first for the series, Contra 4 introduces a grappling hook accessory that lets players grab onto elements of the environment directly above them. Whether using it to avoid oncoming dangers or attack from a strategic vantage point, the grappling hook allows for new combat situations and dramatic set pieces that underscore the game’s adrenaline-soaked pedigree.
Continuing the multiplayer tradition of previous games in the series, Contra 4 lets two players battle together against Black Viper’s army of vile alien forces and reclaim Earth for mankind.
Developed by WayForward Technologies, Contra 4 is planned for release on the Nintendo DS in 2007. For more information on the game and the Contra franchise, please visit: www.konami.com.
tiny dancer
Posted to Hot Stuff, Video Games on 20 June 2007
· Comments (1)
Other stuff like this: contra 4, ds, konami, nintendo
Just wondering why you insist on calling the Konami code, the Contra code?
I have never heard the name. Why would someone call it that when it works for more Konami games than Contra?
Like Gradius etc.