Contra ReBirth Impressions

Contra ReBirth hit WiiWare on schedule today. I quickly made the download, hoping to be taken back to my 16-bit days.

While Konami has in the past said to expect an all new entry in the series, many were wondering if that meant "all new" as in a completely original title, or if this would be a Gradius style "Rebirth" through remakes of old stages. I've played through three stages so far, and unless memory (and about an hour watching YouTube's Contra series video collection) fails me, ReBirth is indeed a brand new title.

However, there are some clear shout outs to past games. ReBirth plays like you'd expect of a Contra game, with familiar weapons like the Spread and Laser dropping in as you progress through the stages. It's got remixes of familiar music from the series. And, even in just the first three stages, there are plenty of sequences that will remind you of Contra III and other past titles.

The story appears to be all new (although I don't claim to be an expert!). Chief Salamander and his Neo Salamander Army are menacing Earth. The Galactic President asks Bill Rizer, who wakes up apparently not knowing his name or his status as a "Contra," to deal with the situation. Joining him is another commando, the far more Japanese Yagyu. These two are selectable at the character select screen prior to starting play.

Also selectable prior to play are difficulty settings (easy, normal, and hard), player stock (up to 7 lives... you'll have to find out for yourself if any secret codes work), a staff list which confirms that the game was largely made by Gradius ReBirth developer M2, and control options for Wiimote, Classic Controller, and GameCube Controller.

I've spent all my play time using the Wiimote option. There are just enough buttons on the Wiimote to replicate the other controllers, although you'll probably end up having to assign the inconvenient A and B to weapon change and fixed position shooting. For weapon changing, the Wiimote also allows you to swing the controller. This does feel a bit odd. You can also select to have the game keep your character in fixed position when you press and hold the shot button, but allow you to freely move when you just rapidly tap the fire button. You'll probably want to play around with the various settings to see which one suits you.

I've had enough time to play through just a few levels, but Contra ReBirth looks like it's going to be a total blast. There are lots of enemies and targets, and so much to avoid that you can probably expect to die a lot. Thankfully, the game does away with a few things of gaming past, offering up infinite continues and the ability to restart levels from midway points.

I'm not sure how I'd place ReBirth in comparison to past greats, though. Looking at the YouTube videos of Contra III in order to refresh my memory, and it's pretty clear that that game looks and sounds better, and has an intensity that's lacking in the first three ReBirth stages. Contra ReBirth makes me feel like I'm playing a super charged Genesis game, especially with its twangy music.

I'm still having lots of fun with it, though, and can't wait to start up another play session. And while I do just that, check out these ReBirth videos that I put together.

The opening stage. Recognize that music?

Robot camels deliver weapons in the third stage.

The second stage has some familiar sequences.