Huh? Contra 4 is hard, but I still managed to beat it on hard mode the other day, I like how they used a remix of the original first level theme from Contra 1 specifically for hard mode. Contra 4 was hard, but I don't feel it was nearly as hard as Shattered Soldier or Hard Corps. Hell, I'm not quite sure this one was as hard as Contra 3 on hard mode. It takes some time and practice to get used to the dual-screens, but once you got all the level and boss patterns memorized the game becomes much more doable.

Doing all 40 challenges is definitely worth the effort, or at least 36 to unlock "Jimbo" and "Sully" from Contra 3.

Char Aznable wrote:

Yeah, this game kicks my ass. And Smurfsrdead, you're either lying your ass off or you're some kind of Contra god. I can get farther on Hard Corps than I can on Contra 4 any day.

Hard Corps is probably the Contra game I've played the least of, I never really managed to memorize the boss patterns and I always choose Sheena instead of Browny.

Anyway, Once you get Black Viper's pattern down he becomes a joke, nothing compared to the Red Falcon brain battle in Contra 3 on hard.

But really, I've completely given up on getting an overall S rank for Shattered Soldier, too bad that game doesn't get the respect it deserves.

Syd Lexia wrote:

The thing with Contra 4 is that the boss battles are retardedly easy if you have the Heatseeker. If you get stuck with the basic gun, some of the later ones are a bitch.

The Heatseeker is really good for the pseudo-3d base levels, since you can pretty much lay down and fire for every screen. But if you want to obliterate bosses REALLY fast, make sure you use a fully upgraded Crush... seriously, Black Viper takes like a minute to destroy with Crush.

BTW - everyone should remember that the original konami code works when you pause the game and enter it in, but instead of giving you lives it fully upgrades your weapons, keep in mind you can only use it 1 per level!

DarkMaze wrote:

Smurfsrdead wrote: the original konami code works when you pause the game and enter it in, but instead of giving you lives it fully upgrades your weapons, keep in mind you can only use it 1 per level! That reminds me, I've been curious if you get penalized for doing that, like how in Vectorman if you use cheats it won't give you the proper ending. Anyone know if that happens in Contra 4?

Nope, you don't get penalized whatsoever, also you get a slightly different ending if you finish the game on hard in comparison to normal, so its kinda worth the effort! Like I said, the thing is you can only use the konami code once per level, so for example: if you use it once to upgrade your basic spread and basic crush (upgrades weapons in both slots), and then you die, and pick up a basic heatseeker and try to use the konami code again, you'll lose a life (the game will just kill you for trying to use the code twice in the same level). You can however, use it in the same level if you lose all your lives and then continue in the same level.

Kinda like trying to use IDDQD in Heretic.