Wow....
Game: Contra III: The Alien Wars
System: SNES
Time spent on game: 2 hours
The experience:
This game is...awe inspiring, and some kind of special! In other words, it's awesome.
Like the original Contra itself, the game is quite short, but in the right way where every level feels unique enough, and a review could be done for every level, describing how they all feel so fresh.
What is different from the NES Contra is well...quite a lot. It really takes advantage of the SNES. Just to name a few things, you move a lot faster, you can actually pick up bombs and use them when you want instead of just automatically when you pick them up, and you can have 2 weapons at once, and you only lose the weapon you were currently using when you died, meaning that you can save a weapon for the boss.
Oh, and that's another thing, in at least half of the levels in the game, you fight a LOT of Minibosses. And while some may look similar, I can't remember one that repeated.
It's also got some very unique end of level bosses. From the boss that's in space and opens a door and attacks you in several different ways, to the boss that have to jump on missiles that are shooting at it, and destroy its defenses. The latter has got to be one of the most unique experiences I've seen in a game.
Finally, let me say that unlike the original Contra, there's no stupid curve ball anywhere in the game. There's no boss which will become nearly impossible because you have the wrong weapon. That said, damn the heat seeking missile weapon is overpowered! Made the game really easy!
Overall, I gotta say that this is one of the best action/platformers on the SNES. I recommend this game to anyone who likes the combo of the 2. Yes, it's hard, but it doesn't ever feel cheaply hard. Plus, you start with like 7 or 9 lives, and you'll gain quite a few more if you shoot everything that moves like you should. I gained like 5 lives in one level. Oh, and you can choose the difficulty too, which is awesome!
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Project Beat a Game a Day, along with my Daily NES Archive:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/563947-a-view-to-a-kill