In defense of : Hard Corps: Uprising

Is it me or is this game getting a lot of heat for being too hard? I have read many complaints such as bad level design, terrible checkpoints and cheap deaths. Last time I checked, most Contra games are like that. I am a pretty big Contra fan (admittedly I never played a lot Contra 4 or Neo-Contra but Neo didn't look very good) and Hard Corps: Uprising whole heartedly deserves to be a Contra game in name and spirit.

Looks like Contra to me

Yes, the game is ridiculously hard but I did not find it any more difficult than the excellent PS2 Contra: Shattered Soldier. It has that same Contra game play pattern in that you are going to have to memorize the most effective ways to beat each stage, 8 in total, in order to finish the game. There is the typical arcade mode with limited lives, abilities, and continues which is something I may never beat. This would normally be a problem but they included a new Rising Mode in which you can level up your character and eventually it makes even the harder stages a lot easier with more lives and health (usually takes more than one shot to die now), better abilities and weapon upgrades. It does take a long time to power up a single character but I felt it was a good idea because not only does replaying the levels make me better at the game but I acquire experience doing so. You can also start at any stage you have completed so it isn't a one time slog through the entire game.

Some people don't like the particular art style of the game and to each their own. I think it does a great job with the different environments and the characters animate very well. My only problem is that some bullets are hard to see because of the bright colors in the background and it is difficult to distinguish between a light in the background and a neon colored bullet.

The visual style allows for a lot of environmental variety.

Hard Corps: Uprising is only a 15 dollar downloadable game and it has online play for both modes, DLC characters that have different play styles, an awesome soundtrack done by Daisuke Ishiwatari (who does the music for Guilty Gear and Blazblue), and good replay value. Yes, it is insanely difficult and even cheap at times, but all Contra games are and this one should be proud to call itself a Contra game which it oddly doesn't.