Contra Hard Corps - Sega Genesis Review

[@SegaLordX]

It seems a ton of people are really confused about this games name. I even had someone insult me and leave a neg because I called it by its correct name. Contra Hard Corps. Corps is pronounced “core”. www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corps The Japanese name - Za Haado Koa - translates to The Hard Core. It isn’t pronounced “corpse” as in a dead body. Hope that helps those confused.

[@YYmmmYY]

I'm surprised you didn't mention the morph effect in the character selection. That was extremely impressive for a 16 bit game.

[@evaniv]

Some people’s kids!

[@uniqutilities2831]

So people are going around saying Marine Corps???? Crazy.

[@Gorilla_Jones]

The fact that you had to explain that makes me sad for humanity, we are regressing as a species. Idiocracy is an inevitability.

[@CellCixx]

This is my hardest contra game...kicks my ass everytime i play it. but at great contra game as well...i put it second on my contra list right after the nes contra...and yes folks..its pronounced "core"

[@philosophyoftrucking]

I don't like the soundtrack... I love it.

[@NirnBootMod]

Yeah I love it too.

[@mightycirus]

Same

[@thehumbleone1983]

Me as well guys ❤️🔊

[@mosheahvows5071]

I definitely think Sega Lords opinion on the soundtrack isn't a popular opinion. A lot of people freaked out when he didn't include it in his Genesis soundtrack playlist

[@Thor-Orion]

This soundtrack is a banger. It’s subjective, but I love it. I disagree with him more on music than anything else, which is fine.

[@Psychology]

I love how the game starts off with you flying out of a truck and shooting. No bullshit intro, no 10 minute tutorial. No nothing. Just press start and the bullets start flying.

[@GreenTeaViewer]

most epic game start ever

[@Buapo]

This exact element is a huge part of why I never got into newer consoles. I grew up with, put a cartridge in, no loading time, and BOOM, we're playing. Once Resident Evil showed up and saw that it had to load every time you went into a new area, it was an uphill battle from there. That would be like asking a kid today to browse the internet via 56k modem speeds.

[@realjaytruth]

Thats a big detail that I think matters. I keep wondering why todays games don't seem as fun and things like this come to mind.

[@Tweaked818]

Graphics are cool for a genesis game

[@1618dude]

@@realjaytruth I don't want to sound too dismissive towards your opinions here, but sounds like a case of rose tinted glasses here. Tripping too much on nostalgia makes you unable to appreciate the new things. Well, nothing really wrong in prefering games like these, but it's not like there weren't titles that were slow paced in the first place, so comments like these my sound uninformed. In any case, if you only really like games with frenetic action like Contra, there are plenty of indie games still being released with similar style. I bought Blazing Chrome on GOG recently and it's pretty neat if you are looking for some Contra-like experience.

[@chadgaul1681]

As much as I love The Alien Wars, Hard Corps is where it's at with its story, character variety and branching pathways. It's by far my absolute favorite Contra of all time! Sega just nails it!

[@TheBeird]

Ah I miss the old Konami. But I think it's vital to remember that it's not brands that make the things we love. It's people. And once those people leave a company, it won't be the same.

[@Garasky]

Word

[@kirilovmyshkin8902]

Great comment.

[@Adamtendo_player_1]

Me too, old Konami rocked.

[@ronch550]

Yeah exactly. My exact words to someone recently.

[@dytallixx1268]

The coders for this game were absolute wizards

[@worsethanhitlerpt.2539]

Its not that impressive FX-wise Gunstar and Alien Soldier are way more advanced with more colors onscreen too.

[@Garasky]

@@worsethanhitlerpt.2539 If I remembered correctly this is the same group of ppl who left Konami that made the 2 games you mentioned above.

[@druffthewolf3830]

@@Garasky This is true. One of the bosses in Alien Soldier is an outright nod to Fang from Contra Hard Corps.

[@deabreu.tattoo]

Lol, I love this game's music. Hard-hitting uptempo techno goodness.

[@kosmosyche]

Yep. And some of it is actually also pretty complex, both in terms of tempo and melodically, using all sorts of disharmonies if you listen to it closely. Idk, it's one of my favorites Genesis soundtracks.

[@greenkoopa]

👀 spirit of bushi

[@kosmosyche]

@@greenkoopa Gekokujoh Norakura!

[@kubev]

Same here. I can understand this game's music not being everyone's thing, but I do wish he'd featured some of the more upbeat tracks, specifically The Hard Corps and Last Springsteen.

[@yoyoyonasa]

Freaking awesome cool ost

[@UltraRonin79]

This has always been my favorite Contra game. All 2-D side scrolling goodness. No lame overhead stages. It's awesome.

[@snowowl4506]

You had an interesting take on the soundtrack, because I personally love it to bits. GTR Attack!, R.A.V.E and Last Springsteen are some of the finest tracks I've ever heard on the system.

[@NirnBootMod]

I love it too but its no Castlevania Bloodlines. Still I don't like to compare and enjoy both.

[@bookaloo]

Those are the songs i thought he'd play, but he'd played some of my least favorite songs in the game

[@kenallen8213]

@Snow Owl. I definitely agree. Contra: Hard Corps has one of the Genesis' best soundtracks. I love most of the tracks and the sound quality is up their with the best the genesis has to offer

[@diebesgrab]

Honestly, I thought even the tracks he played were pretty good-significantly better than a lot of the tracks he tends to praise when he likes a soundtrack, even. Suppose I just have pretty different taste in music than him, though.

[@kenallen8213]

@Teh Kao Yang But that's ok. Contra's 3 soundtrack was awesome. It was pure sci-fi and one of the best SNES soundtracks at the time. That's why Hardcorps Soundtrack is even more amazing to me because Konami had an extremely tough act to follow after the Alien Wars. Hardcorp's soundtrack is every bit as good as Contra III: The Alien Wars was for the SNES and maybe even better. It keeps the spirit of the 1st Contra Arcade game which was an action oriented score.

[@skins4thewin]

There's a good reason why this game looks & plays so much like a Treasure game. For the fact that Treasure is actually made up of old Konami employees who left to start their own company, and then made Gunstar Heroes. Thus Konami took this as a challenge and decided that they too could make a cutting edge killer app run & gun of their own. & boy did they deliver. Hence Contra Hard Corps was born.

[@Silvergun_Raven]

@Enemy Visitor Mischief Makers is one of my favorite games from them and also Radiant Silvergun.

[@DonnyKirkMusic]

@Enemy Visitor Bangai-O is actually really, really developed. They made two sequels to Bangai-O and the final version of it plays like a "finished game". Its just an underrated series by them that, actually, got a lot of dev-attention and became a great game. Sadly, one of the sequels is on XBL Arcade. If you like their shmups, try Bangai-O.

[@skins4thewin]

@Enemy Visitor Lol what on earth are you talking about man? So Contra Hard Corps and Gunstar Heroes seem like tech demoes to you? That might be one of the more asinine things I've ever heard anyone say. These are not the only great games they have made either.

[@skins4thewin]

@Enemy Visitor Well, everyone is entitled to their opinions I guess, but I could not disagree more.

[@DonnyKirkMusic]

@Enemy Visitor Also I would recommend Copy Kitty on Steam.

[@TheRaven078]

Few understood how to push the Genesis hardware the way Konami did. I so miss the era when different systems got the same franchise but completely different games. Now we live in the era of the "We have that game too" systems.

[@teddybeer6206]

My favorite Contra BY FAR. It's not even a contest.

[@Tenpouin]

Yes. Still my favorite Contra as well

[@dickmonddickelheimer9452]

But contra 3 the alien wars is better though

[@teddybeer6206]

@@dickmonddickelheimer9452 Not to me it ain't

[@Tenpouin]

@@dickmonddickelheimer9452 Hard Corps is better, though I like both

[@SEGAHEADDY]

For me it's a close one between Hard Corps and Contra 4 on the DS.

[@robinr2740]

As much as I love Treasure and Gunstar Heroes, I think Konami outdid Treasure with Hard Corps. Contra III looks and sounds like a big budget action movie, but HC cranks up the crazy by 100 with so much content, effects, and set pieces. I love the grittiness and roughness of it all!

[@kenallen8213]

@Robin R. I think I have to agree with you. Hardcorps was a badass action game from start to finish. That they managed to actually surpass The Aliens Wars in terms of overall effort made it even more amazing. Hardcorps had it all, insane run & gun action, killer bosses, killer special effects, multiple characters, awesome stage design and graphics and an amazing soundtrack. However I would rate Contra Hardcorps and Gunstar Heroes as equals. They were both Apex action games. And the irony is all the more amazing given the fact that Treasure was formed by the two lead programmers of the original Contra Arcade game.

[@worsethanhitlerpt.2539]

Hard Corps is good but the graphics suck and the bosses are too predictable Gunstar Heroes is a way better game

[@ImWatchingYou69]

@@worsethanhitlerpt.2539 ? the bosses and art are way better in contra... plus those zako segments in GH are horrible lol

[@miketate3445]

Good God man. What more could anybody want from a Genesis sound track?! These songs are 10/10.

[@JustSiouxMe]

They are decent, specially Last Springsteen, Jurassic Dope and The Hard Corps, but imo, Thunderforce 4 has a better ost.

[@kirilovmyshkin8902]

@@JustSiouxMe TF4 Is definitely something else, but Hard Corps is still awesome.

[@JustSiouxMe]

@@kirilovmyshkin8902 they are both top tier

[@thewingedavenger1007]

This is one of the must-have games for the SMD.

[@jeffb.6642]

lol, SMD. what an unfortunate acronym for the system in these days :/

[@thewingedavenger1007]

@@jeffb.6642 What else does SMD stand for? Anyway, "Genesis" is the worst name for a videogame console. I guess the other books of the Bible sounded even worse.

[@ultimategamer2669]

@@jeffb.6642 Dude... WHO THE HELL CARES?

[@kenshirootomo6993]

I´m on the team that loves the music on Hard Corps. Simon 1994RD is a hidden room only tune.

[@anovaprint]

Stacking this game up against Contra III is tough because that is also such a well-made game. But if the balls to the wall creativity didn't tip me over, those multiple paths and endings absolutely shot me over to the other side. It's like you get two or three times the game. This is the Rondo of Blood of Contra.

[@cfinchyy6575]

Growing up, this game shocked me with it's greatness. Level by level lol

[@Jeffmetal42]

That track "Simon 1994RD" is just a sped up and arranged version of "Vampire Killer" from Castlevania.

[@SomeOrangeCat]

This is also one of the games featured in the Contra Anniversary Collection, with all three regional variants of Hard Corps included.

[@ChrisGorski]

Wow, that's great to know. I picked up the Castlevania collection, but passed on the Contra collection because I find the games too unforgiving

[@JoeyJ0J0]

My favorite Contra game next to Contra 3, Loved the music, cast of characters and the replayability

[@nickmilani]

The start of this game is amazing. So intense. The character select screen with the music pumping, the 2 second briefing from the police chiefs, and then a crap ton of stuff blowing up, before you’ve even had a chance to move your character. GOAT.

[@melvinblackburn195]

One of the finest 2D action games of the 16 Bit era, let alone run and guns. I too miss and often desire games like this to come down the pipe today. Blazing Chrome more than scratches the itch, but Hard Corps and Contra 3 still have the chops to amaze nearly 30 years on.

[@kenallen8213]

@Melvin Blackburn. Contra Hardcorps for the Genesis is one of the best action games of the 16 bit era period. It equally held it's own against the awesome Contra III: The Alien Wars. It was the final 16 bit Contra we saw and quite befitting since we tragically never got a true 32 sequal. The two 32 bit Contra games were ok, but nowhere close to the Genesis masterpiece.

[@davidaitken8503]

@@kenallen8213 I was severely disappointed with how short and simplistic the levels were. It just seemed like the focus was too much on scripted boss sequences. Contra 3 was dangerously close to this in a few spots but was still a good balance of level and boss encounter overall. I would highly recommend Contra 4 for the Nintendo DS. I wish Konami would release a home console version of it sometime that has 2-player with a single copy of the game on the big screen.

[@kenallen8213]

@@davidaitken8503 The levels were indeed short. But they weren't too short. I still felt it had a good balance between frenetic run & gun action and killer boss encounters. The level designs were awesome and the Bosses had cool special effects. It was a worthy follow up to the amazing Contra III The Alien Wars. Your description of short levels actually applies to Treasure's Alien Soldier. I remember reading the review for AS in GameFan magazine. One of the complaints about the game was that the levels were far too short. Levels were hardly 2 screens long. Even though I like Alien Soldier, it's basically a game centered on killer bosses with a little run & gun sprinkled in. I will definitely check out Contra 4. It sounds like a worthy successor. We went without a proper Contra sequal for years until Shattered Soldier for the PS2. So I'm looking forward to this.

[@pablogutierrez7396]

Yeah, the only way to play a great Contra game, is in the old 16 bit machines. They never made a Contra game with the same quality again. Not even close.

[@davidaitken8503]

@@pablogutierrez7396 Contra 4 for the Nintendo DS.:)

[@vio2112]

Just a heads up guys, you can get all 3 versions(US, Japan, European) of this game in the Contra Anniversary Collection.

[@vasilas432]

Yes but the lag

[@vio2112]

@@vasilas432 Hmm.. I haven't noticed any lag. Are you referring to lag from the emulation or using a wireless controller?

[@vasilas432]

@@vio2112 both

[@vasilas432]

@Niche Retro Games will feel even harder. All rereleases do have lag. Minimum would be 60ms but in some mega man games can go more than 100ms

[@vio2112]

@@vasilas432 So the Mega Man Legacy collections have bad lag as well? I guess I am unable to pick up on it.. When I play the Contra and Castlevania collections they seem perfectly responsive.

[@87crimson]

The first 5 seconds of the first level are basically a summary of the sega genesis capabilities. Speed, lots of effects on screen, no slowdown whatsoever. I grew up with a SNES but the genesis is where is at for fast paced arcade action.

[@michaelp6786]

No matter how bad Hard Corps kicks my butt every time - I can't deny how much I enjoy this masterpiece!

[@chriswilkinson7636]

I've played it under the name Probotector and for me it's probably the hardest game I have ever played. Average game length when I play is about 2 minutes.

[@worsethanhitlerpt.2539]

The bosses all have easy patterns to avoid their attacks. The 'regular levels' with lots of soldiers trying to shoot you, use a homing type gun or spread shot and RUN

[@vanntooot]

I never even got to finish it back in the 90s. But I damn well played it to death

[@Prizrak-hv6qk]

The gabber techno soundtrack is awesome! One of the things that made it so unique. Love the gabber remix of the Castlevania theme! :) This game, Streets of Rage 2 and Adventures of Batman and Robin absolutely killed it with their techno soundtracks on the Genesis.

[@thehumbleone1983]

I agree with everything you said here 👍❤️🔉

[@oscarzxn4067]

I do prefer the music of the previous Contra games, especially when listening outside of the game, however I think it works really well for Hard Corps, it helps to give it that insane vibe it has and making the action feel even more insane than it already is, a similar case to Streets of Rage III

[@worldfallmusic]

I’m one of the few who loves the SOR 3 soundtrack. I love its chaotic nature.

[@jikserbrah]

The OST in this game is just pure epicness. How can you not like "The Foggy Cave in the Darkness"? It is a fitting soundtrack. The level is full of nightmare inducing stuff and the music sounds fittingly eerie and dark.

[@mattb8075]

I always saw Contra Hard Corps as the Konami programmers flexing their chops to the Treasure guys. Each stage has a more impressive effect than the last, and even the continue screen is really impressive with the pseudo scaling of the stars. You could manipulate that using the control pad, it was so cool. Anyway there were so many little touches in each game, you could tell the programmers were trying to 1-up each other. Or at least that's how I see it hehe. The music was a bit of a mixed bag for me as well, but it was all still good. I wish more run n guns were made, it is one of my favorite genres. Indies pick up the slack a bit, but it's not the same unfortunately

[@Dagasm]

The multijointed bosses and rotational effects blew my mind the first time I saw them. Truly gave the game an arcade look.

[@bruhaha69]

When Konami finally started making Genesis games, it was good times, indeed. I was pumped when I got this game....played through every last ending.

[@piehnoharmony]

Still to date the best Contra game. 4 characters, unique weapons, branching paths, ton of boss battles, great soundtrack, different endings, and most importantly the first Contra game with a defensive move ... The slide or doge move.

[@gaijingabber1056]

dude that music was incredible, the simon track was straight up a thunderdome banging rave track, im pretty sure the ripped that melody from a thunderdome track

[@kosmosyche]

The melody is from Castlevania games, hence the name of the track (after Simon Belmont, main protagonist of Castlevania 1 and 2)

[@jbmaru]

That's hardcorps techno ;)

[@gaijingabber1056]

@@kosmosycheso that's where it was originally from! I remember cradle of filth remixing a castlevania song aswell, thunderdome likes to use alot of popular melodies and turn them into insane tracks, its realy fun over all these years hearing where they all came from

[@billycole852]

Soundtrack was banging

[@notthesameman]

Id like to turn up during boss fight with surround sound bass so f en bad ass

[@brettrudy2245]

This game once got me in trouble as a kid. I remember watching everything happening on screen and I said out loud, "holy shit". My mom was in the next room...

[@chrisfern4699]

Lol, this reminded me of my best friend when I was a kid. I would be over his place next door watching or playing Sega with him and out of nowhere he would say something like that and his mom would yell from the kitchen.

[@anglo-saxonconnor817]

This is one game that made one proud to be a Genesis owner. Years later found out that this game was created by Konami to hold its place in the industry after too many ex employees have left the company to set up their own ones and and created lots of amazing games due to their experience they gained in developing games during their working time at Konami.

[@JoeyJ0J0]

Yeah, this is Konami trying to mimic Treasure

[@yuvraj01]

@@JoeyJ0J0 Not a bad effort

[@kenallen8213]

@Anglo Saxon Connor. This was a superior effort by Konami. It held it's own against Gunstar Heroes. As far as Genesis action games are concerned, Contra Hardcorps is definitely in my top ten. Treasure coincidentally was founded by 2 ex Konami employees who were lead programmers on the original Contra arcade game. That explains why Gunstar Heroes was so epic. But CH is an outstanding achievement given the fact that it's in the same league as Gunstar and has an even more epic soundtrack.

[@anglo-saxonconnor817]

@@kenallen8213 I enjoy both of them. There was no comparison involved between the two. I mentioned only two things. One is playing contra hard corps made one proud to be a Genesis owner. The other point simply explain the reason behind why this game was made that's all.

[@kenallen8213]

@@anglo-saxonconnor817 I agree 100% Contra Hardcorps is one of the Genesis finest achievements. It was one of the defining moments of the 16 bit era and one that made me proud to own a Genesis.

[@andrewt6338]

On the Genesis Mini you can switch to the Japanese version.

[@vaughn4lif]

Ahh back in the days when konami gave a shit. They should just change their name to Komoney.

[@diebesgrab]

That’s not fair, I think Konami cares a lot. You have to care about something to hate it as much as modern Konami apparently hates its IPs.

[@baconatorrodriguez4651]

If I were raking in cash non stop for hotels and health clubs with little cost, I'd say f it to games too. Am I gonna blame Nintendo for no longer creating playing cards or old arcade games? No, who cares, it's progress. Grow up.

[@davidaitken8503]

@@baconatorrodriguez4651 Konami turning its' back on its' game business is not progress. It's the type of short-sighted idiocy that leaves corporations scrambling to try to stay afloat as soon as there is a downturn in that sector of the business. It will be very hard for Konami to fall back on its' game business during inevitable downturns in the hotel and health club sector if they let it atrophy.

[@rubz1390]

@@baconatorrodriguez4651 Konami should atleast sell their IP's so someone else who cares about the games and continue the legacy of those franchises

[@jeffwalker9122]

I still play this at least a couple times a week on my model 1 from 1990! I can walk through it and and finish it on every ending....never got sick of it!!

[@alanu4637]

Simon1994rd is a sped up version electronic version of the Castlevania theme, Vampire Killer I think

[@KTJohnsonkidThunder]

It is. The boss you fight on it also reference Simon Belmont, believe it or not.

[@SomeOrangeCat]

It was definitely one of the times Konami actually gave a damn. They half-assed it on the Genesis with games like Sunset Riders, and (in my opinion) Hyperstone Heist, but more than made up for it with Hard Corps and Bloodlines.

[@kosmosyche]

Rocket Knight Adventures was also really good.

[@SomeOrangeCat]

@@kosmosyche I can't comment on games I haven't personally played.

[@kubev]

Easily one of my favorite Genesis games. Aside from being really entertaining to play, it's also very entertaining to watch other people play this game. Giant Bomb's "This is the Run" series for Contra: Hard Corps was absolutely hilarious, and it was really fun to witness the staff's reactions to the sheer amount of unique content from state to stage. The continued confusion surrounding the sneezing dinosaur was one of my favorite aspects of the play-through.

[@dreamcastfan]

I love Hard Corps, it’s possibly my favourite Megadrive game. It has to be the Japanese version for me though, the health bar means it’s possible for me to beat it! If I had one criticism of the game it would actually be the branching paths. I’m just not a fan of that sort of thing because it generally means there are parts of the game I never see, this is particularly true of Hard Corps where most endings are “bad” endings with only one path being the “good” ending, so I always tend to take that route. It would be really cool if there was a way to just play all the levels without the branching.

[@tawdryhepburn4686]

This is THE title that got me into 16-bit gaming. Never played games as a kid and only discovered the medium about 2 years ago. Been playing catch up ever since. But Hard Corps still holds a special place in my heart. Always will

[@ravagingwolverine]

Only two years? Welcome to the team. You'll have a lot of catching up to do, but it should be fun discovering many new games along the way.

[@RitterDesHimmels1]

My favorite Genesis game and the best entry in the Contra series!

[@davidaitken8503]

This game is the most overrated Contra game. Contra, Super C, and Contra 3 are all much better. The game feels too much like a simplistic boss rush game. There isn't enough running and platforming with the gunning.

[@joshuaharry4163]

@@davidaitken8503 I can understand your opinion of liking the nes predecessors more but I prefer this over contra 3 hard mode because the overhead levels kill the enjoyment of the game for me of what would otherwise be a perfect entry into the series.I also enjoy the music in Hard Corps more and how it plays faster.I do love how the music in contra 3 sets the tone perfectly tho.

[@davidaitken8503]

@@joshuaharry4163 I have never understood why people like you hate the overhead levels on Contra 3. They add a lot of variety to the game and offer a more open design where you can choose to stay together or split up to cover more ground. The controls are excellent and the bosses are awesome. I think some people are just too negative and close minded. Contra and Super C also have levels that play differently then the "regular" levels and they are a positive addition to those games too.

[@joshuaharry4163]

@@davidaitken8503 I'm just offering a different perspective and honestly wish I could've enjoyed them as much as you did because other than that it's a great contra game and the multiplayer choice you mentioned does sound pretty cool.

[@paulrodriguez398]

@@davidaitken8503 the most overrated contra are the first contra and contra alien wars

[@kbocuts1359]

Incredible game, music, graphics, gameplay. This isnt my all time fav soundtrack by any means but I really respect it and its intensity.

[@kenallen8213]

Contra Hardcorps for the Genesis was the finest action Run & Gun game next to Gunstar Heroes. From beginning to end it was outstanding achievement. To me CH was actually better than the SNES which was already a superb game. This one had more variety and the soundtrack fit the action perfectly. It was one of the best soundtracks for the Genesis in my opinion. It was a befitting 5 star 16 bit send off.

[@Lightblue2222]

I agree. The sound is WILD.

[@codycushman2738]

...Also, you are wrong about the music. It is so tonally perfect for the cyberpunk future they were trying to create in this game. I listen to this soundtrack all the time.

[@h.z.4907]

Excellent review! I remember how we bought the game in a record shop in 1995. They had lowered the prices on every Megadrive game. When we got home we played the first level and couldn't get to to the boss. Just what you mentioned, you crash out of the vehicle and get greeted with many bullets and action. It was too difficult for us, so I brought it back and wanted to swap it with Street Fighter II CE, but the cashier told me that I couldn't swap it since it was a lowered price game. Glad that the cashier didn't swap the game for me. I went back home and we tried it again. Since then it was our favorite Sega 16 bit game. I still have the copy we bought. Man, what a blast this game was and still is.

[@printul22]

best contra ever period ! i like the gtr atack ost

[@悪魔城下町]

Talk about being worth the wait. This is the best classic Contra game bar none (the Japanese version anyway). Short version: SNES got the best Turtle game, Genesis got the best Contra, and PC Engine got the best Castlevania. And yes, Bloodlines has a superior soundtrack, but that's because Michiru Yamane is in the highest tier of video game composers alongside the likes of Uematsu.

[@martinevans1206]

The graphics etc. are amazing for a Mega Drive / Genesis game. Just goes to show what developers can learn in the later years of a console’s life.

[@shiningwizard327]

US version is brutally unfair with the one hit deaths. Japanese version is the way it's meant to be played. The game is so fast and difficult, you need those extra hit points and unlimited continues. Konami should re-release the game or at least update the Contra Collection which gives us the extra HP and unlimited continues, but with the English translation, so we non-fluent Japanese speakers can read the text and choose the different paths without trial and error.

[@alopexau]

I pity you being unable to appreciate Hard Corps soundtrack, it's one of the best on the Megadrive and a perfect match for the over-the-top adrenalin rush stage and visual design. Especially hair raisingly intense tracks like Last Springsteen.

[@TheSektorz]

It's one of the best games of all times imo. It's like a hyped up boss rush game, constantly throwing new cool bosses at you, never boring. And the Japanese version was king. Endless continues (very forward-thinking), branching paths leading to different levels and many different endings... Epic music, especially the first level theme. A damn fine one-of-a-kind gem, only on the Genesis. If anyone knows a newer game like that, I'd like to know about it.

[@TheTrueBro]

Hard Corps Uprising and Blazing Chrome 👀

[@TheSektorz]

@@TheTrueBro Woah thanks, that Blazing Chrome game looks like a Contra Hardcorps remaster! Hope it's good, will give it a go

[@guysafari]

This game is also on the Contra Anniversary Collection for Switch and PS4. It has both the Japanese and English versions. Worth noting as the Japanese version if this game is roughly 500 dollars on a good day. Loose copies don’t come up that much either. Also to the SLX, great review. I have the US version. I find it very tedious to play co-op casually. Japanese version is more fun. It has infinite continues and a 70 live code that the US version was painfully lacking. Wonder why Konami hated rentals so much?

[@TheGunmanChannel]

I suck at old games, that's why I like watching other people play them in KZbin videos.

[@NirnBootMod]

Practice makes perfect... also things like medications can hamper your co-ordination and reaction times.

[@UdanaWijesuriya]

I use GameGenie. Not all the cheats, just the bare minimum I need to pass a boss or a difficult portion.

[@thewingedavenger1007]

Get the Sega Mega Drive Mini and play the games with save states!

[@UdanaWijesuriya]

@xPlatformGaming GameGenie? Most emulators have the Cheat Code functionality built right in. Just need to add the GG codes. Some even support other Cheat devices such as Action Reply.

[@NirnBootMod]

@xPlatformGaming Yeah emulators have their own cheat library... same with flash carts and MiSTer FPGA (my preferred way to play retro).

[@InitialDL84]

Sega Lord X with a review to one of my all time favorite Sega Genesis games ever! Brought my day up man! I rented this game so many times just so I can beat it, finally ended up buying the game and it's been in my collection ever since. The gameplay, the soundtrack, just everything about this game oozes greatness. The soundtrack alone is one of the reasons I got into making music!

[@ChrisLT]

Still my favorite Contra. It just feels like the most well-rounded game in the series, with a ton of depth and pitch-perfect gameplay. And that soundtrack is one of the reasons I got into guitar, to be honest. The whole OST is so aggressive and fun to shoot bad guys to.

[@JamesNGames]

Didn't know "Simon 1994" audio was a funky Castlevania Remix.

[@ENiceGeo]

You fight a weird looking whip weilding enemy when it plays.

[@FZuloaga]

Yeap, It's named after Simon Belmont. Not a fan of the remix but it has the nostalgia charm.

[@davidaitken8503]

You've never heard Vampire Killer?!?! It's the most well known music track in Castlevania history and possibly all of Konami from the 8 and 16 bit era.

[@yoisgod1981]

Wicked review. I grew up playing Probotector (PAL). There was a really good stretch during the 16 bit era where mates and I got to play Gunstar, Probotecor, Dynamite Heady, then Alien Soldier in sequence. I remember being progressively more excited at each, thinking about where developers would take to next. Was a great growth period, before run n gunners became less in-demand.

[@jontomustalent575]

Love the video man! Its hard to believe you loved the music from road rash but not so much on this one. Thank for the video I was waiting for your take on this game. Can’t wait for the next video keep cranking out the hits bro!

[@ronch550]

Better than Contra III. Contra III had to rely on the SNES' graphical gimmicks like rotation and scaling but Hard Corps gave you a more intense arcade experience and that nice multiple ending concept.

[@malcolmar]

Again, well done! This game is one of the main reasons why I bought another Sega Genesis and became a retro gamer after selling my original Sega Genesis. Sadly, with my set up having my Genesis connected to my computer monitor in my office I was never able to get the bullets to display right :( So glad Konami released the Contra collection on PC and modern consoles. Highly recommend that compilation.

[@Ihnini]

The last music example had a castlevania song melody base. Forgot wich song but is one of the popular ones. Edit: found it, it's Vampire Killer.

[@thewindthatblows]

The first level theme from the very first game in the series

[@DenkyManner]

The music is good

[@codycushman2738]

The best Contra.

[@muddyeyeball15]

Insight into some of the minor differences of several of the international versions of Sega Genesis specific titles is ultra helpful and useful, valued information (possibly topic content for future episodes), thanks again.

[@BryanTruong]

Love this game, thanks for highlighting it and the different versions and ROM hacks available!

[@JessicaChastainFan]

My favorite, and the best Contra of all time.

[@MetalJody1990]

I'm thankful for this review cause I didn't know that there was a hack that lets the player take 3 hits instead of 1. I installed the hack and also the hack for stationary fire. Now the game is way more enjoyable and actually finishable. I love the sprite work and solid performance. Might get one of my kids to play it with me later.

[@nimaiiikun]

im surprised Konami didnt make a Contra for the PC-Engine, like they did with Castlevania

[@ProIshaanPuri]

That is the most wild take about soundtrack. Contra hard corps has some of the best soundtracks genesis has to offer

[@SegaLordX]

Hell, man. I know people that despise this soundtrack. Call it the worst music in the series. There are much wilder opinions than mine.

[@ProIshaanPuri]

@@SegaLordX what? People are tripping. Contra Hard Corps soundtracks had millions of views on youtube before the channel was taken down (rip), soundtracks like GTR Attack and blues are pure eargasm

[@ProIshaanPuri]

@@SegaLordX honestly, i have never heard people say hard corps has "bad" soundtracks. Infact, that is one of the strongest point of the game.

[@Gaming_since_the_eighties]

I remember i still have the European version of Contra for the NES and Super Nintendo and i have Robots instead of humans. But this was the beauty and the alternation of the 16bit era. You had the "same" game on both consoles but they were still distinct from each other in content, visuals and sound.

[@mikef8846]

That giant robot you fight on the train is just exquisite. One of the best looking bosses on the Genesis.

[@saschaberger3212]

Still today one of my favorite games

[@violentkim]

My favorite contra game!! Is simply the best for me i love Ray and Fang. I cant believe the people get angry for the title, this guy pronunce the game name fine, good video man!

[@Latchfpv]

Contra Hard Corps has a baller soundtrack, gonna have to hard disagree with you there. It's better than some of your other pics for sure.

[@EdgarFleming]

you mean "picks" not "pics" right?

[@KTJohnsonkidThunder]

As far as the music in the game, Michiru Yamane was involved as well with a few other composers. That quite explains it having CV Bloodlines vibes. Also, when you mentioned Treasure, interestingly enough, Treasure was founded by former Konami staff, which explains the similarities of this game and Gunstar Heroes.

[@sneakyking]

REJECT HERO BECOME MONKEY ending was something elese

[@Lightblue2222]

I'm not ashamed to say, I havent beat this one yet. Hehe..

[@HybridAngelZero]

It made me so happy that this finally got some rerelease love, being on both the Genesis/Mega Drive Mini and the Contra Anniversary Collection. And the Probotector and Japanese versions are included in both, too!

[@pasta-eo5mt]

I loved this game back in the day. The sprite work blew me away. The bridge boss behind the waterfall was my favorite.

[@shiru8bit]

To my taste, the music is just amazing. Just like Batman & Robin, SoR3, Red Zone. Different does not really means bad, and HC was sure very 1994, with acid house music being on the its finest.

[@TheTrueBro]

This was one of the games that made me fall in love deeply with the Sega Genesis. After playing it (and having my ass mercilessly kicked multiple times), it quickly became my favorite Contra of all time. EDIT: you should also check Hard Corps Uprising, this game's (and the entire Contra series, actually) awesome prequel.

[@EdgarFleming]

... and all that great work for most players to only see the first level due to just how hard the game is.

[@crystalwater505]

No offense, but if you can't beat stage 1 then you should quit video games.

[@EdgarFleming]

@@crystalwater505 You're right. I officially quit videogames forever. Thanks for your insight.

[@crystalwater505]

@@EdgarFleming Good boy.

[@Thor-Orion]

4:25 is an incredible scene. The fight with Optimus is one of my favorites in video games.

[@steveno7058]

The music fits the gameplay PERFECTLY

[@danielrecommends]

I definitely loved Contra Hard Corps and was so excited when it was released for Genesis. Unfortunately, I was never skilled enough to beat it. I tried it again when I got a Genesis Mini but still haven't beaten it yet. I think I'll give it another go. Great review Sega Lord X. Your passion for Sega shines through and you do a great job capturing the excitement of these fantastic titles.

[@patrick_McD]

I bought on Switch. It allows for save state. The game is ridiculously hard.

[@sagitta98]

I still remember beating this game for all endings with no death on a bootleg PSP with Sega Genesis games. I wish I could play it again.

[@rmeddy]

Absolutely brilliant game, the whole branching paths system blew my mind at the time and the robot is so good, especially when you get the Homing Laser Flail? It melts bosses and makes the game so much easier

[@totemlordreviews7242]

Sega Lord X, you are quickly becoming one of my favorite channels. With this video, I happily subscribe!

[@hjalmarjohnson5846]

From what I've heard, this one is so "Treasure-like" in part because it was their shot across the bow to some of the folks who left Konami to start/work for Treasure. Sometimes a good old fashioned pissing contest can be great for the consumer.

[@ogey_elise]

Legit masterpiece in the 2D shooter genre. Also, something a lot of people might not know-- sliding gives you i-frames. The game doesn't really tell you about it, but it'll spare you a lot of grief once you master it.

[@wantsome-zs5sq]

I had a Sega Genesis and missed out on this gem. I missed out on a lot of good Genesis games. I remember picking up the box for Contra Hard Corps and I thought it was probably just a cheap cash grab title. There were so many Genesis games I didn't know about until youtube. Same with Nintendo. Games were so expensive back then you had to be cautious with your money.

[@vitaliiandronov8629]

Nah man, the music is a perfect fit. If you imagine your protagonists are enjoying this kind of a journey - that's the music they would have in their headphones: no drama, just funky, groovy adrenaline rush

[@angelriverasantana7755]

Fun fact: Simondo Belmont, the first boss of the secret Battle Arena isn't just based on Simon Belmont, but cuz of Japanese pronunciation puns, Masato Shimon, a prolific singer who performed many tokusatsu and anime themes alongside being the man behind Japan's top single, Swim Taiyaki-kun. Ever wonder what that fish is? It's a Taiyaki, which is fish-shaped bread filled usually with bean paste.

[@ofmannotmachine3012]

Another awesome review vid. I love these. I'd love to see you do a review of one of my all time favorite Genesis games that I never hear anyone talk about called Target Earth

[@tochimclaren]

Thus game has one the most memorable and recognised tracks ever what are talking about.

[@uniqutilities2831]

My all-time favorite Contra! Shattered Soilder looked good, but I never got around to playing it.

[@KTJohnsonkidThunder]

Fun Fact: Nobuya Nakazato was involved in BOTH Hard Corps and Shattered Soldier. He was also involved in Contra 3 and Rocket Knight Adventures.