C: The Contra Adventure is Konami at its best. The graphics are really good, but yet very nostalgic of the old school Contra on NES, and the sound effects are very realistic. The explosions which happen all around you really put you in the game, with excellent weapon fire effects. The bosses are better looking and tougher than ever before. This game is a slick update of an old favorite.

C is very reminiscent of the previous Contras. This adventure is strictly one player. You can jump in and start playing, or go for Basic Training, which is a pretty cool 3D adventure by itself. The game changes from a side-scroller (classic Contra-style) to a 3rd person or overhead at different points in the game, which is good for all of us die-hard original Contra lovers. One very nice feature is the ability to store the weapons you collect. This way, if you know your coming up to a boss, you can use your standard weapon until right when you need that extra firepower. Unlike the original Contra, when you die, you only lose the weapon you are currently using, so save your vital weapons until you need them. Basically, if you liked the original Contra, you’ll like this one too. However, fans of strictly 3D games such as Tomb Raider may be put off by the various perspectives.

The difficulty level for C: The Contra Adventure is pretty comparable to previous Contras, only the bosses in the first level are very tough. Also, the switching perspective throughout the game keeps you on your toes. But that’s a good thing.

The first thing you’ll notice about C: The Contra Adventure is the Dual Shock compatibility. It is absolutely incredible. Konami seems to have mastered the ability to so intricately tie in this feature with the game that it is amazing. You feel every jolt, explosion, and thump, even as you hit the ground coming down from a jump. The ultimate is sitting in an Intensor with the bass cranked up, playing with a Mad Catz Dual Shock controller. You ARE Ray, the alien assassin! There’s also a variety of controller choices, even allowing you to customize your own and then save those settings. Some of the control buttons will change in some levels, but not drastically. The L1 and R1 buttons allow you to Lock Position and Aim, which is helpful in most encounters.