I've managed to beat every game in the Contra series save one, the series lone entry on the SEGA Genesis, Contra: Hard Corps. With that in mind, I came into Hard Corps: Uprising -- the sequel to Hard Corps -- with a chip on my shoulder.

Hard Corps: Uprising remains true to it's predecessor, and the rest of the Contra series, right down to the oppressive difficulty curve, which may work to the game's detriment.

ARC System Works', the developers behind Guilty Gear, interpretation of Contra is a complete 180 turn from the series' distinctive, industrial look. The dark, war-torn locales usually associated with the series are replaced with bright, colorful and highly detailed environments. Everything has a slick, sharp hand drawn look that will instantly pull you in, and maybe even encourage you to keep going after you've dropped your fourth or fifth trio of continues.

Audio is spot-on, though the real star is accessed via the "Konami Code." Go ahead, try it before the first level - you'll thank me. The rest of the soundtrack does a great job of keeping up with the on-screen action. Of course, it isn't likely you'll hear a lot of what's going on over the gunfire and explosions, but, it's good filler for when you're not shooting.

Though a sequel, you don't need to know what happened in Contra: Hard Corps to understand what's going on here. Story takes a backseat to action; it's more of a loose connective thread rather than a driving force behind your actions. All you need to know is an oppressive government force has taken over and, playing as either Kristal or Bahamut (who, interestingly enough, was the villain in Hard Corps), you run, ride and shoot your way through eight levels.

The core game is split into two modes: Arcade and Rising. Both offer the same slate of levels, weapons and bosses. Arcade offers a more traditional take. You have a limited number of lives and continues and are tasked with having to navigate through tricky situations en route to the final level. It's punishing and should appeal to fans of 8- and 16-bit shooters.

Rising Mode is the more accessible of the two, though it still requires skill and patience to complete. The key aspect of Rising Mode is the ability to purchase upgrades. Each time you play, your score is added to a bank of experience points used to purchase upgrades ranging from health increases to extra lives and weapon upgrades. It's a fantastic option and, although Arcade holds a special place in my heart, quickly became my preferred mode.

Hard Corps: Uprising throws a surprising amount of variety into the pot. Shooting is still central to the play experience, though you'll have to do so while riding on moving platforms, including a motorcycle, hover board and even a moving train. There's also a stealth and escort mission. The stealth mission will throw players for a loop, but is fun (there's even a nice Metal Gear reference). The escort mission, on the other hand, is - as most escort missions are - a bit of a pain. On the plus side, the person you're charged with protecting can't die, but waiting for him to revive slows you down considerably.

As is the case with other games in the series, Hard Corps is best played with a friend. Both local and online play is available. Of the two, local is preferred just because someone is sitting next to you. Online matches are less intimate, and in my experience, felt distant (does anyone actually use their headset??). Online matches are also a little hard to come by, but when you find them, there's no noticeable lag.

To quote our EIC, Psibabe (Ashley), "Hard Corps: Uprising lives up to its name." Most players likely won't see anything past the third level, at least not in Arcade Mode. Hard Corps is punishingly hard. But, as is the case with most shooters, there's a certain method to the madness.

The key to a great shooter is in the amount of thought required from the player. Think too little, or too much, and you'll die. The key to success is learning patterns and finding the appropriate counter to each. It's nothing you'll pick up on your first time through a level, but the more you play, the better you'll get. The first time I attempted the first level, I nearly broke a controller and almost accrued another noise complaint from a neighbor. A few hours later and I can get through the entire first level without taking a hit. Hard Corps, or at least Arcade Mode, is built on the intrinsic satisfaction of beating a level in two lives as opposed to three. It won't appeal to everyone, but that's what Rising Mode is for.

Rising is the "easier" of the two, but only in the sense that you have more tangible, useful rewards. Extra lives, expanded health and weapon upgrades go a long way towards bridging the gap between skill and challenge. The beauty of the system is its balance. Upgrades give an edge, but skill is still important. The catch, of course, is upgrades are expensive, so you'll have to grind your way through levels to access some of the better upgrades. It takes patience and perseverance, but it is well rewarded. It's hard to not build up your skills with each replay, and there's a certain satisfaction that goes with an upgrade-enhanced charge through a level that used to give you a hard time.

As good a job as Hard Corps: Uprising does at building on "replay and learn" difficulty, it doesn't get a full pass. There are still a number of gameplay issues that can only be described as cheap, or under-developed.

Chief among these are levels; they go on for longer than they reasonably should and, although you're given checkpoints, most are placed in the wrong spot. Just when you think a level is done, some new twist is added. In the first level, I counted at least three boss fights. I didn't mind them, but they're a bit taxing and overdone. Worse still, checkpoints are set before the boss, so if you fail in the span between bosses, you're forced to go back and re-fight the previous boss.

Levels are full of cheap death moments. The idea goes hand-in-hand with the genre, but some spots are ridiculous. At least two levels end with a leap of faith to a waiting helicopter. It's a cool concept, but the margin of error is so slim, it is easy to overshoot the jump. There's nothing worse than surviving a level only to have to restart because you missed a jump.

There are a number of smaller in-game mechanics meant to ease your way through each mission. You can dash, (both on the ground and in the air), use special shots and even reflect enemy shots. Problem is, you're never told you can do any of these things unless you go through the help file. A tutorial probably wouldn't work, but at the very least when you purchase a move, the menu should say how to perform it.

One of the more useful new mechanics is independent gun targeting. Normally, you shoot in whatever direction you're running. By pulling the Left Trigger, you can lock the position, allowing for strafing and behind-the-back shots while riding moving vehicles. Other than character upgrades, this is one of the best additions to Contra in a long time.

Consider Hard Corps: Uprising a "Try Before You Buy." It's a long, hard haul, but the rewarding play structure (and patience) helps offset some of the difficulty issues. It's built for a very specific player, and they'll enjoy what the game has to offer. Even with Rising Mode, if you're easily frustrated or not the patient type, Hard Corps: Uprising isn't for you.