Grueling to the Corps- Hard Corps Uprising Review

Despite forgoing the familiar Contra moniker and the absence of memorable series meatheads Bill and Lance, recent release Hard Corps: Uprising is an irrefutable offspring of Konami’s run-and-gun classic. While the transfer of development duties to Arc System Works (Guilty Gear, BlazBlue) may taint the results of any DNA testing, the game’s control mechanics, weapon power-ups, and persistently stifling difficulty divulge the title’s inspiration. Regardless of ancestry, players who have ever been absorbed by masochistic 2D titles like Gunstar Heroes, Meal Slug, or Alien Hominid, are apt to be enthralled by the game. It’s the type of retro-minded diversion which produces a figural sine wave filled with valleys of expletives and crests of contentment.

Like previous entries in the Konami franchise, the game’s only cerebral demands are razor-sharp reflexes and the ability to memorize the position of enemy emplacements. Although Uprising‘s plotline foreshadows Bahamut’s decent into villainy, the narrative is largely indispensable. Contra‘s best moments have always been about trouncing overpowering opposition with the help of an occasional spread beam.  Hard Corps is no different, delivering eight stages filled with rocket-bikes, robotic sand worms, and a Catherine wheel armed with lethal lasers. Surprisingly, the game’s short departures from canon work just as well. A Metal Gear Solid-inspired segment which requires players to sneak around in a cardboard box is the atypical instance of an effective stealth interlude in an action game.

For those that prefer a straight-ahead unyielding experience, Uprising offers Arcade mode, where the  number of lives, continues, and potency of the power-ups are all preconfigured. Much more interesting is the title’s Rising mode, which converts every enemy kill to currency. These credits allow the player to permanently augment each character with more robust weapons, extra lives, and additional health. Although this means that some players might have to grind through inaugural levels a few time to boost their character, it is also an increasingly common way for a game to eliminate difficulty settings. An additional way to preserve is to elicit the assistance of a co-operative partner. With options for either local or online cohorts, Hard Corps shines as a two player title- the increased firepower compensates for having to coordinate jumps.

Played alone or with a acquaintance, Uprising‘s difficulty level often be maddening. While standard antagonists don’t much up much of a struggle (with the exception of those one-hit kill snipers), the game’s bosses are as numerous as they are ubiquitous. Mirroring the technique of classic Treasure titles, these massive mechanized murderers often change forms, or are revived with increased ferocity. Coupled with checkpoints, which often make player re-battle these brawny antagonists, the title certainly has the potential to rile controller-tossers.

Visually, Arc System Work’s influence is unmistakable. Both the game’s duo of protagonists (augmented by two additional, DLC characters available for $2.50 each) and enemies are rendered with the developer’s conventional detail and fluidity. Complementing the game’s gorgeous hard drawn sprites are a number of polygonal foes and background details, each seamlessly integrate into Uprising‘s deserts, jungles, and ruins. Of course, the graphical finesse comes with one snag- the game’s loading times can be a bit plodding.