Contra ReBirth Looks Like the Real Deal
Gradius ReBirth was a charming but not precisely earth-shattering release. It felt a little tame compared to a complete regression-slash-overhaul like, say, Mega Man 9, and the title was a bit redundant what with Gradius IV having been subtitled "Resurrection," but it was still good fun. Clearly Konami feels it's onto something good here, because now Contra has been given the ReBirth treatment. I haven't had a chance to play the game -- released as WiiWare last night in Japan only -- but based on the videos that Ray and Nelson spent their evening capturing, I'm going out on a limb to say that, unambitious or not, this new(-ish) Contra seems promising.
Unlike Gradius's WiiWare outing, Contra looks more like a new 16-bit entry in the series rather than a repackaging of your favorite moments. It also seems to mix up the run-and-gun sequences with the bosses, creating an even mixture of both -- an essential component of a good Contra game, in my opinion. My interest waxes and wanes in proportion to how much of a given Contra title is simply a setpiece boss rush, and Contra 4 was the first title since Super C that really struck the proper balance. ReBirth is weighted a bit more toward the over-the-top boss battles than I might prefer, but it's still clearly the product of a team that realizes getting about by foot and shooting generic mooks is as much a part of the series as blowing up massive robots that can soak up impossible amounts of damage.
Based on Ray and Nelson's vocal fury, it also appears to be ridiculously difficult. Maybe I should train for the game before attempting it.
No U.S. release date has been set for ReBirth, but no doubt we'll hear more at E3 -- the game's bound to be tucked in a forgotten corner of the company's booth. Strangely, I'm not feeling as cynical about this new ReBirth series Konami's devised for itself as I probably ought to. On the contrary, this is precisely what I've wanted to see for years: low-cost game projects that retain the classic trappings and mechanics of classic franchises before they went 3D, presented for a reasonable price without retail distribution to get in the way of availability. Best of all, it leaves the company free to develop modern treatments of their brands without necessarily leaving behind the style that made them so popular to begin with. Konami has plenty of other franchises that could stand up to this treatment -- Salamander, Twinbee, Mystical Ninja -- and I'm looking forward to seeing what pops up next.
Espero que não demore muito a chegar cá!
Excelente noticia esta!
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