C: The Contra Adventure
Encyclopedia
C: The Contra Adventure is a 3D action game
produced by Konami
and developed Appaloosa Interactive
that was released for the PlayStation in . It was the second of two Contra games Konami of America co-produced with Appaloosa, following Contra: Legacy of War
in . C: The Contra Adventure was never released in Japan, nor was it released in Europe and Australia.
. The meteorite falls near a Mayan
temple somewhere in South America
, and shortly afterward, the temple is occupied by an alien life form staging an invasion, as the natives begin to disappear and the local wildlife is devastated. Tasha, a member of the elite Contra Force, is sent to infiltrate the occupied temple, but goes missing during the operation. Ray Poward (having previously retired after the events of Contra: Legacy of War), is brought back into action to re-establish contact with Tasha and neutralize the alien invaders.
. All the innovations that were introduced in Contra: Legacy of War
are maintained in this game: memory card saving, hit-points, three-dimensional fire fights. However, the gameplay varies depending on the level and perspective used. Three difficulty levels (Easy, Normal, Hard) are available at the outset of the game, though the game ends after the Pyramid 1 stage if playing on Easy.
of GameSpot
gave the game an overall score of 3.6/10.0, stating that "It's hard to believe that Konami would release yet another sorry game with the Contra name on it". Randy Nelson of IGN
gave it a 1.0, saying "Definitely not the game Contra fans have been clamoring for". Jeremy Parish and Sam Kennedy, in their Contra retrospective for 1up.com
, wrote "[C: The Contra Adventure] managed to be even worse than Legacy of War, giving [it] the distinction of being the worst game in the series".
GamePro
's review of the game was more positive, stating "although flawed, C: The Contra Adventure caries on the franchise with style, picking up bonus points for the variety of its gameplay modes".
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
produced by Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
and developed Appaloosa Interactive
Appaloosa Interactive
Appaloosa Interactive is a corporation, founded in 1983 in Hungary, that produced numerous console games, computer programs and Hungarian TV-commercials during the 1980s and 90's. The company's headquarters are currently in Palo Alto, California, and it is the parent company and owner of two...
that was released for the PlayStation in . It was the second of two Contra games Konami of America co-produced with Appaloosa, following Contra: Legacy of War
Contra: Legacy of War
Contra: Legacy of War is a 3D action game produced by Konami and developed by Appaloosa Interactive that was originally released in for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. It was the first of two Contra games that were externally developed by Appaloosa, followed by C: The Contra Adventure in...
in . C: The Contra Adventure was never released in Japan, nor was it released in Europe and Australia.
Story
A meteorite infested with an alien bugs heads towards Earth following the events in Contra: Legacy of WarContra: Legacy of War
Contra: Legacy of War is a 3D action game produced by Konami and developed by Appaloosa Interactive that was originally released in for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. It was the first of two Contra games that were externally developed by Appaloosa, followed by C: The Contra Adventure in...
. The meteorite falls near a Mayan
Maya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
temple somewhere in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, and shortly afterward, the temple is occupied by an alien life form staging an invasion, as the natives begin to disappear and the local wildlife is devastated. Tasha, a member of the elite Contra Force, is sent to infiltrate the occupied temple, but goes missing during the operation. Ray Poward (having previously retired after the events of Contra: Legacy of War), is brought back into action to re-establish contact with Tasha and neutralize the alien invaders.
Gameplay
There are a total of ten levels in the game, which are shown through multiple perspectives, depending on the level: 2-D sidescrolling (referred to as "Classic Contra" in the game manual), third person (free-roaming and linear), overhead (360 degree movement), and a special "Weightless Elevator" view, which alternates between multi-directional and 3D shooting on a single screen. One of the third person sequences, the "Hunting" level, plays almost exactly the same as the interior missions in the original ContraContra (arcade game)
, known as Gryzor in Europe and Oceania, is a run and gun action game developed and published by Konami originally released as a coin-operated arcade game on February 20, 1987. A home version was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in , along with ports for various computer formats,...
. All the innovations that were introduced in Contra: Legacy of War
Contra: Legacy of War
Contra: Legacy of War is a 3D action game produced by Konami and developed by Appaloosa Interactive that was originally released in for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. It was the first of two Contra games that were externally developed by Appaloosa, followed by C: The Contra Adventure in...
are maintained in this game: memory card saving, hit-points, three-dimensional fire fights. However, the gameplay varies depending on the level and perspective used. Three difficulty levels (Easy, Normal, Hard) are available at the outset of the game, though the game ends after the Pyramid 1 stage if playing on Easy.
Reception
C: The Contra Adventure received several negative reviews during its release. Jeff GerstmannJeff Gerstmann
Jeff Gerstmann is an American video game journalist and former editorial director of the gaming website GameSpot and the founder of the gaming website Giant Bomb. He began working at GameSpot in the fall of 1996, around the launch of VideoGameSpot when GameSpot separated PC and console games into...
of GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
gave the game an overall score of 3.6/10.0, stating that "It's hard to believe that Konami would release yet another sorry game with the Contra name on it". Randy Nelson of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave it a 1.0, saying "Definitely not the game Contra fans have been clamoring for". Jeremy Parish and Sam Kennedy, in their Contra retrospective for 1up.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
, wrote "[C: The Contra Adventure] managed to be even worse than Legacy of War, giving [it] the distinction of being the worst game in the series".
GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
's review of the game was more positive, stating "although flawed, C: The Contra Adventure caries on the franchise with style, picking up bonus points for the variety of its gameplay modes".