Super Nintendo
Contra III: The Alien Wars
| Graphics: Sound: Gameplay: Overall: |
8.70 8.60 8.66 8.66 |
| Votes: | 53 |
| Reviews: | 6 |
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| Reviewer: Alex | Date: Jan 21, 2008 |
| Hoo boy, where to begin with this one... I'd like to know, at what point in time did Contra begin to suck? Because somehow it has. You can call this game a number of things, including a total rip-off, a gigantic bore, and a general disappointment, but definitely not something to be proud of if you worked on it.
Graphics: 7 Alright, I will admit that the graphics have naturally improved a great deal since the original Contra, there's no denying that. Even the crappy-looking areas where you're in some alien complex thing have been replaced with top-down levels that are easier on the eyes. Sound: 4 In the time since I've played Contra III and written this review (about five minutes), I've completely forgotten what the music sounded like. Really, nothing special at all. Gameplay: 5 Alright, down to the actual game itself. Though Contra III has retained the traditional side-view shoot 'em up style, the programmers seem to have decided to make the game almost all boss and almost no minor enemy shooting at you. It goes right from one boss to a sub-boss to a pro-sub-minor-sort of-major boss. I've got no problem with the lack of storyline that all of the Contra games have, but hell, I'd at least like to know when I'm fighting a boss or just fighting a powerful minion! In addition, when you're not fighting bosses, there's enough crap going on onscreen to give a blind man epilepsy. A far cry from its predecessors. Overall: 4 Though it does pass as a rather so-so game, with all of the other great games out there, this is a waste of time. It's really more filler than actual decent game. I mean it, stick with the original. This thing isn't worth your time, and I'm feeling stupid for playing it. |
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| Reviewer: Gus Baumgartner | Date: May 9, 2005 |
| Ahhh, Contra III, what fond memories this game brings. This one has proven to be a favorite of the Contra series, and still worth a good play. It definitely is a credit to how much fun a SuperNES game can be, and how enduring some of them are. The insane gameplay and creativity of yesteryear lives in Contra III.
Graphics: 8 The visual theme of Contra III is futuristic and post-apocalyptic, something that is portayed very well in the levels, and the menacing, cyborg, mutant war-machines that you face down during the game are both creative and well animated for its day. The vehicles are neat and detailed, and there is always an interesting new baddie to run into during the game. Overall, this game puts the SNES palette to good use. Sound: 8 The music is just great. It makes you feel like you are playing a sci-fi action movie, and always sets the tone for each stage. As for the sound effects, some are rather cool, like the bomb, but some of the weapons, like the missile launcher, have an odd, quirky sound to them. This doesn't detract from any of the games appeal however, and isn't terribly annoying. The clanging of metal, thuds of tanks and helicopters sound good, and the only other quirk is the odd noise emitted when you die. Overall, the sound has no significant faults. Gameplay: 9 The gameplay is quite straightforward: repel the alien horde with everything you got. Its simple, and the game prevents boredom with that simple notion in a few ways. The levels, while not very numerous, are in depth, very detailed, and always have action in them, it never lets up for a second. The game is constantly throwing new mini bosses and challenges during a single stage, assuring that the gamer must stay on his toes. The idea of switchable weapons was a geat improvement, and the game offers many interesting and useful variants for your weapons, such as heatseeking missiles and flamethrowers. Unfortunately, it only takes one shot to kill you, but you a have up to seven lives per continue, and you have 2 conitinues, so its fairly easy to beat the game on easy and normal modes. Hard mode is VERY hard, and worth playing for a frenetic, freaked out challenge. Overall: 9 This game has good graphics, good music and sound, and good level design. Its 100% action, and while there is no in-depth plot, the game still manages to be a very good gaming experience. It's definitley one of the Top 10, and definitley worth a play, even in today's bump-mapped, specular-shaded 3D gaming era. Contra III is a must have in you SNES game collection. Period. |
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| Reviewer: Icebreed | Date: Aug 18, 2002 |
| Ahh, Contra III. I was a semi-interested fan in the first two Contras, those legendary side-scroller shoot-everything shooters for the NES. 3 has definitely met, and in many ways, enhanced the legend. As you can read in any other review, Contra III: The Alien Wars is all about one great big, evil alien who comes down and levels a metropolis, and assumingly, is about to do more to other cities. Your role as one of two post-apocalyptic Rambo types is to ... well, blow up all the aliens. You have guns and bombs and more lives than most cats, and continues when those fail. Graphics: 8 Perhaps one of the biggest things going for Contra III is mood. There is constantly (well at least, for me) an air of extreme tension, mixed in with a bit of horror/monster flick attitude. The graphics in this game lend generously to this, with full color ruinous destruction scrolling about around you, and King Kong sized monsters that make you run around like a scared little cockroach. All of the bosses, except one, have either the look of 1) extreme hugeness, such that you fear you will be utterly squished if you don't run your patootie off, or 2) extreme nastiness, with horns and teeth and evil glares and pulsing veins and deathly robotic skulls and... well you get the point, or both. The weapons effects are passable, and it could do with some in-your-face fog and mist, like in the industrial level, but other than that, you will be surprised at how quickly things fly at you. Particularly of interest was where you look like you're going into the demon's body and its own bodily organs attack you. EWWW! The bombs you set off, though basic in the eye of a vector graphics artist, look intensely awesome in the game from anyone else's point of view, and even if they only did a tiny scrap of damage, I think I'd still do em just to let off stress, feeling like I just levelled a city block. Sound: 9 The other major contributor to this game, the music in this game is unbelievable and achieves its intent -- to scare you senseless. Tension building strings, and high-energy boss music make you feel like you're really in for the fight of your life, in most cases. It mixes well with the sound effects (i.e. the bass-filled explosions, massive foot stompings, and so on), but the sound effects are in general cheaper than the music. It could have used some voices when your character dies, instead of the -punt- Zyyyyowwwww you got in the other two Contras. Again with the bombs, if you have a sound system and you want to feel powerful, let one of these puppies rip on full volume, preferably in the face of some boss alien. Gameplay: 7 This game is not meant to give you stirring enlightenment, nor is it meant to have you run off to your friends bragging about how skillful you are for beating the game. The play is simple and very straightforward, with very little given plotline. You simply run in the allotted direction and shoot things and not die. In this way it's very true to its prequels. One thing that still irks me is how you don't pick guns off of dead enemies, or in storage crates, or anything ... you shoot little flying ... winged orb thingies, which explode and drop an emblem, which is like your old fashioned powerup. You get two guns though (which, except for in top-down mode, you must alternate between) which is a definite improvement over the two other games. Though the gameplay is very simple -- jump, shoot, bomb, climb -- the uncontrolled portion makes up for it, with things you don't expect, like a giant skeleton robot to come crashing through the wall to attack you, or a massive turtle that can shoot a beam that takes up half the screen, or (as previously stated) the internal organs of an alien, which sprout vicious Alien-movie-esque heads which shoot things at you. Simplicity does not detract from this game, unless you are a stickler for complexity. An RPG this is not. Overall: 9 For its time, Contra III was one of my favorite games for the SNES. Every level enraptures you, making you play on just to see if you can beat that boss/mini-boss again. I think the only place it really lost my attention was the speed-cycle level, because there is a place on the screen where you can be and, more or less, just shoot in one general direction and never get hit and take out all the cronies while you're at it. Everything else is pure addiction. This game begs for a turbo button. This game was one of my fonder childhood memories, especially when I had a friend over. Looking for an in depth game, with great attention to detail? Go elsewhere. Looking for a game that will make your eyes smile? Yeah, okay, give it a try. Looking for a game that says "Post-apocalyptic Rambo" to you? Oh yeah, baby, sink your teeth into THIS! |
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| Reviewer: AfroGamer | Date: May 9, 2002 |
| Contra III is the third game in the series. It's an action platformer that has lots of weapons such as the Homing Missile,Laser,Machine Gun and lots more. Graphics: 7 Sound: 8 Gameplay: 8 Overall: 8 This is one of the greatest game on the SNES. |
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| Reviewer: golbez | Date: Sep 12, 2001 |
| this is definitly on the top 10 snes games for me, probably even top 5. anyways, these graphics are REALLY good and set the scene very well. Everything looks like whats it's supposed to and more. The sound is good, with music seeming like it was pulled straight out of some crazy alien movie. The machine gun sounds a little strange tho. The gameplay is basic run shoot and jump with lots added to it. Instead of carrying around 1 weapon you now have 2 guns so you can switch on and off. The difficulty is fairly decent. Easy mode I could do with one hand, normal is only a bit harder than easy. but hard mode is VERY hard with bullets flying everywhere and enemies being pumped out of each side of the screen. Overall this game doesn't have any down sides, except maybe the lack of stages, but this game makes up for it with it's lengthy levels. | |
| Reviewer: Mike | Date: Jun 21, 2001 |
| One of the best SNES games that i have ever played! There is constantly someone to shoot. Interesting and new ideas for bosses and levels. Very original and inovating. You can play with one or two people. Side scroller yet you also move upwards in some levels. Several upgradable weapons. You can hold two at a time and switch between them at will. You can also pick up bombs. A must have for any SNES player! |
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