Contra 4 Makes Girly Men Cry

I'm becoming a bit of a jaded gamer, I admit it.

I once told myself I would never get to the point where I would be one of those bitter gamers who look at today's games as being "inferior" to the pre-32-bit gaming era, but after being only mildly amused with the direction that the "new" next generation has taken, the more I find myself talking about the "good old days".

But let's look at things logically for a moment. I grew up on some of the classics of both console and arcade gaming, and despite being "outclassed" by games that have recently hit store shelves, I still willingly go back to the originals to get in my gaming fix.

So where does this little rant ultimate lead?

To Contra of course.

Wayforward caught my attention with Contra 4 back at E3. The game is shaping itself up to quickly becoming an instant classic and an unfortunate eulogy of sorts to an era of gaming that has been pushed aside in recent years. Despite my inherent leanings towards feeling that most modern gaming has issues, Contra 4 is restoring my faith that somewhere developers out there still get some sort of sick pleasure in knowing that their game is made to kick your ass. It gives me chills just thinking about it.

If this sounds like a fluff piece for Contra 4, I'm sorry. When it comes to the Contra series I'm probably the most biased gamer around. I've said it before, but I'll say it again... Contra was where I learned my gaming ropes. From the arcade game which was purchased by a local movie rental store in the small town I grew up in to the NES version which I spent many a-day running through the game trying to defeat the Red Falcon, Contra defined in my mind an entire generation of gaming.

Contra 4 has finally received a release date from Konami. I'm not quite sure what sort of reception the game is going to receive from gamers who are used to having their hand held, but I do know that based on the limited amount of time that I've spent with the game, come November 13th, Contra 4 may be once again re-establishing itself as a pinnacle in action gaming.

Over at NeoGaf, a retail "sell sheet" has been posted that included several selling points and features for the game as well as the game's official box art. Though it may be a bold claim, when the statement is made that Contra 4 is the best game in the franchise, it may very well be possible based on early reports.

Important attention needs to be paid to the top right corner of the image below... With Contra 4 shaping itself as a "love song" to the series, it's only fitting to bring back an old "friend".