What Are You Playing (Summer, 2017)?

[YellerDog]

Contra III feels more cohesive to me, Hard Corps is throwing everything against the wall at all times and some of it just doesn't stick. The rotating perspective vehicle bits in HC are very un-fun, the Mode 7 levels are just kinda dull.

I like Alien Soldier better than either, but that's a pretty hard sell.

[Darmonde]

I like Contra III better than Hard Corps.

It's hard to compare the two though. Contra III is a sequel to the other games. Very basic action stages, weapon power ups, etc all work the same. Hard Corps is almost a spinoff with how different it feels. Characters with differences, branching paths, different weapon system, boss rush style, slightly more emphasis on story. Contra Force?

Yeah but Contra III only has 4 actual horizontal stages. The overhead stages have not aged well; just a bunch of showy Mode 7 garbage IMO.

I never thought Contra III was short, but I guess it has 1 less stage than before? It was just like the first 2. Those has weird alternate view stages also (AKA the ones no one liked).

I'm honestly biased, and I haven't given Hard Corps enough play time. But Contra III is great, I think liking either more is valid depending on what kind of game you like. I think the controls hurt my opinion of Hard Corps a lot also.

[A Robot Bit Me]

Against all odds, the entire game they made out of those Contra III levels nobody liked, Neo Contra, was a work of genius.

[bbobb]

It's kind of amazing how good both of the PS2 Contra games were.

[Yoshi]

Contra III feels more cohesive to me, Hard Corps is throwing everything against the wall at all times and some of it just doesn't stick. The rotating perspective vehicle bits in HC are very un-fun, the Mode 7 levels are just kinda dull.

I like Alien Soldier better than either, but that's a pretty hard sell.

If we're bringing other series in, Metal Slug mops the floor with everything else in the sub-genre.

This is probably painting slightly too broad a stroke, but I feel like there are almost only two camps: Hard Corps and ignorance. I feel even more strongly about the same grouping for Bloodlines vs. not-really-IV. The fact that Konami can't get their shit together to re-release the Genesis games anywhere has only made this situation worse, as well as hiding Rocket Knight Adventures, which is maybe even more tragic.

[YellerDog]

I mean Metal Slug isn't perfect either (the later stages in 3 are just a quarter jam fest and aren't really a good time), but it IS the best we've got. I'm just kind of bored with MS at this point, it's more fun to branch out and play games that aren't as polished when I haven't worn a rut into them for 20 years. I'd rather play In The Hunt than MS, if I were to pick one up today.

I like Hard Corps just fine, I simply don't like it as much because of how it is. I'm less likely to pick it up for a half hour session than Contra III (which is really enough time to beat Contra III in a sitting).

Bloodlines has always been overshadowed by Rondo of Blood for me, I really need to go back and do a deep dive into it. Sounds like Robot had fun with the 1CC!

[Yoshi]

I mean Metal Slug isn't perfect either (the later stages in 3 are just a quarter jam fest and aren't really a good time), but it IS the best we've got. I'm just kind of bored with MS at this point, it's more fun to branch out and play games that aren't as polished when I haven't worn a rut into them for 20 years. I'd rather play In The Hunt than MS, if I were to pick one up today.

It's never a bad time to play In the Hunt or an Irem game in general.

I like Hard Corps just fine, I simply don't like it as much because of how it is. I'm less likely to pick it up for a half hour session than Contra III (which is really enough time to beat Contra III in a sitting).

That's fair. Hard Corps does require more of a commitment, especially if it's been a while.

Bloodlines has always been overshadowed by Rondo of Blood for me, I really need to go back and do a deep dive into it. Sounds like Robot had fun with the 1CC!

Well, yeah. This whole discussion, along with Akujamo Densetsu, is really just a second place is the first loser contest, but anything you compare to Rondo on any platform in any genre has the same issue.

[YellerDog]

For what it's worth I've never cared for Castlevania IV, the limpwhip move is emblematic of the entire game.

[A Robot Bit Me]

Akujamo Densetsu

Yeah, it's a good one.

Now, which is the superior Rare platformer: Bonja Kazushi or Cronkie's Bad Friday?

For what it's worth I've never cared for Castlevania IV, the limpwhip move is emblematic of the entire game.

That's a bingo.

It's a still a very good game; it's just surrounded by better Akujamos.

[Fe 26]

Like your mother.