I don't get the constant badgering about the strafe lock; plenty of words were spent glorifying Shattered Soldier in that 2-page critique, and yet there was little recognition that it featured the exact same functionality?
[raises fist]SUUU-LIC!!![/raises fist]
Regardless, I am puzzled that Konami doesn't allow plug and play co-op during single player games, and apparently length and difficulty is on the shallow end of the pool.
Anyone able to provide further thoughts beyond the OPM demo?
Oh, and the stats:
5.5 Presentation
No mid-game joining for the second player? No freaking quit option? What the heck is going on here? The extras are cool and the CG is pretty, at least.
7.0 Graphics
The game is gorgeous, but suffers from some pretty significant slowdown at times. The levels are also very small.
6.5 Sound
If only Bill and Jaguar spoke more. They're so horrible that hearing them actually makes us laugh, a lot. Then there's the intro theme... Boy is that ever a catastrophe.
7.5 Gameplay
The new game isn't Contra, but it's not bad. The problem is that it could have been so much better had the controls been scrapped and redone.
4.5 Lasting Appeal
Thirty minutes of gameplay doesn't make for much of a game. Scoring a higher rating is appealing, but even that's only a weekend's worth of play.
OVERALL: 7.0
[raises fist]SUUU-LIC!!![/raises fist]
Regardless, I am puzzled that Konami doesn't allow plug and play co-op during single player games, and apparently length and difficulty is on the shallow end of the pool.
Anyone able to provide further thoughts beyond the OPM demo?
Oh, and the stats:
5.5 Presentation
No mid-game joining for the second player? No freaking quit option? What the heck is going on here? The extras are cool and the CG is pretty, at least.
7.0 Graphics
The game is gorgeous, but suffers from some pretty significant slowdown at times. The levels are also very small.
6.5 Sound
If only Bill and Jaguar spoke more. They're so horrible that hearing them actually makes us laugh, a lot. Then there's the intro theme... Boy is that ever a catastrophe.
7.5 Gameplay
The new game isn't Contra, but it's not bad. The problem is that it could have been so much better had the controls been scrapped and redone.
4.5 Lasting Appeal
Thirty minutes of gameplay doesn't make for much of a game. Scoring a higher rating is appealing, but even that's only a weekend's worth of play.
OVERALL: 7.0
