Alien Firepower
The plot is pritty much the same like the last games in fact pritty cleche when it comes to alien invasion stories. You see the plot in a awdsomely animated cut scene (which is uncanily similar to the destruction scenes in the film "Independance Day" but better) you have to fight an evil alien warlord named Red Falcon and his alien force whom is trying like any other typical evil alien in line is trying to destroy all of mankind and take earth for his own. So it's up to two elite comandoes Bill and Scrpion to kick alien butt as usual.
That's it nothing complicated but most run in gun games in fact Contra in general was never really known for deep story. You just simply press start, play the game, and don't die, simple instructions it's all I need and personally I like it that way.
Most of the format isn't too different which is a good thing which means gameplay is soild and intact, and like any good/great sequel it's just simply bigger and flasher than before. There are a few differences in the game that make the game both intersting and just a bit easy. For one thing the fact that you can actually collect two weapons and change weapons at any given time which is cool, that way you don't have to suffer that dread of god forbid losing you weapon or even getting the wrong one like in the past game. This feature is great and does make the game at least a little easy. Heck you can even shoot two of them at the same time if you want or need to. There is also a mini nuke (kinda like the one in the film "Starship Troopers") which you can use at any given time when things get too hot, but like all last resort weapons in games depending on how many you have you can only use it a limited time, so don't waste them. A few new weapons like any with strengths and weaknesses like my personal favorate next to the spread is the cannon where you fire powerful rockets great for bosses battles reduced the amount of time you have to spend killing them by mere minutes though doesn't shoot at high length depending on you possitioning, and there is the homing which is my third favorate weapon in the game where you shoot multiple missle that will target enimies all around you; this weapon almost makes you invinsible but it's doesn't have much stopping power on bosses so I wouldn't rely on that weapon solely.
And there is this overhead shooting part nothing new except that your able to rotate the enviorment with the L and R buttons on you control, sort of like with those Labryth board puzzle games where you try to get the ball to the finish by controling your enviorment correctly. Some thought that part of the game was awkward, though personally I never had a problem with it I got use to it and I actually had fun with those levels may'be it's because I always liked those Labryth games.
The graphics are really great (well may'be for their time for some) there is just a lot of color, detail on the enviroment but most of all the bosses and mini bosses that are as usual intimidating and would make you nervious the most memorable one to me is the giant alien in the third level that looked at though he could be another stop motion monster for a Ray Harryhausen film; but just great level design, each have a fixed pattern that contain obsticles that feel one step ahead of you (at least if you've never played the level before), just when you think you can handle anything there is always another chalange coming you way whether you prepared for it or not.
The soundtrack is just as great all of the songs in the game are memorable, they were so good that their actually is some remixs of them online and a few of the songs were remixed and included in the semi sequel "Contra: Shattered Soilder" for the PS2.
But as usual I have to warn you like all of the Contra games this game is hard. Man can it be hard, the Contra franchise has been one of those games I died the most times in and it's not just because of the relentless obsticales but because of a mistep I've taken, whenever I try or play a certain level again in the Contra series I always learn not to make that same mistake as well as realize the truth on how easy it really is. And that is always the principle in hard games like Contra it's easy if you know how. This game you will die a lot but that's because it's going to take some practice before you get it correct, I can litterally beat this game either in an hour or half an hour depending on how few mistakes I make; simply put if you know the right places to stand and the right times to hit then you could be in the same spot as me. The reason though why the game is hard is because of course like all Contra game by it's nature it's short, this game has only about six levels. But that's fine by me this game is hard enough as it is, so six levels is chalange enough for me.
Contra 3 is one of the best in the series and not the last, this sequel shows that Contra has plenty of fire power.