E3 Disclaimer: AMN’s E3 previews are designed to inform you of what each game at E3 plays like, and what we think of what’s shown. These previews are not reviews, and we reserve final judgment of each game until it is finished and released. These previews offer an honest opinion of what a publisher chose to demo at E3. So, without further ado, read on.

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What The Game Is About
After a small flurry of 3D attempts, the time has come for Konami to go back to the roots of the famous Contra franchise with Contra 4 for the Nintendo DS. Picking up where Contra 3: The Alien Wars for the Super NES leaves off, gamers can look forward to a classic 2D run 'n' gun challenge that packs plenty of nostalgia in with new levels and enemies.

Surprisingly, Contra 4 is a direct sequel to its predecessor, skipping the nonsense introduced in Contra Force, Contra Hard Corps, and other such titles that were released after 1992. The story begins when the leader of the alien invasion team from Contra 3 comes to Earth to see how the planetary domination is going, and, to his horror, finds Earth unconquered. Never send an alien underling to do a warlord's job; Earth is invaded once again (and this time, it's personal). Players will blast their way through levels somewhat reminiscent of the original Contra for the NES. Some levels are sidescrolling 2D affairs, while others mimic the infamous 3Dish vertical levels. Plenty of weapons are present, some of which appear on the DS's top screen and must be shot down in order to drop to the bottom screen for collection. One of the new additions to the Contra formula involves the inclusion of a bionic arm that can be used to hook on to special poles found on the DS's top screen. Just press X to zip upwards and blast right through the no man's land found in the gap between the two screens.

One aspect of Contra 4 that stays especially true to the original game is the challenge level. We've never been Contra pros, but we can usually hold our own. Not so in the demo we played at E3. In fact, at three lives a pop we burned through five attempts to finish just the first level and, sadly, we never actually did. A reprise of the legendary Konami code that grants thirty extra lives would be much appreciated for the final version of the game.

What's Hot
This is definitely a Contra game. Everything about it feels right, from the weapons to the controls to the insanely high level of difficulty. Granted, we did not get to see very much of the game due to our own lack of Contra 4 skills, but what we did see impressed us. Even the sound effects are based on the original Contra's beeps. Moreover, the bionic arm is a nice addition.

What's Not
The high level of difficulty may well turn a lot of people off of this game. With only three lives to start and one-hit kills being the order of the day, it will take special skills and lots of patience to plow through the game. Contra games are supposed to be a challenge, yes, but this is rather ridiculous.

Outlook
Contra 4 has plenty of promise, as it seems to retain the goodness from the original Contra games. If the game weren't so DS-throwingly hard it would pique our interest even more, but as it stands we'll be watching from the sidelines, waiting to hear that the developers have struck a balance between an honest challenge and an unfair frustration.