AMN's Review Policy: Our reviews are written for you. Our goal is to write honest, to-the-point reviews that don't waste your time. This is why we've split our reviews into four sections: What the Game's About, What's Hot, What's Not and Final Word, so that you can easily find the information you want from our reviews.

What the Game's About
The Contra series has been around since the arcade silver age and has been popular with console gamers looking for a challenging run and gun shooter fix ever since it made the jump to the NES. Contra pits you, and depending on whether your have a buddy to play with, another player against alien and robotic hordes. It's up to you to fend off seemingly endless foes to save earth, and restore peace to our war-torn planet.

What's Hot
True fans of the series expect a certain set of things from a Contra title for it be considered a success: challenge, cool bosses, challenge, varying levels, testosterone dripping playable characters, and did I mention challenge? Fortunately, we've found that Contra 4 offers each of these things in great supply…especially the challenge. Even on the default difficulty, Contra 4 will have you begging for mercy until you can learn to slow things down and figure out patterns and enemy behaviors.

While the game is brutally hard, it takes Contra back to its roots and relies on the strengths that made the first iterations of the game so addictive. Some might criticize the level of difficulty, but how many of us can say that they've completed the original NES game without the 30 lives code? Not many.

What might be the coolest bonus that a handheld game has seen for quite some time, Way Forward has included the original Contra and Super C as unlockable content. In essence you're getting three games in one package, and all three are each as good as the other.

What's Not
Now, what we have listed as a positive might be viewed as a serious turn-off for others. The game is hard. Real hard. This is one of those games that doesn't apologize and never lets up as it tosses countless enemies at you…all coming on the screen with guns blazing. You will die many, many times before you figure out safer strategies and how to be patient with the incoming hordes of aliens, robots, and bullets. While many will find the challenge satisfying, it's a safe but that others will merely find it frustrating and prohibitive.

The other problem in the game is how the DS screens cause a gap in the action. Obviously the gap is an issue when you're jumping (or grappling ) between screens and a hidden bullet strikes you dead. Smaller enemies can be notorious for hiding themselves in the gap as well. Over time we found that you can anticipate objects that might be passing through the screen gap, but until that point, it's a source of many cheap deaths.

Final Word
When the DS launched it promised to bring us many new ways to play and usher in a whole new era of portable gaming. One thing that we're seeing, however, is that the DS is doing an excellent job at reviving classic franchises and breathing new life into their old formulas. Contra 4 is another solid game in the long line of DS releases that blend classic gameplay with new features and technology. For anybody that loves a serious challenge, or for any fans of classic Contra, then this is a definite must-have game. For those that are a bit weary of a challenge, or if they just don't see the excitement of dodging your way through bullet and enemy hell, there are safer paths to walk elsewhere.