Introduction
At this point in videogame history, "Contra" is practically a household name. Spawning numerous sequels and spin offs, it seemed that this was a series that could do no wrong. Of course, that was before C: The Contra Adventure and Legacy of War. To salvage the floundering action shooter saga, Konami had to really pull off something special with its first PS2 Contra. It would seem that they have succeeded.


Gameplay
Yes, it's a side-scrolling shooter; yes, it's frustrating, but it's also Contra. Finishing this game will fill you with the sense of accomplishment that most games just can't deliver. I highly suggest Contra: Shattered Soldier to anyone who enjoys twitch gaming at its finest.


Story
The first thing you'll notice about Contra: Shattered Soldier is the graphics. It's been said that it's reminiscent of a Playstation 1 game, but don't believe it. While there are a few unspectacular scenes, CSS is a joy to behold, for the most part. Things blow up the way they should, die the way they should, and look about as intimidating as they should. Just wait till you see the first boss. As for gameplay, we can all breathe easier. It's classic Contra all the way. If you plan to win, you're going to need to memorize enemy patterns and know just WHAT is going to happen and WHEN. You'll die a lot at first and you won't get anywhere, but once you get it down, you'll be unlocking new levels right and left. In previous Contras, it was necessary to acquire new weapons by shooting bunkers or strange flying.. uh.. thingies. Not so in C:SS. You're given three weapons from the start: The standard machine gun, a flame thrower, and a grenade launcher. Sadly, the spread shot is nowhere to be found. To make up for the lack of weapons, you have the ability to charge each gun and let out a devastating attack. In addition, there is always one weapon that is best used for each situation. The fun is in discovering which one. The sound is.. well, not that great. Everything is mediocre, including the music, which is basically heavy metal repeated over and over and over until your nose starts bleeding. Might as well just mute the TV and pop in a CD. It's not like there's any voice acting or anything. Speaking of which, the story is pointless filler, but wasn't it always? The whole point of Contra is blowing things up and looking good doing it. There are tons of enemies, a lot of mini-bosses, and one huge beast at the end of each level. Replay value is minimal, but there are a few secrets to unlock. It would be best to worry about replayability once you actually get close to beating the game, though. And let's face it, with how hard this game is, that's probably going to be a long way off. There is also a two-player mode, where you and a friend get to both be on screen at the same time blasting away. Just hope that you have a highly skilled partner because, as in previous Contras, your companion can steal some of your lives from you if they have exhausted all of theirs. Ouch.