Contra: Hard Corps

One hit and you are done. So simple, so cruel — and it is exactly this philosophy that makes Contra: Hard Corps the toughest chapter of one of the most famous run & gun series of all time. In 1994 Konami took its legendary brand, packed it with adrenaline to the bursting point and sent it to the SEGA Mega Drive, where it immediately ranked among the most demanding titles on the console.

Unlike the older installments, here you choose from four playable characters, each of whom wields their own set of four weapons — from classic spread shot to homing missiles and risky melee weapons. Right from the first choice the game opens up an enormous space for experimentation and repeated playthroughs, because each character changes the combat style from the ground up.

The heart of the experience, however, is the branching story. At key moments you choose which way to go, which leads to completely different level sequences and several different endings. The pace is insane, something is constantly happening on the screen, and giant bosses roll in one after another at such a frequency that a moment of rest practically does not exist. Visually it is one of the flashier action games of its time — explosions, mechanical monsters and dynamic scenery use the Mega Drive hardware to the fullest.

An interesting detail is the difference between regions. The Japanese version gave the player a health bar and the ability to withstand several hits, whereas the Western release returned to the series' merciless tradition, where a single touch means instant death. This adjustment turned an already difficult game into a proving stone of reflexes and memorization, remembered to this day by everyone who dared to complete it without cheats.

Hard Corps is not a game for everyone, and it was never intended to be. It is a celebration of the old school, pure action and a hard challenge that rewards precision and patience. For hardcore players it represents one of the peaks of the genre in the 16-bit era.

Why play: If you crave uncompromising, fast and stylish run & gun action with a choice of characters and a branching story, this is the peak of the genre on the Mega Drive.