Finally!
Konami confirms that the classic franchise will be available on Labor Day.
While the chaps reading Nintendo Life over on the fairer side of the Atlantic were blessed with the news that they would be getting Contra ReBirth on September 4th, those of us in North America were left wondering when we would be able to get our hands on Bill Rizer and Lance Bean's latest adventure. Thankfully, it appears that North America will be getting the game sooner rather than later.
Konami has confirmed to IGN that the latest iteration in one of gaming's oldest franchises will be available for download in North America this Monday, September 7th (Labor Day in the United States). This release date has an added benefit in that most of the U.S. has off from school / work and thus have an entire day to spend chucking their Wiimotes at the TV in frustration.
Contra ReBirth will be available to download for 1000 Nintendo Points.
1. Hyper Luigi
04 Sep 2009, 15:54 BST
YES!!! It's time to buy a Wii Points Card!!
2. LEGEND MARIOID
04 Sep 2009, 15:58 BST
SOOOOOO, NA get Contra 4 DS AND Contra Rebirth. Lucky gits!
Not to metion getting Monkey Island Ep 2 (and we not getting it on the subsequent update schedule...unlike what has happened the other way round with contra)...aaahhhh weeellll...congratulations anyway.
3. LinktotheFuture
04 Sep 2009, 16:09 BST
Hopefully we'll get the original Contra someday as well.
4. Cheezy
04 Sep 2009, 16:13 BST
Pwnage
5. JamieO
04 Sep 2009, 16:26 BST
Oh yeah, this news bodes well for me to download it on my import US Wii, through the Brazilian Wii Shop Channel account, this Monday.
I am sure that one of the Nintendo Life reviewers is beavering away as I type this, to give us the full lowdown following today’s European release.
I just hope that it holds up in comparison to Contra III: Alien Wars and does not end up a damp squib! Surely not.
6. GonzoMontana
04 Sep 2009, 16:37 BST
one of my favorite madlib beats includes a contra I sample... i never played the game though
BEAT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_HVSvErbmE
ORIGINAL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYbsA52Vz8I
7. Link79
04 Sep 2009, 16:50 BST
Yay! Time to have me a Contra marathon to get ready.
8. gameking23
04 Sep 2009, 16:52 BST
It would be nice if we also got Cave Story released the same day. I know the chances for that are slim.
9. Omega
04 Sep 2009, 16:53 BST
So finally we all have Gradius ReBirth and Contra ReBirth. What's next, Konami? Castlevania ReBirth?
10. Bass X0
04 Sep 2009, 16:55 BST
Metal Gear ReBirth?
11. Maniac
04 Sep 2009, 16:56 BST
@ GonzoMontana
Wow, they just play that exact beat over and over, don't they? I like the idea, but its so repetitive, I had to stop listening halfway through.
12. jbrodack
04 Sep 2009, 17:02 BST
good news. been waiting to hear news of the US release. looks like solid contra action from videos I've seen.
13. GonzoMontana
04 Sep 2009, 17:02 BST
@Maniac: many hiphop beats work like that, you just have to find a cool loop, repeat it over and over again, and put nice drums on it ... some think it's boring ... some like it
But you can also do it like thisss...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TpGXaBEfXs
14. redflicky
04 Sep 2009, 17:05 BST
Great! =D
15. redflicky
04 Sep 2009, 17:07 BST
Now give us the original Contra!
16. KDR_11k
04 Sep 2009, 17:27 BST
So finally we all have Gradius ReBirth and Contra ReBirth. What's next, Konami? Castlevania ReBirth?
Track 'n Field Rebirth?
Oh, oh, maybe Kicker rebirth? I loved Kicker.
17. Link79
04 Sep 2009, 18:10 BST
I'm pretty sure life force rebirth was anounced a while back so I imagine that's next.
18. WolfRamHeart
04 Sep 2009, 18:26 BST
Locked and Loaded!
19. Bulbasaurus Rex
04 Sep 2009, 18:33 BST
I don't want this. Give me Pokemon Rumble! Why haven't you posted the news about Pokemon Rumble's North American announcement (and new name)? You haven't even posted anything about Pokemon Mystery Dungeon for WiiWare! Just because My Pokemon Ranch is a dumb game doesn't mean you can skip out on news concerning these good Pokemon WiiWare games.
20. RadioShadow
04 Sep 2009, 19:08 BST
^ Because Pokemon sucks ass! That's why!
I know what I will be buying on Monday!
21. Objection_Blaster
04 Sep 2009, 19:23 BST
I'll be spending Labor Day doing some WW catchup with Darklord and NyxQuest. I also look forward to Pokemon Scramble though.
22. Blue Protoman
04 Sep 2009, 19:35 BST
Buying first day! Despite the fact that it's only 5 levels, if it's anything like Gradius ReBirth, it'll have excellent replay value.
@LEGEND MARIOID: You can always import the American version.
23. fudgenuts
04 Sep 2009, 20:20 BST
@Link79: Yeah, it's called Salamander ReBirth.
24. Kevin
04 Sep 2009, 20:23 BST
I can't believe I'm gonna say this...I can't wait till Monday! And if its not too much trouble Konami can you finally release the NES version to the VC? The wait on that is killing me.
25. Mayhem
04 Sep 2009, 20:30 BST
Heh, so what I heard was true... and the onslaught out of the summer continues... too many games already and there's Muramasa and the new Mario RPG soon as well... arghhh!
26. JamieO
04 Sep 2009, 20:52 BST
@Omega 's comment 9 is such an perceptive idea, it is pretty much genius! Hopefully Konami think in exactly the same way.Castlevania IV Rebirth or Symphony of the Night Rebirth? (both!).
I'd like.... (deep breath)......
Axelay/Parodius/Goemon/Twinbee/Vendetta/Salamander/Sunset Riders and Sparkster Rebirth. Please !!
Konami have an awesome development history
27. Chrono Cross
04 Sep 2009, 21:03 BST
Castlevania Rebirth?
Contra Rebirth is such great news and is going to be my first download in about 8 months.
28. Devastator
04 Sep 2009, 21:26 BST
I don't think there will be another castlevania for nintendo till lord of shadows comes out for the xbox 360 and ps3. I like to know when the super mario brothers for the wii is coming out.
29. cowboy
04 Sep 2009, 21:27 BST
so is this a new contra game or a remake?
if its a ramake could you say me of witch contra?
30. JamieO
04 Sep 2009, 21:38 BST
@cowboy (comment 29) It is an all new Contra game, which is respectful to the arcade roots of previous games in the series.
Obviously I have not played it, but it looks like more of a homage and continuation of SNES Contra III: Alien Wars, than later efforts like PS2 Shattered Soldier, (both visually and in its pacing/action set pieces. However, get your spread guns and flamethrowers ready... I actually really enjoyed Shattered Soldier, which gamesTM gave a meager 5/10 in issue 1).
31. Superman
04 Sep 2009, 22:45 BST
This is just like Bomberman. Every game is exactly the same. I have the Contra for the DS, so I'm content. Why you people waste your parent's money so vigorously is beyond me.
32. irken004
04 Sep 2009, 23:26 BST
Not for me
33. Terranigma
04 Sep 2009, 23:46 BST
So we had to wait months to get Gradius ReBirth after the US got it (At a discount but still) but they get Contra ReBirth days after we get it. Harsh to Europeans
34. jbrodack
05 Sep 2009, 00:06 BST
@Jamie0 a lot of game mags are harsh to shooters that aren't Ikaruga. I liked shattered soldier too despite the many boss battles and extreme difficulty. this actually looks like what a contra sequel on playstation 1 would have been in a perfect world.
@superman I can see your point that they are very similar however for shooter/shmup fans just having new levels is reason enough to get it since "classic" contra hasn't been on home consoles in a while. Also not everyone has a DS or is spending their parents money. Some earn there money. Plus its only $10 for new contra even if it is short.
35. Stargazer
05 Sep 2009, 00:29 BST
Gradius Rebirth was fantastic, and this looks almost as awesome. Day 1 for me!
36. JJ
05 Sep 2009, 00:33 BST
Never really got into Contra. Still hoping for Castlevania Rebirth.
37. Haze4peace
05 Sep 2009, 00:38 BST
I've played the japanese version. It plays exactly like contra 3, so if you like that version, you will LOVE this new one.
38. JamieO
05 Sep 2009, 01:08 BST
@jbrodack (comment 34) I agree about Shattered Soldier's difficulty level, there was not any chancing my way through those levels, that game forced me to fully learn enemy attack patterns.
Oh, and what was with the incarcerated Bill, new character Cyborg lady (possibly a nod to the atrocity that was Euro Pal Probotector, then again probably not!) and Lance has gone bad story? I'm not sure if it was funny, or just horribly tragic!
39. Panda
05 Sep 2009, 01:42 BST
Good thing I decided not to spend my 1200 spare points on Tetris.
40. vakama94
05 Sep 2009, 01:50 BST
well i enyojed gradius rebirth(still doing loop 2), so i might download this
41. KDR_11k
05 Sep 2009, 10:11 BST
Er, the robot lady in Contra Rebirth is Brownie who appeared in Contra Hard Corps (Megadrive) before.
42. JamieO
05 Sep 2009, 11:01 BST
Cheers @KDR_11k , for filling my gap in Contra character knowledge. I am a little embarrassed to say that, despite being a Mega Drive fan, Contra Hard Corps is pretty much the only Contra game I have never played (I have not played original GameBoy Contra, either). I have played a few of its levels on the GameBoy Advance Contra, though.
Does MD Hard Corps compare favourably to SNES Contra Spirits?
I would definitely buy Contra Hard Corps if it turned up on Virtual Console.
43. Mike
05 Sep 2009, 15:58 BST
Wow, for the first time in a very very long time, I'm looking forward to Monday. It would be even better if we got SSB as well, but at least Contra: Rebirth will finally be out. I was starting to fear that it was one of those Japan only games.
Also, Castlevania: Rebirth is a great idea, to whoever said it before in an earlier post.
44. KDR_11k
05 Sep 2009, 18:04 BST
Hard Corps is what the name says: HARD. I'm not sure how it compares since I never even got past the first level but AFAIK it's regarded as a pretty good game outside of the absurdly high difficulty (the japanese version even let you take three hits before dying and was still hard, in the US version that was removed and one hit killed you!). Each of the selectable characters (including a cyborg wolf with a minigun arm!) had a different weapon selection and there was a secret ending you get by fighting a robotic Simon Belmont.
45. JamieO
05 Sep 2009, 18:32 BST
Thanks again @KDR_11k , it appears as though Konami went full throttle with the wackiness for Mega Drive ‘Contra: Hard Corps’!
I have seen the screens with the "cyborg wolf with a minigun" arm, but I did not know about the Simon Belmont boss. The developer’s creativity and imagination was working overtime on that one.
At least Konami were blatant about the game's difficulty in its sub-title.
Perhaps they should have called it ‘Konami Krazy Kruel Kontra’.
It definitely looks and sounds like fun and I would still buy it if it was on Virtual Console, even if I only got to play the first level.
46. Jave
06 Sep 2009, 00:59 BST
Looks like I have something to download this Monday.
47. vakama94
07 Sep 2009, 01:16 BST
@Jave, yeah, me too
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