Contra ReBirth doesn't try to be groundbreaking, immersive, innovative or spectacular. And for good reason; it doesn't need to be. Modern games often try to achieve these things and, more often than not, end up dull because of it. Developers of today ought to take a look back at the ideals and philosophies of the past, if they wish to make truly entertaining games. Contra ReBirth is a perfect example, and deliberately so.
The presentation is dated (and authentic). The story is near-nonexistent. The graphics consist of low-res 16bit style sprites and backgrounds. In spite of all this, it's arguably more fun than the majority of high-budget, cutting-edge next-gen games in existence. And that's the key in all this - fun. Contra ReBirth is pure fun. I'll say it one more time. Fun. Remember that word? That people used back in the olden days?
The action in ReBirth is frenetic as ever. There's also a strong dose of "madness" present. In my personal opinion, this madness reaches its peak in Area 3, where missiles fill half the screen before a ninja and a line of exploding robot camels-- Uh. I won't spoil any more than that. But you get the idea, right?
The music consists mostly of energetic remixes of themes from previous Contra games, including the iconic first level BGM from the original game. These accompany the action supremely. What little "story" there is is presented in little slide-show interludes between levels. (The one before the final level is particularly odd.)
The game borrows a heck of a lot from previous Contra games, and certainly isn't any kind of milestone or eternal classic for the series. However, it comes highly recommended to any veterans seeking a fresh dose of Contra action, and even people who have never played a Contra before (after you play ReBirth you'll be wondering why not), as its easy difficulty setting is a nice gentle introduction to its style of gameplay.
ReBirth can be played with the Wii Remote on its side, the GameCube Controller or the Classic Controller. Control can be entirely, COMPLETELY customised in each instance. The default setting for the Wii Remote uses waggle to switch weapons, but that can be easily mapped to a button if movement pains you so much. Rumble is present, and can be switched on or off. Screen resolution and display options are also available.
Do not hesitate to buy this game.
