Contra sequel with top-down two-player view, tribute to franchise classics. Varied weapons, colossal bosses and Contra's characteristic high difficulty are present. An enjoyable frantic shooter for franchise fans and fans of hard arcade games.
Your verdict
Category
Shooter2 players16+
Co-op
Description
A Konami and KCET run-and-gun released in 2004 (Europe, US, Korea, Japan), a direct sequel to Shattered Soldier (PS2). Bill Rizer returns to fight an alien invader in a mix of 2D and top-down perspectives, with signature Contra franchise weapons. Tense combat and local co-op. A solid final brick of the branch.
Neo Contra review
3/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Polished"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Engaging"
Difficulty
"Punishing"
A top-down view for this offbeat entry, but the philosophy holds: frantic action, oversized bosses and stern grading that judges your accuracy on every stage. Choosing your trio of weapons and reading the assaults dictate success far more than brute force. Harsh but clear, it extends the Contra tradition and satisfies fans of arcade action with no downtime.
The Korean version of Neo Contra, a Konami and KCET run-and-gun, a direct sequel to Shattered Soldier blending 2D action and varied perspectives in a brisk, demanding format. Highly appreciated by Contra series fans, this entry sees its Korean run rarer than the Western and Japanese editions. Desirability blends the cult status of the Contra lineage with the scarcity of the local pressing.
Memorable bosses
Seen from above, this entry pushes excess to its limits: speeding trains, flying fortresses and titanic creatures rise one after another. Surviving means reading swarms of projectiles and hammering weak points without let-up. Flamboyant and deliberately over-the-top, it turns every encounter into a jubilant deluge.
Is Neo Contra still worth playing in 2026?
A run and gun from Konami, Neo Contra adopts a tilted top down view to extend the cult series, stringing together enemy waves, oversized bosses and swappable weapons at a frantic pace and a fearsome difficulty. The snappy venting, the readability of the action and the co-op mode stay enjoyable for genre fans. The short length and a divisive change of perspective weigh. A demanding run and gun for fans of old fashioned snappy shooting and the faithful of the Contra saga.
