Contra ReBirth is a 2D action title developed by M2 and released as a downloadable title for Nintendo’s WiiWare in September of 2009. In it players control either Bill Rizer or Genbei Yagyu, heroes from previous Contra titles, as they battle the varied forces of Colonel Salamander with the ultimate goal of defeating him. The game takes place over five stages, each with a distinct setting and its own set of bosses and enemies.

ReBirth is an extremely fast-paced title. Players are constantly forging ahead through waves of enemies and enemy fire, fighting their way from one over-the-top set-piece to another. The first stage of the game has players fighting aliens through a spaceship before being attacked by a gigantic centipede-like boss that eventually smashes through the ship and forces players to battle it while hopping between small platforms suspended in space. Each level of the game contains this level of frenetic action, succeeding completely at keeping players entertained from start to finish.

Educationally, ReBirth’s biggest strength is in problem solving. Players need to think very quickly in order to survive throughout the game, reading the entire screen and keeping track of surrounding enemies. Each of the game’s bosses offers its own challenges, complete with attack patterns and weak points that players must discover in order to continue. Creativity is another area where the game deserves credit; while the game is quite linear, players are often free to experiment with different weapons and strategies.

Classroom Facts

Contra ReBirth is a thoroughly action-oriented title, and as such doesn’t feature any classroom facts, aside from a fairly standard scorekeeping system that rewards players with points for defeating enemies and completing stages.

Creativity & Imagination

By the Player:

Contra ReBirth is a completely linear title, featuring five stages that have players following a set route from start to finish and fairly simple mechanics throughout. Within this framework, though, a little room for player creativity does exist.

At the beginning of the game players choose from two different characters, and two additional characters can be unlocked by completing the game on various difficulties. Besides the standard gun that players begin with, there are three very distinct weapon types that can be picked up during play: one fires a wide spread, another fires missiles that home in on enemies and the third fires a laser that pierces multiple foes. Having any of these weapons offers a huge advantage to the player, and players can hold two weapon types at a time, allowing players to hold on to their favorites or save a certain weapon for a tough segment.

Besides this, ReBirth rewards players that take the time to learn its levels. Each includes a number of challenges that can be almost impossible to complete unscathed, and players that learn the placement of the game’s many traps and enemies will fare much better than those that don’t.

By the Developer:

Contra ReBirth is a faithful throwback to classic Contra games, returning to the 16-bit graphical style that the series was popularized in and including most of the same basic weapons and mechanics found in previous titles. The game includes five all-new levels, though, full of creative new challenges and boss battles. One level has players hopping through a scrolling level of the backs of robotic creatures, and another has players hanging onto a bar as they descend into a pit that is totally filled with enemies, lasers and traps. These creative bits of level design are what have always made Contra games so memorable, and ReBirth, while fairly short, manages to introduce plenty of memorable new content.

The game also includes an original soundtrack and a new story that brings together characters from different Contra games, though this story is given the backseat in short, nearly-indecipherable cutscenes between levels.

Business Skills

Business skills are not a factor of Contra ReBirth.

People Skills

ReBirth almost demands to be played cooperatively. Two players can go through the entire game together, and having two guns to deal with enemies makes things exponentially easier. While players are certainly working together in this mode, though, there really isn’t too much planning necessary. As there isn’t any friendly fire in the game, players are pretty much free to fire wildly, and players can find success whether they concentrate specifically on helping each other or not.

Problem Solving

Problem solving in Contra ReBirth is a matter of keeping track of the locations of the enemies and enemy fire that populate the screen at any moment. Much of the game has players running quickly through a stage, tackling some basic platforming challenges while firing at hordes of enemies. These sections provide basic and consistent challenge to players.

More interesting, though, are the game’s more fantastic set-pieces and boss battles, which often either contain subtle changes to the game rules or blatant, frantically paced challenges, like the stage that has players falling through laser beams or the boss battle that has players fighting while standing on speeding truck against a bullet-throwing ninja hanging from a missile. These sections all have their own kinds of tricks for players to discover, and the game is full of them from start to finish.

Simulation

Contra ReBirth is not a simulation game.

Popularity

ReBirth has received generally positive reviews since its release, with reviewers praising the title for providing memorable new levels while staying pretty faithful to Contra’s overall style and mechanics.

Controls & Options

Players can choose from a wide number of control schemes, customizing any of three Wii-compatible controllers to their liking. Three difficulties are also available at the start of the game, with a fourth being unlocked for completing the game on hard mode. Standard audio and visual settings are also included.

Tips

Contra ReBirth received an E10+ from the ESRB with a descriptor for Fantasy Violence.