Hard Corps Uprising
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''Hard Corps: Uprising'' is a run and gun
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developed by
Arc System Works , commonly referred to as ArcSys, is a Japanese video game developer and publisher located in Yokohama. Founded by Minoru Kidooka in 1988, the company is known for arcade 2D fighting game franchises, including ''Guilty Gear'' and ''BlazBlue'', a ...
and published by
Konami , is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company, video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machin ...
for the
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and the
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. The game was released digitally on
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on February 16, 2011 and on the
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in March 2011. In ''Hard Corps: Uprising'', the player assumes the role of an elite soldier simply called Bahamut, along with other main characters. Konami has added three additional player characters (Sayuri, Harley Daniels, and Leviathan) via
downloadable content Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enablin ...
. ''Hard Corps: Uprising'' is the thirteenth overall installment in the ''Contra'' series and serves as a prequel to both '' Contra: Hard Corps'' and the original game. Producer Kenji Yamamoto has said that the intention is to "link
he game He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
to ''Contra: Hard Corps''" and "make 'Uprising''into a brand new franchise", taking inspiration from the previous ''Contra'' installments.


Gameplay

''Hard Corps: Uprising'' features two main game modes, Rising and Arcade. In Rising Mode, players can collect points throughout levels which are then used to purchase various upgrades and customization for weapons, armor and character abilities. Both modes also feature a health bar, similar to the Japanese release of ''Contra: Hard Corps'', allowing the player to take more than one hit before losing a life. Arcade Mode is a more difficult game mode in which the power-up shops are removed. Many new moves have been added. The character can dash, dash in mid-air, double-jump and deflect enemy projectiles by bouncing them back. Additional moves can also be purchased in Rising Mode. Weapons include the standard rifle, the machine gun, the spread shot, the crash gun (shoots arcing grenades), the ripple gun (acts like a force field when sprinting), the heat gun (shoots large blasts of fire), the chain laser (homes in on enemy targets) and the Katana (unleashes a wide arc of energy onto the targets). As in '' Contra III: The Alien Wars'', the player can carry two weapons and switch between them at any time. By collecting the same weapon several times the player will improve its firing rate and power. Other weapon upgrades are available in Rising Mode as well. ''Hard Corps: Uprising'' can be played in local or online 2-player
co-op A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-control ...
.


Plot

In 2613, twenty years before the events of the original ''Contra'', the world is ruled by an empire known as the Commonwealth, under the reign of Tiberius. Neighboring nations have suffered under the Commonwealth's oppression and resistance forces rise across the land. However, so many resistance fighters have fallen to the overwhelming might of the empire, that their strength is now severely diminished. A group of elite soldiers rise through the ranks of the resistance and band together to execute a desperate plan. The leader of this group is the war hero Bahamut.


Characters

* Bahamut - Once a soldier of the Commonwealth army, he turned on his comrades after witnessing an imperial squad execute innocent people. He shares his name with the main antagonist from '' Contra: Hard Corps'', but the producers have said it could also be a different Bahamut. He could be seen as the equivalent of Bill Rizer of other ''Contra'' games. * Krystal - A woman with seemingly no previous combat experience. However, after her hometown is attacked by imperial forces, she decides to join Bahamut. She wears an eye patch on her right eye and is one of the fastest characters of the game. * Harley Daniels - A bike-riding soldier sporting an extreme pompadour hairstyle. He has an extremely solid and confident personality, nothing can stop him as he loves to rock things up on the battlefields. * Sayuri - A samurai who wears a kimono and sugegasa. She's extremely powerful compared to the other characters. It is later revealed in the game that she is Tiberius's adopted daughter and that her only motive was to take revenge on him for abandoning Sayuri and her mother. Second character in the ''Contra'' series to wield
Katana A is a Japanese sword characterized by a curved, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. Developed later than the ''tachi'', it was used by samurai in feudal Japan and worn with the edge fa ...
. * Leviathan - Bahamut's former friend and rival when he was still in the Commonwealth. He sets out to find out why his friend betrayed the empire. He commands his own special
mecha In science fiction, or mechs are giant robots or machines controlled by people, typically depicted as humanoid walking vehicles. The term was first used in Japanese (language), Japanese after shortening the English loanword or , but the mean ...
s known by its first name "Knight" (English dub only). He is an equivalent of Lance Bean who is a former friend of Bill Rizer before '' Shattered Soldier''. * Geo Mandrake - An elite scientist for the Commonwealth who works in a secret weapons research facility and joins forces with Bahamut in order to protect his wife and daughter from the tyranny of the Empire. He is held hostage in the capital laboratory and has to be escorted to the exit. * Tiberius - The ruler of the Commonwealth calls himself the "Emperor" and has built his empire by invading neighboring nations. He organized his Death Squad to eradicate enemy armies. He is also revealed to be Sayuri's adoptive father through her story. He is a counterpart to both Master Contra in ''
Neo Contra is the tenth video game in the Contra (series), ''Contra'' series published by Konami. It was developed by Team Neo Kijirushi, a group of staff members within Konami#Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo, Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo, and re ...
'', and the Chief Salamander in '' Contra ReBirth''.


Development and release


Audio

The game's soundtrack is composed by
Daisuke Ishiwatari is a Japanese video game developer, illustrator, musician, composer and voice actor. He is best known for creating the 2D fighting game series ''Guilty Gear''. He designed the characters and storyline, and wrote the music. He also provides the ...
.


Reception

''Hard Corps: Uprising'' received "generally favorable reviews" on both platforms according to the
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website
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. ''
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'' and ''
Official Xbox Magazine ''Official Xbox Magazine'' (or OXM for short) was a British monthly video game magazine which started in November 2001 around the launch of the original Xbox. A preview issue was released at E3 2001, with another preview issue in November 2001. Th ...
'' gave the game a favorable review while it was still in development. Daemon Hatfield of ''
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' said, "If you've ever been into ''Contra'' or ''Metal Slug'' or action movies, ''Hard Corps: Uprising'' is for you." He criticized Arcade Mode for being too punishing but praised Rising Mode for its upgrade system which decreased difficulty for players. He also praised the detail and art direction of the game, enjoying the anime feel of the game and the many things happening in the background (like the giant snake boss moving in the background in Level 1). Nathan Meunier of ''
GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
'' said, "If the unmistakable opening prog-metal guitar riff and the frenzy of bullets that erupt from the get-go aren't a dead giveaway, the game's sadistic difficulty should be enough to jog your memory." His main issue was the brutal gameplay and multiple cheap shots encountered during the game. He advises players that they should not go solo unless they are hard core players. He too praised the art style, saying "The beautiful hand-drawn art style has a pleasant anime vibe that updates the otherwise classic run-and-gun gameplay. Not only does each stage offer a stark visual contrast from the previous one, but they also throw in new and unexpected twists that break up the flow." ''Contra Central'' said it's highly creative game that changes constantly and keeps the player awake. They also pointed that hand-drawn art style, which has a pleasant anime vibe, gives new life to classic run-and-gun gameplay. Since its release, the Xbox 360 version sold 71,042 units worldwide by the end of 2011.


References


External links

* {{Portal bar, Video games 2011 video games Arc System Works games Cooperative video games Contra (series) Multiplayer and single-player video games PlayStation 3 games PlayStation Network games Video game prequels Video game spin-offs Video games developed in Japan Video games featuring female protagonists Video games scored by Daisuke Ishiwatari Video games set in the 27th century Video games with 2.5D graphics Xbox 360 Live Arcade games