Software:Hard Corps: Uprising

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Short description: 2011 video game
Hard Corps: Uprising
Hard Corps: Uprising
Hard Corps: Uprising cover art
Developer(s)Arc System Works
Publisher(s)Konami
Director(s)Hideyuki Anbe
Producer(s)
  • Hiroyuki Chiwata
  • Kenji Yamamoto
Designer(s)Hideyuki Anbe
Programmer(s)Yuji Ota
Artist(s)Daisuke Ishiwatari
Writer(s)
  • Seiji Fukumoto
  • Hideyuki Anbe
  • Daisuke Ishiwatari
Composer(s)Daisuke Ishiwatari
SeriesContra
Platform(s)
ReleaseXbox 360
February 16, 2011
PlayStation 3
  • JP/NA: March 15, 2011
  • PAL: March 23, 2011
Genre(s)Run and gun
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Hard Corps: Uprising is a run and gun game developed by Arc System Works and published by Konami for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. The game was released digitally on Xbox Live Arcade on February 16, 2011[1] and on the PlayStation Network in March 2011.[2] 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.

Hard Corps: Uprising is the thirteenth overall installment in the Contra series and serves as a prequel to both the original game and Software:Contra: Hard Corps. Producer Kenji Yamamoto has said that the intention is to "link [the game] to Contra: Hard Corps" and "make [Uprising] into a brand new franchise", taking inspiration from the previous Contra installments.[3]

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 Software: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.

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 Software: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.
  • 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 mechas 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, and the Chief Salamander in Contra ReBirth.

Development and release

Audio

The game's soundtrack is composed by Daisuke Ishiwatari.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
PS3Xbox 360
1Up.comN/AC−[8]
EdgeN/A7/10[9]
EurogamerN/A7/10[10]
Game Informer9/10[11]9/10[11]
GameProN/AStarStarStarHalf star[12]
GameRevolutionN/AA−[13]
GameSpot7/10[14]7/10[15]
GameTrailersN/A7.9/10[16]
GameZone8/10[17]N/A
IGN8.5/10[18]8.5/10[19]
OXM (US)N/A7.5/10[20]
PSM7/10[21]N/A
MetroN/A7/10[22]
Aggregate scores
GameRankings75%[4]76%[5]
Metacritic76/100[6]75/100[7]

Hard Corps: Uprising received "generally favorable reviews" on both platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[6][7] Game Informer and Official Xbox Magazine gave the game a favorable review while it was still in development.[11][20]

Daemon Hatfield of IGN 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).[18][19] Nathan Meunier of GameSpot 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."[14][15] 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.[23]

Since its release, the Xbox 360 version sold 71,042 units worldwide by the end of 2011.[24]

References

  1. ↑ Larry Hryb (February 8, 2011). "Xbox LIVE Arcade House Party details and dates". Microsoft. https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2011/02/08/xbox-live-arcade-house-party-details-and-dates/. 
  2. ↑ Daemon Hatfield (June 3, 2010). "E3 2010: (Contra) Hard Corps Preview". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/06/03/e3-2010-contra-hard-corps-preview. 
  3. ↑ Spencer Yip (August 26, 2010). "Hard Corps: Uprising Interview On Game Balance And The Arc System Works Connection". Gamurs. https://www.siliconera.com/hard-corps-uprising-interview-on-game-balance-and-the-arc-system-works-connection/. 
  4. ↑ "Hard Corps: Uprising for PlayStation 3". https://www.gamerankings.com/ps3/997473-hard-corps-uprising/index.html. 
  5. ↑ "Hard Corps: Uprising for Xbox 360". https://www.gamerankings.com/xbox360/997471-hard-corps-uprising/index.html. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Hard Corps: Uprising for PlayStation 3 Reviews". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/hard-corps-uprising/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-3. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Hard Corps: Uprising for Xbox 360 Reviews". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/hard-corps-uprising/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360. 
  8. ↑ Matt Clark (February 16, 2011). "Hard Corps: Uprising Review (Xbox 360)". Ziff Davis. http://www.1up.com/reviews/hard-corps-uprising-review. 
  9. ↑ Edge staff (February 16, 2011). "Hard Corps: Uprising Review (X360)". Edge (Future plc). http://www.next-gen.biz/features/hard-corps-uprising-review. Retrieved April 22, 2023. 
  10. ↑ Kristan Reed (February 18, 2011). "Download Games Roundup (Page 3)". Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/download-games-roundup-review-35?page=3. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Bryan Vore (February 8, 2011). "Hard Corps: Uprising Review". Game Informer (GameStop). https://www.gameinformer.com/games/hard_corps_uprising/b/ps3/archive/2011/02/08/hard-corps-uprising-review-everything-a-contra-fan-could-ask-for-except-the-name.aspx. Retrieved April 22, 2023. 
  12. ↑ Terry Terrones (February 16, 2011). "Hard Corps: Uprising (X360)". GamePro (GamePro Media). http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/218248/hard-corps-uprising/. Retrieved April 22, 2023. 
  13. ↑ Blake Morse (April 22, 2011). "Hard Corps: Uprising Review (X360)". CraveOnline. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/51189-hard-corps-uprising-review. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Nathan Meunier (March 28, 2011). "Hard Corps: Uprising Review (PS3)". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/hard-corps-uprising-review/1900-6306204/. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Nathan Meunier (February 14, 2011). "Hard Corps: Uprising Review (X360)". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/hard-corps-uprising-review/1900-6298912/. 
  16. ↑ "Hard Corps: Uprising Review (X360)". Viacom. February 24, 2011. http://www.gametrailers.com/gamereview.php?id=13427. 
  17. ↑ David Sanchez (April 5, 2011). "Hard Corps: Uprising Review (PS3)". https://www.gamezone.com/reviews/hard_corps_uprising/. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Daemon Hatfield (March 16, 2011). "Hard Corps: Uprising Review (PS3)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2011/03/16/hard-corps-uprising-review. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Daemon Hatfield (February 17, 2011). "Hard Corps: Uprising Review (Xbox 360)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2011/02/17/hard-corps-uprising-review-2. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Hard Corps: Uprising". Official Xbox Magazine (Future US): 74. January 2011. 
  21. ↑ "Review: Hard Corps: Uprising". PlayStation: The Official Magazine (Future plc) (45): 84. May 2011. 
  22. ↑ David Jenkins (February 17, 2011). "Hard Corps: Uprising knows the score – games review (X360)". Metro (DMG Media). https://metro.co.uk/2011/02/17/hard-corps-uprising-games-review-639524/. 
  23. ↑ "Hard Corps: Uprising". 26 July 2019. https://contracentral.com/hard-corps-uprising/. 
  24. ↑ Ryan Langley (January 20, 2012). "Xbox Live Arcade by the numbers - the 2011 year in review". Informa. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/xbox-live-arcade-by-the-numbers---the-2011-year-in-review. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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