Contra: Shattered Soldier, Sony Playstation

Konami's resurrection of its Contra series obviously meant an appearance at some point on PlayStation 2, and as of February 2003, it's available, bearing the dramatic suffix Shattered Soldier. For those old enough - lucky enough - to recall the original NES and SNES games, Contra: Shattered Soldier will jolt the old memory banks, as it offers a mix of 2D and 3D shoot 'em up action. One or two players can battle their way through a series of alien-infested stages, armed with a succession of increasingly powerful weapons, including multiple direction rifles and flame-throwers. As with its former incarnations, there are many more weapons pick-ups to collect along the way, and, joy of joys, at the close of each level, there's the inevitable big, bad boss to defeat. So far, so alien shoot 'em up/platformer - excellent, as Monty would say. The biggest difference with Shattered Soldier is the addition of a third dimension. The 2D nature of the original's gameplay is still intact - the essence of the NES/SNES Contra is still here - but the combination of 2D and 3D environments, platform-typical movements such as jumping, climbing and running, and some pacy sections featuring motorcycling and snowboarding, necessitated a third dimension to get newcomers to the Contra brand interested. Contra: Shattered Soldier should certainly please the aesthetes out there. Illustrator and artist Ashley Wood, famed for his work on the X-Men, Aliens and Star Wars comics among others, has provided a weird array of alien freaks for gamers to blow away. With a control system that's wholly accommodating to Contra veterans and novices alike, an unpretentious (by contemporary standards) storyline, and some stunningly presented villains courtesy of Mr Wood and the development team, Contra: Shattered Soldier for PS2 works a treat. Full of colour and noisily engrossing, you really should sign up for a tour before Konami get you drafted.

Buy Contra: Shattered Soldier for 7.99 GBP

Junior Sports Football
SCORE ! ! ! Play a single pick-up game or play through an entire season ! ! Choose from soccer team logos and colors, eight distinct playing fields, and thirty-six different combinations of team strategies and formations. Features : - The first Football game on PSX featuring kids at play. - Only one action button. - Learn the real rules of football while playing. - Play alone or challenge your mat...
Spy Hunter
The ancient arcade driving game Spy Hunter has finally been remade for the PlayStation generation. In case you missed out on this classic game the first time around, in Spy Hunter you drive the G-6155 Interceptor and hunt down spies. Chase down heavily armed enemy vehicles and destroy them. Spy Hunter is a fast-paced, weapon-based, action-packed racing game. The main difference between the old and...
BloodRayne 2
Released in 2003, BloodRayne followed the antics of an ambiguous anti-hero, Agent BloodRayne. Certainly at least partly human, she was endowed with various bloodthirsty vampire-like attributes, but her status as human-hungry undead freak didn't mean she was a worse person than the Nazi baddies she was up against. Between you and us, she owed more than a little to the also red-haired, violent and v...
Syberia II
Before Microids dumped its publishing arm in the UK, the company released a little known game called Syberia. It was a game that delivered traditional point-and-click gameplay inside a graphically superior adventure. It was top-notch, but sadly overlooked by many. However, the story of Kate Walker lives on in the welcome sequel that is Syberia II. Embarking on a desperate search for Hans Voralberg...
NHL Hitz 2002
Midway took up the NHL license with great gusto, giving the development to Black Box Games, along with a brief to make an innovative hockey game. Black Box took the lead from Midway's own NFL Blitz and Created NHL Hitz 2002 for PlayStation 2. Forget sports simulators, realism and strategy. This hockey game is a far cry from cry from the chapped knees and jolly hockey sticks of the English playing ...
Singstar Party
Good for a post-pub gaming session as well being a family-oriented venture, Sony London's Singstar proved popular with the masses as an innovative karaoke sim that judged and scored its players based on their pitch, rhythm and tone. At the time it was unique to the UK, but just several months later it's to be joined by the aptly named sequel, Singstar Party. The basic premise of Singstar Party is ...