I had to use codes for this game like I do for every other Contra every made (except maybe the first one. However, wiping the difficulty out of the way for a moment, I have to say that I don't know why other people don't like this game more. Honestly, I think it might be my favorite Contra (though I do need to play Shattered Soldier). Getting to pick from four different characters at start is great. I really like that they each have their own specialness to them. The humans (a man and a woman) are about the same, though they still have different weapons and angles and reaches. There's a little robot named Brownie who my freind Lester likes to play as. This Robot's normal height is about as tall as everyone else's duck. When he ducks he's even shorted that that. He's pretty cool. However, my favorite's name is Fang. Fang is basically an anthropomorphic red/brown wolf with a metalic arm with a bigass cannon on it. He also wears sunglasses. What more could you want?

To answer that very simple question, let me refer you to the difficulty. Having difficulty settings would have been nice, in all honesty, because Contra games (like Ghost and Goblins games), are hard as hell. Keep in mind, I wasn't playing with the best of controller, but I could barely beat the first final boss of the game. The game tosses two "mini-bosses" at you before you get to him, but they are pretty tough themselves. Heck, the first of them can actually kill you with his plot-driven final move. It's really nice for gameplay, but I wish the characters had lifebars or something. Beyond that, I think a game such as Contra could benefit from a couple more levels. Please note, I was playing with codes (as I said), and it took me a fair amount of time. But since I don't really feel the average person can just beat a Contra game, I think making it longer for us code-users would be nice.

Those minor things asside, I have to say that I like the plot, and getting to pic your own path. Reminds me a bit of the older Castlevania games in that respect. You get to pick from two sets of paths, even if they do giveway to mostly the same levels. However, it should be noted that you get two completely different endings depending on your last choice, not just a variation of the same ending. It's rather nice. Also, the sprite-scaling, in-game plot scene action, and all around storyboarding was very nice. I know in previous Contras you mainly get your Rambo-guy and run like hell through the levels, blasting anything in your way. It was nice to really have a plot, even if I was lost from not having played through Super C and Contra 3: The Alien Wars.

That said, I'm going back to play the previous Contra's now, I I liked this game a lot. Good level design, good gameplay (like hitting a button to fire in all directions while standing still), excellent bosses, kickass action, and really nice character design. I have to say, it prettymuch rocked.

The Emulation Man gives Contra: Hard Corps an 8.4 out of 10.

Before you begin your quest into the wonderous world of Metroid Fusion, let me ask you a simple question: Do you think Metroid can go 3D? Well, if you answered no, and if you didn't like Metroid Prime (even if it was a Tour De Metroid Force), then this game is by far exactly what you're looking for. I was happy that Samus looked so good in Metroid II in comparison to the original, and I remember thinking Super Metroid was the greatest 2D action game ever--and it is still, by far, one of the very bests. Well, unlike some of my freinds, I haven't played all through Metroid Prime. I was all about getting my Fusion game on, and I have to say, not only was I not disapointed, I now have a new game to call "Greatest 2D Action Game Ever!", and beleive me, I highly doubt I'm exagerating. I've played Super Metroid, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, many a Contra, Mario, Mega (even MMZ) and anything else: This game kicks all thier asses. All of them.

However, before I go off on what's good in the game and why, I'm going to stop myself. You see, I'm planning a full review, spoilers or no. For now, I'm writing this to anyone who hasn't yet played this game, or wasn't sure if they should buy it. If you're a Metroid Fan, then you shame yourself by not already owning this game. If you're looking for an excellent GBA game (well...more than excellent, really), then this one's for you. In fact, I can't think of many gamers without a reason to play this game. The sound is excellent, the graphics are awesome, the play control has never been this tight, the level design never been this huge or unique, and never in a video game series I can name has a sequel ever kicked it's predisesor's ass so damn hard. Some games are just meant to stay in two dimensions, and I surely hope Metroid 5 is just as rewarding or more. I still need to play Prime, and there is a "Prime 2" (tentative title) coming, and even a Metroid Movie, but I could almost care less—this game just so very rocks.

If I could conclude on somewhat of an even higher note, I should say that this game also has one major thing that no pervious Metroid has had: Story. I don't mean an excellent lead-up plot, and then really good gaming...that would go to Super Metroid. No, this game is fill with internal missions, conversations with the main computer, plot-thickening, SA-X confrontations, and all manner of other evil plot devices. There's one involving a previous Samus badguy and all, but my favorite device involves an elevator. I'll say no more than that. :)

The Alpha-Numeric Metroid sucks out a 10.45 out of 10
That's a 10 + 1 Bonus + 1 Bonus + 1 Bonus + 1 Bonus + .5 Bonus

Before I begin, I should state that I have been playing Sim City since the very first game in the series...on the Super Nintendo. I didn't begin with the Computer version of this game until I found out about Sim City 2000. The reason I state this up front is because you may not see a point in going out and playin' Sim City 4 if you haven't been playing the game from the beginning of the series. Well, I'm here to tell you that Sim City isn't a series. It is mearly a re-invetion of the same kind of game model: recreating a living, breathing city in unbeleivable detail and depth. Sim City 4 is, amazingly, able to do this better than any of the previous since apparently Maxis has figured out what it is Sims do for a living ala The Sims. Now the game appropriately has an even closer look at what your citizens feel, how they act, and why they do the things they do.

Basically, I'd always felt as if Sim City 3000 wasn't exactly a step forward in the series. It was missing some detail and understanding as to why things went the ways they did. It added in new ways for roads to connect up, but once you'd learned about the cheat to make money no object, it became harder and harder not to use said cheat. The game was easy, yet it wasn't very complex. Heck, none of the Sim City games were really complex, but at least 2000 let you make up your own terrain instead of random generating it, and the game seemed a bit more balanced with what did what. Sim City 4 re-invents the whole game from the ground up. You can build Streets and Roads...Roads being for higehr traffic areas. Every type of road or rail can connect up like it could before, but it can also do it much better at 45° angles. You don't need every type of Zone in any one city now because of Region Play.

Region Play is what I'd hoped for in Sim City 3000 and never got. Basically, isntead of starting with a city in this game, you start with a Region...a landscape with many cities within it. These can each connect to each other like they could in the previous games, but in Sim City 4, you can actually load up your neighbor cities and connect to them. If you deside to take on some expenses by buying power from a nearby city in order to keep your polution seperate, then when you load up the other city, you'll be getting income for the selling the power. The roads, rails, highways, subways, and even bus terminals all connect between each city. In fact, building up airports in cities next door isn't going to help the traffic much—they could just drive there. You'll want airports to connect cities that aren't next to each other in the Region.

But more on the personal level, just looking at your city gives you all kind of feedback, so long as you know what you're lookign for. See that someone's yard is kind of brown? Maybe their place isn't watered. See a pickup in the driveway? Maybe they don't get a lot of income...not when you can see other Sims elsewhere driving Corvettes. If you see a clothsline out back instead of a swimming pool, maybe you're Sims aren't making enough money. Maybe they aren't in reach of a school so that they can get a better education. See Sims fighting it out, see kids toilet-papering trees, see a chalk outline in a backyard? Maybe your crime's to high, goof-ball!

Icing on the cake is that this game has a full God Mode for creating landscapes and tossing disasters out at the city—both in creation and during play. Hooking up with other cities has never been easier—I have some cities that are exclusively one type of Zone...I have whole Residential neighborhoods, full Industrial locations, and even a small city made entirely of Comercial. It's nice to be able to set up cities to depend on each other. Sure, you can still build them so that they can stand alone, but now that you have so much more space, why would you? I like plopping in one of My Sim's from The Sims and watch them drive around town to work or home, or hear about the stuff going on in their lives. They tell you about crime, not being able to get to schools, and how long it takes the fire department to get to their house—don't worry, they'll praise you as well. It's really quite useful.

All in all, building a city has never before been this fun. If you get something out of watching a road system that works (and when it lines with buses, you'll get that feeling), or seeing houses turn into skyscrapers because your Sims are just so damn smart, you get some kind of special enjoyment out of it. Because of all the detail laided down within the city, and at the highest zooms, there's just so much to get out of this game-beware it's decently high system requirements, because when the game starts trying to keep track of upwards of 80,000 Sims, even my 1.545GHz machine starts seeming just a bit slower. I think that's pretty cool, myself—I need a new video card, though. Mine just can't push the pollys that much—Radion 7200.

The Omnipitant Mayor Rates this game a 9.8

Don't forget to Download the Patch! It's very helpful, and there's a second one coming. I should say, the only marks off for this game come from the descructions of major intersections. Sometimes the game destroys additional roads and rails you hadn't meant it to...and sometimes the land looks level enough to build certain intersections, but the game will disagree. I imagine this will be fixed in Patch 2 that's coming out soon. Or, for that matter, Expansion Packs. Maxis, if you're listening: I want one-way streets and an Undo button...or at least some way to only demolish the roads or rails under a highway, instead of the roads or rail and the highway. ::nods::