They weren't joking when they said Contra will finally go back to its roots and bring us all the things we loved about the 2D side-scrolling shooter. As fans of Bill Rizer and Lance Bean, just imagine our surprise when Konami announced Contra 4 for the Nintendo DS back in June. It was to be developed by WayForward Technologies, known for the facepalm inducing Ping Pals, but we did not lose hope.

We heard little about this upcoming game and the wait was getting difficult to bear, yet we hanged onto Konami's word of making Contra fun again in celebration of the series' 20th Anniversary. Then Contra 4 got a release date. Soon, November 13 came and we grabbed a copy as soon as we found one. Plugged it in, turned the DS on, and the opening screen quickly told us: this is the real deal.

Just like what we grew up with, Contra 4 is that solid, old-school, action-packed game for those in need of a challenge. The story this time is what you'd expect from a Contra title: straightforward, simple, and downright manly. Alien overlord Black Viper decided to attack our beloved planet Earth, and you have to use badass guns to blast them out of our homeland.

Since this is a Contra game, don't expect the plot to be gripping or mind-blowing. We're talking tough-as-nails, run-and-gun shooting here, so turn back if you're not up to progressing slowly due to constant deaths. Excruciating yet addictive gameplay is where Contra shines, and this instalment is testament to that.