Finally, I get to talk about a good video game.

Contra: Hard Corps lives up to its name. It's tough as hell and leans heavily into a 90's "hardcore" attitude that drives the pace and action of the entire game. Some of the most insane, colorful, and explosive set pieces on the Genesis are all crammed into this one little cart. You start the game plowing through enemies in an armored vehicle, which you then fly out the front window of with barely a second of respite before you need to mow down swarms of attacking bad guys, only to wrap up the game climbing to the top of an out-of-control rocket containing a grotesque alien who is actively breaking through the hull to attack you. That's assuming you stick to the main story path and get the true ending. There's an impressive amount of alternate exits and routes you can take, with a number of different endings to earn along the way. In a way, it's like a prototypical Shadow the Hedgehog, although that game doesn't let you travel back in time and marry a monkey. A rare knock against Shadow the Hedgehog, but if any game were to one-up it, it's Contra: Hard Corps.

As is the case with most Contra games, Hard Corps is best enjoyed with a friend, and each character provides enough of a difference in terms of their movement and weapon options that everyone will find one that suits them best. Personally, I really like Brownie. He's a tiny robot, which means he has the smallest hitbox, and I'm 5'6" so it's good to have representation in video games. That said, Hard Corps is good enough that if you want to play it solo, you'll still have a great time. Either way, just be prepared to die a lot. Hard Corps is absolutely brutal, but learning the game and overcoming it feels satisfying in a way that's unparalleled on the Genesis. It also throws you back in the action so fast that a game over only feels like a mere hiccup, and if you find yourself becoming frustrated with one particular route it's not asking too much to simply switch onto another.

The soundtrack is also completely off the wall. Every track is about as frenetic as it can possibly be. Hiroshi Kobayashi and his team knew their way around the YM2612, playing to its strengths, particularly in its ability to produce an incredibly grungy sound. Needless to say, it's well-suited to the action and aesthetic style of Hard Corps.

Everything about Hard Corps adds up into the best possible experience you could have with a Contra game, and it might just be one of the best run-and-guns on the Genesis to boot.