Game: "Contra 4"

Console: Nintendo DS

Developer/publisher: Konami

Genre: Action adventure

Number of players: One to two players (via wireless multiplayer)

Rated: Teen for blood and gore, fantasy violence, language

The premise: Bill Rizer and Lance Bean are up to their necks in a new alien threat. It is hard to believe that it has been 20 years since the first arcade version of "Contra" with its two heroes stopping an alien invasion in the arcade. Many sequels have occurred, and the latest is for Nintendo DS.

Game play: This game is an example of a "throwback." In a time where everything is set in 3-D, our heroes bust aliens in 2-D. Using the dual screen, we have another screen of action to contend with. Like "Contra III Alien Wars," your character is able to carry two weapons at a time. You are able to combine your weapons to bring about explosive combos. You are also equipped with an upward- firing grappling hook that brings you from the lower screen to the upper screen.

The good/bad: Twenty years down the line and the boys still always forget to bring body armor. This game is, and will always be, a one-hit wonder.a

The game is challenging, but it is not pull-your-hair-out challenging. Because of this, you will come back to beat the alien bad guys again.

Limited/shared continues ... come on now! That just means I will get really close to the end, run out of continues and resist the urge to throw my DS against a wall.

If you haven't already figured it out, the game gets easier when two people are playing. This also adds to the fun.

Tips: To unlock the challenge mode, beat the game under any difficulty. To unlock the NES version of "Contra," beat four challenges in challenge mode. To unlock the NES version of "Super C," beat eight challenges in challenge mode. To unlock the European version of "Contra," beat 12 challenges in challenge mode.

My take: As you play "Contra 4," you will probably come to the same conclusion I did. This is not a new game but a remake of the first game. The first boss was the same, as was the waterfall level. The male characters you can chose from all look and sound the same. There is also no option to turn the voices off, so every time you die you hear some stereotyped action phrase. I played the one-player mode. I probably would have beaten it the first or second time out with the help of a second player. The dual screen takes a little getting used to, especially during the boss fights. This second screen means that you have another screen filled with bullets to deal with. The "Contra" series has always been about replay value. From the challenge mode, museum mode and unlockable games, this game is a "Contra" fan's dream. I don't know if it warrants a purchase, because you can only beat the game so many times before you get sick of it.

Jeffrey Davis, of Honolulu, is a video-game enthusiast.