Contra Returns Reviews

by NiKWeb

They always have limited time sales, but it doesn’t mean a thing when a week later they decide they didn’t mean to have the items you bought at the price they advertised so they decide to take away the items and their compensation for it doesn’t even come close to the $ you paid. In short, its a bait & switch scam.
Also be warned if other players ‘allegedly’ exploit a bug, all accounts on that server will be rolled back to a level the devs deem fair, nevermind that you didn’t know of the bug let alone take advantage of it yourself and nevermind all the hardwork and money you spent on raising your stats and items in your inventory, they will be removed at the devs will with no recourse or compensation offered. Again, this company lets the players pay and play then take back whatever they want whenever they want from a players account and rollback all players on a server to what they deem to be a fair level.
The game play is loaded with tons of bugs, some being game breakers. Players getting stuck in an animation loops during a stage, the constant dropping of bluetooth controllers during play, rewards not being rewarded and on and on. Thats on top of the God awful voice acting and the script, some stages have the voice acting some don’t and almost all of it doesn’t even match the subtitles. I can really go on and on but as a level 11 VIP please don’t become me and stay away from these dishonest developers and their hot mound of garbage.

by Kingsantiago

If your not prepared to spend a couple of hundreds of dollars on this game . You shouldn’t even waste your time . It’s was fun at first but you’ll never get any of the fun weapons if your not prepared to spend some money !!! Pretty greedy for them to base everything on gems . Yeah you can play for free . But you’ll play at a disadvantage. That is why I rate it one star because of the game predatory practices. Very unethical behavior and very glitchy systems . Overall it is a very disappointing experience. Update : I contacted them through their support line inside ContraReturns . It was just terrible . The game glitched and took my diamonds . For some reason even though I showed them the screenshots of all the proof it still had to get escalated . It’s been a weeek with no response on a simple fix . How you except your fan base to keep their loyalty towards your game and keep spending money on it when your not willing give them no support . Beyond disappointed at this point .

Update : they have the worst customer service service ever !!! They’ll send your concern to the escalations department and never respond back after . Total scam game

by Vadnarr

Fun in the beginning. Then you realize the only way to keep up is spending a ton of money. Meaningful progression is lost after a few hours when the game basically forces you to make purchases. If you don’t spend you’ll fall way behind in “firepower” which is basically just your overall strength. Rather than building bases for some form of kingdom power, you’re building your soldier using every gatcha mechanic in the book. It’s shameless cash grab and it’s really depressing to see how far the art of gaming has fallen. Shallow mechanics with a moving goal post and using gambling mechanics to addict players.

Edit: Dropped to one star after terrible developer response.

Edit2: how do these developers think that repeating the same message without addressing a single concern is helping them? It only proves they’re corrupt.

by Gamer78611

Spent tons of money on ContraReturns …had items before their pricing mistake…took back those items and more…customer service lol they don’t even respond or care…apple customer service for refund sorry can’t give it to you because developer hasn’t said that they had a price issue in ContraReturns and to allow people a refund. Shady developer I wouldn’t spend a dime on this game. Customer service is a joke. Cut and paste response to all the complaints On here. Email or use the in app ticketing process they don’t know anything they ask for you to prove it? How about you give me a log of all my items so I can prove it! Or better yet do your jobs better and make sure you don’t steal items that people spent their hard earned money on like you did to me and others. 100% developer won’t give a genuine response to this message!

by Applestinks219871

When the game works it’s great and a lot of fun. However, every time it freezes after pressing start. Even after closing out ContraReturns the music continues to play and I have to restart it and close it out again before it fixes and then restart ContraReturns a third time to get it to actually load so I can play it. If they fix this issue I’ll change my review. This has actually become worse. Now I don’t have to start it a third time but every single time I want to play I have to close ContraReturns and restart it. This last time the start button wouldn’t even load. Get your act together because this is ridiculous. Also, the controller input has become worse. At first I had no problems. Now often I’ll be trying to jump forward and it will move backwards,etc. Get rid of the voice for the npc minion Ledder ASAP. It’s beyond awful. Hire a new voice actor and re-record all of his lines. I have dropped my review to one star just because of that. Fire the actor and whoever was responsible for hiring him.

by Benzence

Game has great potential but the team had ruined it. Do not waste money on this game because the dev team will never allow you to win the good items. Players can spend money to buy in game currency or anything to play gatcha, if players loose, no issue, if players win the big price, they will say it was their mistake and players were not suppose to win; they will take back the items and the purchased currency they sold to players but keep the money. Dev team would tell players to contact Apple for refund but not warrantee players can get refund successfully. In other to get away with the ‘robbery’, the team would compensate players with some low value marterials and trash gatcha boxes(nothing great or desirable items)
New players can join for fun and experience but never ever make any purchase in this game.

by Obesitor

I would like the game if nearly everything needs to be paid for. I have dropped about $100 on this game and pretty much barely scratched the tip of its features. Characters, weapons, pets and some of the challenges, you need to pay for. Almost all other games don’t demand this much money from the consumer and offer so much more in terms of content. Even if you drop a lot of money, there’s STILL no guarantee that you’ll get what you want. This is a poor example of how greedy companies monetize their game. They’ll end up killing their game because free players will have no chance. People who occasionally pay will still have no chance, and the people who drop thousands will be the only ones left. Did I mention that you can spend over a thousand dollars getting the dragons breath gun? Yup, that’s how this game is played. Spending your money gambling for a chance of getting items you need.

I don’t see this game lasting for a long time. Gacha tends to not do well in the west. It seems the developers milked all the prior countries before moving here. I’m sorely disappointed in this game. If you value your wallet, I’d suggest finding something else.

by Sgt Amazing

I guess my first lengthy review was pulled. Here is the short version: unethical micro transactions that do very little to explain how they will scam you out of money. You want that character that looks like it costs almost $100 in diamonds? Well, over $200 won’t even come close to getting you that one… VIP points are needed and $100 gets you less than the $70, which gets you 5950 out of the 400,000 you need…. I take back everything I have said about a claim I made about a few other freemium games I have played, THIS is the most blatant and unethical one I have ever played. ——— The controls are terrible as they have terrible response to touch input. Find myself not shooting, shooting in the wrong direction, and a myriad of other things frequently. The PvP is awful as the screen is tiny and with so much going on, you cannot see if you are even shooting in the right direction, or shooting at all half the time. PvP is determined by whose controller works, not skill. Someone have a bad connection? You are screwed either way. ——Actually, now that I think about it, they probably have found a way to monetize the controls…. They have monetized everything else in this game.

by Kinchi_24534

To start , my 2 star rating is solely due to the nostalgia. The game is overly complex , too much advertising , misleading sales , pay to win and pay some more. There is too much to do , writing is too small to read or understand everything, and the least attractive portion of the game for me is all the bloated unnecessary materials for upgrading every facet of the game. My breaking point was when I received "gifts" that can only be used and activated with VIP access. Lastly , I received a "diamond voucher" good for 100 diamonds. I should be able to use it wherever i want provided the loot is not behing a paywall , but when i went to purchase an upgrade for my super weapon the game said my 100 Diamond voucher was not enough to pay the 100 diamond price , instead , it referred me to the top up screen to purchase more diamonds... congratulations , you ruined one of the greatest game sagas of all time. Deleting the game and do NOT recommend downloading this game unless you are a high end card bender.

by Mark Otero

Game does so many things right. It is fun, exciting, incorporates contra’s historical heroes/villains, and has high production values. Very promising….

However, after two days of playing the game I can already experience the game progression squeezing me to pay.

The game’s pace slows considerably, and access to the “fun” slows abruptly within 2 days. I don't mind paying, but i do NOT like it when a game “pinches” me so hard to spend just so that i can progress. I would have been happy to hand over $20 to $50, but do not twist my arm so early. Get me engaged more.

by Capt Bossman

I love these types of games but most of them are to bent on money than enjoyment. What I’m talking about is the requirements of this game. First, you need internet to play, which is not listed in the description. It seems like companies and developers are constantly making this feature just to get continuous revenue from ads. They call them “on-the-go games” and you can play them “anywhere”, but really, it’s anywhere that has WiFi. I want to be able to play on my own terms without very many restrictions like these. Especially the campaign. The Original Contra games were never like that, you could play them absolutely anywhere with no restrictions or cache. They didn’t require internet. There should be an offline mode where can play without internet, but you just don’t have as many playing options. Also, if you do play multiplayer, there should be an option to play with bots, so you can train while you’re offline and therefore, test your skills against real players when you have a WiFi signal. That would be great. Please add those and you’ll earn a loyal player.

by Alphanumeric54

The contra universe is fun and it has a lot of style. This game does a great job of capturing that. Though a little slow paced for free players, it still has enough fun to keep you coming back 30 minutes a day. The base characters you get just by playing the game are great, and buying characters isn’t needed at all. The weapon system is a huge money pit, and is better off just enjoying the weapons you get, which are pretty good. As frequent as the ads are to buy things, when you realize how much you’d pay to get so little, you become less interested in spending even small amounts. It’s fun to play but there are a few things that can be done better. The auto aim will sometimes just not work at all. Coupled with terrible hit detection, it leads to some head scratching moments. When I say bad hit detection, I mean getting hit on a side of the screen you aren’t even on when the attack is made. It’s legendary just for that. TLDR: Horrible game to spend on, great to jump in a few minutes a day.

by Sandman203

I LOVED classic Nintendo contra first of all! I had very high hopes for this game. Though the game introduced SO MUCH information in the first few chapters I was able to look past it hoping that I wouldn’t have to start paying for a little while. I played for one day. The next day I didn’t have enough stamina / firepower to continue without paying. I upgraded everything I could to get enough.

The levels are short but well done. The classic contra feel is there with the same sound effects / visuals from the original.
I just needed a few more days of play to be hooked enough to pay or even just make the game $5, or $10 so I could play the entire thing. Good try guys!

by Buckle66

Yes, it’s Contra and some of it harkens back to the original console game but it’s totally a 21st century pay for play mobile game but…
Yes, there are in-app purchases that you can easily dump tons of money into to get the best of everything faster but there’s also a ton of variety to play around with but progress and updating weapons and characters will take progressively longer and longer the higher rank you achieve.
There is some side-scrolling action but it’s limited so don’t expect to bang through 4 full levels in one sitting. This is more like a builder game where you constantly have to unlock unlock unlock. One nice thing is in this game, no one can attack you (particularly when offline) and steal all your hard-earned resources.
Been playing for 100 days without spending $ so far and mostly it’s… get up in the morning, play today’s missions, and then get on with the rest of my day. It’s a nice distraction if you don’t obsess about it and don’t feel the need to keep up with the Jones.

by Geoffery23

I always say something positive before saying something negative. About a person, place, or thing created. So let’s talk Contra.
The game is fun and brings back the memories and sprit of the original game. Throw back levels, enemies, characters, and some new additions. Thanks to the developers that give the game a new birth.
On the negative. This thing is a gaming grind-ah-thong. I have been playing this game well over six months now. Doing the same thing day after day. And being teased with a carrot on stick that you might get the new character you what to try, or a new weapon. But if you don’t open your wallet and pay. Your going to grind until it gets boring. Then take a break.

To the developers. Here’s an idea(just a thought)maybe stop nickel and dime the fans of the game we your fans love and what to play.
I understand games are a tough and challenging if not expensive job to take on. And we all have bills to pay. But give them what they want. The Game. No constant overuse levels, let us try the new, characters, and weapons.

I’ll give the a product a four star rating. Because it’s a good game. Not a great one.

by T0ucH30

I’ve been playing contra since I was 5 years old on the original NES and I’ve played every iteration made of the game! From all the terrible ones to all the great ones and let me tell you this game is amazing for us old school fans! Yes it’s free to play which I usually hate but it rewards nicely with the VIP system and you don’t have to spend a lot to gain a lot! I always support devs and even thought I’ve spent a bit more than I’ve wanted to (I’m a contra super fan, so it got me) my friend has only payed once (support the developers!) and has gotten massive rewards just by doing all the daily missions there are to (and there are PLENTY others to do). It isn’t a perfect game but for a game on ContraReturns Store that’s fermium it does it’s job to us 80s and 90s kids. And if you’re from the new era and love side scroller shooters then power to you! I reccomend it to the fullest! It gets hardcore but which contra doesn’t? 7.5/10

by Muthuzala

I’ve played this game on Nintendo and I like the game play. Though there are some bugs to fix like, when you play certain modes the volume lowers, so you’ll have to start the game over. By far it’s a great game, I also like the remixed music, it gives the game a whole new fresh and retro feel. I love the new graphics as well. When I saw the release for the game and downloaded it, it took about a day for the developers to put the finishing touches on it. The multi-touch is perfect and you can customize the controls. I have the iPad Pro gen2, so playing this on a big screen is really awesome.

Ps:
don’t be mad cause you have a weak iPhone, just shut that mouth and upgrade foo.

by Jeropup

You know allot of the reviews are bad cause you have to spend money I havnt spent 1$ and it plays fine to me my only complaint is there just too much stuff to get and it’s hard or just confusing on how to get it you shouldn’t have to go through 3 steps just to get a new gun or equip it or upgrade it or you have to be at a certain level to go to the next level the old contra you just play new guns fall out of the sky and you just shoot everything that’s it some kind of game genius came up with this one cause my god there just so much stuff to do and get and buy ect ect ect like the list of things goes on forever how did anyone just sit and make this game and think all this was necessary to make a good game it was nice that they showed what to press the first few times cause I would have no idea what to do now I’m at the point of every level says my gun power is to low but I have no idea how to make it higher

by Chieftain07

As an OG Contra fan, I’ve grown up with the franchise and played them all. I was thrilled to see this brought back. So far I’m loving it. There’s tons of modes to play but I will say you really have to hit level 40 before the game opens up to you. I have not run into control issues like other people have mentioned so I suppose it could be the hardware used. Plays fine on iPhone 12 Pro though.
To the devs: energy is too stringent (or the cost to raid or run missions is too much). It halts progression to a point where you pay or (what most people will do) uninstall ContraReturns in frustration. This might also tie into the need to basically level the heck out of weapons so you can advance to the next level and continue playing story missions. I invested a bit into this game but did so smartly so I am not disappointed at anything. But I would look into more ways to earn energy because it will halt progress for a lot of players and ultimately could stifle the game. What is here is AWESOME and I look forward to what’s to come.

by Th3 D@rk Knight

I’ve only done this with a very similar game, Megaman X Dive and they are VERY similar. In so far as play options, graphics and concepts, but that piece of my childhood that is the core of games like Contra an Mega Man is what keeps me wanting to dive back in. I love that these oldies have evolved with the times and can keep me interested. Sure it’s a “gacha” but what game isn’t these days? I don’t think people want to pay a full video game price for a game on a mobile device. And it shows developers if the classics still have the clout they used to. No it’s not perfect, it needs controller support, but it’s a 5-star because it makes me want to keep playing. The best part of gacha games is that you can spend tons of money or no money and still be transported 30 years. I’ll tell you what it also did…it made me want to go back and buy all of the Contra games I never got to. It’s a quick, enjoyable laser rifle blast from the past that makes me smile.

Stop being so brutal people.

by Playtester

My excitement for this game quickly vanished when I discovered it is a pay to play Gacha game. After only a couple days of playing, the gameplay has slowed enough that I can only play for about 5 minutes before running out of stamina. So that is what I am left with, playing for 5 minutes a day or paying to play more. Very disappointing. The basic gameplay had promise, but they added way too much stuff and it is so complex and confusing I don’t even know what the value of things are or what I should be trying to do. They are constantly throwing things at you to spend money. Just sell the game for like $10 or something and let me play it when I want without having to spend money everyday.

Update: After playing for another week, more content has opened up that allows for a player to get by without spending money. Much of the pvp content will be out of reach as time goes on, without spending, but for the FTP players out there, if you don’t mind having your leveling slowed it can be a fun game.

Better guides are definitely needed. There is a bunch of stuff I still don’t understand and there is no place to look up what to do.

by Saed0521

Gameplay is good, feels like classic contra with a little mixture of contra 4 and contra rebirth. If I’m being honest though I would’ve preferred a flat rate price for the game rather than it being a freemium which I just find annoying. I’m happy this game was finally localized and I think OG contra fans like myself will be satisfied with the results. Plus I’ve read one review that complained about the controls and I just want to confirm that the controls are pretty solid, if you want a better experience than a Bluetooth controller is obviously the way to go but I think the touchscreen controls are solid.