<s>
is	O
the	O
tenth	O
video	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
Contra	B-Application
series	I-Application
published	O
by	O
Konami	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Team	O
Neo	O
Kijirushi	O
,	O
a	O
group	O
of	O
staff	O
members	O
within	O
Konami	O
Computer	O
Entertainment	O
Tokyo	O
,	O
and	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
in	O
2004	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
a	O
direct	O
follow-up	O
to	O
Contra	B-Application
:	I-Application
Shattered	I-Application
Soldier	I-Application
,	O
but	O
returns	O
to	O
the	O
multidirectional	O
shooting	O
format	O
and	O
departs	O
from	O
the	O
traditional	O
scrolling	O
shooter	O
formula	O
used	O
in	O
previous	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
to	O
receive	O
an	O
''	O
M''	O
rating	O
from	O
the	O
ESRB	O
and	O
was	O
the	O
only	O
installment	O
to	O
receive	O
this	O
rating	O
until	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Rogue	B-Application
Corps	I-Application
in	O
2019	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Neo	B-Application
Contra	I-Application
once	O
again	O
returns	O
the	O
series	O
to	O
three	O
dimensional	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
this	O
title	O
moves	O
away	O
from	O
the	O
boss-oriented	O
gameplay	O
of	O
Hard	B-Application
Corps	I-Application
and	O
previous	O
32-bit	O
titles	O
in	O
favor	O
of	O
longer	O
free-form	O
shooting	O
sequences	O
that	O
are	O
inter-spliced	O
with	O
boss	O
encounters	O
;	O
in	O
this	O
regard	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
more	O
reminiscent	O
of	O
the	O
8-bit	O
and	O
SNES	O
Contra	B-Application
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
hit-ratio	O
system	O
introduced	O
in	O
Shattered	B-Application
Soldier	I-Application
has	O
been	O
kept	O
in	O
this	O
title	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
uses	O
a	O
modified	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
three-weapon	O
configuration	O
from	O
Shattered	B-Application
Soldier	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
can	O
choose	O
from	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
three	O
initially	O
available	O
weapon	O
sets	O
(	O
one	O
which	O
includes	O
the	O
famous	O
Spread	O
Shot	O
from	O
the	O
earlier	O
Contra	B-Application
games	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
missing	O
in	O
Shattered	B-Application
Soldier	I-Application
)	O
,	O
with	O
four	O
additional	O
sets	O
that	O
are	O
time-release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Type	O
F	O
configuration	O
features	O
the	O
GV	O
Laser	O
and	O
Ripple	O
Laser	O
,	O
both	O
weapons	O
from	O
Gradius	B-Application
V	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
Shattered	B-Application
Soldier	I-Application
,	O
the	O
four	O
initial	O
stages	O
can	O
be	O
played	O
in	O
any	O
order	O
and	O
be	O
replayed	O
anytime	O
for	O
higher	O
grading	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Neo	B-Application
Contra	I-Application
also	O
marks	O
the	O
return	O
of	O
the	O
time	O
limit	O
from	O
some	O
versions	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
Contra	B-Application
games	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
last	O
third	O
of	O
the	O
sixth	O
stage	O
granting	O
the	O
player	O
such	O
to	O
complete	O
the	O
mission	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
the	O
timed	O
missions	O
in	O
the	O
original	O
Contra	B-Application
where	O
the	O
player	O
loses	O
one	O
life	O
once	O
the	O
time	O
limit	O
drops	O
to	O
zero	O
,	O
the	O
entire	O
game	O
is	O
over	O
once	O
the	O
player	O
is	O
unable	O
to	O
complete	O
the	O
last	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
sixth	O
stage	O
within	O
the	O
said	O
time	O
limit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Neo	B-Application
Contra	I-Application
takes	O
place	O
during	O
A.D.	O
4444	O
when	O
the	O
Earth	O
has	O
been	O
transformed	O
into	O
a	O
prison	O
planet	O
,	O
home	O
to	O
criminals	O
and	O
political	O
rebels	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
From	O
this	O
underworld	O
society	O
rises	O
a	O
new	O
order	O
called	O
"	O
Neo	B-Application
Contra	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Carrying	O
out	O
this	O
new	O
threat	O
are	O
four	O
renegade	O
Contras	B-Application
(	O
elite	O
warriors	O
)	O
,	O
who	O
are	O
called	O
the	O
Four	O
Elite	O
,	O
united	O
under	O
the	O
command	O
of	O
mysterious	O
Master	O
Contra	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thus	O
,	O
Bill	B-Application
Rizer	I-Application
is	O
partnered	O
with	O
Genbei	O
"	O
Jaguar	O
"	O
Yagyu	O
,	O
a	O
samurai	B-Application
,	O
and	O
the	O
two	O
are	O
sent	O
to	O
Earth	O
to	O
deal	O
with	O
the	O
Neo	B-Application
Contra	I-Application
threat	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
defeating	O
the	O
Four	O
Elite	O
,	O
the	O
heroes	O
discover	O
the	O
truth	O
behind	O
"	O
Neo	B-Application
Contra	I-Application
"	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
a	O
facade	O
for	O
"	O
Project	O
C	O
"	O
,	O
a	O
plan	O
to	O
create	O
half-human	O
AI	O
from	O
Bill	B-Application
Rizer	I-Application
's	O
DNA	O
,	O
as	O
an	O
ultimate	O
weapon	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
now	O
Master	O
Contra	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bill	B-Application
Rizer	I-Application
himself	O
is	O
just	O
a	O
clone	B-Application
of	O
the	O
original	O
one	O
,	O
a	O
side-objective	O
of	O
"	O
Project	O
C	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
help	O
of	O
Mystery	O
G	O
,	O
an	O
elder	O
Contra	B-Application
operative	O
,	O
the	O
heroes	O
managed	O
to	O
defeat	O
Master	O
Contra	B-Application
and	O
put	O
an	O
end	O
to	O
"	O
Project	O
C	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bill	B-Application
Rizer	I-Application
Bill	O
,	O
the	O
supreme	O
Contra	B-Application
warrior	O
,	O
is	O
once	O
again	O
awoken	O
from	O
his	O
cryogenic	O
sleep	O
of	O
nearly	O
two	O
thousand	O
years	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
is	O
now	O
ordered	O
to	O
destroy	O
the	O
"	O
Neo	B-Application
Contra	I-Application
"	O
threat	O
,	O
a	O
new	O
organization	O
that	O
poses	O
a	O
much	O
deeper	O
threat	O
to	O
the	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
is	O
,	O
in	O
fact	O
,	O
a	O
clone	B-Application
of	O
the	O
original	O
Bill	B-Application
Rizer	I-Application
,	O
a	O
result	O
of	O
the	O
military	O
"	O
Project	O
C	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Genbei	O
"	O
Jaguar	O
"	O
Yagyu	O
A	O
samurai	B-Application
Contra	B-Application
,	O
who	O
is	O
Bill	O
's	O
new	O
partner	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
mysterious	O
dark-skinned	O
humanoid	O
alien	O
(	O
or	O
African	O
American	O
)	O
in	O
the	O
forty-fifth	O
century	O
who	O
follows	O
the	O
code	O
of	O
the	O
Samurai	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
character	O
is	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
real-life	O
black	O
samurai	B-Application
Yasuke	O
from	O
the	O
Sengoku	O
period	O
of	O
Feudal	O
Japan	O
history	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Four	O
Hell	O
Warriors	O
of	O
Neo	B-Application
Contra	I-Application
The	O
four	O
elite	O
members	O
of	O
the	O
"	O
Neo	B-Application
Contra	I-Application
"	O
organization	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Guerilla	O
Contra	B-Application
:	O
the	O
pipe-smoking	O
military	O
commander	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Plant	O
Contra	B-Application
:	O
the	O
plant/cyborg	O
hybrid	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pheromone	O
Contra	B-Application
:	O
Lucia	O
(	O
aka	O
Bionoid	O
LCR	O
)	O
,	O
who	O
once	O
assisted	O
Bill	O
during	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Contra	B-Application
:	I-Application
Shattered	I-Application
Soldier	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Animal	O
Contra	B-Application
:	O
the	O
talking	O
bull	O
terrier	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mystery	O
G	O
A	O
mysterious	O
elderly	O
Contra	B-Application
operative	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
not	O
openly	O
confirmed	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
acknowledged	O
that	O
Mystery	O
G	O
is	O
the	O
actual	O
Bill	B-Application
Rizer	I-Application
,	O
having	O
survived	O
for	O
centuries	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Master	O
Contra	B-Application
The	O
leader	O
of	O
"	O
Neo	B-Application
Contra	I-Application
"	O
and	O
a	O
threat	O
to	O
humanity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
is	O
,	O
in	O
fact	O
,	O
the	O
main	O
result	O
of	O
"	O
Project	O
C	O
"	O
:	O
the	O
ultimate	O
war	O
machine	O
,	O
a	O
bionic	O
AI	O
,	O
which	O
consists	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
Bill	B-Application
Rizer	I-Application
's	O
DNA	O
and	O
consciousness	O
combined	O
with	O
cybernetics	O
and	O
weapons	O
of	O
mass	O
destruction	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Neo	B-Application
Contra	I-Application
received	O
mixed	O
reviews	O
from	O
Metacritic	O
and	O
Gamerankings	O
.	O
</s>
