We’ve seen no shortage of Contra goodness on consoles lately. Konami has delivered not only with the classic game collection, but also the wild Operation: Galuga. And indie devs have the territory covered as well, particularly with Blazing Chrome from Arcade Crew. But now we have Iron Meat from the lunatics (that’s a compliment) at Retroware Games. And, hoo boy, it’s a treat.
The plot is ridiculous, but serves as a great placeholder for the action. There’s lots of shooting action here, masterfully handled by developer Ivan Valeryevich Suvorov. And the fact you can bring along a friend and bump up the difficulty is a welcome feature. You know, like the good ol’ days.
There is hardly any fault to speak of here. The music and visuals are masterful on an old-school level, and the gameplay fits just about perfectly. It can be a bit hard going into later levels, especially on a higher difficulty. But fans of the genre will certainly welcome the challenge.
Iron Meat is a fitting snack for anyone that loves a good run-and-gun. Get the silverware and dig in! (Or don’t, your hands will suffice.)
With Iron Meat, A Scientist Is Serving Up Evil
There’s experimentation happening in the station on Tycho, involving…biometrics? So what can go wrong, eh? How about everything? After the “Iron Meat” comes alive, a scientist soon becomes overwhelmed by its effects. As a result, he’s ready to bring its infectious nature to Earth – which could mean disaster for the human race.
Enter the mighty soldiers that set out to stop him, taking on every Iron Meat threat that he throws at them. This includes human and alien beasts alike, some crafted out of…vehicles? It’s a crazy idea, but one that pays off as far as Iron Meat goes.
As mentioned above, the story, as oddball as it is, provides the gameplay a chance to shine. The controls are rock solid, feeling just like classic Contra – save for the lack of a super bomb. But don’t worry. The array of firepower at your disposal impresses. From classic lasers to a bad-ass beam gun, you’ve got plenty to obliterate enemies with. There are bonus items as well, including a generator that fires bullets around you for several seconds.
The challenge is definitely up there, especially if you bump it up. The final boss is nothing short of diabolical, on the level of Contra III: The Alien Wars’. (Well, very close anyway.) But it’s worth taking on, and Iron Meat also supports up to two players locally. So a friend can join the fray and help you beat back these biological behemoths. (Say that five times fast.)
Throw in some fun story sequences and wink-in-the-eye nods to the genre, and Iron Meat feels just right. It’s a hearty entry in the run-and-gun field, and proof that the newbies can fit right in with the vets. And with Retroware working on a Castlevania-inspired adventure for next year, the homages continue to thrive.
Grill Up a Yummy Presentation
To go along with the rock solid gameplay, Iron Meat also serves up a quality set of visuals and sound.
The graphics look like something out of the 16-bit era. Like the Contra collection and Blazing Chrome before it, it nails the look perfectly. Bosses are wonderfully (and hideously) animated. Backdrops look awesome, especially moving at a fast clip. And the enemy designs are inspired, albeit a little gross sometimes. But hey, all the more reason to blast them to smithereens, right?
As for the music, it goes for a hard rock approach, which pays off. The in-game tunes are excellent, keeping you motivated to shoot your way to victory. The sound effects are top-notch as well, particularly the monstrous noises of the Iron Meat breed. Man, they just can’t be nice, can they? I was hoping for more voice effects, but no matter.
Overall, this is yet another victory for Retroware, who previously won us over with the awesome Prison City. Make sure you add that to your play list as well.
Bon Appetit!
Even if you feel overstuffed with Contra action in this day and age, there’s always room for one more. Especially when it’s a juicy behemoth like Iron Meat.
It plays fantastically and features a presentation that would make Konami blush. For that matter, the bonus challenge – and final boss that awaits – will keep you coming back for more.
Heck, even vegans might get a worthwhile snack out of Iron Meat. That’s saying a lot.
GAMERHUB RATING: 4.5 (out of 5) JOYSTICKS
Thanks to Retroware for the review code! You can get Iron Meat on September 26th for Xbox, PlayStation, PC and Nintendo Switch!
Oh, you want more old-school reviews? Check out our coverage on Aero the Acro-Bat 2and Castlevania Dominus Collection!
