History VideoGame / HardCorpsUprising

''Hard Corps: Uprising'' is a downloadable entry in the ''VideoGame/{{Contra}}'' series released for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 and UsefulNotes/Xbox360. Despite not having the ''Contra'' name directly attached to it, the game makes it [[NintendoHard pretty clear]] [[RecurringRiff that it is indeed]] part of the franchise. Developed by Creator/ArcSystemWorks -- best known for the critically acclaimed ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' and ''Franchise/BlazBlue'' series of {{fight|ingGame}}ers -- it's a prequel to the original ''VideoGame/{{Contra}}'', the very first installment in the series released on arcades and [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem Famicom/NES]], as well as ''Contra: Hard Corps'', the spin-off entry released on the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis, hence the title.

* BackgroundBoss: [[spoiler:Tiberius Invictus.]]

* {{BFS}}: Courtesy of the Knight Lunata.
* BigBad: Tiberius, the leader of the Commonwealth.
* BloodKnight: Harley, Leviathan and Tiberius.

* TheDragon: Leviathan.

* TheEmpire: The Commonwealth Empire.
* EpicRocking: Would you [[HeavyMetal expect]] [[VideoGame/GuiltyGear anything]] [[Franchise/BlazBlue less]] from Creator/DaisukeIshiwatari?

* EvilLaugh: [[BigBad Tiberius]] and [[TheDragon Leviathan]].

** Krystal resembles Millia Rage. She's actually more similar to [[{{Franchise/Metroid}} Samus Aran]], at least in looks, and her gun is based on her [[PoweredArmor Power Suit]]. Krystal even has an alternate color scheme, were she looks exactly like [[MetroidZeroMission Zero]] [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Suit Samus]], and also a human equivalent to Lucia or Brownie, or a counterpart to Sheena Etranzi from ''Contra: Hard Corps''.

* FetusTerrible: Boss 5, ''Celestial Imperator''.

* KatanasAreJustBetter: Sayuri eschews the massive death-dealing rifles of her comrades in favour of a samurai's sword. Considering that, properly-upgraded, it can slice through bosses like straw and can allow for [[SwordBeam Sword Beams]], it's not entirely unjustified.

* LettingHerHairDown: Krystal does this in her ending scene.

* OneHitKill: The sole reason [[ThatOneBoss Vitus Engine]] is sometimes referred to as the [[GameBreaker Sayuri]] killer. It's last attack consists of it rolling around the rim you stand on, and if it hits you, it deals one HP of damage... and sends you flying off the platform into a pit. The only way to avoid it is to successfully hit it, something that only Sayuri has trouble with due to her limited range, especially since it keeps gaining speed with every hit which eventually makes it so quick that it's extremely difficult for her to hit it even with autofire before it hits her.

* OneWingedAngel: [[spoiler:Tiberius.]]

* ParentalAbandonment: Sayuri, [[spoiler:by Tiberius.]] Also [[spoiler: Leviathan, as seen in his backstory info during chapter 4]]

* RunningGag: Bahamut hates spiders...

* SpiderTank: Arachne. Even its Japanese name shows that!

* StylisticSuck: The voice acting direction is intentionally designed to invoke this.

* TraintopBattle: The entirety of Stage 6, including the boss battle with Arachne.

* VillainExitStageLeft: [[TheDragon Leviathan]] does this in the last part of stage 7.

* WarHasNeverBeenSoMuchFun: Applies to the game...but Harley [[BloodKnight actually believes this]].

* UnexpectedGameplayChange: In Stage 4, the boss is a flying 2D homage to ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}}'', and Stage 5 starts off as a [[Franchise/MetalGear stealth sequence]].

** In Mission 5 you can hide in boxes like Franchise/MetalGear. The game even has similar alarm sound effects.

''Hard Corps: Uprising'' is a downloadable entry in the ''VideoGame/{{Contra}}'' series released for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 and UsefulNotes/{{Xbox 360}}. Despite not having the ''Contra'' name directly attached to it, the game makes it [[NintendoHard pretty clear]] [[RecurringRiff that it is indeed]] part of the franchise. Developed by Creator/ArcSystemWorks -- best known for the critically acclaimed ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' and ''Franchise/BlazBlue'' series of {{fight|ingGame}}ers -- it's a prequel to the original ''VideoGame/{{Contra}}'', the very first installment in the series released on arcades and [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem Famicom/NES]], as well as ''Contra: Hard Corps'', the spin-off entry released on the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis, hence the title.

** Some of the enemies too. There's one who resembles a Gigafly (from ''Contra III: The Alien Wars'', ''Shattered Soldier'' and ''VideoGame/{{Contra 4}}'') that tries to "kidnap" your character by taking them away to the top of the screen.

''Hard Corps: Uprising'' is a downloadable entry in the ''VideoGame/{{Contra}}'' series released for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 and UsefulNotes/{{Xbox 360}}. Despite not having the ''Contra'' name directly attached to it, the game makes it [[NintendoHard pretty clear]] [[RecurringRiff that it is indeed]] part of the franchise. Developed by Creator/ArcSystemWorks -- best known for the critically acclaimed ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' and ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'' series of {{fight|ingGame}}ers -- it's a prequel to the original ''VideoGame/{{Contra}}'', the very first installment in the series released on arcades and [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem Famicom/NES]], as well as ''VideoGame/ContraHardCorps'', the spin-off entry released on the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis, hence the title.

Gameplay wise, ''Uprising'' combines the classic RunAndGun ''Contra'' formula -- wherein you move forward mowing down hooded {{Mooks}} and other dangerous opponents, picking up weapon {{power|Up}}-ups and dodging hailstorms of bullets -- with the style and some of the mechanics of ''VideoGame/BlazBlue''. By default, your character can sprint forward, double jump and dash in midair, which makes evading enemy fire just a tiny bit easier. In addition to the Arcade Mode's challenge of blowing through all eight stages in a single go with [[NintendoHard limited lives and continues]], there's the more manageable "Rising Mode" where you can use upgrades to your characters purchased with your hard-earned points. These range from increasing your maximum amount of starting lives and health, improving your basic mobility, instantly receiving upgraded versions of weapons when you pick up their corresponding capsules, and adding new contextual moves such as dodging during a run (and counterattacking), reflecting certain enemy shots, or busting through barricades and enemy cover.

* ArtShift: With Arc Systems at the helm, the game heavily resembles ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'', as in high-res sprites, anime characters, and 3D environments combined.

* DoomedByCanon: [[spoiler:Bahamut is the BigBad in ''VideoGame/ContraHardCorps''. [[WordOfGod The producers, however, have stated that]] he could be someone else entirely (including Bill Rizer as a possibility), only sharing the same name. Doctor Mandrake as well since he also appears as an antagonist and dies in that game, though again, it could be someone else with the same name. However, Mandrake was also mentioned as one of the people responsible for the development of Lucia before the events of ''VideoGame/ContraShatteredSoldier''. If Leviathan being Lance Bean is an indication, then he is KilledOffForReal as a TragicMonster during the events of ''Shattered Soldier''.]]

* EpicRocking: Would you [[HeavyMetal expect]] [[VideoGame/GuiltyGear anything]] [[VideoGame/BlazBlue less]] from Creator/DaisukeIshiwatari?

** Krystal resembles Millia Rage. She's actually more similar to [[{{Franchise/Metroid}} Samus Aran]], at least in looks, and her gun is based on her [[PoweredArmor Power Suit]]. Krystal even has an alternate color scheme, were she looks exactly like [[MetroidZeroMission Zero]] [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Suit Samus]], and also a human equivalent to Lucia or Brownie, or a counterpart to Sheena Etranzi from ''VideoGame/ContraHardCorps''.
** Harley is a combination of Potemkin and Johnny (appearance-wise). He also seems to designed as a fully human version of Brad Fang, from ''VideoGame/ContraHardCorps''.
** Leviathan is Ky Kiske, Chipp Zanuff, and Lance Bean combined. He also resembles Deadeye Joe, from the original ''VideoGame/ContraHardCorps''. Both have lower parts of their faces obscured by their masks, both are chased by the player, both have NobleDemon tendencies, and both fight against the player character, personally, and inside a {{Mecha}}.
*** He's quite similar to [[VideoGame/BlazBlue Jin Kisaragi]] too. Both are sometimes at least a bit [[AxeCrazy crazy]], had a deep bond with one of the characters, that was broken(Ragna/Bahamut), and consider themselves kind-off the good guy, at least in the begining, despite being on the definitely wrong side of the conflict. Their faces and hair are also definitely similar.

** Appearance-wise Tiberius resembles [[VideoGame/MegaManX4 Colonel]] (his outfit), and [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/NeoContra Master Contra]]]] (his facial hair and features). Ironically, he also plays [[spoiler: [[HeWhoFightsMonsters Baha]][[FallenHero mut's]] role in the original ''VideoGame/ContraHardCorps'']], up to the point where Tiberius even ''resembles'' [[spoiler: ''Contra: Hard Corps'' Bahamut]] visually, for example both having long hair and having a stache, as well as both wearing military uniforms and capes.

** Some of the enemies too. There's one who resembles a Gigafly (from ''VideoGame/ContraIIITheAlienWars'', ''Shattered Soldier'' and ''VideoGame/{{Contra 4}}'') that tries to "kidnap" your character by taking them away to the top of the screen.

** 573-Draconis from the end of stage 3, seems to be based on the blue battleship/submarine boss from the begining of the second stage in ''VideoGame/ContraShatteredSoldier''. It also resembles the TIM Gunboat in ''VideoGame/NeoContra''.
** The Lux Corona resembles a combination of Rocket Ninja Sasaki (from ''VideoGame/ContraRebirth'') and Great Awakening Robo Big Fuzz.
** Arachne, the transforming black robot from stage 6, looks, and behaves like a [[CompositeCharacter combination of]] Super Power Robot Yokozuna from ''VideoGame/ContraHardCorps'' and ''VideoGame/ContraShatteredSoldier'', and the Heli-Robot from the beginning of stage 6 in ''Shattered Soldier''. It also bears uncanny resemblance to Babalu Destructoid Mechanism, the mini-boss in ''Super Contra'' and ''Shattered Soldier''.

** One of Krystal's alternate colors gives her outfit the same scheme as [[VideoGame/BlazBlue Noel Vermillion's]]; combined with the fact that her rifle looks a lot like Noel's "Zero Gun: Fenrir" Distortion Drive, this is most likely not coincidental.

** It wouldn't be from ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'', but the male character has Bang's color scheme. Likewise, Bang has a ''Hard Corps'' outfit as well.

** To put this in perspective, imagine you're riding on the top of a train car. Suddenly, you enter a tunnel, and when you come out of it the view has changed to you grabbing on the car for dear life as the camera switches vertically. Then this big mecha comes in, sending out mechanical BEES like his [[VideoGame/BlazBlue namesake]]. While it's doing this it's charging up a laser that causes the entire line of cars you're holding onto to explode. You need to dodge both the bees and the lasers while jumping to the set of cars opposite you. Woe to anyone playing Harley at this point.

* RatedMForManly: Harley is the most obvious example of this trope, being a sunglasses-wearing BadassBiker with a thick beard and EightiesHair.

* FallenHero: Leviathan.

* FiveManBand:
** TheLeader: [[TheHero Bahamut]].
** TheLancer / TheChick: Sayuri and Krystal.
** TheSmartGuy: Dr. Mandrake.
** TheBigGuy: Harley.

* HeroesPreferSwords: Sayuri, who wields a katana that can produce [[SwordBeam energy waves]].
** Inverted with [[BigBad Tiberius]], who also wields one.

* IJustWantToBeNormal: Krystal.

** Tiberius also wields one. [[spoiler: It's one of the hints that he's Sayuri's father.]]

* LaResistance: The Union Forces.