History VideoGame / HardCorpsUprising

The [[ExcusePlot story]] of Uprising involves the, well, ''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin uprising]]'' in the far future against the world's current tyrannical dictatorship, [[TheEmpire the Commonwealth]], and its leader [[BigBad Emperor Tiberius]]. Leading the [[LaResistance Union Forces]] in the fight is [[DefectorFromDecadence ex-Commonwealth soldier]] Bahamut[[hottip:*:the final boss of Hard Corps]], who deserted and switched sides after realizing it was evil. His unit also consists of fellow soldiers Krystal, a young woman with considerable combat skills whose village was destroyed during a Commonwealth attack and joins the fight so nobody else would have to suffer a tragedy like hers; Harley, a boisterous guy with CoolShades and an awesome pompadour; and female samurai Sayuri, who forgoes the whole shooting thing in favor of a more [[KatanasAreJustBetter close up and personal approach to fighting]]. Of the quartet, only Bahamut and Krystal are initally available as playable characters, with the other two, as well as Tiberius' [[TheDragon right hand man]] Leviathan, available as premium [[DownloadableContent downloadable content]].

*** And then there's the following two achievements: [[SelfImposedChallenge "The definition of a warrior"]] means going through the game without picking up a special weapon.[[hottip:*:[[ExactWords Although it says nothing about actually being alive when the first 7 stages are cleared...]]]] [[NintendoHard "I'll make them pay..."]] is going through ''without dying''. To say that only God could perform these feats would be the '''understatement of the century'''.
**** [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Comicbook/Doom Better believe it, soldier!]]

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

*** Likewise, she has [[Metroid Samus' color scheme, heck even the gun is based from her Power Suit!]]

** Leviathan has a [[{{Halo}} Master Chief]] and [[NeonGenesisEvangelion EVA-01]] palette.

''Hard Corps: Uprising'' is Konami's first downloadable entry in the {{Contra}} series for XboxLiveArcade and PlaystationNetwork, despite not having the Contra name directly attached to it, although the game makes it [[NintendoHard pretty clear]] [[RecurringRiff that it is indeed]] part of the franchise. Produced by ArcSystemWorks - best known for the critically acclaimed ''GuiltyGear'' and ''{{BlazBlue}}'' series of [[FightingGame fighters]] - it's the prequel to ''Contra: Hard Corps'', the spinoff entry released on the Sega Genesis, hence the name.

Gameplay wise, ''Uprising'' combines the classic run-and-gun ''Contra'' formula - wherein you move forward mowing down hooded {{mooks}} and other dangerous opponents, picking up weapon powerups and dodging hailstorms of bullets - with the style and some of the mechanics of ''{{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 BlazBlue, as in high-res sprites, anime characters, and 3-D environments combined.

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

** One of Krystal's alternate colors gives her outfit the same scheme as [[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.

** Amanomurakumo: The sword used by Susano'o to slay Orochi, renamed Kusanagi afterward. Also a ''BlazBlue'' reference.

** 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 [[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.

* OneHitPointWonder: Leviathan starts out this way. He can also only wield one weapon at a time.

** Tiberius = Jin Kisaragi + [[StreetFighter M. Bison]]?

** The rocket-hopping part in Stage 6 is more than a passing resemblance to the fourth stage (and boss) of Contra III.

The [[ExcusePlot story]] of Uprising involves the, well, ''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin uprising]]'' in the far future against the world's current tyrannical dictatorship, [[TheEmpire the Commonwealth]], and its leader Emperor Tiberius. Leading the [[LaResistance Union Forces]] in the fight is [[DefectorFromDecadence ex-Commonwealth soldier]] Bahamut[[hottip:*:the final boss of Hard Corps]], who deserted and switched sides after realizing it was evil. His unit also consists of fellow soldiers Krystal, a young woman with considerable combat skills whose village was destroyed during a Commonwealth attack and joins the fight so nobody else would have to suffer a tragedy like hers; Harley, a boisterous guy with CoolShades and an awesome pompadour; and female samurai Sayuri, who forgoes the whole shooting thing in favor of a more [[KatanasAreJustBetter close up and personal approach to fighting]]. Of the quartet, only Bahamut and Krystal are initally available as playable characters, with the other two, as well as Tiberius' [[TheDragon right hand man]] Leviathan, available as premium [[DownloadableContent downloadable content]].

* ThisIsTheFinalBattle: "Now then, can I beat you up? '''LET'S BEGIN THE [[HouseOfTheDead FAHNAL BATTHOL]].'''"

** Level 4: CapitalCity (with a NostalgiaLevel sequence)

* ThisIsTheFinalBattle: Now then, can I beat you up? '''"LET'S BEGIN THE [[HouseOfTheDead FAHNAL BATTHOL]].'''

* ThisIsTheFinalBattle: Now then, can I beat you up? '''"LET'S BEGIN THE [[HouseOfTheDead FAHNAL BATTHOL]].'''

** In mission 5 you can hide in boxes like MetalGearSolid. The game even has similar alarm sound effects.

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