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Desert Storm is a Contra clone similar to Super Contra 7, made by Waixing possibly around 1996. It's also featured on some Subor famiclones, but it's unknown whether it was released as a single cart.

Overview[]

Desert Storm (Waixing) (Unl)-1

The gameplay is quite similar to other Contra games. It contains 4 stages that are each divided into 2 sections, with levels 1, 2 and 4 having a bossfight inbetween. The game also boasts an options menu letting you adjust the difficulty and the number of lives you start with (if you select 0, the player will automatically get a Game Over). Some graphics were lifted from Super Contra 7, and possibly from other Contra games, as well as from another Konami game Rush 'n Attack.

Weapons and powerups[]

The game features four different powerups: Machine Gun (L), Laser Gun (F), Barrier (B) and Spread Gun (S), which is the default gun. Of note is that the letters for the Machine Gun and the Laser Gun are incorrectly assigned in the game. Every weapon has unique characteristics: the Machine Gun functions virtually the same as in Contra or Super C, the Spread Gun is much less powerful but is semi-automatic, whereas the Laser Gun works more alike to the Machine Gun, with small bundles of lasers firing in succession but having a much shorter range than the Machine Gun. In return, it has the highest damage output of all weapons.

Stages[]

As mentioned before, the game features four stages with certain gimmicks unique to this bootleg. Each stage is split into two distinctive parts.

  • Stage 1 is set on a moving train transposed on a mountainous background. You face off against soldiers, both running on foot and standing back, some are situated inbetween the carriages and throw grenades. Attack planes appear at times. The first part of the level ends with the train entering a tunnel, whereafter you face the mid-boss, a tank. The second portion of the level is shorter and introduces grabbing onto ledges, in a similar fashion to Contra III - to hold on a ledge, hold the fire button while jumping towards it. After climbing up a few chains, you will be met by the main boss of the level, a pterodactylus.
  • Stage 2 starts you off in a sunset setting on a bridge, where except for soldiers you will be met by alien spacecraft and small flying aliens emerging from pits. From here on, the game tends to slow down due to an immense amount of sprites displayed. Halfway through this section, you will battle a mid-boss, a huge alien spaceship alike to the first boss of Super Contra 7. This time however, all collision issues have been fixed and its weak spot is the orb in the center. After dealing with it, you will be able to traverse a section in the clouds, requiring you to do some parkour-esque jumps, until having to jump into a planet. The main boss of the level is a big purple eye that drops purple acid drops on you.
  • Stage 3 appears to be a desolated, industrious city, filled with enemy soldiers and machinery. Most of the enemies are the same as in the first stage. Curiously enough, there is only one boss in this level, being a large skull that throws various devilish fiery creatures at you.
  • Stage 4 is, unsurprisingly, an alien lair filled with skulls, acid drops and purple versions of regular foot soldiers. Halfway through this section you will encounter red mosquitos as well. The midway boss is a skull alike to the prior Stage 3 boss, this time positioned underneath the player's reach and dispatching mosquitos. The next section is more demanding, requiring you to either jump from chain to chain, or control a turtle-esque creature that constantly moves through the lava at the bottom. It can be slowed down by shooting it. Upon reaching the end of this section and jumping into the pit, you will encounter the final boss of the game - a horrifying alien creature that secretes small snakes from its belly button. Additionally, its two hands detach as you fight the boss and attempt to kill the player. Upon defeating this boss, you will be finally awarded with the credits.

Trivia[]

  • An alternate version of this game exists, which modifies the palette colors. It can be found on VT03 plug-&-play consoles (Sudoku 49-in-1 being an example).
  • The copyright number reads "960419". This means it was possibly released after Super Fight I, which has a copyright number of "960418".
  • The first miniboss of the second stage resembles Super Contra 7's first boss. There are also minor enemies flying around the level that resemble small variants of these bosses.
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