↑↑↓↓←→←→ B A START. Trust me, you will need that if you are going to be ready to take on this new Contra Player Select release from NECA.
Are you are a child of the ’80s like me? In that case, you were probably never able to make any kind of headway in the actual Contra game without that essential Konami code. Since it was near-universal, and Konami’s NES games were damned near universally impossible at some level, that code allowed reasonably skilled players to still enjoy the game without risk of controllers being thrown through TV screens. Many seminal titles were released by Konami back then, and Contra was definitely one of them, so it is really exiting to finally be getting action figures of the two commandos, Bill and Lance.
If you have been paying attention to current action figure lines and trends, you know that NECA’s Player Select line is one of the hottest things going right now. Sure, the focus is on creating action figures based on video game characters, but the “8-bit” execution and deco has become one of NECA’s signature and most popular aesthetics, so that specific style definitely adds to these figures. Plus, the 8-bit look has been (mostly) reserved for translating existing properties (like Rambo, Gremlins, and Friday the 13th) into subsequent releases with specific video game decos, so I am actually glad we are getting game-originating characters in this style.
Contra is a perfect product of the 1980s, and its straightforward “homage” to popular movie genre trends of the time, make the mission of the game and the design of the characters easily appealing to the target audience of the time. I mean, it doesn’t take much to imagine that Bill and Lance are actually Dutch/John Matrix and Rambo fighting off dangerous aliens, but it is not like Contra was the only game to draw such close comparisons (I am looking at you, Metroid as Alien). However, the whole “Contra” name has geo-political connotations of the time written all over it as well, and I know I still cannot get enough of this kind of genre piece, so some lack of originality has nothing to do with the actual appeal of the game. 1980s nostalgia is always going to be a popular point for many of us, and this set hits it at multiple levels.
Bill (red) and Lance (blue) are two badass mofos who can be dropped onto some south Pacific archipelago and take down an entire alien invasion party all on their own. As with all action stars of the ’80s, they are both probably Vietnam War veterans, and they have an arsenal at their disposal that would make even Blain from Predator weep with joy and jealousy. Because of the character designs needed for the two figures, a lot of previously used pieces were able to be harnessed to make Bill and Lance, so a lot of the new tooling budget was able to be dedicated to the awesome weapon effects that have been included to mimic the insane arsenal of the game.
I mean, if I asked you to remember one thing about Contra, it would likely be that the game was really hard, or that the different weapons (especially the “spread fire”) were cool as hell. I mean, the basic side-scrolling premise was simple enough, as you shot your way through each level, but the different weaponry really made that fun and also a challenge to balance the right type of blaster with the right situation. So, out of the package, the gunfire accessories are instantly one of the most fun aspects of the entire set.
Speaking of the package, NECA does a GREAT job with the the 8-bit line packaging, as the boxes generally mimic the old video game cartridge box. This release is no exception and the reprinted artwork of the Contra heroes is great and makes for some really handsome packaging. I really dig the old-timey video game cartridge and box art, is is often bizarre and always adds an extra element to the mythos. Now, the box size remains about the same for this two-pack as for a standard release, so Bill and Lance are in close quarters, but I opened this set right away, so I couldn’t care in the least.
The figures themselves do a great job of combining that packaging art with the NECA 8-bit aesthetic. Obviously, these figures were not going to be based off of the actual in-game sprites, those are too small and lacking in detail, so combining the realistic box art with the pixelated paint job helps keep these inline with other figures done in this style. For the most part, these figures borrow parts from previous releases from NECA like the Predator Dutch figure. The pieces come together well and since these guys are modeled off of those same cinema action heroes, it is only appropriate. The new head sculpts are perfectly on-model to the box art and I especially like the work on Lance.
The 8-bit aesthetic is accomplished all through the complicated paint applications, and if you are familiar with this execution, you can see these fit right in with previous releases. The geometric shapes and shading captures the look of all things NES, even when it is applied to realistic sculpts. That is the gimmick (I use that lovingly) of this line, and really, it is something to behold with complicated patterns applied to a realistic and 3D canvas, and it is something I really dig. The only niggle I have with the paint apps is that my Bill’s left eye is a little derpy, but I am not sure if that is unique to mine or if it impacts the entire production run. Now, USUALLY with figures that get this treatment, it follows a standard, realistic paint scheme, so I have to wonder if these sell well, maybe the opposite will happen here and we might eventually get the look of the box art in the paint as well.
Finally, these dudes come with a host of weaponry, as well as the effects required to bring them to life. You get a side arm and knife (that they cannot really hold) with each figure, and it is nice enough to get these are carryovers, even if they are really there just to add to the fully armored look. The “big guns” are nice, but really, they are vessels to accommodate the firing effects, of which, are varied in their variety with this release.
You, of course, get the “ammo can” (or whatever you call it) that allows you to swap between weaponry and it can be mounted on the included clear base. The real fun is in the attachments that can be added to barrels of their guns, though. First, you get the “spread fire” effect that has three shots coming out of the barrel at various angles. This is enhance by the fact that you also get a further spread effect that can be displayed in front of the figure via the same included base. This is really the coolest part of the accessories and if you buy this, it would be a CRIME to not display it; I really love it. Additionally, you also get three single shots that can be chained together to create the machine gun effect. This is well-executed as well, and whichever guy doesn’t get the rad spread shot (Bill, for me) is nicely compensated with this. Bravo, NECA, all of these effects are perfectly rendered.
Honestly, this is one of my favorite Player Select releases ever. I love the game and Bill and Lance are very toyetic, especially in this rendering. Thus, I highly recommend this release, and if you want to pick it up, it is ready to buy on Amazon right now with Prime shipping. This release made me hopeful for a Simon Belmont 8-bit release (he of Castlevania fame), but I think there were some Konami issues with this set (hence the delays), so it might not happen. I REALLY hope it does, though, and NECA, you can keep making these classic NES characters for as long as you want, I will be all over them.