There was a time when Contra was the high water mark for 2D shooters; it combined our love for killing aliens with an unforgiving difficulty level that made us come back for more. But all good things must come to an end, and things just weren't the same for Contra after people stopped playing with the Super NES. This is an advertisement for Contra: Legacy of War, a commercial that has essentially given up. Perhaps it's just taking cues from the less than stellar game, but this advertisement just could not be more boring ... it's as if they weren't even trying.

When you describe the commercial it doesn't sound so lame: its three dull pictures over a blurry, uninteresting explosion ... huh, actually that does sound pretty lame when you describe it. Tack on one of the worst catch phrases ("Prepare for the most explosive Contra Ever") and you have a Contra commercial as forgettable as the game its promoting.

The ultimate cry for help comes tucked away at the very bottom of the advertisement. It promotes the idea that if you buy the PlayStation version you would get a pair of special 3D glasses. Now this is a fantastic idea, because we all know that 3D glasses are all the rage these days. The kids just love the 3D glasses; they toss them on while boppin' to Chuck Berry at the Soda Shop and trying to coat everything in chrome. This commercial does not improve when you look at it with 3D glasses on; instead it just makes everything even uglier. Perhaps 3D glasses are the best metaphor we have for the Contra series.

FROM: Bad Advertising: The Next Generation