Iron Meat

almost a mastrrpiece

Quality Contra style game made by people who obviously care about what they do.
I was getting major Super C vibes from this game.
The sprites, music, enemies, and overall tone is really wicked.

My only strike is how forgiving it seemed on the normal mode with 16 lives, which made the whole play through under 2 hours with couch co-op. I would recommend starting on a higher difficulty for those who are used to the genre. There is also a mirror mode unlocked after completion, so it does have it's variety.

To the point
===================
A fun and beautiful successor to Contra but man, it's just too short for the price tag. Very worth it on sale



Good Stuff
===================
- The game is full of beautiful sprite work, everything is vibrant with a lot of great animations really showing off the interesting bio-mechanical designs of the game

- The difficulty, on both medium and hard, is not oppressive, which is important for a Contra-like game. You will feel like you are making progress even when you run out of lives and have to continue and there are no "traps" where enemies can cut down a chunk of your lives with no input from you.

- The weapons and power-ups are great fun and no gun felt useless. Special points for the temporary upgrades, the steroids, which improve the gun you're using, and the omni-directional bullet thing. I also LOVE that collecting multiples of the same power-up makes what you're carrying more powerful.

Bad Stuff
==================
- It's just short, like incredibly short. I beat hard mode clocking in at around 90 minutes, which included my replays etc. I know the price tag is 20 bucks but come on. At least I didn't feel as ripped off as when I bought Moonrider.

- There's really no replayability other then unlocking skins. I recall the old 3DS contra ( which is a game grandmas and grandpas like me played) had challenge maps that kept me playing well towards the 20ish hour mark. but once you're done here you get a mirror mode to play the levels in reverse and that's it.

- The unlocks are underwhelming as I didn't care about the minor cosmetic changes the skins provide. It's not a bad thing they included them but again just a poor motivation for replays.

Good Contra-like game, definitely draws inspiration from Contra 3: The Alien Wars. In fact, the gameplay and gamefeel is almost exactly like it. Weapons are different but some are functionally similar. Normal mode is kind of easy, you have 16 lives that refresh every level so you can just kinda tank through the cheap deaths. Planning on going through on hard. I think Operation Galuga is the better "Contra" game, but this feels a little more authentic to the older games in the series.

Indie game of the year if TGA wasn't a soy popularity contest

Mint!

Rather good for a Contra-like, but replayability is a bit limited in some areas; still, I hope things go well!

Short but intense, beautiful to look at, nice and gory.
Finished it in Normal difficulty in co-op in around 4 hours. Some sections can be a bit hard, but with 16 lives and generous i-frames you can just tank them if all else fails.
Overall, lots of fun.

Iam not going to go into how good this game is, as most people have covered what I wanted to say.
But really guys, if you want a awsome contra type game, we'll go for this as it's amazing.
If you're still not sure, well download the demo if it's still available first.
The developer has done a amazing job with this contra type game, and to be honest it's one of the best I've ever played.😁

I've seen enough. It's been less than 60 minutes and I've seen enough.

This is TOTALLY NOT Contra. Absolutely NOT Contra. Not at all.

Not Contra 64, Not Super C, Not anything like those.

I mean, yes, Iron Meat basically plays exactly like Contra, but I mean, it's not.

It's fair to say that if you want a game that's NOT Contra, but is totally LIKE it (maybe even better?), then you can get in on Iron Meat. No-brainer for 80s kids.

There's also all these skins you can unlock?

The user reviews are Overwhelmingly Positive for a reason.

But like, this isn't Contra.

An iron solid classic-contra-styled run-and-gun with some very nice visuals and soundtrack.
Levels are long and there are 9 of them in total, weapon capsules actually give you random weapons everytime but all of them are useful.

There are 3 difficulties:
- Easy: you start with 30 lives, there are less enemies,they have slightly less HP, and are less aggressive (they shoot slower as well).
- Normal: you get 16 lives
- Hard: you get 8 lives, enemies take slightly more shots, and they shoot faster

For any difficulty, lives get reset between every stage, unless you have more than the stock ammount, and you have to replay the whole stage if you run out of lives, your score also gets reset.

The more points you get per stage the more you gain progress in unlocking skins, and you can choose between any skin's head, torso, arms and legs to customize your player.

I kinda wish there was at least an achievement for completing the game on hard though, and maybe one for getting through the game on hard without getting a game over to give even more replayability beyond obtaining skins

Only 1 hr long

First impressions. if you liked Contra you'll love this one :)

Dare I say this is better than ANY of the Contra games? Yes it's that good. It's just good old mass destruction and mutant shooting.

Polish sausage factory of a game. Especially for an indie Contra game.

Worth the price of entry even at full price. Wait for sale sure whatever.

I played on easy and it was non stop fun. I think impossible to 'lose' on easy but still, fun.

The art of the game in motion plays out well. Sentient meat machines progressively get more interesting. Good weapon variety. Control pretty spot on.

Feels pretty modern despite the retro inspirations. It's probably more accessible than Wayforward's Contra.

This game came out as a surprise. Some random youtube channel was recommended to me and the dude was previewing this, so I wishlisted on steam. I used to love contra games as a kid, and .. I like the new contra game a lot, but something about this game made me want to finish it. I like the simple platforming that isn't punishing, like some games action games I recall on the NES. The enemies are unique, I guess the name is in the title. They're some cyborg mutants or something, and you get some really cool and gross, in a great way, boss designs and such.

The game has a musical score that should be noted. Usually I play these types of games when I listen to a podcast or something, but this one, I enjoyed listening to the sound track and the nice squishy sounds when you kill enemies.

Thank goodness for an easy mode. It gives you 30 lives like I remember playing contra back in the day. It was the only way we were going to beat that game then and it's the only way was able to beat this one. XD

Also, as you play you unlock new character models to choose from, which adds some replay. It's a good game that's easy to recommend.

It's not a bad game, but it's very old in every possible aspects. If you are looking for a run'n'gun game from the 90s this is the one for you.

Pros:
+ music (soundtrack is great and full of metal action in it)
+ levels designs and bosses (every level has some unique ideas, same with bosses)
+ weapons balance (all weapons are copy-pasted from Contra, but all are also rebalanced in a good way, so "S" is no longer superior like it was in Contra)

Cons:
- old and wooden controls (like in NES era when your controller had two action buttons: A and B. Here is the same. You can only jump and shot in 8 directions)
- old pixel art graphics from 90s
- annoying moments when enemies spawns right in your face (stage 2 for example, it works similar to Waterfall level from Contra 1, you are jumping up and camera follows your character. There are two moments in this level when enemies literally spawns just few pixels from you and if you don't memorize the entire level you will most likely die here)
- game is short, 1-2h to finish
- low replayability and little content for game's price (you can beat it three times, on Easy/Normal/Hard difficulties and that's it. No secret levels, no challenges, no different characters, no gameplay twists... you can play again of course, but you will repeat the same levels with enemies spawn at the same exactly places)

Many people are calling this one a "real Contra". I would say it's a clone of Contra, but of very first Contra, back from the 80/90s. If you are fine with it -> go and buy that game. You will get a first Contra, with rebalanced weapons, same outdated controls but few times harder.

I believe you will make a better deal buying games that adds something to the core idea. My first choice would be Broforce.
Broforce has like 40 different characters, with unique attacks and special powers, 4 players coop, a long gameplay with a huge amount of levels and bosses. Almost everything is destructible in Broforce and that is both fun and impressive :)
It also has a pixel art graphic if you are a fan of it.

My second choice would be Contra: Operation Galuga.
Operation Galuga has 10 playable characters with unique weapons and special powers, 4 players coop, modern graphics, dash, double jump, shooting in every possible direction (not 8 only...) weapon overloading, perks, challenges, 5 difficulty levels with options to switch on/off health bar so it's adapted for both, new players and hardcore veterans.

Spend few hours in Broforce and Contra: Operation Galuga and after that return to a game like this. You will have a feeling like your hands are tied with only jump and shot and after 2h you will see that the game has nothing more to offer.

Great game! The graphics and animations are wonderful. The story is pretty cool, with a good flow between levels. I even enjoyed the credits at the end. :)

I already beat it (on easy), but it will keep me coming back like the arcade cabinets did.

Top-shape "Contra" gameplay.
Kick-ass music.
Amazing retro art style.
No-bullshit story.

10/10

My biggest complaint is the fact there isn't more of it. The sound and visual design are phenomenal, though you'll seriously want a controller for this one. Feels great with one, but handles terribly on keyboard. I'd love to see an expansion for it

Incredible, like contra on steroids but real fast pace action, great soundtrack in the game, cool level designs, awesome weapons to choose, nice skin unlockables to use, and cutting edge bosses to fight at the end of each stage. You should give this one a try if you're into these type of hardcore action games.

The biggest problem is ever-coming troops from the back. Absolutely illogical (there's literally nothing left in the place the player has just come from (except for allies) !), toxic, disgusting and unneeded!!! You have to wait until they come before moving forward, or they'll come when you're destructed/running from bullet/lying down etc. There must be at least opportunity to switch it the hell off.
Special thanks to the author of the idea of leaving flying insects after some of the monsters die. In combination with previous item it gives natural "pleasure"!!!

Sometimes enemies shoot (or throw grenades) while you don't see them. It's very nice to hear that a grenade falls on your and have no f...g idea where exactly it falls and where you should move (or not move at all) to avoid it!

The game'd be ideal on Easy and Normal levels but a few toxic mechanics (as the aforementioned ones) poison the impression.

But when it comes to the Hard level - it is a failure. Again, it is not about challenge - it is about toxicity!
Enemies have more health (which is expected), you kill them slower (which is expected) and you get hit from the back because of ever-coming troops. Nasty.

Without taking into account Hard level I'd rate the game 4.3 / 5 (+ 0.3 for the gorgeous music!).
But for me Hard level was very important, and it gave disappointment! Hard level - 2 / 5.
Overall: 3 / 5

The game has a great potential, but suffers from imbalance and inadequate toxic mechanics.

There was once a company that made games with a name that meant "Against". They were quite good for a very long time, and then they were not. They got bad, and then a lot worse. Then there was a panda and boredom. Sadness ensued.

Then IRON MEAT happened.

This game is the best "Against" type game that has existed for quite some time, and if you like "Against" type games, you should play it. Because it is *for* you.

It is also for John Carpenter fans, because they love twitchy tentacles.

Well, I would say it's old good NES Contra from your memories as you were kid. Variety of guns which most you can remember from old times. Nice retro graphics, nice sound, very nice environment (it's so good to see you're not lonesome super hero who has to sort it out and save the world in solo, but all other background soldier do their thing too) Boss design is SOMETHING, they are very interesting, and you can't really guess how your next major opponent will look and in which form he would appear. After finishing this game I can say it's definitely something you have to try if you liked Contra, Metal Slug and other old school shooters.

If you like contra or metal slug then you will love this game. It features unlockable skins that have customizable pieces that you can swap out. and three difficulties that that have a decreasing amount of lives from 30 to 8. There are minimal to no bugs and it could potentially run smoothly on any computer.

This game is exactly what it says it is. All the ingredients are right there on the package.

https://youtu.be/aq4r_g4JGK8

A fun Contra like game that brings me back to my childhood. This is a side-scrolling action platform shooter made for the fans of classic arcade style games. The game is fairly simple, kill all the aliens and demon creatures to save the day. The best part of the game is the boss fights, as each one is unique, you go from fighting a possessed tank, to a evil train, and so on. The levels are also very fluid and each one was different enough from the others! Overall I would highly recommend. I have attached some gameplay footage so that you can see if the game is for you.

Haven't played a single Contra game, but have played one of the Metal Slug games back in 2006. I honestly really love this game and wish the best of luck to the devs for the next updates to this amazing game!

Let's be real here, if you are a fan of run and gun games the past 8 to 9 years have been mostly shovelware tier disappointments and titles that got way overhyped by people who's standards are at a point they'll accept anything via sheer copium.

But goddamn this one? oh yeah... i'm into it, it's real refreshing to have something that's this grassroots again while still having a lot of flavour of it's own and also isn't being super tryhard by intentionally going against established genre conventions like it's almost secretly ashamed of being mentioned in the same breath as some of the best games side scrolling action games ever made by human hands.

in TL:DR zoomerspeak language, the devs were absolutely cooking

Great run n' gun game for fans of Contra or Metal Slug. Only about an hour long which is pretty standard for this genre, but I had fun going back to do multiple runs and getting all of the achievements.

The comparison to Contra games are unavoidable, however, Iron Meat is a much better experience than Contra: Operation Galuga. This is a side-scrolling action platform shooter made for the fans of classic arcade style games and it absolutely deserves all of the praise it has received because it embodies everything that is and was great about those games. The detailed and gory graphics, the tight and responsive controls, even the music and sound fx are all top notch. Iron Meat is a throwback to the games of yesteryear and a retro gamer's dream come true. I rarely double dip with games, but I own Iron Meat on the Xbox and PC and have even ordered the physical edition on the Nintendo Switch. It's just that good and it is one of those pick-up and play type of games that I can go back to and enjoy for years to come. Not much more can be said about Iron Meat. It is simply a lot of fun.

Un jeu comme dans le temps, si tu as triper avec les vieux contra au nintendo, tu va adorer Iron meat !

Short, fast and fun game. Easy and more convenient than classic Contra games.

This is really cool "old-school" run'n'gun arcade game! Very good art (style) and soundtrack is excellent!
If you're an oldie with a hart for "retro" arcade games - you will love it!!!

A great Contra homage but with a sense of originality at the same time. Also a very challenging game, its controls are similar to the old ones and yet it feels modern. You should try it to know what I'm talking about.

It is more 'Contra', than the latest crap from Konami. If you miss Contra Hard Corps, Doom Troopers and etc., this is you best choice.

Amazing and addictive game! If you are fan of Contra, you need this game in your life. I hope someday we can see the Hollywood adaptation of Iron Meat. Two suggestions for the developers: 1. why the only two female skins are so hard to obtain? 2. It would be great to add feminine voice to the character when using female skins, because Sasha still sounds manly when she jumps or gets hurt.

I really enjoyed with this retro style simple shooter game. One thing i don't liked is that there were too many Russian things.
I'm from ex soviet country and we all hate Russia.

Just wanna say as someone who grew up playing the Contra games, this game is an excellent callback to those games. Gameplay is fun, challenging, and addicting with a kickass soundtrack. Hope to see more content in the future. Would love to see and hoping for possible add-on or DLC to see Sasha's story.

The ost is memorable and makes each replay enjoyable.
Nice 2D art.
Same simple gameplay as Contra, well balanced with 3 difficulty settings.
Level design fits with the story progression.
Overall an excellent Contra inspired game.
I'd say it's up there with Contra 3 for snes.

Its contra. Enough said.
Had a lot of fun with it.
Great art design, and smooth gameplay.

Just beat the game and played a bit of the mirrored mode that they just added. This is a 10/10 right here. It is difficult enough for you enjoy the challenge and it has a great, simple story. The pixel graphics are really cool and it has such an interesting variety of monsters that get introduced every level. The music is also soooooo good, where it has a nice metal and rock tone throughout the game where you just want to blast it through your headphones! Pick this game up when you get the chance!

extremely short, kinda shallow... really expensive for what it is.

As good as a game gets for me.

This is a really slick, creative, and engaging contralike with a lot of fun little bells and whistles to keep you entertained.

Honestly, this is probably the shortest game I've played on Steam for the price. That said, it's a lot of fun. The art, animations, and soundtrack are solid, and there are plenty of memes scattered across the levels and character skins

Game needs some polishing around its controls. Dropping through platforms should not be having the character stand back up before actually dropping down. That's the only issue and reason for not recommend the game. Otherwise the game was very fun even on Hard difficulty.

I have played quite a few run n' gun games in my years, and so with that experience under my belt I can safely say that Iron Meat is one of the better ones, but it isnt that special. It plays a lot like a SNES Contra game, but not like a Genesis or PS2 Contra game. It controls well, the challenge is fair on normal mode and the bosses at the end are ok. Unlike one of it's contemporaries, Blazin Chrome, every weapon is useful. However they don't get anymore interesting when you power them up. The Bosses are big but honestly leave a lot to be desired. I am just imagining what someone like Treasure would have done with the living meat train boss, because what we got was pretty standard. The music is EXCELLENT though and I would full recommend buying it.

Overall, well worth the money for the polish and presentation. It's a fun contra clone.

Awesome time! I just bought the switch limited run and the steam version. I'm so impressed with this game. I played from start to finish and I haven't done that with a game since I was a kid. The whole time I kept seeing more and more stuff that made me go OH WOW!.
Highly recommend for fans of shooters like Contra, or Metroidvanias, in my opinion this is better than any Contra remakes by far.

Currently completed stage 4 and I'm having a blast. Some might find the game short but for the price I think its more than fair. Great art style and boss design and one of those games that's always great to jump into for an hour. Classic contra style arcade shooter but with solid controls and the enemies don't constantly rush you which makes the game feel very fair. There are multiple difficulties to choose and lots of new skins to unlock as you progress, all of this is topped off by a killer soundtrack.