Play Contact Online

Summary

Contact, Grasshopper Manufacture’s first RPG for the Nintendo DS, leans into the handheld’s dual‑screen setup in a way that feels almost experimental. The top screen is rendered in a simple, pixel‑art style while the bottom shows detailed, pre‑rendered graphics, a visual clash that mirrors the uneasy partnership between the player and the in‑game Professor. The developers even kept an Apple IIe‑style font on the title screen and slipped in 8‑bit mini‑games as a nod to retro aesthetics.

Combat runs on autopilot: Terry attacks automatically whenever he’s in range and off cooldown, leaving you to switch weapons, deploy decals, and trigger skills at the right moments. Experience is awarded instantly and grows specific stats—damage raises strength, taking hits boosts defense—so every battle feels like a micro‑leveling session. Eight unlockable costumes (chef, fisherman, thief, pilot, and more) grant new abilities, and you can stick multiple decals onto Terry for extra powers. The cooking system, accessed in chef mode, lets you combine foods for health recovery and status cures, but digestion time means timing matters.

A quirky Wi‑Fi “Contact Mode” lets you exchange friend codes; once you reach the WiFisland, up to eight friends appear as NPCs offering tips and items. Side‑quests are optional but necessary for some costumes, encouraging exploration beyond the main quest line.

Critically, Contact landed in the low‑70s on Metacritic and earned a 33/40 from Famitsu, though it sold poorly in Japan—just over 25 000 units by year‑end 2006, likely eclipsed by the hype around Mother 3. Reviewers praised its humor, music, and inventive systems, while noting the battle depth felt shallow and the objectives sometimes obtuse. Despite modest sales, the game retains a cult following, and its director has hinted at a sequel that never materialized.

Storyline

In Contact, a frantic scientist known only as the Professor escapes through space from the mysterious CosmoNOTs—short for Cosmic Nihilist Organization for Terror. His ship crashes on a bizarre planet, scattering the power‑cells that keep it afloat and leaving him stranded. He persuades a young boy named Terry to explore the world and retrieve the lost cells, promising that only this will get Terry home. Meanwhile, the Klaxon Army hunts them, the cells lie in perilous zones, and the Professor’s true motives grow increasingly suspect.

The game treats the player as a distinct character who "controls" Terry via the DS, breaking the fourth wall. Characters acknowledge the player’s presence, and the Professor speaks directly to you, offering hints and urging secrecy about your involvement. You aid Terry by applying "decals"—sticker‑like items that grant powerful effects—while the Professor tries to keep his existence hidden from the boy.