Let's talk Contra

We all the hype surrounding the newly-revealed Contra: Shattered Soldier for PlatStation 2 and Contra: Alien Wars EX for the Game Boy Advance, I think now is the time to take a look back at the previous games in the series.

Contra started life in 1987 as an Arcade game, followed by Super Contra in 1988. It wasn't until the original Contra was released for the NES during 1988, in which the series gained a following. The Arcade Contra was released unchanged as Gryzor in Europe, but when the NES Contra was released in Europe, the Rambo-like main characters were changed to robots and the game was called Probotector. Subsequent Contra games also had the human characters replaced by robots in Europe as well. In addition, the Japanese Famicom version of Contra had additional scenes and graphic effects not featured in the NES game thanks to the addition of one of Konami's Video Resource Chips. The original Contra was also released for the MSX2 computer in Japan only.

In 1990, Super Contra was released for the NES, but got it's name changed to Super C for no reason in America. 1991 saw the release of Operation C, an original Contra game for the Game Boy loosely modeled after Super C. In 1992, after the release of the Super NES, people were demanding 16-bit versions of their favorite NES games, Contra included. Konami oblige with Contra III: The Alien Wars, a whole new adventure starring Contra heroes Bill and Lance. Around that same year, Konami released Contra Force for the dying NES, a game which can be considered as the series' equalivent of Snake's Revenge. It was not part of the actual Contra-canon, was handled by different developers, had very different gameplay (Contra Force had a Gradius-style power-up system) and wasn't even released in Japan.

Around 1990s, Nintendo already gave up it's monopolist 3rd-party practices and Sega established itself as Nintendo's fierce rival, several game franchises made the leap from Nintendo to Sega, with Contra being no exception. In 1994, Contra: The Hardcorps was released for the Genesis, the first and only Contra game on a Sega console (not counting Legacy of War). Set several years after Contra III, instead of controlling twin commandos, player could now choose between one of four characters a la Contra Force, each with his or her own power-ups. In 1994, Konami also released a GB version of Contra III, courtesy of German-developer Factor 5.

Afterwards, the Contra franchise took an incredible downfall. During the late 1990s, Konami entrusted Hungary-based developers, Appaloosa, to create two Contra games for the PlayStation; Contra: Legacy of War and C: The Contra Adventure. Both games lacked everything that made the Contra series a classic and it would seem that the series would fade into obscurity. But now, with the arrival of Shattered Soldier, it seems that both of Appaloosa's Contra games will be nothing but a bad memory.

Games in the series:


http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hzk/kommander/con1k1-1.png
Contra (Arcade Version)

http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hzk/kommander/con2k1-3.png
Super Contra (Arcade Version)

http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hzk/kommander/con3k1-3.png
Contra III: The Alien Wars (SNES Version)

http://www.classicgaming.com/contra/chc/l1-2.gif
Contra: The Hardcorps

Links:
Contra Headquarters - From the creator of the Castlevania Dungeoun
Contra Densetsu (Japanese) - Best Contra site ever!

I have never seen or played the arcade versions. That'd be a great find one day...

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Originally posted by MechDeus
I have never seen or played the arcade versions. That'd be a great find one day...

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Hell yeah it would be !!!!!

I love Contra and Contra Hardcorps, and I think Super C is good too (need to play it more). Contra III is on my to-buy-and-love list this summer.

Oh, and nice post Johnny !!

- Kabuki

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Originally posted by MechDeus
I have never seen or played the arcade versions. That'd be a great find one day...

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To be honest, I've only played the Arcade Super Contra once at an Arcade room a long time ago. It's a shame that Konami never made a Contra DX Pack like they did with TwinBee, Gradius, Parodius, Salamander and fucking Lethal Enforcer.

It seemed like so many arcades had Contra 1 but almost none had Super Contra, at least that's my memory of my area. I never saw the arcade version of Super Contra but the NES one was great.

Both Contra and Super Contra were fantastic arcade games.

Interestingly, both were vertically oriented.

I especially loved the bright colors in Super Contra, and the cool speech in the attract mode intro.

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Originally posted by sleeveboy
I especially loved the bright colors in Super Contra, and the cool speech in the attract mode intro.

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Bill: "What is this place?"
Lance: "Keep your eyes peeled!"

Contra 3 was one of the main games to hook me into gaming. Hardcorps is one of my favorite games too, and I still play it. I hope Shattered Soldier lives up to these two.
Stupid story: I still remember that day I got Contra 3 and was riding in the car back home and reading the manual and box. I remember reading something on the box saying, "The weapons in this game make modern weapons look like squirt guns". That actually impressed me.

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Originally posted by Johnny Undaunted
Bill: "What is this place?"
Lance: "Keep your eyes peeled!"

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*shik-click* BUDDDAHING!

Man, that intro was kickass, especially Bill's upper-crust British accent.

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Originally posted by sleeveboy
Man, that intro was kickass, especially Bill's upper-crust British accent.

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I used to be scared of the hissing alien.

Anyway, the arcade Contra games have really loose aiming control that never fails to irritate me. The NES games are much more crisp-feeling, and seem like more fleshed-out games overall. Longer, anyway.

You're missing Contra Force (NES) and Operation C (GB) from your list, unless I overlooked them.

I used to own a Super Contra arcade machine and yes it was better than all the versions that came before and after it. Only maybe rivaled by Hard Corps, but not really.:) Also I would have liked to see the extended alien levels from Super C in the arcade version. You know the one where you shoot down at the floor made out of alien eggs or plasma balls or whatever in order to enter the alien's hive.

Super C would have been the best Contra ever if it had arcade graphics. They should really have made the GBA version based on the SuperC but with better graphics.


seen

Never has there been a series of co-op games more prone to causing the players to beat the crap otta each other. These fights are often started over who gets the spread gun and/or one player killing the other on the vertical sections by advancing the screen to quickly.

Still, Contra was the best in days past. However, the Metal Slug series has taken the lead since the two 32-bit C disasters. Gunstar Heroes is also arguably better than all games in the C series.

The prospect of a new, great, old-school Contra game is not unlike waiting for the second coming of "you-know-who".

Nevertheless, the first 4 console Contra games have aged extremely well- even compared to MS and GH. If Shattered Soldiers and Advance sell well enough, maybe a "Contra Chronicles" would be in order...

I'd have to say original Contra beats them all, just edging past Hard Corps because the original had such spectacular music. I'm not too fond of Super C because of the boring overhead levels and the music sounded like recycled trash from the NES Ninja Turtles games.

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Originally posted by TriForce
You're missing Contra Force (NES) and Operation C (GB) from your list, unless I overlooked them.

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http://home4.highway.ne.jp/GDELIGHT/...g.contra.f.gif

I've mentioned both of them in my post, but didn't bothered including screenshots for them, since they weren't major games in the series. Speaking of Contra Force, what's the general consesus regarding it? I think it wasn't hald-bad. I found the multiple characters and Gradius-style power-up system to be quite nifty. It may not be as good as the actual Contra games, but it's certainly was better than the Appaloosa stuff. I do get the feeling that Contra Force wasn't even meant to be a Contra game at all.

The only way my friend and I could beat the NES Contra was with the infamous Konami code. Still alot of fun. Remember in Contra those moving spikes and you could move like one or two spaces at a time? that was hard.

I remember the Arcade Contra having some goofy looking actors or art on the cabinet.

Korian

I always felt that the arcade version of Contra controlled...strangly. There was just something amiss that I could not place my finger on.


Oh and, Hard Corps is the best game in the series, and I doubt it will ever be surpassed.

Contra Force was okay but like you said Johnny U., the game feels like it originally wasn't meant to be a Contra game.

The only Contra games I own are Contra Hard Corps, Contra III for SNES, and Contra III for Game boy, but I have played Contra and Super C for the NES. Out of all of them I would have to say Contra III is my favorite. I love the level design and the awesome boss batlles in this game more than any other Contra games......well except for level 5 which just sucks ass. I can't wait for the GBA version to come out because the GB version of Contra III is missing a lot of stuff, and is incredibley weak compared to its SNES brother.

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Originally posted by Zerodash
Gunstar Heroes is also arguably better than all games in the C series.

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No, not really.

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Speaking of Contra Force, what's the general consesus regarding it?

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Since you asked, I hate it like poison. Definitely the worst game in the series.

I'd almost bet on a Contra DX pack if the new PS2 Contra sells well.

Here's what I'd like to see in it:

Contra/Super Contra (AC Versions)
Contra & Super C (Famicom- with option for either Famicom or upgraded 2D graphics)
Contra III & Hard Corps (with upgraded 2D graphics option available)

Even if they split this lot into two packs like Technosoft did with Thunder Force, it'd be quite a deal.

I found the NES Contra to be incredibly easy for the first couple loops- although the extra boss at the end of the Waterfall stage gave me fits the first few times. Watch out on the third one, however.

The arcade Super Contra isn't bad, but it seems awfully short and the overhead scenes have a slight wonkiness in the control. The extra stages added to FC Super Contra enhance it, but leave me wishing for a remake of it with juiced graphics (high powered 2D, not 3D).

My favorite of the series is definitely Contra III.

While on the subject of DX Packs, I wish they would have made a DX Pack for both TMNT Arcade games. While the NES and SNES versions were alright, I would like to see Arcade-Perfect home versions with the fou-player mode intact. Heck, maybe they can do a version of Manhattan Project improved to Arcade standards. It's a damn shame Konami lost the TMNT license. I can't imagine a company besides Konami developing a TMNT game.