Contra
REDISCOVER RETRO GAMING - CLASSIC 8-BIT NINTENDO NES
NINTENDO NES
Game Title:Contra
System:Nintendo NES
Players:1-2 Players
Genre:Shooter
Developer(s):Konami
Release Date(s):1988 - JAP/US
1990 - EU |
Contra is a 1987 run and gun action game developed and published by Konami originally released as a coin-operated arcade game on February 20, 1987. A home version was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1988.
In 2633, the evil Red Falcon Organization have set a base on the Galuga archipelago near New Zealand in a plot to conquer the world. Two commandos, Pfc. Bill Rizer and Pfc. Lance Bean of the Contra unit (an elite group of soldiers specializing in guerrilla warfare), are sent to the island to destroy the enemy forces and uncover the true nature of the alien entity controlling them.
Contra employs a variety of playing perspectives, which include a standard side view, a pseudo-3D view (where the player proceeds by shooting and moving towards the background, in addition to left or right) and a fixed screen format (where the player has his gun aimed upwards by default).
Up to two people can play simultaneously, with one player as Bill (the blond-haired commando with the white tank top and blue bandanna), and the other player as Lance (the shirtless dark-haired commando in the red bandanna). During side view stages, the player can shoot leftward, rightward or upward while standing, as well as horizontally and diagonally while walking. The player can also shoot in any of eight directions, including downwards, while jumping. Pressing the joystick downwards while standing will cause the player to lie down on his stomach, allowing him to avoid enemy fire and shoot low targets. When the jump button is pressed while crouching on a higher platform, the player will drop down to a lower level. The player's default weapon is a rifle with unlimited ammunition that can be upgraded into one of four other guns. These can be obtained by destroying the pill box sensors and flying item capsules containing them, or by defeating the red-clad guards in the enemy bases. They consists of a semi-automatic machine gun, a laser gun that shoots a powerful beam, a fireball gun that shoots its rounds in a corkscrew pattern, and a spread gun that sprays bullets in five directions. There are also two auxiliary power-ups that only appear in certain areas when the player is armed with his default gun: a rapid bullets upgrade that increases the firing speed of the player's shots; and a barrier that makes him invulnerable for a limited period. The first stage is a side-scrolling level where the player is dropped into the jungle and must fend off the enemy's initial line of defense until reaching the entrance of the first base. The game switches to the pseudo-3D view in Stage 2, as the player must fight his way through a series of passageways before time runs out, and so on, the game continues and has seven stages to complete, all alternating the playing view, giving the game a great variety feeling all the through. The player loses a life if he gets touched by enemy or an enemy bullet, fails to complete a base stage before the time limit, or falls into the bottom of the screen when there's no visible platform. When that happens, he will revert to his default weapon on his next life. If the player loses all of his lives, he is given the option to continue. However, the player is only allowed to continue three times throughout the mission. And the Verdict is...
The gameplay in phenomenal, and set the stage for many games in the future. The speed at which you can get going in the game is awesome, right from the startup, with the constant action and solid challenge make for a truly classic game. Fabulous side-scrolling shooter. 5* |