Hey now everybody, hope you're all doing well, and welcome to my Classic Game Review of Contra! When I was young my Brother and I only had an original Nintendo to play games on, and one of our favorites was the tough as nails Contra. We would play this over and over again, getting slightly further each time, but never actually making it to the end. That didn't matter though, the game is extremely fun to play, especially back in those days there was nothing else like it. Recently I've been going back and playing this again, just for nostalgias sake, and I have to say it still holds up very well. Getting to see all the games levels, and the different bosses, really brings back some good memories. I figured it might do the same for some of you guys out there as well, and I should probably do a review of it. So without further ado, let's get started.
Contra was originally an arcade game, developed by Konami, that came out in 1987, but a year later in 1988 a port was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System. As a kid this was like nothing I'd ever played before, so to me it's the grandfather of run and gun shooter games, that sparked an entire genre that became extremely popular. This can be played single player, or with a friend in couch co-op. That's one of the reasons I loved it so much back then, I could play along with my older Brother, or a friend, and we could both enjoy the experience, something that is severely lacking in games today.
At the beginning of the game you get to pick from one of two characters. I always referred to them as, the red guy, and the blue guy, but their actual names were, Bill "Mad Dog", and Lance "Scorpion". It didn't matter which one you picked, as they both play exactly the same. To start off you each get three lives to try and get through the entire game with. This made actually beating Contra very difficult, because there are a ton of enemies in these levels, shooting and throwing things at you, as well as tough bosses at the end of each stage. You don't have a life bar either, instead getting hit once, anywhere, by anything, will kill you and use up one of your lives.
Of course the way most people ended up beating Contra was by using the "secret" Konami code that you could enter at the title screen of the game. If you input Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start just right, it would give you 30 lives instead of 3, which made things a little easier. Even with the extra lives it's still pretty challenging though. The game is your basic side scrolling shooter, but it also included levels featuring a pseudo 3-d view, in which the player runs away from the screen towards the back wall, giving a slight 3-d effect. This was really cool as a kid, and even now it's still pretty neat to see how innovative Konami was back then. If only they still cared about making games as much now, instead of letting so many of their great franchises die out, but I digress.
At the end of each level you would have to go toe to toe with some kind of boss, which was usually a huge alien creature of some kind. Each one of these boss battles requires you to use a specific strategy in order to defeat them, luckily, if you were able to grab one, there's plenty of upgrades for your gun that can make things much easier. As you play through each level these little flying letters will go buzzing by, and if you shoot one it will drop an upgrade for your gun. There's rapid fire, bomb, spread, laser, and I'm sure some I'm forgetting. My favorite one was always spread, because it would shoot out in a much wider radius, making it easier to hit your target, but they each have their pros and cons.
After the success of this original Contra game a bunch of excellent sequels came out for years to come. Every one of them ended up being some of the best two player co-op games you could find at the time, and many of them still hold up well even by today's standards. Unfortunately Konami doesn't make games like this anymore, and the franchise is all but forgotten. But at least we will always have these old classics to play, if you ever feel like having a genuine retro experience, or just taking a trip down memory lane. If you don't know this series, or have never played one of them before, I highly recommend trying one out. There's a bunch of good ones, for various consoles, and they're loads of fun. I'm going to give Contra a grade of...………………….
B +
Thank you for checking out my review of Contra, I hope you enjoyed it!
Awesome, thanks for sharing! These kid of reviews help (me at least) to re-live the game and I will event give it a go again soon, I believe.
I've actually been doing some "historical" gaming posts lately, covering noteworthy games released in certain years (last ones are about 98 and 2000) and it would be awesome to see more of these kind of reviews for older games. I also checked out other ones you have!
Contra, the original run-and-gun shooter, is a timeless classic that continues to captivate gamers even decades after its release. To relive the thrill of Contra, visit https://www.crack-the-code.com/ and unlock a nostalgic gaming experience that never gets old. Developed by Konami, this action-packed game introduced players to intense battles, challenging levels, and iconic power-ups. Its addictive gameplay and cooperative mode made it a favorite among friends.
Classic games hold a special place in the hearts of many gamers, offering a blend of nostalgia and simple yet captivating gameplay. From the pixelated wonders of Super Mario Bros. to the strategy of Tetris, these games have stood the test of time. Today, retro enthusiasts continue to celebrate these classics, with new platforms even offering remakes. Meanwhile, modern gaming experiences like Wild Robin Casino bring a fresh twist to the familiar, blending old-school charm with contemporary features to keep the legacy alive.
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Awesome, thanks for sharing! These kid of reviews help (me at least) to re-live the game and I will event give it a go again soon, I believe.
I've actually been doing some "historical" gaming posts lately, covering noteworthy games released in certain years (last ones are about 98 and 2000) and it would be awesome to see more of these kind of reviews for older games. I also checked out other ones you have!
Thank you! I love reviewing these retro gems!
Contra, the original run-and-gun shooter, is a timeless classic that continues to captivate gamers even decades after its release. To relive the thrill of Contra, visit https://www.crack-the-code.com/ and unlock a nostalgic gaming experience that never gets old. Developed by Konami, this action-packed game introduced players to intense battles, challenging levels, and iconic power-ups. Its addictive gameplay and cooperative mode made it a favorite among friends.
Classic games hold a special place in the hearts of many gamers, offering a blend of nostalgia and simple yet captivating gameplay. From the pixelated wonders of Super Mario Bros. to the strategy of Tetris, these games have stood the test of time. Today, retro enthusiasts continue to celebrate these classics, with new platforms even offering remakes. Meanwhile, modern gaming experiences like Wild Robin Casino bring a fresh twist to the familiar, blending old-school charm with contemporary features to keep the legacy alive.