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Incredible Gaming of the Past

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: June 16, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The First Contra game was fantastic. Most people, no doubt, have probably at least heard of the exploits of the game. No, Contra can't hold a candle up to games in terms of graphics and sound, and the people who bash on the game for that are probably too young to remember Contra, or they're too busy being stuck in the 3D era that side scrollers are too "kiddish" for them. Those gamers obviously haven't played old school. Contra is not only one of the hardest games out there (as most 8-bit and 16-bit games are a lot harder than the 32-bit and over generation), it's one the greatest of the NES generation.

What made Contra perhaps one of the greatest games wasn't just it's run and gun action. It was also the way it handles its two-player co-op. Rather than taking turns like in a game like Mario, or waiting for someone to switch to you like say... Donkey Kong Country, Contra put both characters on screen at a time and had you both running and gunning down enemies. The screen kept moving along as well. One character might end up leaving the other behind. Either way, Contra was one of the first games that forced you to work together instead of competing. Over the course of the game you (and your partner if you had one) would collect different types of weapons that went flying over head.

You began with the default rifle which only fired one shot at a time. Over the course of the game you could find different sorts of weapons. You could get a machine gun, a laser, a flamethrower or a spread gun. Also, there was a barrier, a rapid fire and a super bomb. You could only hold one type of gun at a time, but the latter group could be obtained without replacing the gun. Any Contra veteran can tell you that of all the guns, the Spread Gun was the best of the lot. It was powerful, spread your shots out and could hit anything. Combine the Spread Gun with Rapid Fire and you were nearly invincible. Keyword: Nearly.

Contra is often cited (along with Mega Man and its sequel Super C) as being one of the hardest 8-bit games out there. This is because when it came to your lives in Contra, you died in one hit. Not only that but you only began with two lives. Konami, feeling that yes, they had made a hard game, supplied gamers with a code they could use. Over the years this has become known to be the Classic Konami Code: Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start. Any old school gamer who played Contra KNOWS this code. It gave you thirty lives. If, however, you really wanted to show your skills at Contra, you played without the code and you tried not to get hit at all! It can be done, but it takes a lot of practice.

Graphic and Sound wise, it's unrealistic to think the game could hold a candle up to the likes of Contra: Shattered Soldier or something like Metal Gear Solid 3. This doesn't mean the sound in Contra is bad. It's rather tiring to talk to some gamers who dismiss Contra simply because it's old, or because it can't survive. This, of course, is untrue, as many NES and SNES games have become some of the most sought after of all time. A game made in the 80's is not going to look like a game made in the new millenium. It seems kind of strange (and almost stupid) to have to point that out to the so-called "modern" gamer, when no one has to point out that a movie made in 1986 won't look like a movie made in 2006. If that makes me snobbish, so be it, but the modern gamer today does need to learn that the NES is not capable of, and will not be capable of, what the XBOX360 can do, and to compare to the two is like comparing apples and bananas. However, I find the music in Contra to be among the best of the 8-bit generation (nothing matches the very first Super Mario Bros., however). I often find myself humming these tunes.

Contra truly is one of the greatest games ever made. Not only did it pioneer two player co-op (the other game that comes to mind that did it so well is Turtles II), but it also provided the challenge that so many modern games are missing today. One hit kills, and being a one-man army up against it all. Some deaths might seem inevitable, but on the whole, Contra is a fantastic gaming experience. Those who have an NES (or perhaps an emulator) should own and play this game. At least for old time sake.

Better than new games!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: December 29, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game is awsome! My dad had it for a long time, then he gave it to me and I love it! Great excitement is brought to anyone who plays this game! (I reccomend buying the famicom nes to play it)

More classic than the best "Your Mom" joke

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: March 11, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Contra for the NES was one of the very first games that I ever played. I think the only other game I had ever tried at the time was Super Mario Bros. I remember being very confused at why your character died when he jumped on the villains and I remember being angry beyond belief when I couldn't get past level 4. So for you gamers who have yet to play the almighty Contra, I highly recommend either playing co-op with a friend or putting on the 30 lives code. This way, the game will be a much more enjoyable experience. In Contra, it is your duty to kill and destroy everything in your path. Eventually you must destroy the head alien (Red Falcon) in order to save the universe. Along the way you will encounter all of his pets and various other troops who are trying to get in your way.

GRAPHICS- 9/10
Although it was an "8-bit system" the NES usually pushed "8-bit" to its very limit. Games such as "Mega Man 2" and "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out" looked excellent. The graphics in Contra aren't the greatest the system ever made but they certainly are good. I particularly enjoyed the attempt at 3-d in the base levels. Other stages such as "The Jungle" and the winter area featured very nice and detailed environments. The "Alien's Lair" was dark, spooky and looked exactly like one would expect and alien's lair to look like. The enemy character's looked about as good as they probably could have on the NES, as did the two main characters. Only two of the boss characters stood out in my opinion (graphic wise). Those were the big, rock-robot guy and the gross-looking Alien. In the final stage when you first encounter the Alien's head, you will most likely be reminded of the main alien in the "Alien" film series.

SOUND- 10/10
This game features a very memorable soundtrack. A lot of the songs sound like they came right out of an awesome 80s cop movie. From the second your character drops from the helicopter to the last explosion in the game, the music is strong! The gun effects are top-notch for an NES shooter and the explosion sound is exactly like it should be!

GAMEPLAY:

Fun Factor- 10/10
This is obviously where the game shines. You run around, blasting the crap out of the enemies, jumping over things, ducking to avoid enemy fire while shooting at the same time. Some parts of the game deal with timing (for example: the "Energy Zone" stage where you must avoid the laser blasts or else you will die). But, like I mentioned above the difficulty level might take away from the fun factor, so putting the 30 lives code is the way to go. Also, if you have an NES loving friend, get him or her over to your house as soon as you can and put the popcorn in the microwave and then see how far the two of you can make it without the code!

Control- 10/10
The controls to this game are simple. Use the D-pad to move you character around (press down the duck), the A button to jump and the B button to shoot your weapon (in whatever direction you are in). The controls aren't too loose and they aren't too tight. In other words, this game controls like a dream!

Replay Value- 9/10
I have gone through this game 4 times this month (twice on my own with the code and twice with a friend). It is just that fun. I plan to play it all the way through in the near future and when I get good enough I plan to beat it without the code on. This game is addictive beyond belief. I can't see myself ever getting tired of playing this.

GRAPHICS: 9
SOUND: 10
FUN FACTOR: 10
CONTROL: 10
REPLAY VALUE: 9
AVERAGE SCORE: 9.6/10

So as you can see, this is one of my most beloved shooters as well as one of the most beloved shooters on the NES. It gave birth to two incredible sequels, and eventually became a long series. But this is where it all started and if you own any of the "Playstation" titles, and you think those are good...give this game a try and you will forget all about those ones. It is a near perfect game, that can provide you with a challenge but most importantly it is fun! And isn't that the most important thing?

Contra

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: January 09, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game is a timeless classic. I still love it after all these years and after all of the improvements in graphics and gaming.

Review Page: 1 

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