Contra, those who tried to copy it's concept, usually failed. Contra is so good of a game that not even the most infamous of game developers (good or bad) can make anything close to it. It had it all. The controls were good, the graphics were pretty good, and overall it was a fun side-scrolling shooter game. The concept is simple : a platformer mixed with weapons. The fluidity of the game is hard to re-create. Now, onto the game review!

The graphics weren't bad at the time, it uses 8-bit well, and it looks pretty good, it's not an ugly game. Compared to the other games on the system, it's not bad. Now it seems interestingly older looking, but it is a retro game. Back then it look pretty nice. I don't really have much to say about the graphics, they were okay for the time and technology back then.

It doesn't sound bad, once again that was back then. Though I still really don't have much to say about the sound, games back then didn't rely on sound anyway. If a game is playable, you probably won't notice the noise unless it sticks out of the rest.

This is that type of game I have an insatiable urge to beat. I will play this game over and over until  I'm better at, no matter how many times I die. I still have a hard time sometimes. This is the type of game that is hard to master fully, but you want to do it. I find myself coming back to it once in a while, but I have a hard time putting it down compared to most games.

There isn't much of a detailed story, but you can tell it's a war scene. I don't have many plot twists to reveal (Not that I would) because I never really get far into the game. You can tell the bad guys are enemy soldiers, and you are a good guy trying to stop them from something.

As far as depth goes it was innovative as one of the good games, if not the only one, to have multiple-direction shooting. It's simple too : Down on the D-Pad aims down. Other games screw this up, so you can compare this to The Terminator games by LJN, or some other game that really messed all over the control schemes. Basically contra has the best controls of any platform shooter.

Of course you can put in the infamous "Konami Code" which gives you extra lives. I still have a hard time playing this game though, because I am horrible, but for just about anyone else it would probably be easier. I think this game is a real challenge.


Thanks for reading my review, if you like it or dislike tell me through Personal Message or just call me out in general. If you have an idea for the game review tell me, I will play the game, and tell you what I think! If you truly hate it, please tell me how to fix my mistakes in the future.

Good job with this review. You added a decent amount of words and you explained why you like the game well. Keep up the good work.

Reptile10177 : That's a very good first review. It's well-structured, you give it enough details to show what the game is about and your opinions are clear.

But might I suggest that you elaborate a little more? Does "Compared to the other games on the system" encompasses ALL NES games? Maybe you should limit yourself to similar games, or even compare the game to later versions on the SNES if they exist.

You did a very well done job with this review, but it does have its fair share of problems. For instance, it'd be better and easier to read if you put the review into separate categories. Other than that, great job! I look forward to your future reviews!

gamerforlifeforever2 : Thank you for reading my review, I will try to do better on my next one!

janus : Thank you for keeping your criticism cordial. I will try to improve my later reviews, but I was afraid to do too weak of a review. I am afraid to ruin it by not having an analogy, but I went too far. I will try to make my reviews better, I am slightly new at reviewing thinks, I have past experiences, but I am still a little nervous when people. I will try to keep the game reviews from not being enjoyable. Thanks for your post!

LunarDarkness2 : Thanks once again to being one of those that offer ideas and suggestions, I am newer to reviewing, but I will try to do better soon. I will take your ideas into focus. Thanks for helping me better myself!

Reptile10177 : Hey, no problem! I always like to help people out with any problem that they have, so if you need anything, make sure to tell me!

LunarDarkness2 : Thanks, it's good to know that there are so many nice people on Vizzed, I'm glad I made my account!

Reptile10177 : your welcome! I'm sure you'll be able to improve on your future reviews and you'll eventually become an improved reviewer.

gamerforlifeforever2 : Yes, this is just the beginning hopefully. If my plans go well, I would like to go to Full Sail University for gaming development/designing. Then I would hopefully know what makes or breaks a game.