Super Contra, or Super C, is the sequel to one of the best and most difficult games for the NES ever made. Most people could not beat the original game and Super C is no different. Without the “Konami Code” to get extra lives the game was very nearly impossible. However, the difficulty of the game is part of what makes it great. It may not be considered as good as the original Contra game but it is still one of the best side-scrolling games for the NES and here is why.

Graphics 8/10 – while the graphics for Super C are in no way revolutionary they are solid for the NES and the era in which the game was made. I love the destroyed earth look of the early levels and the very alien looks of the later levels. I also like the progression of monster design through the game as well. Very fun to see what there was to look at. One complaints I have is that in some areas there is NOTHING in the background. Sort of boring to have lots of other stuff going on but then see a lot of the screen as just being black. Although, with everything else going on it may have been overwhelming to have vibrant backgrounds as well. Tough to say what would have been better.

An improvement Super C made over Contra was the secondary view to the side-scrolling. In Contra the secondary view was this weird “3D” view that you had to fight through. It was really well done considering the console that it was built for but thinking about it now it was really awkward to play through. I much prefer the top down view the Super C (and later Contra 3) used instead. I also liked that the gameplay switched back and forth between the 2 views depending on the level you were on. Kept the gameplay fresh and the look of the game didn’t become bland with never ending side-scrolling to look at.

Sound 10/10 – I absolutely LOVE the music for this game. I listened through it again before writing this review and it brought back so many memories of this game. The music is perfectly crafted to the style of game. It is high-paced and almost frenetic which matches the gameplay feel throughout nearly the entire game. It basically never lets up from beginning to end as you fight through the hordes of soldiers and aliens that come at you. Lots of fun.

The other good part are the weapon sounds. I love the way each gun sounds when you fire it. They all got unique sounds (like the last game) and I didn’t find the repetitive use of the guns to be annoying. I also liked the explosions from enemies and other background sounds that were included in the levels. Made for an overall great sound experience.

Addictiveness 10/10 – this game is one of the most addictive games I’ve ever played. For some reason getting 4 or 5 levels in and dying didn’t discourage me from playing but made me want to play even more! I don’t know if I can put into words exactly why this game is so fun but it kept me coming back for more. Another added benefit was this was a 2 player game, unlike many side-scrollers of the same era, which added another element to the game and kept it interesting. Or ruined friendships because one of you jumped too much before the other guy had caught up.

Story 5/10 – the story is nothing amazing or interesting. The same aliens from Contra are back and have taken over a military base and possessed all the soldiers there. It is the job of the 1 (or 2) hero(es) to go and save the day. They are dropped in by helicopter (which looks just like a helicopter of today but the story is 500 years or so in the future) and are expected to retake the base by themselves and rid the world of the alien infestation. They did it once before so why not expect they can do it again right? If there was more to the story I would have rated it higher but as it stands it’s a pretty basic shoot-em-up story.

Depth 5/10 – this is another place where the game lacks. The game is very linear and there are almost no options to the game except for the weapons you can collect. Those weapons are fun but beyond that there is nothing extra. I don’t view this as an overly negative thing because not all games need to have the depth of a Final Fantasy type rpg when the entire point of the game is to blow up the aliens. Too much depth in a game like this and it would have ruined the basic element that made the game fun: lots of bad guys running at you and trying to kill you and you trying to kill them as quickly as humanly possible without getting hit by the million bullets or bombs coming your way.

Difficulty 10/10 – like I said in the intro this is by far one of the most difficult games made for the NES. I think it is slightly easier than Contra was but not by much. It is still a 1 hit and you are dead game and you only have a limited number of lives when you start out. I’ve lost on the first level so many times that I’ve lost count. Just getting through that is tough enough and there are 5 levels that are increasingly difficult. The boss fights are also quite difficult if you don’t get your timing just right. This game will frustrate even the most experienced players at first until the levels become more familiar.

Overall 9/10 – Super C is an absolutely great game to play. It is a fast paced game that never lets up from beginning to end. The graphics are good and the music is great to listen to. The difficulty means that even if you do manage to beat the game once you won’t have much easier of a time doing it again. By far one of the most fun titles to play on the NES.

Another great review.

I am surprised you like the top down sections.
Whenever someone has a complaint about Super C or Contra 3, it's because they say those sections are disorienting and just done poorly overall.
I'm with you on this though. I like how they are done and felt like they break up the gameplay so it's not too monotonous.

Vanelan : I definitely prefer the side-scrolling to the top down view. What I meant more was that I liked the top down more than the weird 3D that Contra had. I never liked that point of view. It was neat but difficult to play through.

I get what you mean... I just meant that a lot of people preferred the opposite.
They liked the pseudo 3D thing and hated the top down view.