Remove Ad, Sign Up
Register to Remove Ad
Register to Remove Ad
Remove Ad, Sign Up
Register to Remove Ad
Register to Remove Ad
Signup for Free!
-More Features-
-Far Less Ads-
About   Users   Help
Users & Guests Online
On Page: 1
Directory: 2 & 345
Entire Site: 3 & 939
04-23-24 05:06 AM
Information
ⓘ  Info
Online Game Details
Views: 89,600
Today: 3
Users: 1,686 unique
Last User View
04-16-24
ZeegSerpentine
Last Updated
11-18-20
Davideo7
System:
Nintendo NES
Publisher:
Konami
Developer:
Konami Industry Co.
UPC: 15812890244

Released: 2-01-88
Players: 1-2

Game Genre:
Shooter
Game Perspective:
Platform, Side-Scrolling
Genre Non-Sport:
Arcade
Game Misc:
Coin-Op ConversionCoin-Op Conversion

Price Guide (USD):
Loose:  $38.99
Complete:  $169.00
New:  $579.99
Rarity:  4/10

External Websites:
Play.Rom.Online
Ebay Listings
Amazon: $43.18
PriceCharting Info

Play Contra (NES) - Reviews | Nintendo NES

Play Contra online with Nintendo NES browser emulation for free! Contra (NES) game rom is loaded with features in our flash, java and rgr plugin emulators. Nothing to configure, we've done it for you!

Contra

Contra Title ScreenContra Screenshot 1
Contra Box Art FrontContra Box Art BackContra Screenthot 2
Rating: 9.2
(599 votes)
Plays: 146,521
M:99%
F:1%
Filesize: 90kb

Contra Reviews 

Overall 9.2    Graphics 8.7    Sound 9    Addictive 9.2    Story 5.4    Depth 7.6    Difficulty 8.2



8.4
Contra Review   Zircron Swift
Ever played a game just because of a code you wanted to use? I have. It was Contra. I wanted to use the 30 lives cheat just because I could. But it would also be a good opportunity to play this game. I heard this was an extremely hard game, so naturally, I took up the challenge at the same time. I would play legit, then if it were too hard, I'll cheat. So lets have a look at what this game has to offer.
The story is that some aliens are going to eat the human race or something, and you are trying to stop them. That's the impression I got from the ending. Before, I had no idea what the story was. I thought, at first, that Billy B. (the character you play as), was hell bent on killing everyone he knew and came across. Then I thought he was being a one man army hell bent on killing every enemy he knew and came across. Then after seeing the aliens, I figured he was hell bent on killing every alien he knew and came across to save the world. So either way the story comes out, there's a lot of shooting.
Lets play! *gets to grip with the controls* So you can control your direction in mid-air, which is always good, but not the height of the jump. That seems to make some sense. There's a lot of shooting in this game, so just tapping the jump button will let you focus more on shooting when in mid-air, unless you always hold down the shot button, like me =D    It's a system that works, but I prefer to control the height as well as the direction as I jump. You can fire in any direction, which is very handy. You can shoot down, or diagonal right-down, or up. This is handy to get those enemies that are above you. One thing Castlevania did correct a few years later, but never recreated *sad face*. One thing I don't quite get is how Billy is bobbing up and down when you are lying down and shooting. Is that meant to stimulate the force of the gun? If so, then why isn't happening when he is standing up? I don't know *screws up paper and throws it over back*
So the game play is fluid. I suppose I should get going and play this game. *runs along firing randomly, then gets hit by an enemy and dies*.....Did I just die from one hit? It returns you to the same point you died roughly, so it's not that bad. *gets hit again by an enemy and dies again*.....That was embarrassing? *pathetically dies a third time and gets a game over* How am I meant to complete a game that gives me three lives, and kills me whenever I get brushed by a butterfly? Looks like it's one of those games. I have to be untouchable. I don't like it, but you have to admit, you pay a lot more attention to enemy attack patterns and platforms around you. This makes an intense game play, and puts you in an epic mode if you concentrate *dies again*....but geez! Give me a little leeway, will ya?
The graphics are impressive for an 8-bit game, but not with the backgrounds or the enemy design (which seems pretty much the same save for the last level), but with every other level, the 3D levels. You go through a stronghold in a third person perspective, as if it were a third person shooter. You have to blast the doors open while dodging several bullets (that look like paint balls, to be honest) by lying down, jumping, or moving while lying down (however that works). This is so intense and hard that I have never gotten past this level.....Time to enter the code. The Konami Code. What's that? Never heard of the Konami Code? It's a code that gives 30 lives to whomever enters it at the title screen. The code is one of the most famous of its kind. The code, should you ever need it, is this:
Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start.
Think you'll never memorize it? The go watch Brentalflosses Contra with Lyrics, then you'll find it hard to forget it.
With the cheat enabled, I can get further that before, and some bosses have that feel of being epic yet have that fine line of difficulty. All I do is pay attention on the character while firing up, trying to dodge everything they have to throw at me. I still die three or four times, which would be impossible if it weren't for the Konami Code. You get other types of weapons. These are gathered by letters you can collect during the level. The gun you start off with hasn't got an automated fire, which is annoying, but fair. Other weapons include the spread gun (fires at a wide angel), the rapid fire (makes your gun oh-so-slightly faster), and the lazer. The lazer is the more powerful weapon you can get, but you tend to die as soon as you get it. This happen to me all the time. I get it, think "YAY ^^ got the lazer, better me careful!", then I get hit before I can use it, and think "=O NOOOAAAWWWW >=(" It's almost like it has a curse on it. Well, at least the music is awesome.
Overall, I give this game 8.4/10     This game has an epic game play, cool music, interesting graphics and backgrounds, and a nice selection of guns, only making the games experienced enhanced and somewhat annoying due to the games difficulty. It's an incredibly tough game to play and complete without using the Konami Code. It'll take me many tries to complete it without the Konami Code. The fluid controls make it a great game to play, but come on! Just three lives? And one touch kills you? That's nearly as insane as "I Wanna be The Guy", but you return to where you die, and you have three lives, and there aren't any damn apple that fall up, or a giant moon that falls on you, or having Ryu have him do his Hurricane Kick on you in the middle of no-where....You know what, this isn't as nearly as insane as "I Wanna be the Guy", I take it back. Contra is a great game for those who want a challenge, and this one packs a huge punch of a challenge.
  Graphics 9   Sound 9   Addictive 7   Story 4   Depth 8   Difficulty 10

      Review Rating: 4.8/5     Submitted: 12-02-11     Updated: 12-05-11     Review Replies: 0


9.3
Contra review   SacredShadow
Hey guys, it's Razor here with another game review! Today I will be reviewing a great game none other than contra! This game was released in 1988 by Konami for the NES and it is basically a platform shooter type game where you must advance through each of its levels, in this game, you dodge bullets, shoot enemies and get power ups along the way which is really a lot of fun. I will say that this game was rather difficult for me in many parts, but it is a pretty good game overall nevertheless. Now without further a do, on to the review!
Gameplay:
Before I really get into anything in the game, I want to cover the basic game play first if you don't mind.
I think this game is one of a kind and it is one of the best shooter games, most other shooter games in its time just weren't the same and would be outgunned by this game's awesomeness. This game features a lot of shooting and blasting and killing which is all one could ask for in a good shooting game right? The controls are pretty simple, the b button is for shooting and you can jump with the a button and you can crouch by pressing down, but that is pretty much it for this game control wise. It all comes down to how you deal with the bullets and how you will react to them coming towards you and how you can counter them with your own massive firepower. You have limitless ammo which is pretty useful considering you are going to need it every step of the way. The levels in this game are similar but they aren't exactly the same every time like pacman for example, they are alike in the sense that there are enemies in each one and you will have to jump from platform to platform in each level. Enemies will appear across the screen or you can get them by shooting enemies, and they will provide you little powerups like a shield to deflect bullets, better weaponry, or even an extra life. The cool thing about this game is that you have unlimited continues to keep going, you may only start out with 3 lies, but there is no amount of continues, so you can never really die and loose this game since you can just keep going. There are also some pretty difficult and even overwhelming bosses at the end of each level, but the plus side to this, is that their weak spot is indicated by a flashing body part you can shoot at to defeat them, I think this is useful because it gives you a place to shoot rather than just shooting it clueless and hoping you beat it. The controls in this game are also very responsive and have little to no lag when you press them, so overall, I can safely say you will have a great time with this game with all that it has to offer you. Now onto the review for good!
Graphics: 8
In the beginning of the game, it is mostly a side scroller along with some shooting, you have your character armed with his huge gun and you move in one direction. Later on in the game though, the view will alternate and you will go from a behind view to parts in the game where it looks more realistic and 3d in appearance. I think the graphics of this game are pretty good and it really stretches the potential of the NES, the characters, the animation and the lighting and color scheme are all very vibrant and colorful and they all really stand out. Each level of the game is packed with stunning detail and intricacy, the graphics are so good, it ranks on my top 5 list for best top NES game graphics. Yeah, it is that good. There is just so much detail and effort put into making everything in the game colorful and make it catch your eye. Everything concerning the graphics in this game are superb and I think the graphics of this game are enough to make you want to play it. Because of this I scored it a 10 out of 10. For it's time, I don't think any graphics compared to the level of detail put into this one, it is simply amazing. You are probably thinking why i scored the graphics of this game so high since it is old, but I think that for a game this old, the graphics are much better than the time it was made suggests. That is my reasoning for giving it the score that I did.
Sound: 8
The sound of this game is really good as well, The music would change tempo with each boss and there was also some techno in the game as well. I don't think it is as memorable as mario or sonic music for instance, but nevertheless, I think it is still pretty good sound wise, it really got me in the mood to play the game. Each track on each level of the game was just amazing to listen to. The music of this game doesn't sound it bit at all, rather it sounds like it is much higher quality. The only other thing that I can say about the music is that it quits each level of the game very well in my opinion. I like rock music, so this game really plays to my liking. Sound wise it isn't too bad either, the sound made when you fire your gun is a bit cheesy since it is 8 bit, but that is understandable considering when this game came out, so I'm not going to focus on that too much and make a big deal out of it. The sounds of the game is pretty good and in particular, it is really defined after an explosion. Overall, this game has some pretty good sound, and some even better music. So between the two, I scored it a 9 out of 10. So far this game is doing amazing considering it came out almost 30 years ago.
Addictiveness: 8
Even though the game is pretty challenging, I still think it is fairly addicting and re playable, I had a blast with this game even though it was really hard several times throughout, but that shouldn't hinder you from playing it. In fact, I think that challenging games are some of the most replayable because you will remember how you did it the first time and how much fun you had getting through it which in turn makes it a very memorable experience. I think it is just one of those classic games that you really come to enjoy and fins very memorable and replayable. This game also has a lot going for it that contribute to it being addicting, the plot/ storyline, the great sound and music, and also the amazingly colorful and bright graphics that look way ahead of its time. So add all that in, and I think this game is pretty addicting. So because of all that this game has going for it, I scored it an 8 out of 10 as far as addictiveness goes. This game offers plenty of levels for you to enjoy and it does have a few unique cheat codes as well, however, I recommend you try beating the game legitimately first before you try anything because you won't enjoy it as much, but it is your choice. And finally, one of the best things I like about this game is that is multiplayer, so you can enjoy this game with a buddy! So this game has its reasons for being addicting and I am more than likely going to play this game again soon and I know I am going to really enjoy it and I can guarantee you will too if you give this game a try!
Story: 7
The story in this game is fairly good as well and at least it doesn't take the save the princess type plot like in mario, so at least it isn't boring or repetitive. In this game you can play either play one of 2 military commando guys called Bill "Mad Dog" Rizer and Lance "Scorpion" Bean, don't ask me about the names, because I have no idea how they got them. Basically these 2 are sent to get rid of a terrorist group called the red falcon organization from taking over the world. The time period of this game takes place in 2633, pretty cool right? So overall I think the storyline is pretty good and it is at least unique in a way. I enjoyed each of the levels of this game and the plot that followed. So overall I gave the story a 7 out of 10 because it is pretty good and personally I don't think it gets more fun than taking down a terrorist group with big guns over 600 years from now in the future, am I right? So that is the reason why I gave it that score.
Depth: 6
As far as depth goes for this game, there are plenty of levels in this game for you to enjoy. The best part is that they are a decent length and they aren't like 3 seconds long and you move on to the nest one. They are also challenging as well, but that is all part of the fun factor the way I see it. like I mentioned when discussing the replay value, this game has quite a bit going for it, there is a good storyline and a good amount of challenging levels and difficult bosses in each one, so this game might take a bit of time, but I think that is what makes a game fun. It should be a little challenging every now and then in the game because it will become more fun and memorable each time you face each challenge. Plus, I think it would be pretty boring if this game was super easy and nothing that really made you think or form a strategy because it would be dull and it would probably make you never want to play it again. So I think the gameplay itself as well as the good amount of levels and bosses contribute enough to earn this game a depth of 6 which is pretty good for an arcade game considering they are rather easy and repetitive while this game's levels are all different each time.
Difficulty: 9
I am not even going to sugarcoat it, this game is hard! I think it is perhaps the most difficult NES game you will probably ever play, hence why I think it is such a great shooting game in the first place. The reason why it is such a great action/ shooting game is because you get a rush while playing that very few games in its time offered. There will be tough enemies to beat and challenging bosses as well. And some levels are going to be pretty difficult since almost the entire screen is filled with bullets. But I wouldn't let this discourage you from playing, it may be difficult, but that doesn't mean that it is absolutely impossible to do. Every level is filled with challenges and obstacles that will pummel you without mercy but, it will leave you wanting to come back for more, and in my opinion, any game that does that, is excellent. So while it may be hard, it is no excuse to turn around, quit and give up. With practice, you will get the hang of this game and how it works and you will be able to get through it easier. All in all, I gave this game a 9 for difficulty, don't let the score intimidate you though, it is still a lot of fun and it isn't an impossible hard, rather a good type of hard if you know what I mean. The challenges will make you want to come back and play this game more and more is what I/m getting at. Like I said, I can guarantee it is one of , if not, the hardest NES game that you will ever play, but it is worth your time to try and play it!
Controls:
Control wise, this game's controls are really simple and easy to learn, as I said before, one button is for shooting and the other is for jumping and crouching which is pretty straightforward and that is all you will really need for this game. The controls aren't really a challenge to learn because the main focus of this game is how you will react to the bullets and how you will dodge and avoid them. So that's all I have to say as far as controls go in this game.
Overall: 9.3
I must say that this is an amazing shooter game that was the best in its time and I still consider it one of the best of today. Many aspects of this game are amazing, detailed and ahead of its time which make this game all the more fun for me. his game will constantly throw challenges at you and it all comes down to how you react to them. If you are a fan of shooting and action type games, this one is calling for you! I had a great experience with this game and I hope you can enjoy it just as much I did.
So what did you think of my review? Please feel free to comment on it and provide constructive feedback so that I can become a better reviewer. I hope you enjoyed this review! Thanks for reading!

  Graphics 8   Sound 9   Story 7   Depth 6   Difficulty 9

      Review Rating: 4.8/5     Submitted: 02-08-14     Updated: 02-08-14     Review Replies: 2


10
Nothing Contraversial here except in Europe.   Azul Fria
Contra is one of Konami's best NES cult classic games. It was not only addictive but it was super challenging. It went by the name Gryzor in the Japanese version and Probotector in the European release. The European version was forced to change the main characters and enemies into robots because apparently shooting people in war was taboo out there. They did the same thing with the Ninja Turtles games as the word ninja was taboo in Europe thus they were called Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles both in the game and in the cartoon and even then the nunchucks were censored in the cartoon. The best version of all three was the Japanese version but I will cover all three bases here.
 
Before we begin, I'll explain something about the name Contra. It was based off of a mistranslation of three Japanese words put together. Kon To & Ra (Cone Toe Ra) which translates to Spirit Battle & Cloth respectively or move grammatically correct Cloth of the Battle Spirit.
 
OVERVIEW
 
In 2636, an alien being named Red Falcon came to Earth and started taking over the planet. It is up to our heroes Sargent Bill and Corporal Lance aka Mad Dog and Scorpion to stop him and the alien invasion at all costs as you go through eight levels of mayhem.
 
GRAPHICS - A+
 
Each stage's layout is done perfectly and has their own theme to fit it. Thanks to a special chip utilized by the Japanese version, the graphics are far superior and thus I'll base the graphics on that alone since it is a big improvement over the others. The trees in the Jungle (Stage 1) sway as you move through the stage. In the Snowfall stage (Stage 5) there is actually snow blowing in the foreground. In the final stage Alien's Lair (Stage 8), the background moves rapidly like the whole place is alive. Nothing special there to help or hinder you, it's done for graphical purposes only. Other great looking backgrounds are the Waterfall (Stage 3) and Energy Zone (Stage 6) where this time, the layout can actually kill you if you are not careful. You are also treated to cutscenes which the other regions don't have. The US and maybe European version does have an exclusive congratulatory message at the end.
 
CONTROLS - A
 
The controls are great but not perfect. There are times when you might make one wrong move and fall to your death. This applies mostly to stages where you can drop down to lower ground and you are concentrating on shooting enemies below from a higher platform but tried to avoid their shots and accidentally jumped down. Everything else is on you and whatever your reaction time is because the enemies are out in full force.
 
SOUND - A+
 
I totally dig the music to this game. It really gets your blood pumping when playing the levels. Snowfall (Stage 5) music has you feeling you are in a war zone trying to infiltrate an enemy base. Energy Zone (Stage 6) music was one of the songs I use to practice on my mother's guitar. Alien's Lair (Stage 8) had the it's all or nothing vibe to it. The ending theme had the feel of being saluted for all your hard work.
 
GAMEPLAY - A+
 
It is a rough one but the gameplay is super addictive because all you do is duck, dodge, and shoot. The game takes a lot of strategy and knowing what to do ahead of time. The extra weapons you get in this game are all great as long as you use them wisely. The Spread Gun is the beginners weapon of choice because of the range. Expert gamers will stick with the Laser because it is not all about just doing the most damage but knowing when to fire because the Laser will only work while if it is on the screen. Rapidly firing it will make it useless. Just wait for it to hit its target before firing again because it will disappear back into the gun and be reshot if the fire button is pressed. The other major weapon that can be used is the Fire Gun which fires in a spiraling motion. It is good for hitting enemies while you are crouched down avoiding bullets. The Machine Gun does rapid fire but I consider that a novice weapon since you don't have to release the button to rapidly fire. It does less damage though. The unmarked eagle will kill all foes on the screen. These are rare to come by. The Barrier protects you from all damage except pitfalls.
 
Each boss has easily exploitable weaknesses that can leave most of them helpless in the end. Stage 1, take out the guard and the guns and it is a sitting duck. Stage 3, take out the two arms and the shots are easily avoidable from his mouth. Stage 4 is a bit tougher due to the tricky bubbles and the boss must be merged with the other half to damage it. Stage 5 is a good boss for two players to exploit as one can fire up at it while the other one will shoot the ships coming down. Stage 7 can be beaten in a flash if you run up on it and rapidly fire your Spread Gun. Stage 8 miniboss is beaten the same way except you can have the other player shoot the shrimp aliens. The final boss is a little tricky. Take care of the bottom pods first then the upper left one. Nothing you can do about the upper right one. Proceed to defeat it like you did the previous 2 by running upon it and firing at it till it explodes. The  Stage 8 miniboss and final boss as well as the final boss of the sequel Super Contra aka Super C will make a return visit in Contra 3 and Red Falcon himself will take the form of the Level 6 boss Jagger from Super C in that same game.
 
REPLAYABILITY - A+
 
No matter how old this game is, it is always good to go back and play through it again even with a buddy because they can help or hinder your progress. It is best to use the 30 lives code for that occasion. 
 
OVERALL - A+
 
A+ all the way, I cannot find anything majorly wrong with this game. It is all about skill baby. Once you know what you are getting into then you are on a role. If you are playing for a high score then that is good because the game will reset back to stage 1 with your previous score intact.
  Graphics 10   Sound 9   Addictive 10   Story 10   Depth 10   Difficulty 7

      Review Rating: 4.7/5     Submitted: 01-26-16     Review Replies: 3


9.4
Contra Review. NES   billythekidmons..
Sorry for the late review I have been quite busy with other more important matters this week and the one before it, on with our review of yet another classic.
This game is synonymous for being one thing: HARD. This is a true fact. But I think that it shows more of why it is a classic for that very reason. Now a day’s most games are fairly easy if you do not get it the first time you will probably get it the second time. This game is not like that. If you do not get it the first time and you do not get it the second time you better memorize some patters because otherwise you will not get it the third time. This game is all about patterns and just being good at the game. This game requires skill especially since you only get three lives. That almost seems cruel the first time you play it and do not even get to the boss before they are gone, but I can see why they did it. This really does make the game not only longer but more fun. You trudge on restart after restart just a bit each time. This slows down the pace but really you will not notice. Though if you are a wussy you can enter in the infamous Konami code and get thirty lives. This makes the game a lot easier but less intense in my opinion. When you have three lives you hold them dear, when you have 30 it does not even matter anymore. I like the addition but play the game without it I dare ya.
The game looks pretty good. Old for sure, but it looks old in a good way. As opposed to some NES games that look and play outdated that is not the case here. This game looks like it is new, partly because there are so many games that are going for the same 8 bit shmup kind of game right now that it would fit in perfectly. I love how they have the flips for each of the jumps similar to Metroid except they look far better here. The different guns look good too and unlike many other games of the day this game does not slow down quite as much as when you get a whole ton of enemies as well as bullets on the screen. The game has varied environments and there is a part where it is in 3D! Well it is not really 3D but for the time it probably looked great as you went through the halls camera facing your back. Though I consider that one of the worst parts of the game. But that is a minor pet peeve in one turn for the bad as far as the art style goes. I love the enemies, I love the people, and I love the bosses. Wow I love the bosses. Mini or otherwise, they look great and they all have a distinct style that makes them loveable. Well not really loveable because you want to kill them but you get my point.
This game also has a really good sound department going for it. This game has many classic sounds from years past that you will be happy to hear. The first tune you here is immediately recognizable as the Contra theme. Then once you hit start and hear an explosion, which also sounds great, you are blasted with this great music that falls somewhere between old orchestra and classic rock. It is a good mix and it fits the game almost perfectly. I can not get enough of the music. Then all of the sound effects sound great as well. Every shot of your spreader or every crack of you machine gun sounds fairly varied from one another. The more powerful guns sound more powerful, and the weaker guns could not sound much weaker. They knew what they were doing in the sound department. Almost sounds like it is Rambo the video game with all of the explosions and the gunshots. I do have to say one thing though; the music towards the end is definitely not as good as the first half. Still fairly good quality but it is just not the best though the last level is a good song in its own right. You will want to have the sound on the whole time with this one.
The game play is classic shoot em up fun. If you have played Contra or any other games in the Shoot Em Up category such as Sunset Riders, you will feel at home. The control is tight and responsive as you would expect and you have many different power ups. This I think was the first game to feature a very influential gun in the video game world. The spreader. The spreader is a gun to end all guns in this game, if you have it you will be killing everything and everyone. It helps that in this came you can shoot through walls but enemies can do the same thing. So be careful while running and seeing enemies under you. This adds to the surprise when you get killed because you were not careful as all of the bullets hurled towards you. The beauty is that you hold down the shoot button you run to the right and you hope that your skill will hold up. If you are like me it will, though if you are not you will die very fast. The bad part is in classic fashion after you die you lose all of your power ups but start right where you died. You will die a lot like I said before but it is all part of the learning. This makes the game addictive. The deaths will keep you coming back till you beat the game and luckily the game is fairly short. If the game were longer it would not be as addictive just because of the fact that you are going to die every single level. Unless you are cheating or just that good.
All in all the game is great. I did not really have a section on depth just because the game is as deep as it could be. You run you shoot and you repeat over and over. Though the thing is it never gets repetitive like some other shmups. That is what makes this game a classic above all others. One of my favorites and I definitely recommend it. Though I am sure you want to see my run down so here it is:
Graphics: 8 – They look good and honestly they look like they are trying to mimic many of the new games that they are releasing to look like this style. I love how they took everything and the bosses look very stunning.
Sound: 7 – Though the sound is good for the most part you will get a little bit tired hearing the same thing over and over again as you die. Though luckily the music holds up until you get till the latter half of the game.
Addictiveness: 10 – You want to win. There is not a way around that. This is one of the only games that the whole time I played I wanted to win. You can not just sit back in this game either. Hardcore and you will love it more for that.
Depth: 8 – Power ups, lives, strategy. The game is pretty deep for the most part. I would have liked to see them branch out a bit more but how it is now I like it. I could not really imagine it different.
Difficulty: 10 – The game is hard. This is a good hard though. I really loved getting my butt kicked every level and trying to come back for more. The game beats you into the ground then puts its hand out too pick you back up, brilliant.
Overall: 9.4 – Not quite perfect but it is cookie cutter shmup. Then again it did set the standard for all of them that came afterward. You will want to play this one and I know that you will beat it if you like these kinds of games regardless of how long it takes you. The hard factor is part of the fun here. Shmup at its most basic un altered form.

  Graphics 8   Sound 7   Addictive 10   Depth 8   Difficulty 10

      Review Rating: 4.6/5     Submitted: 10-09-11     Review Replies: 3


9.4
As simple and fun as using a Spread Gun - a review of Contra   TargetDummy
   Ah, Contra. Contra is really the game that invented the "run around with a machine gun and blast the heck out of anything that moves" type of game. The game is a classic that anyone will recall as "fun", "addictive", or even "epic". Why is the game so great? Well, it's simple yet addictive and challenging. Anyone can see Contra and understand the concept within seconds; you play as a guy who has to shoot the bad guys and avoid getting shot himself. With that info you can play the game, but it requires a lot more to master the game. In order to master it, you'll need to keep playing it which works quite well because Contra is a game that will make you want to keep playing. It's a classic game that was owned by many hardcore gamers in the NES era.
   The graphics are good replications of the arcade original. Of course they had to simplified to work with the 8-bit console, but everything is still recognizable for what it is. Bill Rizer (protagonist of the game) sprites clearly show that he is shirtless and sports a red bandanna. The enemies are seen soldiers equipped with read armor. Overall, the graphics look about as good as the arcade version on a console with 8-bit graphics. I believe the graphics deserve an 8/10.
   The sounds are about as good as they could be on the NES. The music is really what's great. The theme for the jungle level is stuck in my head as I write this review. Every level has the kind of catchy music you would expect from Konami. It really gets you in the fast paced, action-packed setting of the game. The sound effects aren't much, but you understand what they are; gunshots and explosions are the two main sounds of the game. The sound merits a 9/10 due to the great music.
    One of the core aspects of the game is how addictive it is. Every time you die you'll just want to play more. Why? Well, when the game kills you, it's your fault. The game makes you want to keep trying until you can get past the part you keep dying on. You learn more each time you die. With what you learn you gain the skill to overcome challenges which kill you and attempt to prevent death altogether. It's an arcade style game that you don't pay quarters for. Each retry is free which means that there is nothing stopping from trying again. It will beat you down until you beat it which only makes you want to beat it more. Overall, it's super addictive and greatly a 10/10 if not 11.
   As for story, well there isn't much. According to the manual the year is 1987. 30 years ago (1957) an object from outer space landed in the Amazon. Of course, no damage was done and this was forgotten. Now, an alien army has come from the object with an evil leader known as Red Falcon. You are one of two specialists chosen to defeat the alien army. It's not very in-depth story, but it gets the point through. Story gets a 6/10.
   When it comes to content or depth, the game does well. There a 8 zones to get through each with boss battles at the end. There are two types of levels in the game. There are platform levels in which you must get your player to the end of the level by running and jumping on platforms whilst shooting your enemies and there are levels inside of bases where the player is put in a third person 3D perspective shooter. The goal of these levels is to blast open the door of reach room in order to progress to the next one until you reach the end of the base. The depth of the game is boosted by the multiplayer mode where two friends play the game cooperatively. Player 1 controls Bill and Player 2 controls Lance who is exactly the same as Bill with different colors. The multiplayer is really fun and adds a lot the game. The game gets a 9/10 for depth (it would be 7/10 without multiplayer).
   Lastly is the difficulty of the game. It's a very challenging game. One bullet from any thing will kill you instantly and you only get three lives. Plus, it's kind of hard not to die with all the crossfire in the average level. You are given continues which will start you at the beginning of the level you died on, but these are also limited. However, the game does balance the difficulty in one way. The thirty life code. A cheat code that gives the player 1o times the lives they would normally get. This cheat code is good for beginners and is universally known by everyone who received the first issue of Nintendo Power (and if you don't know it I suggest you Google it). Despite how hard the game is, you never feel like the game is cheating you with broken controls and bad level design. If you lose then you just have to get better at the game. The difficulty gets a 7/10.
   Overall the game gets a 9.4/10. This game is just great. It's a timeless classic that has worked it's way into gamers' hearts and has spawned many great sequels. I'm glad it's on Vizzed and that's all I can say.
  Graphics 8   Sound 9   Addictive 10   Story 6   Depth 9   Difficulty 7

      Review Rating: 4.4/5     Submitted: 07-26-11     Review Replies: 0


9.2
Contra review   Patrick Star
Contra is a platforming shooter that has great music, great graphics ,and a great game overall. Contra surprisingly executes everything well for the NES too. Now I will tell you why it does all that.
Graphics:
Contra's graphics are really well done for the NES. They manage to make the graphics stand out because of the bright vivid colors.It also has two types of levels 2D and 3D. It also doesn't have the same background everywhere like in a lot of games. I think they are just not perfect though because of everything they could have done to make them better. Like changing the background in the level. This makes the graphics not as amazing but they are still very good for a game on the NES and good enough to deserve a nine in the graphics quality.
Sound:
The sound is just astonishing. The gun fire has different sound depending on the kind of gun at the moment. I think the theme you will hear a lot is addictive and a really good theme for the sound capabilities for the NES. It doesn't really have a variety of music but the music it does have is great and I love it so I am giving the sound a ten.
Addictiveness:
It is really addictive because of the sound it has and the high replay value because of it being so fun. It is a simple gameplay style but it attracts you to it. It is also addictive because of all the unique guns and challenging so you would want to beat it. The game also has that old arcade game glow to it to make it even more addictive So I am this part of it a ten.
Story:
The story is not very interesting because it is just like all the old games just saving a princess or fighting something because you feel like in this case it is Bill Rizer and Lance Bean vs Red Falcon an alien.I am not really going to deduct points because of no other games really having a story back in the time this game was made in so I am going to give it a seven.
 Depth:
Contra is not that long a game and the final boss is not that impressing either because of how hard the game is up to that point and then it doesn't deliver the final boss you are expecting. The game has a few guns like the spread gun,the machine gun,and the line gun each gun speaks for itself what it does so I do not need to explain the use of them to you. The game' 2D aspect in what people usally think of when they think of Contra running along shooting everything in your way. There is also a 3D portion to the game that the enemies fire at you from ahead and you dodge the bullets but in the 3D part you do not just run ahead you need to destroy all the turrets before moving ahead and to keep you from doing this is an electrical fence. I am impressed at the boss quality and how they differ from the last boss you fought.There are eight stages in Contra the usual amount.Out of all this I am giving the depth an eight.
Difficulty:
Contra is amazingly hard so hard that I did not even beat it that is without cheating using the Konami code. When you use the Konami code you get thirty-three lives instead of the usual three lives so it makes the game a lot less hard to beat.
 Overall:
Overall I think Contra deserves a 9.2 because of the minor flaws with the gameplay and how good everything works out in game.

  Graphics 9   Sound 10   Addictive 10   Story 7   Depth 8   Difficulty 6

      Review Rating: 4.4/5     Submitted: 12-01-13     Review Replies: 1


9.8
Old School Classic Shooter   benis
Overall: 9.8. This is a game that everyone knows and loves. At the time, it was such a great blend of action and strategy. The co-op mode was revolutionary since it allowed you to grab a buddy (or in my case, my older brother) and just shoot baddies for hours.
The concept is simple. Run from left to right shooting enemies and collecting weapon powerups. Each time you got shot you died. Run out of lives and it's game over. Pretty damn simple, right? Well if it was so simple then why is it so beloved? In my opinion, it's the controls. They are TIGHT. No other platformer allowed you to escape danger like Contra. No other platformer had the powerups like Contra - two words: Spread Gun.
Graphics: 7. The graphics were decent but nothing special. You experience some flickering and slow down in some areas on some enemies. You see this especially when you're trying to fill the screen with Spread Gun bullets. But, this doesn't take away too much from the game and can be overlooked easily.
Sound: 8. This game just blasts good tunes throughout the game. It pumps you full of energy while you're jumping from platform to platform, just trying to stay alive. The sound effects are solid, if a bit underwhelming. I can't really say the gunfire is realistic but what do you want from an NES game.
Addictiveness: 10. If anyone rates this game under 10, is nuts. Even though you'll die a lot (sometimes on the first level when learning), you'll keep coming back for more. You always want to keep playing trying to beat the next level. It's one of those games where you just don't want to give up. It's such a blast to play.
Story: 6. I don't know what's going on here. Something about two commandos fighting bad guys in a jungle. Okay got it. All right, now I'm fighting some aliens. Huh? Yeah, spoiler alert, you fight aliens at the end. But I guess that's all right, it all kind of works and makes sense to a little kid. Of course I liked shooting up aliens, duh!
Depth: 9. For a run and gun game, it's hard at first to say there is a ton of depth but this game was a pioneer. The various weapons and powerups spread through out the levels. The level styles change from typical horizontal sidescroller to an overhead view or to a vertical sidescroller. It's a great change of pace for the game and prevents it from getting stale. The variety of enemies isn't extremely extensive but the the boss battles have a good variety and are unique.
Difficulty: 9. Yeah, this game is pretty tough, we all know that. One hit deaths aren't something to sneeze to at. Trust me, you'll die a lot and it'll be frustrating. But this game is not unbeatable. Even without the konami code, you can still beat it. It took me about 20 years, but I finally did it and I was PUMPED. The co-op mode surprisingly makes it even a little harder since you need to coordinate movements and fight each other for power ups. But this game does a great job of making it a 'fair' difficult. You don't feel like it's just cheap or unfair. After you lose, you say to yourself, "Aww man, I know I can beat this" and you hit restart. That's a the sign of a great game right there.
Overall, we're talking about a revolutionary classic. Everyone loved this game when I was growing up and no sleep over was complete with Contra. Even after all these years, the game just doesn't get old.
  Graphics 7   Sound 8   Addictive 10   Story 6   Depth 9   Difficulty 9

      Review Rating: 4.1/5     Submitted: 02-28-15     Review Replies: 0


9
basic and nice   THE J
now let me just say one thing about this game yes its hard yes its difficult but
and heres the things it is one of my favreite clasic game music is ok sound ok
but what many gamers want to know is the story now im not bringing the 2nd game
in but come on the story dosent make sense i think acording to the web you fight
aliens after you beat the first level but to get really far you need to have 7 hours
to waste but its decent and has replay value but its so hard!!! you play as this dude
you run around shooting down billions of rapid firing manics who want you dead plus
you got things that try to block your path on top of that bullets flying everywhere one
there there and there come on really its all over the screen once you beat the boss you
deserve a medal go have a coke or something. now you get lives ok.... 3 actually to beat
80 levels or more of more and more you may think imposible but no...you enter a code
whitch many gamers found in nintendo power... yes the best mag in the world fun epic and
american i myself am not but i found this whille searching online and i read i few not bad,
dowload some if you can back to the game. addictiveness 9 very very very adictive that is
why i said you need a lot of sparetime..............................
  Graphics 7   Sound 8   Addictive 9   Story 6   Depth 10   Difficulty 10

      Review Rating: 4.1/5     Submitted: 05-28-11     Review Replies: 2


9.7
Contra   Reptile10177
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.

  Graphics 10   Sound 10   Addictive 10   Story 4   Depth 8   Difficulty 6

      Review Rating: 3.7/5     Submitted: 04-17-15     Review Replies: 10


9
Contra: The most action-packed and fun game you'll find on the RGR   supersonic44
Released on February 20, 1987 in the arcades, Contra was a minor success in the arcades.  Notice how I said minor.  The real success this game got was when it was ported to the NES.  It's success is still being felt today, with references everywhere, most recent in the comedy "30 Minutes or Less."  But, what makes this game so great?  Surely, there has to be a reason other than, It's fun.  What is the reason why it's critically lauded and fondly remembered over some other underrated gems?
Story:
You play as either Bill "Mad Dog" Rizer or Lance "scorpion" Bean, who are sent on a mission in an unnamed South American Island to neutralize the terrorist group known as Red Falcon who is trying to take over the world.  Yea, not the best story in the world, but I'm impressed with what they got away with in this game, especially with Nintendos strict policies for the NES.  For one thing, you're fighting a terrorist group.  All in all, while the story isn't great, its pretty good that they could put in the original story without censoring.  6/10.
Graphics:
Really, these are freaking nice graphics for the NES.  For one thing, in 1988 no less, there are some really nice animations.  Especially during the 3-D stages.  Seriously, while these aren't the best NES graphics, for an Arcade port to the NES, you can tell that Konami didn't slack off with this port.  8/10.
Sound:
Holy Crap.  This music is great.  No kidding.  It might not be stand-out memorable, but that's the best kind.  Its not very noticeable due to gameplay, but it silently creeps into your mind and, when you least expect it, you start humming it on your date with the girl who knows nothing about the NES!  (Yeah............... I just say that DIDN'T happen.)  Seriously though, in order to review this game, I had to just stand there on each of each of the stages listening to the songs.  And the songs sound Phenomenal.  The sound effects are good too, and surprisingly not stocked.  Overall, one of the best examples of great sound on the NES.  10/10.
Gameplay:
Surprisingly, this game is solid all the way through, even though you'd think it'd get repetitive REALLY fast.  But, Konami lands a near perfect balance between challenge and fun.  The common censuses every hardcore game comes to is this games hard.  Well, I'm here to debunk that ludicrous statement right now.  This game isn't hard, it requires skill.  While there is a code for getting 30 lives, (you already know it..........) the game is completable just with 3.  I beat it that way.  "How do you do it," you ask.  Simple, I invested my skill in this game.  Seriously, If you think it's hard, that's fine.  But, keep trying playing this game normally, you'll see you got a little bit father each time.  9/10
Overall:
One of the best arcade ports and DEFINITELY one of the best CO-OP games pretty much ever.  It's no wonder why this is one of Konami's best franchises.  9/10
  Graphics 8   Sound 10   Addictive 10   Story 6   Depth 9   Difficulty 7

      Review Rating: 3.6/5     Submitted: 09-02-11     Review Replies: 0


9
Contra: Kill them All!!   poopywyatt
Did you get the Spartacus reference???
Contra is a classic NES title that always brings fond memories to all the retro gamers. This game is fun while playing alone, but even better with a group of friends. My fondest memories were playing this game with friends all the way through, and then playing again. I hope the current generations can experience this for all its glory.
Contra is a 2-d side scrolling platform shoot everything in sign game. Everything wants you dead, and in turn you can kill almost everything. If you see something move there are 5 things you have to do. These are
1. Dodge
2. Duck
3. Dip
4. Dive
5. Dodge...
Or shoot it back.
Get to the end of the level, defeat a boss. Rinse, repeat. All my little scores may be low but my overall score is high. If a game is fun, then it is fun.
Story: Aliens come to take over the world. The world sends only 2 shirtless men with a gun a piece to flip through the jungles and kill everything in sight. This is the EXACT OPPOSITE of Metal Gear. Run and gun.This is pretty much the story. Nothing too deep, but that is ok by me. There are only about 5 or 6 levels in this game and it can go by really quickly.
Controls: This game is a prime example of how controls should be on a game. If you die in this game, it's your own fault. The controls are tight and responsive. There are countless games that could be made so much better if their controls mimicked Contra's controls.
Music: The music is notable and catchy. Mini-Bosses  have done  excellent renditions of the sound track. The music is fast and upbeat. If fits the action perfectly.
Depth: There are several different kinds of guns you can pick up. There is the classic spreader gun which will probably be your number 1 choice Machine gun, a power up that makes you shoot faster, a crappy but powerful laser weapon, and a fire gun which shoots a bullet in a spiral motion. Just stick with the spreader.
Addictiveness: I don't think I would call this game addictive. But this is just my personal tastes. It is very fun while it lasts and I when I play this game, I play it to the end.
Difficulty: I cannot beat this game without the Konami code. There are some people that are, and that is quite the accomplishment.
This game is beatable with the Konami code, but ridiculously unmerciful without it.
The last level's inspiration was the movie Alien or Aliens. This is why many of the enemies look like xenomorphs. When you get to the final boss, there are 4 egg type things that spawn face huggers. The music in the last stage is different from the others as it is more spooky and creepy than the others. However it is still fast paced.
Anyone who follows IGN, Gametrailers, or Screw Attack should become acquainted with this game as it is referenced a lot.
  Graphics 8   Sound 9   Addictive 8   Story 3   Depth 5   Difficulty 9

      Review Rating: 3.6/5     Submitted: 12-29-14     Review Replies: 2


9.3
Contra: Two Real Konami Heros   PixelBrick
Welcome to my review of Contra. One of the only shooting games that aren't violent and are actually good. Let's get this review started!
Graphics: 8/10
The graphics in this game aren't half bad. They aren't as good as Super Contra because Super Contra is also a Nintendo Entertainment System game, but the graphics for Contra are great! The sprites are well done for the enemies the characters, the built enemies like the robotic cannons, and the background layout. Even better...the sprites on the Title Screen. We have our main characters looking as sharp as ever. If only the whole game could be like the title screen's sprites...as said the graphics for this game aren't half bad!
Sound: 9/10
The music and sound effects have to be what I like most about this game and the whole Contra series overall. Especially the Base I music. The sound effects are nostalgic and well fit for what you're doing in the game to create them. With the sound effects and music, you feel like you're playing an actual arcade game. Nope! No token fees here! This game with outstanding sound is yours to keep...well if you have a Nintendo Entertainment System...
Replay-Ability: 9/10
Since you feel like you're playing an arcade game, this never gets old. Especially when you're playing with a friend. You get to shoot up them baddies all day with no bore. I remember I was seven when I started playing this. I played it once. Then I got addicted. Got a friend to play co-op mode with me. Never got old. What makes this game even more addicting is you get to watch your friend fail on one of the first enemies. What makes a big role in this being an addicting game is the fact that...YOU CAN'T SAVE YOUR PROGRESS! You can't even save your progress in Contra III Alien Wars for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. So you get to replay all the fun levels over and over...
Story: 6/10
Look, I know I should have put this category first, but I felt like doing it in order except Overall rating is going to go LAST. I honestly don't really like this story that much. It's okay though...an organization of terrorists are plotting to take over the Earth. They can build anything to stop anybody who serves the army, navy, air force. The government sends two soldiers to shoot 'em up to save the world. So two soldiers with beefy biceps must shoot through hundreds of men, robotic laser-shooting things, and alien-like creatures! Can they pull off this feat? Travel through many monuments like waterfalls and jungles to save the world from this havoc. Ptts, that was nothing. Wait until you play Alien Wars. This story's got nothing on that one!
Depth: 6/10
This game is good. It doesn't offer, like, 8-10/10 of depth though. This is a Nintendo Entertainment System game, keep in mind. Let's start from weapons. Throughout the levels, enemies or these flying discs will drop power-ups shaped like pilot wings. Your default gun is just a non-rapid fire gun that shoots weak bullets. But...there is a rapid fire, invincibility temporarily, beam gun, homing beam gun, multi-directional gun. Keep in mind that when you die, you lose your improved weapon. So it's bad when you have those moments when right when you obtain a new weapon, you die. Moving on to what you go through in the game, there is normal terrorists that run around, ones with guns, robotic turrets, enemies that throw grenades and fire cabinets only in their bases, and bullet-launching things you fight on almost every level. In levels with waters, there is terrorists that duck in water. The only way to kill them is to wait until they pop out of the water to shoot a big bullet that multiplies into three. There is also wired beam-shooting devices that pop out of the ground at some places. They have less HP than the turrets, and that have a better hit box. In this game, you will fight terrorists with built weapons, aliens, and other craziness that apparently an ordinary gun can handle...don't try going on a mission to kill people, kids. This is done by officials.
Difficulty: 4/10
You might be wondering why the difficulty is rated low. Why? Because this game is easy. The levels are hard, but there's a ton of cheats that are usable in every Konami game like the one that gives you 30 lives. Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A. (Only works on actual console) But if you don't use cheats, this game can be pretty tricky in single player. There's bullets flying at you EVERYWHERE, a ton of people running around, turrets....when I first played this, I could barely even beat level one! So many bullets. But if you know the level, it isn't that hard. It can be hard to dodge all the bullets flying at you on stage 3, waterfall, but sometimes you just get very lucky. And since you get three lives, two players...that's six lives. 60 if you use the cheat code I gave you. You get an extra life every time you beat a level!
Overall: 9.3/10
Sorry this review is very short compared to other reviews I typed. It's a bit tricky to make a tl;dr review of a game like this. Then again I get 1,000+ words on a Pong review...but anyways, I rate this high. This game is so amazing, I recommend you try it with a friend, very creative and fun, thank Konami, and goodbye.
THANKS FOR READING

  Graphics 8   Sound 9   Addictive 9   Story 6   Depth 6   Difficulty 4

      Review Rating: 3.3/5     Submitted: 09-26-13     Review Replies: 3


9.8
(Rambo VS Alien Oppressors) A Contra Review   Celestial Knight
Rambo VS Alien Oppressors is how I would begin to describe the incredible Nintendo NES classic game, Contra. In the game Contra you the player are basically fighting an up hill battle against a(n) hostile alien fleet hell bent on the destruction of earth and or enslaving the earth,the main character is insanely out numbered, out gun'ed and the odds of survival are slim to none considering it's literally one man(you) a gorilla warfare type solider vs an entire alien fleet/faction.
Overall I'd say Contra deserved its rating of a 9.8/10. I gave Contra this rating because the game managed to capture the players attention with its story and hold the interest of the player which resulted in long hours of playing.I'd recommend Contra for any gamer that is a fan of action adventure/side scrollers and basic "shoot'em up's".
For Contra, the graphics I felt deserved a 10/10. The graphics are about as good as it get's considering it is a game that came out in the 8 bit era of gaming. While the characters(sprites) in the game basically have no distinguishable facial features(hard to see eyes, mouth,nose etc.)you can clearly make out the sprites bodies and unique physical forms.The game is in full color in the sense of the sprites and level designs themselves are diverse in color scheme and rich in diverse color(like realistic).
The soundtrack for Contra really helps set the overall mood for the game, and makes the player feel as though they are right there in the battle to stop the alien menace. It really helps the player get into the mind set/hyped to play and progress thru the game. So I felt Contra deserved the rating of 10/10 for sound.
As if it wasn't all ready apparent, I was high addicted to playing Contra for a number of various reasons. The first reason being the story, the storyline really kept me interested and intrigued to see it thru to the very end. I felt as though I was really in the game and zoned out of the real world entirely. I think what also had me addicted to playing was the uniqueness of the boss designs , I haven't seen anything like them and I was actually looking forward to progressing in the game just to see what freaky alien menace was going to be thrown at me next.In addition what also had me addicted to playing Contra was the difficulty I had progressing thru the game, I died a lot it was nerve racking so naturally I had to grind to play it just to i don't prove to myself I can get past it and win.So for addictiveness I would give Contra a 9/10, also I'm very likely to play Contra again and play other titles in the franchise on either the NES or SNES systems.
In Contra the story goes something like a(n) alien faction has began to occupy and damn near conquer the earth and the player has to fight his(sorry ladies you can only play as a male) way thru various stages/bases using various weapons and quick wits.What you can appreciate about Contra's story is it's straight up and to the point there is no needless back story's or sub-plots that takes place to distract you from your one main objective, take down the alien menace and ensure the survival of the human's on earth.So for story I felt Contra earned a solid 8/10.
While Contra might not be a very long game in respect to how may stages there are and how much stuff you can do in the game, you got to keep in mind Contra is an action adventure side scroller game and not a open world game, air go your path is already set and your just along for the ride.Me personally, Contra took a while to beat due to its difficulty and one shot kill philosophy, but i'll assume the average gamer (depending on how much free time they have) could beat the game in a day if they so choose, so for depth I felt Contra deserved a 8/10 rating.
Difficulty, now before I begin let me just say Contra is very realistic in the sense of what it takes to die,the game follows the one shot kill philosophy air go one shot will kill you and you'll loose a life. With that said, Contra was a very difficult and a challenging game for me, at times I felt overwhelmed by how much enemy fire was being shot at me and how little amount of time I actually had to react.Now while the game looks simple to beat and easy enough I assure you it isn't, it's one of those games where I had to actually plan out how I was going to engage multiple targets and for the first time in a long time I felt the need to kill every enemy due to the crazy amount of stray fire and let me just go on to say if you think Contra is one of those games where you can run thru it without engaging enemies your dead wrong. So for difficulty I felt Contra earned a rating of 9/10.
To wrap things up, Contra is a excellent game that is both captivating for its story as well as its game play. I would recommend Contra for anyone who enjoys side scrollers and the action adventure genre in general. I feel as though Contra is a timeless classic, of a time when games where at there "peak" (so to speak) story wise and creativity wise and all in all Contra, even though I feel it was incredibly difficult, was an amazing interactive attention holding fun game.
  Graphics 10   Sound 10   Addictive 9   Story 8   Depth 8   Difficulty 9

      Review Rating: 3.3/5     Submitted: 11-18-15     Updated: 11-23-15     Review Replies: 0


10
contra review   minorman4
Contra is a fun and addicting game yet it is near impossible to complete it without the famous Konami cheat. I played it and played it, but yet to no avail to completing contra due to the hard, challenging and puzzling last level . If I could find a copy of this game at a good deal, I will instantly buy this game, go home and go beat it until I get bored ( which would be... um... NEVER!) I would probably recommend this to anyone whom has a NES and a good taste of gaming! Summery, I find this game awesome and it is rewarding for playing and feeling what made it such a brilliant game! Ten out of ten!
  Graphics 10   Sound 9   Addictive 10   Story 5   Depth 3   Difficulty 9

      Review Rating: 3.2/5     Submitted: 08-04-11     Review Replies: 4


8.9
A good review for a legendary game: Contra   ZeegSerpentine
Greetings and salutations my brothers in gaming! Its me, ZeegSerpentine, and I'm back to give another review over a game I have the honor to say was the few gateway games into gaming. Sure, there are a lot of games out there, but to remind my fellow gamers, the N64 and the NES was the game systems that I started out with, and man, I will never deny that I will have a special place for them in my soul.
But enough of that, allow me to take a minute to at least tell you how Contra is so much of an epic game!  Remember brothers, its just a review, therefore opinion, so don't freak please.
Graphics: Heh...well I can't really say that its the greatest of graphics, but at least the artists for the game actually was able to make the scenery and the bad guys decent. Don't get me wrong, I think that for an NES game, Contra should get a medal...but maybe not a gold. Sorry, but for Contra being as BA as it is, I just can't give it a good score on graphics. So, I would have to say for graphics...yeah I'll say 7 out of 10 sounds pretty fair.
Sound: So many levels, different weapons, and so on, but man the sound made you get pumped up in a seriously good way! No question on it in the back of my mind, even if I got blasted away, the sound that pretty much ment "Your dead ha!" that went off when you, duh, died, made me go EEEE! In glee! So lets see, for sound, I'll give it a 9 out of 10. Again, pretty darn fair huh?
Addictiveness: Man, I couldn't begin to tell you how addicting the game is. I remember when I was young and didn't know the code to get 99 lives, I was constantly on a war path in the game. I wouldn't set the controller down for a thing. A THING. And even when I finally beat the game, heh, I just went back to playing, and soon I got my Dad and other friends to play it. That's how addicting this game is. So now, it deserves a much rewarded 10 out of 10.
Story: Well...I can't say there was a story line in this game. It was basically your average sideways scrolling shooter. And thats...well that's okay. So I guess that means I can't rate it. Sorry guys.
Depth: The game is pretty big but it does take a long time to beat, because of the difficulty, so the depth will get the same score as Difficulty.
Difficulty: If banging your head against the wall made you lose three pounds per bonk, I probably wouldn't be here. This game was teeth grinding frustrating. Thank god for the Spreader, which I still think is the greatest of all great weapons. But still, I loved it, not because of how hard it was, but because of how hard the producers made it be. So as I said, Depth and Difficulty, get a solid 9 out of 10.
So, the overall score for this game would have to be a 8.9 out of 10. Ohhh...thats pretty hurtful, and like I said, I love this game with a fire passion, but its just not what you would call the greatest. Sorry guys. Waa waa...
But hey, who says we still can't play it right? I recommend that after you read this review, go and play it. As soon as humanly possible.
Until next time!
   ZeegSerpentine

  Graphics 7   Sound 9   Addictive 10   Depth 9   Difficulty 9

      Review Rating: 3.1/5     Submitted: 11-26-13     Review Replies: 2


8
The Definition of "Nintendo Hard"   dumlink23
Story:
Contra doesn't have a very big story so here it is
Bill Rizer(the blue dude) and Lance Bean (the red dude) are special op's Agents that have been sent to stop an alien invasion!.
There ya go that's the story plain and simple..like most NES games. 5
Graphic's:
For a Early NES game this game has some pretty nice graphic's they're bright and detailed and are nice to look at. 9
Gameplay:
This is one of the first shooter's on NES i believe and the control feels great! you can shoot in all 8 directions and you can dodge bullet's fairly easily.Now you see,like most shooter's Bill and Lance are "One-Hit Wonder's" so if it's your first time and you aren't using the konami code you're gonna have a bad time.. The Konami code(witch gives you 30 lives instead of 3) is what you input on the title screen; Up,Up,Down,Down,Left,Right,Left,Right,B,A START,It of course makes the game a lot easier..
Difficulty:
Contra is a Hard Game,Not Nintendo Hard but...almost there.It's not as hard as Super C or Contra 3 but its still  a pretty hard game especially without the Konami Code you only get 3 Lives and 3 Continues...although its not too rage inducing unless you play contra 3...
Depth:
This game is 8 Stages long but due to the fact you(first timers of course) are dieing so much make's it seem quite longer but, a short game if your a pro.
Sound: i love this game's music its so fast and sound's like you're in a boss fight most of the time witch just feel's cool.
Addictiveness:
Of Course you're gonna get addicted! the amount of times you die and the fact that there is a special ending for beating the game twice in a row.you're gonna be playing this game Alot.
Overall: 8
Contra is a fun game,Its aged a bit and newer gamer's may not like it but its still a really good challenge and i love playing this game
Play it if you haven't MUST PLAY for any NES gamer and shooter fan.
  Graphics 9   Sound 9   Addictive 10   Story 5   Depth 6   Difficulty 9

      Review Rating: 3/5     Submitted: 06-29-13     Review Replies: 4


9.3
Contra   Mobouis1
Contra is a game where you fight aliens with awesome guns and music.                                                                                                                                                               
Graphics: 10 It is a nes game so the graphic have to be amazing at it's time.
Sound: 9 The music is awesome the gun sound fit the game perfectly since you use weapons that don't exist.
Addictiveness: 9 The game is addicting to play for a long time unless you like to rage every time when you use all your life.
Story: 7 The story is that you on a mission to get into the alien nest and destroy the alien leader to save the earth simple enough.
Depth: 8 The game give you a lot of weapons but you have to get them and the game going to take a long time if you bad at this game. 
Difficulty: 9 The game is hard to beat because one hit you die right away and they stick to this rule for a long time. The game is impossible to beat unless you know the 30  life code. The game become easy with the spread gun but die it became so hard to beat again.
Overall: 9.3 The game is fun to play, and the difficulty will keep you busy. You should not miss out on this amazing game, but you will rage if you keep dying.
  Graphics 10   Sound 9   Addictive 9   Story 7   Depth 8   Difficulty 9

      Review Rating: 2.8/5     Submitted: 09-14-12     Review Replies: 6


10
Contra   HiddenNinjaBlade
Konami never fails to impress when it comes to their games such a dance dance revolution and they certainly didn't fail when it came to porting Contra to the NES. I've played the arcade version of Contra but I can't help but enjoy the NES version of the game,the sound is great, the gameplay is great and its challenging but its not enough for you to start raging at the monitor or tv or laptop or whatever the heck you're playing the game on.Contra is based off of the contraband incident in the 80's where president Ronald Reagan had given money to what people had referred to as the contras, the games first 3 levels are based on south america where the contras were based from. The game follows Bill Rizer and Lance Bean as they attempt to infiltrate a terrorist base that has apparently teamed up with aliens to take over the world.You only get 3 lives and 3 continues also one shot and you lose a life making this game incredibly difficult without the famous Konami Code. Even with the code activated, which gives you 30 lives instead of having 3 to start, the game is still hard because of the one hit kills, fortunately all human enemies die after one hit as well. There are also power ups in the game that can help you.F gives you the flamethrower,L gives you a laser gun,S gives you the best power up the spread gun M gives you the machine gun which you can fire without having to keep pressing B,R doesn't do any thing and finally B makes you invincible for a short time.There are only 8 levels in the game 6 of them being sidescrolling levels 2 of them take place in a base, every level also has a boss at the end of it they're not hard but they're not easy either. The final boss is unfortunately the easiest final boss I've ever fought just spray bullets at it and avoid the scorpions it drops. The time I spent playing Contra was an awesome time,even though the game is only half an hour long its a half hour that is well spent.
  Graphics 10   Sound 9   Addictive 10   Story 8   Depth 8   Difficulty 5

      Review Rating: 2.8/5     Submitted: 11-09-13     Review Replies: 3


9.7
Contra review!   Charlie506
I love Contra. Just love it. Every hardcore gamer loves it, can't argue with that. When someone says, "what is a good 2D side scrolling shooter?" I'll say Contra.
Graphics ~ 9 
The graphics were awesome at the time, no two levels look alike, except the 3D ones. 
Sound ~ 10 
The music is stupidly fantastic. My headphones go on full volume. When you die, it makes this static noise. Awesome. 
Addictiveness ~ 8
I'll come back to Contra any day. I half to admit that.
Story ~ 5 
You're a guy named Bill Riser trying to defeat the Red Falcon and save the world. 
Depth ~ 7 
3D stages, 2D stages , 8 hard levels, I think there's overhead stages.
Difficulty ~ 8
Every time I half to use the 30 live code. That's sad, right? This game isn't easy, it's not hard either. 
Overall ~ 9.7 

  Graphics 9   Sound 10   Addictive 8   Story 5   Depth 7   Difficulty 8

      Review Rating: 2.1/5     Submitted: 05-17-14     Review Replies: 6


9
Contra NES review   mysticmann
Game : Contra
Platform: NES
Genre: Run n 'Gun
Release: 1988
Developer: Konami
Against is an ultimate classic, practically creator of a genre that exploded in arcades in 1987 and was released on NES the following year, with some differences.
(Generic heroes in the hood ... say it was Stallone and Schwarzenegger...lol)
Starting from presuposto you, dear reader, unaware of the game in question, I will explain what it is. Contra is a game of "run and shoot" where you control a face semi nude blue pants named Bill Rizer who, along with her semi naked partner red pants Lance Bean, out to destroy an alien organization called Red Falcon and prevent Earth is invaded. But wait a minute ... if the alien is based on Earth does not mean that the planet does not BEEN INVADED ..?
The game is hard, in fact the whole series is known for its high difficulty, all because the game offers meager 3 lives to win eight stages, which can be facilitated by the inclusion of the famous Konami code on the title screen, increasing this initial limit for 30, and both a help.
Even as a port, the game differs from the arcade. For starters, the stage 3:06 of the original have been condensed in stages 2 and 5, reducing the number of stages from 10 to 8, the stages were also increased, counting here more enemies and challenges, the 4 final stages (Snowfield, Energy Zone , Hangar, and Alien Lair) ceased to be a continuous sequence as in the arcade and were divided in NES.
Another novelty is the introduction of a new power-up. In addition to the 6 different weapons that heroes can use NES exists in a "clean-screen bomb," you knows what she does.
The controls are simple and easy to learn, the guys shoot in 8 directions and can run while doing so, jump can be a problem here, because some platforms are short and not easy to control the acrobatic jump the guy, nothing that some Game- overs teach.
Graphically, Contra is very neat for a game 8-bit 1988, designers were concerned enough with details both in background and in own characters and enemies. The soundtrack is also excellent, inserting the player into the game's fast pace.
Curiosities:
- The Japanese flyer informs that the game takes place in December 2633.
- The Jap version has a intro explaining a bit the story of the game, this opening shows that Alien landed here on an island near New Zealand, two years before the game.
- In the American version, the intro was removed and the manual states that the game takes place in the ruins of Central America ... the heroes began to be called "Mad Dog" and "Scorpion".
- The European version is also different. For starters, the game is called Probotector and semi naked warriors are now robots.
  Graphics 8   Sound 7   Addictive 10   Story 6   Depth 10   Difficulty 10

      Review Rating: 1.3/5     Submitted: 12-05-15     Updated: 12-06-15     Review Replies: 2

Contra Box Description

The universe teeters on the brink of total annihilation at the hands of the vile alien warmonger, Red Falcon. Earth's only hope rests with you, a courageous member of the Special Forces elite commando squad. Your mission: Battle deep into the deadly Amazon jungle, where the Red Falcon and his galactic henchmen have transformed ancient Mayan temples into awesome monuments dedicated to mass destruction. A multitude of weapons, from rapid-fire machine guns to high-tech lasers are at your disposal as you sweat blood, fighting past 3-D mazes, underground security systems, and tropical forests surrounded by giant waterfalls and alien cannons. This is the ultimate test for the ultimate guerrilla warrior. And if you survive, Earth survives!

Contra (Nintendo NES) Screenshots

X X Contra
Contra
by Pringur0 (5/5)
Ending : The ending to Contra
Contra
by evilcon09 (5/5)
Ending : i have beaten the hardest game ever i rock
Contra
by sloanstar1000 (5/5)
Ending : all that for a 3 second cutscene :/
Contra
by Jordanv78 (5/5)
Ending : Beat it on netplay with another user...
Contra
by Jordanv78 (5/5)
Ending : Don't worry, I do!
Contra
by Jordanv78 (5/5)
Ending : You guys are AWESOME!
Contra
by LieselSolo (4.92/5)
Battle : Boss beaten!
Contra
by LieselSolo (4.89/5)
Battle : Boss beaten!
Contra
by Gn120 (4.88/5)
Misc : Spread
Contra
by TheFadedWarrior (4.84/5)
Battle : Ugliest boss I've ever seen...
Contra
by LieselSolo (4.83/5)
Battle : Boss beaten!
Contra
by LieselSolo (4.83/5)
Level Bunker 1: Love the 3-D look
Contra
by mikez913 (4.8/5)
Level Stage 5: Snowfield
Contra
by Gn120 (4.79/5)
Battle : Alien's Lair Mid-Boss Defeated
Contra
by Gn120 (4.75/5)
Battle : Stage 5 Boss
Contra
by Gn120 (4.75/5)
Battle : Stage 2 Boss
Contra
by Gn120 (4.75/5)
Introduction : Title Screen
Contra
by iN008 (4.73/5)
Battle : Final Boss Dead
Contra
by Branvel (4.71/5)
Battle : You are going to DIE!!!
Contra
by Gn120 (4.71/5)
Battle : Stage 2 Boss Defeated
Contra
by Gn120 (4.71/5)
Battle : Stage 5 Tank (Mid-Boss)
Contra
by computernorman12 (4.68/5)
I Finally Beat Contra
Contra
by Gn120 (4.67/5)
Level Stage 7: Hanger
Contra
by LieselSolo (4.67/5)
Battle : Boss beaten!
Contra
by LieselSolo (4.67/5)
Battle : Boss beaten!

Videos of Contra Gameplay

rcarter2
02-22-14 12:30 PM
00:17:17  Views: 38
Contra - Deathless Run - User video5/5
Deathless Run
supersonic1014
10-09-14 09:54 AM
00:29:39  Views: 23
Contra - Supersonic1014 Fails at: Contra (NES) - User video5/5
Supersonic1014 Fails at: Contra (NES)
terrorrizin
09-04-14 08:30 AM
00:13:00  Views: 11
Contra - Vizzed.com Play - User video5/5
Vizzed.com Play
mgos307
06-26-14 03:59 AM
00:21:53  Views: 14
Contra - Walkthrough - User video5/5
Walkthrough
ElDaves
01-20-17 03:49 PM
00:04:05  Views: 89
Contra - Contra (NES / Nintendo)  - Vizzed.com GamePlay - User video5/5
Contra (NES / Nintendo) - Vizzed.com GamePlay
>>
Click Here
to View All
Videos
>>

Joinable Netplay Multiplayer Sessions for Contra 

There is currently no one playing this online

Contra Highscores

nguyenminhthien..
1. 6,553,500
TimeTrial: 02:36:01
11-21-14 07:36 AM
Contra - limiter score - User Screenshot
limiter score
MattyIce
2. 6,553,500
TimeTrial: 03:14:24
11-17-14 12:17 PM
Contra - My best so far... - User Screenshot
My best so far...
JustAnotherGamer
3. 4,590,500
TimeTrial: 12:32:51
07-18-13 09:13 AM
Contra -  - User Screenshot
jerryaberry
4. 3,948,600
TimeTrial: 02:11:08
10-02-13 06:23 PM
Contra -  - User Screenshot
garb420
5. 3,030,500
TimeTrial: 01:44:35
11-16-12 12:06 PM
Contra - movin on up! - User Screenshot
movin on up!
>>
Click Here
to View All
Highscores
>>

Contra Cheat Codes

Start with 30 lives: At the Title Screen press Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start.

Contra Threads

Threads
Creator
Date
08-30-12

Contra Guides and Walkthroughs

There are no submitted Guides for this Game

Users who own Contra

Game Owner Name
Completeness
Condition
B
T
S
Play Online
Loose
Very Good
(wants to play online)
Loose
Like New
Loose
Very Good
Loose
Acceptable
Loose
Good
Loose
Very Good
Loose
Very Good
Complete
Like New
Digital
Loose
Very Good
Loose

Game Characters in Contra

Comments for Contra

cafeman55 12-17-22 - 08:57 PM
 the 2nd stage is got a good music theme I'm rocking to it when i hear it.
Etcetera 08-25-17 - 08:38 PM
 How did I go from being very good at this game a few years ago to not being able to get past stage 1?
Swarbaugh 10-10-16 - 09:08 PM
 Cool !
LeaChartier 08-23-16 - 12:31 PM
 Best game !
xLestaTx 03-29-16 - 08:32 AM
 Classic xD
Lexatom 01-10-16 - 04:10 AM
 up up down down left right left right b a TROLOOKLOLOL
Awesome5000 11-07-15 - 10:22 AM
 The cover of this looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger in Commando and Sylvester Stallone in Rambo.Hmm.Commando & Rambo Combined.That's some serious case of protein powder from GNC.
gamemaster469 10-25-15 - 01:48 AM
 I like how on this page it tells you the konami code
Knight-Hart 10-03-15 - 10:16 AM
 One of the best NES games!
shadowlink42 07-22-15 - 02:41 PM
 just beat hella yeah
Ultimatone 07-18-15 - 05:41 PM
 This game is way hard, I must be doing something wrong.
tomjaz 06-21-15 - 10:15 AM
 nice game
Vanelan 01-19-15 - 09:15 PM
 One of the best run and guns on NES, hands down. Kinda easy after I played it so many times.
Awesome5000 11-01-14 - 09:22 PM
 this game is so hard ,that its HARD! j/k if you get the hang of it you can be pro at it .i cant though :D without save states :D
mega man221 07-25-14 - 04:12 PM
 To the extreme!
mastergame 06-16-14 - 05:55 PM
 no am using the code its not cheating if its in the game >.>
segamanz123 03-23-14 - 11:26 AM
 really hard game
patar4097 03-23-14 - 08:53 AM
 I think it should work, but only with Java. I don't believe Mac works with the plugin.
sleezye23 03-21-14 - 06:05 PM
 Does anyone know if the keyboard controls work on mac osx operating system, it seems that the keyboard controls do not work
segamanz123 03-21-14 - 03:29 PM
 i really suck at this game i cant get past the second level without the konami code
AwesomeGamer100 02-13-14 - 01:03 AM
 up up down down left right left right b a select start
WiiNin213 02-02-14 - 03:14 PM
 Just beat it without the code, and on one continue!
WiiNin213 01-25-14 - 02:26 PM
 Just beat the game with the code, now to beat it without the code.
SacredShadow 01-08-14 - 06:45 PM
 The first level alone is difficult in my opinion!
sloanstar1000 10-24-13 - 02:06 PM
 I never spend the most time on just one level more than contra.

Adblocker detected!

Vizzed.com is very expensive to keep alive! The Ads pay for the servers.

Vizzed has 3 TB worth of games and 1 TB worth of music.  This site is free to use but the ads barely pay for the monthly server fees.  If too many more people use ad block, the site cannot survive.

We prioritize the community over the site profits.  This is why we avoid using annoying (but high paying) ads like most other sites which include popups, obnoxious sounds and animations, malware, and other forms of intrusiveness.  We'll do our part to never resort to these types of ads, please do your part by helping support this site by adding Vizzed.com to your ad blocking whitelist.

×