Contra is a popular run and gun video game developed and published by Konami. It was initially released as an arcade game in 1986 and later made available for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and various home computer formats. In Europe, the arcade and computer versions were called Gryzor, while the NES version was known as Probotector in PAL regions.
The game achieved widespread success, becoming one of the top four highest-grossing arcade games in the United States in 1987. The NES version also received critical acclaim and commercial success, earning recognition as the Best Action Game of 1988 by Electronic Gaming Monthly. As a result, several sequels to Contra were developed.
Contra offers a variety of playing perspectives, including a standard side view, a pseudo-3D view, and a fixed screen format. Two players can participate simultaneously, taking control of Bill and Lance, the game's commando protagonists. The controls involve an eight-way joystick and two action buttons for shooting and jumping. Notably, when jumping, the characters perform somersaults instead of traditional jumps.
The player's main weapon is a rifle with unlimited ammunition, which can be upgraded to four other guns. These upgrades can be obtained by destroying pill box sensors and item capsules or defeating guards in enemy bases. Each gun has unique capabilities, such as rapid fire, laser shots, corkscrew patterns, and spread shots. Additional power-ups, such as increased firing speed and temporary invulnerability, can also be found.
The arcade version of Contra consists of seven stages, although the number and structure of stages vary in later versions. The stages include side-scrolling levels, 3D sections inside enemy bases, and boss battles. The final stage features a challenging series of enemy encounters, leading up to a showdown with a giant alien head and a cardiac creature that must be defeated to complete the mission.
Players lose a life if their character comes into contact with enemies or missiles, fails to complete a base stage within the time limit, or falls into a bottomless pit. After losing all lives, players can continue by inserting coins (up to three times) and pressing Start. Additionally, a second player can join in at any time, but both players must lose their lives before continuing together.
The game achieved widespread success, becoming one of the top four highest-grossing arcade games in the United States in 1987. The NES version also received critical acclaim and commercial success, earning recognition as the Best Action Game of 1988 by Electronic Gaming Monthly. As a result, several sequels to Contra were developed.
Contra offers a variety of playing perspectives, including a standard side view, a pseudo-3D view, and a fixed screen format. Two players can participate simultaneously, taking control of Bill and Lance, the game's commando protagonists. The controls involve an eight-way joystick and two action buttons for shooting and jumping. Notably, when jumping, the characters perform somersaults instead of traditional jumps.
The player's main weapon is a rifle with unlimited ammunition, which can be upgraded to four other guns. These upgrades can be obtained by destroying pill box sensors and item capsules or defeating guards in enemy bases. Each gun has unique capabilities, such as rapid fire, laser shots, corkscrew patterns, and spread shots. Additional power-ups, such as increased firing speed and temporary invulnerability, can also be found.
The arcade version of Contra consists of seven stages, although the number and structure of stages vary in later versions. The stages include side-scrolling levels, 3D sections inside enemy bases, and boss battles. The final stage features a challenging series of enemy encounters, leading up to a showdown with a giant alien head and a cardiac creature that must be defeated to complete the mission.
Players lose a life if their character comes into contact with enemies or missiles, fails to complete a base stage within the time limit, or falls into a bottomless pit. After losing all lives, players can continue by inserting coins (up to three times) and pressing Start. Additionally, a second player can join in at any time, but both players must lose their lives before continuing together.
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