The classic Run N' Gun shooter for excellence and the foundations of this sub-genre of the action platforming which would become a battlefield with competitors who would try to dethrone Konami's masterpice without success: Irem's Gunforce and SNK's Metal Slug among them.
I'm sure you know Bill Rizer and Lance Bean as well as your old school books, just like Simon Belmont or the Vic Viper. Contra was on your list of videogame rentals in the videostore along with Megaman and Ninja Gaiden, and you've probably played with a toy rifle in hand running around the house pretending to be "The Contra Guy". As part of the Anniversary Collection series, Konami released a compilation of titles of their Opus Magna in Contra Anniversary Collection.
When Mario and Megaman are not enough reasons to buy a NES,
Contra becomes the reason to lay down the cash.
CONTRA (Arcade): Konami's classic Run N' Gun series of games made their starting point here. Contra broke with the basic aspects of platforming by allowing the players to shot straight forward and in all directions. While most games granted the player with one or two power ups, this game gave the players a devastating arsenal of weapons like the Machine Gun, Laser Gun, Spread Gun, Flame Thrower the Rapid Fire upgrade and the Barrier which grant them temporary invincibility. During the game they'll be facing the enemy in both horizontal scrolling and 3rd view mazes which were innovating by the time.
SUPER CONTRA (Arcade): While Contra was a hit in the arcades despite the somewhat slow controls, Konami made the sequel. This one introduces the feature of powering up a weapon by picking the same item twice and the "Shell" in the vertical stages. These vertical stages replaces the 3D base levels of the previous game and includes flashing coloring effects on the lasers like in A-Jax. There's digitized sound effects like the aliens' hissing/roaring sounds and better music. But it has its flaws, starting off with slow aiming, which is fatal for this game since it demands fast reactions most of the times, but the worst of all is the limitation of the continue function. Yeah, an arcade game that limits you on how much continues you can use sounds absurd and unnecessarily strict. You can only continue 3 times and is "Well then...Have a nice day!".
CONTRA (Nintendo Entertainment System): "Pitted against the galaxy's fiercest foe, you either win or the whole world loses." This is where 90% of us we knew the series and where it become a huge hit. Despite the simplification of the graphics due to the NES hardware, the game has better controls resulting in a more responsive action-packed game. Surprisingly, the NES was capable of recreate and improve the Base levels by removing the time limit and making them larger than the arcade, the large stage 5 of the original arcade was splitted in multiple levels, resulting in a total of 8 stages and unlike the arcade, it has an ending cutscene rather than just a staff roll before looping again in a higher difficulty level.
CONTRA (Famicom Disk System): If you think Contra is Contra in any localization and they only change the language, then think again. While identical in gameplay and layout, the FDS version of Contra have several differences deyond the language. ¿Did you know the game has cutscenes which were omitted on the NES version?, that's one of the differences you'll find in this version. This is an interesting variant which I recommend for those who are looking for something new on the classic Contra we know, love and grow up with.
SUPER C (Nintendo Entertainment System): Like Super Contra, the NES port is more, much more solid in gameplay and controls that react with the speed this game demands. The grenade launcher was replaced with a chargeable Flamethrower which becomes more useful than its predecessor. It omits the powering up with the "R" Item (Rapid fire) like the original Contra.
'Cause yo-ooouuu-u could be mi-iiiiiii-ine,
But you're wa-aaaaa-ay out of li-iiiii-ine.
CONTRA III: THE ALIEN WARS (Super Nintendo): The Contra to rule all the Contra games. This game is a "Tour de Force" that pushes the SNES hardware to its limits with the same fast action of the NES games and adding new features like the rotating vertical scenes, gigantic boss fights and incredible battle scenes like motorcycle shootouts and missile riding pursuits, and the inclusion of holding two weapons allowing deadly combinations and new weapons like the Crush Gun and Homing Missile, increasing the player's arsenal.
OPERATION C (Gameboy): When it comes to Gameboy games, Bill Rizer was treated much better than Christopher Belmont, 'cos the first Contra game for Gameboy is far more playable than the atrocious Castlevania: The Adventure (not to mention the amazing Contra: The Alien Wars released later). This game combines elements from both Contra and Super C in a single title. Featuring the soundtrack of Contra and the action elements of Super C, and the return of the Powering up weaponry like in the original Super Contra arcade game. Despite being for 1 player is good enough to give a try.
CONTRA HARD CORPS (Sega Genesis): Contra's lone entry on Sega's console. To differ from Contra III, Hard Corps features 4 different characters with unique abilities and weapons, and the ability of carrying up to 4 weapons. This one is the Castlevania III of the franchise since it features branching parts which leads to different stages and endings, there's even a hidden level that leads to a "joke" ending. The japanese version called Contra: The Hard Corps includes a 3HP life bar which was removed in the localization.
SUPER PROBOTECTOR: ALIEN REBELS (Super Nintendo): This is what we can call "EuroContra". Anyone who look at this game will think this looks like a pacnsacdave / Techmoon hack of some sorts, but this change had a reason why. For those who are new in this series of games, back in the 80's-90's, there was a strict policy on Europe when it came to videogames. Back then they considered videogames as something for children and shooting at people was considered way too violent at the point they've considered the Atari 2600 shmup River Raid as extremely violent, having the misfortune of being the first video game to be banned for minors in West Germany by the Bundesprüfstelle für jugendgefährdende Schriften. The anti-violence rule went to extremes like censoring ninjas, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was released as Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles, Ninja Gaiden was known as Shadow Warriors, and any ninja-related toys had the word "ninja" distorted in many ways such as Juyba's "Guerreros Minyas" (Juyba's copy of Hasbro's Ninja Warriors: Enemies of Evil) to make them more "family friendly" and less violent. To put it simple, "Ninja" was the second "N-Word". Back to the Probotector thing, like I said, gaming had its censorship moments. Capcom's Commando was released as Space Invasion where Super Joe fought robots instead of soldiers, the same thing happened to Contra on the consoles: Contra > Probotector, Super C > Probotector II: Return of the Evil Forces, Operation C > Probotector. Super Probotector replaces Bill and Lance with RD008 and RC011. Still, this version kept the same adrenaline pumping action Contra III has: Same 2D Run N' Gun combat, same vertical mazes, same motorcycle fights with missile riding battles.
PROBOTECTOR (Sega Genesis): Contra Hard Corps "Euro Edition". Say goodbye to Ray, Sheena and Fang as they're replaced with CX-1, CX-2 and CX-3. Since Browny's a robot he was only renamed as CX-4. Like the US release, it lacks of the energy points. It removes some cutscenes (Bahamut talking with the charcter before the space elevator level) and censors the word "Damn" with "Blast!".
While the compilation comprises the basics of Konami's Run N' Gun saga, the compilation feels a little repetitive: Contra and Super Contra 4 times (Arcade, Arcade Japan, NES, Famicom) 3 versions of Contra III and Hard Corps when the game could include more titles, it is a blow when the Collection's variety is compared with Castlevania Anniversary Collection. ¿Where's Contra Shattered Soldier, Neo Contra, Contra 4 and Re:Birth?, those are essentials for any Contra collection you've got in mind. As for the Arcade titles are great alternatives to pick both games in one package for those who've missed their respective XBOX360 releases, but honestly, you'll be better off playing the NES ones. Another detail to criticize was to consider the Probotector versions as games apart when they're the same thing. Compare that with Megaman X Legacy Collection, pressing a button will change Megaman X into Rockman X, as if the japanese version was an alternate optional variation.
CONTRA ANNIVERSARY CURIOSITIES
- The Contra logo is based on Contra 4, but the "C" was simplified to resemble the classic games. However, the overall logo for the compilation looks like an odd combination due to the use of the formal font-based Anniversary Collection logo.
- The title screen of the compilation is the cover art of Contra III: The Alien Wars, illustrated by Konami's talented artist Tom DuBois.
- The reason why Super C and Operation C omitted the use of the word "Contra" was due to the Iran-Contra scandal (Contragate, Caso Irán-Contra and McFarlane Affair) when Ronald Reagan's administration facilitated the sell of weapons to Iran and use the money for financing the Contras of Nicaragua. This political note is also mentioned in the museum of Contra 4.
- Which ending is the "True" one for Contra Hard Corps was a subject of debate nowadays, despite being the "Good Job!" (Ending B: "Rescue the Research Center > Fight to the End" route) the most "true ending" like.
- The monster Arthroverta from Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia is based on Kimkoh, the final boss of Super C.
- The "Terminator" like robots from Stage 3 are actually based on the Snatchers from Snatcher.
- According to the game data, Stage 3 is located in Neo Kobe, where the events of Snatcher took place.
- Bill and Lance are seen in the Outer Heaven night club in one of the versions of Snatcher.
Despite the repetitivity of the game list, Contra Anniversary Collection is still an adrenaline shot for those who are looking some intense Run N' Gun action and to forget the atrocity that was Contra: Rogue Corps.