Two soldiers storm an alien base alone, and the result holds up as one of the hardest, most direct action games on the NES.
The Setup
Contra drops players into a fight against an alien force set in thick forest ground, armed with nothing but a starting pistol and quick hands. The mission moves fast: enemies pour in from every side, and the screen rarely rests. Playing alone works fine, but the game shows its best side when a second player joins in, both taking on the base together at once.
Guns and Extra Fire
Picking up gun items changes the pace of every stage. The gun that fires in many directions turns a hopeless fight into one a player can handle, and the gun that fires fast and steady keeps a steady stream of damage going against harder waves. Losing a gun after a single hit stings, since it often means dropping straight back to the starting pistol in the middle of a fight.
The game does not go easy on players who fall behind on gun items.
Level Design
Contra changes its format across its stages, moving from runs seen from the side through the forest ground to base attacks seen from behind the soldier looking into the base. The stages seen from behind the soldier change the rhythm of play, asking for more careful positioning than the running fights. Boss fights close out each stage with a clear plan to learn and punish, rewarding players who study an enemy before rushing in.
Difficulty
The challenge is hard, and checkpoints do not always land where players want them. Death sends players back further than expected in some stages, turning short parts into long ones through repetition. The famous code that grants extra lives has become part of how many players remember getting through the game at all.
Final Verdict
Contra remains a tight, fast shooter that asks a lot of its players and rarely lets up. Two players working together smooth over some of the trouble built into its difficulty, and the item system gives every stage a reason to keep moving forward. Harsh checkpoints and harsh gun losses keep it from ranking among the smoothest experiences on the console, but the core action still holds together.
Contra earns its place as a solid, demanding shooter, one that asks for patience and rewards it in short spells rather than long calm periods.
