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Contra (arcade game)
Encyclopedia
, known as Gryzor in Europe
and Oceania
, is a run and gun action game
developed and published by Konami
originally released as a coin-operated arcade game
on February 20, 1987. A home version was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System
in , along with ports for various computer formats, including the MSX2
. The home versions were localized in the PAL region
as Gryzor on the various computer formats and as Probotector on the NES, released long later. Several Contra sequels were produced following the original game.
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The main character is equipped with a rifle
with an unlimited amount of ammunition. The player can also jump, move and fire in eight directions, as well as move or jump simultaneously while firing. A single hit from any enemy, bullet, or other hazard will instantly kill the player character and discard the current weapon. There are a total of four weapons the player can retrieve from flying weapon capsules, pill-box sensors, or red guards during 3D mazes: a Machine Gun, a Laser Gun, a Fire Gun, and a Spread Gun. There are also two additional supplemental power-ups: a Rapid Fire power-up which increases the player's firing speed, as well as a Barrier that will grant the player temporary invincibility for many seconds. All the power-ups in the arcade version are represented by Eagle-shaped letter icons with the exception of the Machine Gun and Laser. In the arcade version, the flying weapon capsules only appear if the player is not wielding any special weapons.
There are a total of over 10 areas in the game. There are two types of stages in Contra. In addition to the standard side view stages, Contra also features stages in which the player character is seen from behind and must move towards the background in order to proceed. Each of these "3D maze" stages are set inside the corridor of an enemy base in which the player must fight through the base's defenses in order to reach the core of the base. During the 3D maze stages, the upper screen will display a map of the base along with a time limit. Each maze stage is followed by a "3D fixed" stage set at the core of the base, in which the player must destroy a series of flashing sensors to expose an even larger sensor and destroy it.
Contra also features a two-player cooperative mode. Both players occupy the same screen and must coordinate their actions. One player lagging behind can cause problems for his partner, as the screen will not scroll onward, and a slow player can be fatal to his partner. The European release, Gryzor, does not feature a simultaneous 2-Players mode. Instead, both players take turns: whenever one player dies, the other gets his turn.
, Ocean Software
produced ports of Contra under the title of Gryzor for the ZX Spectrum
, Commodore 64
, and Amstrad CPC
, which were released in Europe
in . An IBM PC version was developed by Banana Productions and released in North America. This version was released in Europe under the Gryzor name. Ocean's ports were patterned after the original arcade version of the game. The Commodore 64 version was released in North America under the Contra title.
The cover illustration of Ocean's Gryzor ports by Bob Wakelin was inspired by different poses of actor Arnold Schwarzenegger
from the film Predator
. The illustration was later used for the American cover art of the NES version and the Japanese back cover of the MSX2 version.
, which was released in February in Japan and North America. The PAL version, titled Probotector, was released in December 28, .
The NES version of Contra differs from the arcade game in a few ways. All ten stages from the arcade version are present, although the "core" segments are no longer individual stages but boss battles that occur at the end of each base stage, reducing the total number of stages to eight. The base stages themselves were also made into linear levels instead of their original maze-like structure (resulting in the removal of the map display) and the time limit was removed as well. The rest of the game's stages were also modified with the addition of more traps (such as surfacing spiked walls, mortar launchers, and bottomless pits). The design of the Area 3 boss (originally Area 4 in the arcade version) was changed as well.
All six power-ups from the arcade version are present, with the Machine Gun and the Laser Rifle now represented by letter-based Falcon icons (an "M" and an "L" respectively) like the other four power-ups. A seventh power-up is also introduced called the "Special", which destroys all on-screen enemies once picked up. It is represented by an unmarked Falcon icon. Unlike the arcade version, the flying capsules appear regardless of which weapon the player is using.
The NES version of Contra was one of the earliest games to use the Konami Code
, which originated with the NES version of Gradius
. Inputting the code (entirely as the screen scrolls, or entirely after the screen is done scrolling) on the title screen before starting the game will grant each player thirty lives each time they start (both when a game begins and each time the game is continued).
that Konami produced called the VRC2 instead of the UNROM chip used by the NES version, allowing for additional graphical effects not featured in its NES counterpart. The Famicom version features cut-scenes shown before each stage, a map display of the Galuga archipelago displaying the player's current location before each stage, additional background animations such as moving palm trees in Area 1 and falling snowflakes Area 5. The Famicom version also features additional cheat codes such as a Stage Select code and a sound test, as well as a hidden post-credits scene
by holding the Select and Start buttons during the ending credits sequence.
, the NES version of Contra was retitled Probotector, and the player characters, as well as some of the enemy soldiers, were replaced with robotic counterparts. This was done to circumvent the BPjM
's censorship laws in Germany
, which prohibits the sales of violent video games to minors. Subsequent Contra games for the NES, Game Boy, Super NES, and Mega Drive followed suit, all being released in the PAL region under the Probotector title and featuring similar modifications. The Contra series would later retain the Contra title and characters in Europe beginning with Contra: Legacy of War
.
version of Contra was released by Konami exclusively in Japan on May 26, . The MSX2 version of Contra greatly differs from the arcade and NES versions. Due to hardware limitations of the MSX2, the game does not scroll but instead uses flip-screen
s like Konami's other MSX2 games such as the original Metal Gear
and Vampire Killer
. The player is given a life gauge, allowing their character sustain more than one shot before losing a life. There are two main power-ups in the MSX2 version, a Falcon-shaped power-up that increases the player's walking and shooting speed, as well as a gun-shaped power-up which allows the player to change their current weapon. After picking up the weapon power-up, the player can choose between the default Normal Gun or four other weapons. The Spread Gun is not featured in this version, replaced by Rear Gun similar to the tailgun in certain Gradius games, which fires at two directions at the same time. The MSX2 Contra is composed of 19 stages. The first nine stages are based on the arcade version (which excludes the Hangar stage), while the final ten stages are new to this version. Unlike the arcade and NES versions, the MSX2 version is single-player only.
The MSX2 version of Contra was released for the Wii
Virtual Console
in Japan on February 2, 2010.
port of the arcade version of Contra was released in Japan on May 25, as part of a series of retro game ports by Hamster. A second rerelease was made for the Xbox Live Arcade
on November 8 of the same year, with Digital Eclipse handling the conversion. The arcade version was also included in Konami's retro game compilation Konami Classics Series: Arcade Hits
for the Nintendo DS
.
The NES version of Contra was also included in the video game compilation Konami Collector's Series: Castlevania & Contra for Microsoft Windows
in North America, which also included Super C and the three Castlevania
games released for the NES. Both, Contra and Super C, are included in the Nintendo DS
game Contra 4
as hidden bonuses.
in 1988. Contra was voted #1 by gaming website IGN.com as being the "Toughest Game to Beat". Nintendo Power
ranked it the seventh best Nintendo Entertainment System
video game, calling it one of the best multiplayer NES games. ScrewAttack
named it the fifth best NES game of all time.
In 2010 IGN
ranked the main antagonist Red Falcon 76th in "Top 100 Videogames Villans".
in 1988
. An NES
version of Super Contra was released in the 1990
, under the shortened title of Super C in North America. The NES versions of Contra and Super C were the first in a series of Contra
games for home platforms. Konami would follow their releases with Operation C
for the Game Boy
in , Contra III: The Alien Wars
for the Super NES
and Contra Force
for the NES both in , and Contra: Hard Corps
for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis in . During the late 1990s, Konami externally contracted Appaloosa Interactive
for the development of two sequels for the PlayStation
: Contra: Legacy of War
(also released for the Sega Saturn
) in , and C: The Contra Adventure
in . In the early 2000s, Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo developed two Contra games for the PlayStation 2
, Contra: Shattered Soldier
in and Neo Contra
in . In , Contra 4
was released for the Nintendo DS
, a co-production between Konami of America and WayForward Technologies
. Contra ReBirth
, developed by M2, was released for the Wii
as a Wiiware
title in .
The music from the arcade version of Contra is one of the soundtracks included in the video game album Konami Game Music Vol.4: A-Jax, which was released by Alfa Records
on May 10, 1988, in CD (catalog no. 28XA-201), cassette (ALC-22922), and vinyl (ALR-22922).
The name of the second Vampire Weekend
album is a homage to this game.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Oceania
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
, is a run and gun action game
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
developed and published by Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
originally released as a coin-operated arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
on February 20, 1987. A home version was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
in , along with ports for various computer formats, including the MSX2
MSX
MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
. The home versions were localized in the PAL region
PAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory which covers most of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe...
as Gryzor on the various computer formats and as Probotector on the NES, released long later. Several Contra sequels were produced following the original game.
Plot
In Contra, the player controls one of two armed military commandos named Bill "Mad Dog" Rizer and Lance "Scorpion" Bean, who are sent on a mission to neutralize a terrorist group called the Red Falcon Organization that is planning to take over the Earth. Details of the game's setting varies between supplementary materials: the Japanese versions sets the game in a fictional Galuga archipelago near New Zealand in the futuristic year of 2633, whereas the manual for the American NES version sets the game during the present in an unnamed South American island. The American storyline also changes the identity of "Red Falcon" from being the name of a terrorist organization to the name of an alien entity.Gameplay
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
with an unlimited amount of ammunition. The player can also jump, move and fire in eight directions, as well as move or jump simultaneously while firing. A single hit from any enemy, bullet, or other hazard will instantly kill the player character and discard the current weapon. There are a total of four weapons the player can retrieve from flying weapon capsules, pill-box sensors, or red guards during 3D mazes: a Machine Gun, a Laser Gun, a Fire Gun, and a Spread Gun. There are also two additional supplemental power-ups: a Rapid Fire power-up which increases the player's firing speed, as well as a Barrier that will grant the player temporary invincibility for many seconds. All the power-ups in the arcade version are represented by Eagle-shaped letter icons with the exception of the Machine Gun and Laser. In the arcade version, the flying weapon capsules only appear if the player is not wielding any special weapons.
There are a total of over 10 areas in the game. There are two types of stages in Contra. In addition to the standard side view stages, Contra also features stages in which the player character is seen from behind and must move towards the background in order to proceed. Each of these "3D maze" stages are set inside the corridor of an enemy base in which the player must fight through the base's defenses in order to reach the core of the base. During the 3D maze stages, the upper screen will display a map of the base along with a time limit. Each maze stage is followed by a "3D fixed" stage set at the core of the base, in which the player must destroy a series of flashing sensors to expose an even larger sensor and destroy it.
Contra also features a two-player cooperative mode. Both players occupy the same screen and must coordinate their actions. One player lagging behind can cause problems for his partner, as the screen will not scroll onward, and a slow player can be fatal to his partner. The European release, Gryzor, does not feature a simultaneous 2-Players mode. Instead, both players take turns: whenever one player dies, the other gets his turn.
Home computers
Under license from KonamiKonami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
, Ocean Software
Ocean Software
The British company Ocean Software was one of the biggest European video game developers/publishers of the 1980s and 90s...
produced ports of Contra under the title of Gryzor for the ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
, Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, and Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
, which were released in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in . An IBM PC version was developed by Banana Productions and released in North America. This version was released in Europe under the Gryzor name. Ocean's ports were patterned after the original arcade version of the game. The Commodore 64 version was released in North America under the Contra title.
The cover illustration of Ocean's Gryzor ports by Bob Wakelin was inspired by different poses of actor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
from the film Predator
Predator (film)
Predator is a 1987 American science fiction action film directed by John McTiernan, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Jesse Ventura, and Kevin Peter Hall. It was distributed by 20th Century Fox....
. The illustration was later used for the American cover art of the NES version and the Japanese back cover of the MSX2 version.
Nintendo Entertainment System
Konami produced their own home version of Contra for the Nintendo Entertainment SystemNintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
, which was released in February in Japan and North America. The PAL version, titled Probotector, was released in December 28, .
The NES version of Contra differs from the arcade game in a few ways. All ten stages from the arcade version are present, although the "core" segments are no longer individual stages but boss battles that occur at the end of each base stage, reducing the total number of stages to eight. The base stages themselves were also made into linear levels instead of their original maze-like structure (resulting in the removal of the map display) and the time limit was removed as well. The rest of the game's stages were also modified with the addition of more traps (such as surfacing spiked walls, mortar launchers, and bottomless pits). The design of the Area 3 boss (originally Area 4 in the arcade version) was changed as well.
All six power-ups from the arcade version are present, with the Machine Gun and the Laser Rifle now represented by letter-based Falcon icons (an "M" and an "L" respectively) like the other four power-ups. A seventh power-up is also introduced called the "Special", which destroys all on-screen enemies once picked up. It is represented by an unmarked Falcon icon. Unlike the arcade version, the flying capsules appear regardless of which weapon the player is using.
The NES version of Contra was one of the earliest games to use the Konami Code
Konami Code
The Konami Code, known in Japan as the , is a cheat code that appears in many Konami video games, although the code also appears in some non-Konami games...
, which originated with the NES version of Gradius
Gradius
The Gradius games, first introduced in 1985, make up a series of scrolling shooter video games published by Konami for a variety of portable, console and arcade platforms. In many games in the series, the player controls a ship known as the Vic Viper...
. Inputting the code (entirely as the screen scrolls, or entirely after the screen is done scrolling) on the title screen before starting the game will grant each player thirty lives each time they start (both when a game begins and each time the game is continued).
Japanese version
The Family Computer version of Contra, which was released in Japan almost simultaneously as the American NES version, makes use of a custom-made Multi-Memory ControllerMulti-Memory Controller
Multi-Memory Controllers or Memory Management Controllers are different kinds of special chips designed by various video game developers for use in Nintendo Entertainment System cartridges...
that Konami produced called the VRC2 instead of the UNROM chip used by the NES version, allowing for additional graphical effects not featured in its NES counterpart. The Famicom version features cut-scenes shown before each stage, a map display of the Galuga archipelago displaying the player's current location before each stage, additional background animations such as moving palm trees in Area 1 and falling snowflakes Area 5. The Famicom version also features additional cheat codes such as a Stage Select code and a sound test, as well as a hidden post-credits scene
Post-credits scene
A post-credits scene is a short clip that appears after some or all of the closing credits of a film have run...
by holding the Select and Start buttons during the ending credits sequence.
European version
In Europe and OceaniaPAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory which covers most of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe...
, the NES version of Contra was retitled Probotector, and the player characters, as well as some of the enemy soldiers, were replaced with robotic counterparts. This was done to circumvent the BPjM
Bundesprüfstelle für jugendgefährdende Medien
The Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons is an upper-level German federal agency subordinate to the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. It is responsible for examining media works allegedly harmful to young people and entering these onto an...
's censorship laws in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, which prohibits the sales of violent video games to minors. Subsequent Contra games for the NES, Game Boy, Super NES, and Mega Drive followed suit, all being released in the PAL region under the Probotector title and featuring similar modifications. The Contra series would later retain the Contra title and characters in Europe beginning with Contra: Legacy of War
Contra: Legacy of War
Contra: Legacy of War is a 3D action game produced by Konami and developed by Appaloosa Interactive that was originally released in for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. It was the first of two Contra games that were externally developed by Appaloosa, followed by C: The Contra Adventure in...
.
MSX2
An MSX2MSX
MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
version of Contra was released by Konami exclusively in Japan on May 26, . The MSX2 version of Contra greatly differs from the arcade and NES versions. Due to hardware limitations of the MSX2, the game does not scroll but instead uses flip-screen
Flip-screen
In video games, flip-screen is a principle whereby the playing environment is divided into single-screen portions...
s like Konami's other MSX2 games such as the original Metal Gear
Metal Gear
Metal Gear is a series of video games.Metal Gear may also refer to:*Metal Gear , bipedal tanks appearing in the Metal Gear series-Metal Gear video game series:...
and Vampire Killer
Vampire Killer
Vampire Killer, known as in Japan, is a platform-adventure game produced by Konami and released in for the MSX2 computer platform in Japan, Europe, and Brazil. It was never released in North America. It was in development around the same time as the Nintendo Entertainment System game...
. The player is given a life gauge, allowing their character sustain more than one shot before losing a life. There are two main power-ups in the MSX2 version, a Falcon-shaped power-up that increases the player's walking and shooting speed, as well as a gun-shaped power-up which allows the player to change their current weapon. After picking up the weapon power-up, the player can choose between the default Normal Gun or four other weapons. The Spread Gun is not featured in this version, replaced by Rear Gun similar to the tailgun in certain Gradius games, which fires at two directions at the same time. The MSX2 Contra is composed of 19 stages. The first nine stages are based on the arcade version (which excludes the Hangar stage), while the final ten stages are new to this version. Unlike the arcade and NES versions, the MSX2 version is single-player only.
The MSX2 version of Contra was released for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
in Japan on February 2, 2010.
Later releases
A PlayStation 2PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
port of the arcade version of Contra was released in Japan on May 25, as part of a series of retro game ports by Hamster. A second rerelease was made for the Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
on November 8 of the same year, with Digital Eclipse handling the conversion. The arcade version was also included in Konami's retro game compilation Konami Classics Series: Arcade Hits
Konami Classics Series: Arcade Hits
Konami Classics Series: Arcade Hits, released as Konami Arcade Collection in Japan and Konami Arcade Classics in Europe and Oceania, is a collection of 15 classic arcade games by Konami for the Nintendo DS.-Lineup:...
for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
.
The NES version of Contra was also included in the video game compilation Konami Collector's Series: Castlevania & Contra for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
in North America, which also included Super C and the three Castlevania
Castlevania
Castlevania, known as in Japan, is a video game series created and developed by Konami. The series debuted in Japan on September 26, 1986, with the release of for the Family Computer Disk System , followed by an alternate version for the MSX 2 platform on October 30...
games released for the NES. Both, Contra and Super C, are included in the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
game Contra 4
Contra 4
Contra 4 is a 2D action game for the Nintendo DS and the eleventh original installment in the Contra series. The game was released in North America on November 13, 2007...
as hidden bonuses.
Reception
Much of the game's popularity came from its two-player simultaneous gameplay, which was an uncommon feature in video games at the time of Contras release. While successful in the arcades, the game became and remained widely popular and remembered when it was ported to the Nintendo Entertainment SystemNintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
in 1988. Contra was voted #1 by gaming website IGN.com as being the "Toughest Game to Beat". Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
ranked it the seventh best Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
video game, calling it one of the best multiplayer NES games. ScrewAttack
ScrewAttack
ScrewAttack . is a video game-related website that showcases original entertainment for an audience of video game enthusiasts. Its content is also shown on GameTrailers and IGN...
named it the fifth best NES game of all time.
In 2010 IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
ranked the main antagonist Red Falcon 76th in "Top 100 Videogames Villans".
Legacy
The arcade version was followed by a single sequel titled Super ContraSuper Contra
is a Run and Gun-style action game produced by Konami, originally released as a coin-operated arcade game in . It is the sequel to the original Contra and the second game in the Contra series released for the arcades. Like in the original game, the game centers on soldiers Bill Rizer and Lance...
in 1988
1988 in video gaming
-Events:*June — Nintendo releases the last issue of "Nintendo fun club news";*July — Nintendo releases the first issue of Nintendo Power magazine.-Notable releases:*January 8, Konami releases Super Contra....
. An NES
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
version of Super Contra was released in the 1990
1990 in video gaming
-Notable releases:*Bonk's Adventure is released for NEC's TurboGrafx-16 and is the first US appearance of Bonk, the mascot of the TurboGrafx-16.*February 12 — Nintendo releases the NES game Super Mario Bros. 3 in North America...
, under the shortened title of Super C in North America. The NES versions of Contra and Super C were the first in a series of Contra
Contra
Contra is a Latin preposition meaning "against". It is very frequently abbreviated to con, which is a separate preposition. It may refer to:*Contras, Nicaraguan counter-revolutionaries opposed to the Sandinistas...
games for home platforms. Konami would follow their releases with Operation C
Operation C
Operation C, released as in Japan and as Probotector in the PAL region, is a 1991 run and gun game by Konami released for the Game Boy...
for the Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
in , Contra III: The Alien Wars
Contra III: The Alien Wars
Contra III: The Alien Wars, released in Japan as and in the PAL region as Super Probotector: Alien Rebels, is a run and gun game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System produced by Konami...
for the Super NES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
and Contra Force
Contra Force
Contra Force is a run-and-gun-style shoot-'em-up video game released by Konami for the Nintendo Entertainment System in in North America only. It is a spin-off of the Contra series and the third game in the series released for the NES...
for the NES both in , and Contra: Hard Corps
Contra: Hard Corps
Contra: Hard Corps, released in Japan as and in Europe and Australia as Probotector, is a side-scrolling run and gun-style shoot-'em-up video game released by Konami for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive in...
for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis in . During the late 1990s, Konami externally contracted Appaloosa Interactive
Appaloosa Interactive
Appaloosa Interactive is a corporation, founded in 1983 in Hungary, that produced numerous console games, computer programs and Hungarian TV-commercials during the 1980s and 90's. The company's headquarters are currently in Palo Alto, California, and it is the parent company and owner of two...
for the development of two sequels for the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
: Contra: Legacy of War
Contra: Legacy of War
Contra: Legacy of War is a 3D action game produced by Konami and developed by Appaloosa Interactive that was originally released in for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. It was the first of two Contra games that were externally developed by Appaloosa, followed by C: The Contra Adventure in...
(also released for the Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
) in , and C: The Contra Adventure
C: The Contra Adventure
C: The Contra Adventure is a 3D action game produced by Konami and developed Appaloosa Interactive that was released for the PlayStation in . It was the second of two Contra games Konami of America co-produced with Appaloosa, following Contra: Legacy of War in...
in . In the early 2000s, Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo developed two Contra games for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, Contra: Shattered Soldier
Contra: Shattered Soldier
Contra: Shattered Soldier, published in Japan as is a video game that is part of the Contra series by Konami. It was developed by Team Kijirushi, a group of staff members within Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo, and released for the PlayStation 2 in 2002...
in and Neo Contra
Neo Contra
is the tenth video game in the Contra series by Konami. It was developed by Team Neo Kijirushi, a group of staff members within Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo, and released for the PlayStation 2 in 2004...
in . In , Contra 4
Contra 4
Contra 4 is a 2D action game for the Nintendo DS and the eleventh original installment in the Contra series. The game was released in North America on November 13, 2007...
was released for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
, a co-production between Konami of America and WayForward Technologies
WayForward Technologies
WayForward Technologies is a game development company based in Valencia, California. Founded in 1990 by technology entrepreneur Voldi Way, WayForward started by developing games for consoles such as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis, as well as TV games and PC educational...
. Contra ReBirth
Contra ReBirth
is a 2D run and gun video game developed by M2 and published by Konami for WiiWare. It is the twelfth original installment in the Contra series. It was released in Japan on May 12, 2009, PAL Regions on September 4, 2009 and North America on September 7, 2009....
, developed by M2, was released for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
as a Wiiware
WiiWare
WiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section...
title in .
The music from the arcade version of Contra is one of the soundtracks included in the video game album Konami Game Music Vol.4: A-Jax, which was released by Alfa Records
Alfa Records
, originally Alfa Music, was established in 1969 by composer and record producer Kunihiko Murai. It was formed into an independent record label known as Alfa Records in 1977.- History :The company faced much hardship in the 1990s...
on May 10, 1988, in CD (catalog no. 28XA-201), cassette (ALC-22922), and vinyl (ALR-22922).
The name of the second Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend is an American indie rock band from New York City that formed in 2006 and signed to XL Recordings. The Band has four members: Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij, Chris Tomson, and Chris Baio. The band released its first album Vampire Weekend in 2008, which produced the singles "Mansard...
album is a homage to this game.