That's right, I'm reviewing most of the oldest games from the NES, Genesis, and so on up to the N64; it's a review for everything I know of that's not on the shelves at Wal Mart anymore!

Today's Review: Contra & Super Contra

About Contra & Super Contra...
Console - NES
Genre - Side Scroll, Shooter, Action
How Many Players - Both games are 1-player solo and 2-player co-op

Summary
The Contra series seems to be fairly overlooked, though it's one of the better games in the genre. Go around, shoot enemies, save the world, blah, blah, blah... These offer a little more, though, just a little.
Game-play
Contra (8.5 out of 10)
Super Contra (6.0 out of 10)

Contra - The game-play is fairly simple and straightforward. You, the Blue and Red guys (1P is Blue, 2P is Red) go through many stages and shoot any enemies you find from simple foot soldiers to mortars to turrets to aliens. You get 8 directions of movement, all of which can be shot to at nearly any time, offering a good range of fire for defense and offense alike. Jumping plays the most important role, more for jumping over lava pits and instant-death-traps, but also for aiming, dodging, and just about everything that you need to get done. Nothing is left out. You start with a standard gun, but can power it up with items like rapid-fire capability, or change it into a Machine Gun, Flamethrower (you literally throw flames), Scatter Gun, and Laser. Combined, this game becomes very fun to go through, and all without losing one single life if you get the good stuff early on.

Super Contra - You get the first few seconds of fair play compared to the original. Then it all stops. Sure, the game is still the side-scroller you should know and love, but they change enemy styles, attacks, and some changes to the guns you can get. Most of this is for the worse, as it is nearly impossible to go through a stage without losing one of your multiple lives. It is one of those games that are near-impossible to beat, even with strategy guides. However, the makers attempt to make up for lost ground with an eagle's-eye-view stage or two, in which your character has no jumping, odd running and shooting, and much more to hinder your playing. Good try, Konami!

Audio
Contra (7.0 out of 10)
Super Contra (8.5 out of 10)

Contra - Good for a first try. Each gun seems to have its own sound effect, along with enemy guns, explosives, and almost everything else used to kill you. The music is above mediocre, but it is more of the actual sound effects that give this game its boost in the score, though.

Super Contra - At least they got this much right, the sound is very nice for one sequel on the NES. Again, each gun has its own sound, but the enemies aren’t exactly loud themselves. Your eyes are on the move in this one because of this. Oh well, the sound effects you DO hear are nicely made, along with the music to fit the scene nicely. It's more so the music to look forward to in this game.

Graphics
Contra (5.0 out of 10)
Super Contra (6.0 out of 10)

Contra - Ok, this is where the game seems to slump. Bullets are really pixelated squares or circles, excluding the Flamethrower and Laser. The clothes and character designs are... well, ok at the best. The special effects include explosions, glowing stuff, opening and closing of things, and ripples in the water. Not much to look forward to for this one.

Super Contra - Now that things look a little more detailed and refined, I can bump it to above average. Huzzah! Not much new, just a little tune-up here and there, but the biggest change would easily be the bullet and grenade styles.

Replay Value
Contra (9.0 out of 10)
Super Contra (4.5 out of 10)

Contra - You beat the game, watch a cheesy explosion and then the credits roll... but after that's done, you notice your score and lives appear! You get to start a new game, but it’s harder than before! This "New Game +" offers a fair challenge, but it’s not the only reason to look forward to replaying this game. It's fun to just replay it; anyway, it's just a possible, good game to play.

Super Contra - That is an opinioned rating, that 4.5 out of 10. This game is just about too difficult to have fun with sometimes, and having to go through that spot gets annoying. There are many of these spots, so it's not much worth replaying. The last time I beat this, I don't remember there being the New Game + that the original Contra contained, so that's another 1.5 bumped off. Sorry, Konami!

Overall
Contra (7.5 out of 10)
Super Contra (6.25 out of 10)
Contra - When putting the two NES Contras side by side, you'd rather buy this one from E-bay. Overall, it seems to be the better and more fun to play. Also, it's one of the better Side-Scroller Shooters out there.

Super Contra - Unless you either want the set or are looking for a real challenge, then this game will easily fit the bill. Otherwise, buy the original that 1.25 difference can't be wrong.

Also, for those who seek to have a little... caution in their game of Contra...
^ ^ v v < > < > B A B A


Written by: kikori kid
Proofread by: bill_iop99
Coded by: Nibel