Kontora

Okay, so maybe the game is older than God, but who cares? It is still as much fun now as it was 14 years ago. I still have fond memories as a 6 year old playing this game and just blastin' everything in sight. What fun!

Growing up in the early ninetees, the end of the beginning of the video game generation, I have been exposed to many different games and systems. I currently have a Playstation 2, but I will never forget the glory days of videogames (and my childhood)and that is the 80's/early 90's era of the regular NES.

I look back on that system with only the fondest of memories, and many games come to mind now that I look back on the days where you would have to blow on the game cartridge just to get it to start. There's the addictive, ambitious, creative and ultimately entertaining and challenging Lucas Arts original "Star Wars", of course Nintendo's "Mario"-a crime to leave out, Konami's "Buyou Billy" and their best effort to video game to date (my #1 best video game), "Contra".

This game set the standard for platform action and contains different perspectives and a wide variety of weapons (spread, flamethrower, laser, machine just to name a few) and many challenging, fun and groundbreaking levels. It offers two player action which set the bar for duo combat games to come.

The story involves two soldiers who are dropped on an island by helicopter to battle an alien species known as thw Red Falcon. They must combat these creatures to avoid the spread of the alien race, thus saving the world. The creatures come in a wide range of species, some resemble humans, other crawl like spiders and float from place to place.

The game spawned many sequels, most recently "Contra Shattered Soldier"- a great tribute. Gamers and developers alike will always apprechiate this marvel in video game and hopefully continue to fight the menacing Red Falcon.

I long for the age of the NES, when the games were just plain fun and simple without flashy animation and movie-like special effects to get in the way. I remember when CONTRA was first released in 1988. (Jeez, has it really been that long!?) It was the big deal at school; everybody was talking about it. Toys R Us was sold out for awhile, so the best I could do was rent it or play it at a friend's house. I was hooked instantly, and when I finally got my own copy, I was playing it nearly every day. I got so good at it that I could beat it in twenty minutes flat (with the thirty lives code, of course; I don't know anyone who ever beat it with just three). Even nearly five years later, long after my NES and games had gone away to make room for the Sega Genesis, I was able to still beat CONTRA in my record time when I discovered it at the house of my high school friend. Though there have been many notable video games in the years since, CONTRA remains my #1 all-time favorite of them all. It just had everything I like in a game and gave me with countless hours of entertainment (which my parents liked, because it kept me from bugging them wanting another game.) Some games I would beat and never really play much again afterwards. But CONTRA always kept me coming back for more no matter how many times I beat it (I think about 30, at last count). To me, the sequels never managed to really capture the spirit and fun factor of the original, so I never bothered with them. And who can forget that awesome first level music? I really wish Nintendo would release some "NES Classics" soundtrack containing the music from their old games. No techno remixes, no new arrangements. Just the plain and simple music we all know and love. Well, I admit, an orchestral version of the CONTRA music would be awesome, especially if done with an Alan Silvestri/ERASER-type sound. Thank you Konami for providing one of the great joys of my childhood.

I was born in 1987. Contra was released by the Konami Company in 1988. It was meant to be. All through my youth, Contra served me as an entertainment source for countless hours. Humming along with the awesome soundtrack and whipping out my spreadgun, lazer-gun, ect, I magically wasted time in 8-Bit heaven with Konami's Contra. Now I have grown up. I'm almost 16 now. I currently own a Playstation 2 and have owned other systems since my NES, and I can more than safetly say that no game has matched the Run'N'Gun magic this game packed.

Konami, thank you for CONTRA. I will never forget being 5 and sitting next to the TV with my brothers taking turns playing together.

This is one of my favorite video games of all time as well as run and gun games, which is funny to say as this game was one of the games to start up that video game genre. This is the first in one of the biggest video game franchises of all time and one that is still going strong to this day. The first game is still a great game being the timeless classic it is, you can just about find this game everywhere now, there were even those collectable miniature arcade cabinet machines made for this game.

The game was obviously inspired by the film "Aliens" as this game came out one year after that movie. But also, most of the 80's action film craze going on most notably the films with Stallone and Arnold, two of the main leads are based on both actors as both are homage designed. And of course when you mix these things together you get one hell of a combination.

I was a kid from the 80's as I was born in 82, I remember discovering this arcade game at the "Mercy 6 Plex" in Yakima, Washington. It really blew my mind as I was a person interested in the action and sci-fi genre, it was just so cool being able to play a bad ass action hero and fighting against evil aliens, it was the dream most kids like myself had and playing this game felt like that dream come true.

The controls are basic as there you fire, jump and move which is fine by me as I wouldn't want it any other way, and it's pretty much the basic control to just about every run and gun. Really love the graphical design with all the detail and everything from the background designs to even the character animation, all of it just really has that look and feel of being in an 80's sci-fi action film.

The gameplay was like that of any action platformer, but this was different because here it was about constant action while in motion. You really can't afford to stand still for a second as there is always enemies in either direction that just almost appear out of now here's villain running to kill you.

Though it's always funny how most enemies always seem to think by charging at you even outright outnumbering you it will stop you going forward, when it always makes them run straight to your discharging gun muzzle. Let alone despite an enemy army most of them are never armed and even when they are their weapons are slightly weak. But oh well it's a run and gun game you just roll with it, if the game got too hard and complicated it wouldn't be playable.

Anyway, you have to constantly shoot and move and also it's not just enemies coming toward you but there are also obstacles that pop up your way ready to gun you down. This is part of why this game was unique for it's time, in most platform action games you can afford to stand still to give yourself a moment to think, but in this game, you really have no time to think at least not standing still; this is a game all about reacting and doing.

One of the things that make this game stick out is the variety of weapons which wasn't common at the time, there are these small drones or UFOs that fly in some parts of the level, and you must nail them quickly to get the weapons. Each of the weapons are different as they have strengths and weakness.

There is the common cliche sci-fi weapon the laser, rotational fire bullets, machine gun which is simply an upgrade to increase your weapon's current fire rate, but of course the trademark weapon and common favorite is the spread shot. That weapon is just plain awesome as you are almost unstoppable when armed with it, as that weapons bullets still do about the same amount of damage as your regular weapon; but from how widespread the shots are they cover most to all the area you fire at that you can't possibly miss but also are well protected from threats that try to jump at you from certain directions.

The other unique thing about the game is the variety in levels, each of the levels are always different which is cool because it means each is a different challenge which keeps the game fresh. Like one level you have the standard go from point a to b scenario, but it's multi layered as there are multiple platforms to jump and traverse.

After that level there is a three-dimension level, well almost but really gives that illusion of it, the level is base infiltration as you are traversing a maze and you must clear each section to advance to the next, right to the finish. However, there is a timer, so you better not waste time and do it fast or your dead. This was a unique run and gun format as your character is not going left and right on screen but running toward the screen, giving the illusion of going someplace. This format was truly unique in the run and gun and there weren't many games that utilized this, except two I can think of both from "Konami" which are "G. I. Joe" (Game I reviewed) and the under the radar gem "Devastators" (story for another time).

The bosses were also unique as they were made to be big and intimidating, well ok they were more giant obstacle challenges by their nature. However, the boss battles in the game are almost the easiest part of the game, despite how big they are they're not hard to beat once you know the right places to stand, where and when to hit. Same goes even for the difficulty of the game, which is true on the hard side, which is why it's going to take practice to get though as you can't expect to get it right the first time. However, the thing is once you play though it enough you can get though the game almost without getting hit once if you can believe that as you can easily memorize the layout of each level and know what to do at certain points.

And finally, the music, the music in the game is just awesome each of the tracks are memorable and are on my personal favorites list. From the title screen which is a brief theme but a memorable theme all the same, with that music and the explosion sound effect at the end, that theme alone just motivates you to play and get yourself in for some bad ass action. The music really is good motivation music to listen to when working out like doing step/dance aerobics or running. Or simply just to simply feel good and a bad ass when you need to start your morning or just simply going out on your day.

"Contra" is a blast from the past.

Rating: 4 stars.