Contra (NES review)

Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Released: 1988

Contra is a run and gun game that originally hit arcades in 1987 before being ported to the NES and Famicom a year later.

It supports 1 or 2 players simultaneously and you play the role of Bill and Lance who must stop the Red Falcon Organization from taking over the world. Your trusty Pea Shooter is always available but you can pick up a number of other weapons such as Laser, Fireball and Spread Gun. The latter is the preferred weapon as you can spray bullets all over the screen - it's definitely a bit overpowering but you'll miss it when you don't have it! At the time it was quite a novelty to be able to fire in eight different directions and it certainly helps out when enemies swarm you from all angles. You'll feel in total control of your character and although it has one-hit deaths the game is rarely cheap. The first level takes place in a horizontally scrolling stage with exploding bridges and several types of enemy turrets. It features different paths and you can even jump in the water without dying. Konami didn't stick with this format though and decided to throw in lots of variety. Stage 2 has a pseudo 3D look where you control the action from behind your character and move forward, almost like a maze shooter. It took me ages to figure out what to do but essentially if you duck most things can't touch you and you can pop up and attack when the turrets stop firing. Stage 3 is a vertically scrolling level with falling rocks, moving platforms and scenic waterfalls in the background. It's a shame it's the only stage of its kind as it forces you to change your strategy to account for the different multi-directional enemy placement. You'll then have to battle through a Snow Field, an Energy Zone and a Hangar before finally reaching the Alien's Lair. The bosses are epic in scale and look seriously intimidating next to your tiny character sprite!

The smooth controls, impressive level design and variety are key to what makes Contra such an amazing game. The addition of co-op play is a huge plus for an NES title and Konami should be applauded for making a game that is practically flawless in all areas.

Random trivia: Although many people associate the 30-life Konami Code with this game it was actually first used in the 1986 NES shooter Gradius.

Operation C (Game Boy review)

Developer: Konami
Publisher: Ultra Games
Released: 1991

Operation C is a run 'n' gun game that was released as Contra in Japan and Probotector in PAL regions.

It reuses some stages from Konami's Super C (NES, 1988) but rather than being a straight port the levels have been tweaked to work better on the smaller screen. Stages 1, 3 and 5 take place in horizontally scrolling levels while Stages 2 and 4 mix things up a bit and introduce vertically scrolling levels, similar to the 1985 arcade game Commando. There's a decent amount of power-ups available including the Spread Gun, Fire Gun and Homing Gun. The latter weapon is a bit overpowering and once you have it you'll mow down enemies and most bosses with relative ease. The sprites are small but the expanded view makes it easier to plan for enemy attacks and allows you extra time to react to incoming fire. The amount of bullets on screen at any time is astonishing and you won't see any slowdown. Unfortunately there are only five stages and once you know what you're doing the entire game can be beaten in around 20 minutes. It's still tough (especially the final level) but it's generally a lot less hectic than its NES counterparts. The game is so much fun to play though and it controls beautifully - whenever you die you'll always feel like it was the result of a user error rather than a cheap hit. The graphics aren't anything special but there's some nice detail in the backgrounds such as the swaying palm trees in Stage 3. Some iconic music has been ported over from the original Contra (1987) including the awesome Stage 1 theme. The SFX are great with satisfying explosions and the sound of guns rattling as they spray out rapid-fire bullets across the screen.

Operation C is a classic Game Boy title that's only really let down by its short length. It's incredibly well designed and Konami did an amazing job getting the series onto Nintendo's handheld without sacrificing too much in the gameplay department.

Random trivia: Parts of the game were altered depending on the territory where it was released. For example, Japan had a stage select option on the title screen, the U.S. had a revised plot, and PAL regions saw the main character and enemies changed into robots!