Contra (NES) | guide and review

 

Contra is an action video game of the shooter genre developed and distributed by Konami in 1988, the game is an adaptation of the original arcade game developed by Konami in 1987. The game is known in Europe as Probotector and in other regions as Gryzor.

The game is considered by many a cult game due to its impact being popular for its game mechanics and for the possibility of being able to play two players cooperatively, this game started a huge franchise at least in the 90s launching many sequels to the game on various platforms.

The stories of Contra NES

According to the Japanese version, the game takes place in the year 2633, the alien organization Red Falcon has established a base in the Galuga archipelago near New Zealand with the purpose of destroying humanity, two commandos Bill "Mad Dog" Rizer and Lance "Scorpion" Bean belonging to the Contra unit of the Earth Marine Corp are sent to the island to destroy the enemy forces of Red Falcon. 

 

 

In the USA version the game takes place on an island in the Amazon jungle near the ruins of the ancient Mayan civilization, the meteorite that contains the aliens fell on earth in 1957, however the invasion begins 30 years later in 1987 o six months in the time of the aliens, this time we are two of the best members of the Special Forces, Bill code name Mag Dog and Lance code name Scorpion.  

 

 

In the European version and PAL regions the game was called Probotector, all the humanoid characters were replaced by robots, the game has the same plots as the Japanese version taking place in the future, when the alien invasion is discovered it is decided to create two robots of combat protectors the probotectors RD008 and RC011.

How to play Contra NES

We start the game on the home screen with the SELECT button, we choose between one or two players, or we enter the Konami code. Throughout the game we go through different stages that we will see throughout this guide. During the game we find different super weapons scattered throughout Red Falcon´s defenses are at your disposal; you must first blast away special flying capsules and pill-box sensors, and then capture the released Falcon symbols. 

 

The game ends when we lose all lives, in case a player loses all lives he can take lives from the other player. For each stage that we successfully complete, we receive an extra life. When we lose all the lives we can use SELECT to choose between CONTINUE if we want to continue playing or END if we want to end the game, we can only use CONTINUE up to three times per mission.

Walkthrough of Contra NES

Stage 1: Jungle 

We start this level with the basic weapon with the B button we attack and with the A button we jump with the d pad in addition to moving we can aim. We advance and we will see our first enemy, an Alien Soldier, he only runs and does not attack us, at the bottom a Red Soldier Attacks us, we easily defeat him in this part we find a Pill Box Sensor that contains an M (Machine Gun Falcon) in a Flying Capsule we found an R (Rapid Fire Falcon).

We continue forward defeating the enemies that we find, we will reach a bridge that will break as we advance, if we fall into the water there is no problem, if we continue above we will find other bridges; Later we find a Mobile Turret and a Soldier Red, a Flying Capsule with an S (Spread Gun Falcon) will arrive.

Later we find a Pill Box Sensor that contains an F (Fire Ball Falcon) we find several mobile Turrets and Soldier Aliens we find some Fixed Turrets to defeat them we lie down and attack him until we defeat him.

We continue and find a Pill Box Sensor this contains an S after defeating Soldier Red we will continue and two Flying Capsule will come containing an R and an L (Laser Falcon) we continue and find a fixed turret we defeat it and find two mobile turrets.

Finally we reach the boss of this stage we have in the upper part we find a Soldier Red we defeat him and now we concentrate on the middle two turrets attack us after defeating it we concentrate on the sensor we break it and finish this stage.

Stage 2: Base 1 

This level has a 3d view we move with the d pad we jump in A and attack in B we avoid touching the energy barrier as we can lose a life. In the first part we find enemies that will attack us, a red soldier will give us the power up R after destroying the sensor, the barrier is deactivated and we continue forward.

In the second part we will have enemies that attack us, a new enemy will throw grenades at us, a red enemy will give us the power up M; this time a cannon attacks us we must destroy it and then we destroy the sensor.

Once we reach the third section, in addition to the other enemies, two cannons will attack us, this time the sensor is at the bottom, to destroy it we must lie down to be able to destroy it once destroyed, we continue.

In this part we find a cannon above, the sensor in the middle and from the bottom some rollers come out that will hurt us in addition to all the alien soldiers, here we find the red soldier who will give us the M power after destroying the sensor we continue our path.

In this section we find three cannons and a large sensor in the center, in this part the red soldier gives us the power up F, after destroying the three cannons and the sensor we have finished this section we continue on.

We have reached the boss of this stage, the boss will attack us first by throwing three ammunition through hatches that open every so often, we must wait for them to open and destroy them once we have destroyed all the hatches, an eye will appear that will attack us by throwing circles we must dodge them and attack the eye as soon as we can once defeated we have finished this stage.

Stage 3: Waterfall

In this part we will go up the waterfall in the first place we will see some alien soldiers as we go up rocks will begin to fall we must avoid them because if they hit us we will lose a life, we go up and find a Pill Box Sensor in it we find a power up F further up we find another Pill Box Sensor and this one contains a power up L.

We keep going up and find an alien soldier with a weapon that will attack us, after defeating him we keep going up and find an enemy in the water, he launches a projectile upwards that later fragments and can make us lose a life.

A little further up we find a mobile turret, we defeat it and we continue ascending at this moment two Flying Capsule will appear, one contains a power up R and the other contains the power B (Force Field Falcon) this grants us invincibility for a few seconds.

We continue ascending and we find a mobile turret we destroy it we go up and we find some mobile platforms we continue ascending, we destroy the mobile turret and we are alert of the enemies inside the water at this point we find in the Pill Box sensor a power S we defeat the mobile turrets and we find a fixed turret from below we destroy it easily.

We keep going up, we jump to the mobile platform and we continue later we find a red enemy that attacks us with his weapon we continue going up and we reach the boss.

The boss is a large alien, he attacks us by launching fire projectiles from his "arms" and from his mouth, we destroy his arms first and then we attack him in the mouth until destroying him, once done, the path to the new stage will be opened.

Stage 4: Base 2

This stage is similar to stage 2. In the first place two cannons will attack us as well as some rollers and a number of different enemies, we must destroy the towers and discover the sensor and then destroy it and complete this section.

In this part we have four sensors to destroy to overcome this section but it will not be so easy since a large number of enemies will prevent it, we must be agile and manage to destroy the sensors, this time the red soldier will appear and give us the power up F.

In this section a cannon is in the upper part we will destroy it to reveal the two sensors that are in this section, we will avoid the rollers and the enemies, here the red soldier gives us the power up L.

In this part the sensors are doubly protected and a cannon in the middle accompanies them in addition to the large number of enemies but this time the red soldier will leave us power B.

In this part the sensors are at our height guarded by a cannon we destroy it and in the same way we will do it with the sensor here the red soldier gives us the power R.

In this part we must be careful with the rollers, they will come in large numbers, the good thing is that here the red soldier will give us the power up S.

Now we find a cannon and the sensor at the top combined with the large number of enemies and the rollers we must be quite agile here the red soldier gives us the power up F.

In this part three cannons guard the great sensor we must finish with the cannons to break the great sensor, this time we receive the power up M from the red soldier.

We reach the boss this time elite alien soldiers will attack us as well as from a hatch they will launch projectiles at us we must mainly destroy the hatch and when the soldiers arrive we must defeat them once we have destroyed the hatch four large eyes will appear at the top every time come together they will create some bubbles that will chase us all over the screen we must dodge them and destroy the eyes once we have finished this stage.

Stage 5: Snow Field 

Some actions of the Red Falcon have caused the rain forest to freeze now we enter this frozen land. We advance and discover a new enemy, a new turret, but this is activated by a soldier, we must lie down on the ground to defeat him, but grenades are thrown at us from the trees, so we must look for the most suitable place.

We continue forward and we find a Pill Box Sensor that contains a power up M later we find a series of turrets we defeat them all and in that a Flying Capsule will pass containing a power up R.

We continue and find more grenades and turrets in a Pill Box Sensor we find the power F we continue and three Flying Capsule will come that contain a power up R, S and a Mass Destruction Falcon, in the water we find enemies that launch fragmentary projectiles.

We go through the enemies and reach an armored vehicle we destroy it and continue. After facing some enemies including a turret, we will reach another armored vehicle and defeat it as well.

We continue and face some enemies, we are amazed by the trees from where they throw grenades at us, we find a Pill Box Sensor and discover the power up L, we advance taking care of the grenades and the enemy of the turret.

In the end we have reached the boss, if this stage is a kind of UFO that launches smaller UFOs at us, which we must avoid, we concentrate on damaging the sensor and thus we will be able to destroy this boss.

Stage 6: Energy Zone

We start this area facing alien soldiers we find a Pill Box Sensor here we find an M power we advance and we find several turrets after defeating them we find a Pill Box Sensor here we find an L power.

Here we find flames of fire that are activated when we pass by.

We continue forward and find some platforms with flames of fire that we must climb on each step, it is recommended to lie down, later we find a flame downwards and a Pill Box Sensor there is a power B but at the bottom a horizontal flame awaits us yes we are not agile we will lose a life, after going up we will go down later we will find more enemies and flames.

Next we find several turrets at the end we find a large flame, after overcoming it we continue until we reach the end.

We will reach the boss, he simply attacks us by throwing some objects to the ground which we dodge by jumping on them, the boss will move all over the screen sometimes we must jump on him, we attack him until we defeat him once we have finished this stage.

Stage 7: Hangar 

We start this stage in the upper part a Flying Capsule will appear that contains a power up F some retractable claws will hurt us in any case we must avoid them.

We continue and we find a cart that will hurt us if it manages to touch us, however, if we are on it we do not receive any kind of damage, later on in a Flying Capsule we find a power up R then we find some barriers with spikes this barrier we can destroy normally.

Further on we find an area where in addition to Claws we find barriers and alien soldiers we must be attentive, in the upper part of this area we find the power up B in a Pill Box Sensor to get there we must get on the cart.

Then we arrive at an area where we find two Flying Capsules, the first contains the power up M and the second contains the Power up S.

We cross and find barriers at the top and at the bottom Claws, we advance and find barriers later we find some claws that alternate and at the end a barrier we must destroy the barrier to continue.

In this part we find turrets we must be careful since they will appear unexpectedly.

Finally we have reached the boss, he attacks us from the bottom, launching a large number of projectiles, and a large number of soldiers will come out of the door to defeat him, we must destroy the sensor that is on the door, once destroyed, we will reach the end.

Stage 8: Alien's Lair

In this first part we find two Flying Capsules, the first contains a power up M and the second contains a power B, we continue forward and find a large creature that attacks us by launching small creatures, we destroy the creature by attacking it in the mouth we defeated him and continued.

In this part we find a new enemy a mouth that launches things similar to spiders that chase us everywhere we must destroy the mouths at this point a Flying Capsule gives us a power up S, we will continue forward and face more mouths until we reach the final.

The final boss is a large heart guarded by four alien nests every so often the aliens come out of the nest and attack us so we must first destroy the nests to finally destroy the heart with this we have finished the Red Falcon.

Tricks and curiosities of Contra NES

1.- Trick of the 30 lifes: to get 30 lives on the home screen we press the Konami code that is up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, Start if we do it correctly we start the game with 30 lifes. 

 

 

 2.- The character of Bill refers to the actor Arnold Schwarzenegger in the movie "Predator" and the character of Lance refers to Sylverter Stallone from the movie "Rambo". 

 

3.- Once we have finished the game we can start again but this time the difficulty will be higher.

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