20 years ago today NES Contra was unleashed [Archive]

Steven

02-09-2008, 11:57 PM

February 9, 1988... Contra was released for the 8-bit Famicom. It was also in February 1988 that the US version came out. Amazing it's been 20 years now.

Post your memories/rants/comparisons/thoughts etc. of the NES version here.

http://www.rvgfanatic.com/mediac/400_0/media/DIR_856315/IMG_8742.JPG

To read mine: Commemorating Contra (http://www.rvgfanatic.com/7485/863815.html)

Frankie_Says_Relax

02-10-2008, 12:09 AM

I hate it when the code is mis-quoted in pop-culture references!

It is as follows, and should have NO variations :

For 1 player with 30 lives :

Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start

OR, for 2 players with 30 lives :

Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Select (to switch to 2 players) Start

30 LIVES FTW!!!

Icarus Moonsight

02-10-2008, 12:16 AM

Maybe they're just saying Contra is meant to be played with a friend. :cheers:

/optimism

Nah, their idiots. :)

I remember when I first got my NES - Contra and Castlevania were in heavy rotation. The only other games that could compete for my attention at the time was Phantasy Star and Wonderboy 3. Celebrate 20 years of Contra by playing whatever titles you have. If your hardcore into Contra go at them chronologically to give it a "This is your life" feel. :)

IronBuddha

02-10-2008, 12:26 AM

I remember walking home from school with my friend when he first told me about the 30 lives code. I remember first when I asked for it he gave me some bullshit code, then later when I saw him he told me his mom bought him the magazine that had the code and if I wanted it my mom had to do the same (some friend)

Me and my brother use to play this game until our hands bled! We got to the point if one of us died at all, we got a hard punch to the arm. I would try so hard not to die because he's 7 years older then me, whenever I died he would just punch me really quick, but man when he died I would pause the game stand up and really whale him a good one:beaten:.

Good times\\^_^/

retroman

02-10-2008, 12:32 AM

by all means...if you are a Contra fan..Go pick up Contra 4 for the DS. It is hard as hell and still delivers that great classic Contra game play.

swlovinist

02-10-2008, 12:42 AM

This game was rented back in the day. It made me and my best friend very happy. I love Contra 4 and love this game and the sequels that did not suck.

Sotenga

02-10-2008, 02:37 AM

My second favorite game EVER. That's all there is to it. Nothing but fond memories here. :)

bangtango

02-10-2008, 12:03 PM

One of my older brothers picked this out for his birthday back in April of 1988. Back then, there weren't quite as many magazine reviews to go by and obviously the internet wasn't a factor like it is today in helping decide on a game purchase. My brother picked this out, having never played it before, solely on the box art and the brief description on the back cover. I remember being with him and watching his eyes bug out as he looked this over, since this type of stuff was right up his alley.

Back then, my two older brothers (including the one with the birthday) and my younger sister were also gamers. The four of us had some great times with this game.

Why this was never ported, as is, to the Gameboy Color or Advance (perhaps in a double pack with Super C) is beyond me.

smokehouse

02-10-2008, 01:07 PM

Why this was never ported, as is, to the Gameboy Color or Advance (perhaps in a double pack with Super C) is beyond me.

Bingo...this game is great and I'd love to see a straight up prot so I don't have to pull out the NES every time I want to play it...

And why no Wii VC love either? We keep getting some lame-ass titles but this one just sits on the back burner...

NE146

02-10-2008, 01:21 PM

Speaking of the NES version, if you have yet to try out the Famicom version do so. It's superior in a lot of ways :)

Mospeda

02-10-2008, 01:56 PM

I remember it like it was yesterday. I had to beg the old man to get it for me at Toys R Us because it was one the upper crust $34 titles at the time (along with Ninja Kid).

Dire 51

02-10-2008, 02:11 PM

If it wasn't for Contra, something very important in my life would probably never have happened. I'd say more, but I don't want to spoil it for those interested in checking out my upcoming book...

Damn, though. 20 years. I think I'm going to go fire it up and play through it today.

Rob2600

02-10-2008, 05:44 PM

I had to beg the old man to get it for me at Toys R Us because it was one the upper crust $34 titles at the time (along with Ninja Kid).

$34 was "upper crust?" In the late 1980s and early 1990s, new "upper crust" NES games were $50 to $65 where I lived in northeastern NJ.

exit

02-10-2008, 06:17 PM

What can I say say about Contra, it holds many great memories for everybody and it just brings a smile to my face. A month ago or so I played through it with my friend and it's still tough as ever, we tried playing it straight and failed miserably, so we ended up using the Konami code.

Good times.

XYXZYZ

02-10-2008, 07:44 PM

Contra was the first game I ever finished, with the cheat code. In later years I considered it one of my major failings that I couldn't finish it without the code. But I've since overcome that, I can now finish it in one credit without the code if I'm having a good day. Whether I finish it or not, I never use the code anymore. Unless I'm playing with a friend, and we just want to play some Contra for awhile. (3 life games are too short!)

I think it's also worth mentioning that the NES port of Contra is one of those rare instances where the downgraded port is actually superior to the arcade game. I think so, anyway... the NES port is longer, has tighter controls, and it's just more memorable.

bazariah

02-10-2008, 08:03 PM

Tron 2.0

02-10-2008, 10:41 PM

Speaking of the NES version, if you have yet to try out the Famicom version do so. It's superior in a lot of ways :)
Agreed i have a copy of contra for the famicom.It is some thing given what konami added to it thanks to the,VRC2 chip.

figment1988

02-10-2008, 10:46 PM

way back in 1991, this was one of the first games i rented for the NES when blockbuster video opened to Puerto Rico.

guitargary75

02-10-2008, 11:09 PM

Awesome game. The memories. Man I'm an old bastard. Two buttons and a directional pad.

Haoie

02-11-2008, 01:35 AM

A nice start to a real classic series.

Although it's pretty clear the series peaked in the 16B era, for sure.

RadiantSvgun

02-11-2008, 01:53 AM

This is how I know I'm old. I was 4 when this game came out. Oddly enough, I do remember KB Toys selling it for $60.

jcalder8

02-11-2008, 02:00 AM

Man this game is still great today. I can't believe that it is over 20 years old now.

Niku-Sama

02-11-2008, 02:17 AM

and nothing interesting except mario kart 64 came out on my birthday the day after this game.

crap!

RadiantSvgun

02-11-2008, 02:22 AM

i love contra.. it's one of the only games ever made that i can play over and over without getting bored

i can play the game all the way through on only one life.. and play through numerous times on that single life and again never tire of it

Its strange, I can beat some of those bullet-hell shooters without dying, but I can't beat contra anymore without dying at least once now. Back as a kid I could do it all day long.

Mobius

02-09-2009, 01:32 AM

I finally got Contra this weekend. My previous experience with it was probably something like 19 years ago when my brother borrowed it from a friend and we held on to it for quite a while. Even though it's been so long since I played it, it was all still quite familiar.

Anyway, I searched to see if there were any good threads about the game and came across this one from last year. Since it's, coincidentally, February 9th again, here's a bump!

Happy 21st birthday, Contra! Have a drink on me!

(As an aside, does anyone else find it a little strange to think that, from now on, people born AFTER Contra was released can legally drink?)

Sosage

02-09-2009, 01:45 AM

This is how I know I'm old. I was 4 when this game came out. Oddly enough, I do remember KB Toys selling it for $60.

Only 4? That's old? Some of us were 10 when this bad boy released.

It's crazy how no one could top, let alone replicate the Contra formula throughout the NES's lifespan.

Edit: Holy old thread revival. Embarrassed is me.

FamicomFreak

02-09-2009, 02:00 AM

Ah yes the Famicom version has some kewl things that the NES version doesn't but I still like both doesn't matter to me.

The 1 2 P

02-09-2009, 02:04 AM

This thread is old. Now Contra is 21. Lets here it for a legalized Contra. Woohoooooo. Anyway, I loved this game dearly and I recommend that everyone try to track down the famicom version for the added graphical touches and actual storyline. As for beating this game without the code, I can get thru the first three or four levels without losing a life. The rest is brutal.

One more thing I'll add is that the arcade version sucks after playing the Nes version. I recently played the arcade version over Xbox live as a trial demo and it sucked.

Sonicwolf

02-09-2009, 03:06 AM

Only 4? That's old? Some of us were 10 when this bad boy released.

I must be a very young person to many of you. I wasnt even around until 1990. I missed out on these great games.

Steven

02-09-2009, 03:53 AM

Wow Mobius. Thanks for bumping this and yes, ironically enough, on its 21st Birthday. What are the odds huh?

February 9, 1988... Contra was released for the 8-bit Famicom. It was also in February 1988 that the US version came out. Amazing it's been 20 years now.

Post your memories/rants/comparisons/thoughts etc. of the NES version here.

http://www.rvgfanatic.com/mediac/400_0/media/DIR_856315/IMG_8742.JPG

To read mine: Commemorating Contra (http://www.rvgfanatic.com/7485/863815.html)

SHIT. I can't believe it's been a year since I crafted that Contra article. Damn. Time fukkin' flies, lol

*raises glass to Contra*

shopkins

02-09-2009, 08:17 AM

I remember playing this at my aunt's house and becoming obsessed with borrowing it. I think she finally just gave it to me.

I could only beat it with the 30 lives code. I got good enough to get to the last level without it though, I think. My main advantage was a turbo controller, which made the spread gun an unstoppable force of destruction. I played it straight a few times, though.

The first level and opening screen musical pieces are some of the most memorable in gaming for me.

I first saw the arcade Contra at, I think it was a Big Lots store, after I had played it on the NES. I tried it and although the graphics were better the arcade version was far from coming out on top in the comparison. It's one of several NES games I liked better than the arcade versions, including Ninja Gaiden and Strider.

Astrocade

02-09-2009, 11:32 AM

One of my all time favorite games. I was six or seven the first time I played it over at my cousins house. I begged my dad to get me a copy and he finally got it for me that Christmas, which must have been Christmas 88 as I got my NES Christmas 1987.

I finally got my technique down to where I didn't need the thirty lives code anymore, and I could usually beat it using three lives or less. I never did beat it without losing at least one life.

I have the Famicom version, and I have to say that it's no better than the NES version play wise. I think it's cool that he has a cigarette in his mouth during the cut scenes, but they're all in Japanese so it's not like the story line makes any sense unless you can read Japanese. They're not "cinematic" cut scenes either, just text with Bill holding a phone. The intro is pretty cool, though. I've heard for years that this is so much more awesome than the US version, but they're the same exact game to me, minus the intro.

NE146

02-09-2009, 11:44 AM

Only 4? That's old? Some of us were 10 when this bad boy released.

Geeze.. I was in college, and my girlfriend was living in my dorm room with me when this game came out. I remember watching it at Macy's which convinced me to buy it. Damn, I'm old..

Gentlegamer

02-09-2009, 12:16 PM

Twenty-one years ago!

I used to be able to finish Contra with just the three starting lives.

My aunt banned us from playing this with my cousins because we would get in fights on the waterfall level when the other player would deliberately scroll the screen up to kill the player near the bottom.

Ah, memories . . .

Orion Pimpdaddy

02-09-2009, 01:02 PM

What a great game to play, even 20 years later. Graphics may get outdated, but gameplay does not.

Happy Birthday Contra

MeTmKnice

02-09-2009, 02:31 PM

A toast to Contra, one of my fav games of all time!

Honestly, IMO newer graphics are great.. but the gameplay is just not there. I prefer subtance to my games over graphics any day. I mean, a lot of games before you had to play all the way through it in one sitting or you could never beat it (or you could just leave it on and play it again the next day). Even the ones that you could save like the orginal Zelda or Link to the past, had better gameplay in my opinion than the newer ones.

thom_m

02-09-2009, 03:49 PM

My aunt banned us from playing this with my cousins because we would get in fights on the waterfall level when the other player would deliberately scroll the screen up to kill the player near the bottom.

Ah, memories . . .

Ha! The endless fights over the waterfall level! I had a cousin who lived far away, and would spend the holidays with us every year. We'd beat Contra at least once everytime he came over - always using the Konami Code - and always argued heavily when we got to the waterfalls and started killing each other unintentionally - well, MOST of the times, unintentionally. Good memories indeed.

Contra rocks hard, and always will. Here's to one fine piece of gaming history!!:cheers:

otoko

02-09-2009, 04:40 PM

Need.... to... buy.... GAME!

T_T Alas.. it's one of the ones I have yet to add to my collection for various reasons.

Sonicwolf

02-09-2009, 04:57 PM

Am I an idiot for having never played Contra? (I feel massive death coming my way now)

thom_m

02-09-2009, 05:10 PM

Am I an idiot for having never played Contra? (I feel massive death coming my way now)

Not at all! Just confused and misguided, my lad! LOL

It's never too late to start, though!

otoko

02-09-2009, 05:35 PM

Am I an idiot for having never played Contra? (I feel massive death coming my way now)

Yea.. I have never played it either...

Sonicwolf

02-09-2009, 05:50 PM

I have never even seen Contra. It seems to be a bit hard to find where I live, even at flea markets.

sebastiankirchoff

02-09-2009, 06:23 PM

Wow, I am only 15 and I enjoy this game all the time! I invite friends over that are into the 360 and PS3 that have never played a NES and always kick their asses. They always say how they are "better" than me because they can kick ass on Halo, but I laugh when they loose all their lives before the first boss.

smokehouse

02-09-2009, 06:26 PM

I have never even seen Contra. It seems to be a bit hard to find where I live, even at flea markets.

It's not a rare game by any means...it's just sought after. I have to say...happy 21'st to Contra (have a beer on me buddy)! If I had to chose one NES game to keep, it would be it no questions about it. Still my favorite 2 player cooperative title of all time (Legend of the Mystical Ninja is a distant 2nd).

Atarileaf

02-09-2009, 06:58 PM

Only 4? That's old? Some of us were 10 when this bad boy released.

It's crazy how no one could top, let alone replicate the Contra formula throughout the NES's lifespan.

Edit: Holy old thread revival. Embarrassed is me.

You were 10? You're a pup. I was 20 when this came out. Jeez man I'm old. :(

TheGam3r

02-09-2009, 07:03 PM

Ive Played Contra On Contra 4.It was hard But Excellent At the same time

The 1 2 P

02-09-2009, 07:17 PM

Am I an idiot for having never played Contra? (I feel massive death coming my way now)

Yea.. I have never played it either...

So what have you two been playing all this time? E.T. on the 2600LOL

otoko

02-09-2009, 07:19 PM

So what have you two been playing all this time? E.T. on the 2600LOL

Nope.. Those are reserved for my fireworks!

lol j/k (kinda...)

Sonicwolf

02-09-2009, 08:18 PM

So what have you two been playing all this time? E.T. on the 2600LOL

Actually I was playing Beat 'Em & Eat--- I mean... Night Trap on the 3DO. (No i dont really play the previously mentioned and cut off game :P Thats just a bit perversed.) lol.

Arasoi

02-09-2009, 10:18 PM

Heres to Kontora/Contra, one of the best 8 bit games ever.

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n310/Protogem/Contra_FC_AD.jpg

Nescollector

02-09-2009, 10:28 PM

I remember having to rent the game because nes games were hard to get at the time I bought the nes. Yeah awesome game, one of the first batch of games I played for the system, and I knew the system kicked A@@. Lucky to have one brand new.

http://home.comcast.net/~dwtjr3/contra.jpg

VileRedFalcon

02-09-2009, 11:39 PM

.... man, I love this game.

Thank you for making this thread.

Haoie

02-10-2009, 02:01 AM

21 years now huh?

Back to the Hard Corps for me.

tom

02-10-2009, 02:28 AM

that is a truly excellent game

bb_hood

02-10-2009, 03:22 AM

I love the music in the 'Snow Field' stage: duh duh duh duh DUH DUH..duh duh duh duh DA DA.. and so forth...

Tron 2.0

02-10-2009, 09:40 PM

I love the music in the 'Snow Field' stage: duh duh duh duh DUH DUH..duh duh duh duh DA DA.. and so forth...
Catchy theme for that stage beside in the arcade version too.

hbkprm

02-10-2009, 11:36 PM

that game kick too much ass thats how i love contra

Mospeda

02-13-2009, 12:02 AM

My old man bought this back for me in 1986 (??) it was one of the higher priced games ($34) along with Ninja Kid.. etc,, I have to profess ignorance.. i picked the game based off the company and the box art but boy was i ever rewarded. One of my favorite games of all time and when i was given the 30 man code by a dubious associate in elementary school it became even better.

Mospeda

02-13-2009, 12:03 AM

8-bitNesMan

02-13-2009, 10:05 AM

My old man bought this back for me in 1986

Did your old man have a time machine? ;)

Draven

02-14-2009, 02:34 PM

The 1 2 P

02-15-2009, 07:19 PM

Contra's great and all but who wants to take the blame for Contra Force? While not the worst thing I've ever played it certainly wasn't Contra.

Something

02-15-2009, 08:29 PM

Contra's great and all but who wants to take the blame for Contra Force? While not the worst thing I've ever played it certainly wasn't Contra.

I don't think Contra Force was intended to be a Contra game in the first place. I believe the game was just released in the US and Konami slapped the Contra name on it to try and get more people to buy it.

As for the original Contra, I wish there was a code to make it HARDER. I can almost beat the game without dying and without any weapon upgrades. One of the hard parts without using any weapon upgrade is in stage 5 with those 2 vehicles. Best thing to do is to walk all the way to the left, put the controller on a solid surface and close your eyes then tap the B button as fast as you can (I consider a turbopad cheating).

I also remember playing this with my friend during one of the Base stages. I was shown how to "hump" the other player while they are laying down by standing over top of them and taping down on the D-pad repeatably... yup.

Jumpman Jr.

02-15-2009, 10:05 PM

I played Contra last night, actually.
I had a girl over, and we were kind of in bed... and then I tried to think of some cool 2-player games we could play.

Contra was the first that came to mind. It was fun as hell.

Steven

02-16-2009, 02:42 AM