Tuesday Grudge Match: Castlevania vs. Contra (NES battle)

[Kroogah]

Nothing I can say about these games that hasn't been said already.
Tell us what legendary NES game is your favorite, and why.

[Jibbajaba]

Castlevania all the way. An awsome game that spawned an awsome series. With Contra, it was all downhill after the NES. Don't get me wrong, Contra was a great game, but I think that it would have been a lot less popular, were it not for the infamous code.


Chris

[Mr.FoodMonster]

Contra. Hands down, probably on my list of top 5 NES games. Castlevania would be top 30ish

[rpepper9]

I would have to say Contra. I guess when your young and it comes to forking over cash to buy a game you want a game that you can at least finish one way or another. With the K code you could pretty much get through the game and feel that you got your money's worth. Even now at age 29 I have never finished Castlevania, it is just too difficult!

[The-Bavis]

Castlevania is great, but the difficulty factor knocks it down some in my book. I have to go with Contra for continuous fun, repeat play value and the co-op play (back when it was new anyway).

[captain nintendo]

I think I have said this before , but why dont you just make me choose which limb I would rather live without ? :P


Both games were fantastic and both had fantastic game play. I honestly like the Castlevania story better than that of the Contra story , yet it's a toss up.

Graphics were about on equal standings and sound was about the same as well. Castlevania did have a better score IMO.....

Villians would probably go in the favor of Castlevania as well.
(I mean you cant really top Dracula)

Controls for both games were great as well , no real clear leader there.

I guess I am babbling , but if you tied me down and made me choose I would go with Castlevania based on only a few minor edges it has over Contra.

But I do love my Contra arcade cabinet ;)

[Gzilla23]

Both are great games but I will definately vote for Contra. I still pop it in the NES and play it. A great game that looks good and plays even better.

[Lemmy Kilmister]

I find the Castlevania series is better as a whole but I am having to go with Contra. I didn't really think the first 2 Castlevania games could compete with Contra and Super C.

[syd]

I'll have to vote for Contra on this one. Although Castlevania is a kickass game and one of my favourites! But Contra will always have a special place in my heart. :D


Castlevania all the way. An awsome game that spawned an awsome series. With Contra, it was all downhill after the NES. Don't get me wrong, Contra was a great game, but I think that it would have been a lot less popular, were it not for the infamous code.


You didn't like Super Contra for the SNES? My brother and I spent months training to beat that thing on hard before we finally mastered it. It might have many bosses borrowed from the nes games, but I thought it was very well put together and loads of fun.

[SoulBlazer]

Okay, since we're talking about the GAME and not the SERIES......

I kinda agree with above. Which arm would you rather I hack off? ;)

I have to give the SLIGHT nod to Contra.

[Jed]

I go with Castlevania, if only for the music.. it's so memorable.

[slip81]

My vote went to Castlevania. I love the old horror theme.

[Crush Crawfish]

Castlevania, easily. Contra's great, but It's just too damn hard. I can't even beat the first level! :/ Also, Castlevania has some of the most memorable tunes of any game.

[Mattiekrome]

Gonna have to go with Castlevania on this one... I know what an "important" game Contra was to the NES, but Castlevania is just too good.

[Sotenga]

Dammit, Yash. Dammit. Damnit. Damn it. Damn-it. Damndamndamn.

............................. if you're talking about the originals, Contra. Castlevania is my more favored series, but I like the original Contra more than the original Castlevania. Don't get me wrong, however. Both games are in my Top Ten List, and at the very top is Castlevania... III: Dracula's Curse. But right below that is the original Contra.

[Richter]

gonna have to go with Contra........just a little though :)

[Kroogah]

I voted Contra. Contra (and Skate or Die) were the first NES games I ever owned, and in addition to just liking Contra more in the first place, the tidal wave of nostalgia involving me and my dad beating Contra once a week or so pushes it over the top. Damn I love that game.

[sharp]

I voted Contra, although I'm better know it as Probotector. When I was young I loved the game and had both parts. Its just my memories that made this vote as Contra was one of the first Nintendo games I played a lot, sadly it took years before I got my own copy (my parents didn't like violent videogames).

The motivation is just I have much more memories with Contra then with Castlevania. Also I like some more action and Castlevania is too slow for me. But he don't get me wrong I liked both games back then.

[Dr. Morbis]

Wow! This is a really tough choice. Both of these games are in my Top 10 games of all time (for all systems). However, I did end up voting for Contra. My reasoning is that, while the original Castlevania is my favourite in the entire series, there are a few others that can give me a great experience that is almost as good as the original (ie: CV III). But as for Contra, it's far and away superior to Super C and everything else that has adorned the Contra name in the last 18 years. For me Super C is nowhere near the experience of the original Contra.

Long story short, I could do without the NES CV a bit easier than I could do without the NES Contra. Thus, I voted for Contra. But it was real, real tough.

[Cobra Commander]

Castlevania. One of my favorites on the NES. It is hard, but it doesn't seem half as hard as Contra(at least to me). I can't quite put my finger on it, but that game never did seem to lose it's charm or modern feel throughout all the generations of gaming systems. Of course you have to overlook the very very corny credits at the end. Boris Karloffice? Christopher Bee?? Simon Belmondo?! :hmm:

So anyway, yeah, Castlevania all the way.

[-hellvin-]

Castlevania. That's pretty much all I have to say. I love contra, but castlevania is my series of choice. One thing I love about Rondo of Blood is the level where shaft makes you fight all the castlevania 1 bosses and it plays the classic boss music from the original nes game ;D. Good times.

[Immutable]

I'll have to go on Contra with this one. I rather play a game with a buddy than solo.

[le geek]

It's Castlevania for me, even though I don't know if I'll ever beat it! LOL

It really is a matter of personal preference, as both are quite good...

Cheers,
Ben

[Hep038]

This one was a little easier for me to pick. Both were great games, but when all things said are even 2 player breaks the tie. Man I wonder how a 2 player Castlevania would turn out.

[Aussie2B]

Contra is great, but Castlevania is up there with Super Mario Bros. as one of the most influential games on me. Without Castlevania, I don't know if I would've ever gotten so into games, and without Castlevania, I wouldn't have met my future husband. ;P

Plus it's just darn fun, never gets old, and the music rocks.

[NESVIDIOT]

Two completely different games, both awesome in their own right. For me, I voted Castlevania. Mostly because of the story line and Dracula- I've always liked vampires.
I love Contra too, but always much more fun with a second player!

[Damon Plus]

Contra, even after getting sick on a marathon I did finishing the game 8 times straight without the Konami code LOL

[Ed Oscuro]

Can I vote Contra The Hard Corps (Japanese)? LOL

Interesting roundup...I believe that Contra III: The Alien Wars won over Super CV IV when I put up a poll for those games. I'm pretty surprised that Contra is winning right now. Apparently there's no mixup about what titles we're talking about, since I'd assume most people would automatically vote for CV III. Interesting..

Contra plays more like a game I'd like to play, but all the cheap deaths knock the fun value down a lot (i.e. that bulldozer - I can't imagine I'll ever get by that one with just the default gun without dying). I also don't really care for the isometric stages (thankfully there are only two, and they *do* break up the action, so it's no complete loss).

Castlevania is a bit too tough for me in spots, too (well, mostly I'm just clumsy), and you don't have the control or feeling of speed...yet it's a much more balanced game; the varied environments, monsters, and secrets more than make up for the shortcomings in control and destruction potential :)

So, my winner would have to be the original NES (FDS/FC...take your pick, got 'em all). Fun enough to make me want to pop a quarter into a Vs. or PC-10 machine just to go through the first level :D

My overall Contra/CV rankings would have to be like this:

Castlevania III
Super Contra (a shame it's so ugly at first, though it gets better, much so)
Castlevania
Contra (very close)
Castlevania II (not a bad game, but feels unfinished)

On a side note, I'd rate Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti right up there with Castlevania and Contra, and possibly higher; Kage/Shadow of the Ninja/Blue Shadow I'd put right above Castlevania II.

[Necromutant]

If we were voting which was the better series Castlevania would win hands down, but between the two originals Contra owns the original Castlevania for free in my book... :)

[Bloodreign]

I played CV before I played Contra, CV has a history of great music, and isn't as hard as Contra. I've beaten CV 1with no Game Genie codes, Contra I use the 30 man code because I can't beat it, unless I input the code.

Both are great Konami classic franchises, but I'm a bit more of a CV fan than a Contra one, but it's all good because I own the CV/Contra collection for PC, so I have the best of the CV Trilogy, and the 2 contra games.

[Damaramu]

I would rather play Castlevania than Contra. I was really never a Contra fan. -_-

[Bronty-2]

Contra all the way... the dual-play feature pushes it way, way over the top... nothing like sitting down and playing contra or super c with a buddy!!!

[Oobgarm]

Contra, no question.

Never played Castlevania growing up. Got my first taste of the series with CVII: Belmont's Revenge. Once I did play it, I did enjoy it, but never to the same degree as Contra.

I have fond memories of playing it straight through with my cousin, with it being my most frequently rented NES game. Straight runs through without dying are a piece of cake now.

Contra is #1 on my Top 100 Games of All Time list. (http://www.dustincarter.com/top100/index.html)

[intvsama]

What? No option for Probotectors? 8*)

[jaydubnb]

Contra without hesitation.

While Castlevania was a good game, Contra was the game that made me love the NES to this day. Damn near perfection.

[njiska]

Castlevania is fun, but Contra stole countless hours of my life. 17 hour marathons were common place back in the day. Strings of profanity flew as i fell dead at the hands of Red Falcon's men.

Castlevania spawned the better franchise, but Contra is the better game. Run, Gun, Die, Swear like a drunken salior, Repeat. Anyone who's beaten contra has memorized the entire game. They know the exact time and exact point to jump, shoot, and repent there sins for every space in ever single level.

there's only one way to put it. Contra, Fucking Rules.

[MegaDrive20XX]

CastleVania 4 Life....

[NeoZeedeater]

As a series I would choose Castlevania but for this poll of the first NES games Contra is my pick.

[rick weis]

i voted for Castlevania, i loved all the games for castlevania, but only loved the first contra.

Rick