Favorite Contra game

[DTJAAAAMJSLM]

Contra 3! It has my favorite Contra weapons and enemies.

[Dr. Morbis]

I voted for Contra (NES). I don't know how the Super C voters could possibly justify their selection. Contra is so polished while Super C looks as if it was rushed out the door. The graphics and sound of Super C suck but it's a damn fine game to play only because of the excellent gameplay of the original Contra game engine.

Contra's music is classic AAA quality stuff from start to finish, while Super C's soundtrack is entirely forgetable (to put it nicely). And I like the pseudo 3D levels in the original much better than the generic overhead levels of Super C. It's like I'm in the middle of a good game of Super C when all of a sudden the game transforms into a generic overhead shooter like Ikari Warriors, or Guerrilla Warfare, or Commando, or etc. Still gameplay is what matters, that's why I'd put Super C third behind Contra 1 and 3.

[NeoZeedeater]

I voted for Contra 3. I'm surprised the first NES game has so many votes. I loved it but I can't think of anything it does better than the SNES/Genesis games.

[Ed Oscuro]

I voted for Contra (NES). I don't know how the Super C voters could possibly justify their selection.

I already did! bg @ U.

Contra is so polished while Super C looks as if it was rushed out the door. The graphics and sound of Super C suck but it's a damn fine game to play only because of the excellent gameplay of the original Contra game engine.

There's more detail in Super C than in the original Contra. Compare the first level of each game; for Super C it also manages to get better.

Changes...sloped floors added in (which you shoot along the angle of, to get higher enemies in towers while on such a floor you need to jump), the jungle level (Super C's focuses on blasting enemies, instead of "am I gonna make that next platform and if I scroll the screen up now will that be bad?"), behind the back levels are gone, and that blasted near-invincible bulldozer from the snow level isn't returning! Finally, the bosses here are much more interesting, with the possible exception of the classically trippy final boss from Contra. The others, like that stupid war computer, are far less animated than their Super C counterparts. Of course, I do like Contra's falling blocks area better than I do the top-down alien hive spot (ending with the large alien face/two arms monster).

Of course, rbudrick and I aren't not the only ones who likes Super C better than Contra for these reasons. Super C is either more or less challenging, depending on how you count platforming versus enemies shooting at a greater variety of angles. Just a few minutes ago I one-lifed Super C all the way up to the robotic boss at the end of the third stage (killed level one's chopper before it finished its first pass), which proceeded to kill me four times in a row. Lost track of what I was doing there, heh.

Contra's music is classic AAA quality stuff from start to finish, while Super C's soundtrack is entirely forgetable (to put it nicely).

You could say the same thing of Castlevania and Castlevania III. The complexity of Super C's soundtrack isn't as pleasing to the minimalist, but variety in each track = winner, and they've got some really nifty effects going too. Contra's formula is basically to take an outstanding theme and repeat it ad nauseum. I've no problem with the snow field BGM but there's more to life than a few bars of the same stuff over and over!

And I like the pseudo 3D levels in the original much better than the generic overhead levels of Super C. It's like I'm in the middle of a good game of Super C when all of a sudden the game transforms into a generic overhead shooter like Ikari Warriors, or Guerrilla Warfare, or Commando, or etc.

Difference here being that Super C's overhead sections are far better than all those games, with the possible exception of Guerilla Warfare for controlling so well. On that note, anybody else find it humorous how the demo player in the NES Guerrilla War seems to think all the hostages are enemies? He shoots up over half of them! The game would've been much better if only there was a secret bad ending for completing the game with a negative (if it were possible) score. :P

[ArnoldRimmer83]

Guess I'll vote for Super C for Nes as well. For some reason out of all the Contra games, that one seems to be the first that comes to mind when I think of the series. I think one of the reasons I like it is because of the atmosphere it has, particularly starting at level 6 where you're in the alien lair and in each level afterwards you go deeper and deeper into it.

The original Contra, Operation C, and Contra III are each my next favorites. Hard Corps and Shattered Soldier are alright, but both rely a little too heavily on boss battles for my taste. (And it is annoying that Konami made Hard Corps harder for US players.) The MSX Contra is interesting, as it has some exclusive levels, though the MSX hardware's inability to handle scrolling hinders it. Have yet to play Neo Contra.

[Videogamerdaryll]

Contra (NES)

[Dr. Morbis]

I voted for Contra (NES). I don't know how the Super C voters could possibly justify their selection.

I already did! bg @ U.

Contra is so polished while Super C looks as if it was rushed out the door. The graphics and sound of Super C suck but it's a damn fine game to play only because of the excellent gameplay of the original Contra game engine.

There's more detail in Super C than in the original Contra. Compare the first level of each game; for Super C it also manages to get better.

First, I don't know what bg is supposed to stand for in bg @ U.
Second, I find the graphics of Super C to be much more one dimensional. Contra's first level is much more pleasing to the eye and interesting to play through than Super C's monochrome level 1 - also known as the official gray level. Super C's level 3 jungle theme is uninspired. The same trees and same flat ground every stinking screen. And level 4 is Konami's official green level. Level 5, 7, and 8 are great though. Super C definitely gets better (graphically) the farther you play.

I guess we will just have to agree to disagree. I'm not trying to knock Super C. Both of them are great games. It just can't compare to the greatness of the original Contra (in my opinion of course).

[Ed Oscuro]

BG = bad game! And yeah, the game is uglier in spots, that's a given, but at the same time it has more details; I feel it's more appropriate for the theme given that nests of ALIENS!!11 (TM) don't usually double as tourist traps (though I'm sure they could). I'm usually a graphics...um...fanatic, too. Contra's stuff - i.e. War Computer - just struck me as a bit too silly looking for its own good in places. One thing is true, though - whether isometric or top-down, the bonus segments beat the competition pretty soundly! Heck, being able to aim diagonally is a pretty big thing on the NES.

[Mattiekrome]

Man, good poll... I gotta go with the oldie but goodie CONTRA for NES, with SUPER C following in a VERY CLOSE 2nd

[E Nice]

I chose Contra: Hard Corps as my favorite. It had a decent length, considerng all the branching paths, and tons of bosses. The game is hard but it's all about pattern memorization.

I wonder, am I the only one who liked the Contra pseudo 3D levels over the sequels overhead levels? I thought it was pretty good and Hard Corps showed what you can do with the scrolling forward/backward/pseudo 3D levels, best example the highway boss Deadeye Joe. Even Shattered Soldier managed to do it pretty good with the train stage. I see the overhead levels as somewhat limiting though Contra 3 did finally make creative use of them that was sadly never really implemented in the same way again.

[Xexyz]

Contra: Hard Corps(Genesis) gets my vote. I just loved the idfferent take by making tons of boss fights in each level. I also really digged the music. Branchign paths were cool too.

Everytime I think of this game I get the Stage 1 music stuck in my head... it's a good thing actually. One of my favorite game tunes ever.

[NintendoMan]

CONTRA. By far the one I have most fun at. Maybe because it was my first Contra game, and was very jealous back in the day because my neighbor's brother got this game for Easter. I was like, all I get is candy and he gets a game! Unfair.

[otterpop]

Contra III the alien wars. A friend and I were obsessed with the Contra series as kids, but in my opinion Alien Wars had the best 2 player action.

Of course my opinion is probably shrouded in nostalgia.