Difference between revisions of "Contra"

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[[Image:Contra - ARC - USA.jpg|thumb|256x256px|North American arcade cabinet.]]
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{{Video Game
 +
| Title            = Contra
 +
| Image           = Contra - ARC - USA.jpg
 +
| ImageDescription = Arcade - USA.
 +
| Developer        = {{VideoGameDeveloper|Konami|Konami Industry}}
 +
| Publisher        = {{VideoGamePublisher|Konami|Konami Industry}}
 +
| PublishedYear    = 1987
 +
| PublishedMonth  = 02
 +
| PublishedDay    = 20
 +
| Platforms        = {{Platform|Amstrad CPC}}, {{Platform|Arcade}}, {{Platform|Commodore 64}}, {{Platform|DoJa}}, {{Platform|DOS}}, {{Platform|ZX Spectrum}}
 +
| Genres          = {{VideoGameGenre|Action video game|Action}}, {{VideoGameGenre|Platform shooter|Platform shooter}}, {{VideoGameGenre|Platformer|Platformer}}, {{VideoGameGenre|Shooter|Shooter}}
 +
| Themes          = {{MediaTheme|Action}}, {{MediaTheme|Science Fiction}}
 +
| Series          = ''[[Contra (universe)|Contra]]''
 +
| Multiplayer      = {{GameMultiplayer|Simultaneous co-op}}
 +
| Distributions    = {{VideoGameDistribution|Commercial}}
 +
}}
  
'''''Contra''''' is a run-and-gun action shooter developed and published by [[Konami]] for the [[Arcade]] on 1987-02-20 and is the first in the [[Contra (universe)|Contra series]]. It was later ported to various home computers and special ports that were quite a bit different were made for the [[Contra (NES)|NES]] and [[Contra (MSX2)|MSX2]].
+
'''''Contra''''' is a [[ratchet scrolling]] [[platform shooter|run and gun]] video game developed and published by [[Konami]] for the [[Arcade]] on 1987-02-20 and is the first in the [[Contra (universe)|''Contra'' series]]. It was later ported to various home computers. More expanded ports were made for the [[Contra (NES)|NES]] and [[Contra (MSX2)|MSX2]]. As the players progress through the stages, the game alternates between a side view and an over the shoulder view.
  
I have never actually played or even seen Contra in the arcade. My first experience was with the [[Contra (NES)|NES game]]. When I found out about [[MAME]], I wanted to see what Contra was like for the arcade, assuming it would be like a 16-bit version of the NES game, but I was a bit disappointed.
+
The game is set on future Earth where a terrorist organization called Red Falcon plans to destroy humanity. Two commandos specializing in guerrilla warfare, Bill and Lance, are sent to infiltrate Red Falcon's base on an archipelago near New Zealand. The players control Bill and Lance and must collect allied weapon drops as they fight the terrorists in the jungle, through underground tunnels, up mountains, and into to the heart of their underground base.
  
==Status==
+
==Personal==
I do not own any of the port and haven't beat any.
+
{{VideoGameStatus
 +
| Own      =
 +
| CantOwn  =
 +
| Won      = Yes. 1 credit completion.
 +
| CantWin  =
 +
| Finished = 2021-12-24.
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
I have never actually played or even seen ''Contra'' in the arcade. My first experience was with the [[Contra (NES)|NES game]]. When I found out about [[MAME]], I wanted to see what ''Contra'' was like for the arcade, assuming it would be like a 16-bit version of the NES game, but I was quite disappointed by the poor controls. Wanting to add the game to my list of beaten games, I started grinding through it, assuming it would be a pretty easy victory because of my familiarity with the NES port, however, it took me about 50 tries to memorize the different maps and become comfortable with the controls.
  
 
==Review==
 
==Review==
* '''Overall:''' 4/10
+
{{Video Game Review|4|3|4|5|5|Arcade}}
* '''Best Version:''' Arcade
 
  
 
{{Spoilers}}
 
{{Spoilers}}
  
 
===Good===
 
===Good===
* The game is a pioneer of the run-and-gun genre and, at least for 1987, pretty impressive.
+
* The game is a pioneer of the run-and-gun genre and, for 1987, pretty impressive.
* Using Giger's art style as adapted from the movie [[Alien]] was a great idea. It gives the game an over all creepy vibe.
+
* Using [[H. R. Giger]]'s art style as adapted from the movie ''[[Alien]]'' was a great idea. It gives the game an over all creepy vibe.
* Each level is pretty unique featuring new enemies, bosses, and environments.
+
* The game has really nice music composed by [[Kazuki Muraoka]].
 +
* There is a lot of variety through the game. Excluding the second base, each section is unique featuring new enemies, bosses, and environments.
 +
* I like the [[boss trick]] as you enter the alien's lair. You see a giant alien head and assume this is the final boss, only to have to continue the level and face the heart.
  
 
===Bad===
 
===Bad===
* Survival comes less from skill, and more from level memorization. This requires you to spend a lot of quarters. Typical for 1980s arcade games, but not fun.
+
* The guns aren't evenly balanced. The flame thrower is terrible while the spread gun is amazing. Although, the laser is pretty decent in the arcade original because it travels fast and does a lot of damage.
 
* The contrast in the graphics vary greatly from background to foreground objects. I presume this was done so the players would know where to concentrate their bullets, but the washed out colors of the backgrounds looks awful.
 
* The contrast in the graphics vary greatly from background to foreground objects. I presume this was done so the players would know where to concentrate their bullets, but the washed out colors of the backgrounds looks awful.
* The player's jumping animation is ridiculous looking.
+
* If you already have a weapon, flying weapon capsules won't spawn. This is a bit annoying because, if you accidentally got a weapon you don't want, you're less likely to get a replacement.
 +
* For some reason, enemies focus most of their attention on the right corner in the bases.
 
* The football player robot boss is lame.
 
* The football player robot boss is lame.
* The various ports are much worse than the arcade game.
+
* Excluding the NES, the various ports are much worse than the arcade game.
  
 
===Ugly===
 
===Ugly===
* Nothing.
+
* Player control leaves a lot to be desired. The jump feels floaty and looks ridiculous, shooting at an angle is slow to do, and you can't shoot when your player is too high off the screen.
 +
* Mistakes are punished severely because, if you die, you return with the weak default rifle which leaves very little margin of error on minibosses like the spiked vehicles in the snowfield. Also, you get few weapon upgrades late in the game, so, if you die near the end of the snowfield, you're going to have an extremely difficult time reaching the final bosses.
 +
* Survival comes less from skill, and more from level memorization. This requires you to spend a lot of quarters to git gud. While this is typical for an 1980s arcade game, it's not very fun. For example, level 3 starts you directly below two snipers who immediately shoot at you. As long as you remember to start the level shooting upward, you'll be safe, but you'll probably take hits until you commit it to memory.
  
 
==Media==
 
==Media==
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Contra - ARC - USA - Marquee.jpg|The marquee is a well-taken photo of two buff dudes in the jungle, one sporting a sexy mullet! Great logo art.
 
Contra - ARC - USA - Marquee.jpg|The marquee is a well-taken photo of two buff dudes in the jungle, one sporting a sexy mullet! Great logo art.
 
Contra - ARC - USA - Marquee (Alt).jpg|A drawn version of the photo marquee. Not sure, but maybe created because of censorship?
 
Contra - ARC - USA - Marquee (Alt).jpg|A drawn version of the photo marquee. Not sure, but maybe created because of censorship?
Contra - ARC - USA - Side.jpg|The side are features the same dudes in the jungle.
+
Contra - ARC - USA - Side.jpg|The side art features the same dudes in the jungle.
 +
Contra - ARC - USA - Instructions.png|Arcade instructions.
 
Contra - C64 - USA.jpg|This box was used for the North American Commodore 64 and DOS releases. It uses the same art and logo as the NES box, but reveals a bit more of the background.
 
Contra - C64 - USA.jpg|This box was used for the North American Commodore 64 and DOS releases. It uses the same art and logo as the NES box, but reveals a bit more of the background.
 
Contra - C64 - UK.jpg|This box was used in Europe and the UK for the C64, Amstrad CPC, and ZX Spectrum. It uses the full art, but the title is altered to "Gryzor."
 
Contra - C64 - UK.jpg|This box was used in Europe and the UK for the C64, Amstrad CPC, and ZX Spectrum. It uses the full art, but the title is altered to "Gryzor."
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Contra - ARC - Manual.pdf|Game manual.
 
Contra - ARC - Manual.pdf|Game manual.
 
Contra - ARC - Ad.jpg|Advertisement featuring a camouflaged cabinet and pointy boobs.
 
Contra - ARC - Ad.jpg|Advertisement featuring a camouflaged cabinet and pointy boobs.
 +
Contra - Ad - EU.jpg|European home computer advert. Features more of the box art.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
Line 55: Line 84:
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
===Gallery===
+
===Graphics===
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
Contra - ARC - Logo.png|Logo.
+
Contra - ARC - Logo.png|Arcade logo.
 +
</gallery>
 +
 
 +
* [https://www.spriters-resource.com/arcade/contra spriters-resource.com/arcade/contra] - Arcade graphics.
 +
 
 +
===Screenshots===
 +
<gallery>
 +
Contra - ARC - Screenshot - Title.png|Title screen.
 +
Contra - ARC - Screenshot - Level 1.png|Level 1.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
 
===Videos===
 
===Videos===
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD9G7OCmsfk youtube.com/watch?v=rD9G7OCmsfk] - Arcade longplay.
+
{{YouTube|5stKSYNk6Z8|Longplay - Amstrad CPC.}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5stKSYNk6Z8 youtube.com/watch?v=5stKSYNk6Z8] - Amstrad CPC longplay.
+
{{YouTube|rD9G7OCmsfk|Longplay - Arcade.}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TLzIJIKxDs youtube.com/watch?v=9TLzIJIKxDs] - Commodore 64 longplay.
+
{{YouTube|CTYB0DsjxNA|Longplay - Arcade - 2 player.}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KT5sZxc0R3s youtube.com/watch?v=KT5sZxc0R3s] - ZX Spectrum longplay.
+
{{YouTube|9TLzIJIKxDs|Longplay - Commodore 64.}}
 +
{{YouTube|KT5sZxc0R3s|Longplay - ZX Spectrum.}}
 +
 
 +
==Play Online==
 +
{{PlayOnline|https://www.retrogames.cc/arcade-games/contra-japan-set-2.html|Arcade (Japan)}}, {{PlayOnline|https://www.retrogames.cc/arcade-games/contra-us-set-2.html|Arcade (USA)}}, {{PlayOnline|https://classicreload.com/dosx-contra.html|MS-DOS}}
 +
 
 +
==Representation==
 +
{{Representation
 +
| Media                      = Video games
 +
| StrongFemaleCharacterStatus = Fail
 +
| StrongFemaleCharacterNotes  = There are no women.
 +
| BechdelTestStatus          = Fail
 +
| BechdelTestNotes            = There are no women.
 +
| StrongPOCCharacterStatus    = Fail
 +
| StrongPOCCharacterNotes    = There are no people of color.
 +
| QueerCharacterStatus        = Fail
 +
| QueerCharacterNotes        = There are no queer characters.
 +
}}
  
 
==Credits==
 
==Credits==
Line 101: Line 155:
  
  
[[Category: Games]]
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[[Category: Video Game Prime Order - Action, Adventure, Strategy]]
[[Category: Video Games]]
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[[Category: Game Mechanic - Boss Trick]]
[[Category: Amstrad CPC Games]]
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[[Category: Game Mechanic - Ratchet Scrolling]]
[[Category: Arcade Games]]
 
[[Category: Commodore 64 Games]]
 
[[Category: DoJa Games]]
 
[[Category: DOS Games]]
 
[[Category: ZX Spectrum Games]]
 
[[Category: Action]]
 
[[Category: Run and Gun]]
 
[[Category: Multi-Player]]
 
[[Category: Multi-Player Co-op]]
 
[[Category: Science Fiction]]
 
 
[[Category: 4-bit Color Graphics]]
 
[[Category: 4-bit Color Graphics]]
 
[[Category: 2-bit Color Graphics]]
 
[[Category: 2-bit Color Graphics]]

Latest revision as of 16:22, 14 March 2024

Contra

Contra - ARC - USA.jpg

Arcade - USA.

Developer Konami Industry
Publisher Konami Industry
Published 1987-02-20
Platforms Amstrad CPC, Arcade, Commodore 64, DoJa, DOS, ZX Spectrum
Genres Action, Platform shooter, Platformer, Shooter
Themes Action, Science Fiction
Series Contra
Multiplayer Simultaneous co-op
Distribution Commercial

Contra is a ratchet scrolling run and gun video game developed and published by Konami for the Arcade on 1987-02-20 and is the first in the Contra series. It was later ported to various home computers. More expanded ports were made for the NES and MSX2. As the players progress through the stages, the game alternates between a side view and an over the shoulder view.

The game is set on future Earth where a terrorist organization called Red Falcon plans to destroy humanity. Two commandos specializing in guerrilla warfare, Bill and Lance, are sent to infiltrate Red Falcon's base on an archipelago near New Zealand. The players control Bill and Lance and must collect allied weapon drops as they fight the terrorists in the jungle, through underground tunnels, up mountains, and into to the heart of their underground base.

Personal

Own?No.
Won?Yes. 1 credit completion.
Finished2021-12-24.

I have never actually played or even seen Contra in the arcade. My first experience was with the NES game. When I found out about MAME, I wanted to see what Contra was like for the arcade, assuming it would be like a 16-bit version of the NES game, but I was quite disappointed by the poor controls. Wanting to add the game to my list of beaten games, I started grinding through it, assuming it would be a pretty easy victory because of my familiarity with the NES port, however, it took me about 50 tries to memorize the different maps and become comfortable with the controls.

Review

Video Game Review Icon - Enjoyment.png Video Game Review Icon - Control.png Video Game Review Icon - Appearance.png Video Game Review Icon - Sound.png Video Game Review Icon - Replayability.png
4 3 4 5 5

Best Version: Arcade

— This section contains spoilers! —

Good

  • The game is a pioneer of the run-and-gun genre and, for 1987, pretty impressive.
  • Using H. R. Giger's art style as adapted from the movie Alien was a great idea. It gives the game an over all creepy vibe.
  • The game has really nice music composed by Kazuki Muraoka.
  • There is a lot of variety through the game. Excluding the second base, each section is unique featuring new enemies, bosses, and environments.
  • I like the boss trick as you enter the alien's lair. You see a giant alien head and assume this is the final boss, only to have to continue the level and face the heart.

Bad

  • The guns aren't evenly balanced. The flame thrower is terrible while the spread gun is amazing. Although, the laser is pretty decent in the arcade original because it travels fast and does a lot of damage.
  • The contrast in the graphics vary greatly from background to foreground objects. I presume this was done so the players would know where to concentrate their bullets, but the washed out colors of the backgrounds looks awful.
  • If you already have a weapon, flying weapon capsules won't spawn. This is a bit annoying because, if you accidentally got a weapon you don't want, you're less likely to get a replacement.
  • For some reason, enemies focus most of their attention on the right corner in the bases.
  • The football player robot boss is lame.
  • Excluding the NES, the various ports are much worse than the arcade game.

Ugly

  • Player control leaves a lot to be desired. The jump feels floaty and looks ridiculous, shooting at an angle is slow to do, and you can't shoot when your player is too high off the screen.
  • Mistakes are punished severely because, if you die, you return with the weak default rifle which leaves very little margin of error on minibosses like the spiked vehicles in the snowfield. Also, you get few weapon upgrades late in the game, so, if you die near the end of the snowfield, you're going to have an extremely difficult time reaching the final bosses.
  • Survival comes less from skill, and more from level memorization. This requires you to spend a lot of quarters to git gud. While this is typical for an 1980s arcade game, it's not very fun. For example, level 3 starts you directly below two snipers who immediately shoot at you. As long as you remember to start the level shooting upward, you'll be safe, but you'll probably take hits until you commit it to memory.

Media

Box Art

Documentation

Maps

Graphics

Screenshots

Videos

Longplay - Amstrad CPC.
Longplay - Arcade.
Longplay - Arcade - 2 player.
Longplay - Commodore 64.
Longplay - ZX Spectrum.

Play Online

Arcade (Japan), Arcade (USA), MS-DOS

Representation

Strong female character?FailThere are no women.
Bechdel test?FailThere are no women.
Strong person of color character?FailThere are no people of color.
Queer character?FailThere are no queer characters.

Credits

Arcade

Role Staff
Director Koji Hiroshita
Programmers Satoru Okamoto, Hideyuki Tsujimoto, Koichi Cobra
Graphic Designer Kengo Nakamura
Special Designers Takashi Jinbo, Passionate Norio
Music and Sound Kazuki Muraoka
Engineer Rom Yamamoto

Titles

Language Native Transliteration Translation
English (America) Contra
English (Europe) Gryzor
Japanese 魂斗羅 Kontora Contra

Links

Link-MobyGames.png  Link-Wikipedia.png  Link-StrategyWiki.png