It just had everything I like in a game and gave me with countless hours of entertainment (which my parents liked, because it kept me from bugging them wanting another game.) Some games I would beat and never really play much again afterwards. Though there have been many notable video games in the years since, CONTRA remains my #1 all-time favorite of them all. Even nearly five years later, long after my NES and games had gone away to make room for the Sega Genesis, I was able to still beat CONTRA in my record time when I discovered it at the house of my high school friend. I got so good at it that I could beat it in twenty minutes flat (with the thirty lives code, of course I don't know anyone who ever beat it with just three). I was hooked instantly, and when I finally got my own copy, I was playing it nearly every day. Toys R Us was sold out for awhile, so the best I could do was rent it or play it at a friend's house. (Jeez, has it really been that long!?) It was the big deal at school everybody was talking about it. I remember when CONTRA was first released in 1988. I long for the age of the NES, when the games were just plain fun and simple without flashy animation and movie-like special effects to get in the way. Fun game, hard as heck thanks to the fact it was a one hit and your character is done type game, I was ever grateful for the code that made it so you had 30 lives! You battle a boss at the end of each stage as you make your way through the many enemy forts on your way to blasting away the 'heart' of the operation. You run through each level blasting all that gets in your way using your standard gun with unlimited ammo! You also get upgrades that increase the rate of fire, gives you lasers and flame throwers and of course who can forget the spread gun? When you and your friend had this deadly weapon, alien forces watch out! Annihilation ensues! The stages vary a bit to give you a different experience each time as you have your horizontal moving levels, vertical levels and the strange 3-D type forward moving stages. This one has you as one of two military tough guys, one nicknamed Mad Dog and one Scorpion as you traverse jungle terrain, futuristic bases and the innards of a very large and very unfriendly looking alien battling the forces of the Red Falcon, whose name really did not make much sense as the alien looked nothing like a falcon, but I guess that is just nitpicking on my part.

I also liked the original Mario Brothers too, as that one was rather fun to play with a friend as well. Better than that one that was an over the top view and you could get into a tank, forgot the name of that one, but this one I could never forget. This game was one of my favorite games to team up and challenge an awesome military force.

Games like contra nes