Contra


 * For the Arcade and Xbox Live Arcade versions, see Contra (arcade).

Contra was released in 1988 by Konami; today it is an absolute NES classic. It has a few rough edges, but the game play speaks for itself. It isn't "toss-the-controller-against-the-wall" difficult, nor is it easy. It actually has a good balance of difficulty that doesn't have very many cheap points that require a good deal of luck — this game is all about skill…and memorization, but mostly skill. The original Japanese version was named Gryzor and renamed to Contra when it appeared in North America. The European version was named Probotector and changed the human heroes into robots due to censorship laws in some countries that would have restricted the game to people over eighteen.

Gryzor had better graphics and sound than Contra. For example, the title screen in Gryzor was animated and the screen between stages resembles the scrolling map in Ghosts 'n Ghouls. Many of the stages also had improved or animated sections that enhanced the game play.

Story
Story from the Contra manual (US version):


 * In 1957 a large object from outer space crashed into Earth's Amazon basin, near the ruins of a lost Mayan civilization. Scientists worldwide heralded the incident as a trivial cosmic occurrence, and thus the collision was soon forgotten. Now thirty years later, rumors of an evil force have swept into the Pentagon's front office and tales from frightened villagers of a hideous being with an army of alien henchmen are sending chills down the spines of top military brass. Unwilling to upset current political stability, an all-out assault on the region has been overruled and instead, two of America's most cunning, courageous and ruthless soldiers from the Special Forces elite commando squad have been selected to seek out and destroy these alien intruders.


 * Congratulations, pal, you're one of the chosen. But before you take pride in being the best, be warned. You’re about to come face to face against Red Falcon, the cruelest life-form in the galaxy. He arrived on Earth thirty years ago (that is six months time in an alien's life) to establish a foothold from which he will attempt to conquer our world and then use it as a stepping stone toward his ultimate fiendish goal: domination of the universe. Needless to say, playing hero won't be easy. But you have no choice - you must be a hero. Because if you fail, life as we know it will cease to exist, and the vile Red Falcon will rule forever. If you succeed, well...it doesn't matter, because I doubt you will...