This is a classic arcade game that was ported to many systems of the day, and the first in a long series of games.
Story
In the year 1957, a strange object from space crashed into the Amazon Basin. While it was overlooked at the time, thirty years later a menacing alien force has started to terrorize the local residents near the original crash site. In order to keep the event quiet, the US government has assigned you Lance "Scorpion" and your comrade Bill "Mad Dog" to end the alien menace caused by the vile Red Falcon. If you fail, the world and the Universe will succumb to a fate worse than death.
Gameplay
Contra is a run and gun action arcade game. There are two different views in the game, the regular side scrolling view found in most stages, and an over the shoulder first person perspective found in two bases. Your main task is to fight your through a horde of enemies and destroy a boss at the end of each stage. You start with only a basic rifle, but you can find weapon upgrades like a machine gun, laser, spread, and others. You are only allowed to carry one gun at a time however.
The game features a simultaneous two player mode. Each level is also linear, and there's 8 levels total. Levels are divided into various zones, such as the Jungle, Energy Zone, Hangar, and others. Besides the non-stop enemies in your path, there are also other threats like tricky jumps, spike traps, energy beams, and others.
If you make through all 8 levels, you'll be confronted by the literal heart of the alien invasion. While you may think your mission is over, there is another more challenging mode after you finish the game. The player starts with three lives and three continues, and there are no saves or passwords.
Graphics
Contra features distinct backgrounds for each stage. These range from the Jungle to the Ice Fields to the evil lair of Red Falcon. The sprites for the game are also well-done. This had to be one of the first games besides Ghosts 'n' Goblins where the main character ran around without a shirt, in true commando style of course. There was a wide variety of enemies and traps, and the bosses were large and colorful. The first person perspective of the 2 base stages was definitely a milestone, as this kind of view was eventually remodeled to be used in hundreds of modern games.
Sound
As can be expected of a Konami game during this time, the sound had an excellent quality. The theme of stage one is instantly recognizable even to people who have never played the game. Each stage featured an amazing backing track. Sound effects were also top notch, as the explosions, shots, and even jumping were rendered with great quality. One thing that made the game great was that you could tell if you were doing damage to a boss by the distinctive sound they would make.
Tips and Tricks
30 lives: One of the most well-known codes of all time, press U, U, D, D, L, R, L, R, B, A, then Start on the title screen. Press Select before Start for 2 player mode.
Steal lives: If you run out of lives in 2 player mode, press A and B at the same time to steal a life from your buddy.
The R power-up stands for Rapid. If you collect another weapon first, such as Machine Gun or Spread, then collect Rapid, your bullets will be much faster. Spread and Rapid is a super-powerful combination.
You can duck in the water during stage 1 to avoid shots or enemies. You can also duck in the Base missions to avoid shots.
If you need a weapon during the Base missions, just wait for a while. In many of the rooms, a jumping red soldier will appear. Shoot them for weapons.
In stage 5, there is an area right before a series of jumps over water where 3 power ups will appear. Before the jumps is a small wall. If you run until you're at the wall, the power ups will appear and you can shoot straight up to claim them. This is a lot easier than trying for them as you're navigating the tricky jumps.
Many enemies and shots can be avoided by continuing to progress. Don't stay in one place longer than necessary.
Overall
I would give Contra a 4/5. It's one of the best action games on the NES, and it has great gameplay, graphics, and sound. The game does have a few flaws, such as the difficulty, which ranges from difficult with your basic weapon to extremely easy with spread and rapid. It's also a very short game, despite having 8 stages that can easily be completed in less than 20 minutes. It's fun to play many times, as blowing away a slew of enemies while listening to the great sound and enjoying the graphics is worth it. The game can be very challenging, but the well-known Konami code allows even novices to have a fighting chance. I would highly recommend this to just about any video game fan, especially fans of the Contra series, which is still being released.