Rise And Fall Of Contra Franchise - All 14 Contra Games Explored In Detail
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It might be tough to tell now, but Contra used to be one of Konami’s flagship franchises. It has one of the simplest concepts to wrap your head around: two guys go on a shooting spree and blast some aliens. However, the real-life inspiration might have been an 80s resistance group funded by the CIA in Nicaragua, known as Contras, which meant opposition.
The core concept might be simple, but the gameplay was one of the toughest you could find. One-shot from the enemies would kill you, and it required special skills to evade all the projectiles and go through the levels. Contra was all about a precise style of gameplay that demanded perfect aiming and control. Waves of enemies come at you from various angles, and while the movements in the early Contra games were restricted, they broadened up in the times to come. The difficulty levels were so high that the Konami Code came in handy, giving the player an extra thirty lives, and trust us when we say you need each one of them!
The history of this franchise is over thirty years now, and it is full of controversies from censorship to plagiarism. Contra had to be censored heavily in Europe, especially due to the strict rules in Germany. As a result, the names of some of the games were changed to Probotector, and the human characters were replaced by robots. This series was conceived in an era when machine-gun-wielding action heroes were popular. It was the era of smashing hits like Commando and Rambo, and it is no surprise that the two protagonists in the game bear a strong resemblance to Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Contra wasn’t just stealing the idea of heroes; it also plagiarized the alien villains! The designs of one of the most terrifying creations of H.R. Giger, the Xenomorph, have been used in the series. In fact, the extra-terrestrials you battle are straight out of the numerous life cycles of the Xenomorph like the Facehuggers and Alien Queen. This franchise was one of the biggest hits back in the day, and eventually, the popularity waned. In this video, we will give you a precise synopsis of the entire series and take you through its rise and fall.
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I had shattered soldier on PS2. I remember at the time I was like the graphics are pretty damn good. Always thought that Contra game didn't get the credit it deserved but it was REALLY hard. One of the tougher Contra games out there.
Contra shattered soldier was the best contra game ever made
Contra: Hard Corps is the hardest of the older games for me. It's way faster, and while the Japanese version had a life bar, they made it 1 hit kill in the states to discourage rentals, so its balanced for taking 3 hits, not 1 lol
I loved contra shattered soilder. Also we getting a new contra game on all platforms in 2024🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
It's funny that he said Contra Hard Corps is easy for beginners. What the hell? It's one of the hardest games I've ever played.
@Danowarthemanowar
9 ай бұрын
Yeah, that was objectively wrong. That game makes the NES contra games seem like a cakewalk
The story of Contra has so much potential untapped
with KOF 15 coming next year, you should do a video on the King Of Fighters Games along with its lore & History & characters as it's very compelling as a fighting game franchise.
And yet...I had no idea that Contra had 14 games. All I know about is the first one, and Super C.
Wow great video guys! Its awsome to see a chronological order of the release of the franchise and a solid breakdown of each game. My fav will always be the first on nes had it since I was 5
Super C was far and away my favorite Contra game.
I just realized one of the bosses was using METAL SLUG MINI MISSILES WITH THE EXACT SAME MOVEMENT SPRITES
the SUPER C was def the best one foe me. Great games and series.
@themoviereviewwarriors939
5 ай бұрын
Arcade or nes version. I love both.
Clearing super contra in 3 life was best summer memory
This legend does by far the best movie retrospectives in this world. ❤
NOSTALGIC!!! Best game I played back in the 90s! Had sore thumbs coz I played so much. Now I play WARZONE, How time flies. RIP Dad thanks for everything!!!
Finally understand why probotector and contra were exactly the same. I always wondered if later levels were different lol.
Only the very first one worth playing today, back then boys believe only the ultra skilled can play this game all the way to the end without loosing a life.
You mentioned The Konami Code gives only 30 Lives. All the versions I played here gave 99 Lives and in Super Contra had Unlimited Lives with said Konami Code...
I beat this game long before that Konami 30-man code was available.
Great video, but I couldn't help but notice you showed the fire gun from Super C when talking about the first game. The fire gun was vastly different between the 2 games.
@johnnythewalrus
6 ай бұрын
Also, I noticed that during the Contra 3 segment as the narrator states that there are "new bosses," they literally show an old boss (from Super Contra/C).
"Explored In Detail" ? didn't even show the arcade versions of the games or mentioned the fact that the boss rush in contra 3 is based entirely on bosses and big enemies from earlier games.
If you guys want to play the good Contra clone,play Rogue Stormers.
Hard Corps - the best of the best
The upcoming Contra: Operation Galuga looks like it’s gonna be fucking amazing.
@TurboNutterBastard
8 ай бұрын
Is that the one with the awful, cheap looking pre-rendered graphics?
@DrDoke
8 ай бұрын
@@TurboNutterBastard no that’s your mom.
@TurboNutterBastard
8 ай бұрын
@@DrDoke Did i hit a nerve Dr.Dope? You sound like a little 5 year old child. You better behave or your mummy may not buy you your crappy pre-rendered Contra game to play in her basement.
Shattered Soldier was the best one. Love them all though.
First contra we managed to go the entire game without loosing a life. Super contra was my favourite. Contra force was awesome too but my cartridge glitched quite a lot so game either got some artifacts or levels wouldnt load at all.
Have you seen the new Contra Operation Galuga game? If you have then what's your thoughts on it. It's developed by Wayforward the same team who made Contra 4! That was a pretty good and hard Contra game.
21:23 Well, the PS3 version of Hard Corps Uprising has slightly shorter load times than the X360 one. But I assume they're even faster on Xbox Series X.
Cool
Contra is still alive with new contra returns game made by infinity level
I love Contra Game
You really did Contra Hard Corps. dirty. Easily the best game in the series.
@omaralsharabati5873
2 жыл бұрын
The bosses were incredible and weren’t really that bullet spongy tbh had a lot of attacks
@kraken5003
2 жыл бұрын
@@omaralsharabati5873 i don't think they where anymore of a bullet sponge then the ones in contra 3 at all like in that way both felt exactly the same, so i wonder why he didn't say that with contra 3
@Emma-dh1lx
Жыл бұрын
No, it's NOT! Shattered Solider is the best of the best.
@johnnythewalrus
6 ай бұрын
Lol shattered soldier was trash. And Hard Corps was most definitely NOT the best game in the series.
@vibe1337
6 ай бұрын
Love it
Contra HCU all the way, baby!!
Ah my senior high days
Bill Rizer en smash Bros tendrá un comité de bienvenida algo ligero pero bueno con su actual arsenal se divertirá de lo lindo descargando toda su munición a todo oponente que se cruce como si fuera halcón rojo
Small brother always red falcon
Contra rogue crop was on sale for the playstation and I wasted 10 bucks on that game
Terry Bogard si estás atento es un oponente demasiado bestia y se ha enfrentado a enemigos muy bestia
I only played Contra Force . The lagging was annoying but the game overall was fun ...
The only contra which appeared difficult to me was the contra 3& 7 rest was easy and it was a beautiful franchise.idk how devs couldn't continue the contra with gen graphics.
You think Hollywood should make contra into a movie?
I ❤️ to see all of them 🎮's On the Nintendo Switch and ps5 slim and On the Xbox one
A todos los actuales peleadores de smash, tendrán el nombre de halcón rojo, el eterno rival del equipo Contra
You're not okay, you're missing the contra arcade ones, super contra arcade ones, you forgot the ones from the NES, they weren't the first ones, they were the arcade ones.
In childhood i used to think that this both characters are Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan 😅
most bosses are easy to kill if you have any weapon that isnt default but another game that is kind of like contra, metal slug has better bosses ad some life put into the animations, like enemyes laugh when you die and scream when you come back
We'll always have rom hacks and pc fan remakes but it's sad it's come to this...
They just dropped a new trailer.
"Contra" means, "against, opposing" as it is in the word "contrary".
Control 4 was a breather. It felt so cool on my Sega then. Really enjoyed it
Por cierto el equipo Contra ha masacrado a todos los jefes y enemigos que ha conocido
The need for the Konami code only proved that players back then weren't all that good with games in general. The NES original really wasn't that hard at all, and when you beat it with only 3 lives it probably made you wonder: was it really necessary to have an extra 27 lives to begin with? If any games needed the Konami code, it was Contra 3 and 4, those were games with a sharp increase in difficulty that actually warranted assistance in the form of a cheat code What's the deal with C the Contra adventure not released in Japan? Why would a Japanese game company develop a game that's also one of their signature IPs and not release it in their own country, who does that and for what purpose? I'm surprised you didn't mention Contra Evolution, it was made for Chinese cell phone, then got ported to the arcade and eventually Android/iOS. It's basically a HD remake of the original Contra as a franchise is very popular in mainland China, just about any kid that grew up in the late '80s played it at some point. China still has a vested interest in the franchise, considering they were in the process of shooting a live action film, which was supposed to have premiered 3 years ago, either the pandemic delayed it or it has gone dead The future of the franchise is indeed not looking too bright, but one really can't say they didn't see this coming. All you had to do was look at Konami, whom have become a mere shell of it's former self over the years by focusing the majority of their time on Pachinko instead of working on new entries in their established IPs. In a way, I guess they just don't quite value nostalgia in the same manner as the west does, too busy fulfilling the needs of the modern generation instead of remembering their roots and those that grew up alongside it
For me the best is original Tokyo made because it came from them
The first Contra was THE hardest game i have ever played hands down🤣🤣🤣🤣 ive only seen it completed once smh not by me
@omariblake21
2 жыл бұрын
The first contra on NES right? It was so damn hard man and you only had 3 lives for 8 missions lol I feel like metal slug was an imitation of contra if you think about it.
I cannot accept Shattered soldier due to Lance turning evil.
*Contra is like Metallica, their first 4 titles (1, 2, 3, Hard-Corps) were great, then pure filler*
🎶"Se partió en Nicaragua, otro hierro caliente... Con que el águila daba, su señal a la gente... Se partió en Nicaragua, otra soga con cebo... Con que el águila ataba, por el cuello al obrero Se ha prendido la hierba dentro del continente... Las fronteras se besan y se ponen ardientes... Me recuerdo de un hombre, que por esto moría... Y que viendo este día como espectro del monte Jubiloso reía... 🎶 Silvio Rodríguez Song. (Canción urgente).
Contra 3, Super Soldier and Neo Contra were my favorite. Sad how it went downhill.
The upcoming Contra Operation Galuga looks amazing. Plus Wayforward who did Contra 4 is developing it.
@agmcroom2374
5 ай бұрын
Contra 4 is a masterpiece. Bought another 3rd just to play it.
Combining classic Contra gameplay with new age mechanics: Re-release Super C without Konami code, but you can buy continues via micro-transactions…. Oh wait - that’s called arcade >.
Feels like there was 6 Contra games and few weird 3D spin offs with completely different gameplay :/
@Olagfigh
Жыл бұрын
and "the gem" for retro gamers was more Contra 4 than Rebirth. Contra 4 most levels are based on levels from previous titles (e.g. Jungle, Base and Waterfall are from Contra 1)
Neo contra is an awesome game and I don’t who care thinks it’s not.
There's a Contra game I cannot find on yt
@cristianmunoz5841
10 ай бұрын
Desert storm clon de contra de NES.
2:00 You know the popularity waned in the PS1/Sega Saturn times because Konami started to turn into shit. Many of their franchises where either totally neglected or got new entries that where from not that good to just plain trash. Especially the PS1 Contra entries.
Konami being Reckless since the early 2000s. Back then they made a bunch of dark and disturbing Arcade games like Crypt Killer or Evil Night and such. I think they became lazy or lost their passion making video games. DDR would be their last best game. All Konami games was given to the Chinese company which sucks.
This and Castlevania as well as metal Gear are the best Konami has ever produced
@chrisspearline767
11 ай бұрын
Double Dribble too
@IllmatikRebelTV
11 ай бұрын
@@chrisspearline767 Classic! I actually forgot Konami developed that game! I love Dunkin on the CPU 😂
@chrisspearline767
11 ай бұрын
@@IllmatikRebelTV I remember when it was at the arcade that was the first time I played it. The arcade was so much better I wish they would release the arcade version
@IllmatikRebelTV
11 ай бұрын
I miss the local arcade rooms😞
@chrisspearline767
11 ай бұрын
@@IllmatikRebelTV right
Contra is so creepy and disgusting! But that wont stop me from playing it... i hope :(
Contra hardcore is my favourite, you have different characters with 4 weapons instead of 2. Super badass soundtrack, super badass bosses and levels. Some may say that so much weapons not all useful, just look at megaman, bucket loads of weapons, no one says that it weapons are useless.
I'd like to see Contra reboot in Gears of War style. That could have potential.
@AhindiGamer
Жыл бұрын
True
Balance betweem old school side scrolling and moder gameplay? Nier Automata accomplished that. The formula is there.
Contra look nothing like stallone and Arnold
I love this contra game and I am forever to play contra returns mobile 😊
Why does everyone think super C is called super contra it's just super C. If it was called super contra it would have that name on the box and cartridge but it only says super C.
@cps1247
3 ай бұрын
Because it's a port of the arcade game named Super Contra, even the japanese version title is named Super Contra.
@chadcook5934
3 ай бұрын
@@cps1247 super contra is a completely different game just as contra is. They are all their own game just based off of one game. Super C is not super contra it's just super C.
@cps1247
3 ай бұрын
@@chadcook5934 cope all you want but the NES Super C is still an abbreviation of Super Contra, they used Super C to differentiate the arcade game. Like I said before it's still named Super Contra in the japanese Famicom release.
@chadcook5934
3 ай бұрын
@@cps1247 they already had a super contra you can try to justify it all you want. Also you do know that games in Japan that have the same name but are different in many ways.
No, Contra Returns didn't feels like a Contra game despite being a good cellphone game regardless.
"Contra" means "against", by instance in the case of Nicaragua, those right-wing terrorists the CIA backed were "contra los comunistas", meaning "against the communists", although a more accurate translation would be "anti-communists". Please remember the "Contras" were brutal murderers of civilians, and were big on international drug trafficking, in case you somehow have problems identifying whom were the bad guys in the Nicaraguan conflict. It was the contras, they were the worse.
HOW IS ORIGINAL CONTRA A BIT TOO DIFFICULT??? WHAT
Only scrubs needed that 30 lives code. I beat the first two nes games without that wimp code. Contra alien wars and contra hardcorps and did not use that weak sauce code.
The classic contra game was very easy beating the game on Nintendo Game System. You start with only 3 lives in the Oriangel game on Nintendo Game System.
"Contra" did not mean "oppression". It meant "Contra revolucionarios" or "counter revolutionaries", which were Nicaraguan freedom fighters who opposed and fought against the genocidal and totalitarian communist Sandinista regime.
Hard Corp is easy... Dang, I prefer Contra when is difficult... coff.. cof... Alien wars advance... coff.. coff... Hopefully Hard Corps could have "Hard" dificulty, if not ¿Why the name it "Hard" Corps to begin with. 🤨
@TurboNutterBastard
8 ай бұрын
Have you actually played Contra: Hard Corps? Imo it's far more difficult than Contra: Alien Wars Advance.
Contra 4 rocks and deserves more love.
Hard corps "Konami knew how to use superiority of Sega" what the hell you saying 😂 Super Nintendo is much superior to Sega Genesis
You don't even start with the original arcade game? Fail.
2 minutes in booom commercial. 5 min later another. This is unwatchable
Contra was actually very easy to do on a single life once you got the hang of it. Infact, it was so easy that an entire scene of speed-running and finishing the game with the highest score sprung out of it. The Konami Code was for shitty wannabe gamers who couldn't play.