Contra It’s one of the few franchises to be fully synonymous with gaming.Sure, chances are if you don’t have played If it’s a contra game, at least heard one of them. Konami’s shooter giant may have lost its luster in recent years (roughly on par with Konami these days, save for a few good retro collections), but its early iterations are their became symbolic in my own rights.
From 1988’s original Contra to 2019’s Contra: Rogue Corps, the series rarely strays from its relatively simple formula — go through a series of linear levels and shoot a bunch of bad guys — but , this is definitely its biggest draw. In an age where games are more complex than ever, Contra is a reminder that you don’t need a ton of features to make a cracking game.
So, just like the rest of our reader-ranked polls, we asked good people to rate their favorite Contra games on Nintendo’s platforms from the list below.
If you miss the voting phase, don’t worry. The list below is automatically updated in real time according to the “user ratings” that correspond to each game in the Nintendo Life game database.This means you can influence the order just nowif desired, click the star next to each game to award its own score.
Equip your spread shot and check out the best Contra games on your Nintendo system!
Note. Yes, I’ve included the anniversary collection for completeness. If you’re not keen on your collection being included in the rankings, pretend it doesn’t exist. The rest of the list remains in the same order.
the publisher: Konami / Developer: Konami
Contra’s high-profile return to its latest platform was more of a whim than a shock. Contra: Rogue Corps replaces side-scrolling shooters with top-down twin-stick gameplay. The problem is that it’s not very fun to play. The shooting mechanics are too imprecise, with muddy textures and low resolution making for a jarring experience on the Switch. There are some good ideas here, but Rogue Corps is nowhere near the return of the Contras we hoped it would be.
the publisher: Konami / Developer: Konami
Contra Advance: Alien Wars EX certainly sounds like a good idea in theory. One of the best shooters ever on a portable device he’s neat! In practice, however, Contra Advance compromises the experience a lot and is less than ideal. Faded visuals. Sound quality downgrade. When it all adds up and the SNES version of Alien Wars is readily available, this will be a tough recommendation.
the publisher: hamster / Developer: Konami
Part of Switch’s “arcade archive” lineup, Contra is a completely original arcade title, all wart-laden. Its purity and simplicity are perhaps the best features of this era, but subsequent Contra titles have arguably surpassed it in terms of quality and replayability. Still, it’s worth checking out the Switch, though we’d probably recommend the more rounded offerings available in the Contra Anniversary Collection.
the publisher: Konami / Developer: Factor 5
Gameboy version of the Super Famicom. Super Tarrican Super Famicom games and Star Wars: Rogue Squadron series. The levels and overall structure have changed, and a password system has been added, but with the processing power of a modern toaster, the system is able to deliver a no-nonsense game of Contras.
the publisher: Konami / Developer: Konami
this is definitely Contra game (or protector If you’re a European who loves robots), it deserves that title more than, say, a specific PlayStation entry. This applies to most of the elements that are suitable for For a title two years out of the life of a powerful portable, it’s a drastic reduction in the essence of the beloved console/arcade series. Sadly, players have been forced to GungHo his solo, disappointing for his multiplayer fans, and losing some of its lifespan. ever.
the publisher: Konami / Developer: Konami
Available as part of the NSO expansion pack — so Technically Playable on Nintendo consoles other than the Contra Anniversary Collection — Contra: Hard Squad It represents the Sega console debut of the series and represents a bit of a spin-off feel in terms of setting and characters. A few notable changes have been made to the control scheme and gameplay mechanics from.
An excellent entry and definitely stands out as an inspiration for modern ‘neo-retro’ run and gun games.