It's rare that you find a Nes game that's better than the arcade version, but Contra is one of them.
The bad: Too difficult for those who haven't heard of the series.
Game-play: 10/10
Graphics: 10/10
Sound: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Tilt: 10/10
Average Score: 10/10
If you think you've seen all the great run and fun games, if you haven't played Contra on the Nes, your search isn't over yet. Contra's innovative game-play is so much fun to play, that you'll hardly notice a flaw in the game. Basically, these rambo style guys are trapped on an island and need to defeat evil to get out. Now if you've played the arcade game like me, you'll probably think this is broken. But Contra on the NES is so much better than the arcade version, espicially in graphics and music. It has longer levels, and the Konami code of 30 lives.
The weapons are as follows, a normal gun, a laser beam, the spreader (my favorite weapon), some shield, a machine gun, and a spiraling gun. All of these aren't the slightest of frustrating to use, even when you can shoot them in ALL DIRECTIONS!! Sweet! The spreader is my favorite because it literally spreads everywhere and can make the game a hell of a lot easier! Make sure you have the machine gun at boss battles, because it makes it so much easier to beat them.
Speaking of bosses, they're really hard, but never cheap. The first boss is pretty easy to beat, but the second one is a pain in the ass without the machine gun! It literally took me 15 tries until I finally beat him! I thought I beat the game when I beat the dragon, but I was in for more punishment and difficulty. Then I got a game Over.
Graphically, the game looks beautiful and colorful, with each level looking detailed and sparkly. The music sounds awesome too, fitting every level.
The game may be too difficult for those guys who don't even know what Contra is, but for the rest of us, get this game. I said I would use a fair rating system and not give every game I thought was extremely awesome a 10/10, but I literally see no flaws in Contra for the Nes. It's difficulty is perfect for shooting fans who want a taste of their own medicine, and extremely fun for all Nes fans. It's rare that you fine a Nes game that's better than the arcade version, but Contra is one of them.