If you want to try Contra, this is the one to try first.
User Rating: 8.7 | Contra Spirits SNES
Of all the Contra series, this is definitely the best (at least, so far). With improved graphics over it's NES predecessors, excellent sound/music and improved gameplay, it was a total sure-fire hit. It's a given that the game would look and sound better on the SNES hardware, but it was the little things that made this the Contra game to remember. Your characters controls were relatively the same, with the addition of the ability to switch between 2 guns (much appreciated, especially when you accidentally replace your favorite weapon with another). You were also given a emergency "bomb" stock to let loose when things got too out of control. The machine gun was given a faster firing rate, and there were a multitude of new guns to wreak havoc with. The levels were definitely more animated, with volcanos bursting, and traps laden throughout. Use of the SNES hardware allowed for mutliple layers, and objects in the background were given more of a sense of depth. The boss fights were memorable, with just the right amount of difficulty thrown in. There was also the addition of the overhead levels (a nice change of pace), albeit they were a little difficult. The SNES version of this title also sported better colour depth than the Genesis version, along with more responsive controls (the Genesis version always seemed to have a half-second lag from the controller to the screen). Overall, it was a great game to sit down with a friend and play through co-op, covering each others backs and blasting aliens. Honestly a must-have for anyone looking to try out old SNES titles.
