Contra tops retro DS comp

Classic shooter joins Gradius, Track and Field, and more in Konami Classics collection for Nintendo's double-screen handheld.

Konami has already graced the PSP with a compilation of its Gradius series of old-school shoot-'em-ups, and the company has announced plans to release three more arcade-shooter collections in Japan. Now Konami is sending some retro love the Nintendo DS's way, as the publisher has unveiled Konami Classics Series: Arcade Hits for Nintendo's portable system.

While the final lineup for the package hasn't been determined yet, Konami has said it will feature more than a dozen games, with eight titles already confirmed. Players can expect to see side-scrolling action games Contra and Rush'n Attack joined by shooters Gradius and Time Pilot, as well as Track and Field, Yie-Ar Kung Fu, Circus Charlie, and Roc 'N Rope.

Konami is working on Wi-Fi functionality for the games and already plans to let players save segments of gameplay as short videos that they can then send to friends. There will also be an archive for art and music from the games.

Konami Classic Series: Arcade Hits is scheduled to be released exclusively for the Nintendo DS in March of 2007. For more information on the game, check out GameSpot's hands-on impressions.

92 Comments

  • rta

    Posted Oct 29, 2006 11:29 pm PT

    ill buy this just for contra alone. this will be the best ds release yet.

  • supercrap1

    Posted Oct 28, 2006 10:05 am PT

    Wi-fi YIE-AR KUNG FU! YEEEEAAAAHHH!!!!!

  • PixyMisao

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 10:13 am PT

    Maybe if this sells well enough they'll make a second arcade classics with Super Contra, Haunted Castle (Castlevania arcade), Gradius 2, Life Force etc...

    But since this is arcade comp. you won't see Metal Gear or any other Castlevania. Tragic as both Contra and Castlevania deserately need collection games. Konami only listens to one thing, the sound of games forking over hard-earned cash.

  • Kingsnake976

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 10:33 pm PT

    Track and Field!!!! You've go to be kidding!
    Woo-hoo!!!!!!!!
    I've always dreamed that one day I could actually own a portable version of that incredible piece of awesomeness!! Won't all my friends be SO jealous?!


    Umm, wait. No. No, they won't. Contra's OK. Rush'N Attack is OK. Yie-Ar Kung Fu is even kinda fun in small doses.
    But really why do game manufacturers with a long and storied past chock full of excellent titles, stuff every one of these Retro Comp's full of what amounts to filler?
    "More" is not an interchangable word with "Better". Stick all your good older cames onto one cart (or disc), charge me full price for it, and I will buy it. But I WILL NOT shell out for another collection that has fifteen games on it with a mere three that I would ever actually want to play again....

  • hart704

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 6:56 pm PT

    Portable Contra! Hell yes!

  • Tommyboy0823

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 5:18 pm PT

    I still have my Contra, I have Gradius on PSP, and my buddy has an actual arcade unit of Kung Fu. Maybe if Konami brings some of it's PS1 hits to the DS (Suikoden or Metal Gear Solid anyone?), I'll shell out $40. $80 for Suikoden I & II.

  • CodingGenius Site moderator

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 4:57 pm PT

    Holy cow! I can hardly wait!

  • hepcat00

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 4:12 pm PT

    K1LLSWITCH (originally posted)-
    lol Heck yeah the power pad! Man we're old. We should get a discount on video games like the elderly do at the all you can eat buffet's.

    Now the ultimate question for Contra fans out there would be what are the names of both characters in the original Contra? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    I actually couldn't remember....so I tried looking for the instruction booklet for their names (couldn't find it so I checked wikipedia).....Lance Bean (aka Scorpion in some ports--ie, Commodore 64 and other outdated systems) and Bill Rizer (aka Mad Dog in some ports).

  • Generic_Dude

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 3:08 pm PT

    Rush'N Attack? Awesome. Gaming just hasn't been the same since the Cold War ended.

  • thefjk

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 2:20 pm PT

    Cool!

  • crills

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 2:10 pm PT

    K1LLSWITCH castlevania on the ds is 2d the first one was and the new one thats comeing out next month

  • skyvader

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 1:43 pm PT

    Hopefully it is the "arcade" versions and not the old school NES versions.

  • PiMacleod_basic

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 1:32 pm PT

    .....with the Wii on the way, I think I'll wait and just DL the ones I want. Otherwise, I'd get it.

  • promano3

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 12:43 pm PT

    Never played any of these old school games, but now I will have the chance!

  • aashkii

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 12:29 pm PT

    Sweet. This will be yet another collection for my online DS games.

  • Sw0rDMaN

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 11:16 am PT

    Wheres Castlevania 2?!?!

  • theragu40

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 10:37 am PT

    @somesthetic

    What the hell are you talking about? No one has said anything about retro compilations for the PSP. They've been complaining about the fact that most PSP games are PS2 ports. Which many are. Making it a valid complaint.

    What isn't valid, however, is saying that this compilation is in some way a port of a game from a contemporary home-based system, like many PSP games are. So there.

  • DJGeki

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 9:41 am PT

    Wow...Yie Ar Kung Fu, Track and Field...awesome! I must say that I'm surprised they haven't released an arcade perfect conversion of Punch-Out!! for the DS yet...considering that it was originally a two screen, vertically oriented, arcade game ^_^

  • Maxx_the_Slash

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 9:10 am PT

    Sweet, I guess. But Contra and Gradius are so far the only good games on the collection. Konami better change the line-up if it wishes for this to be a seller. Throw the original Metal Gear and Castlevania, then we'll talk...

  • phinsfan

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 8:55 am PT

    Oh sweet, Gradius.

  • somesthetic

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 8:16 am PT

    sure, everyone loves ports when they're on the DS...

    coincidentally, I just played through Contra on NES yesterday, which is why I consider myself a hero.

  • LordAndrew

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 8:16 am PT

    Sweet. Contra.

  • AngelCage

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 7:59 am PT

    Contra and Rush'n Attack: HELL YES!!!!!!!

    Track and Field: Poor DS T_T That game make me broke almost one NES gamepad in the old NES days, and that thing was hard as a iron box.... Oh yes, and i remember my fingers looking pretty bad for play that game xD

    Tha historic: MEGA HYPER SUPER DUPER STUPID LUNATIC BUTTON MASHING GAME COMING TO THE DS!!!!!

    2P Contra via Wi-Fi: Ok, that's almost orgasmic.

  • HXCDEW

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 7:56 am PT

    I want contra on the PSP!

  • The_Weekend

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 7:15 am PT

    u u d d l r l r b a start .... wooooo hooooooooo

  • jedinortd_basic

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 7:02 am PT

    I still have my original copy of Contra lol. It still works...

  • starfoxmcleoud

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 6:43 am PT

    Wi-Fi Contra? What about non Wi=Fi multiplayer?! This will immediatly sell if it has single card multiplayer! Everyone knows Contra is no fun without a buddy blasting beside you. But the biggest question of all, seeing how this is a Konami comp.......up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, b, a, start?

    Oh, and the select is for if you wanted two players back in the day.....going back to the contra is no fun with out a buddy comment. Then again, i'm sure we've all played with a friend so much now the select is burned into everyone's minds when entering the "konami" code.

  • StrikerGold

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 6:40 am PT

    Most excellent... hand me my spread gun and options!

  • blackthegame

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 4:25 am PT

    oh no, i sold my ds!!!

  • metdevthegamer

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 12:52 am PT

    Cool.

  • K1LLSWITCH

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 11:52 pm PT

    hepcat00
    killswitch--
    "only if it comes with the floormat controller to hook up to the DS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! heheh....I'm older. = P

    ...not sure if I'd really want to replay Contra on a small screen, but it was an awesome game back in the day, if it's wi-fiable 2 player coop then i'll definitely buy it and a DS so me and my brother can play. although am hoping this is a game that'll make it to xbox360 or nintendo wii with online coop, that'd be even better.

    ..although you can also get the new Castlevania for the DS....I really wish they'd switch back to 2D games for the main videogame consoles, their 3D games have sucked so far.....and Castlevania for PS2 sold EXTREMELY well (are you listening to us, Konami??!)"
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    lol Heck yeah the power pad! Man we're old. We should get a discount on video games like the elderly do at the all you can eat buffet's.

    Now the ultimate question for Contra fans out there would be what are the names of both characters in the original Contra?

  • Lobezno_D

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 11:49 pm PT

    How awesome would it be to play Contra over Wi-Fi? It boggles the mind...

  • Reetesh

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 11:39 pm PT

    Sending Vids to freinds! Now thats NEXT GEN! And wifi Multiplay in Contra would be SO awesome!

  • Craig_Jager

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 11:30 pm PT

    I thought that it was great in Gradius 3 that when you entered that code, your ship exploded.

  • importguy

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 11:28 pm PT

    Contra rules.

  • jpwiz

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 11:11 pm PT

    and select was to get it to 2 players. Comeon

  • rmcdonnell

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 11:08 pm PT

    Actually there is no select in there. Its just up up down down left right left right B A start. The start may not even be needed either ... seems like the start was simply to start the game.

    Phazevariance
    RaiKageRyu
    Up,Up,Down,Down,Left,Right,Left,RIght,Select,Start.

  • NinjaFoot

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 10:17 pm PT

    I hate to think what someones DS will look like after the mad button mashing of Track N Field takes its toll over time. LOL

  • Phazevariance

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 9:45 pm PT

    RaiKageRyu
    Up,Up,Down,Down,Left,Right,Left,RIght,Select,Start.

    You forgot the B,A (..B,A,Select,Start)

  • therealssjlink

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 9:40 pm PT

    Contra is Fun and All, but Track and Field Sold me on this.

  • skaner

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 9:34 pm PT

    Whoa, I use 2 love Rush n' Attack.

  • TintedChimes

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 9:33 pm PT

    select start only if you have two players otherwise, just start...OH YEAH...I WANT THIS GAME...but first I need a DS.

  • Gamepro2421

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 9:29 pm PT

    contra wifi co-op anyone?

  • Needles-Kane

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 9:20 pm PT

    YES! About time, why has it taken so long to get this game again!?

  • RaiKageRyu

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 9:12 pm PT

    Up,Up,Down,Down,Left,Right,Left,RIght,Select,Start.

  • ssj4_2004

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 9:02 pm PT

    Sweet, here's hoping they release super Contra in all of it's arcade glory. Edit: since this is the arcade version, i'm guessing the Konami-code won't work. 3 continues FTW!

  • ewmgreendawg

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 8:48 pm PT

    new for ds : CONTRA! plus as a bonus you get a bunch of crappy games. as long as they don't mess up contra i'd buy it.

  • juanfraino

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 8:42 pm PT

    One word: Awesome!!!

  • Shadow_Jones

    Posted Oct 23, 2006 8:25 pm PT

    Konami's really doing a great job with compilations for the PSP and now the DS. I'll probably end up picking up all of them.

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