Konami teases new Contra

The Electronic Entertainment Expo isn't slated to begin until next week, but Konami isn't waiting to secure its slice of the attention. As part of the publisher's pre-Electronic Entertainment Expo press conference today, the publisher took the wraps off of the Metal Gear Solid, Zone of the Enders, and Silent Hill HD Collections; teased Kojima's new game engine; and provided a release date update on NeverDead.

Closing out its press conference, Konami also offered the briefest of teasers for what appears to be a new installment in its long-standing side-scrolling shooter franchise, Contra. The teaser begins with a loading screen that harks back to the pixelated graphic days of the '80s. An orange-red fireball then flies across the screen, speeding into black ether. After a few on-a-dime turns, the fireball blazes into Contra's iconic "C" shape, with text below it reading: "They're coming."

The Contra franchise has been anything but dormant. Earlier this year, Konami released Hard Corps: Uprising, which served as a prequel to 1994's Contra: Hard Corps. Also, at last year's E3, Konami indicated that it would be supporting Nintendo's 3DS with a new Contra title.

Contra isn't the only classic Konami franchise that received attention during the publisher's pre-E3 event. Konami also confirmed that it would be commemorating the Frogger franchise's 30th anniversary this year with a new installment for the 3DS. Additional details on that title were not provided.