Contra
1987 · Run and Gun · Arcade / NES
Overview
Contra is a 1987 Konami arcade and NES run-and-gun game that became one of the defining multiplayer action games of the 8-bit era. Players control commandos Bill and Lance as they battle through jungles, fortresses, and alien bases to stop an extraterrestrial invasion, firing constantly and jumping with split-second precision. The NES version introduced the famous Konami Code — Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A — which granted 30 extra lives and became the most famous cheat code in gaming history. Contra's cooperative two-player mode, relentless pace, and demanding difficulty made it a beloved classic that still defines the genre.
Deep Dive
Contra was heavily inspired by the 1980s action film aesthetic — specifically Predator, Aliens, and The Terminator — with its two muscular commandos, dense jungle settings, and alien antagonists. The arcade version featured a mix of side-scrolling and behind-the-back third-person shooting stages, while the NES port streamlined the experience into pure side-scrolling with superior level design. Weapon pickups — spread guns, rapid fire, lasers, and flamethrowers — changed gameplay dramatically and were hotly contested in co-op play. The game's difficulty was brutal by design, but the Konami Code made it accessible to casual players while retaining challenge for purists. The franchise spawned over a dozen sequels and the term 'Contra-style' became shorthand for a specific type of demanding but satisfying run-and-gun action.
Developer Story
Contra was designed by Ikeda Shigeharu and Yokota Arik at Konami in 1987. The two-player run-and-gun game was explicitly inspired by Predator and Aliens. Bill and Lance (named after Billy and Lance Henriksen, both Aliens actors) fought through alien-infested jungles and military bases using five weapon types. The spread gun was so powerful that most experienced players kept it for the entire game rather than risking death.
Did You Know?
- Contra's protagonists were named after actors in Aliens — Bill Rizer (Bill Paxton's character) and Lance Bean (Lance Henriksen's character).
- The Konami Code (Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A) gave players 30 lives — the most famous cheat code in gaming history.
- The spread gun was considered so overpowered that experienced players deliberately avoided power-ups rather than risk losing it when hit.
- The two-player mode was completely simultaneous — one player's death didn't stop the other, and the game continued even if one player ran out of lives.
- The alien boss designs were directly inspired by H.R. Giger's Alien artwork — Konami did not have a licence.
