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Contra for NES (Last Updated 3/24/21)

In case you don’t know Contra is a side-scrolling run ‘n gun with the exception of some levels where you move down a tunnel and “NES” stands for “Nintendo Entertainment System.” It can be played 1 player or 2 players, and when playing 2 players the 2 players don’t alternate, they play simultaneously, and there’s no way to accidentally or on purpose hurt each other (except on level 3 if one player goes too high) or get in each other’s way.

The different ways you can play this game are: buy the standalone NES cartridge and it should work in any system that plays NES games. Buy the Super Game 500 in 1 Multicart for NES (and unlike the standalone version it has built-in game codes for level select, extra lives, and starting with certain special weapons) and it works in original NES systems and all Retron systems except the Retron 5 and this is what we have and it works great in our Retron 2. It’s also on the Super Game 400 in 1 Multicart for NES, the Ultimate NES Remix 154 in 1 Multicart for NES, the Super Games 150 in 1 Multicart for NES, and The 100 Best Videogames 143 in 1 Multicart for NES, but not the Unlicensed Collection 142 in 1 Multicart for NES or the Pocket Games 30 in 1 Multicart for NES.

Whenever you are on a higher level and want to drop down you can do so by crouching and pressing “A.” Also, on level 3 (the “waterfall level”) when playing 2 player players can accidentally or on purpose kill each other by going up higher than the other player and if you try to drop down to a lower level that’s now off screen you die.

In Contra there’s the “Destroy the most stuff” strategy and then there is the “Get through the game as fast as you can” strategy (So sometimes something is left not destroyed), we’re with the “Get through the game as fast as you can” strategy. Also for levels where if you go too much higher than the other player and the other player dies there’s the “Try and kill your friend” strategy, the “I don’t care one way or another if my friend dies but I’m not going out of my way to kill my friend” strategy, and then there is the “wait for your friend before going higher so he or she doesn’t die” strategy, we’re with the “wait for your friend before going higher so he or she doesn’t die” strategy.

If you beat the game after the ending sequence you start over at level one all over again and everything looks the same but then when you beat level one it sometimes shows the ending sequence for beating the game with you starting on level one all over again.

The 30 lives codes (before “Start” or “Select, Start” are pressed) are known as the “Konami Code” because it works for a bunch of Konami games (Konami is a company that makes games). The 30 lives codes must be entered at the title screen before the title screen music stops and the demonstration begins and it helps to start entering them before the title screen stops moving to give yourself more time to enter them correctly. Also, after you use up all 30 lives, you don’t have to enter the code again, when you select “continue” each player will automatically get 30 more lives.

30 Lives For 1 Player:
Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start.
30 Lives For 2 Players:
Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Select, Start.

Transfer Lives:
Press A+B when out of lives to borrow a life from the other player. This only works when your player is out of lives and it would otherwise say “game over” and this only works when the other player is not on his last life. Also, it works at any time when your player is out of lives, so not only right when you ran out of lives but even minutes later. This code can be used over and over is especially nice to use when an advanced player is playing with a novice so the novice doesn’t have to sit around and wait for the advanced player to lose all their lives. Contra etiquette dictates you should ask the other player if it’s OK to borrow lives before you do it.

Game Genie Codes (for North American version):

Start with unlimited lives: SLAIUZ

Keep weapons after losing life: GXIIUX

Enemies ignore character: SLTIYG

Start new life with machine gun: PEIIXZ

Start new life with flame-thrower: ZEIIXZ

Start new life with spread gun: LEIIXZ

Start new life with laser: GEIIXZ
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