Let’s Compare ( The Classic Contra Series )

Video Locations:

Arcade 0:35 Contra
Arcade 1:35 Super Contra
ZX Spectrum 2:35 Gryzor
Amstrad CPC 3:27 Gryzor
Commodore 64 4:20 Gryzor
Gameboy 5:20 Operation C
Gameboy 6:21 Contra 3 The Alien wars
MSX 7:21 Contra
NES 8:20 Contra Force
NES 9:16 Contra
NEs 10:16 Super C
GBA 11:17 Contra Advance The Alien Wars
Super Nintendo 12:18 Contra 3 The Alien Wars
Genesis 13:16 Contra Hard Corps

Description Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contra_%28video_game%29

Contra (????), known as Gryzor in Europe and Oceania, is a 1987 run and gun action game developed and published by Konami originally released as a coin-operated arcade game on February 20, 1987. A home version was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1988, along with ports for various computer formats, including the MSX2. The home versions were localized in the PAL region as Gryzor on the various computer formats and as Probotector on the NES, released long later. Several Contra sequels were produced following the original game.

The main character is equipped with a rifle with an unlimited amount of ammunition. The player can also jump, move and fire in eight directions, as well as move or jump simultaneously while firing. A single hit from any enemy, bullet, or other hazard will instantly kill the player character and discard the current weapon. There are a total of four weapons the player can retrieve from flying weapon capsules or pill-box sensors: a Machine Gun, a Laser Gun, a Fire Gun, and a Spread Gun. There are also two additional supplemental power-ups: a Rapid Fire power-up which increases the player’s firing speed, as well as a Barrier that will grant the player temporary invincibility for many seconds. All the power-ups in the arcade version are represented by Eagle-shaped letter icons with the exception of the Machine Gun and Laser.

There are a total of over 10 areas in the game.[1] There are two types of stages in Contra. In addition to the standard side view stages, Contra also features stages in which the player character is seen from behind and must move towards the background in order to proceed. Each of these “3D maze” stages are set inside the corridor of an enemy base in which the player must fight through the base’s defenses in order to reach the core of the base. During the 3D maze stages, the upper screen will display a map of the base along with a time limit. Each maze stage is followed by a “3D fixed” stage set at the core of the base, in which the player must destroy a series of flashing sensors to expose an even larger sensor and destroy it.

Contra also features a two-player cooperative mode. Both players occupy the same screen and must coordinate their actions. One player lagging behind can cause problems for his partner, as the screen will not scroll onward, and a slow player can be fatal to his partner. The European release, Gryzor, does not feature a simultaneous 2-Player mode. Instead, the 2-players take turns: whenever one player dies, the other will get their turn.
[edit] Home versions
[edit] Home computers

Under license from Konami, Ocean Software produced ports of Contra under the title of Gryzor for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, and Amstrad CPC, which were released in Europe in 1988.[4] An IBM PC version was also released in Germany.[5] Ocean’s ports were patterned after the original arcade version of the game. The Commodore 64 and IBM versions were released in North America under the Contra title. The cover art for the Spectrum, C64 and Amstrad versions has references to Predator, in which Bill is in the same pose as Arnold Schwarzenegger in the movie, and even carries the same gun. Also, Bill’s sidekick Lance bares a more than passing resemblance to Sonny Landham, also from Predator. This was a common theme throughout the 80’s, with art taking inspiration from movies.
[edit] Nintendo Entertainment System
NES version cover art.
The boss of Area 3 in the NES version