Contra is a celebrated game for many reasons: It controlled smoothly and allowed you to shoot in any direction, it was still hard but not in a cheap way, the music is awesome, and who can say that coop with a buddy isn't just one of the most hilarious things you'll ever do in a game? This XBLA port remains much the same as the NES version (Which if you're like me, will be the definitive version you remember playing), but with some minor tweaks.
Graphics:
The first thing that will jump out at you are that the graphics are a lot more colorful. At first it's a bit of a hindrance, but once you get adjusted, you realize it's still very much the same Contra we all love. Compared to the NES version the resolution is much better, and you can tell what everything is. In truth the game looks more like a SNES game, which isn't bad necessarily, I myself just prefer the classic Contra look.
Sound:
One of the most memorable pieces of music from the 8-Bit era, the first level theme is still intact, with a bit of remixing. It's a bit more upbeat, but it's still got that Contra feel to it. The same could be said for all the rest of the levels, they mostly are the same with a bit of tweaking. For a purist it's a turn off, but you should be able to get used to the new ones all the same. The sound effects are all there; from the spreader to the laser, and to the Start up screen sounds.
Gameplay:
It's classic Contra and it still shows the simplistic yet fun style Contra's been known for. You can shoot in any direction, go prone to dodge enemy fire, jump down platforms for ease, and collect various weapon power ups to help you fight against the enemy menace. Most people will remember the Spreader was basically the one stop weapon to use to dismiss anything in your path, but in this version we find that the laser is a lot better than previous versions, and is arguably better for taking down bosses this time around. The game itself is very much the same as regular Contra, with a few differences that personally gripe me. First off, the 3rd level Waterfall has been VASTLY shortened. It wasn't exactly the longest level, but in this version you can essentially beat it no problem just by staying to the left side and jumping up in under a minute. Another of these can be found when they mix in the last 3 levels all together, as in they are all just one continuous level. Contra's not exactly the longest game ever, but they made it shorter, which is a turn off for the hard-core Contra fan.
Achievements:
If like me, you've been playing Contra for years, these achievements will be of no trouble to you. The various little achievements like beat half the game without an upgrade, or have 100,000 points by the end of stage 3 will have you laughing at them for thinking such things could be challenging. The hardest thing is easily beating the game with only 1 credit. Indeed the 1CC (1 Credit Clear) has always been a fairly elusive goal for many games (Especially the deadly SHMUPs). And no, you can't use the Konami Code to blitz your way through any of these achievements, so it all comes down to how well you know Contra. The two online only ones are a bit annoying, if only for finding someone can be difficult.
Back in the earlier days of XBLA, companies like Konami were quick to flood the market with classic ports. There were always various results, and some games were more true to the originals than others. This version of Contra is still Contra in its soul, but some of the meat isn't there. The inclusion of online coop is always great for these types of games, you can enjoy nostalgia with a buddy or sibling who may not live near you anymore, and relive the classic moments that defined the earlier generations of gaming. But some will not like how the game is fairly shorter than it was normally. If you're a Contra fan, you really have no reason not to get this game, it still IS Contra, just not in a 100% purist way. And for that I give Contra 4 spreading bullets out of 5.
4.0