Contra (Arcade)

Contra is the first entry in Konami's run-and-gun series well known for being hardcore and hard and core. While a solid game in its own right, the much-improved NES port would be what ultimately propelled the series into stardom.

Regional Differences#

Title Screen#

Japan	US	Europe

The Japanese logo features a sea of flames inside of the kanji characters, whereas the international logos go for a more metallic look (partially drawn for the background tiles used in the 3D corridor stages, Stages 2 and 5), in addition to removing the blue outline. The European version's title screen graphics were adjusted slightly.

Demo#

The gameplay demo differs between versions. The Japanese version shows gameplay from Stages 1 (Jungle), 2 (Enemy Base), and 7 (Snowfield). The American version ends the demo after Stage 1. The European version uses the same demo as the Japanese version except for Stage 1, which was replaced by a new one due to the updated 2-player mode.

Gameplay#

The European version only allows two players to play the game alternating rather than simultaneously, an extemely strange omission considering that co-op was one of the main draws of the game (and all future games in the series, for that matter).

References#