Super Contra, called Super Contra: The Alien Strikes Back in Japan, is a 1988 action game created and released by Konami for arcade machines. It is a follow-up to the original Contra game and part of the Contra series. The game features characters Bill Rizer and Lance Bean, who are sent to stop an alien invasion by the dangerous group known as Red Falcon.
The game was later moved to the Nintendo Entertainment System. In North America, it was named Super C, while in Europe, it was titled Probotector II: Return of the Evil Forces. Both the original arcade version and the NES version have been released again on many other platforms since their first release.
Plot
One year after fighting the Red Falcon Organization, Bill and Lance are assigned to a new mission. This time, alien forces have captured an allied military base, controlling most of its soldiers. Bill and Lance must battle both their former allies and a new, mutated version of the same alien creatures they faced in their previous mission.
Gameplay
In Super Contra, up to two players can play the game at the same time. The left player controls Bill, who wears green, and the right player controls Lance, who wears purple. The game uses the side-scrolling format from the previous version but removes the 3D-like effects and fixed screen sections. Instead, Super Contra features stages that scroll vertically and are viewed from above, allowing players to move in eight directions. During side-scrolling sections, controls remain mostly the same, with the exception that players can adjust their jump height by holding the joystick upward or downward while pressing the jump button.
Players can choose from four different weapons by collecting flying item capsules throughout each stage. The available weapons include a machine gun, a spread gun, a bomb gun, and a laser gun. Weapons can be upgraded by collecting the same power-up twice in a row, increasing their power. In Super Contra, power-ups are shown as the actual guns the player uses, replacing the Falcon-shaped icons from the previous game. During overhead stages, players can also collect a "hyper shell" item that destroys all enemies on screen. This item can be launched anytime by pressing the jump button, and players can carry multiple hyper shells at once, with the count remaining between stages.
The game has five stages, including the exterior and interior of a military base, a jungle, and the exterior and interior of an alien lair. Stages 1, 3, and 4 use the standard side-scrolling view, while Stages 2 and 5 use a top-down perspective. In each stage, players must defeat enemies, including some mid-bosses, to reach the final target at the end.
Players can use up to four or six credits to complete the game, depending on the DIP settings. This means starting a two-player game gives fewer chances to continue. Unlike the previous version, each player can continue at any time without waiting for the other player to run out of lives.
Version differences
Two versions of the Super Contra arcade game were created: an English version (sold in North America and Europe, where the game kept its original name, unlike the Gryzor version of the first arcade game) and a Japanese version. The two versions are nearly the same, except for the language used in the game's introduction. The English version ends the game after the player finishes the final level. The Japanese version restarts the game from the first level after the end credits. During the second playthrough, the player keeps their score, lives, and weapons (such as hyper shells) from the first time. The game's difficulty becomes the highest level, regardless of the machine's settings. However, the ability to continue after losing all lives is no longer available. This means the game ends completely when the player finishes the final level again or runs out of lives.
Ports
A home version of Super Contra was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) on February 2, 1990, in Japan and in April 1990 in North America. In North America, the game was given a new name, Super C, to avoid being linked to the Iran–Contra affair. A PAL version of the NES game, titled Probotector II: Return of the Evil Forces, was released in 1992.
The gameplay and graphics of Super C are similar to the first Contra game. The NES version includes three unique stages: a high-tech base, a mountain, and an alien nest. These stages scroll vertically. The order of some stages and bosses is slightly different, with new bosses added, including a new final boss. The NES version uses the same power-ups as the original NES game, but the "fire ball" power-up changes. Instead of firing small fireballs in a corkscrew pattern, it launches a large projectile that spreads fire after hitting a target. Players can charge this attack by holding down the B button and releasing it, which creates a larger projectile that passes through most enemies and causes a bigger explosion when hitting large targets. The Rapid Bullets, Barrier, and Special power-ups from the first NES game are also included in this version.
The Konami Code from the original Contra was not used in this game. A different code was added to give thirty lives in the Famicom version and ten lives in the NES version. The Japanese Super Contra version includes a stage select code, which was removed in the NES version. All three versions of the game include a sound test mode. Like the first NES game, Probotector II (the PAL version) replaced the main characters and some enemies with robots.
The original arcade soundtrack was rearranged for the Japanese and North American versions by Hidenori Maezawa. Because the soundtrack used DPCM samples of orchestra hits, Yuichi Sakakura adjusted the sound driver for Probotector II to prevent the samples from playing out of tune, which was a common issue in previous NTSC-to-PAL conversions.
Two computer versions of Super C, developed by Distinctive Software, were released in North America for the Amiga and IBM PC compatibles in 1990. These versions are based on the original arcade game, even though they share the title Super C from the NES version.
A direct emulation of the arcade Super Contra was released on Xbox Live Arcade for the Xbox 360 on July 25, 2007. This version includes enhanced graphics, remixed music, and cooperative gameplay via Xbox Live. The arcade version was re-released on June 12, 2019, on the Contra Anniversary Collection for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. It was developed by M2 to celebrate Konami’s 50th anniversary. A standalone version was later released by Hamster Corporation through the Arcade Archives lineup for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 on January 18, 2024.
The NES version of Super C was re-released multiple times. In 2002, it appeared in the Windows compilation Konami Collectors' Series: Castlevania and Contra, along with the original NES version of Contra and the first three Castlevania games. Super C was later released as a Virtual Console title for the Wii in North America in 2007. A corresponding release of Probotector II: Return of the Evil Forces was made for the European and Australian Virtual Console. The Famicom version of Super Contra was released for the Japanese Virtual Console on February 12, 2008. Both the NES versions of Contra and Super C are included as unlockable bonuses in the Nintendo DS game Contra 4, released in 2007. The NES version of Super C is also available on the Virtual Console for the Nintendo 3DS in 2013, the Wii U in 2014, and the NES Classic Edition dedicated console in 2016. Like its arcade version, the NES game is included in the Contra Anniversary Collection compilation in 2019.
A mobile phone version of Super Contra, titled Super Contra 2, was released in Japan and China on March 5, 2008. This release coincided with the launch of Contra: Dual Spirits, the Japanese version of Contra 4. This mobile version includes the stages from the NES version but features graphics similar to the arcade game, including the opening intro.
Super Contra 7
In 1996, a company called Waixing Science & Technology, based in Fuzhou, created an unauthorized copy of the game Super C, titled Super Contra 7. This version used level designs stolen from other games, such as Mighty Final Fight, and included bosses from different games, including the second boss from the original Contra and others from Shatterhand. The game's physics differed from the original Super C because it ran at a slower speed, and the Konami code, a special sequence of button presses, was easier to use—players only needed to hold the A and B buttons while starting the game. In 1999, the game was re-released as Super Contra 8. It became well-known for being more difficult than the original Super C, largely because of glitches, and for using stolen game elements. The game was also reviewed by James Rolfe.
Later, Waixing created a modified version of Super Contra 7 called Super Fight I. This version was designed to be legally distinct to help protect its licensees in Western Europe and North America from legal issues with Konami. Other modifications include Xtreme Robot, a version of Super Fight I with improved graphics using altered famiclone technology, and New Contra, a title screen modification for Super Contra 7 that was likely not made by Waixing.
Reception
In Japan, Game Machine included Super Contra in their March 1, 1988 issue, stating it was the fourth most-successful table arcade unit of the month. The Super C version of the game sold more than 500,000 copies.
Super Contra received positive reviews. Allgame editor Aaron Kosydar called Super C "an excellent game that many dedicated players will never forget." The Japanese game magazine Famitsu scored the Famicom (NES) version of the game 25 out of 40.
In 1997, Electronic Gaming Monthly ranked it as the 9th best arcade game of all time.