ReBirth is the only one ive beaten

Contra 4 is a beast in terms of difficulty. Super C and ReBirth based on what I've played seemed to be the easiest.
And doesn't Contra 4 have an easy mode? You could always try it out on that. And I was also playing around with Contra III last night after I finished Super C and I just love the frantic fast paced gameplay. The Flame flower is soooo fun to use and the Boss battles are good fun....But I'm reminded again why I hate playing and looking at the game, and that's because of it's ugly Post Apocalyptic uncolorful mechanical and factory filled setting.

Contra ReBirth is much better looking visually, it's colorful, it's more organic and pleasing to the eyes. But the fact that there are only 5 stages and unlimited continues knocks down the experience big time. I bet if it had 'limited continues' like in every contra game before it, and the typical '8' stages I'd probably like it more than Contra III. Hell I'd probably even like it a bit more than Super C.

Super C is my favorite in the series.

Oh, and 2 up 2 down left right left right B A start.

Doesn't seem like anybody who has it wants to part with it for less than well over $100.

So who here is excited to get their contra commando mits(oh yesss.lol) on Hard Corps: Uprising for the PSN/XBOX Live this Febuary?

I know I am, but at the same time I'm a smidge worried that it may be too easy because of the Life bar and bullet deflecting, it better not let me down! I wan't brutal Contra difficulty, none of this current modern casualized crap that holds you by the hand and gives you tutorials and this and that. If there aren't any options for one hit kills and limmited continues I'm going to cry contra tears.

Super C: my favourite - its very straight foward, the topdown levels are so much cooler than the pseudo3D and the mode7 levels from Contra and Alien Wars. Levels have good variety and the challange is well balanced.
Hard Corps: is just too frantic and fastpaced to me, I cant get the rythims of the game
Rebirth: great fun, graphics, gameplay and levels... what ruins it is infinite continues...
Alien Wars: did ive said i HATE the mode7 levels? I see it as a gimmick to show SNES hardware. Still is a very fun and challanging game. I am more found tough with the GBA port, it has an easy mode that helps a lot, and they replaced those mode7 thing with Hard Corps levels.
Contra 4: havent played, but playing with 2 screens, something like the original arcade games, must be awesome
Contra what can i say? awesome music and classical style.. its a must play to anyone

I definitly agree with you on Rebirth regarding the infinite continues...But you know, like any Contra game you should quit after using 2 Continues and make your self start back from the beginning, 'that' right there solves the problem. But the other problem aside from most of the uncreative Boss battles is the leangth of the game, a few more levels would of made this package one of the best contra's yet.

I'm actually going to give it another chance and try the limited 2 continue thing. It's guaranteed to make the experience much more intense, tougher and fun. But you know, if it weren't for Contra III's unappealing(to me anyways) post appocalytpic colorless mechanical factory filled setting and atmosphere I'd easily say it's one of the best. I LOVE using the flame thrower in that game! But the addition of those bombs wasn't exactly a good idea.

And I actually prefer those 3D Puesedo Bases in the Original Contra and Contra 4 when compared to the top down gameplay as seen in Super C and III: Alien Wars. Actually, the top down areas in Super C I found were a 'smidge' more enjoyable than Contra III's for some reason.

I'm one of the few people who actually likes having all those extra continues in Contra Rebirth. Starting over always pisses me off. I don't want to be forced into doing everything all over again. I did manage to get through Super C all the way through but It's pretty annoying running out of lives at the last moment. YES I made it to the last boss.... Ah son of a **** ! Ran out of continues. Man screw this game! (Throws controller across the room) That's me While playing Contra 3 LOL.

i Dont mind at all Rebirth having 5 stages.. that's fine with me since the challange is rewarding and it's a game for multiple playtroughs. It's the continues that ruins it, because you can finish the game on your first play, dont have to learn the level and boss patterns...
See Castlevania Rebirth, it is also a 5 level game (2 sections each) but not at all short. Its a much more rewarding game, and it has level selection if you need it.
Hell, most 16bit games can be finished on 20minutes (if you're good enough).

@ Vonseux. People seem to be forgetting that Contra Rebirth doesn't have to be a cakewalk. There is a difficulty setting and you can lower the amount of lives for a more true to the series experience. On the hardest setting I imagine you would still need to learn boss paterns. Same goes for Castlevania Rebirth as well.

Didn't Contra for Game Boy (Japanese version of Operation C) have the level select as a normal feature (whereas you have to enter a code in the US version)?
I guess they figure since it's a portable game, you might not have as much time to play. Or that it doesn't matter as serious fans would probably eventually play it entirely through without level select for the full challenge experience.

Contra III AKA Super Probotector over here, is still one of the most memorable games i've ever played. Of all Contra/Probotector titles i've played i find it the best game in the saga. Contra 4 and Contra/Probotector on the Game Boy were great too in my opinion.

Castlevania ReBirth definitly felt much more rewarding and satisfying after finishing it compared to Contra ReBirth that's for sure. Yet now I'm kicking myself in the and wishing that i would of done the typical and limited '2 Continues only' with my first experience with Contra ReBirth.

Sure you get no other choice but to use unlimited continues in the games option settings, but you yourself can make your own game over by restarting from the beginning once you've lost 2 continues. Which overall will make the game much longer, much more intense, and you'll actually get a chance to master the game.

This is what I'm going to do, I'm looking at it as a fresh new start with Contra ReBirth and hopefully it will come out a much more enjoable experience. If anything, I'm worried that the Boss from stage 3 after the crazy camel hopping and the final Boss are going to give me mad trouble again. They were freaking tough!

Has anyone here actually beat the original Contra? I've played Contra 1, Super C, and Contra 4 and I can't beat any of them

I never could finish the original contra growing up without using the Konami Code.
The farthest I could ever get was to that snow stage(Level 5 I think)....I could never for the life of me get past those bloody vehicles.

I have beat the original Contra not without the Konami code mind you but I did beat it. WIthout the code I can get to the hanger level. As for the other ones I didnt really play them enough to get really far in them.

Well I'm happy to hear that Hard Corps: Uprising has 'Arcade Mode' which basically mean it's classic contra 1 hit kills only, or for pansy porpuses you can stick with the health Bar in Rising Mode. Old, Old news I know, but I just found out muhaha.

This boss is very cool... all his moves are avoidable, with the right weapon you can take him down with one life. I also like the first boss of the stage, with bullet waves like Shumps games =)

Agreed. The first Boss of that stage was pretty unique, I don't remember experiencing anything like that in a contra game, it was pretty fun!

Yet visually and atmosphere-wise, the first Boss easily had to of been the greatest for me. Crashing down from space with that surreal vivid back drop, while hopping on flaming scraps and battleing against that giant crazy Centipede was pretty spectacular looking.

Well well well ... the good ol' Contra / Probotector series ... what can i say ...
Of course i have some good memories of the series. As well as a nice story to it.

My daddy bought the NES sometime in the early ninetees. Before i only had experience with some Atari games like Ninja Golf, Asteroids and Mario Bros.
We played Mario Games, Nintendo World Cup, Tetris, Excitebike, Bucky O'Hare, Kirby, Zelda, Mega Man 3 and and and ... All with friends and family.
In that time i was always against war games and told my daddy not to buy these. One day he holds the package of a little game called "Probetector II: Return of the Alien Forces" in his hand with the words of "No no no, it's not a war game." The next thing i remember is shooting, dying, jumping, dying, dodging, dying, shooting, dying, continuing, dying, shooting, ... until that amazing helicopter came off and brought enemy over enemy with it. Man that was amazing. These mechanical bosses and enemies that later turned into terrifying, well-designed and well-detailed aliens. I sensed pure greatness there. Oh and all the cool mechanical noises when our probots were running into the next level...
Although the last boss was a little bit of letdown that didn't stop me from having one of my best gaming experiences ever. And one of the few games i played through more than three times without a break or restart.

Some years later a friend of mine got the Super Nintendo console and "Super Probotector - The Alien Rebels" and the fun started all over again. Those graphics, sounds, music, the first boss, the frantic gameplay, the hold button, ... That was an even more exiting rollercoaster ride for me.

Of course i tried the original Contra and Hard Corps along the way too. But i guess since i couldn't play them with another player they just never left the same impression. I was always hungry for a new game in the series and imported Contra 4 someday. I played it on the lower difficulty modes and beat some of the callenges but i just couldn't nail the boss with the "scythe-hands" (in the waterfall level i think). What i really liked though was the unlocking of thr probots, the lizzard and the wooooommmmmmmmmmmaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnn. It's a great game but i just gave up on it. Mostly because i don't want to play through all the previous levels again just to always get crushed by that helluva boss right there.

That's why i actually like the infinite continues in Contra Returns. Of course there could be other options like a stage selection or a boss training mode, but there aren't. So my only option to stay sane and not smash my complete apartment is infinite continues.
I found the game itself to be nearly as good as Contra III. "Nearly" because it is shorter but hat the same frantic gameplay. And i like the possibility to use the Wii remote classic style.

So when it comes down to my personal top 5:
1. Contra III
2. Contra Rebirth
3. Contra II
4. Contra IV
5. Contra