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- Опубликовано: 28 авг 2024
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Episode 41
Contra is one of the most exciting games on the NES, and is easily one of the most popular games for the system! It's well known for its difficulty - This game is so hard that the code to start with 30 lives has become an important piece of 80's pop culture!
But is it really that challenging? In reality, Contra is surprisingly fair. So how did this amazing game come to be? And what's the story behind the famous code? In today's episode we'll find out, and then we'll dive deep into the gameplay where we'll learn:
* Strategies to finish the game WITHOUT the Konami Code - You can do it!
* Where to find the BEST WEAPON POWER UPS! You'll never go very long without a good gun!
* BEAT THE BASES! How to be a master of the 3D stages!
* EASY ways to finish the DIFFICULT LATE GAME LEVELS, even the Energy Zone!
* Strategies for defeating bosses with ONLY THE REGULAR GUN - Just in case that's all you have!
* A SECRET ENDING for the Japanese version of the game? It's in here!
* How to CRUSH EVERY BOSS, even the HEART OF THE FALCON... AND MORE!
Thanks for watching!
"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."
Best part of Saturday mornings.
I know, right! I look forward to these like Saturday morning cartoons when I was a kid!
Y E S !!!
One of the best
275% agreed!!!
I'll never forget getting this from my grandma on Christmas Eve and sneaking the instruction booklet to church with me later that night! I just wanted to play it so bad haha
bahahaha , i would take instructions booklets in my bible, mom was so proud, how i always had my bible open during church. got caught when it fell out leaving. that was the end of church for me!
That instruction manual would help you with Contra more than the Bible will help you with life.
@@Ursichan lol, I don't subscribe to religion, but if even a small fraction of those so called Christians actually lived by the teachings of Jesus, then the world would be a far better place for it!
@@lorenmorgan1931 EXACTLY!! 😁💯
Wholesome af
Contra, the game cover that combined my love of predator, Rambo and aliens all into one amazing gam
Konami was REALLY good at making video games inspired by Hollywood action movies and championing America's military-industrial complex during their late-'80s/early-'90s heyday.
One million times better than any of the licensed garbage we got of those movies on their own.
Could add in Commando there too !
These videos really feel like a Nintendo Power in video form. Thanks for making these videos; they let me experience a generation of gaming that I wasn't around for, and in a way that doesn't feel out of place with the time the games were made.
ohh baby here we go. I would play this game with my dad like every night when he got off work. So many good memories
I played with my mom when I was a kid. She still pretty good even now considering she is in her 60s.
Mine beat this one and the sequel in an afternoon, just on principle
The spread gun is almost a cheat code by itself lol
One thing to point out of the story is that while the NA version is of modern time, the japanese version takes place in 2631 AD and includes in game intro story telling. It even has extra moving sprites and a map of levels.
It wouldn't be until _Contra 3_ that it's revealed that the _Contra_ franchise takes place in the distant future, and Konami of America STILL dumbed down the storyline for that game. From what I've heard, the _Probotector_ series's storyline was more closer to the canon to the Japanese versions than what KOA gave us, robots withstanding.
You got old men eager for Saturday mornings again.
I beat this game once, a lifetime ago, without the Konami code. I may have to fire it up again. That is after I get through Dragon Warrior since you laid out a path that let me believe I can beat that game. Great video as always.
Dragon Warrior is easy if you grind early and max your level. It takes forever, but at that point everything is a breeze.
"With that many lives, the evil Red Falcon doesn't stand a chance".. clearly you've never seen me play
🤣
Like those times you appear on the screen just in time to plop right down a hole!
😂
Exactly the same!
Stage 3 is the true test of friendship with your buddies.
counterpoint: stage 6
This game is a huge part of my childhood. I played it every day before 1st & 2nd grade back when it first came out. Recently played through it with my son as well. Still a near perfect game.
Good dad
i find the 3rd game to be the most fun
All riiiiight, Contra time! Nothing more classic than pumping countless space aliens full of lead.
Never was able to beat this game, as a child. It wasn't until I revisited it, years later, that I was able to fully appreciate just how much thought went into the game's 80's-90's action aesthetic . The 30 lives code certainly did help me finally beating this, haha.
i'm trying to learn so that i can beat this without the code
I can beat this one without dying and without picking up weapons. Thats what my avatar stands for. Nice video, keep it up.I actually finished 4 games recently by following your guide.
Nice! That's a savage accomplishment. I enjoy watching speedruns and the Low% category means you can't pick anything up. Always impressed by people who can crush this brutal title.
I can as well. Can spread pulse the entire game. It takes me a few tries
Congrats. That had to be tough
@@rubynall80 Not as much as would think, I grew up owning the game and I never stoped playing it since.Contra kinda became easy for me, I had to find a way to get a new challenge with the same game so I uploaded a unedited raw footage of my deathless/weaponless playtrough.
How do you kill the tank with the standard gun?
The laser's biggest benefit (which is more pronounced in Super C than in Contra) is fire and forget against bosses. Instead of trying to squeeze in rapid fire while dodging boss projectiles, you can fire one laser at a time and keep dodging.
For real. The Laser did big damage, but it was focused only in one spot, meaning you had to evade everything else with mobility since the laser's shots wouldn't hit anything else except what you were aiming at.
Laser’s big advantage was an instant four shots of damage to a target. So if you had to dodge, you would rack up more damage than with stray shots.
Although spread was the objectively better weapon, firing 5 shots at once, I enjoyed using laser the most in Contra. 1 shot of laser did the same damage as 4 bullet shots! One of the videos I recorded many years ago was me going through the game using laser: ruclips.net/video/vJDI_LB5_BE/видео.html
I love these videos, I have no interest in playing Contra probably ever for the rest of my life. I haven't played contrast since the 90s with my pops, but your videos are so fun and so informative and honestly amazing when it comes to little tricks and strategy that it's fun just to watch and learn about the game on its own. I really do appreciate the hard work that goes into this. And I absolutely love it when a new video pops up.
You are doing a wonderful job helping myself and many others appreciate these classic games. Feels very much like reading the old gaming magazines "tips and tricks" section, but in video form.
Thank you!! that's exactly the feel I was going for
What if I told you, that by using these professional strategies for the casual gamer, I was able to survive all the challenges that the NES was notorious for? I finally beat Contra without the Contra code (I never even tried without the code as a kid in the 80's). It took me a few attempts and I didn't do it without dying, but in the end I was able to beat it without continuing with 4 lives left.
That's awesome to hear!! Thank you for reporting back!
Loved this one, made it look easy. I remember putting quite a few hours into Jackal too. If you're taking requests, I'd love to see Bayou Billy.
Yes bayou billy
Yes, I agree. I watched the game grumps play it, and they couldn't beat it without cheating. It's got such bullshit difficulty, but I'd love to see a legit way to beat it.
A tough one. Bayou Billy is really a hard one to beat.
Jackal is my favorite NES game. Absolute classic.
Bayou Billy is harder than Contra, I would place it on the Battletoads level: linear but very hard...
Thanks for uploading this one. I have struggled with this game for the past few weeks. I got the Contra Anniversary game set on my Xbox One. This tutorial is going to help me to beat it!
I managed to beat every stage without a guide but in the final boss I was worried that I would not last, so I saw this guide and with that strategy I finally beat Contra. I probably wouldn't have done it without your help so thank you so much for this
one game i have absolutely nothing to learn and can beat it quicker than the video runtime, but i'll still watch through for entertainment value. such a fun game!
Suggestions:
1. The Guardian Legend
2. Milon's Secret Castle
3. Adventure Island
Yeah... The Guardian Legend is pretty insane. Flying Shooter/Dungeon Crawler RPG with some pretty sick weapons.
Whats crazy is, as you get older, you have to remember codes for your phone bank accounts, work passwords....hell birthdays
But im 42 now....and I NEVER hesitate or have forgotten to drop the Contra cheat code at any given moment
Love this game
Haha, this is one of those games, that when you learn how to beat it, you never forget.
I just wish Gunstar Heroes was this challenging, because then it probably would have had more sequels.
The soundtrack and sound effects remind me of TMNT NES.
Funny you say that. Treasure, the developer of Gunstar Heroes, was founded by former Konami employees who left the company because they wanted to make original games and didn't want to pump out sequels.
Gunstar Heros was My brother and my favorite games to play on the Genesis.
Yup i still remember all the tricks
I always loved using the Laser and Arrow weapon. To make the homing laser gun.
Konami reused sounds
all the companies did and I serious think there was some master palate they all could choose from because a ton of games all have the bart vs space mutants/swamp thing sound pallets
I was today years old when I found out Contra was an arcade game first. Wow.
Love the channel. That doggo is really good at games. :-)
This was one of the first NES games I ever played as a kid. And I have to disagree with you... even with 2-player and 30-lives, we still couldn't get to level 3.
At this point I've played so much that I can beat the game no deaths with the rifle.
30 lives an the continues should be enough to get the hanger or maybe the lazer zone. I too can beat the game with just 3 rest. However I had friends I would let play co op an they couldn't get past the waterfall with the 30 lives.
@@retiredsnowbunnyhunterx5106 It's harder with two players due to scrolling issues, especially on that stage!
@@Sauvenil You right! 😂 most times me and my friends would race each other to top with them always getting left behind. You have to actually work together to get to the top with out killing each other.
I loved this game and the series. I miss the cheese in this game. I have this as part of the Contra series on PSN the memories quickly came back.
Can't wait to see you get that silver play button! Keep on keeping on homie! Love these guides
This content is not only super quality, but super useful. I've beaten many of these myself, bit some you helped me do. Batman, Battle of Olympus, and finally beating Blaster Master without the grenade glitch are among them. I can only hope one day you can help people achieve what I consider my greatest NES accomplishment: beating Double Dragon 3.
Olympus and blaster are brutal. I've done olympus, ghosts n goblins (one run), but not blaster master.
We have all beaten this backwards, but this was still a good watch.
Classic! Thanks for taking the time to do these. I enjoy each and every one.
Thank you!
Same
As a kid I used to beat this game quite easily... I'm just here to enjoy your video.
I remember going to my cousin's house where I got to play the NES for the first time. SMB was the first game I played, and it blew me away. Then we put on Contra. I never stopped bugging my folks until I got that NES that Christmas. Took a few more weeks until my birthday to get Contra itself, but still one that I go back to and play today.
The Japanese message in the end says: Foolish earthlings, do you really think that you've annihilated the Red Falcon with just that? We lost our base on Earth, but we've already made our next move. Our Red Falcon will be indestructible forever...
(said the guys who just got their base destroyed)
Great guide as always, good job! 🥰
Very nice walkthrough! Contra is an all time classic for me. I appreciate the alternate strategies for taking the bosses out with the regular gun as well.
I've binge watched every video you've done for the past week lol! It really has helped me to get to sleep! And I've enjoyed every playthrough you've done as well! They're thorough and well researched. Thanks for this bro! This channel is a godsend!
I absolutely love this channel! It's just a distilled Nintendo Power and strategy guide on a per-game basis :)
I love your videos and appreciate what you do... But that picture of Kazuhisa Hashimoto is most definitely George Takei. He is even doing the Vulcan hand symbol if you refer to the uncropped version of that image.
Bro I was gonna comment this same thing but I was like, how is nobody talking about this. Until I found your comment lol. Either this was supposed to be funny or it’s a huge mistake. Wow
The old games are still the best..thank you for making this video.
a friend of mine beat this game in 21 minutes and didnt loose ONE life. No code! It was one of the most incredible things i have witnessed.
I can too. There are very few tough spots once you know all the patterns.
UCBVG out here doing the Lord's work. Saturday morning Contra is transporting me right back to sitting in front of my crappy CRT tv yelling at the screen as I died when I was but a wee lad. Good times. This channel is a treasure.
These arcade style games are just so nostalgic. I’d remember due to the difficulties, you’d see a crowd gathering to watch some pro play with only 1 quarter lol. I know I’ve only got house of the dead 2 and 4 under my belt for clean sweep lol
Hooray another video!
This series and Chrontendo are my two favorite historical/retrospective game series ever. Thank you so much for continuing these great videos!
Also... I had no idea the R works this way... wow.
Contra was a game I became good at, mostly because it was one of only three games I owned for the nes when I was a kid.
Jumping Joey Giant Boss
Me, as a child: A Transformers guarding a jukebox.
Gotta say back in the day Konami know how to do a rockin game soundtrack
Pro tip for bases, if you have a second controller you can use it to make you bullets shoot up or down one layer. For example if you are standing and press up on the second controller your bullets will hit the top section of the wall, if you press down while standing your bullets will hit the lower layer (Useful for taking out the rolling barrels on the bottom layer). But most importantly if you are laying down and press up on the second player controller your bullets will hit the middle layer. I did many one life challenges each using only one particular weapon, the laser was by far the hardest followed by the swirly fireball.
Man did I love Contra, even though I only managed to beat Gryzor hit-less once. The music is so good that you just can't refuse to bop your head to the beat. Most of the time when I'm playing this game, I forget that it is an NES/Famicom game. These Contra games has things to it that just make it feel different and better compared to most other titles for me.
Oh I play this game thousands of times, and I was very good at it.
Thanks
Mate, well said you actually need only one life to beat the game. I did it so many times and played so many times when I was a kid, I can be dead drunk but still, beat the game.
Also, funny to play without the cheat and if your comrade dies, they can rejoin the game consuming your life if they have a 'game over' sign.
You can find this game on many cartridges for the NES stations worldwide. And usually, there is a sub-menu to choose from: classic, 30 lives, weapons, etc. This game is always among the first 10 in the list of 300-500 best NES games. I even found the cartridge in a random bar in Shanghai.
You could mention that on Waterfall you don't need to actually shoot the nearby enemies. They will die upon touching you. Same with that turret appearing from the ground.
In the Snow Field, you may also stand in the far left corner shooting at the tractor. It will shoot at you but will never hit.
And, maybe it was worth mentioning too, that the simple units just run, then, in the Waterfall, they tend to appear from unexpected sides of the map. Then, the Snow Field, above everything mentioned they tend to shoot. And in the Laser level, they may lie on the ground and shoot. And sometimes, these projectiles may kill you (especially in that spot when you jump under the laser on the bottom platform to go to the first laser challenge with B. This level is cool to play together since you need to synchronize your moves and play very carefully. And the Giant is actually very simple even with the basic gun. Just need to jump above him and he usually sends one projectile. If he sends too, he stops for a millisecond.
Every time we beat this game, we just beat it all over again.
One of the few games that I beat on one life. Love this game
Contra on the DS was so fun and god damn HARD!!!
A true classic from the NES library! Beating this game without the 30 lives cheat made you the most popular kid at my elementary school!
Thank you for another great video! You've got the best run-through format on the tubes. Especially appreciate the enemy and boss data in the sidebars! Karnov???
when you said "Lets get Started" that got me HYPE AF, LETS GET IT!
Why am I addicted to your videos? 😎 Keep em coming.
Your channel is amazing! Keep up the great work!!
Classic. Top 10 game ever for me. I never use the 30 men code til this day to beat the game..
One thing I wanted to emphasize... The MUSIC of this game was incredible!! Every track / level is a standout.
I just got Contra today and dang I knew it was hard but I just suck at it but at least some people like you make great guides thanks
When I was 13 my dad was station in Germany and the entire neighbor kids we were all trying to be the first one to beat the game without the Konami code needless to say we realized really freaking quickly that it was one of the hardest games that Nintendo ever made we were put in our places with the quickness lol it took playing all day everyday taking turns during the entire summer break and part of the first month of 7th grade to do it needless to say I wasn't the one that did it I did however throw the controller many many times most of the time after dieing with the spread gun because I knew my turn was going to be over soon after lol thank God it was connected to the system so not much damage happened to the living room lol great video thank you so much for this glimpse back down memory lane
Like Dragon Warrior, I only beat this once in my life without the code. But with the code, I beat it quite a few times. Also, thanks for showing the Japanese cinematic.
A bit of fact regarding Jumping Joe. He'll sometimes cheat by quickly turning around as soon as you jump over him.
Nice to see Life Force in the intro. Great game!
contra was/is one greats on the nes, its system was so refined that many games of similar genre could not not hold a candle to contra
Nei!!!
yes, that is her from phantasy star ii
@@hollyconnelly8871 - yes I know. It's one of my favorite games. I've actually been replaying it again this year. It's a bit tedious at times, but I still love it to death.
Thumbs up solely for the Nei avatar :) Phantasy Star II was my jam!
Contra was a pretty good game. Growing up I got to the point I could play almost all the way to the end before I lost a life.
I decided to play through the game while having this video on. I finished at the same time as you on your vid.
THIS and CastleVania were my favorite NES titles of all time!!
Dude so close to 50k. LET'S GOOOOOOO!!!!
Contra is the only shooter game I played multiple times. I often played it with my brother. ^^
The base music is so good. There are some good remixes of it.
These walkthrough's have inspired me to disable the rewind feature and save points from Retroarch! Thanks for helping me beat Batman, that last level was so frustrating. Could you do a video on Darkwing Duck, Bucky O'Hare or Whomp 'em? I'm sure you have a big list of games already planned out but maybe consider these in the future?
I loved all those. Whomp em is a hidden gem.
@@kurosbelmont2355 yeah its starting to get more recognition since it's making a lot of top 10 hidden gem lists.
I also loved whomp em
😱 there’s a rewind feature on retroarch, I’ve been using save states like a pilgrim this whole time
@@sleevelessace7920 Rewind is a life changer. Go to Settings>Frame Throttle>Rewind and turn it on. Next go to Settings>Input>Hotkeys and go to where it says rewind and map what button you want it to be. I use a PS2 controller and I set the rewind button to L2, it's really easy to access but you can choose whatever is convenient for you.
This is one of the few games I practiced enough to beat. I was hoping to see a little of how the game would be played with non-Spread Gun weapons.
You're also safe against the armored trucks in Stage 5 on the far left of the screen, which is the safest way to take them out using your default gun.
I only ever beat this game 2P, I still need to sit down one day and do it solo. Classic!
Great video as always! That photo however is of George Takei. 😂
The spread gun is like the gf you never wanna let go of. It's just that op . great playthrough.
Most underrated RUclips channel. This channel rocks
Great walkthrough of a classic title. I remember the first time I reached the final stage and was just absolutely grossed out at the idea of having to go inside that thing lol.
No cheesy ending to sit back and relax to on this one I see 😂
And that last stage on the japanese version will give me nightmares!
My cousins (and by extension myself) called it "the super." When I grew up, I thought it was "the shotgun" and, due to the limitations of the time, they couldn't cut the range of the projectiles (like the typical SG in video games, high spread, low range).
My Contra story. After some practice I came up with a strategy. I would grind a few lives in the first three stages knowing how relentless things would be, especially in the Energy Zone and the Hangar. I knew exactly what I would find at the end, because I'd seen it in Contra III. Build lives, and HOLD ON to the Spreadshot, and know where they were, as I'd desperately need them to avoid being massacred in the Snow field, where I found the grenades couldn't hurt you until they exploded. It made quick work of the snow plow vehicles and the ship. I don't remember being barbecued in the Energy Zone, but it was difficult, until the floor changed color and I was able to make short work of Gordeus/the giant. The Hangar was going to be the test, and avoiding impaled. Areas 6 and 7's booby traps presented challenges, having to watch my back, knowing that from the third stage onwards, the standard Joe Shmoe enemies would now fire at you from there on, and the enemies manning plasma cannons added to that frustration. I somehow survived the Defense Gate at the end of stage 7 though I may have lost a life or not but the damage had been done enough to get through. Once in the final, I didn't have too much trouble thanks to the spread. After blowing away the thing that looks like a giant demon's tool, The wall-maws were easy to get rid of. Then came the heart and the four pods protecting it. It was going well until one of the little jerks stung and killed me once, respawning me without the weapon.
I had two options, blow through all my lives and fire like mad or the slow way... Hit, run, rinse and repeat. Half the pods were eliminated, so I took a few hits. My grinding served me well. Pod 3 was destroyed, and the boss and were one on one. One weapon each. It had dozens of hits left and I still had a few lives. At this point, it was all about the long game. I didn't instantly butcher the heart. I chipped away. shoot, jump back, rinse and repeat, and get rid of the single scorpion/face hugger. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, but the long game paid off. Victory, and fireworks followed! I had conquered a truly HARD game..... And then Super C taught me I wasn't so hot. Nothing could prepare me for the bullet hell of stages 4 and 5.... Never got past the fifth stage, but I conquered the original.
Konami definitely had some awesome music composers working for them and this game was no exception.
Contra is one of my favorite NES games of all time (Top 5). I never use the code because I got so really good at it. The soundtrack is also iconic.
I am 46 and still play this game whenever I can, And yes I own the game for NES
Up,up, down, down, left, right, left, right A, B, start. The most legendary password of all time. And it started with CONTRA!!!!!!
I've finished this game all the way through with the regular shotgun without dying, it's possible. Super legendary classic. I still have the box and instructions, but no game!
I've never beaten this game or Super C, at least not on single player. The only Contra I've beaten is Contra III: The Alien Wars on SNES. As a kid I could always get to that game's final boss - or what I thought was the final boss - on the hardest difficulty, but I couldn't beat that bastard. Finally, in 2020, I killed it and was shouting like an idiot when - surprise! - the true final boss popped up. I killed that thing in one go which was weird because I went into a mental state where I was hyperfocused and saw every attack coming and knew how to avoid it. Thankfully it didn't take much abuse! I had two gaming triumphs that month, beating Contra III and Double Dragon II on their hardest difficulties.
I’m not insanely great at video games, but I never understood why the NES Contra was considered so difficult. The controls are GREAT and the patterns are very clear.
My only street cred I can get is mentioning I can beat this on a single life.
That and as a kid I could beat Bubble Bobble by myself by using the second controller on level 99.
It probably helped when you only had a handful of games to play…over…and over…and over…
Wow, Contra! I never played this on Nintendo, only in the arcade. Now I have watched it played practically flawlessly with it's slightly cheesy ending. "The big bad alien is dead, but the island is blowing up! Head to da choppa!" 😋
I had beat the Contra after 26 years pause within 7 lives before I watched this video.
As a speedrunner of this game it's super refreshing to see a regular playthrough strategy video. This was well done and explained. Also, thank you for showing the Japanese version as not too many people know there are slight differences in that version as compared to the one released in North America.
What is your pb the greatest gamer of all time used to have wr for it he has beat it in just under 10 minutes I am a WR HOLDING SPEEDRUNNER MYSELF
@@grandmastermario3695 i just pb'ed the other day with a 10: 24 and working on a sub 10: 20. Angrylanks is currently the wr holder at 9: 48.65.
Yes thanks 10:24 is pretty good some of the best gamers of all time are in the top spots I personally only have wrs in categories that hardly anyone else has speedrunned anywere from 0 to mabey as many as 10 other people have ran the categories that I have wrs in I have never beat this game I only have wrs in dadish wrestling mma/ufc and soul caliber
@@grandmastermario3695 that's cool. I used to have 3rd place on the contra Japan category then lanks came for that wr after he got his first wr in any% lol. I'm gonna have to check out your runs and watch some cool stuff.
Hey yes thank you I see that links has 6 WRS IN CONTRA LOW% JP AND REG AND ANY% JP AND REG ALSO A COUPLE OF CO PO RECORDS AND A COUPLE OF RECORDS IN SOME OTHER GAMES 🎮 AS WELL
Great video, I was hopping some mention of the ripoff art on the america cover, the "Alien" Image, the "Predator Shwarzenegger" and the "not Rambo"; same thing as the Metal Gear art
lol, my dog came over to have me pet her just as your dog came up at the end of the video. I couldn't time that again if I tried.
Dogs aside, yet another great video! Hope you do The Guardian Legend at some point. It's a hidden gem nobody seems to talk about!
The Japanese version used a chip that added more memory, hence the cut scenes and extra animations.
This is quickly becoming one of my favourite channels!! Love these videos!
🤣the island blows up for some reason🙌🏼 very funny😂
My 8 year old self would have loved to have you as a friend. I still cant beat this game without the 30 life code lol
I have beaten this game without the code, but not without dying at all. You should have mentioned in level 3 that if you are playing with a friend, to be careful not to move to fast. Also, I like how for the level 4 boss, due to your recording frequency, the split heads couldn't be seen at all.