More to this run-ngun than met the
eye
MICHAEL CRISMAN
Contra has a stor y
that North American
gamers never knew
about.
You do now.
We'll reserve the war of words over
whether Metal Slug or Contra is the better
action shooter for a later issue. Right now,
this is all about one of the best run-and-gun
games to ever grace the good old Nintendo
Entertainment System, and how US
gamers got screwed out of the real deal.
If you're confused, don't feel bad. It's not
your fault: Contra's storyline is paper-thin
and about as robust. Two muscle-bound
Rambo clones repel an entire alien
invasion using nothing more than their
acrobatic
skills
and
limitless
ammunition. It's the NES game we've all
beaten, and that we keep going back to
time and time again because there's
something obscenely satisfying about
scrolling your buddy off the bottom of the
Waterfall stage. Was the Japanese version
really all that different?
Short answe