In Contra games, you play as a soldier, progressing through waves of enemies that approach you from varying angles, all the while keeping cognizant of hazards and using precise character control. Aiming and character control have to be on-point. While there are many franchises known for a punishing sense of difficulty, Contra specifically is about a classic and precise style of gameplay, though it takes different forms forms. You wouldn’t be able to tell now, but in the past, Contra was one of Konami’s flagship franchises.
