Contra Force

Game Details:

Contra Force, released by KONAMI in North America in 1992, is a spin-off of the Contra series on the NES platform. Unlike the traditional Contra, this game introduces a character selection mechanism, allowing players to choose from four special forces soldiers: Burns, Iron, Smith, and Beans, each with different weapons and abilities.

The game features levels that alternate between horizontal scrolling and vertical top-down perspectives, enhancing the overall playability. The combat scenes are intense, with a diverse range of enemy types and exciting boss battles. Unfortunately, due to hardware limitations, the game has issues like lag and screen flickering, but it still has innovative significance in gameplay and strategy.

Editor's Recommendation:

If you are a fan of the Contra series, Contra Force is definitely worth experiencing. Compared to the classic two-player Contra, this game adds more tactical elements and personalized character settings, increasing the strategic depth. For example, some characters are good at long-range sniping, while others are suitable for close-range sweeping.

Although the action fluency in this game is slightly inferior to other works in the series, its unique perspective switching and character settings make up for this shortcoming. Recommended for players who enjoy challenges and shooting adventures, especially suitable for solo play or repeated exploration using emulators.

Game Walkthrough:

• Character Selection: It is recommended to start the game with Burns or Iron, the former with balanced weapons, the latter with strong firepower. Beans is fast but fragile, suitable for advanced players.
• Weapon System: Upgrade weapons by collecting letter-marked items (such as "F" flamethrower, "S" shotgun), and pay attention to the drop locations of items.
• Tactical Switching: Use the pause menu to switch characters. Using specific characters in certain levels can make it easier to pass.
• BOSS Combat: Each BOSS has a fixed attack pattern, you need to observe the rules before acting. For example, the first level BOSS fires flames up, down, left, and right on the screen, it is recommended to dodge while shooting at the edge of the screen.
• Terrain Traps: There are many broken platforms, explosives, and hidden enemies in the game, it is recommended to proceed slowly to avoid being ambushed.
• Lag Solutions: This game suffers from severe lag on the original FC, it is recommended to enable frame skipping or optimization settings in the emulator to enhance the experience.