Contra sends heavily armed commandos through jungles, fortified bases, and increasingly organic alien territory. You can fire in several directions while moving and jumping, so the challenge is often choosing where to aim without losing your footing. Weapon capsules change the shape of your firepower, with the spread gun making crowded screens easier to manage.
A single hit costs a life, which makes keeping a strong weapon valuable and learning enemy entrances essential. Forward-scrolling base sections interrupt the side-view action with a different shooting rhythm. Played alone or together, its pace encourages decisive movement, but the best runs come from recognizing threats before the screen becomes crowded.
