RETROCANON
LIBRARY › KONAMI › CONTRA

Contra

Konami

Contra is Konami's arcade-born shooter series: commandos, alien invasions, spread shots, and set-piece boss fights built for sharp reflexes. The games are better understood as design branches than a clean story sequence, moving from arcade and NES roots into 16-bit spectacle, Hard Corps experiments, and modern revivals. Co-op pressure and pattern memorization matter more than lore order.

SINCE 1987 · 11 GAMES

▶ WHERE DO I START?
  1. 1980s

    Contra

    1987 · Arcade, NES

    Two commandos sprint through jungle, bases, and alien walls in the arcade/NES run-and-gun template that made Contra a household name.

    Arcade and NES roots

    4 releases & editions

  2. Super Contra

    1988 · Arcade, NES

    The arcade sequel pushes harder and faster, with top-down stages replacing the original base corridors.

    Arcade and NES roots

    4 releases & editions

  3. 1990s

    Contra III: The Alien Wars

    1992 · SNES

    Contra goes full SNES apocalypse with rotating overhead stages, screen-filling bosses, and co-op chaos at peak speed.

    Start here16-bit sequels

    3 releases & editions

  4. Contra: Hard Corps

    1994 · Genesis / Mega Drive

    The Genesis Contra is frantic, branching, and theatrical, with multiple characters and bosses that rarely sit still.

    Start here16-bit sequelsHard Corps

    3 releases & editions

  5. Contra: Legacy of War

    1996 · PlayStation, Sega Saturn

    The first 3D Contra experiment, remembered more as a rough historical turn than a natural starting point.

    Modern revivals

    2 releases & editions

  6. 2000s

    Contra: Shattered Soldier

    2002 · PlayStation 2

    A hard PS2 return to side-scrolling patterns, weapon cycling, and route mastery after the awkward 3D years.

    For fansModern revivals

    3 releases & editions

  7. Contra 4

    2007 · Nintendo DS

    WayForward's DS sequel stacks two screens of bullets, grapples, and callbacks while keeping the series brutally direct.

    Start hereModern revivals

    2 releases & editions

  8. 2010s

    Hard Corps: Uprising

    2011 · PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

    An Arc System Works prequel/spiritual branch with anime flash, air dashes, and a more technical Hard Corps feel.

    Hard CorpsModern revivals

    2 releases & editions

  9. Contra Anniversary Collection

    2019 · Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

    A convenient bundle of Contra's arcade, NES, SNES, Genesis, and regional variants, best used as a historical sampler.

    CompilationModern revivals

    4 releases & editions

  10. Contra: Rogue Corps

    2019 · Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

    A top-down twin-stick revival with oddball characters and loot systems, notable mostly as Contra's strangest modern detour.

    Modern revivals

    4 releases & editions

  11. 2020s

    Contra: Operation Galuga

    2024 · Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC

    A modern reimagining of the first Contra that keeps the Galuga Island setup but expands stages, characters, and co-op tools.

    Start hereRemakeModern revivals

    6 releases & editions