============================================================================== CONTRA FORCE - Nintendo Famicom / Nintendo Entertainment System - ============================================================================== Contra Force Copyright 1992 Konami This strategy guide is written by Faididi (faididi@hotmail.com) and BlueSory. This guide is intended for private use only. Copying or distributing this, including any part of it, for profit without the author's permission is not allowed. --------------------- [0.0] VERSION HISTORY --------------------- Version 2.1 Released: 2003-07-19 Saturday New Feature(s): - Added some corrections. Version 2.0 Released: 2002-12-31 Tuesday New Feature(s): - Added slight changes to the guide's format and some other details. Version 1.0 Released: 2001-08-03 Friday ============================================================================== -INDEX- ============================================================================== I. Background Information [1.1] Neo City Mayhem [1.2] Blue Group [1.3] Back to Boot Camp [1.4] Fun With Guns [1.5] Command Select Screen [1.6] Sub Player [1.7] General Hints II. Stage Strategies [2.0] Prologue [2.1] Stage 1: Neo City Docks - Warehouses [2.2] Stage 2: Neo City Docks - Harbor [2.3] Stage 3: Mati Building [2.4] Stage 4: Aerial Convoy [2.5] Stage 5: Contra Headquarters [2.6] Epilogue & Staff Credits III. (reserved) IV. Extra Clips [4.1] Air Jump [4.2] Boss Strategies [4.3] Patch Codes [4.4] Game Genie Codes [4.5] Murphy's Laws of Combat and the Military [4.6] Superlatives V. Reference [5.1] Game Information [5.2] Game Evaluation [5.3] Really Small Details [5.4] Guide Credits [5.5] Other Games ============================================================================== I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION - Learn the basics, then get shot at. ============================================================================== Note: Given the discrepancies between the contents of the Instruction Manual and those of the game, I've chosen to go along with the game's material for fear of erroneous translations from the Manual. As such, this guide's view of the story may be slightly different from yours. --------------------- [1.1] NEO CITY MAYHEM --------------------- Welcome to the year of 1992, times when civil unrest and terrorism are rife in the bustling metropolis of Neo City. Yet among this trash and filth are the seeds of the will-be alien-ass-kicking squad that we all come to know and love when the Red Falcon arrive. Yes, Contra is born, here in the corrupt, corporate 20th century, and its members are the only people decent and well-armed enough to stand up against the many violent menaces that plague civilization. "Contra Force," also code-named "Blue Group," consists of four guys: Burns, Smith, Iron, and Beans. Together, they take down bad guys, save hostages, hold beer challenges at the local pizza parlor, etc. But can they survive what awaits them on this fateful day? ---------------- [1.2] BLUE GROUP ---------------- "Who are you people, anyway?" -- Cornell, from Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness (Konami) NAME: Burns (the guy with the red combat vest, beret, and glasses) RUN : second fastest JUMP: highest WPN1: Pistol WPN2: Hand Grenades WPN3: Submachinegun NOTES: The leader of Contra Force. Burns keeps a cool head and has an uncanny ability to coordinate the often wild firing of the entire team. He jumps the highest because he travels light, carrying only a submachinegun and some grenades in addition to his magnum. He also has a thing for berets. Never mess with Burns' berets. NAME: Smith (the guy with the reversed baseball cap and shades) RUN : third fastest JUMP: second highest, tied with Beans WPN1: Pistol WPN2: Sniper Rifle WPN3: Homing Missile Launcher NOTES: The long-range specialist and deadeye of the team. He has a knack for making super-steady, ultra-accurate shots, and when he's not popping off terrorist heads or peeping into other people's windows late at night, he's busy playing around with heat-tracking devices. Smith likes to keep a nice little mustache to enhance his naturally large smile. NAME: Iron (the guy with the bandanna and the red nose) RUN : slowest JUMP: lowest WPN1: Pistol WPN2: Flamethrower WPN3: Bazooka NOTES: Sometimes the heavy weapons dude can also be the nicest person around. Iron doesn't mind helping out the little guys and innocent children, but he also doesn't mind blowing away baddies with his big weapons. Carrying all that metal has left him little room for developing his jumping skills, however, and his nose tends to get redder whenever he goes out for some parachute training. NAME: Beans (the guy with the surfer dude hair-style and the backpack) RUN : fastest JUMP: second highest, tied with Smith WPN1: Pistol WPN2: Time Bomb WPN3: Time Mine NOTES: The Force's demolition man. Beans loves explosives, and anything with a bang interests him. Timer-detonated bombs are his favorite, because he likes to give himself enough time to run away yet also feel the thrill of not having direct control over the trigger. Despite a little rumor concerning what his name implies, Beans does not pass explosive gas. Never piss off a guy who packs enough dynamite in his lunchbox to take out half a city. NAME: Fox (the guy with the nonreversed baseball cap and green jacket) NOTES: While not a part of the core group, he maintains close ties with the Force. A long-time friend of our fearless heroes, Fox keeps Burns in touch with the latest news and happenings around town. NAME: The Head of Intelligence (some faceless dude) NOTES: The director of the information-gathering unit of Contra and the boss of Contra Force. Although we never see this guy in person during the course of the game, we learn from the Intro Movie that he is in some serious shit. Apparently, he knows something a bunch of nasty terrorists don't want him to know, and now his life is in danger. NAME: The helicopter pilot (another faceless dude) NOTES: Some guy who flies a Contra chopper. A minor character, he still plays an important role when he lifts out our heroes during one scene. ----------------------- [1.3] BACK TO BOOT CAMP ----------------------- Contra Force plays similar to the other Contra installments. Like Contra 2, it has a Side-Scrolling Mode (for odd-numbered Stages) and an Overhead Mode (for even-numbered Stages). There are two major differences, however. First, CF is the first installment where the Player can choose from four unique characters. Second, the weapons here are obtained via a Power-Up Bar, just like in Gradius and Life Force. Collect Guncases (the white cases) that fall out from obliterated structures to highlight the next item on the Bar. When the desired item is highlighted, press Select to obtain it. Each hero uses different sets of weapons (and therefore has his own distinct Power-Up Bar). Here is a summary of the controls: D-Pad - Move. In side-scrolling Stages, press Left and Right to run, and press Up and Down to aim upwards and downwards, respectively. (Notice how aiming diagonally downwards while running is not possible.) Also press Up and Down to climb chains. (The heroes automatically hang onto any chains they touch.) In overhead Stages, press this to run around (relative to the screen). A Button - Jump. The longer this is pressed, the higher the hero jumps. Hold this to automatically jump again upon landing. (Jumping is not possible in overhead Stages.) B Button - Use the equipped weapon. Select Button - Equip the highlighted item in the Power-Up Bar. Start Button - Pause and access the Command Select Screen. On the Command Select Screen, different Commands can be assigned to the heroes. Each hero's remaining number of Lives are also displayed there. Note: If you manage to press opposite directions simultaneously, all movement will cancel each other out. For instance, pressing Left and Right simultaneously will make the hero stop. Normally, of course, the Controller is designed to prevent you from doing this. ------------------- [1.4] FUN WITH GUNS ------------------- "Lock and loaded!" -- Ray Poward, from Contra 4 (Konami) Every weapon deals the same amount of damage per blow, although some weapons may hit enemies multiple times in one blast. Here is how the data shall be organized: |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| WEAPON: [The weapon's name.] LABEL : [The weapon's abbreviation on the Power-Up Bar.] SLOT : [The weapon's segment in the Power-Up Bar. (There are five segments total in a Bar.)] ACCESS: [Who can equip this weapon.] SP USE: [Whether the Sub Player uses this weapon or not.] RANGE : [The effective range of this weapon. For the purposes of this guide, "long" is the length of the screen, while "melee" is hand-to-hand contact with the enemy.] NOTES: [More descriptions and other details.] |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| WEAPON: Pistol LABEL : P SLOT : 1 ACCESS: all SP USE: no RANGE : short NOTES: The standard-issue sidearm for all Contra Force members and the default weapon the heroes start off with. Although the magnum has a short range (after certain distances, pistols can't hit crap), it packs enough power to take out most of the opposition the Force will be facing. Never underestimate the handgun. WEAPON: Hand Grenade LABEL : HG SLOT : 2 ACCESS: Burns SP USE: no RANGE : short NOTES: Strangely enough, only Burns carries a few anti-personnel grenades. These are tossed upwards and forwards, falling back down as gravity takes its toll. Primed to explode on contact, the Grenade is best for wiping out bad guys hiding above or behind certain obstacles. Unfortunately, this performs poorly against foes at long distances, and it isn't very effective in overhead Stages. Sticking with another weapon is a better choice. WEAPON: Submachinegun LABEL : MG SLOT : 3 ACCESS: Burns SP USE: yes RANGE : long NOTES: Burns' favorite: his custom automatic weapon. By holding the trigger, it shoots in small bursts repeatedly. This is also a long range weapon (for some weird-ass reason), allowing Burns to shoot across the entire screen. WEAPON: Sniper Rifle LABEL : R SLOT : 2 ACCESS: Smith SP USE: no RANGE : long NOTES: Smith's preferred high-caliber rifle, complete with a nifty scope. Of course, he won't have time to sit down and pick off targets through the scope, so he'll just have to use this like any other semi-auto weapon. WEAPON: Homing Missile Launcher LABEL : HM SLOT : 3 ACCESS: Smith SP USE: yes RANGE : long NOTES: When Smith gets lazy, he prefers to let something else do the job for him. This something else is the Launcher, which shoots missiles that track enemies, exploding on contact. Although the missiles sometimes don't home in on the desired targets, they work on the most part. Smith has found a way to get the missiles to recognize and avoid friendly units, but he's not telling us how.... WEAPON: Flamethrower LABEL : FT SLOT : 2 ACCESS: Iron SP USE: no RANGE : short NOTES: What Iron uses during his weekend barbecues. This incinerates any unfortunate bad guy who gets in front of him. While the large bursts of fire have a short range, they form a continuous stream of death, allowing him to roast several baddies lined up in a row. At close quarters, this can pound bosses extremely hard. The flames also explode if they touch a wall. WEAPON: Bazooka LABEL : B SLOT : 3 ACCESS: Iron SP USE: yes RANGE : long NOTES: This fires rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) that can travel all the way across the screen. In game terms, this weapon functions just like Smith's Sniper Rifle, only its RPGs explode if they collide into a wall. WEAPON: Time Bomb LABEL : TB SLOT : 2 ACCESS: Beans SP USE: no RANGE : moderate NOTES: Some of Beans' explosives. This bundle of dynamite sticks detonates in about two seconds after it has been primed, causing explosions to erupt around the Bomb's location. WEAPON: Time Mine LABEL : TM SLOT : 3 ACCESS: Beans SP USE: yes RANGE : moderate NOTES: More of Beans' explosives. After being set, the Mine blows up in around one second, causing destruction that spreads out slightly farther than that of the Bomb. WEAPON: Turbo Item LABEL : TI SLOT : 4 ACCESS: all SP USE: yes RANGE : N/A NOTES: This nifty device improves the reload rate for the hero's currently equipped weapon, allowing him to fire up to three shots onto the screen at a time. This item is particularly useful for weapons such as the Submachinegun or the Time Bomb/Mine. Unfortunately, losing the TI is very easy. If the hero dies or equips another weapon (including the Pistol, but excluding the RA), he will lose this upgrade. WEAPON: Rolling Attack Technique LABEL : RA SLOT : 5 ACCESS: all SP USE: yes RANGE : melee NOTES: This powerful skill enhances the hero's jumps. When the hero somersaults through the air, he will glow with energy, rendering himself invincible to enemy fire. And as long as the Jump Button is continuously held, he can touch any enemy or projectile without harm and even kill regular bad guys. On the downside, the RA is completely useless in overhead Stages, where the heroes cannot jump at all. Like with the TI, losing the RA is very easy. If the hero dies or equips another weapon (including the Pistol, but excluding the TI), he will lose this upgrade. --------------------------- [1.5] COMMAND SELECT SCREEN --------------------------- When starting a new game, the heroes are chosen on the Character Select Screen. Later, when pausing, the team members' roles can be reassigned on the Command Select Screen. Press Up and Down to highlight a different hero. Press Left and Right to cycle through the Commands for that character. In addition to letting you and a second Player change heroes during the middle of the game, this Screen also lets you employ the aid of a computer-controlled buddy. Assigning certain Commands to a hero will let SP, or the Sub Player, take control of him. There are some rules to using the Commands. First, only up to two heroes can be active at any moment. (While the story assumes that all four guys are running around and shooting up the place together, the console has only enough processing power to deal with half of them during gameplay.) Second, there must be at least one hero placed under the control of a human Player. Third, if a hero runs out of Lives, he will be labeled "Dead" and cannot be assigned any Command. Here is a list of the labels on the Command Select Screen: NO USE (No Command) Keep the hero in reserve, so he doesn't appear on the screen. He can't shoot baddies or grab goodies, but he won't be shot at either. This option is best when the hero is low on Lives and needs to be saved up for later. 1PLAYER (P1 Command) Assign the hero to Controller 1. 2PLAYER (P2 Command) Assign the hero to Controller 2. FRONT COVER (SP Command) Put the SP hero in front of the human-controlled hero. In side-scrolling Stages, he will move towards the right. In overhead Stages, he will move towards the top. If any enemy appears, he will attack. BACK COVER (SP Command) Put the SP hero in back of the human-controlled hero. In side-scrolling Stages, he will move towards the left. In overhead Stages, he will move towards the bottom. If any enemy appears, he will attack. ROUND COVER (SP Command) Put the SP hero near the human-controlled hero. If any enemy appears, he will attack. FRONT KEEP (SP Command) Put the SP hero closer in front of the human-controlled hero than with Front Cover. In side-scrolling Stages, he will move towards the right. In overhead Stages, he will move towards the top. He will try to stay ahead but often doesn't when attacking. BACK KEEP (SP Command) Put the SP hero closer in back of the human-controlled hero than with Back Cover. In side-scrolling Stages, he will move towards the left. In overhead Stages, he will move towards the bottom. He will try to stay behind but often doesn't when attacking. ASSIST COVER (SP Command) The SP hero will shadow the human-controlled hero's every move (after a slight delay). This is best for keeping him nearby at all times. DEAD (No Command) The hero needs a break and kicks back for the time being. He won't be available again until the heroes Game Over and continue. SELECT MAIN PLAYER (Error Message) No hero has been assigned to P1 or P2. CHOOSE ANOTHER PLAYER (Error Message) Multiple heroes have been assigned to P1, P2, or SP. A Player cannot control two or more heroes simultaneously. CANNOT USE SUB PLAYER (Error Message) More than two heroes are active. Sorry, there is only enough room for two active heroes at a time. ---------------- [1.6] SUB PLAYER ---------------- "Let's party!" -- Browny, from Contra 4 (Konami) The Sub Player, a.k.a. SP, has his own strengths and weaknesses. (Throughout this guide, I shall refer to SP as a "he" instead of an "it" to reflect all the hot, sweaty, buff guys we have for heroes. If you want hot, sweaty, not-quite-so-buff women, you'll have to look into the later Contra installments. Sorry, ladies....) SP has a few advantages over P1 and P2. Most notable is how his heroes cannot be killed. They absorb bullets and pass through enemies with no ill effect, and if they fall into a bottomless pit, they disappear without losing a Life. SP heroes are always equipped with the Turbo Item and the Rolling Attack Technique. The weapon a SP hero uses is preset and cannot be changed. (This weapon is always the hero's second special weapon.) SP heroes have enough brains to use their guns, and they will try their very limited best to follow the human-controlled hero and take down bad guys. Notice how SP heroes cannot pick up Guncases. SP also has some serious flaws. First, if a hero is assigned to SP (and you press Start to confirm it), all the Power-Ups that hero has collected will be gone when he is assigned to P1 or P2 again. Next, SP heroes only lasts for 5 seconds after being called up. This isn't that big of a problem, because you can just pause and unpause to reset the timer. Third, and most obvious, is how SP is just not human and is prone to doing things Players don't want him to do. (SP's intelligence does not change from character to character; SP heroes always charge the enemy with guns ablazing.) Here is a summary of SP heroes' qualities: Advantages: + are invincible (they don't even cost Lives if they fall into pits) + are always Powered-Up (with the TI, the RA, and the second special weapon) + provide adequate cover fire in certain situations Disadvantages: - remove the heroes' Power-Ups when their controls are returned to P1 or P2 - last for 5-second periods, forcing you to pause excessively - don't always do the smartest things Weapons Equipped: SP Burns - Submachinegun SP Smith - Homing Missile Launcher SP Iron - Bazooka SP Beans - Time Mine ------------------- [1.7] GENERAL HINTS ------------------- Besides using common sense and general gaming experience, here are a few other tips that can be followed throughout the course of the game to increase the heroes' chances of success and survival: - There is no Timer, so advance patiently and cautiously. - Burns is best with his Submachinegun because he can fire rapidly across the entire length of the screen. His Grenades' function is too specialized to be effective in most situations. Luckily, SP uses the Submachinegun well when he controls Burns, but he can do even better with the other heroes. - Smith arguably sports the best weapons set. His Sniper Rifle lets him shoot penetrating shots at maximum range, plus it can be fired as fast as the Submachinegun if the Fire Button is pressed quickly enough. The Homing Missiles, even though they are slower, usually guarantee a hit on an enemy hiding anywhere on the screen. The SP Smith is fine, but he still can't beat an imaginative (and unpredictable) human-controlled Smith armed with the Rifle. - Iron can tear bosses apart with his wicked Flamethrower, but his Bazooka is also good. Like Smith's Sniper Rifle, this launcher fires long range projectiles. The SP Iron is a solid choice against any enemy. - Beans carries a very inflexible weapons set. Let's face it - his delay-happy bombs (not to mention their scattered blasts) just won't do against hoards of impatient terrorists. Of course, Beans isn't useless; he is your friendly explosives specialist after all. He should be used as a support character - reserve him for SP, so he can clean up excess bad guys and add to the team's firepower without getting killed. If P1 or P2 is gonna use him, stick with the Pistol. Beans' magnum will be very handy in case the other heroes pick up the Grenades, the HM Launcher, and the Flamethrower, leaving them without rapid-firing long range weapons. - Burns jumps the highest, Iron jumps the lowest, and Beans and Smith tie for middle place. In a 1-Player game, Burns can technically get through the whole game on his own. In a 2-Player game, letting Burns drop "dead" is not a good idea, because some jumps are a hell lot easier to clear with him. - The running speed for each hero is also different, but to a far lesser degree than with jumping height. Beans is the fastest, followed by Burns, who in turn beats Smith, leaving Iron as the slowest of the bunch. The speed differences don't add up to anything significant, because the heroes will be sidestepping or jumping over enemy fire more than outracing it. - Each hero holds his gun in a different way, and sometimes that can be an advantage. Iron, for example, holds his weapons on his left shoulder as opposed to his right-handed pals. Take this into account when he's leaning out of cover to squeeze off some shots in overhead Stages. - Position can really matter. If Smith's homing missiles can't turn quickly enough to hit a bad guy tucked around a corner, Smith may need to move forwards or backwards a bit to help his missiles nail their target. And for Beans' explosives, they can cover more area if he sets them at different locations instead of all at one spot. - The Front/Back Keep and Assist functions are some of the more useful of SP's Commands. With Front/Back Keep, SP heroes are less likely to run off of the screen edges than with Front/Back Cover. Assist is best during boss battles, when the terrain is simple and the human-controlled hero wants the SP hero to fire as much as he does at the bad guy. - A neat aspect of CF is how the enemy is just like the heroes. The terrorists can use what Contra Force can, and they can jump up or over ledges. Even if the bad guys have a laughable reaction time and near-zero tactical skill, the heroes should remember this so they won't get caught off guard and get their asses set on fire by an enemy flamethrower or catch a homing missile up the butt. - Bad guys can only shoot in the same eight cardinal directions the heroes can, so learn to get into the safe zones between their lines of fire. This is especially important during boss fights, when the heroes have to survive long enough to pump a ton of lead into their targets. - One strange thing about CF is how the heroes can't aim diagonally downwards when they're running in side-scrolling Stages. To work around this serious flaw in the controls, hop up lightly before shooting enemies below. - Life in CF is great because ammunition is infinite and reloading is not necessary. Still, don't keep firing mindlessly. If a hero doesn't have the TI, he can only squeeze two shots onto the screen at a time, and while he's waiting for them to disappear so he can shoot again, a bad guy might pop up and waste him. Everyone, excluding bosses and one other type of enemy, dies with a single hit. Knowing this, fire just enough to clear out the path and save the other shots for unexpected problems. - Hide behind cover whenever possible. Use crates, walls, and other objects to block enemy fire. Be warned, however, because some cover is not permanent. Objects the heroes can destroy can also be busted up by the bad guys. - In side-scrolling Stages, ducking helps immensely. If he isn't moving, a hero should lower his profile to avoid getting "brained" by a high shot. You may notice how Beans seems to be kneeling whenever he stops and how he lies prone on the ground when Down is pressed. Despite what he looks like, his actual profiles for "standing" and "ducking" match those of his buddies. When Beans is "kneeling," he's actually standing, and when he is "lying," he's actually kneeling. Keep this in mind to save the team one decapitated demolition expert. - In overhead Stages, use the perspective to sidestep incoming gunfire, because ducking and jumping aren't possible (for some strange reason). At least here, Beans stands normally like the rest of the good ol' boys. - Destroy everything. Well, almost everything. All that slowdown is occurring for a reason - several parts of the background are destructible. Moving machinery, cracks in the wall, storage lockers, and countless other objects may yield Power-Ups when blown apart. - A Guncase pops out of every fifth object destroyed. (This also includes things that are destroyed by enemies.) Keep count to avoid blowing up objects that will drop precious Guncases into pits. Also try scrolling the screen back and forth to respawn objects, allowing the heroes to get more Guncases. It's cheap, but it works. - Guncases are very easy to lose. If a hero dies or is switched over to another Player, he loses all the Guncases he has gathered. Try to stick with the same hero and upgrade his stuff before changing characters. - The TI and the RA are also easy to lose. The heroes should equip the weapons they desire before obtaining the TI or the RA. - Although each hero has his own set of Lives, the heroes' positions are determined by the Players. When you swap heroes with your buddy on the Command Select Screen, the heroes' locations in the game are also switched. - Swimming is not a requirement for entry into the Contra ranks, apparently. Don't fall into water or sewer sludge, unless you like your heroes to come with bloated lungs. - Remember to hold the Jump Button when using the RA, or else the heroes will die a needless death when they land on bad guys. - When the team is low on Lives and needs the invincibility of the Sub Player, always assign the hero with the least useful Power-Ups to SP in order to minimize the sacrifice of those Power-Ups. If the team absolutely must conserve Lives during a 2-Player game, simply pause and deactivate any heroes who are facing imminent death. - If a hero dies but has at least 1 Life in reserve, he will continue from where he has died. As soon as a hero gets wasted and respawns, pausing is not allowed and the screen cannot be scrolled until he stops flashing. While he is flashing, the hero is invincible, so he should take the opportunity to kill every bad guy on the screen. Keep in mind the other hero (if there is any active) is still vulnerable. And make sure no heroes are at the screen edges when they start scrolling the screen again, or else they won't have time to react to upcoming dangers. - If there is only one human Player, running out of Lives with the current hero results in an immediate Game Over. (Notice how you can only have "Dead" heroes if you play with a human buddy.) A lone gamer should switch to a different hero as soon as the one he is playing as hits 0 Lives in reserve. Let SP use heroes with no Lives left in reserve instead. - If the heroes Game Over, they lose any special weapons they have and they may continue by restarting from the beginning of the Stage. There are infinite Credits. ============================================================================== II. STAGE STRATEGIES - Don't try this at home. ============================================================================== "Let's rock!" -- Sheena Etranzi, from Contra 4 (Konami) There are 5 Stages total. For each one, descriptions of Movies, general tips, and a walkthrough shall be provided. The bosses are covered under the Boss subsections. As for the edited Movie descriptions, some minor "improvements" have been made to the text dialogue. In case you care about spoilers, you might not want to read too far ahead. The game assumes that only Burns and the bad guys are talking to each other. The rest of the Force is never mentioned in the Dialogue Scenes. To make things more baffling, only the face of whoever you are playing as will show up during those Scenes (if both P1 and P2 are playing, only P1's face will be shown), even though Burns is supposed to be the sole Force member speaking. Therefore, I shall put down "Burns" as the character who is talking during the unedited story sections, despite the faces being variable there. (This problem doesn't get any better in Contra 4....) -------------- [2.0] PROLOGUE -------------- Here is the Intro Movie. (To see this, wait for 3 seconds on the Title Screen.) STORY: NeoCity 1992 [The phone rings. Burns picks it up and answers.] Fox: Hi. It's me, Fox. Is that you Burns? Burns: Yeah. Fox: The Head of Intelligence is in serious trouble. We need your help. Burns: OK. I'll be in the old warehouse at the edge of the harbor. [Later, at the warehouse, Burns finds Fox's body.] Burns: Fox!! Voice: Now we must eliminate you, Burns! EDITED STORY: "Brrring! Brr--!" Burns, lying back in his chair, snaps out of his daydream and picks up the phone. The year is 1992, and Contra has just been established. Its headquarters sit quietly under the calm noon sun in the otherwise busy heart of Neo City. Despite all that training and the high expectations, Burns, Smith, Iron, and Beans find themselves sitting around in their office, doing nothing except organizing files occasionally or tossing some paper airplanes around. Fresh air breezes through the open windows, but Smith ignores the softly flapping drapes and has his cap pulled down over his face, napping on the couch. Iron has his feet put up on the table, reading a dog-eared tank magazine, and Beans is sitting on the chair on the other side, mindlessly tapping a small clock in his arms as he watches time crawl slowly by. With Burns reaching for the receiver, the other three look up, hoping for a little excitement at last. But before Burns can say, "Hello," the voice on the other end starts speaking - in an urgent tone. "Hi. It's me, Fox. Is that you, Burns?" "Yeah." Burns senses a tingling of fear in his friend's words. "The Head of Intelligence is in serious trouble. We need your help." "Okay," replies Burns as he checks for bugs on his phone, "I'll be in the old warehouse at the edge of the harbor." Smith, Iron, and Beans get up immediately, excited. The HQ is a nice and cozy place, but the team is desperately seeking some much-needed action. Burns hears a click. Damn, the guy must be in REAL trouble if he can't even say a simple goodbye to his best pal! The four hurry to their shiny jeep and take off, screeching around the corner and burning up rubber. Burns gives the conversation some thought as he floors the accelerator. The old docks.... They've used to be a part of a great shipping industry, but now containers lie rusting inside the supposedly abandoned storage buildings there. * * * "FOX!," yells Burns upon entering the warehouse. Fox is sprawled motionlessly over the floor, face down, with the front part of his baseball cap crumpled against the cold concrete. Fresh blood forms a glistening pool of red around his body, and the gun clutched in his right fist is still smoking. The Intelligence Head is nowhere to be seen. Sheeee-yit. "Now all of you must die!," sneers a sinister voice from the shadows approaching behind. Without hesitation, Burns and his buddies dash out of the warehouse as bullets whiz past them. Iron rams down a rusty door, and the team breaks out into sunlight, with their guns drawn. It's ass-kicking time! ------------------------------------------ [2.1] STAGE 1: NEO CITY DOCKS - WAREHOUSES ------------------------------------------ "It's time for revenge." -- Bill "Let's attack aggressively!" -- Lance from Contra 3 (Konami), during the Intro Movie GENERAL TIPS: This may be the first Stage of the game, but it's not necessarily the easiest. Work through the warehouses, blasting any bad guys in the way. There are several hazardous traps too, but some of them can be disabled with a few well-aimed shots. WALKTHROUGH: The heroes should get their asses in gear and move forwards, blasting those nasty terrorists. See that dude hiding up on the ledge, tossing grenades? Just run underneath him, aim straight up, and BLAM! Slug up the ass! Bust through the crates, pick up the Guncase, jump over the pits to the right, and then blow through the door (the door consists of two destructible parts). Beyond the door is a second grenadier. Line up with the left edge of the yellow-and-black flooring and shoot upwards. After destroying the flooring, the heroes' shots will whack the terrorist. Again, right up the ass! Now, inside this huge warehouse is an operational forklift with a terrorist who's not afraid to drive it over the heroes. The forklift moves in the direction opposite to the heroes', threatening to squish them as they approach it. Knowing this, jump when running towards it, leaping up onto the forks. Now jump on top of the cabin and then get onto the second floor for an easier time. If the heroes happen to fall down and want to climb back up via the forklift, they should prepare to leap onto the forklift again - the terrorist knows how to shift into reverse. Head right. The heroes can destroy more flooring and crates along the way. Up next is a ledge, where some terrorists are waiting. This ledge is a little high. If all the crates stacked next to it are destroyed, only Burns can leap high enough to reach the ledge. See those pistons? Moving through them while on the conveyor belt can be hell, so aim high and shoot their ceiling-mounted bases. This should neutralize the killer crushers. Watch out for bad guys at the part where there is a second-floor conveyor belt. The cracked parts of the blue ceiling around here can be shot apart. The final sections of the conveyor system is marked by two big chutes. These chutes will drop large boxes onto the belt. Touching these containers is unhealthy, so stay clear of the drop area until it's clear. (The heroes can stay where the conveyor belts split off towards different directions. Unlike in Castlevania, they won't fall into the split and get splattered.) Because each chute can drop only one box onto the screen at any time, don't just blast the crate and then dash straight through. If there's no box, the chute will drop another one, possibly right onto the heroes. Shoot upwards when directly under the chute to bust apart any containers that might fall down. The sides of a chute's opening can also be destroyed. For the first chute, let the crate fall down and stay behind it, moving along with it until passing the drop zone. Watch out for that pit with the sliding hatch - it's a deathtrap. Jump over this pit to meet the second chute. This time, the crates will be coming towards the heroes. To make it past the chute, quickly run underneath it, shoot upwards to destroy any falling boxes, and then keep moving to clear the drop point. If there are two active heroes, one hero can cover the other while he's running past the chute. After some more crates to the right, the warehouse's walls break down into a large pit. Ride on the moving platform hooked up to that rail near the bottom of the screen. This part is quite dangerous, because an enemy sniper is stationed on the floor at the other side of the pit. Ducking on the motorized platform won't save the heroes' asses from his shots, so the heroes should prepare to jump again upon landing. Another trick is to release a flurry of shots while jumping down in the first place, whacking the dude before landing on the platform. Long-ranged weaponry is required for this tactic, however. Bust through more doors and get into the adjacent warehouse. Besides the usual groups of terrorists, watch out for the barrels trapped above the stacks of crates. When the heroes blow up the crates, the drums will roll out. Make sure the place is free of baddies before jumping over the giant cans. They cannot be destroyed. Next are some spikes lining the ceiling and the floor. Now who the hell put these here? The terrorists on the opposite ledge aren't helping either. While stepping onto the two fans on the ground won't result in the blades going Benihana on the heroes' asses, they will blow them up into the spikes, braining them if they happen to suck at timing their jumps. An easier method is to shoot apart the fans. That machine by the ceiling can be busted up too. Don't just go rushing in now. Below more crate-dropping chutes, landmines litter the floor near the trapdoors. After shooting the mines, prepare to destroy the crates and then cross under the chutes. (The mines might explode without killing the heroes if they get close enough to them, but this risky "defusing" tactic is not recommended.) Yes, the heroes can run over those trapdoors, but only if they're closed (the trapdoors open whenever a crate is dropped). Now work across the five moving platforms. Jump carefully and land squarely on the platforms, because they're smaller than they seem. Afterwards, the heroes will find a slope slanting downwards. They will slowly slide down if they're on it, so they should prepare to jump onto safer, flat flooring just before they slip into the pit. Next, there are more small platforms that look like the ones moments ago, only these will fall a few moments after the heroes land on them. If there are two active heroes, they must move together, or else. From here on, there are only some more doors, crates, and slopes to go. Slowly take out the baddies, especially those on the ledges. Blast the crates as necessary, and clear the other side of obstructing boxes and terrorists before somersaulting over. Before the heroes can escape into another warehouse, the giant boss wearing a big hat will burst out onto the second floor, waving his even bigger gun like a maniac. BOSS: Warehouse Terrorist Leader Whoa there, Tex - this cowboy likes to shoot a lot in between his running, rolling, and jumping. When the hombre runs or rolls, move away or jump over him. The heroes can get up onto those two small platforms at the center of the area. They shouldn't stay there, however, because the boss can leap up right into them. They should remain on the ground as much as possible to avoid having the boss' head rammed up their asses. The heroes can run past underneath the boss when he's in midair if they need more room. The boss must stop to fire, and that's the best time to pummel him. If the heroes are standing, he will fire in multiple bursts. If they are ducking, he will roll forwards instead. Duck the boss' shots and keep shooting to hit him. If the heroes don't kneel under the returning fire, they're gonna be missing some brains. Concentrate on avoiding his projectiles and his body first, and he'll get wasted soon enough. -------------------------------------- [2.2] STAGE 2: NEO CITY DOCKS - HARBOR -------------------------------------- "What's going on here?!" -- Harry Mason, from Silent Hill (Konami) STORY: [Contra Force runs off to the right and into the next warehouse.] Burns: Well it seems like we have settled this matter. Where's that head honcho Fox was talking about? Oh no!! They're getting away by ship! BadGuy: Burns, I'm warning you! If your boss's life is important, you better not leave! Ha ha ha ha ...hum.... EDITED STORY: The enemy ringleader dies with his ass sticking up. It ain't a pretty sight, with his gore splattered around and all. "Well, it seems like we've settled this matter," says Burns to his nodding buddies while he dusts off his hands, "Now where's that head honcho Fox was talking about?" "Oh no," answers Smith as he surveys their surroundings, "They're getting away by ship!" From a distant pier, who appears to be another terrorist ringleader shouts across the roar of the waves, "I'm warning you! If your boss' life is important to you, you'd better not leave!" He ends his hysterical laugh with hoarse coughing. Before Smith can nail the sucker, the enemy flees across the many warships lining the harbor. Knowing they can't abandon their boss, Burns and friends race towards the end of the piers and pursue the enemy. GENERAL TIPS: The fight continues on to the ships anchored in the harbor. Blow away anyone blocking the path across the vessels, and take advantage of the overhead perspective to sidestep enemy fire. Oh, and don't fall into the water. WALKTHROUGH: The heroes start off at the end of a pier. No one is here, so they should move left, where a plank lets them board a destroyer. As soon as they step onto the small ship's deck, bad guys will greet them with hot lead. Squeeze off some fast shots and then dodge the returning fire. There are two possible paths up towards the ship's bow. Take the left one. Go along the side of the destroyer, breaking drums along the way. Shoot the gunners manning the turrets on the higher parts of the ship. The heroes can't climb up there without the aid of staircases. Three flights of steps are found along the left side, but only the northmost one leads onwards. Before going through the "door" and stepping onto the forward deck, kill the twin terrorists that run up just behind the portal. Use the wall in between for cover. Beyond the door, the heroes will find the front cannon of the destroyer. Luckily for them, it's not operational. A second plank on the left connects the destroyer to an aircraft carrier. After passing this plank, move down. Several soldiers toting machineguns are lined up on the carrier's deck, waiting to mow the heroes' asses down. Sidestep downwards first, then aim up to get them. Near the southwest corner of the carrier is a helicopter. The chopper is only a transport for enemy troops. A single bad guy will always pop out from the side facing north, but the chopper itself won't kill the heroes. The heroes can avoid the chopper altogether if they want to save themselves some trouble, but watching those whirling blades can be fun. Whatever they do, the heroes must move northwards to proceed. The next part is the awesome double-floor cargo hold. The heroes can run up one of the two staircases and climb on top of the hold, or they can go through the black doorways and enter its interior. For the high road, expect turrets that slide along perpendicular tracks. For the low road, expect jeeps driving madly back and forth, threatening to mash the heroes into the ship's iron hull. The heroes only have to worry about the dangers associated with the floor they're on. The jeeps cannot steam-roller anyone above, and the turrets cannot brain anyone inside the hold. Furthermore, the heroes cannot fall off if they are on the top. For an easier time, take the lower path, because the jeeps don't fire back, plus they make larger targets. To leave the hold from the top, climb down the single flight of stairs at the north end (it can be climbed it even if it is "destroyed"). To leave from the bottom, go through the black sections that seemingly jut out into the walls. If the heroes feel like getting fresh, they can take separate paths and race to see who exits the hold first. If the heroes keep heading north, they'll meet heavy-duty soldiers. Despite the shields some of these dudes are carrying, they still die with a single hit, so keep firing. The bridge of the carrier is on the middle right portion of the ship. The heroes can run behind it, along the extreme right ledge of the vessel, in order to sneak around a few bad guys. At the north part of the carrier are six or so fighter jets. Someone must have left their engines on, because flames will roar out from them periodically. Don't step too close and get roasted. The heroes can shoot the midsection of the aircraft (somewhere behind the cockpit or near the forward part of the main wings) to blow up the damn things. Hit detection here is a little messed up, so if the planes aren't blowing up, stop wasting time and move on. If the jets do go up in flames, the resulting explosions and empty black pits won't kill the heroes, but they can block their path. Next to some of the jets are short planks leading to small boats. Board any one. After climbing aboard a boat, the heroes will automatically start it up and head north, towards a submarine partially hidden below the splashing waves. If there are two active heroes, both of them must be on the same boat, or else nothing will happen. And while the boat is crossing the water, don't fall off by accident like a dumb-ass. Once the boat reaches the sub, walk right onto its black surface and touch the ladder leading down into it. Once inside, the heroes can blast the crates and lockers lining the walls. Bust open the doors and carefully step through. A few guys with big-ass rifles are guarding the rooms. They can strafe horizontally across the screen, firing downwards while doing so. These guys are the only non-bosses in the game who take more than one hit to drop (they each take sixteen hits to kill), so keep pulling that trigger. Be careful when hiding behind the walls for cover, too. If a terrorist is at the screen edge when he dies, he might be "scrolled" back in accidentally. For the goon across the table, prepare to move a lot more due to the lack of available cover. The compartment flooded with red light is the last room before the boss. For some reason, the game cannot be paused during the fight with this boss. Knowing this, switch to heroes with the most Lives in reserve and reset the measly 5-second Timer for the Sub Player (if he's being used) before stepping into the engine room. BOSS: Submarine Captain Note: The game cannot be paused during this fight. The intense-looking Captain shoots his double guns as he strafes left and right across the upper half of the screen (each of his guns can be fired independently of the other). He may step forwards a bit, but he will always return to the top of the screen. The heroes' best chance of surviving the onslaught of projectiles is to hide behind the huge blocks of vents in the middle of the room. Whenever they have the chance, the heroes should lean out, squeeze off a few shots, and then duck back behind cover. Notice how the space between the Captain's guns is a safe zone. If there are two active heroes, they should stay at separate spots to minimize casualties. Because the boss fires his rockets in rapid succession, he can easily kill two Force members who are standing close together. A good tactic is for one hero to stand on opposite sides of the same gap. If Iron is active, he should stay on the right side, seeing how he is left-handed. There's also a really cool trick where the heroes can shoot the boss without exposing themselves to the boss' projectiles. To do this, the heroes have to stand at a certain point at an edge between the vent blocks and the middle gap (the exact location changes for each hero, due to the different ways they hold their guns). If they've found the right spot, they can just keep firing upwards across the room while the boss' shots graze past them harmlessly. Their shots will hit the boss, but not the other way around! ---------------------------- [2.3] STAGE 3: MATI BUILDING ---------------------------- STORY: Burns: Man! How could you destroy such a huge ship? BadGuy: We're keeping his family. If you want to help them, go to the Mati Building. EDITED STORY: The smoke clears inside the compartment, and Burns can see the body in front of the team belongs to the guy who has just shouted to them from across from the piers not too many minutes ago. The four start searching for any signs of the Intelligence Head. Suddenly, the enemy captain stirs! The guys whip around, pointing their guns at him as he props himself up against the metal interior of the ship. Blood streams down his right temple. "We're holding his family," he gasps, "If you want to help them, go to the Mati Building." Before Burns can ask why he is telling them this, the captain slumps over, choking up blood. Yep - NOW he's dead. The guys look at each other, wondering if those last words are meant to set them up again. The Mati Building.... Burns remembers reading about it in the newspapers. It's a massive skyscraper under construction, being built for another of those huge corporations. Without any other leads, he and the others hurry to the downtown district. * * * The Force arrives at night, with the crescent moon partially obscured by the dark clouds above them. The winds howl unsettlingly through the hollow skeleton of beams and girders. "Whoa," Iron nervously mutters as he gazes up at the towering structure, "Do we really have to go up there?" Burns can see his pal's nose getting uncomfortably red. He looks up himself... just to see something rustling in the shadows! It's a trap! GENERAL TIPS: The building may not be finished yet, but that doesn't keep the bad guys from taking it over. This Stage involves a lot of vertical scrolling in addition to horizontal scrolling, and the heroes will have to snake their way up to the top. The moving platforms aren't the main problem; the "bottomless" pits are. Time those jumps carefully, or else it'll be a long way down to the cold, hard ground.... WALKTHROUGH: The heroes begin at the bottom of the construction yard. They should run forwards, whacking several terrorists in their way. Beware of the gray pipes hanging overhead - they can blow out flames if they're ruptured. Beyond the pipes is a green service elevator. Nothing of interest is to the far right, so get on the elevator. After hopping onto the green lift, it will slowly ascend. The heroes now face two problems. The first one are the terrorists on the ledges to the upper right, but the heroes can solve this by shooting diagonally upwards. The second is how the elevator explodes when it reaches the top, causing the heroes to fall. Jump onto the green platforms on the left before it blows up. The lower of these green platforms is easier to jump onto. The heroes don't have to panic if they fall during this section. If they do, they'll only drop back down to the construction yard below. The green platform will move to the left, where the heroes will see some landmines by the base of a stack of crates. Clear out the mines, and then blow through the crates, killing the terrorist there. Four small arrows pointing down and to the left are bound onto the girder past the boxes, indicating a path. Follow their direction and run to the left. At the end of this section is a second green elevator. Again, take the lift and prepare to out-gun some opposition waiting above. This time, the heroes will face three baddies, one of whom sports a homing missile launcher. If the heroes don't have long-range weaponry, they must shoot the missiles out of the air as they leap to the right. That odd-looking structure is actually a seesaw. Time to implement some half-assed physics. See that crate resting on that short ledge jutting out above the right half of the seesaw? Shoot the ledge to destroy it, and the box will fall down onto the seesaw. If the heroes are standing on the left half when the crate crashes down, they'll be automatically vaulted up into the air (do not press the Jump Button). Be sure to land on the high girder where the crate used to be. If the heroes screw up on this seesaw jump, they must scroll the screen away and then back to magically reinitialize the box. Found to the right are some rocket soldiers and a lot of metal hanging overhead. After killing the baddies, climb the chains with the dangling hooks. The heroes automatically grab a chain when they touch it. From the rightmost chain, jump across the chains to a high ledge on the left. The heroes should jump from the lower half of the chains so they have enough room above to arc through the air. Watch out for the exposed conductors that periodically crackle with electricity. Touching the sparks is not good. The last chain is a swinging orange one. Past more crates, the heroes will now find themselves at the ledge before the most dangerous jump in the game. Unlike the other jumps, missing this one results in death. This chasm is too large to leap across... unless the heroes get some help. A carelessly placed beam from above will happen to fall down the middle of the gap. (What luck!) The heroes must jump onto the beam, allowing them to jump a second time to reach the other end. This is very difficult to time, and the beam explodes for some unexplained reason when it falls far enough (when it lines up with the top of the girder the heroes are currently standing on). Jump too early, and the heroes fall below the beam and turn into butt-sauce. Jump too high, and the heroes can't land on the beam in time for that second jump. If another falling beam is needed, scroll the screen to the right and then back to reset things. A reliable tactic is to jump from the very ledge just as the top of the beam lines up with the highest point of the lower cloud in the background. This tactic only works for Burns, Smith, and Beans. Assuming they make it, the heroes have to leap to another beam on the left. This beam is hooked onto the cable of a crane, so climb up the steel rope. Look out for a terrorist on top of the crane's cabin. The crane operator can be blown up, too. Now comes another killer falling beam jump. Unlike the first one, falling will not kill the heroes instantly. If they miss, they will drop down to the lower part where they've made the earlier jump before hitting the pit. Use the extra time to lean towards the left or the right (be sure to shoot any crates in the way), catching a ledge and living to try again. Use the crescent moon in the background as a reference mark. Jump from the ledge when the top of the beam passes the very bottom of the crescent moon. This tactic only works for Burns, Smith, and Beans. Things get a little safer now. The myriad pipes between the orange blocks can be blown apart. (The screen can be scrolled back and forth to regenerate the pipes.) The pipes continue upwards as the heroes advance to the right. Climb up to the highest point, where the route turns back to the left. When a siren blares out, start firing - fast. A ceiling girder will be lowered slowly, crushing the heroes if they don't hurry and blast through the thick stack of crates to get to the control console. Some terrorist has locked the console in squish mode, so the only way to stop the killer ceiling is to blow up the console. Once that's done, the girder halts and the heroes can continue. (Failing to stop the girder costs each active hero 1 Life.) Keep advancing to the left. Hey, is that a chopper in the background? BOSS: Gunship So much for helping the Intelligence Head and his family; the heroes now have to bring down an assault Gunship. Its gatling gun releases barrages of rocket shots at the heroes, while its four engines (with two on each wing) shoot flames downwards, barbecuing anyone who steps into them. The outer engines always fire before the inner ones do. In order to bring the boss down, the heroes must destroy its five vital parts: the gun and the engines. Take out the gun first, because it is the biggest threat. It can only aim straight down, diagonally left, or diagonally right, so the heroes will be safe if they can get between its lines of fire. When the gun gets banged up (its barrels will melt and break off, pointing upwards), the heroes can stay underneath the middle of the Gunship and just aim diagonally upwards to destroy the engines. There are also three other nonvital parts to the Gunship. Between the cockpit and the wings are two missiles. Blowing them up doesn't seem to matter. The cockpit itself absorbs shots, but it is not a real target, so don't waste time on it. As soon as the gun and the four engines are gone, the Gunship goes BOOM! ---------------------------- [2.4] STAGE 4: AERIAL CONVOY ---------------------------- "I've come to put an end to this." -- Adrian F. Tepes, from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (Konami) STORY: [A helicopter swoops in from the right. Contra Force jumps into it, and then it flies away to the left.] Burns: ..come in please,come in? This is Blue Group! ...come in ,come in.... BadGuy: Burns, it's me! ...you survived! Congratulations! But remember,your destiny will be played out in this town. Ha ha ha ...I know where you are! You'll have the same fate as the people who are sleeping in that building. EDITED STORY: With a blinding roar, the gunship explodes into a ball of fire, hurling chunks of molten metal dangerously close to the Force. Burns quickly sets up some radio equipment. When something like a gunship goes out for your ass, you know someone really, really wants you dead! "Come in, come in - this is Blue Group! Come in, come in...." "Burns, it's me!," crackles an unrecognized voice over the radio. Smith, Iron, and Beans gather closer around Burns as they tune in more closely. "You survived! Congratulations!," continues the heavily accented mystery man, "But remember, your destiny will be played out there. Ha ha ha - I know your exact position! You will share the same fate as the others in that building!" Eyeing all the dead bodies lying around them, the four realize they're in for a shitload of bombing! Knowing they can't possibly get down in time to escape, the guys are on the verge of panicking as Burns paces up and down the beam, thinking furiously. Then, shooting through the smoke, a helicopter appears! Is it another bad guy? Is it gonna bomb our heroes into butt-sauce?! No - it's a Contra chopper! The down-wash blows the smoke apart as the Force hurriedly climbs in. "Sorry for not being there when the fireworks started!," yells the pilot over the loud drone of the propeller blades. With Blue Group being missing for a whole day, the people back at headquarters figure they should send someone out to look for the team. It looks like the pilot has managed to pick up Burns' signal just in time. "Don't worry - you didn't miss much!," Burns shouts back as he plans out the next move with his buddies. Dawn begins to break over the horizon, and Smith swears he can see some dark specks appearing beyond the city skyline. HQ confirms six aircraft flying towards the Mati Building, but they'll take some time before they arrive. Even though the construction site's gotten pretty banged-up from the fighting, Burns just can't let it get bombed to crap. After all, it will be his tax money when it comes to paying the fire department and the construction crews to clean up a mess he and his team can prevent right now. He takes a look at the advanced engines of the chopper, and then he gets a radical idea. GENERAL TIPS: The team will be dropped onto the wing surfaces of one of the planes in the enemy convoy. The objective in this Stage is to board and search each craft, looking for the bombs. As with the harbor scene, use the perspective to weave around enemy gunfire. Don't get shoved off by the wind while on the wing surfaces (yeah, this is so realistic...). There are six aircraft: three large cargo planes and three small fighters. Timing is essential during the plane crossings - the heroes can only step from one wing to another when the wings are just a few screen pixels apart. WALKTHROUGH: Burns and friends will be dropped down onto the tip of the port wing of the first plane, which is a large cargo vessel. Yes, here are the good ol' boys, freezing their asses off on the wing surfaces where the wind blows by at hundreds of kilometers per hour. Taking care not to fall off, move towards the fuselage. Along the way, the heroes should shoot any terrorists daring enough to brave the wing surfaces with them. The vents of the engines can be busted open. (Each wing, having two engines, offers eight inner vents that can be destroyed; don't worry - the heroes won't kill the engines and crash the plane if they do.) After passing the engine vents, stay near the right. Left of the fuselage entrance are two turrets, and by sneaking in from the right side, the heroes can avoid the guns. (These turrets, like that of the Gunship, can only aim straight down or diagonally downwards.) Shoot through the outer door and the inner door to get in. Once inside, the heroes can stop worrying about the blowing winds. (There is no depressurization at all.) A wall runs lengthwise down the interior, blocking shots and movement into the other side. The heroes are supposed to look around for the bombs, but they can just exit the door on the opposite side of the fuselage, leading out to the starboard wing surface. Going around the right side of the dividing wall is much safer than going around the left, because the heroes will face less obstacles. The interior of this cargo plane doesn't hold anything special, except for small supply boxes that can be blown up. If the heroes choose to explore, they should remember to stay away from the screen edges. Towards the front of the plane is the cockpit. The craft is locked in auto-pilot mode, and no amount of gunfire on the console will change anything. Don't bother with the cockpit if Lives are short, considering how there are three homing missile-firing terrorists stationed in front of it. Towards the back of the plane is the main hatch, which is opened. The heroes don't have parachutes yet, so they shouldn't even think of going skydiving here. Upon reaching the starboard wing, keep heading upwards. Past more terrorists and engine vents is what appears to be a dead end - the tip of the wing. Don't abort the mission, however. The heroes should hear the adjacent plane zooming over, almost colliding into the craft they're on. The wing tips will now close up the distance between them. There are times when the wings slide past each other with about two pixels of blue air in between. That's when the heroes should step across. Once on the second plane, keep moving. This vessel is of the same model as the previous one, only with some minor modifications. Two turrets, instead of both being placed to the left of the fuselage entrance, are now placed on either side of the door. The heroes can charge straight up towards the entrance, outrunning the bullets. Take extreme caution when entering the door. A flamethrower bad guy is posed just off the top edge of the screen, waiting to fry the heroes when they step in. Hug the right edge of the doorway for a slightly better chance of surviving. The interior of this second plane carries armored personnel carriers (APCs) in addition to supply crates. Avoid stepping in front or behind of the APCs, or else the rocket turrets mounted on top of them will fire. Since they can only shoot horizontally, go beside the APCs to blow away their turrets. The cockpit of this ship contains nothing special again, and the hatch in the back is closed up. Just find the door to the starboard wing and get out. The heroes should watch where they step now. Besides the wind and usual terrorists, some spots on the wing here conceal automated turrets. If the heroes see a square panel sliding open, they should prepare to do some fast evading. The turrets can only shoot in the eight cardinal directions, so get between their lines of fire to be safe. Killing the turrets isn't required, and running away may be a better strategy at times. The next plane crossing will be with a smaller fighter jet, but the principle is the same - cross only when there are two pixels of air in between. On these small fighters, there's a lot less distance to cover and far fewer terrorists to fight through. Parts of the engines and the rear of the cockpit can be shot open. Beware of missiles (which make whooshing sounds). Apparently, the other fighters are attempting to blow the heroes off with some nasty super-surgical strikes. Sidestep the missiles while crossing over to the next plane. The heroes must hop across three fighters in all before reaching the sixth and final vessel in the convoy - the bomb-carrying cargo plane. Again, look out for turrets when busting into the fuselage. The interior has a dividing wall running through its middle like in the first plane, but this time it extends only to the left, towards the bow. The heroes should go right, towards the stern. The cockpit of this plane is empty yet again, but the rear holds a few turret gunners and the big mean boss. BOSS: Plane Captain Burns and friends ain't gonna let this dude vaporize their town. (If you look closely, this is the same guy who has contacted Burns over the radio.) Despite the change in perspective, this fight is very much like the one with the first boss. The Captain can shoot to the left or right when he stands still, and he can shoot downwards when he runs horizontally (he cannot run upwards or downwards). He jumps to line up vertically with the heroes. There is no cover at all, so keep moving to avoid the boss and his shots. Stay a good distance away, because his speed and his size combined make him a living truck. Seeing how the Captain never shoots upwards, the heroes can stay above him to avoid his projectiles. Unfortunately, he tends to follow the heroes, so they should run away when he threatens to somersault into them. Firing diagonal shots works really well here. ---------------------------------- [2.5] STAGE 5: CONTRA HEADQUARTERS ---------------------------------- "It's payback time!" -- Brad Fang, from Contra 4 (Konami) STORY: [The Captain pulls out a grenade and blows himself up. The heroes run to the back room, disarming and taking the nukes. They then get out onto the starboard wing and parachute off.] Burns: This is the best place to relax. But how come you could take a strong item like the plutonium? BadGuy: Hey guys!!Congratulations on your safe return! But time is coming to an end. The next opponent will be me, the leader of this plan. Wait for me! EDITED STORY: The killer captain finally falls to his knees, but Burns and his pals know it isn't over. The enemy, with his last breath, snickers as he holds up a super-sized grenade and pulls the pin! Not wanting to take part in his explosive seppuku, the four guys duck behind some crates, moments before they hear an incredible BOOM! and see entrails slopping messily against the interior surfaces of the plane. Smith gets up and runs through the visceral paste to the back door, where he bashes the lock off with the butt of his rifle. Peering beyond the portal, he sees the team's worst fears realized as he recognizes the unmistakable yellow-and-black symbol. Those bastards have been planning to use nukes! Beans kneels down in front of the bomb, takes off his backpack, pulls out some tools, and starts on the detonator. "Y-you sure you know what you're doing, Beans?," asks Iron. The rocking of the plane isn't helping. "Damn it man, I'm a demolition expert, not a nuclear physicist!" Time is running out, and the planes are getting dangerously close to the city. But what seems like an eternity passes as sweat streaks down the team's faces. "Aw, to hell with this!," Beans exclaims as he closes his eyes and just cuts some wires. Iron faints to the ground. "There," sighs Beans, standing back up, "That wasn't too hard, was it?" Then he faints to the ground. The timer being stopped, Burns figures the nukes are safe for the taking. With the hot stuff in Burns' hand and with Smith picking up the other two, the guys grab some parachutes, get out onto the starboard wing, and leap off, floating back down to the city. Without the bombs, the planes will fly harmlessly over downtown. * * * Back at Contra HQ, Smith kicks his feet up on the table and leans back on the couch. "Too bad we can't relax yet, eh?" "... but how the hell do you get so much plutonium back up there?," wonders Burns aloud without hearing his friend. He rests his chin on his knuckles, pondering the team's situation and the whereabouts of their boss. His train of thought breaks when the intercom jolts to life. "Hey guys! Congratulations for making it back home in one piece," cheers the unrecognized voice through the static, "But things are coming to an end. Guess who you're gonna be fightin' next?" Without any warning, all the windows around the room shatter with a deafening crash! The guys duck for cover from the flying shards of glass. Standing above them now is an eight-foot-tall ogre bulging with muscles that should have torn a man apart. Flashing his enormous gun, grenades, and pecs, the leader of the terrorists erupts into hideous laughter that sounds more like a '69 GTO with a broken muffler. GENERAL TIPS: The building is infested with the remnants of the terrorist army. Shoot through the invading bad guys and follow the boss. The boss cannot be killed until the heroes catch up to him on the roof, but while they're chasing him towards there, he can fight back. If the heroes fall through the staircases, they can find other ways back up. WALKTHROUGH: The boss begins by vandalizing the heroes' property and breaking into it, only to run off of the screen. Take part of the fun by smashing the ceiling pipes and even Burns' desk and office chair. Now run to the right, temporarily meeting up with the boss. He might turn around and throw a few grenades before dashing away again. This is only the first of several more brief encounters with the boss before the final battle. The boss will stop at the roof, and there are several paths the heroes can take to get there. The quickest route is to climb the stairs, but seeing how the steps can be destroyed, the heroes may find themselves taking detours. Dropping through the first flight of stairs lands the heroes in the lower sewers lying immediately below the HQ. The heroes can blast the light fixtures here. Don't fall into the pits. Falling through the second flight places the heroes in the upper sewers (which they have to go through if they're coming up from the lower sewers). The pipes here can be shot apart. At the top of the second flight of stairs, jump onto the floor at the left. The heroes will see the boss has beaten them to the main elevator and is riding it up. Look out for falling grenades. The heroes are gonna have to catch up the hard way. Run past the elevator shaft and enter the maintenance area. Scale the three chains found here to reach the next floor. Running to the right, jump across the top of the elevator shaft and go up the third and final staircase, which leads directly to the roof. If the heroes happen to fall through this long flight of steps, they will have to get up there via the water silo area. To the right of the stairs is the silo. Hop up on its valve and pipe to climb out. Up on the roof, go left. Leap onto the ledge opposite the top of the stairs, and then punch through the last few terrorists before confronting the boss. The uneven terrain can provide some cover. BOSS: Enemy Leader Somebody's cheating, and it ain't the heroes. The Leader has a helicopter backing him up to really make life hell for the good guys. The Leader will jump around, landing to chuck grenades and to squeeze off bursts of uzi fire. The grenades are only lethal if the heroes are close enough to catch them, but the main danger comes from the uzi bullets. Due to their size and the way the Leader holds his gun, the heroes cannot duck underneath these bullets. This means they must hide below or above a wall, depending on whether the Leader's firing from above or inside of a ditch. If the heroes find themselves exposed to his attacks, they have no other choice but to jump over his projectiles. This is rather difficult because the Leader shoots multiple bursts of two bullets each. The helicopter flies around the screen, periodically launching dumb-fire missiles at the heroes. The missiles aren't too tough to dodge, but don't underestimate them when the chopper and the Leader move in close. Touching the chopper also results in death. The real target is the Leader. Hitting the chopper gets the heroes nowhere, so they should focus their firepower on the big man. The best time to nail him is when he is jumping and moving, because he doesn't attack until he stops. This often means shooting diagonally at the boss from within a ditch. Try to jump up on higher ground only to run away or, if the heroes are feeling brave, to hit the boss when he's inside a ditch by kneeling and firing. If there are two active heroes, one of the heroes can lure away the chopper's missiles while the other concentrates on the Leader. If the heroes manage to waste the Leader, congratulations on beating the game, and enjoy the Ending Movie. ------------------------------ [2.6] EPILOGUE & STAFF CREDITS ------------------------------ "UUUURRRRWWWWRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYUUUUUUUURRRRLLLLHHHHHHHH!!!!" -- Ray Poward, from Contra: Legacy of War (Appaloosa) STORY: This situation has ended with several things left unsolved. The head, Fox, is still missing. Burns is feeling that a suspicious figure is lurking behind him. But there is no doubt he will be devoted to fighting. Which is why we can call it Burns destiny. [We see the heroes lined up at an angle, in front of the Neo City skyline, complete with shifting clouds. Burns is the closest to us, and he has his hands on his hips, smiling. We can see his big-ass gun holstered on his belt. Smith has half of his red jacket pulled over his muscular right shoulder. Iron is flexing his arms. Beans is running up from the back, still wearing that backpack. Staff Credits roll by laterally along a reddish film strip near the bottom of the screen.] Program Takemoto Program Ozawa Character Shigemoto Character Horie Sound Manno Sound Tomita SD Assist Funahasi SD Assist Chuma EDITED STORY: With a final groan, the terrorists' supreme leader collapses onto his back, gushing forth a fountain of blood and drenching the Force in red. Then, with poetic effect, the attack chopper's damaged engines go critical and explode, showering the skies with glinting metal. The light casts eerie shadows of the leader's mangled corpse, and the four friends sit down and breathe out sighs of relief. For the first time since yesterday, they feel they can relax.... * * * The situation has ended with several things left unresolved, however. The Contra Head of Intelligence and his family are still missing. Who are these terrorists? Why have they kidnapped the Head and his family? With Fox dead, will Burns, Smith, Iron, and Beans ever learn the truth? Burns now feels that he is being watched. But there is no doubt he will continue to fight for the answers - and to play out his destiny. * * * Contra Force Staff Programmers Character Designers Takemoto Shigemoto Ozawa Horie Sound Composers SD Assistants Manno Funahasi Tomita Chuma Presented by Konami The End ============================================================================== III. (RESERVED) ============================================================================== ============================================================================== IV. EXTRA CLIPS - Miscellaneous data that may be helpful. ============================================================================== -------------- [4.1] AIR JUMP -------------- Due to a bug, the heroes can perform "air jumps" with ease. To do so, pause and enter the Command Select Screen when the heroes are in midair. Make any adjustments as desired. Now, hold the Jump Button while pressing Start to exit the Command Select Screen. After unpausing, the heroes should jump again, even if they're not on the ground! (Of course, this bug can't be exploited in overhead Stages, where the heroes cannot jump.) Here are some things the heroes can do by air jumping: - Fly over all the enemies and bottomless pits at the warehouses! - Get up onto the ledge where the Warehouse Leader jumps down from! - Screw the lifts and chains - fly up the Mati Building instead! - Zip up the main elevator shaft inside Contra HQ! - Use this with the Rolling Attack for total air superiority! --------------------- [4.2] BOSS STRATEGIES --------------------- "Some people just need killing." -- Solid Snake, from Metal Gear Solid (Konami) Here are condensed versions of the boss strategies. They are sorted by the Stage order of the bosses' appearances. BOSS : Warehouse Leader ATTACKS: fires magnum MOTIONS: runs, rolls STAGE : 1 STRATEGY: Duck while shooting from a distance to avoid the boss' fire. When he runs or rolls, back away or jump over him. If he leaps, run away or go past underneath him. Don't stay on the small platforms in the middle of the screen, because he might jump onto them too. BOSS : Submarine Captain ATTACKS: fires twin rocket-shot guns MOTIONS: strafes, sometimes steps forwards and then backs up STAGE : 2 STRATEGY: The game cannot be paused during this fight, so be prepared before meeting this boss. Stay on the lower half of the screen, using the vent structures for cover. When things are clear, step out between the boss' guns, shoot him, and then duck back behind cover. BOSS : Gunship ATTACKS: fires gatling gun, emits jet thrusts MOTIONS: hovers around the screen STAGE : 3 STRATEGY: The gatling gun can only aim straight or diagonally downwards, so stay between its lines of fire to avoid its shots. Bust up the gun, and then stay below the cockpit while shooting diagonally upwards to destroy the four engines. BOSS : Plane Captain ATTACKS: fires magnum MOTIONS: runs laterally, jumps STAGE : 4 STRATEGY: Stay away while shooting the boss. He can only move horizontally when he runs, so he has to move vertically by jumping. He can shoot left, right, and - while running - downwards. Hitting him diagonally or from above helps. BOSS : Enemy Leader ATTACKS: fires uzi, throws grenades MOTIONS: runs, jumps STAGE : 5 STRATEGY: Do not try to duck below the uzi bullets; use the uneven terrain to avoid them instead. Do not touch the grenades either. Hit the boss whenever he is moving, because he doesn't attack until he stops. BOSS : Enemy Chopper ATTACKS: fires homing missile launcher MOTIONS: flies around the screen STAGE : 5 STRATEGY: The chopper dies only when the Enemy Leader dies, so don't bother hitting it. Just dodge its missiles while pummelling the Leader. ----------------- [4.3] PATCH CODES ----------------- The following are memory addresses associated with some important values in the game. The quantity ranges presented are only recommendations. (I won't want you to mess up your game now, will I?) Obviously, you'll need some way to implement these cheats. Get a device that supports this kind of memory-tampering. If you can, enjoy. Note: These are supposed to work with all versions of the game. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Address Quantity Range Game Value(s) Affected ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 008B ## (Set from 00 to 05 - Hexadecimal) Object Kill Counter This value keeps track of how many objects the heroes have destroyed. Seeing how every fifth object destroyed yields a Guncase, setting this to 5 means that every object they blast will drop a Guncase. (Setting this to a value greater than 5 has the same effect.) 00B1 ## (Set as p+(16*n) - Decimal) P1 Power-Up Bar Cursor 00B2 ## (Set as p+(16*n) - Decimal) P2 Power-Up Bar Cursor This determines what part of the Power-Up Bar is highlighted, so setting it to highlight a certain slot all the time can result in ultra-cheap Power-Ups, even after dying. The value is related to the hero you're playing as, so you must be very careful with the math here. The formula p+(16*n) is used to figure out which slot you want the Power-Up Bar Cursor to highlight depending on the hero, so it contains two variables. "p" is the value associated with the heroes. Burns is 0, Smith is 1, Iron is 2, and Beans is 3. "n" is the value associated with the slots in the Power-Up Bar. Slot zero (nothing highlighted) is 0, slot one is 1, slot two is 2, slot three is 3, slot four is 4, and slot five is 5. Other values have no apparent meaning. Let's say you are playing as Burns and want the HG slot to be highlighted. Seeing how the HG occupies slot 2 in his Power-Up Bar, you can plug the appropriate values into the formula. With p=0 and n=2, you have 0+(16*2)=32. Set 00B1's value to 32, and when you return to the game you'll see that Burns can now pull Hand Grenades out from his ass. Totally awesome. If you use a value of p that doesn't match your hero, your character will magically change. For example, setting 00B1's value to 33 while you are playing as Burns will result in him morphing into Smith with the R slot highlighted. If you screw around with this even more, you'll discover that both Players can use the same hero at the same time! Here is a quick reference chart of all the valid results of the formula: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Power-Up Bar Cursor Burns Smith Iron Beans - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Slot 0 - No Guncases 0 1 2 3 Slot 1 - P /P /P /P 16 17 18 19 Slot 2 - HG/R /FT/TB 32 33 34 35 Slot 3 - MG/HM/B /TM 48 49 50 51 Slot 4 - TI/TI/TI/TI 64 65 66 67 Slot 5 - RA/RA/RA/RA 80 81 82 83 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 00B3 ## (Set from 00 to 10 - Hexadecimal) Burns' Lives 00B4 ## (Set from 00 to 10 - Hexadecimal) Smith's Lives 00B5 ## (Set from 00 to 10 - Hexadecimal) Iron's Lives 00B6 ## (Set from 00 to 10 - Hexadecimal) Beans' Lives To calculate the values you should set these addresses to, add 1 to the numbers of Lives you want for the corresponding heroes. For example, if you want 8 Lives for Beans, set 00B6's value to 9. Setting a value to 0 results in that hero being "Dead." Although the values you enter are decimal, they are treated as hexadecimal. For instance, entering 17 results in 10 Lives. 0369 ## (Set from 00 to 05 - Hexadecimal) Sub Player Timer Have you ever wished SP can work by your side like any other normal Player (i.e. not vanish after 5 seconds)? Well, now you can turn your dream into a reality. Freezing this address' value at any number greater than 0 will allow SP heroes to stick around until they physically leave the screen. You can set this value to a number greater than 5, but doing so messes up the graphics a bit (seeing how the SP Timer's numerical graphics only range from 0 to 5). ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ---------------------- [4.4] GAME GENIE CODES ---------------------- Still need more help? If you have the Game Genie, you may be in luck. Note: These are supposed to work with all versions of the game. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Code Effect(s) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (Concerning Lives) AANVIAPA Infinite Lives for all heroes PAUYTTLA Each hero begins with 1 Life TAUYTTLA Each hero begins with 6 Lives PAUYTTLE Each hero begins with 9 Lives ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ---------------------------------------------- [4.5] MURPHY'S LAWS OF COMBAT AND THE MILITARY ---------------------------------------------- Murphy's Laws of Combat offer some dark yet humorous insight into the world of modern warfare. Listed below are some (but not all) of these Laws: - You are not a superman. - If it's stupid but works, it isn't stupid. - Don't look conspicuous - in battle it draws enemy fire, out of battle it draws sergeants. - When in doubt, empty your magazine. - Never share a foxhole with anyone braver than you are. - Never forget that your weapon was made by the lowest bidder. - If your attack is going really well, it's an ambush. - No plan survives the first contact intact. - All 5 second grenade fuses burn down in 3 seconds. - Try to look unimportant because the bad guys may be low on ammo. - If you are forward of your position, the artillery will fall short. - The enemy diversion you are ignoring is the main attack. - The important things are always simple. - The simple things are always hard. - The easy way is always mined. - If you are short of everything except enemy, you are in combat. - When you have secured an area, don't forget to tell the enemy. - Incoming fire has right of way. - Friendly fire isn't. - Recoilless rifles aren't. - Suppressive fire won't. - Guided missiles aren't. - If the enemy is in range, so are you. - No combat-ready unit has ever passed inspection. - Things that must be together to work usually can't be shipped together. - Radios will fail as soon as you need fire support desperately. - Anything you do can get you shot - including doing nothing. - Tracers work both ways. - The only thing more accurate than incoming enemy fire is incoming friendly fire. - Make it tough for the enemy to get in and you can't get out. - If you take more than your fair share of objectives, you will have more than your fair share of objectives to take. - When both sides are convinced that they are about to lose, they are both right. - Professional soldiers are predictable, but the world is full of amateurs. - Murphy was a grunt. - Landmines are equal-opportunity killers. - Walking point equals sniper bait. - Never be first, never be last, never volunteer. - If you can't remember, the Claymore is pointed at you. - If at first you don't succeed, call in an airstrike. - There is nothing more satisfying in the world than seeing an enemy shoot at you and miss entirely. - Peace is our profession; mass murder is just a hobby. - Killing for peace is akin to f-cking for virginity. ------------------- [4.6] SUPERLATIVES! ------------------- Here is a quick list of some military "superlatives" and what they stand for: FUBAR - F-cked-Up Beyond All Recognition FUMTU - F-cked-Up More Than Usual JANFU - Joint Army-Navy F-ck-Up SNAFU - Situation Normal: All F-cked-Up TARFU - Things Are Really F-cked-Up ============================================================================== V. REFERENCE - More potentially useful data. ============================================================================== ---------------------- [5.1] GAME INFORMATION ---------------------- Japanese Name: Arc Hound (unreleased) American Name: Contra Force Developer: Konami Producer: Konami Publisher: Konami American Release Date: 1992 American GamePak Code: NES-CR-USA Type: action shooter Number of Players: 2 Save: none Memory Size: 256 KB Mapper: 4 (Nintendo MMC3) American Cover Art: Burns and buddies tear ass as they storm through a condensed version of Neo City, racing through the docks with the Mati Building towering up into the skies in the background. Burns grasps his oversized magnum in his left hand while clenching his right hand into a fist. What look like cannon shells or grenade rounds are strapped to Burns' red combat vest, and the white of his eyes glare eerily through his glasses as he screams towards an equally angry terrorist, who has his back towards us at the bottom of the foreground, is wearing a sleeveless shirt, and is packing a handgun in his left hand. Next to this terrorist is his buddy, who is clad similarly but is holding a long kitchen knife in his right fist in a threatening manner. Above this second terrorist is Smith, running along Burns' right side and carrying something that resembles a machinegun more than his familiar Sniper Rifle. Behind Burns is Beans (who looks a bit older than his in-game counterpart), aiming upwards at a helicopter with a handgun that can be mistaken for a small grenade launcher. Leaning out from the chopper is a guy who is preparing to drop the third of a series of red bombs almost directly onto Smith. Farther to the back is Iron, hunched over as he's catching up to his buddies. Fires burst out from the rear, casting a shine over the flamethrower's gas tank strapped onto his back. Between the flames and the Mati Building is the enemy Gunship, pursuing the team as two fighter jets of the convoy screech past above in the blue skies, which is starting to fill up with smoke from a fire on a high deck of the Mati Building. To top all of this off, the words reading, "NEO CITY SHIPPING" is stamped onto the lower of the two wooden crates beside Burns. Lots of detail, eh? --------------------- [5.2] GAME EVALUATION --------------------- You've played Contra Force, and hopefully you like it. But why? To get a better understanding of the game, we've gotta discuss its strong and weak points. (Unlike conventional reviews, this evaluation assumes you're already familiar with the game.) Scoring: Poor - Below Average - Average - Above Average - Excellent Story: Average For the first time in the series, Contra has a game with a real plot. Where's the Head of Intelligence? Who are the terrorists? It's all very intriguing at first, but bad English, reference problems (why is the Head called "Fox" in the Epilogue?), and plot holes crap out what good the story has to offer. Gameplay: Above Average It's classic Contra action with several innovations. The highly interactive environments, being able to play as different heroes, the chance to shoot other humans with fairly realistic weaponry, and the Sub Player all make for some very exciting action. But there are a few problems too. The SP Timer lasts too short, making the Sub Player a pain in the ass to use at times. The Power-Up Bar may be fine in Gradius, but it doesn't work here that well, because it denies the instant gratification that is needed in Contra games. The weapon sets for the heroes are also unbalanced. Beans is very tough to play as because of his extremely specialized firepower. Replay Value: Above Average The multiple routes and the different playable characters definitely offer more replay value than the earlier installments. Controls: Above Average The controls are responsive, but there are two major problems. First, not being able to aim diagonally downwards while running in the side-scrolling Stages is a nasty problem. It's been done since Contra 1; why can't CF do the same? Second, the Dialogue Scenes can't be skipped. The text dialogue there is bad, and seeing it print so slowly is almost as painful as reading it. Graphics: Above Average The characters are animated with lots of bright, colorful details, and the environments are diverse. The hero and boss designs are cool. Slowdown is a noticeable problem, but seeing how the Konami guys have truly pushed the console to its limits, that's hardly a surprise. Sound Effects: Excellent Awesome stuff. Pistols and rifles sound different when they're fired. Splashing water, groaning engines, whipping propeller blades, footsteps, and other effects further liven up the game's atmosphere. Vocal Effects: N/A Music: Above Average The music is inspired, and much of it is memorable. Each Stage comes with a tune that matches it really well. Overall: Excellent Sure, CF has some problems, but with its thrilling gameplay, nice visual and audio effects, and so many original or otherwise interesting features, it's an enjoyable action title that does the Contra series proud. Even without the alien-killing, CF still kicks a lotta ass. Game on, and join the Force. Note: CF was not originally intended to be a Contra installment; it was supposed to be an independent title named Arc Hound. Only after Konami canned the Japanese version did the American version receive the "Contra" label and get released. But honestly, CF does play more or less like the other Contra games (with a touch of Gradius tossed in), so its unexpected membership in the Contra series is justified. ---------------------------------------------------------------- [5.3] REALLY SMALL DETAILS CONTRA SOLDIERS WIPE THEIR ASSES WITH ---------------------------------------------------------------- Faces You know how the heroes' mugs are shown during the Dialogue Scenes, right? Do you also know there are two versions of those pictures for each hero? Yeah, the image you see depends on which Stage has just been beaten. The set of pictures you see after finishing Stage 4 is different from the set for Stages 1 through 3. (Stage 5 has no Dialogue Scene afterwards.) Expressions Dude, I think Smith is jacked-up on something. Ever notice his visage? No matter where you see him, whether if it's on the Command Select Screen or if it's in the Epilogue, he's always smiling. And I mean ALWAYS. If it's not the uppers, then maybe he really likes his job. Or plastic surgery. Beans' Gun Iron's nose isn't the only thing that looks red. Beans' magnum is just like his buddies', only it has a special property (or more likely, a bug). When Beans aims straight up with it in the side-scrolling Stages, it turns red! Unexplainable Behavior Why do the planes fly right next to each other in Stage 4? Why don't those bad guys just keep the damn craft apart so the Force can't move across them to get to the nukes? Swimming Lessons And why does falling into water kill the heroes immediately? You wonder they will try to swim up and climb back into action. The most they can do is maybe drop their weapons to ease the weight, but come on - dying just because you get dunked into some clear, non-corrosive, non-alcoholic liquid? At least falling off from wing surfaces makes sense.... No Shooting in Planes All that gunfire inside the planes in Stage 4 should really suck. Just to think, if there's a breach, you'd get a lot of decompression and bodies flying out into the atmosphere. But not like that's gonna matter, because the plane interiors always remain calm, even after the heroes blow open the doors to get in! The Chopper Pilot Is the chopper pilot in CF the ancestor of the pilot in Contra 4? Both of them always manage to pick up the heroes of their respective games at the most appropriate times. If they are indeed blood-related, maybe this attribute runs in their family? Surprise Prize I wonder why a Guncase can be hidden inside a destroyed wall. Or a drum. Or a pipe. Or a lamp fixture. Or a chair. I know games don't necessarily have to make sense, but this is absolutely ridiculous. Maybe I should try fetching some pizza out from the gutter now.... Krezzy Komparizons Just for kicks, let's match up four-member teams from various Konami titles and series. Here are the teams: CF = Contra Force C4 = Contra 4: Hard Corps Cr = Crime Fighters Go = Goemon SR = Sunset Riders Team CF C4 Cr Go SR Consists only of buff guys who kick ass x x x Consists of at least one gal who kicks more ass x x Consists of guys who all look like the same x Speaks bad English x Gets multiple endings x Doesn't get much of an ending x x x Fights a clinically insane boss (or two) x x x x Fights aliens x Fights drunk hobos x Fights for $$$ x x Has computer/robotic members x x x Goes drag racing - with hoverbikes x Goes drag racing - with horses x x Has a game with testicle humor x x Uses big magnums x Packs too many special weapons x x Uses kung fu x x x Uses bazooka fu x x x Gets to drink beer - and lots of it x Gets to see hookers x x Gets to see hookers dance x Employs cowboy diplomacy x x x x x Winner Tie! ------------------- [5.4] GUIDE CREDITS ------------------- Konami (www.konami.com) For creating Contra Force. Around since the earliest days of arcade and console gaming, the Konami guys can be expected to continue bringing us some of the best games out there. Nintendo (www.nintendo.com) For creating the FC/NES so we can experience Contra Force. Nintendo Power (www.nintendopower.com) Thanks go to this official publication for providing some details of Contra Force. (See Volume 39 - August 1992 Issue, featuring Nintendo's Mario Paint on the front cover, pages 20 to 25. Kirby on pages 46 to 53 looks super funny too.) Galoob (www.galoob.com) (www.hasbro.com/home.html) I don't (really) cheat when I write strategy guides, so the tips presented here are quite valid. However, I've gotta thank the distributors and the creators of the "Game Enhancer" for letting us turn Blue Group into an unstoppable killing machine. Anyway, I've taken the Game Genie codes from a Supplement that came out after the original Codebook. "Storm Shadow" and "Burgundy" Hey, I've promised I'd mention you guys in here, right? Thanks for all that discussion about the game. Specific thanks also go to Storm Shadow for the tip about blowing up the fans in the first Stage. "Johnny Undaunted" For providing information about Contra Force's ill-fated Japanese counterpart, Arc Hound. Gearbox, Valve, and Sierra For some of Murphy's Laws. They are taken from Half-Life: Opposing Force's Instruction Manual, page 17. Like the Contra dudes, Adrian Shephard likes to kick alien ass. "simalcrum" For more of Murphy's Laws. And for pointing out how everyone in Contra Force dies with his ass sticking up. Eeeewwww.... Don McCombs and Fred L. Worth, "WWII: Strange & Fascinating Facts." p.567. New York: Greenwich House, 1983. For the superlatives. This book does indeed contain strange and fascinating World War II facts. F.X. Nine This guy has written books based on the stories from old NES games, which is kinda like fanfics, only people pay real money to read them. Nine's work has inspired me to transfer the action from the game's Movies into the text you see above. And I'm doing it for free! :o Jeff Rovin For some inspiration. I find his pocket guides to be pretty useful and his views on videogame censorship to be quite enlightening. The site where you've found this guide Thanks to the host for kindly posting this up. My fellow Spherelanders (SLG07) For helping me through the game and figuring out the best tactics. Extra thanks to Alexander Ng for actually writing this guide. Recently, Fdd has been playing "bounce the mortar shells," and we are in major need of repairs to our base. ----------------- [5.5] OTHER GAMES ----------------- In case you're interested, here is a list of some other Contra and war action titles made by Konami: Contra 1 / Gryzor (Coin-Op/Arcade, FC/NES) The kick-ass beginnings of Konami's famous action shooter series. C1's gameplay and controls have pretty much been retained across the entire series (excluding the stuff made by Appaloosa). The Forward-Scrolling Mode here has helped pave the way for some of Konami's later games, including Devastators and Axelay. Contra 2: Super C (Coin-Op/Arcade, FC/NES) Besides some improvements in graphics, weapon design, and bosses, this is basically the same as C1. The Forward-Scrolling Mode has been changed to the Overhead Mode, which will be used again in OC, C3 and CF. Operation C (GB) This plays similar to C2. Although OC is only a 1-Player game, it still offers classic Contra action, with both Side-Scrolling and Overhead Modes. Contra 3: The Alien Wars / Contra Spirits (SFC/SNES) Even very few games nowadays can match this classic is terms of design and execution. For such a relatively early SNES title, it sports awesome visual and audio effects, mind-blowing enemy and level designs, and extremely enjoyable gameplay. Contra 3: The Alien Wars / Contra Spirits (GB) A simplified, more portable version of the SNES C3. This port even comes with a Password feature. Contra 4: Hard Corps (SMD/Genesis) This is a great sequel to C3, but it also parallels CF in several respects, mainly the multiple playable characters and the deeper story. New here are the different Ending Movies - there are six of them! C4's decisive-element system that determines which Ending Movie plays out is later rehashed for Konami's action adventure, Silent Hill 1. Contra Hard Spirits (SFC/SNES, GBA) An "enhanced" version of the original SNES C3 that has a few changes, such as the inclusion of some Stages from C4. Contra 5: Shattered Soldier / Shin Contra (PS2) After working with Appaloosa, the Konami guys finally got smart and let the people behind C1 and C2 develop this installment. While it offers nothing new (many of the bosses are based on those from the prequels), and its weapon system is more cumbersome than it needs to be, this brings back the hardcore action and the smooth gameplay the series is known for. (On an interesting note, C5 has been originally meant to be made for the N64, but later Konami decided to create it for the PS2.) Probotector While the Japanese and American versions of Contra are essentially the same (except for that Life Meter feature in C4), the European Contra undergoes some drastic changes. No longer about a bunch of big buff Arnold-type soldiers going around blowing stuff up, Konami's series is now about big buff robot soldiers going around blowing stuff up. The gameplay is the same, only the heroes are Probotectors, robots whose duty is to save our human asses from getting kicked. Apparently, the Euro censors have decided that humans killing other fleshy alien organisms is bad, so Konami has to change everyone into more "harmless" machines. But come on - Contra is about the "space marines versus Aliens" concept, and changing everyone into a robot isn't gonna remove the violence. It also means unnecessary work for Konami, because the artists are forced to redraw all the great graphics. Probotector 4 takes the biggest hit - it loses one hero's animation set and the light swearing that are found in the other versions. Yeah, censors suck. Devastators (Coin-Op/Arcade) Take the Forward-Scrolling Mode from C1, add in some grenades and rocket launchers, and you get this hardcore action game. Charging forwards, the heroes have to shoot down a bunch of enemy soldiers threatening to blow them away with machineguns, missiles, flamethrowers, heavy artillery, torpedoes, and, yes, even dull and rusty knives. The heroes will weave through countless explosions and screaming soldiers. The sound effects here are truly excellent - it's a non-stop orgy of flying lead, bombs tossing bodies into the blood-soaked skies, and the groaning of bad guys being slaughtered by the heroes' assault rifles. Missing In Action (Coin-Op/Arcade) The follow-up to Rush n' Attack. The heroes must run and climb through enemy territory to rescue POWs. As with its predecessor, MIA is mostly about stabbing commies with sharp knives. The heroes here can pick up more than one special weapon at a time now, and they get to sneak through better developed underground areas. The music has a good beat, too, and the ambience effects are awesome. Jackal (Coin-Op/Arcade, FC/NES) Even more war action and POW-rescuing, but with jeeps. Colonel Decker and friends have to drive and shoot their way through enemy lines and towards victory. The overhead perspective lets the heroes weave around obstacles while strafing enemies with their machineguns and launching explosives in multiple directions. Col. Decker looks a lot like Smith, but with a beret instead of a cap. Creepy. Combat School (Coin-Op/Arcade) Training isn't such a bad thing. Or is it? In this interesting title, Joe and Nick, two boot camp screw-offs, are being monitored closely by the drill sergeant. In a series of exercises (that are reminiscent of the events from Hyper Olympics or Track and Field), the two protagonists need to pass several tests, or else they get a personal ass-whipping from the sarge. Sunset Riders (Coin-Op/Arcade, SFC/SNES, SMD/Genesis) This has nothing to do with 20th century warfare, but it's wacky enough to warrant some mention here. Another set of four interesting and somewhat odd hombres get to storm through the Wild West and hunt down varmints for the glory, the $$$, the beer, and, of course, the ladies. This game is basically Contra put in a cowboy setting, but the humor, the stereotypical voice acting, the booze, and the sex make our care-free bounty hunters ride all the way into the sunset. Not enough for you? Here is a list of some other games (besides Konami's) that feature similar gameplay elements to Contra. Contra: Legacy of War (Appaloosa - PSX) The Appaloosa guys aren't necessarily crappy developers, but they've blown it when they've designed LoW. Like in CF and C4, there are four playable characters, but the uninspired gameplay and the poor visual and audio effects ruin what fun this title has to give. C: The Contra Adventure (Appaloosa - PSX) Appaloosa's second chance at making a Contra game. While TCA is not total, utter crap, it could've been better. For some reason, there is no 2-Player feature here. Gun Force (Irem - Coin-Op/Arcade, SFC/SNES) A cheap clone of Konami's Contra. While the gameplay is solid, the graphics are mediocre and the music is rather bland. Still, you get what the title implies: a lot of gunfire. There are several special weapons and some cool vehicles the heroes can use, from jeeps to helicopters to even unoccupied enemy gun emplacements. Also check out the sequel, Gun Force 2. Metal Slug (Nazca - NeoGeo) This toony yet violent action shooter feels like a rip-off of Konami's Contra at first, but what makes it unique is its wacky humor, which is portrayed through some extremely amazing graphics. The heroes here can ride armored vehicles for additional firepower and protection, too. Also check out the sequels, Metal Slug 2, Metal Slug 3, plus more. ============================================================================== ============================================================================== I hope you enjoy playing Contra Force and reading this strategy guide. Got questions or comments? Wanna argue about something I've said that isn't quite true? Wanna cover any tactical points I've missed? Wanna discuss big guns? Wanna joke about Burns' beret? Wanna hide one of Beans' toys under the boss' chair? Feel free to e-mail me at faididi@hotmail.com Also feel free to visit the staff's site. Get your extra gaming data, fun pictures, and illegal goods down at www.geocities.com/faididi/index.html Let us carry on the Golden Torch of Videogaming until the sun explodes and all life on Earth dies a horrible death, so the Red Falcon won't have to worry about beating the terrorists to world domination. :) ============================================================================== ==============================================================================