Best Contra game ever?

[Lord Nepenthean]

Okay, I've been playing Super C a LOT the last few days.  Last night alone I beat it three times consecutively and just quit partially through the fourth go around with about 23 lives.  Then today I got up and played again, beating it twice more.  This game rocks hard.  The manly poses, the ridiculous spread gun, lasers (even if it is a sucky weapon), giant skull monsters at the end of many levels, explosions, contras, jungles, etc., etc.  It's just beautiful.  Take a look at the images on this page if you need further evidence.

[img align=right]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-027/ss/ex/U-027-S-06240-A_44.png[/img]
[img align=right]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-027/ss/ex/U-027-S-06240-A_53.png[/img]
image 1 image 2 image 3 image 4

CLEARLY, this game kicks your ass.  Go play it right now if you haven't, but be prepared to be BLOWN AWAY.

Contra in general is a great series, so I raise the question: What is the best Contra game ever made?  Or, perhaps which is your favorite?  (Since it would be a bit unfair to be so objective with such an amazing series.)

Super C is my personal favorite right now, but I've got a lot of Contra games to play still.

[Zimbacca]

I like the first one, and Contra 3 best.

[Lord Nepenthean]

I just got done beating the original Contra for the first time about an hour ago.  It was definitely awesome, but I still like Super C more.  There are two main reasons for this.  First, the quasi-3D levels (whatever you want to call them) are really kinda bad in my opinion.  I mean, they're allright, but they detract from the game for me.  They're the kind of level that I look forward to the end of, but only because I want it to be over - not for the sense of accomplishment at having beaten it.  The rest of the game is definitely awesome.  I don't like the way Contra has more multi-level scrolling levels than Super C, but I think this is just something I'm not used to.  I always end up jumping, shooting down, and when I land I fall down a level and end up falling to my death because something was below me.  In Super C, this would not really happen.....  Again, not necessarily something bad....  just not what I'm used to at all.  Overall, a great game.  I'd give it a 90%.  

I took some screenshots of it to add to the ones Laurel uploaded ages ago.  I'll add them to the site tonight probably....  after I sleep.

[Antimind]

I'll always like the first one best. It's one of my fav arcade games and one of the first "must have" NES games (for me). Half the neighborhood would come over my place to play and we'd be at it for hours. I never had as much fun with the other Contra games.

[Suppafly2]

My favorite is SUper C.

gret graphics, great music...I loved the top-down view levels too...

[Lord Nepenthean]

Yeah the only way Super C was lacking in my opinion is some of the bosses were a bit too easy.  The designs were AWESOME (see above images again), but many were just cake to beat.  The final boss in particular comes to mind.

Top-down levels were indeed very cool too.

[Lord Nepenthean]

I was playing Contra Force earlier, and boy does it suck.  It doesn't even really feel like a Contra game.  The control is really clumsy and unresponsive, and the level design is just bad.  And multiple characters?  What?  Contra is supposed to be about shooting, shooting some more, and then shooting more still.  Not this trash.

[captain_nintendo]

First Contra rocks ! I own a Contra arcade cab and it is almost like the NES port. Right now my cabinet has a power supply issue , but I will get it fixed eventually.

[Lord Nepenthean]

Well, I played Contra III for the first time in about a thousand years, and I'm thinking it may quickly take the place of Super C as my favorite Contra game.

[img width=450]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-044/ss/ex/U-044-S-01200-A_05.png[/img]
http://www.rfgeneration.c...ex/U-044-S-01200-A_05.png

[img width=450]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-044/ss/ex/U-044-S-01200-A_28.png[/img]
http://www.rfgeneration.c...ex/U-044-S-01200-A_28.png

[img width=450]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-044/ss/ex/U-044-S-01200-A_33.png[/img]
http://www.rfgeneration.c...ex/U-044-S-01200-A_33.png

Some of the boss designs aren't as cool in Contra III, but the everything else is amazing.  It's fast-paced, there are tons of cool weapons, great level design, and the challenge is significantly greater than any of the NES Contra games.  Solid.  I am definitely going to need a lot of work before I can beat this game.

[Lord Nepenthean]

Some of the boss designs aren't as cool in Contra III...

I retract that statement.

[img width=450]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-044/ss/ex/U-044-S-01200-A_62.png[/img]
http://www.rfgeneration.c...ex/U-044-S-01200-A_62.png

[Nintendo Psycho]

Well, it's obviously Contra, Super C, and Contra III: the Alien Wars. Contra Force sucked and it wasn't even a real Contra game.

[Lord Nepenthean]

Do you know if the same team of programmers did Contra Force as the others?

On a side note, Shattered Soldier on PlayStation 2 is actually pretty awesome too.  Tough and very good.  It's not quite as badass as Super C or Contra III, but it does have some great music and I like the ability to switch between the three weapons at all times.  There aren't a ton of weapons like in earlier Contra games, but being able to use any of the three on the fly is pretty cool.

[pineapplehead2]

I would like to see a 3D PS2 Version of this, i really would. but do you think it will be a brave step if Konami did try a 3D Version, i mean you would have to play Bubsy 3D to understand.

[Gajin]

The first one was really ass-kicking, SuperC doesn't have the same magic. Contra Force has an potential - but badly used