Ah, Contra. Contra is really the game that invented the "run around with a machine gun and blast the heck out of anything that moves" type of game. The game is a classic that anyone will recall as "fun", "addictive", or even "epic". Why is the game so great? Well, it's simple yet addictive and challenging. Anyone can see Contra and understand the concept within seconds; you play as a guy who has to shoot the bad guys and avoid getting shot himself. With that info you can play the game, but it requires a lot more to master the game. In order to master it, you'll need to keep playing it which works quite well because Contra is a game that will make you want to keep playing. It's a classic game that was owned by many hardcore gamers in the NES era.
   The graphics are good replications of the arcade original. Of course they had to simplified to work with the 8-bit console, but everything is still recognizable for what it is. Bill Rizer (protagonist of the game) sprites clearly show that he is shirtless and sports a red bandanna. The enemies are seen soldiers equipped with read armor. Overall, the graphics look about as good as the arcade version on a console with 8-bit graphics. I believe the graphics deserve an 8/10.
   The sounds are about as good as they could be on the NES. The music is really what's great. The theme for the jungle level is stuck in my head as I write this review. Every level has the kind of catchy music you would expect from Konami. It really gets you in the fast paced, action-packed setting of the game. The sound effects aren't much, but you understand what they are; gunshots and explosions are the two main sounds of the game. The sound merits a 9/10 due to the great music.
    One of the core aspects of the game is how addictive it is. Every time you die you'll just want to play more. Why? Well, when the game kills you, it's your fault. The game makes you want to keep trying until you can get past the part you keep dying on. You learn more each time you die. With what you learn you gain the skill to overcome challenges which kill you and attempt to prevent death altogether. It's an arcade style game that you don't pay quarters for. Each retry is free which means that there is nothing stopping from trying again. It will beat you down until you beat it which only makes you want to beat it more. Overall, it's super addictive and greatly a 10/10 if not 11.
   As for story, well there isn't much. According to the manual the year is 1987. 30 years ago (1957) an object from outer space landed in the Amazon. Of course, no damage was done and this was forgotten. Now, an alien army has come from the object with an evil leader known as Red Falcon. You are one of two specialists chosen to defeat the alien army. It's not very in-depth story, but it gets the point through. Story gets a 6/10.
   When it comes to content or depth, the game does well. There a 8 zones to get through each with boss battles at the end. There are two types of levels in the game. There are platform levels in which you must get your player to the end of the level by running and jumping on platforms whilst shooting your enemies and there are levels inside of bases where the player is put in a third person 3D perspective shooter. The goal of these levels is to blast open the door of reach room in order to progress to the next one until you reach the end of the base. The depth of the game is boosted by the multiplayer mode where two friends play the game cooperatively. Player 1 controls Bill and Player 2 controls Lance who is exactly the same as Bill with different colors. The multiplayer is really fun and adds a lot the game. The game gets a 9/10 for depth (it would be 7/10 without multiplayer).
   Lastly is the difficulty of the game. It's a very challenging game. One bullet from any thing will kill you instantly and you only get three lives. Plus, it's kind of hard not to die with all the crossfire in the average level. You are given continues which will start you at the beginning of the level you died on, but these are also limited. However, the game does balance the difficulty in one way. The thirty life code. A cheat code that gives the player 1o times the lives they would normally get. This cheat code is good for beginners and is universally known by everyone who received the first issue of Nintendo Power (and if you don't know it I suggest you Google it). Despite how hard the game is, you never feel like the game is cheating you with broken controls and bad level design. If you lose then you just have to get better at the game. The difficulty gets a 7/10.
   Overall the game gets a 9.4/10. This game is just great. It's a timeless classic that has worked it's way into gamers' hearts and has spawned many great sequels. I'm glad it's on Vizzed and that's all I can say.