Contra 魂斗羅/コントラ Famicom Playthrough

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Nerdly Pleasures (Great Hierophant)

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Published on November 23, 2020 3:13:43 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCHOdvOJA1k

Game:

Contra (1987)

Duration: 31:55

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Here is a playthrough of Famicom Contra, the version that we did not get. What the US received was the Japanese version pared down to its bare essentials. The Japanese version has an introduction and in-between cutscenes to tell the story with graphics not present in the US version. It also has background animations in Stages 1, 5 and 8 which the US version lacks. The ending is superior as well. Of course, the US cartridge only had 128KiB of Program ROM and 8KiB of Character RAM and a simple memory bankswitching controller scheme compared to the custom memory mapper and 128KiB Program ROM plus the 128KiB Character ROM the Japanese game used.

I have previously posted a playthrough of the US Contra using a stock front loader NES and its composite video output. This playthrough was captured via an Analogue Nt Mini, the opposite end of the quality scale with HDMI output. Despite my inept performance in Stage 7, no FPGAs were harmed in the making of this video. I was using the 8bitdo N30 2.4G Wireless Controller, and as you can see it is no slouch in a game that demands precision. At no time did I use the turbo buttons despite being solely tempted against those spiked walls in Stage 7.

While I could have patched the ROM to use the English Translation patch, I decided to use a pure ROM. There is not much Japanese text in the game, but what is here I have taken the translation patch's text to give the translation at the time reference.

00:39 - Attract
"Contra" is a title awarded to a superior soldier possessing almost super-human drive and ability, while excelling in guerrilla tactics.

01:09 - Stage 1
[First Screen] In the year 2631 A.D., a mysterious meteorite fell into the Galuga Archipelago near New Zealand.

[Second Screen] Two years later, a mysterious invaider calling itself "Red Falcon" plots the downfall of mankind by fortifying the entire Galuga Archipelago.

[Third Screen] Orders were given to Bill and Lance of the Earth Marine Corps' "Contra" unit to destroy the enemy's base.

04:13 - Stage 2
We have arrived at "Point A." Commencing Infiltration

06:09 - Stage 3
"Garumakiruma" has been neutralized. We're now heading to "Point B."

08:38 - Stage 4
We have arrived at "Point B." Commencing Infiltration

12:02 - Stage 5
"Godomuger" has been neutralized. Our objective is to reach the enemy's base at "Point C."

15:13 - Stage 6
We have arrived at "Point C." Communication will now be impossible. We will do our best to destroy the enemy's base.

18:18 - Stage 7
The base's interior defense system has been activated. It's now or never...

27:17 - Stage 8
It seems we have arrived at the enemy's base. What is this place?

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