DEVELOPMENT
How it was made
Developed and published by Konami for arcades, it was later adapted for the Famicom/NES with notable differences and became one of the most famous home versions.
EDITORIALLY VERIFIEDGAME00000009
1987
Contra
Contra is a fast, punishing arcade run-and-gun game built around constant movement, weapon upgrades and simultaneous cooperative play.
THE GAME ALMANACC
Contra
1987
FranchiseContra
GenreRun and Gun / Shooter
ThemeScience Fiction / Military Action
PerspectiveSide-scrolling
ModeSingle-player / Multiplayer
Still holds upYes
THE RECORD AT A GLANCE
What defines Contra?
Run, jump, shoot in multiple directions, dodge enemy fire, collect weapons and fight through side-scrolling and pseudo-3D stages.
GOLD STANDARD EDITORIAL
The complete Almanac record
The workbook’s long-form editorial fields are presented here as a readable feature rather than a wall of database cells.HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE
Why it matters
It helped define the run-and-gun genre and popularised two-player cooperative action on home consoles through its NES release.
RECEPTION
How it was received
Remembered for its intensity, difficulty and co-op play, Contra became one of Konami's defining action franchises.
LEGACY
What it left behind
Its weapon pickups, one-hit danger and co-op structure influenced later arcade-style shooters, including Metal Slug and many retro-inspired action games.
SALES
Commercial record
NES version reported to have sold around 2 million units.
NOTES
Almanac notes
Developer/publisher IDs corrected to Konami. Original release represents the arcade version; NES/Famicom release should remain in Releases.
CONNECTED HISTORY
One game, many pathways
Every node links back into the live game browser, already using the relationships imported from the spreadsheet.GAME RECORDContraGAME00000009
DeveloperKonamiPublisherKonamiFranchiseContraPlatformFamily ComputerPrimary genreRun and GunThemeMilitaryPEOPLE
Creators and credits
Tokuro FujiwaraProducer
AWARDS
Recognition
Frequently listed among the best NES action games.
RELEASE RECORD
Family Computer
Release information is imported from the workbook’s relational release and platform tables.Release date1988-02-09
RegionJapan
EditionStandard
FormatPhysical
MediaCartridge
Display240p / 60 Hz
LIVE WORKBOOK IMPORT