Awesome! Can't wait to listen to this podcast, as I missed the Castlevania one.

Anyway, a question for you guys. What was your first thing that popped in your mind when you saw the cover of the first Contra when you were just some little kids?

How can a simple game like this not get so repetitive? Is it because of the difficulty or maybe just cause?

Why do all more recent Contra games (excluding the DS version) suck? How could they possibly screw it up so badly?

@Agent Chieftain- I meant score-wise.

Sharpless, that's another win for you, sir. Puppies are always appreciated.

Who do you guys think have finger banged more chicks, Bill, Lance, or Chad

@Topher
I wage war against the LOLcat overlords.

For cereal, though, if Chad were to input the Konami Code while fingerbanging, what would happen? Would the woman explode?

Yay Sharpless for the puppies!!! ^_______^

Also maybe she'd get 30 orgasms instead of 30 guys?

I missed the Contra bus back in the day, so I look forward to learning all about this hella hard franchise.

Contra was my first real side-scroller on Nintendo. I got that game down to a science so quickly. Eff your thirty lives, I only need one. :)

And Hitogoroshi is right, the Laser is a charm. Strangely, I've always found a fascination with the Machine Gun. Maybe just because it sounded neat when it was fired.

@aborto -- I think difficulty from game to game (even ones that can be considered similar in level of difficulty, like Ninja Gaiden and Contra) still creates a varying level of enjoyment. I love Contra and Ninja Gaiden, but Contra had two things going for it that Ninja Gaiden did not have.

1. Ridiculously short game length -- I've beaten Contra in under fifteen minutes and I know there are people out there who can easily do better. For all the difficulty that Contra has, it's easy to take the time to learn where the baddies are and their general method of operation when a game is so short. Ninja Gaiden is about learning the positions and methods of said baddies again, but also some ridiculous sets of jumps that have to be perfectly timed and the need for certain items in conjunction with them. Just in case you say Contra still matters in terms of item (weapon) usage in relation to the enemies...

2. Contra has a built-in code to dumb down the difficulty while at the same time, not dumbing down the difficulty -- 30 lives is going to probably get you through any game that doesn't have a ridiculous kill-point of some sort that just consumes lives. If you input that code, you have all the time in the world to either run through the game or simply study up on how things work. Ninja Gaiden not only lacks this, but also makes you start a ways back when you die, generally. Contra will at least just pop you right back onto the screen to continue the fight right where you left off.

Say what you will about 30 lives being kinda cheesy, but it's what made a lot of people's lives easier when they were learning the ropes of Lifeforce too.

Personally, I like the above-average difficulty of a game when it's handled right. I think Contra did it perfectly and I think Ninja Gaiden was a pretty good run at it also. I think overkill is when you get to something like Ghosts N' Goblins.

My question that I want to throw out there is...

For people who have actively played all these crazy action/side-scroller/shmups/whatevers of the past, do you prefer the simpler setup and all-over-the-board difficulty to the level of difficulty that shows up today on games?

That is, the difficulty in games today seems to be more centralized on move-sets related to the controller or just throwing out overpowering enemies in hopes that you develop your own personal strategy to dealing with what's coming.

I guess that's the one thing that really made difficult games of the past so enjoyable for me...linearity. The difficulty was represented by a constant that had one specifically good way to deal with it at all times and never really changed. Man, now I want to go back and play Lifeforce again. :P

Question: There's been a lot of talk about how games these days are easier on the gamer than before. Why do you think developers don't have a special "Contra Kicks Your Ass" setting for those wanting something more?

I'd like to take up that challenge...I think I could give Chad a run for his money on Contra or Contra 3. These are basically two of my most favorite games ever! I prefer playing the original sans Konami Code and consider beating the third game on the hardest difficulty one of my favorite gaming accomplishments.

I need to know...what are your guys favorite weapon combos in Contra 3 (Mine are double Cs or a combo of C and Laser)? We all know that homing missiles are worthless if you play on any difficulty higher than easy.

I'm curious to hear if you can find an answer to this:

Is there ANYTHING manlier than the Contra games?

Another question:

Which boss is the mos fun to kill and which one is the most bastard?

Contra pretty much drinks my milkshake. I can't put it any simpler than that.

Please tell me you guys played Contra Hard Corps for Genesis? As far as I remember, it was programmed by the Treasure guys before they left to form their own company.

That is my FAVORITE Contra game. A large variety of weapons (with a normal playing Contra dude, a girl, a wolf, and a robot), multiple endings, multiple paths, crazy bosses, hard as nails, and THE HIDDEN ENDING WHICH ROCKED THE WORLD (which I'll be nice and won't give away, but there is an appearance of a character from another famous Konami game..sort of...).

So did you guys do marathon sessions of Contra with your best gaming friend? You know the kind where you brought all your food (microwave pizza) and drink (kick soda) to the living room, got caffeine buzzed and played till morning.

And this brings up another question. What other games were good for those multi-hour play sessions back in the day? For me a few come to mind: Road Rash (when you got tired of racing, you just started seeing who could crash the farthest), Decap-Attack, Zombies Ate My Neighbors. There are more but this is getting long so I'll end it here.

Why do you think that as a kid it looked like you could play contra for forever and not finnish it, or play it 100 times back 2 back without boring yourself.
And now it contra 1 and 2 maby 3 takes about +- 40 min to beat?
Is it just because we where kids or is there something else?

+ LOVE the show keep up the GREAT work! :)
ps: you have to talk about the music maby put the theme song in the show just like the zelda eps? ;)

I've only played Contra 4. It's utterly destroyed my will. What methods and/or games that are Contra-like would be able to help mold me into a better, manlier epic alien killing machine?

three questions

1. What do you think of limited continues? I'm asking this because of the views I'm seeing of Triggerheart Exelica on XBLA and people are bashing it for being "too short", and the reason these people are able to even beat the game is because it has by default (and i see no option to turn it off) unlimited continues. I see these complains and think to my self "they wouldn't be complaining about that if they actually had to work for their win" which brings to question two

2. Why do you think brutally hard difficulty is good (or bad)? I personally like hard games for emotions that go with it; the fear and anxiety of likely failure, and the thrill and pride when met with success. I believe I just answered my own question so I'll rephrase it, do you agree with me?

finally
3. I beat Contra 4 on hard, may i have a cookie?

Do you think a new Contra game similar to say Army of Two would be a good idea? Would it alienate fans of the origional side scroller? Or would a new version of it similar to say the upcoming Street Fighter HD that will be downloadable be a good thing?

I don't really have a quesstion, but I'm happy you're talking about Contra. I bought Contra 4 in January after you all talked about it for two months, and I really like it. I still haven't beat it, but hey, I'm trying! I beat it on easy mode, and beat all the challenges, but normal is just waaaay to hard. I've made it to level six without dying, but everything just falls apart there.

Yeah, Contra 4 is awesome. It's still is my DS.


OKay, here's a question: Chad, what's you high score on Contra 4? Mine is 176K.

I love these games, but I always get destroyed by them. I just don't have the skills

Man, i luvs me sum Contra.

My question is: What is your worst contra related memory? I'm sure there's a few if you think really hard back to your early days. Was it whipping your controller into the dog, forcing a trip to the vet? Blackout just before finishing off the final boss? Getting grounded for excessive foul language?


Also, why did they change Super C so much from the Arcade to the NES? I noticed it was waaaay easier on the VC than on XBLA.

Contra. Damn. Kids these days say games are hard. Damn it, I'm 15 and I love Contra, while most of my friends don't know what it is. I can't wait to hear it.

I'll gladly take that ass-whippin', Chad.

ONe of my happiest gaming moments was at the end of the summer when I was 12 or maybe 13, I was finally able to pull off beating the original Contra without losing a single life. I did it once more soon after, but now I can't make it past the third level on my original life.

Which leads to my questions:

How lives does it take to get to the heart-filled center of the Alien Fortress? And do you find that you are better or worse than when you were the video game savant back in your prime (or am I the only one to have their skills deteriorate as I approach 30)?