Just in time for Konami's 50th anniversary, the esteemed developer announced, a few months ago, that Contra Anniversary Collection would be hitting consoles in the summer, though no specific date was given at the time. Now, the collection is available to all, as Contra Anniversary Collection can be played on all major consoles and PC.
Little had been said of Contra Anniversary Collection since the compilation was announced in March of 2019. That changed Tuesday when it was mentioned during Nintendo's E3 2019 Direct. A trailer displaying every game available in the assortment was later uploaded, reminding fans of Contra's unique brand of breathless action.
The trailer itself is actually fairly short. A minute in length, it offers a brief capture of everything included in Contra Anniversary Collection. Providing brief snippets of action from each game, the preview gives a flavor of what the series is about to curious newcomers and a sense of nostalgia to players with considerable tenacity.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R02VFrzsl8[/embed]
While the trailer is very succinct in nature, Contra Anniversary Collection's full lineup of games is on complete display. The collection consists of the following:
- Contra (Arcade)
- Super Contra (Arcade)
- Super C (NES)
- Contra III: The Alien Wars (SNES)
- Contra: Hard Corps (Sega Genesis)
- Contra (NES)
- Contra (Famicom)
- Operation C (Game Boy)
- Probotector (Sega Mega Drive)
- Super Probotector: Alien Rebels (SNES)
There is quite a bit of content to sift through here. While most of the games are relatively short, as is the general characteristic of retro arcade titles, these games were nonetheless enjoyed by many fans of side-scrolling arcade shooters. In the eyes of many, Contra helped define its genre and was part of the vanguard of decades-old franchises that popularized run and gun shooters. Some titles were enjoyed more than others, but the series is highly celebrated as a whole.
Furthermore, this collection can be viewed as prelude to the upcoming Contra: Rogue Corps, whose trailer was shown at E3 2019. Contra: Rogue Corps aims to bring a whole different kind of Contra experience to players accustomed to the 2D-style of gameplay. There were times of top-down perspectives in games included in Contra Anniversary Collection, but there has never been a full-fledged Contra game in which players explore 3D environments. Until then, Contra Anniversary Collection will be great for either letting longtime fans brush up on their shoot 'em up skills or introducing new players to the brutal, if rewarding, style of Contra.
Contra Anniversary Collection is currently available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
