Contra (Arcade)

Contra
Also known as: Gryzor (EU) Developer: Konami Publisher: Konami Platform: Arcade (Custom) Released in JP: February 20, 1987 Released in US: March 1987 Released in EU: February 1987 This game has regional differences.

Contra is the first entry in Konami's run-and-gun series well known for being hardcore and hard and core. While a solid game in its own right, the much-improved NES port would be what ultimately propelled the series into stardom.

Regional Differences

Title Screen

Japan	US	Europe

The Japanese logo features a sea of flames inside of the kanji characters, whereas the international logos go for a more metallic look, in addition to removing the blue outline. The European version's title screen graphics were adjusted slightly.

Demo

The gameplay demo differs between versions. The Japanese version shows gameplay from Stages 1 (Jungle), 2 (Enemy Base), and 7 (Snowfield). The American version ends the demo after Stage 1. The European version uses the same demo as the Japanese version except for Stage 1, which was replaced by a new one due to the updated 2-player mode.

Gameplay

The European version only allows two players to play the game alternating rather than simultaneously, an extemely strange omission considering that co-op was one of the main draws of the game (and all future games in the series, for that matter).