COMPILATIONS – CONTRA ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION
RELEASE INFORMATION
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Sony PlayStation 4, Microsoft XBox One, Microsoft Windows. Also available via Amazon Luna for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android (through the Amazon Fire TV and other select devices).
Media/Formats: Digital Release, Card/Disc (Switch/PS4 Limited Physical Release)
Developer: Konami
Publisher: NTSC-J: Konami
NTSC-U: Konami
PAL: Konami
Release: NTSC-J: June 12, 2019
NTSC-U: June 11, 2019
PAL: June 11, 2019
Note: The above release dates pertain to all 4 platforms.
DETAILS
To further capitalize on nostalgia and the recent retro game re-release wave, Konami released their own series of anniversary collections, in collaboration with M2. Each collection focuses on a specific series or theme, such as Castlevania and Contra.
The games featured in this collection emulate fairly well, although there have been reports of issues including input lag, slowdown, glitches and other problems related to performance. The game data is sourced from ROM files of each Contra title, most of which have been modified. Only the Japanese release of Super Contra for NES (Famicom) is identical to the original release.
For the other titles, references to Nintendo and Sega have been removed from the game. This ranges from title screen differences in the games for Nintendo-based systems to the removal of the Sega copyright startup screen in the Contra: Hard Corps entries.
On October 21, 2020, this collection also became available through the Amazon Luna cloud gaming service.
The Switch and PS4 versions of Contra Anniversary Collection were selected to receive physical releases by Limited Run Games in 2022.
The version of arcade Contra included uses the same emulation code from the DS port, thus exhibiting the same emulation problems. Strangely, arcade Super Contra lacks the voice-over audio in the intro sequence.
Currently, no other differences are known. This collection marks the first time that Contra: Hard Corps received a port that is widely available. The first port, playable on the GameTap service, was limited to North America.
Featured Games (more info below):
•Contra (Arcade, NES)
•Super Contra (Arcade, NES)
•Operation C (Game Boy)
•Contra III: The Alien Wars (and Super Probotector: Alien Rebels)
•Contra: Hard Corps (and Probotector)
The Probotector releases of Contra III and Hard Corps, as well as the Famicom counterpart to NES Contra, are considered their own separate game.
An update patch was released that adds the Japanese versions of the games, except for the already-included Famicom Contra:
•Contra (Arcade)
•Super Contra (Arcade, Famicom)
•Contra (Game Boy)
•Contra Spirits (Super Famicom)
•Contra: The Hard Corps (Sega Mega Drive)
Pathetically, Konami passes off regional releases, especially the Probotector counterparts, as separate titles to pad the number of “included games”. The same applies for the Famicom (Japanese NES) version Contra, which is considered in this pack to be a distinct title. This is more illogical, given that Konami released an update that adds the Japanese releases of the other games, anyway.
Contra games can be selected from a menu that features overlay graphics summarizing each title. Customization options are also available to adjust settings, such as display; save/load options are also included. Menu navigation and selection sound effects are taken from Contra III. The menus also provide controls and other instructions for each game.
Each game selection also includes a recorded replay video. Additionally, the Probotector entries provide the option to play the game in the native 50Hz, or 60Hz (labelled Turbo).
In addition to the games, a “bonus book” is also available that outlines the major releases in the series throughout the years and a summary of the series’ plot, as well as developer interviews and concept art/sketches. The instructions for each included game are also present in the book. The bonus reading material is riddled with errors and the included timeline further retcons the series canon, which would be deemed unnecessary if more stock were to be put into the plot of the games.
Curiously, ROMs are present in the collection’s data for Probotector II (NES) and Probotector (GB). They can’t be accessed in the game by regular means. It is uncertain why they are present, but there were possibly plans to include the rest of the Probotector counterparts.
Contra Anniversary Collection can be downloaded on Steam (Windows), the Nintendo Game Store (Switch), PlayStation Store (PlayStation 4) and the Microsoft Store (XBox One).
For more information about the included Contra titles, see their respective pages: (work in progress)
Main game pages:
•Contra (Arcade)
•Contra (NES)
•Super Contra (Arcade)
•Super Contra (NES)
•Operation C
•Contra III: The Alien Wars
•Contra: Hard Corps
Collection Releases:
General Information is available here.
Contra Encyclopedia 