Why does this game have a reputation for being hard?

>>4155961
try playing without the code for once

>>4155961
Should've had checkpoints after every death desu.

i can whoop contra like 3 times in a row without using the code!

>>4155963
I've always played without the code. In fact, I think that's why people say it's hard. They use the code, and then they can't play for shit without it because they never had to develop skills

>>4155998
That's exactly it

They put in the code and die nonstop and never realize that if you get a spreader and don't get hit it's not so bad at all

File: My_NES_Contra_was_never_returned.jpg (3MB, 2304x1728px) Image search: [Google]

3MB, 2304x1728px

>>4155961
I too find it easy without the code too so long as I am playing on my own. However, I think it may be a challenge to sync up with another player sometimes where you have no synergy with which can change some enemy shots/attacks as they may not be aimed at you and change the dynamics you're used to. Also the screen may be different like the vertical stages where the players advance the death pit line up for viewable area. Still, it is great fun when my cousins joined in.

Idk, but I suck at the game I think it's hard
My dad can breeze through the game no problem though

>>4155961
Because people are retards.

I'll say it again that Contra is easier than Super Mario Bros.

I can pick up Contra right now and definitely beat it without problems (yes, without the fucking code you retarded plebs, I never needed that bullshit even at 5 years old) whereas if I tried a warpless run of SMB right now chances are I'd see a Game Over screen.

>>4155961
Try playing it when you're six and you'll understand.

>>4155961
it's really, really, really easy to just up and die on accident repeatedly, particularly when you're new to it
but I don't think it's too particularly hard (in fact, at this point, I think the game only really starts to be challenging after the waterfall stage -- which is hideously difficult in 2p mode anyway)

most of the game is just not rushing ahead like an idiot

>>4156167
>I can pick up Contra right now and definitely beat it without problems
honestly, stage 6 fucks me up every time, and the grabbers in stage 7 are dumb as fuck
at least the final stage isn't hard

Literally any game that has a reputation for being hard is because people are remembering what it was like when they were kids

I didn't think Contra was hard at all.

You get the S gun and you dominate.

Have you guys ever played Contra Shattered Soldier? Now THAT fucker is hard.

I played it in high school with some dumb ass friend of mine and in order to get 100% you can't die and you have to destroy everything. Holy fuck, my friend kept dying. Not even at hard parts. I was like, "YOU FUCKING IDIOT!" A lot of people fucking suck at video games.

I eventually beat it by myself and got 100%.

>>4155961
I can max the score on Contra without the code. The only people who think this game is "brutal" are collectors/YouTubers.

>>4156337
I was legitimately a much better player/ more focused when I was a child.

I beat most plattforming and shmups 20 years ago which I can't finish now.
It really is all about patience and trial & error, the Konami code (which didn't exist for me in the time I played Contra) takes the punishment for dying away.

>>4155961
Beacue:
hard != impossible

>>4156019
Super Probotector > ContraIII

>>4156567
You're probably just playing with a shitty gamepad or a laggy LCD while your kid self had access to the original hardware and a CRT.

I don't know, it was never particularly difficult even without the code and I've never really met any who have thought so either. All I know is that this shit is gold now because youtubers gave value to sentimental junk and now I can finally buy an N64 flashcart for myself with my previously worthless NES collection

>>4155963
>>4155968
it's a straight forward memorizer ffs, develop sound strategy and perform it every time.

>>4156371
lmao can relate, similar experiences trying metal slug 2 player and everyone i played with is fucking shite and plays like an idiot.

Enemy bullets are pretty tiny and hard to see at least in crowded moments with all the flickering in the third person stages.

File: Sorry_for_being_inconsiderate_to_PAL.jpg (719KB, 2592x1944px) Image search: [Google]

719KB, 2592x1944px

>>4156337
Funny, I did at that time and through practice and using the S-gun, the game was still beatable with the stock lives. I didn't learn about the code until later when a magazine published it. I think I had more time to devote for games then too, and without a large library of games, it was easy to focus and get good at the game.


>>4156371
Yeah, Shatter Soldier is difficult to me still. Yet, lots of fun. I will admit I do flow to the path of least resistance weapons on Contra games. Like the spread gun in the originals, or memorization of when to best utilize a power weapon or homing weapon in later games.


>>4156572
In what ways? The only changes I know were the change from humans to robots and the title. I kind of think the human player characters have more personality to me. Then again, I never got a Transformers game I would have wanted then.

>>4155961
in past decades to play a videogame was a thing childs would do. like playing with action dolls

this was a hard game for children.

It's the perfect difficulty imo

Super C too

>>4156167
>I'll say it again that Contra is easier than Super Mario Bros.

I agree. Contra always had this ball crushingly hard reputation that when I sat down to play it for the first time I was surprised and disappointed I beat it within like 4 hours that same night. It's not a long game, the enemies aren't that numerous, there aren't a lot of projectiles, and if you just go slow and take things out as they come it's more than tame. Spread shot obviously breaks the game but for a first time play it's like using a screen clearing bomb every time you press to shoot.

>>4159312
Contra is like 20 minutes long though. If it took you 4 hours then you must have been failing at it, thus it was a difficult game.

If you want a hard contra 1, try playing the anderp version with touch controls lmao.

>>4159354
Aren't all arcade games around that length, what's your point.

now this is actually HARD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIR3xgI0vuY

>>4159535
If it takes hours to beat a 20-minute long game, you can't say it's not a hard game.

>>4156167
>I'll say it again that Contra is easier than Super Mario Bros.


disagree. but I'd say they're pretty similar difficulty wise, so you could make an argument for either game.

>>4155961
It's medium hard. The biggest rep is probably rushers + cheap shit like the switchup on jump downs later in the games that can get you killed because the game is retarded. Though the game is also pretty punishing for dying as well. Keeping a spread at hand makes everything go much smoother.

People also like to play it 2 player and it's harder that way and teammates tend to try to kill the other teammates during vertical segments and shit.

>>4156167
Fucking this