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Arc Hound / Contra Force (FC/NES) (1992)
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Arc Hound and Contra Force Copyright 1992 Konami
This document is created by Faididi and Co. (faididi@yahoo.com)
Copying or distributing this, in whole or in part, for profit
without the explicit permission of the author is prohibited.
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[-] Document Version History
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Version 2001 (2001-08-03 Friday)
- Initial release.
Version 2002 (2002-12-31 Tuesday)
- Corrections made.
Version 2003 (2003-07-19 Saturday)
- Corrections made.
Version 2004 (2004-07-19 Monday)
- Corrections made.
Version 2005 (2005-07-19 Tuesday)
- Document streamlined.
Version 2006 (2006-07-19 Wednesday)
- Document streamlined.
Version 2008 (2008-07-19 Saturday)
- Corrections made.
Version 2010 (2010-07-19 Monday)
- Corrections made.
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[0] Contents
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[1] Overview
[1.1] Story
[1.2] Characters
[1.3] Controls
[1.4] Weapons
[1.5] Command Select Screen
[1.6] Sub Player
[1.7] General Tips
[2] Strategies
[2.0] Prologue
[2.1] Stage 1: Neo City Docks - Warehouses
[2.2] Stage 2: Neo City Docks - Harbor
[2.3] Stage 3: Mati Building
[2.4] Stage 4: Aerial Convoy
[2.5] Stage 5: Contra Headquarters
[2.6] Epilogue and Staff Credits
[3] (reserved)
[4] Miscellaneous Information
[4.1] Air Jump
[4.2] Boss Strategies
[4.3] Patch Codes
[4.4] Game Genie Codes
[5] Reference
[5.1] Game Source Information
[5.2] Really Small Details
[5.3] Document Credits
[6] Contact Information
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[1] Overview
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Konami's Contra Force (a.k.a. Arc Hound) is an action shooter, like the
previous installments. It is a prequel whose events are set several years
before those of the original game. Although it has more slowdown, it is
the first installment in the series that features four playable characters
who have different sets of special weapons. It also features highly
interactive environments, multiple paths, and computer-controlled allies.
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[1.1] Story
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Welcome to 1992, times when civil unrest and terrorism are rife in the
bustling metropolis of Neo City. Yet among this chaos lie the seeds of
the will-be alien ass-kicking squad that we all come to know and love
when the forces of the Red Falcon arrive. Yes, Contra is born, here in
the corrupt, corporate 20th century, and its members are the only people
decent and well-armed enough to stand against the many violent menaces
that plague civilization.
Contra Force, also code-named Blue Group, consists of four guys:
Burns, Smith, Iron, and Beans. Together, they take down bad guys,
help folks in need, and regularly high-five each other. When mysterious
terrorists threaten to turn Contra and possibly the rest of the world
into butt sauce, only these heroes can save the day.
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[1.2] Characters
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Name: Burns
Run: Rank 2
Jump: Rank 1
Weapon 1: Pistol (Rank 2)
Weapon 2: Hand Grenades
Weapon 3: Submachinegun
Notes:
The leader of Contra Force. Burns is theoretically the first of the Contra
dudes, and he likes hanging around with a bunch of other guys, too.
Name: Smith
Run: Rank 3
Jump: Rank 2 (tied with Beans)
Weapon 1: Pistol (Rank 1)
Weapon 2: Sniper Rifle
Weapon 3: Homing Missile Launcher
Notes:
The long-range specialist. When he isn't popping off terrorist heads or
peeping into other people's windows late at night, Smith is probably busy
playing around with heat-seeking devices.
Name: Iron
Run: Rank 4
Jump: Rank 4
Weapon 1: Pistol (Rank 3)
Weapon 2: Flamethrower
Weapon 3: Bazooka
Notes:
The heavy weapons dude. Carrying all that metal hampers Iron's movement,
but who needs to run quickly or jump really high when you can just use
excessive firepower to solve all your problems?
Name: Beans
Run: Rank 1
Jump: Rank 2 (tied with Smith)
Weapon 1: Pistol (Rank 4)
Weapon 2: Time Bomb
Weapon 3: Time Mine
Notes:
The Force's demolition man. Despite what his name may imply, Beans does
not pass out explosive gas.
Name: Fox
Notes:
While not a part of the core group, he maintains close ties with the Force.
Fox keeps Burns in touch with the latest news and happenings around town.
Name: The Head of Intelligence
Notes:
The director of the information-gathering unit of Contra. Although we never
actually see this guy in the game, we learn that he is in some serious shit.
Apparently, he knows something a bunch of nasty terrorists don't want him to
know, and now his life is in danger.
Name: The helicopter pilot
Notes:
Some guy who flies a Contra chopper.
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[1.3] Controls
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Contra Force, like Super Contra, has a Side-Scrolling Mode (for odd-numbered
Stages) and an Overhead Mode (for even-numbered Stages). The special weapons,
like in Gradius, are obtained via a Power-Up Bar. Collect the Guncases from
broken objects to highlight the next item on the Power-Up Bar. When the
desired item is highlighted, press the Equip Button to obtain it. Each hero
has a different set of weapons, and therefore each has his own Power-Up Bar.
Movement Pad (D-Pad) - Move. In side-scrolling Stages, press Left and Right
to run, and press Up and Down to aim upward and downward. Aiming diagonally
downward while running is not possible, but it can still be done while in
the air. Also press Up and Down to climb chains. (The heroes automatically
hang onto any chains they touch.) In overhead Stages, press this to run
around (relative to the screen).
Fire Button (B) - Use the equipped weapon.
Jump Button (A) - Jump. The longer this is pressed, the higher the jump.
Hold this to automatically jump again upon landing. In overhead Stages,
jumping is not possible.
Equip Button (Select) - Equip the highlighted weapon in the Power-Up Bar.
Pause Button (Start) - Pause, and access the Command Select Screen.
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[1.4] Weapons
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Every weapon deals the same amount of damage per blow, although
some weapons may hit enemies multiple times in one blast.
Weapon: Magnum Pistol (P)
Slot: 1
Access: all
SP Use: no
Range: short
Notes:
The standard-issue sidearm for all Contra Force members. Every hero begins
with the Pistol, which packs enough power to take out most of the bad guys.
Its range varies slightly for each hero.
Weapon: Hand Grenade (HG)
Slot: 2
Access: Burns
SP Use: no
Range: short
Notes:
The Hand Grenade is thrown upward and forward, falling back down as gravity
takes its toll. Exploding on impact, this weapon is best for taking out
enemies hiding above or behind certain obstacles, but it is useless against
distant targets, and using it effectively in overhead Stages requires lots
of precision.
Weapon: Submachinegun (MG)
Slot: 3
Access: Burns
SP Use: yes
Range: long
Notes:
Burns' automatic weapon. Hold the trigger to make the Submachinegun fire
repeatedly in small bursts. This is also a long-range weapon (for some
reason), allowing Burns to shoot across the entire screen.
Weapon: Sniper Rifle (R)
Slot: 2
Access: Smith
SP Use: no
Range: long
Notes:
Smith's Sniper Rifle, complete with a nifty scope. Of course, he won't have
time to sit down and pick off targets through the scope, so he will have to
use this like any other semi-automatic weapon, albeit one with a long range.
Weapon: Homing Missile Launcher (HM)
Slot: 3
Access: Smith
SP Use: yes
Range: long
Notes:
When Smith gets lazy, he prefers to let his Homing Missile Launcher do his
job for him. Although the missiles don't always track the desired targets,
they work for the most part. Smith has also found a way to get the missiles
to recognize and avoid friendly units, but he isn't telling us how.
Weapon: Flamethrower (FT)
Slot: 2
Access: Iron
SP Use: no
Range: short
Notes:
What Iron uses during his weekend barbecues. While the Flamethrower has
a short range, its continuous streams of fire can roast several enemies
at once. At close quarters, this weapon can kill bosses very quickly.
The flames explode if they come into contact with walls, too.
Weapon: Bazooka (B)
Slot: 3
Access: Iron
SP Use: yes
Range: long
Notes:
This fires rockets that can travel all the way across the screen. For
gameplay purposes, the Bazooka functions like the Sniper Rifle, except
its rockets explode if they collide into walls.
Weapon: Time Bomb (TB)
Slot: 2
Access: Beans
SP Use: no
Range: moderate
Notes:
A bundle of dynamite. After being set, the Time Bomb detonates in about
two seconds, creating explosions around its location.
Weapon: Time Mine (TM)
Slot: 3
Access: Beans
SP Use: yes
Range: moderate
Notes:
More of Beans' explosives. After being set, the Time Mine detonates in about
one second, creating explosions that spread out slightly farther than those
of the Time Bomb.
Weapon: Turbo Item (TI)
Slot: 4
Access: all
SP Use: yes
Range: N/A
Notes:
This device improves the firing rate of the hero's currently equipped weapon,
allowing him to fire up to three shots onto the screen at a time. The Turbo
Item is particularly useful for weapons such as the Submachinegun and the
Time Mine. If the hero dies or equips another weapon (including the Pistol,
but excluding the Rolling Attack Technique), he will lose this upgrade.
Weapon: Rolling Attack Technique (RA)
Slot: 5
Access: all
SP Use: yes
Range: melee
Notes:
This powerful skill enhances the hero's jumps, rendering him invulnerable
while he somersaults through the air. As long as the Jump Button is being
held, he can touch any projectile without harm and even kill regular enemies
by landing on them. However, the Rolling Attack Technique is useless in
overhead Stages, where the heroes cannot jump. If the hero dies or equips
another weapon (including the Pistol, but excluding the Turbo Item), he
will lose this upgrade.
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[1.5] Command Select Screen
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Initially, the heroes are chosen on the Character Select Screen. Later, the
team members' roles can be reassigned on the Command Select Screen. Press
Up and Down to highlight a different hero. Press Left and Right to cycle
through the Commands for that character. In addition to letting you and a
second Player change heroes during the middle of the game, this Screen also
lets you employ the aid of the Sub Player (SP), a computer-controlled ally.
There are some rules to using the Commands. First, up to only two heroes
can be active at any moment. Second, there must be at least one hero placed
under the control of a human Player. Third, if a hero runs out of Lives,
he will be labeled "Dead" and cannot be assigned any Command.
No Use (No Command)
Keep the hero in reserve, so he doesn't appear on the screen. He
can't kill enemies or grab Guncases, but he can't get wasted either.
1Player (P1 Command)
Assign the hero to Player 1.
2Player (P2 Command)
Assign the hero to Player 2.
Front Cover (SP Command)
Put the SP hero in front of the human-controlled hero. In side-scrolling
Stages, he will move toward the right. In overhead Stages, he will move
toward the top. If any enemy appears, he will attack.
Back Cover (SP Command)
Put the SP hero behind the human-controlled hero. In side-scrolling
Stages, he will move toward the left. In overhead Stages, he will move
toward the bottom. If any enemy appears, he will attack.
Round Cover (SP Command)
Put the SP hero near the human-controlled hero.
If any enemy appears, he will attack.
Front Keep (SP Command)
Put the SP hero closer in front of the human-controlled hero than with Front
Cover. In side-scrolling Stages, he will move toward the right. In overhead
Stages, he will move toward the top. He will try to stay ahead but often
doesn't when attacking.
Back Keep (SP Command)
Put the SP hero closer behind the human-controlled hero than with Back
Cover. In side-scrolling Stages, he will move toward the left. In overhead
Stages, he will move toward the bottom. He will try to stay behind but often
doesn't when attacking.
Assist Cover (SP Command)
The SP hero will shadow the human-controlled hero's every move (after
a slight delay). This is best for keeping him close at all times.
Dead (No Command)
The hero needs a break and kicks back for the time being. He won't be
available again until it's Game Over and the heroes continue.
Select Main Player (Error Message)
No hero has been assigned to P1 or P2.
Choose Another Player (Error Message)
Multiple heroes have been assigned to P1, P2, or SP.
A Player cannot control two or more heroes simultaneously.
Cannot Use Sub Player (Error Message)
More than two heroes are active. Sorry, there is only enough room for
two active heroes at a time.
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[1.6] Sub Player
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Heroes controlled by the Sub Player (SP) have some advantages. They cannot
be killed. SP heroes absorb bullets and pass through enemies with no ill
effect, and if they fall into a bottomless pit, they disappear without
losing a Life. SP heroes are always equipped with the Turbo Item and the
Rolling Attack Technique. The weapon a SP hero uses is preset and cannot
be changed. (It is always the hero's second special weapon.) SP heroes
do not pick up Guncases.
SP heroes also have serious flaws. If a hero is assigned to SP (and you
press Start to confirm it), all the Power-Ups that hero has collected will
be gone when he is assigned to P1 or P2 again. SP heroes last for only
5 seconds after being called up, although this isn't that big of a problem,
because you can just pause and unpause to reset the timer. SP heroes aren't
very creative, either. Under most Commands, they will simply charge toward
bad guys with guns ablazing.
Weapons Equipped:
SP Burns - Submachinegun
SP Smith - Homing Missile Launcher
SP Iron - Bazooka
SP Beans - Time Mine
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[1.7] General Tips
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- Burns is best with his Submachinegun because he can shoot rapidly across
the entire length of the screen. His Hand Grenades are too specialized to
be effective in most situations.
- Smith has one of the better weapons sets. His Sniper Rifle has a long
range, and it can be fired as fast as the Submachinegun if the Fire Button
is quickly pressed. The Homing Missiles, even though they are slower,
usually guarantee hits on enemies hiding anywhere on the screen.
- Iron can tear apart bosses with his Flamethrower, but his Bazooka is also
very effective. Like the Sniper Rifle, it can fire long-range projectiles.
- Beans carries a very inflexible weapons set. His delay-happy bombs, not
to mention their scattered blasts, just won't do against hordes of impatient
terrorists. He should be used as a support character. Reserve him for SP,
so he can clean up excess bad guys and add to the team's firepower without
getting wasted. If P1 or P2 is using him, stick with the Pistol. Beans'
handgun will come in handy if the other heroes pick up things like the
Hand Grenades and the Homing Missile Launcher, leaving them without reliable
rapid-firing weapons.
- In side-scrolling Stages, Beans appears to kneel whenever he stops, and
he appears to lie prone on the ground when Down is pressed. Despite how he
looks, his actual profiles for standing and ducking are the same as those
of his buddies. When Beans is "kneeling," he is actually standing, and when
he is "prone," he is actually ducking.
- Burns jumps the highest, Iron jumps the lowest, and Beans and Smith tie
for middle place. For a single Player, Burns can technically fight through
the entire game on his own. For 2 Players, letting Burns drop "Dead" is not
a good idea, because some jumps are a hell lot easier to clear with him.
- The running speed for each hero is also different, but to a far lesser
degree than with jumping height. Beans is the fastest, followed by Burns,
who in turn beats Smith, leaving Iron as the slowest of the bunch. The
speed differences don't add up to anything significant, because the heroes
will be sidestepping or jumping over enemy fire more than outracing it.
- Each hero holds his gun in a different way. Iron, for example, holds his
weapons on his left shoulder as opposed to his right-handed pals. Take this
into account when he is leaning out from cover to fire in overhead Stages.
- Position can really matter. If Smith's homing missiles can't turn quickly
enough to hit a bad guy tucked around a corner, Smith may need to move
forward or backward a bit to help his missiles nail their target. For
Beans' explosives, they can cover more area if he sets them at different
locations instead of the same spot.
- Everyone, except bosses and one other type of enemy, dies with a
single hit.
- The bad guys can use almost whatever the heroes can. Beware of enemy
homing missiles and flamethrowers. The bad guys can also shoot only in
the same eight cardinal directions the heroes can, so learn to get into
the safe zones between their lines of fire.
- One strange thing about Contra Force is how the heroes can't aim diagonally
downward when they're running in side-scrolling Stages. To work around this
oddity in the controls, simply hop up before aiming diagonally downward.
- Several objects in the environment are destructible. Moving machinery,
cracks in the wall, storage lockers, and countless other objects may yield
Guncases when blown apart. Beware, though. Any objects the heroes can
bust up can also be broken by the bad guys.
- A Guncase pops out of every fifth object destroyed. (This also includes
things that are wrecked by enemies.) Keep count to avoid blowing up objects
that will drop precious Guncases into pits. To respawn objects, scroll the
screen back and forth.
- Guncases are very easy to lose. If a hero dies or is switched over to
another Player, he loses all the Guncases he has gathered. Try to stick
with the same hero and upgrade his stuff before changing characters.
- The heroes' positions are determined by the Players. When you swap heroes
with your buddy on the Command Select Screen, the heroes' locations in the
game are also switched.
- Remember to hold the Jump Button when using the Rolling Attack Technique,
or else the heroes will die a needless death when they land on bad guys.
- If a hero gets wasted but has at least 1 Life in reserve, he loses any
special weapon he has, and he will continue from where he has died. When
a hero gets wasted and respawns, pausing is not allowed and the screen
cannot be scrolled until he stops flashing.
- If there is only one human Player, running out of Lives with the current
hero results in an immediate Game Over. (You can have "Dead" heroes only
if you play with a human buddy.) A lone Player should switch to a different
hero as soon as the one he is playing goes down to 0 Lives in reserve.
Let SP use heroes with no Lives left.
- If it's Game Over, the heroes lose their special weapons, and they
may continue by restarting from the beginning of the Stage. There are
infinite Credits.
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[2] Strategies
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[2.0] Prologue
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To view the Prologue, wait for 3 seconds on the Title Screen.
Story:
NeoCity 1992
[The phone rings. Burns picks it up and answers.]
Fox: Hi. It's me, Fox.
Is that you Burns?
Burns: Yeah.
Fox: The Head of Intelligence
is in serious trouble.
We need your help.
Burns: OK. I'll be in the
old warehouse at the edge
of the harbor.
[Later, at the warehouse, Burns finds Fox's body.]
Burns: Fox!!
Enemy: Now we must eliminate you,
Burns!
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[2.1] Stage 1: Neo City Docks - Warehouses
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"It's time for revenge."
-- Bill
"Let's attack aggressively!"
-- Lance, from Konami's Contra 3
General Hints:
This may be the first Stage, but it isn't necessarily the easiest.
Work carefully through the warehouses, blasting any bad guys in the
way. There are several hazardous traps, too, but many of them can be
disabled with a few well-aimed shots.
Walkthrough:
The heroes should get their asses in gear and move forward, blasting those
nasty terrorists. See that dude hiding up on the ledge, tossing grenades?
Just run underneath him, aim straight up, and BLAM! Slug up the ass! Bust
through the crates, pick up the Guncase, jump over the pits to the right,
and then blow through the door (which consists of two destructible parts).
Beyond the door is a second grenadier. Line up with the left edge of the
yellow-and-black flooring and shoot upward. After destroying the flooring,
the heroes' shots will whack the terrorist. Again, right up the ass!
Now, inside this huge warehouse is an operational forklift with a terrorist
who is not afraid to drive it over the heroes. The forklift moves in the
direction opposite to the heroes', threatening to squish them as they
approach it. Knowing this, jump when running toward it, leaping up onto
the forks. Now jump on top of the cabin and then get onto the second floor
for an easier time. If the heroes happen to fall down and want to climb
back up via the forklift, they should prepare to leap onto it again,
because the bad guy knows how to shift into reverse.
Head right. The heroes can destroy more flooring and crates along the way.
Up next is a ledge, where some terrorists are waiting. This ledge is a
little high. If all the crates stacked next to it are destroyed, only
Burns can leap high enough to reach the ledge.
See those pistons? Moving through them while on the conveyor belt can
be hell, so aim high and shoot their ceiling-mounted bases. This should
neutralize the killer crushers. Watch out for bad guys at the part where
there is a second-floor conveyor belt. The cracked parts of the blue
ceiling around here can be shot apart.
The final sections of the conveyor system is marked by two big chutes.
These chutes will drop large boxes onto the belt. Touching these containers
is not healthy, so stay away from the drop areas until they are clear.
(The heroes can safely stand where the conveyor belts split off toward
different directions.) Because each chute will drop only one box onto the
screen at a time, don't just blast the crate and then dash forward. If there
is no box, the chute will drop another one, possibly right onto the heroes.
Shoot upward when directly under the chute to bust apart any containers
that may fall down. The sides of a chute's opening can also be destroyed.
For the first chute, let the crate fall down and stay behind it, moving along
with it until passing the drop zone. Watch out for that pit with the sliding
hatch. It is a deathtrap. Jump over this pit to meet the second chute. This
time, the crates will come toward the heroes. To make it past the chute,
quickly run underneath it, shoot upward to destroy any falling boxes, and
then keep moving to clear the drop point. If there are two active heroes,
one hero can cover the other while he is running past the chute.
After some more crates to the right, the warehouse's walls break down into a
large pit. Ride on the moving platform hooked up to the rail near the bottom
of the screen. This part is quite dangerous, because an enemy sniper is
stationed on the floor at the other side of the pit. Ducking on the motorized
platform won't save the heroes' asses from his shots, so the heroes should
prepare to jump again upon landing. Another trick is to release a flurry of
shots while jumping down in the first place, whacking the dude before landing
on the platform. Long-range weaponry is necessary for this tactic, however.
Bust through more doors and get into the adjacent warehouse. Besides the
usual groups of terrorists, watch out for the barrels trapped above the
stacks of crates. When the heroes blow up the crates, the drums will roll
down. Make sure the place is free of bad guys before jumping over the
barrels. They cannot be destroyed.
Next are some spikes lining the ceiling and the floor. Now who the hell
has put these here? The enemies on the opposite ledge aren't helping either.
While stepping onto the two fans on the ground won't result in the blades
going Benihana on the heroes' asses, they will blow them up into the spikes,
braining them if they happen to suck at timing their jumps. An easier method
is to shoot apart the fans. The machine by the ceiling can also be busted up.
Don't just go rushing in now. Below more crate-dropping chutes, landmines
litter the floor near the trapdoors. After shooting the mines, prepare to
destroy the crates and then cross under the chutes. (The mines may explode
without killing the heroes if they get close enough to them, but this risky
"defusing" tactic is not recommended.) Yes, the heroes can run over those
trapdoors, but only if they're closed. The trapdoors open whenever a crate
is dropped.
Now work across the five moving platforms. Jump carefully and land squarely
on the platforms, because they are smaller than they seem. Afterward, the
heroes will find a slope slanting downward. They will slowly slide down
if they are on it, so they should prepare to jump onto safer, flat flooring
just before they slide into the pit. Next, there are more small platforms
that look like the ones seen earlier, but these will fall a few moments
after the heroes land on them. If there are two active heroes, they must
move together, or else.
From here, there are only some more doors, crates, and slopes to go.
Slowly take out the bad guys, especially those on the ledges. Blast the
crates as necessary, and clear the other side of obstructing boxes and
terrorists before somersaulting over the pits. Before the heroes can escape
into another warehouse, the giant boss wearing a big hat will burst out
onto the second floor, waving his even bigger gun like a maniac.
Boss: Warehouse Captain
Whoa there, Tex. This cowboy likes to shoot a lot in between his running,
rolling, and jumping. When the hombre runs or rolls, move away or jump over
him. The heroes can get up onto those two small platforms at the center
of the area. They shouldn't stay there, however, because the boss can leap
up right into them. They should remain on the ground as much as possible
to avoid having the boss' head rammed up their asses. If they need more
room, the heroes can run past underneath the boss whenever he jumps.
The boss must stop to fire, and that is the best time to pummel him. If the
heroes are standing, he will fire in multiple bursts. If they are ducking,
he will roll forward. Duck the boss' shots and keep shooting to hit him.
If the heroes don't kneel under the returning fire, they are gonna be
missing some brains. Concentrate on avoiding his projectiles and his
body first, and he will get wasted soon enough.
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[2.2] Stage 2: Neo City Docks - Harbor
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Story:
[Contra Force runs off to the right and into the next warehouse.]
Burns: Well it seems like we have
settled this matter.
Where's that head honcho
Fox was talking about?
Oh no!! They're
getting away by ship!
Enemy: Burns, I'm warning you!
If your boss's life is
important, you better
not leave!
Ha ha ha ha ...hum....
General Hints:
The fight continues on to the ships anchored in the harbor. Blow away anyone
blocking the way across the vessels, and remember to sidestep enemy fire.
Oh, and don't fall into the water.
Walkthrough:
The heroes start off at the end of a pier. No one is here, so they should
move left, where a plank lets them board a destroyer. As soon as they step
onto the small ship's deck, bad guys will greet them with hot lead. Squeeze
off some fast shots and then dodge the returning fire. There are two
possible paths up toward the ship's bow. Take the left one. Go along
the side of the destroyer, breaking drums along the way. Shoot the gunners
manning the turrets on the higher parts of the ship. The heroes can't climb
up there without the aid of staircases. Three flights of steps are found
along the left side, but only the northmost one leads onward. Before
going through the doorway and stepping onto the forward deck, kill the
two terrorists who run up just behind the portal. Use the wall in between
for cover. Beyond the doorway, the heroes will find the front cannon of
the destroyer. Luckily for them, it isn't operational.
A second plank on the left connects the destroyer to an aircraft carrier.
After passing this plank, move down. Several bad guys toting machineguns
are lined up on the carrier's deck, waiting to mow down the heroes' asses.
Sidestep downward first, then aim up to get them. Near the southwest corner
of the carrier is a helicopter. The chopper is only a transport for enemy
troops. A single bad guy will always pop out from the side facing north,
but the chopper itself won't kill the heroes. The heroes can avoid the
chopper altogether if they want to save themselves the trouble, but watching
those whirling blades can be fun. Whatever they do, the heroes must move
northward to proceed.
The next part is the awesome double-floor cargo hold. The heroes can run
up one of the two staircases and climb on top of the hold, or they can go
through the black doorways and enter its interior. For the high road, expect
turrets that slide along perpendicular tracks. For the low road, expect
jeeps driving madly back and forth, threatening to mash the heroes into
the ship's iron hull. The heroes only have to worry about the dangers
associated with the floor they take. The jeeps cannot steam-roller
anyone on the top, and the turrets cannot brain anyone inside the hold.
Furthermore, the heroes cannot fall off if they are on the top. For an
easier time, take the lower path, because the jeeps don't shoot back,
and they make larger targets. To leave the hold from the top, climb down
the single flight of stairs at the north end. (It can be climbed even if
it is "destroyed.") To leave from the bottom, go through the black sections
that seemingly jut out into the walls. If the heroes feel like it, they
can take separate paths and race to see who leaves the hold first.
If the heroes keep heading north, they will meet heavy-duty bad guys.
Despite the shields some of these dudes are carrying, they still die
with a single hit, so keep firing. The bridge of the carrier is on the
middle right portion of the ship. The heroes can run behind it, along
the extreme right ledge of the vessel, to sneak around the bad guys.
At the north part of the carrier are six or so fighter jets. Someone
must have left their engines on, because flames will roar out from them
periodically. Don't step too close and get roasted. The heroes can shoot
the midsection of the aircraft (somewhere behind the cockpit or near the
forward part of the main wings) to blow up the damn things. The hit detection
here is a bit messed up, so if the planes aren't blowing up, stop wasting
time and move on. If the jets do go up in flames, the resulting explosions
and empty black pits won't kill the heroes, but they can block their path.
Next to some of the jets are short planks leading to small boats. Board any
one. After climbing aboard a boat, the heroes will automatically start it
up and head north, toward a submarine partially hidden below the splashing
waves. If there are two active heroes, both of them must be on the same
boat, or else nothing will happen. While the boat is crossing the water,
also don't fall off by accident like a dumbass.
Once the boat reaches the submarine, walk right onto its black surface and
touch the ladder leading down into it. Once inside, the heroes can blast
the crates and lockers lining the walls. Bust open the doors and carefully
step through the place. A few guys with big-ass rifles are guarding the
rooms. They can strafe horizontally across the screen, firing downward
while doing so. These guys are the only regular enemies in the game who
take more than one hit to drop (they each take sixteen hits to kill), so
keep pulling that trigger. Be careful when hiding behind the walls for
cover, too. If a terrorist is at the edge of the screen when he dies,
he may be scrolled back to appear again accidentally. For the goon across
the table, prepare to move a lot more due to the lack of available cover.
The compartment flooded with red light is the last room before the boss.
For some reason, the game cannot be paused during the fight with this
boss. Knowing this, switch to heroes with the most Lives in reserve and
reset the measly 5-second Timer for the Sub Player (if he is being used)
before stepping into the engine room.
Boss: Submarine Captain
Note: The game cannot be paused during this fight.
The intense-looking Captain shoots his double guns as he strafes left and
right across the upper half of the screen (each of his guns can be fired
independently of the other). He may step forward a bit, but he will always
return to the top of the screen. The heroes' best chance of surviving the
onslaught of projectiles is to hide behind the huge blocks of vents in the
middle of the room.
Whenever they have the chance, the heroes should lean out, squeeze off a few
shots, and then duck back behind cover. The space between the Captain's guns
is a safe zone. If there are two active heroes, they should stay at separate
spots to minimize potential casualties. Because the boss fires his rockets
in rapid succession, he can easily kill two heroes who are standing close
together. If Iron is active, he should stay on the right side, seeing how
he is left-handed.
There is also a really cool trick where the heroes can shoot the boss
without exposing themselves to his projectiles. To do this, the heroes
have to stand at a certain point at an edge between the vent blocks and
the middle gap (the exact location changes for each hero, due to the
different ways they hold their guns). If they find the right spot, they
can just keep firing upward across the room while the boss' shots graze
harmlessly past them. They will hit the boss, but not the other way around!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2.3] Stage 3: Mati Building
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Story:
Burns: Man! How could you destroy
such a huge ship?
Enemy: We're keeping his family.
If you want to help them,
go to the Mati Building.
General Hints:
The building may not be finished yet, but that doesn't keep the bad guys
from occupying it. This Stage has a lot of vertical scrolling in addition
to horizontal scrolling, and the heroes will have to snake their way
up to the top. The moving platforms aren't as much of a problem as the
"bottomless" pits are. Time those jumps carefully, or else it will be
a long way down to the cold, hard ground.
Walkthrough:
The heroes begin at the bottom of the construction yard. They should run
forward, whacking several terrorists in their way. Beware of the gray pipes
hanging overhead. They can blow out flames if they are ruptured. Beyond the
pipes is a green service elevator. Nothing of interest is to the far right,
so get on the elevator.
After hopping onto the green lift, it will slowly ascend. The heroes now
face two problems. The first one are the terrorists on the ledges to the
upper right, but the heroes can solve this by shooting diagonally upward.
The second is how the elevator explodes when it reaches the top, causing
the heroes to fall. Jump onto the green platforms to the left before it
blows up. Jumping onto the lower of these green platforms is easier. The
heroes don't have to panic if they fall during this section. If they do,
they will only drop back down to the construction yard.
The green platform will move to the left, where the heroes will see some
landmines by the base of a stack of crates. Clear out the mines, and then
blow through the crates, killing the terrorist there. Four small arrows
pointing down and to the left are bound onto the girder past the boxes,
indicating a path. Follow their direction and run to the left.
At the end of this section is a second green elevator. Again, take the
lift and prepare to out-gun some opposition waiting at the top. This time,
the heroes will face three bad guys, one of whom sports a homing missile
launcher. If the heroes don't have long-range weaponry, they must shoot
the missiles out of the air as they leap to the right.
That odd-looking structure is actually a seesaw. Time to implement some
half-assed physics. See that crate resting on the short ledge jutting out
above the right half of the seesaw? Shoot the ledge to destroy it, and the
box will fall down onto the seesaw. If the heroes are standing on the left
half when the crate crashes down, they will be automatically vaulted up into
the air. (Do not press the Jump Button.) Be sure to land on the high girder
where the crate has been. If the heroes screw up on this seesaw jump, they
must scroll the screen away and then back to magically reinitialize the box.
Found to the right are some rocket bad guys and a lot of metal hanging
overhead. After killing the bad guys, climb the chains with the dangling
hooks. The heroes automatically grab a chain when they touch it. From the
rightmost chain, jump across the chains to a high ledge on the left. The
heroes should jump from the lower half of the chains so they have enough
room above to arc through the air. Watch out for the exposed conductors
that periodically crackle with electricity. Touching the sparks is
not healthy. The last chain is a swinging orange one.
Past more crates, the heroes will now find themselves at the ledge before
the most dangerous jump in the game. Unlike the other jumps, missing this
one results in death. This chasm is too large to leap across... unless
the heroes get some help. A carelessly placed beam from above will happen
to fall down the middle of the gap. The heroes must jump onto the beam,
allowing themselves to leap a second time to reach the other end. This is
very difficult to time, and the beam explodes for some unexplained reason
when it falls far enough (when it lines up with the top of the girder where
the heroes are currently standing). Jump too early, and the heroes fall
below the beam and turn into butt sauce. Jump too high, and the heroes
can't land on the beam in time for that second leap. If another falling
beam is needed, scroll the screen to the right and then back to reset
things. A reliable tactic is to jump from the very ledge just as the
top of the beam lines up with the highest point of the lower cloud
in the background. This tactic works only for Burns, Smith, and Beans.
Assuming they make it, the heroes have to leap to another beam on the left.
This beam is hooked onto the cable of a crane, so climb up the steel rope.
Look out for a terrorist on top of the crane's cabin. This crane operator
can be blown up, too.
Now comes another killer falling beam jump. Unlike the first one, falling
here won't waste the heroes instantly. If they miss, they will drop down
to the lower part where they have made the earlier jump before hitting the
death pit. Use the extra time to lean toward the left or the right (be sure
to shoot any crates in the way), catching a ledge and living to try again.
Use the crescent moon in the background as a reference mark. Jump from the
ledge when the top of the beam passes the very bottom of the crescent moon.
This tactic works only for Burns, Smith, and Beans.
Things get a little safer now. The pipes between the orange blocks can be
blown apart. (The screen can be scrolled back and forth to regenerate the
pipes.) The pipes continue upward as the heroes advance to the right. Climb
up to the highest point, where the route turns back to the left.
When a siren blares, start firing. A ceiling girder will be lowered slowly,
crushing the heroes if they don't hurry and blast through the thick stack of
crates to get to the control console. Some terrorist has locked the console
in squish mode, so the only way to stop the killer ceiling is to blow up the
console. Once that is done, the girder halts and the heroes can continue.
(Failing to stop the girder costs each active hero 1 Life.)
Keep advancing to the left. Hey, is that a chopper in the background?
Boss: Gunship
So much for helping the Intelligence Head and his family. The heroes now
have to bring down the bad guys' assault Gunship. Its gatling gun releases
barrages of rocket shots at the heroes, while its four engines (with two
on each wing) shoot flames downward, barbecuing anyone who steps into them.
The outer engines always fire before the inner ones do.
In order to bring the boss down, the heroes must destroy its five vital
parts: the gun and the engines. Take out the gun first, because it is the
biggest threat. It can aim only straight down and diagonally downward, so
the heroes will be safe if they stay between its lines of fire. When the
gun gets banged up (its barrels will melt and break off, pointing upward),
the heroes can stay underneath the middle of the Gunship and just aim
diagonally upward to destroy the engines.
There are also three other parts of the Gunship that are nonvital. Between
the cockpit and the wings are two missiles. Blowing them up doesn't seem
to matter. The cockpit itself absorbs shots, but it isn't a real target,
so don't waste time on it. As soon as the gun and the four engines are gone,
the Gunship goes BOOM!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2.4] Stage 4: Aerial Convoy
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Story:
[A helicopter swoops in from the right. Contra Force
jumps into it, and then it flies away to the left.]
Burns: ..come in please,come in?
This is Blue Group!
...come in ,come in....
Enemy: Burns, it's me!
...you survived!
Congratulations!
But remember,your
destiny will be played
out in this town.
Ha ha ha ...I know
where you are!
You'll have the same fate
as the people who are
sleeping in that building.
General Hints:
The team will be dropped onto a wing of one of the planes in the enemy
convoy. The objective in this Stage is to board and search each craft,
looking for the bombs. Remember to sidestep the enemy gunfire. Don't
get shoved off by the wind while running across the wings. There are
six aircraft: three large cargo planes and three small fighters. Timing
is essential during the plane crossings. The heroes can step from one
wing to another only when the wings are just a few screen pixels apart.
Walkthrough:
The heroes will be dropped down onto the tip of the port wing of the first
plane, which is a large cargo vessel. Yes, here are the good old boys,
freezing their asses off on the wing surfaces where the wind blows by at
hundreds of kilometers per hour. Taking care not to fall off, move toward
the fuselage. Along the way, the heroes should shoot any terrorists daring
enough to brave the wing surfaces with them. The vents of the engines can
be busted open. (Each wing, having two engines, offers eight inner vents
that can be destroyed. Don't worry about busting them up, though. The heroes
won't kill the engines and crash the plane if they do.) After passing the
engine vents, stay near the right. Left of the fuselage entrance are two
turrets, and by sneaking in from the right side, the heroes can avoid the
guns. These turrets can aim only straight down and diagonally downward.
Shoot through the outer door and the inner door. Once inside, the heroes
can stop worrying about the blowing winds. (There is no depressurization
at all.) A wall runs lengthwise down the interior, blocking shots and
movement into the other side. The heroes are supposed to look around for
the bombs, but they can just exit the door on the opposite side of the
fuselage, leading out to the starboard wing surface. Going around the
right side of the dividing wall is much safer than going around the left,
because the heroes will face less obstacles. The interior of this cargo
plane doesn't hold anything special, except for small supply boxes that
can be blown up. If the heroes choose to explore, they should remember
to stay away from the screen edges. Toward the front of the plane is the
cockpit. The craft is locked in auto-pilot mode, and no amount of gunfire
on the console will change anything. Don't bother with the cockpit if Lives
are short, considering how there are three homing missile-firing terrorists
stationed in front of it. Toward the back of the plane is the main hatch,
which is opened. The heroes don't have parachutes yet, so they shouldn't
think about going skydiving here.
Upon reaching the starboard wing, keep heading upward. Past more terrorists
and engine vents is what appears to be a dead end, the tip of the wing.
Don't abort the mission, however. The heroes should hear the adjacent
plane zooming toward them, almost colliding into the craft where they
are standing. The wing tips will now close up the distance between them.
There are times when the wings slide past each other with about two pixels
of blue air in between. That is when the heroes should step across.
Once on the second plane, keep moving. This vessel is of the same model as
the previous one, only with some minor modifications. Two turrets, instead
of both being placed to the left of the fuselage entrance, are now placed
on either side of the door. The heroes can charge straight up toward the
entrance, dodging the bullets. Take extreme caution when entering the
door. A flamethrower bad guy is posed just off the top edge of the screen,
waiting to fry the heroes. Hug the right edge of the doorway for a slightly
better chance of surviving. The interior of this second plane carries
armored personnel carriers (APCs) in addition to supply crates. Avoid
stepping in front or behind of the APCs, or else the rocket turrets mounted
on top of them will fire. Because they can shoot only horizontally, move
beside the APCs, and hit their turrets. The cockpit of this ship contains
nothing special again, and the hatch in the back is closed up. Just find
the door to the starboard wing. The heroes should watch where they step now.
Besides the wind and usual terrorists, some spots on the wing here conceal
automated turrets. If the heroes see a square panel sliding open, they
should prepare to do some fast evading. The turrets can shoot only in the
eight cardinal directions, so get between their lines of fire to be safe.
Killing the turrets isn't required, and running away may be a better
choice at times.
The next plane crossing will be with a smaller fighter jet, but the rules are
the same. Cross only when there are two pixels of air in between. On these
small fighters, there is much less distance to cover and far fewer terrorists
to fight. Parts of the engines and the rear of the cockpit can be shot open.
Beware of missiles (which make whooshing sounds). Apparently, the other
fighters are attempting to blow the heroes off with some nasty super-surgical
strikes. Sidestep the missiles while crossing over to the next plane.
The heroes must hop across three fighters in all before reaching the sixth
and final vessel in the convoy, the bomb-carrying cargo plane. Again, look
out for turrets when busting into the fuselage. The interior has a dividing
wall running through its middle like in the first plane, but this time
it extends only to the left, toward the bow. The heroes should go right,
toward the stern. The cockpit of this plane is empty yet again, but the
rear holds a few turret gunners and the big bad boss.
Boss: Plane Captain
Burns and his friends ain't gonna let this dude vaporize their town. (If you
look closely, this is the same guy who has contacted Burns over the radio.)
Despite the change in perspective, this fight is very much like the one with
the first boss. The Captain can shoot to the left or right when he stands
still, and he can shoot downward when he runs horizontally. He jumps to
line up vertically with the heroes. (He cannot run upward or downward.)
There is no cover at all, so keep moving to avoid the boss and his shots.
Stay a good distance away, because his speed and his size combined make
him a living truck. Seeing how the Captain never fires upward, the heroes
can stay above him to avoid his projectiles. Unfortunately, he tends to
follow the heroes, so they should run away when he threatens to somersault
into them. Firing diagonal shots works really well here.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2.5] Stage 5: Contra Headquarters
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Story:
[The Captain pulls out a grenade and blows himself up. The
heroes run to the back room, disarming and taking the nukes.
They then get out onto the starboard wing and parachute off.]
Burns: This is the
best place to relax.
But how come you could
take a strong item like
the plutonium?
Enemy: Hey guys!!Congratulations
on your safe return!
But time is
coming to an end.
The next opponent
will be me,
the leader of this plan.
Wait for me!
General Hints:
The building will become infested with the remnants of the terrorist
army. Shoot through the invading bad guys and follow the boss. The boss
cannot be killed until the heroes catch up to him on the roof, but while
they are chasing him toward there, he can fight back. If the heroes fall
through the staircases, they can find other ways back up.
Walkthrough:
The boss begins by vandalizing the heroes' property and breaking into it,
only to run off the screen. Take part in the fun by smashing the ceiling
pipes and even Burns' office chair and desk. Now run to the right,
temporarily meeting up with the boss. He may turn around and throw
a few grenades before dashing away again. This is only the first of
several more brief encounters with the boss before the final battle.
The boss will stop at the roof, and there are several paths the heroes can
take to get there. The quickest route is to climb the stairs, but seeing how
the steps can be destroyed, the heroes may find themselves taking detours.
Dropping through the first flight of stairs lands the heroes in the lower
sewers lying immediately below the HQ. The heroes can blast the light
fixtures here. Don't fall into the pits. Falling through the second flight
places the heroes in the upper sewers (through which they have to go if
they are coming up from the lower sewers). The pipes here can be shot apart.
At the top of the second flight of stairs, jump onto the floor at the left.
The heroes will see the boss has beaten them to the elevator and is riding
it up. Look out for falling grenades. The heroes are gonna have to catch up
the hard way. Run past the elevator shaft and enter the maintenance area.
Scale the three chains there to reach the next floor.
Running to the right, jump across the top of the elevator shaft and
go up the third and final staircase, which leads directly to the roof.
If the heroes happen to fall through this long flight of steps, they
will have to get up there via the water silo area. To the right of
the stairs is the silo. Hop up on its valve and pipe to continue.
Up on the roof, go left. Leap onto the ledge opposite the top of the stairs,
and then fight through the last few enemies before confronting the boss.
The uneven terrain can provide some cover.
Boss: Enemy Leader
Somebody's cheating, and it ain't the heroes. The Leader has a helicopter
backing him up to really make life hell for the good guys. The Leader will
jump around the place, landing to chuck grenades and to squeeze off bursts
of uzi fire. The grenades are only lethal if the heroes are close enough
to catch them, but the main danger comes from the uzi bullets. Due to their
size and the way the Leader holds his gun, the heroes cannot duck underneath
these bullets. This means they must hide below or above a wall, depending
on whether the Leader is firing from above or inside a ditch. If the heroes
find themselves exposed to his attacks, they have no other choice but to
jump over his projectiles. This can be rather difficult because the Leader
shoots multiple bursts of two bullets each.
The helicopter flies around the screen, periodically launching dumb-fire
missiles at the heroes. The missiles aren't too tough to dodge, but don't
underestimate them when the chopper and the Leader move in close. Touching
the chopper also results in death.
The real target is the Leader. Hitting the chopper gets the heroes nowhere,
so they should focus their firepower on the big man. The best time to nail
him is when he is jumping and moving, because he doesn't attack until he
stops. This often means shooting diagonally at the boss from within a ditch.
Try to jump up on higher ground only to run away or, if the heroes are
feeling brave, to hit the boss when he is inside a ditch by kneeling and
firing at him. If there are two active heroes, one of the heroes can lure
away the chopper's missiles while the other concentrates on the Leader.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2.6] Epilogue and Staff Credits
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"UUUURRRRWWWWRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYUUUUUUUURRRRLLLLHHHHHHHH!!!!"
-- Ray Poward, from Appaloosa's Contra: Legacy of War
Story:
This situation has
ended with several
things left unsolved.
The head, Fox, is still
missing. Burns is
feeling that a suspicious
figure is lurking
behind him. But there is
no doubt he will be
devoted to fighting.
Which is why we can
call it Burns destiny.
[We see the heroes lined up at an angle, in front of the Neo City skyline,
complete with moving clouds. Burns is the closest to us, and he has his
hands on his hips, smiling. We can see his big-ass gun holstered on his
belt. Smith has half of his red jacket pulled over his muscular right
shoulder. Iron is flexing his arms. Beans is running up from the back,
still wearing that backpack. Staff Credits roll by laterally along a
reddish film strip near the bottom of the screen.]
Program
Takemoto
Program
Ozawa
Character
Shigemoto
Character
Horie
Sound
Manno
Sound
Tomita
SD Assist
Funahasi
SD Assist
Chuma
==============================================================================
[3] (reserved)
==============================================================================
==============================================================================
[4] Miscellaneous Information
==============================================================================
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[4.1] Air Jump
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To perform an air jump, enter the Command Select Screen when the heroes are
in the air, and then hold the Jump Button while exiting the Command Select
Screen. When the action resumes, the heroes should jump again, even if they
are not on the ground (due to a glitch in the controls). Of course, this
glitch cannot be exploited in overhead Stages, where the heroes cannot jump.
Here are some things the heroes can do by air jumping:
- Go up to the ledge down from where the Warehouse Leader jumps.
- Screw the lifts and chains, and fly up through the Mati Building.
- Fly up the elevator shaft inside Contra HQ.
- Use this with the Rolling Attack to kick serious ass.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[4.2] Boss Strategies
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name: Warehouse Captain
Attack: fires handgun
Motion: runs, rolls
Stage: 1
Notes:
Duck while shooting from a distance to avoid the boss' fire. When he runs
or rolls, back away or jump over him. If he leaps, run away or go past
underneath him. Don't stay on the small platforms in the middle of the
screen, because he may jump up onto them.
Name: Submarine Captain
Attack: fires twin rocket-shot guns
Motion: strafes, sometimes steps forward and then backs up
Stage: 2
Notes:
The game cannot be paused during this fight. Stay on the lower half of the
screen, using the vent structures for cover. When things are clear, step
out between the boss' guns, shoot him, and then duck back behind cover.
Name: Gunship
Attack: fires gun, emits jet thrusts
Motion: hovers around the screen
Stage: 3
Notes:
The gun can aim only straight down and diagonally downward, so stay between
its lines of fire. Bust up the gun, and then stay below the cockpit while
shooting diagonally upward to destroy the four engines.
Name: Plane Captain
Attack: fires handgun
Motion: runs laterally, jumps
Stage: 4
Notes:
Stay away while shooting the boss. He can move only horizontally when he
runs, so he has to move vertically by jumping. He can shoot left, right,
and (while running) downward, so try to hit him diagonally or from above.
Name: Enemy Leader
Attack: fires uzi, throws grenades
Motion: runs, jumps
Stage: 5
Notes:
Don't bother trying to duck below the uzi bullets. Use the uneven terrain
to avoid them, and also don't touch the grenades. Hit the boss whenever he
is moving, because he doesn't attack until he stops.
Name: Enemy Helicopter
Attack: fires missile launcher
Motion: flies around the screen
Stage: 5
Notes:
The helicopter is destroyed only when the enemy leader dies, so don't waste
time hitting it. Just dodge its missiles while pummelling the real boss.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[4.3] Patch Codes
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Address Value Range Game Value(s) Affected
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
008B 00 to 05 Object Kill Counter
Given how every fifth object destroyed yields a Guncase, freezing
this value at 5 means that every busted object will drop a Guncase.
(Freezing this at a number greater than 5 has the same effect.)
00B1 p+(10*n) P1 Power-Up Bar Cursor
00B2 p+(10*n) P2 Power-Up Bar Cursor
These values determine what parts of the Power-Up Bars are highlighted.
The formula p+(10*n) (HEX) is used to calculate which slot you want to
highlight on the Power-Up Bar depending on the hero, so it contains two
variables. p is the value associated with the heroes. Burns is 0, Smith
is 1, Iron is 2, and Beans is 3. n is the value associated with the slots
in the Power-Up Bar. Slot zero (nothing highlighted) is 0, slot one is 1,
slot two is 2, slot three is 3, slot four is 4, and slot five is 5.
Let's say you are playing as Burns and want the HG slot to be highlighted.
Seeing how the HG occupies slot two in his Power-Up Bar, you can plug the
appropriate values into the formula. With p=0 and n=2, you have 0+(10*2)=20.
Set 00B1's value to 20 (HEX), and when you return to the game you will see
that Burns can now pull Grenades out from his ass. Totally awesome.
If you use a value of p that doesn't match your hero, your character will
magically change. For example, setting 00B1's value to 21 (HEX) while you
are playing as Burns will result in him morphing into Smith with the R slot
highlighted. If you screw around with this even more, both Players will even
be able to play as clones of the same hero.
Here is a chart of all the valid results of the formula:
+--------------------------------------------------------+
Slot Burns Smith Iron Beans
HEX DEC HEX DEC HEX DEC HEX DEC
+--------------------------------------------------------+
0: No Guncases 00 00 01 01 02 02 03 03
1: P -P -P -P 10 16 11 17 12 18 13 19
2: HG-R -FT-TB 20 32 21 33 22 34 23 35
3: MG-HM-B -TM 30 48 31 49 32 50 33 51
4: TI-TI-TI-TI 40 64 41 65 42 66 43 67
5: RA-RA-RA-RA 50 80 51 81 52 82 53 83
+--------------------------------------------------------+
00B3 00 to 10 Lives - Burns
00B4 00 to 10 Lives - Smith
00B5 00 to 10 Lives - Iron
00B6 00 to 10 Lives - Beans
This value reads hexadecimal numbers as though they are decimal numbers.
To find the appropriate number to which these values should be set,
add 1 to the desired numbers of Lives. For example, if you want 9 Lives
for Beans, set 00B6's value to 10 (HEX). Setting the value to 0 results
in that hero being "Dead."
0369 00 to 05 Sub Player Timer
Setting this value to a number greater than 5 results in a graphics glitch.
(The graphics for the SP Timer's digits range from 0 to 5).
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[4.4] Game Genie Codes
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Code Effect(s)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
AANVIAPA Infinite Lives for all heroes
PAUYTTLA Each hero begins with 1 Life
TAUYTTLA Each hero begins with 6 Lives
PAUYTTLE Each hero begins with 9 Lives
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
==============================================================================
[5] Reference
==============================================================================
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[5.1] Game Source Information
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name: Arc Hound (Japanese)
Name: Contra Force (North American)
Code: NES-CR-USA (North American)
Developer: Konami
Producer: Konami
Genre: action shooter
Players: 2
Save: none
Mapper: 4 (Nintendo MMC3)
Size: 256 KB
Publisher: Konami
Release Date: 1992-09--- (North American)
UPC: 083717110286 (North American)
Cover Art: (North American)
Burns and his buddies tear ass as they storm through a condensed version
of Neo City, racing through the docks with the Mati Building towering up
into the skies in the background. Burns grasps his oversized magnum in his
left hand while clenching his right hand into a fist. What look like cannon
shells or grenade rounds are strapped to Burns' red combat vest, and the
white of his eyes glares eerily through his glasses as he screams toward
an equally angry terrorist, who has his back toward us at the bottom of the
foreground, is wearing a sleeveless shirt, and is packing a handgun in his
left hand. Next to this terrorist is his pal, who is clad similarly but
is holding a long kitchen knife in his right fist in a threatening manner.
Above this second terrorist is Smith, running along Burns' right side
and carrying something that resembles a machinegun more than his familiar
sniper rifle. Behind Burns is Beans (who looks a bit older than his in-game
counterpart), aiming upward at a helicopter with a handgun that can be
mistaken for a small grenade launcher. Leaning out from the chopper is
a bad guy who is preparing to drop the third of a series of red bombs almost
directly onto Smith. Farther to the back is Iron, hunched over as he is
catching up to his buddies. Fires burst out from the rear, casting a shine
over the flamethrower's gas tank strapped onto his back. Between the flames
and the Mati Building is the enemy gunship, pursuing the team as two fighter
jets of the convoy screech past above in the blue skies, which is starting
to fill up with smoke from a fire on a high deck of the Mati Building.
The words reading, "NEO CITY SHIPPING," is stamped onto the lower of
the two wooden crates beside Burns. Lots of detail, isn't it?
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[5.2] Really Small Details With Which Contra Dudes Wipe Their Asses
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Faces
You know how the heroes' mugs are shown during the Dialogue Scenes, right?
Do you also know there are two versions of those pictures for each hero?
The image you see depends on which Stage has been finished. The set of
pictures seen after finishing the fourth Stage is different from the set
for the first three Stages.
Expressions
Smith must be jacked-up on something. Ever notice his visage? No matter
where you see him, he is always smiling. We mean always, whether he is
securing deadly nuclear weapons or he is talking to the big bad bosses.
If it isn't from uppers, then maybe he really likes his job.
Beans' Gun
Iron's nose isn't the only thing that looks red. Beans' handgun is just
like his buddies', only it has a special property (or more likely, an
error on the developer's part). When Beans aims straight up with his
gun in the side-scrolling Stages, it magically turns red.
Swimming Lessons
Why does falling into water result in death? Apparently, swimming isn't a
requirement for joining the Contra ranks in this game. Thankfully, that gets
changed by the time Bill and Lance show up.
No Shooting Inside Planes
All that gunfire inside the planes in the fourth Stage should really suck.
Just to think, if there is a breach, there will be decompression and a lot
of bodies flying out into the atmosphere. None of that is going to matter,
though, because the plane interiors always remain calm, even after the
heroes blow open the doors to get inside the aircraft.
Unexplainable Behavior
Why do the planes fly right next to each other in the fourth Stage?
Besides being horribly dangerous for everyone involved, why don't the
bad guys just keep the craft apart so the heroes can't move across them
to get to the nukes?
Surprise Prize
Wonder why a Guncase is hidden inside a wall, a drum, a pipe, a chair, a
lamp fixture, or some other random object? Maybe we should all try fetching
some pizza out from the gutters now.
Evil Double
In Silent Scope 3, there is a boss named Smith, and he looks like
Contra Force's Smith, right down to the moustache. Of course, the
difference is that he is a bad guy, and he uses a plane armed with
machineguns as his weapon. Talk about having an evil twin.
Krezzy Comparisons
Just for fun, let's compare the four-member teams from various Konami games:
CF = Contra Force
CH = Contra: The Hard Corps
Cr = Crime Fighters
Go = Goemon
SR = Sunset Riders
Team CF CH Cr Go SR
Consists only of buff guys who kick ass x x x
Consists of at least one gal who kicks more ass x x
Consists of guys who all look like the same x
Speaks bad English x
Gets multiple endings x
Doesn't get much of an ending x x x
Blows up tons of crap in the environment x
Fights a clinically insane boss (or two) x x x x
Fights aliens x
Fights drunk hobos x
Fights for money x x
Has a member who is a robot x x
Has a guy who wears shades x x
Goes drag racing with hoverbikes x
Goes drag racing with horses x x
Has a game with testicle humor x x
Uses big magnums x
Uses kung fu x x x
Uses bazooka fu x x x
Gets to drink beer, and lots of it x
Gets to see hookers x x
Gets to see hookers dance x
Employs cowboy diplomacy x x x x x
Winner Tie
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[5.3] Document Credits
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Konami (www.konami.co.jp)
For creating Contra Force.
Nintendo Power (www.nintendopower.com)
For providing some information about Contra Force.
(See Volume 39, August 1992 Issue, pages 20 to 25.)
Code Masters
For providing the Game Genie codes. (See the Game Genie Code Update,
Volume 2, Number 1, page 6.)
"Simalcrum"
For pointing out how everyone in Contra Force dies with his ass sticking up.
Spherelanders
For playing through the game and figuring out the best tactics.
Extra thanks to Alex Round for actually authoring this document.
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[6] Contact Information
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mail: faididi@yahoo.com
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