The Contra series is celebrating its 20th anniversary with the release of Contra 4 for the Nintendo DS, which shipped today to retailers nationwide. Contra 4 features 2D side-scrolling action like the original fan favorite, with the added bonus of massive battles that utilize both DS touch screens.
Taking place two years after the events of Contra III: The Alien Wars, Contra 4 forces our heroes into battle against an army of alien invaders, including the return of the terrifying Black Viper. Players must dodge, shoot, and jump over obstacles and enemies coming at them from every direction.
Unique to the series, Contra 4 introduces a grappling hook that provides players a means to grab onto structures above, allowing them to move seamlessly from screen to screen on the DS. The grappling hook also lets players strategically use environmental elements for timely escapes, better vantage points for devastating attacks, and it becomes crucial in defeating the massive bosses that take up both screens of the Nintendo DS.
Contra 4 offers cooperative gameplay that allows up to two players to join forces and defeat Black Viper’s alien army.
In addition, a host of bonus and unlockable content is also included, such as: a 20th Anniversary Virtual Museum that contains box art, screen shots and information on every version of Contra from the US, Japan and Europe; unlockable NES versions of the classic Contra and Super C; five unlockable characters, including the Probotector from the European version of the Contra games; and two unlockable digital comic books.