Contra Intro:

Contra is a huge nostalgia game for me. I have many fond memories of sitting in a dark basement with a friend blasting away at this and Super C for hours. This is the first run-and-gun game I remember playing, and it was mind-blowingly fun, especially in co-op.

In the pantheon of game franchises, there are very few single entries that can lay claim to bringing sweeping, long-lasting changes to the franchise. In a storied franchise such as Mario, this feat is even more impressive. Which is why Super Mario Bros 3 is a classic retro game that has stood the test of time and brought to the series mechanics and changes that we are still feeling the echoes of over two decades later. Super Mario Bros 3 on the Nintendo NES, truly changed the complete formula for the Mario series, and influenced every 2D platform entry in the series after it. Released in 1990 for the NES, Super Mario Bros 3 was an absolute smash-hit. Gamers loved the new overworld map, the wide variety of suits Mario could now use, item storage and even the Koopa Kids first made their appearance in this game. With more than 18...