Contra is just one of many Konami franchises that haven't really had a fair shake lately, but that might be about to change. Starting tomorrow, Contra Returns. As a mobile title, and it's in beta, but it definitely returns.
In case the name is a little confusing, Contra Returns is a return to the more classic shooter gameplay of the original Contra series on the NES. Expect remade levels that'll be familiar from the 1987 classic game as well as a brand new story with a whole bunch of new characters–45 to be exact.
It seems like Contra Returns includes a huge roster of characters that you unlock as the game progresses. You start off with boring old Bill Rizer before unlocking characters from all throughout the Contra franchise. There are also a bunch of brand new characters totally new to Contra, such as Han Feng the Federation agent, and Snow Bear, who is a giant gun-wielding polar bear.
There are even a few cameo characters, like T-1000 and John Connor from the Terminator franchise.
Each character is classified as B, A, or S-class. No word yet on whether that indicates power level, rarity, or both.
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Gameplay is basically the same as the Contra games of old, only you've got mobile touch controls to contend with if you don't want to attach a controller to your phone. Expect a side-scrolling shooter except during the internal base raids where it switches to rail shooter mode.
Contra Returns comes via Timi Studio, a subsidiary of Tencent, and the same studio that brought us Call of Duty: Mobile. There are over 200 levels to blast your way through as well as Team, PvP, Story, and Challenge game modes. Installation is free with in-app microtransactions.
You can download Contra Returns on iOS and Android now to sign up for the public beta that begins tomorrow.
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