Game guide
Super C vs Contra: What Changed in the NES Sequel
Key takeaways
- Super C is the NES version of Super Contra, released in North America in April 1990, two years after Contra.
- Konami shortened the name to Super C to avoid any link with the Iran-Contra affair in the news at the time.
- Contra's two pseudo-3D base stages are replaced by top-down stages seen from above.
- The Konami Code (30 lives in Contra) does not work in Super C; a different code gives 10 lives.
Super C is the NES version of Super Contra, and it is Contra’s direct sequel: the same two soldiers, Bill Rizer and Lance Bean, the same run and gun, and the same set of weapons, with new stages, top-down areas instead of the 3D base stages, a stronger fire gun and a different lives code. Here is what changed between the two NES games, and which one to start with. Both are on Yes This Game: Contra and Super C.
Contra and Super C side by side
| Contra | Super C | |
|---|---|---|
| North American release | February 1988 | April 1990 |
| Based on | The 1987 arcade Contra | The 1988 arcade Super Contra |
| Stages | Eight, including two pseudo-3D base stages | Side-scrolling and top-down areas seen from above |
| Weapons | M, S, L, F, R (rapid), B (barrier) | The same set; the F gun now fires a big shot that spreads fire |
| Lives code | Konami Code: 30 lives | Its own code: 10 lives (NES) |
| Europe | Probotector | Probotector II: Return of the Evil Forces |
Why “Super C”?
In Japan and in the arcade the game was called Super Contra. For the North American NES release in 1990, Konami shortened it to Super C, to keep the game away from the Iran-Contra affair, the political scandal that was in the news at the time.
Base stages out, top-down stages in
Contra’s most unusual levels are its two bases, where the view turns behind the soldier and you shoot your way through corridors into the screen. Super C drops them. Instead, some of its areas are seen from directly above: you move in every direction and the screen scrolls up, like an overhead shooter. The NES version also has stages of its own that the arcade game doesn’t have, and a new final boss.
The weapons
Super C uses the weapons of the NES Contra. The spread gun (S) is still the favourite: five bullets in a fan clear the screen. The fire gun (F) changed most: in Contra it fires small corkscrewing flames, in Super C a large fireball that bursts into flames on impact.
The Konami Code doesn’t work
Contra made the Konami Code famous: up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, Start on the title screen gives 30 lives. In Super C that code does nothing. The sequel has its own code on the title screen, which gives 10 lives in the NES versions and 30 in the Japanese one. On our page, the Unlimited lives cheat does the job without any code.
Which one to play first
Start with Contra: it came first, and its base stages are a classic. Then go on to Super C for more of the same with bigger bosses. Both have the same cheats on Yes This Game: unlimited lives and the spread gun with rapid fire. For more run and gun, try Metal Slug X.
Frequently asked questions
Is Super C the same as Super Contra?
Super C is the NES version of Super Contra. The 1988 arcade Super Contra has the same name and story but different stages.
Why is Super Contra called Super C?
In North America the name was shortened to Super C to keep the game away from the Iran-Contra affair, which was in the news at the time.
Does the Konami Code work in Super C?
No. Super C has its own code on the title screen that gives 10 lives in the NES versions (30 in the Japanese Famicom version).
Which is harder, Contra or Super C?
Opinions differ, but many players find Super C slightly harder, with tougher bosses and the top-down stages.
What is Probotector II?
The European NES release of Super C, in which the soldiers and some enemies were redrawn as robots.
Can I play both online?
Yes. Contra and Super C both run free in your browser on Yes This Game, with optional cheats for lives and the spread gun.