# Contra > Play Contra online free: run, jump and shoot through eight stages of the 1988 NES classic. Cheats button for unlimited lives and the spread gun. No download. - Play in the browser: https://yesthisgame.com/contra/ - Category: Shooting - Made by: a third-party developer; hosted and played on Yes This Game - Price: free, no download, no sign-up - Guide: [Contra Cheats and Tips: The Konami Code for 30 Lives, Weapons and Stages](https://yesthisgame.com/blog/contra-cheats.md) ## In short Contra is the 1988 NES run-and-gun classic by Konami. Fight through the jungle, enemy bases, a waterfall, a snow field and an alien lair, pick up new weapons such as the spread gun and the laser, and beat the boss at the end of each stage. Play it in your browser with keyboard, gamepad or an on-screen pad on phones, and switch on unlimited lives or the spread gun with the cheats button. **How to control it:** Press Play, then Start (Enter) to begin with 1 Player. Keyboard: arrow keys move and aim, Z fires, X jumps, Enter starts and pauses. Phone: use the on-screen cross to move and aim, B to fire, A to jump and Start to start or pause. The magic wand button next to full screen opens the cheats. **Contra** is the run-and-gun classic that made two commandos, Bill and Lance, famous on the Nintendo Entertainment System. You run, jump and shoot your way through the jungle, enemy bases, a climb up a waterfall, a snow field and finally the alien lair, with a boss waiting at the end of every stage. One hit costs a life, so speed, good jumps and the right weapon decide everything. This is the 1988 NES version by Konami, and it plays right here in your browser with no download. ## How to play 1. Press **Play** under the title picture. When the title screen appears, press Start (Enter on a keyboard) to begin with **1 Player** . 2. Run with the arrow keys and fire with **Z** . Hold up or down while you run to shoot at an angle. 3. Jump with **X** . Press down and jump to drop through a platform. 4. Shoot the flying capsules and the sensors in the walls. They leave a weapon letter behind: walk over it to pick it up. 5. Reach the end of the stage and destroy the boss to move on. ## Controls **Computer:** arrow keys move and aim, Z fires, X jumps, Enter is Start and pauses the game. Move the mouse over the game to show the bar with pause, restart, sound, save state, load state and full screen buttons. **Phone and tablet:** an on-screen pad appears under the game. The cross on the left moves and aims, **B** fires, **A** jumps and **Start** starts or pauses the game. A USB or Bluetooth gamepad also works. ## Cheats Press the **magic wand** button next to the full screen button above the game. A small panel opens over the game, and the game waits until you close it. Switch on **Unlimited lives** to keep playing as long as you like, or **Super weapon** to always carry the spread gun with rapid fire. Reloading the page turns the cheats off again. The game also has its famous built-in code: on the title screen press up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A and then Start (on a keyboard: up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, Z, X, Enter) to begin with 30 lives. ## Weapons - **M** : machine gun that fires while you hold the button. - **F** : fire ball that spirals forward. - **S** : spread gun with five shots in a fan, the favourite of most players. - **L** : laser that fires a long, strong beam. - **R** : rapid fire for the weapon you carry. - **B** : barrier that makes you invincible for a short time. Losing a life also loses the weapon you were carrying, so pick up a new one as soon as you can. ## About Contra Konami released Contra in arcades in 1987 and brought it to the NES in 1988. Its tight controls, its weapons and its two player mode made it one of the best known action games of the 8-bit era. The title screen also offers a two player mode, where a friend can join on the second controller. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Contra free to play? Yes. You can play it free in your browser on Yes This Game, with no download and no sign-up. ### Can I play Contra on my phone? Yes. On a phone or tablet an on-screen pad with a cross, B, A and Start buttons appears under the game. ### How do I use the cheats? Press the magic wand button next to the full screen button and switch on unlimited lives or the super weapon. You can also enter the built-in code on the title screen for 30 lives. ### Can I save my progress? Yes. The bar under the game has a save state button that stores the game exactly where you are, in your browser on this device. The load state button brings it back. ### Which version of Contra is this? It is the North American NES version of Contra, released by Konami in 1988.