Play Contra Force Online

Summary

Contra Force lands on the NES as a 1992 run‑and‑gun spin‑off that swaps the series’ alien menace for a crew of human terrorists. The game was originally slated for Japan under the unrelated title Arc Hound, but that version was scrapped and the North American release was rebranded as a Contra title. Players pick from four specialists—Burns the leader, Iron the heavy weapons guru, Smith the sharpshooter, and Beans the demolition expert—each with unique speed, jump and weapon sets.

The five‑stage trek alternates between classic side‑scroll action and overhead sections, taking you through a warehouse, a harbor, a high‑rise, an aircraft battle and finally the Blue Group headquarters. Power‑ups come in briefcase form and feed a Gradius‑style selection meter, letting you lock in a pistol, a character‑specific gun, turbo fire or a rolling invincibility attack. A pause menu lets you swap characters or summon a computer partner with adjustable tactics for a brief five‑second assist.

Critics noted noticeable slowdown and flicker, but praised the strategic depth of juggling four distinct characters and the flexible power‑selection system, giving Contra Force a mixed but memorable legacy.

Storyline

In 1992, a task force called C‑Force, made up of former military professionals, is created to protect the futuristic city of Neocity from terrorism. Its leader, Burns, receives a call from informant Fox warning that the Head of Intelligence is being threatened by a criminal syndicate known as D.N.M.E.

Burns arranges to meet Fox at the harbor, only to find Fox’s corpse waiting for him. With the intel dead, C‑Force must take on D.N.M.E. and save Neocity from the looming danger. The NES game Contra Force follows this mission.