5/5 ★ – RawMetal's review of Contra III: The Alien Wars.

System: Super Nintendo Started: July 13, 2025 Ended: July 15, 2025 Redemption Playthrough First Attempt: 2007 Contra III was the first Contra game I played for the Nintendo Wii. Back then, Nintendo had games that you could purchase digitally separately called Virtual Console. Now for the Nintendo Switch, you have to pay for a full membership and access the catalog of old retro Nintendo games. I played Contra III a lot and loved it regardless of getting my ass kicked. The Contra franchise has always been meant to be difficult, but with repeated playthroughs and memorization of key patterns of memory placements and attack patterns, you will eventually beat it. I even had several friends play this game with me in co-op, but the farthest I ever got was Stage 4, which is always ran out of lives from Stage 3. This game was in my backlog list for so long, I actually want to finish it. I’m playing on the actual Super Nintendo since I have the cartridge version. I did not choose Easy or Normal Mode this time, I went straight to Hard Mode with only 7 lives, and I was stunned that I managed to beat the game after several tries over a few days. I had to use a guide and make quick decisions, such as collecting 30 lives during my run. Contra III is the first game in the series to implement two weapons that you can switch. The best part is that once you are hit, you might lose your currently equipped weapon, but you still keep the secondary weapon you picked up before, allowing you to quickly get your strongest weapon after losing a life. From Contra’s transition from the 8-bit NES to the 16-bit Super Nintendo, Contra III: The Alien Wars looks good, even during Mode 7 moments like the giant airplane appearing in the sky in Stage 1. This game also varies it up by adding a bird's-eye view gameplay in stages 2 and 5. Each boss fight is spectacular, especially stage 3 with a giant terminator-looking robot. Contra III has that chaotic, metallic, and tense music that matches the feel of a very difficult 90’s action game. Once the music for the first stage starts playing, you know you’re in a living hell, as one-hit death projectiles are everywhere. Stages 1 and 3 have the best music in the game. Japan got it easy with their version of Contra III (or Super Probotector: Alien Rebels). They had the 30 Lives Konami Code and a stage selection. The overseas version removed the Konami Code, and if you want 30 lives, you have to go to specific stages. Notably, in Stage 3, and you need to spend at least half an hour to get the full 30 lives by going to a specific area and holding down the fire button to spawn infinite henchmen. It’s a pain for time purposes, but it helps immensely if you want to beat the game quickly on Hard Mode. Even the story was changed between versions. The Japanese version features two popular characters: Bill Rizer and Lance Bean from Contra and Super C. But in the American version, the characters' names were changed to Jimbo and Sully, since Contra III is set in a much more futuristic setting than the first two. However, Contra, Super C, and Contra III all take place within the same general time period. Lastly, people often criticize this game for being too short, but to be fair, I’m okay with the short length since the game's difficulty makes up for it. Hell, I finally got the chance to beat this game in 2007, so I give that a pass. Contra has a fanbase where preferences vary. Some say Contra III is their favorite; others prefer Contra Hard Corps. Some only enjoy the original or Super C. But Contra III is the most popular one, and it’s currently my favorite due to its upgraded 16-bit graphics and awesome soundtrack. I understand that this game probably earns a 4-star rating, mainly because of its difficulty and short length. But I personally give it a 5, mainly because of the nostalgia of playing it during my late middle school years, and I think the length of this game is just right. In fact, I recommend playing the Japanese version for people who want this game to be easier to beat.