Contra

Grab your rifle, commando — Contra is the legendary run-and-gun shooter that defined a genre, and you can play the classic NES version right here in your browser, free and with no download. Pick up where the arcades left off, blast your way through alien-infested jungles and fortresses, and yes — the famous Konami Code still works for 30 lives. Hit the Play button to drop in, and read on for the story, controls, that all-important cheat code, and tips to survive Red Falcon's army.

What Is Contra?

Contra is a 1987 run-and-gun action game developed and published by Konami. It started life as a coin-operated arcade machine and arrived on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1988, where its expanded, restructured stages turned it into a true console classic. (In Europe and Oceania it was released as Probotector and Gryzor.)

The NES version is more than a straight port — the levels are longer and rearranged, weapons behave a little differently, and the game is famous for its punishing one-hit-kill difficulty, tight controls, and standout two-player co-op. It's the kind of game you'll die to dozens of times and keep coming back for "just one more run."

The Story

You play as one of two elite commandos — Bill "Mad Dog" Rizer and Lance "Scorpion" Bean — members of the Earth Marine Corps' Contra unit, specialists in guerrilla warfare. Their mission: infiltrate enemy territory and neutralize the Red Falcon Organization, a hostile force bent on wiping out humanity, and uncover the alien menace pulling the strings.

The setting famously shifts depending on which version you read. Japanese materials place the action in the year 2633 on the fictional Galuga archipelago, while the American NES manual brings it down to earth — a present-day mission in a South American jungle, with "Red Falcon" reimagined as an alien entity rather than an organization. Either way, you're badly outnumbered and the only thing standing between Earth and annihilation.

Gameplay

Contra is a side-scrolling run-and-gun at heart. Your commando carries a rifle with unlimited ammo, and you can jump, move, and fire in eight directions — even while moving or leaping. The catch that makes Contra Contra: a single hit from any enemy, bullet, or hazard kills you instantly and strips your current weapon. Precision and pattern memory are everything.

The game mixes up its stage types to keep you on edge:

• Side-view stages — the classic run-and-gun action across jungles, bridges, waterfalls, and bases.
• 3D "base" stages — the camera shifts behind your commando as you push forward into an enemy base, fighting through its defenses with a timer ticking down.
• 3D "core" stages — at the heart of each base, you destroy a series of flashing sensors to expose and blow up the central core.

Weapons

Power-ups appear in floating capsules and flying pods — shoot them to grab the upgrade. The core arsenal NES players remember:

• M – Machine Gun: rapid continuous fire.
• F – Fire Ball / Flamethrower: spiraling shots.
• S – Spread Gun: the fan-favorite, firing five shots in a spread (the go-to weapon for most runs).
• L – Laser: a powerful beam.
• R – Rapid Bullets: boosts your firing speed.
• B – Barrier: brief invincibility.

Losing a life means losing your weapon and dropping back to the default rifle, so guard that Spread Gun with your life.

The Konami Code (30 Lives)

No Contra page would be complete without it. The most famous cheat in video game history first reached mainstream fame here. On the title screen, before starting, enter:

Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start

Done correctly, you'll begin the game with 30 lives instead of the standard three — the difference between rage-quitting at the waterfall and actually seeing the ending. For two-player runs, you can press the second action button (or use 2P input where supported) to grant both players the extra lives. It's woven into Contra's legend for good reason: most players who beat the game for the first time did it thanks to this code.

How to Play

Jumping in is instant. Press the Play button on this page and Contra loads directly in your browser — free, with nothing to install. Then:

1. Press Select on the title screen to choose a 1-player or 2-player game.
2. (Optional) Enter the Konami Code for 30 lives before you start.
3. Press Start to begin.
4. Run, jump, and shoot through each stage — aim in eight directions and keep moving to dodge fire.
5. Survive the one-hit-kill challenge, grab weapon power-ups, and clear each base to push toward the final showdown.

Contra plays great on both desktop and mobile. On a computer you use the keyboard (and any USB or Bluetooth gamepad you connect is detected automatically and maps to the NES layout), while on phones and tablets you get a custom on-screen gamepad styled just like a real NES controller — so the run-and-gun action feels right wherever you play.

Controls

Here's what each control does, mapped to your keyboard:

Aim in eight directions by holding a direction while you shoot, aim diagonally by holding a direction plus up or down, and fire straight down by holding Down while jumping. A connected gamepad uses the same button assignments.

Tips for New Players

• Prioritize the Spread Gun. Once you grab the "S" weapon, play conservatively to keep it — it trivializes crowds and many bosses.
• Use the Konami Code your first time. There's no shame in 30 lives. Learn the stages first, then challenge yourself on three lives later.
• Keep moving. Standing still is death. Jump over bullets, slide between enemies, and never stop advancing in the auto-scrolling sections.
• Learn boss patterns. Each boss has a safe spot and a rhythm. Die, observe, adjust — that loop is the whole game.
• Mind co-op spacing. In two-player mode the screen won't scroll until both players move up, so a teammate lagging behind can trap you both. Stick together.

Why Play It in Your Browser?

Contra is the perfect quick-session blast — fast, intense, and endlessly replayable. Running it right here means no cartridge hunting and no console setup: just press Play and you're dropped straight into the jungle. And because it's the genuine NES build, you get the real stages, the iconic music, the punishing difficulty, and yes, the Konami Code, exactly as they were in 1988.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Contra free to play here? Yes. Press Play and the full NES game loads in your browser — no cost, no account, no download.

What's the Konami Code for Contra? On the title screen enter Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start to start with 30 lives.

When did Contra come out? It launched in arcades in 1987 and on the NES in 1988, developed by Konami. The version here is the NES release.

Can I play it on my phone? Absolutely. It plays great on mobile thanks to a custom on-screen gamepad modeled on the classic NES controller, and just as well on desktop with the keyboard or a connected gamepad.

Can I play two-player co-op? Yes — the NES version features simultaneous two-player co-op. Press Select on the title screen to choose a two-player game.

Lock and load, commando — press Play and take the fight to Red Falcon.