Contra
Back in the late 80s, Contra was practically a household name, due to its immense popularity on the Nintendo Entertainment System. The intense, run-and-gun action was exciting, gripping, even stunning in places. Like many games of its day, Contra began as an arcade game, and was ported to home video games. However, we hadn't yet reached the time when most arcade ports felt identical to their proper arcade versions. Like many other NES ports, the home version of Contra was quite different from the original. But the changes were positive: the home version was quite a bit longer, was more graphically impressive in many places, and had more polished control, while still retaining the same intense gameplay of the original.
That said, some folks are going to be in for a shock when they download the Trial Game and find something completely different from what they remembered. No, do not adjust your TV. Yes, this is normal. This is the original arcade version of Contra, and it won't appeal to everyone who loved the NES version. So is it worth your 400 points? The answer: maybe!
Contra's simple gameplay works this way: you are a soldier, and Earth's last hope against a bunch of aliens (back when this game was made, this story was seriously not stale...seriously). You can fire in multiple directions; while jumping, you can fire downwards. Enemies come from multiple directions, as well, and you'll be attacked by enemy alien soldiers, gun turrets, laser beams, grenades, giant waves of fire... and, of course, the leader of the aliens. From inside its body.
You can dish out bullets as quickly as you can mash the fire button (almost...there is a limit to how many of your bullets can be on the screen, and once you're there, you have to wait until some are gone). You can also find a number of weapon upgrades in floating capsules, ground targets or certain enemies. These are the same as in the NES version: the machine gun, which essentially mashes the fire button for you; the fire weapon which moves slower, but covers a wider area; the laser, which is super effective on bosses and targets that take multiple hits to destroy; and the spread gun, which covers a huge area and is undoubtedly the most valuable of them all. You can also find an upgrade that makes your firepower move faster, no matter what weapon you're using.
While your soldier can surely dish it out, they can't take it. Any hit, be it from an enemy soldier or any enemy firepower, will kill you instantly. (You are allowed to touch turrets, as long as they're not firing.) Your next life will begin with the default weapon, no matter what you had when you were bumped off. You get 3 lives, but if you play the game to completion, you will likely earn at least four more. It is not terribly difficult to avoid most aspects of the enemy assault, but if you're not careful or get sloppy, pc games free download can end in moments rather than minutes.
There are a total of 5 levels, and the first four feel similar to the first four levels of the NES version, but are shorter. The first is a jungle that scrolls horizontally; the third is a waterfall that scrolls vertically. The second and fourth are "3-D" bases, where you must destroy targets on the walls to clear each screen, then move forward to advance to the next. Boss battles await at the end of all four of these levels.