Fans of the popular shooter game, Contra, are in for a treat as Konami Digital Entertainment brings the classic franchise back to a modern platform and new generation of players. The Contra Anniversary Collection is a solid retro video game bundle that features some of the series’ best titles. Not only that, but it also comes with features that will cater to the Contra fan in you. Grab your power-ups and blast your way through familiar menacing enemies and bosses. Whether you are alone or playing with a friend, this game will give you hours of nostalgic, nail-biting action.

A Bundle of Classics

Konami released the Contra Anniversary Collection in celebration of the company's 50th anniversary. The package compilation will have ten titles. Five of the selection are the classic titles from the series; the arcade games, Contra and Super Contra, Contra III: The Alien Wars, Contra: Hard Corps, and Operation C. Meanwhile the other four titles will be a different localization of the mentioned titles, while the remaining one will be a combination of the five ports.

The Contra Anniversary Collection will let you save memorable runs. It also allows cooperative playing that the franchise is known for. However, you can only play the games offline just like you did back in the days.

Fans may love the idea of bringing back some of the well-loved Contra titles, but it is very much apparent that while the bundle contains the GameBoy title, Operation C, it lacks many—and probably more loved—Contra games.

A Modern Twist

Contra Anniversary Collection brings back your favorite franchise titles, but it does not end there. The bundle provides several modern features and additional contents for all games to make it appealing to younger players. Among the new features is the configurable display settings. With this, you can play the game in its original graphics or tweak its look by applying scanlines or adjust the aspect ratio. Players can also pick from three different border frames that they can use during gameplay.

But perhaps the additional content that fans would love about the collection is the 74-page bonus e-book titled, The History of Contra. This feature comes packed with new information about the Contra game titles along with the official chronology of the franchise, giving you hindsight about how far the series has come. It also contains exclusive interviews with the development staff and veteran producers, as well as some behind-the-scenes insights. What’s more, this e-book flaunts sketches and design documents that were never revealed to the public before.

Take a Trip Down Memory Lane

Contra is one of the best slide scrolling shooter games in the golden age, and being able to play some of the titles from the franchise is a great experience, especially for an avid fan. With Contra Anniversary Collection, you can do all that. More, it comes with additional features that make the game even more exciting. Sure, it lacks some features you’d expect in a contemporary compilation. It also would have been better if some of the later games were added into the bundle. But, all in all, it’s the perfect way to relive the fun you had when playing the game.