Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Release Date: February 2, 1990
Genre: Run & Gun
Nerd Rating: 9 out of 10
Reviewed by: bbpower
If you like Run and Gun style games, then look no further! Super C for the Nintendo Entertainment System will keep you moving and shelling. The game plays much like the first installment, Contra, with the same keen desire for alien annihilation, but with improved graphics and enhanced power-up weapons. Hold down that fire button, you are in for a fun ride!
The alien forces have grown stronger since the last mission and have overrun a military base possessing the troops stationed in the process. The duo Bill and Lance are sent in to take control, which means they must fight against their possessed comrades and aliens to get to the bosses. 
In this side-scrolling adventure, up to two players can run and gun simultaneously to take down the enemy. First player controls Bill and second player commands Lance. The players have 8-way directional aiming and can control the height of jumping by pressing the jump button and directional up or down. This multi-angle shooting will come in handy for several bosses and levels. Grab a buddy and load up!
Along with the default gun, five weapon power ups are available: Machine (M), Spread (S), Fire Ball (F), Laser (L), and Rapid (R). There are two more additional boxes to acquire as well: a Temporary Shield, which make you invincible to attacks, and Hyper Shell, which obliterates all opponents on the screen at that time. When you see it, don’t miss out on grabbing this box; they are rare and placed where players will need it the most!
Players must shoot down the flying boxes to obtain the better weaponry and arsenals, as the game progresses. Be sure to be accuracte, because if you miss the boxes, you will have to wait for the next, sometimes next level. Die and your powered gun turns back into the default gun. Double up on the same power-up and it accelerates the bullets. Be sure to have weapon-sharing strategy when playing with a teammate for the best success.
Also, try your best not to die going into a boss, or you will be in for a difficult battle. Select arsenals wisely and not because they are flying by. The weapons will carry over to the next level, so on some levels a certain gun may warrant success on following levels. Spread (S) is in my opinion best choice for safety, but Laser (L) will cause more damage. Put the two together in 2-player mode and you have some serious power.
There are eight unique levels that must be beaten to defeat the aliens and conquer Super C. Each “area” has a boss either at the end, or in the middle and end, so be prepared. Each boss has a particular strategy, which I will let you figure out. Whats the fun in being told how to defeat them?
Two of the levels are an overhead view, which changes the strategy. There is also no jumping on these levels, so be ready to move. The enemies are endless and come in massive numbers at all angles ready to kill you with a single touch. Luckily, there is unlimited ammunition, so there’s no consequences of being trigger happy. Also, there is no turning back at any given point. Beware, if you turn back on vertical scrolling levels, or fall, you will die. There is no room for error.
As stated above, you can die by enemies touching or shooting you. Some enemies do not shoot, but will only try and run into you, whereas some only shoot. There are enemies who will do both.
Bonus “medal” lives are given based upon the amount of points earned from blasting the enemies, so rack ’em up! Also, points are awarded for shooting power ups. So, shoot them even if you don’t want it! Unlike the first Contra, when someone dies, the other player can continue with the level. A limited number of continues are granted to conquer Super C, which will be needed until your skills are honed. Once you have mastered the game, you may be able to beat it without dying, like this writer did. Practice makes perfect, my fellow gamers.
This game deserves a nine out of ten. Super C is an enjoyable game thanks to the 8-bit graphics and lack of glitches, which is always a bonus when playing NES games. This has always been one of my go-to titles for the NES. I opened this game brand new for Christmas in 1990 and am still blasting aliens to this day. This fast-paced game will keep you busy for hours on end and leave you hungry for more. It definitely did for me.
Luckily for us, the Contra series does not end here. There are several other awesome installments available to continue running and gunning, so check out the other Contra reviews, not only on NES! Also, it’s still a cheaper retro buy, demanding far less than the cost of a date night, for now! So, grab it while you can and you will have a great addition to any gaming collection.
