Contra: Evolution

Contra: Evolution is a run-and-gun game for one or two players and with eight stages. The game is an HD remake of Contra for the NES. It has exactly the same stages, weapons and bosses but with high resolution graphics and overall improved models and sound.

Players can choose from four characters, two male and two female. Run and shoot your way through the jungle, waterfalls, snowy mountains, factory structures, and finally the alien's lair. Enemies include soldiers, turrets, vehicles, aliens, flame throwers, spiked walls. There are 8 stages in total, alternating between side scrolling levels and levels with an over-the-shoulder perspective where players move into the screen. Each stage ends with a boss battle, include fortified structures, a robot and aliens.

Players can pick up different weapons by shooting letter icons. The weapons power-ups include S for scatter shot, H homing missiles, L laser, F flame thrower. Unlike the original game, players keep all power-ups and can cycle through them at any time. When the player dies they only lose their currently active weapon. Other power-ups include B for a bubble shield and a bomb that kills all on-screen enemies.

The game was first released on Chinese cellphones, then ported as a arcade coin-op game, then iOS and Android.