Contra III: The Alien Wars

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Description

The hideous Red Falcon, thought to have been destroyed long ago by the Earth's greatest commandos, Mad Dog and Scorpion, has risen again, this time very angry and thirsty for revenge. His armies are marching through the cities, across the lands, with the intention of exterminating the human race like a bad case of fleas. Two commandos, Jimbo and Sully, have come forth now to defeat Red Falcon and save what remains of the world from his hideous plans.

The Alien War is the third entry in the Contra series. Like its predecessors, it is a predominantly side-scrolling shooter with a heavy emphasis on action. The protagonist can carry two weapons (as opposed to one in the previous entries), and fire in eight directions when standing still. New abilities include climbing on walls, grabbing poles and navigating tanks. Parts of scenery can be destroyed.

In a few instances the protagonist will also participate in motorcycle changes. Two stages have a top-down view and are played differently than the side-scrolling levels, with more freedom of exploration and the necessity to complete mission objectives rather than simply advance in one direction and kill all the enemies.

Screenshots

Promo Images

Alternate Titles

• "魂斗羅スピリッツ" -- Japanese spelling
• "Super Probotector: Alien Rebels" -- European SNES title
• "Probotector 2" -- European Game Boy title
• "Contra: The Alien Wars" -- US Game Boy title
• "Contra Spirits" -- Japanese title

Part of the Following Groups

• Console Generation Exclusive: SNES
• Contra series
• Genre: Side scrolling run and gun
• Regional differences: Reskinned games

User Reviews

A magnificent pinnacle in videogame-history!	SNES	Jay the Avenger (13)
Great 2-player game!	SNES	DudeOfMonson (118)

Critic Reviews

Video Game Den	SNES	Jun 03, 2012		100
The Video Game Critic	SNES	Jan 29, 2000	A-	91
Video Games	SNES	Sep, 1992	90 out of 100	90
Consoles Plus	Game Boy	Oct, 1994	90 out of 100	90
Retro Game Reviews	Game Boy	May 04, 2015		90
Power Play	SNES	May, 1992	90 out of 100	90
Game Zero	SNES	Jun, 1992	89 out of 100	89
Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM)	Game Boy	Dec, 1994	31 out of 40	78
Megablast	Game Boy	Sep, 1994	74 out of 100	74
Score	Game Boy	Aug, 1995	6 out of 10	60

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Trivia

1001 Video Games

The SNES version of Contra III: The Alien Wars appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.

European version

For the European release all humans were redrawn as robots.

Explosion

During the airstrike on the first stage, the explosion plays the Contra III theme.

Awards

• EGM
  • April 1992 (Issue 33) - Game of the Month (SNES version)

Information also contributed by Foozies

Related Web Sites

• Contra Encyclopedia (Fan site dedicated to the official games in the Contra series. All versions of each game are covered. Information includes release dates, detailed game descriptions, regional differences, lots of trivia and interesting information about the games' developmental stages. There is also plenty of screenshots, links and additional resources)
• My Grueling Battle with Contra III: The Alien Wars (Alex discusses his journey to finally beat Contra III: The Alien Wars)
• The Contra Headquarters (A hosted fan "shrine" site devoted to all the games of the Contra series, including the SNES game Contra III: The Alien Wars. Content includes game info/descriptions, plot summaries, various kinds of media (images, MP3s, etc.) and links to other Contra-related sites.)
• The Contra Headquarters (A hosted fan "shrine" site devoted to all the games of the Contra series, including the Game Boy game Contra: The Alien Wars. Content includes game info/descriptions, plot summaries, various kinds of media (images, MP3s, etc.) and links to other Contra-related sites. )