Super C

North American box art.

Super C is a run-and-gun action shooter from Konami and sequel to Contra. It was originally an arcade cabinet released in 1988, but was later ported to many different platforms.

I first played this game at my cousin's who was borrowing it from a friend. Already knowing about Contra, I knew what to expect when I played it, and sure enough, I died a lot early on. My brother found out the code that lets you start with 10 lives, not as helpful as the 30 from Contra, but it also made the game less trivial to beat.

Status

I have beat this game several times. At my peak, I was able to beat it without dying.

Review

• Overall: 6/10
• Best Version: NES

Good

• The controls are really responsive and intuitive.
• The graphics are really impressive, and using the theme of Alien (and, by proxy, Giger's art style) was a great idea.
• The game has a really good soundtrack.
• Each stage is pretty unique with new enemies, scenery, and music. The designers also did a good job of spreading out the scrolling types. Most levels don't have a single scrolling direction, but multiple ones through the course of the game.
• The game is challenging enough that even after playing for years, you'll still have difficulty beating it.

Bad

• The game is painfully difficult. Had I encountered this game later in life, I wouldn't have the patience for it. Thankfully there is a 10-lives cheat code which makes victory more possible for an amateur.
• While they repaired the terrible flame thrower weapon from the first game, the laser gun is still terrible and even worse than the starting rifle.
• The manual incorrectly lists several of the game's enemies.

Ugly

• Nothing.

Box Art

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  The original Japanese box is a fantastic collage of all the stuff you expect to see in the game including soldiers, bosses, even the earthquake hazard.

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  The North American box art uses the same painting from the Japanese box, only with the Konami gray frame. I really like the lettering.

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  Like Contra before it, the European releases were renamed "Probotector" and featured a mecha theme. The box art is well-painted, but it doesn't show what the game is about.

Documentation

• Super C - NES - Manual.pdf

  Game manual.

Maps

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  Area 1.

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  Area 2.

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  Area 3.

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  Area 4.

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  Area 5.

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  Area 6.

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  Area 7.

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  Area 8.

Links

• mobygames.com/game/super-contra - MobyGames.
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Contra - Wikipedia.
• gamefaqs.com/nes/563463-super-c - GameFAQs.
• thealmightyguru.com/Games/Hacking/Wiki/index.php/Super_C - NES Hacker Database.