Overview:
- Estimated achievement difficulty: 6/10
- Offline: 10 [170]
- Online: 2 [30]
- Number of missable achievements: None
- Number of glitched achievements: None
- Minimum number of playthroughs needed: 2
- Do cheat code disable achievements: Yes
- Does difficulty affect achievements: Yes
Introduction:
This could be the quickest 200 you ever earn, or it could take you awhile. People who play Contra tend to fall into two categories: the people that have been playing it for the past twenty years and know it better than their own phone number or the people who are not so familiar with it and will require A LOT of practice. So, if, like me, you are not so great at the game and do not know the levels very well, I have three words for you, PRACTICE, PRACTICE and more PRACTICE. You're going to need to because for a small arcade game it certainly takes no prisoners!
NOTE that to obtain achievements in the game you cannot use the classic Konami code and all of the game settings must be set to default.
Abbreviated Walkthrough:
Start off by having a play through or two of the game, which won’t take long at all, just to learn the levels, bosses and what weapons. You will most certainly unlock the "Armory" achievement along the way along with "Infiltration", perhaps even some others.
Now it's time to get a bit more serious. Get to the first tunnel without losing a life. As long as you get the scatter gun at the very beginning of the first level and take it nice and slow you should be fine and will unlock "Untouchable". Since you are at the first tunnel may as well get "Tunnel Runner 1" while you are here. Just beat it as quick as you can making sure the timer does not go past 33 seconds. Just take out the detonator buttons and ignore everything else. Carry on playing until you get to the second tunnel and beat it as quick as you can this time making sure the timer does not go past 55 seconds to unlock "Tunnel Runner 2".
Now quit and start a new game and make your way back to the second tunnel, but along the way make sure you do not pick up any power ups to unlock "Tough Guy" and make sure you gain as many points as you can. Now at the second tunnel, every time you see a guy in yellow kill it to receive a power up. Do this three times and you will unlock "Well Equipped". However, it needs to be three different power ups and may take you more than one attempt to do. I got it on my third as the first two times he kept giving me the same single weapon, eventually he gave me three completely different ones and the achievement unlocked, I’m guessing he is programmed to give you a random weapon each time. As long as you gained more than 100,000 points you will also unlock "Proficient" if you have not already done so.
Now comes the hard part, blitz through the game as quickly as you can in less than 12 minutes to unlock "Full Assault". You will not have time to build up points and lives so you’re going to have to make do with the bare minimum of lives and continues, time is not the problem here, the problem is staying alive while rushing through the game.
Next comes the even harder part, you now need to complete the game without using a continue. This is the hardest achievement in the game. Remember that you gain lives as you earn points, so boost kills as much as you can - the start of the first level is great. With a lot of practice you will unlock "Bulletproof".
Now time to mop up the final two achievements online, note that it cannot be a private match. Simply earn 100,000 to unlock "Team Work" and complete the game to unlock "Partnership". It’s difficult to find a game sometimes, so use the forums to find people to help you, or send me a friend request and a message and I will be more than happy to help.
Conclusion:
Remember that practice is everything on contra, and when you think you have practiced enough, practice some more just for good measure!