Konami brings back Contra with Contra Rogue Corps

Konami’s classic run-and-gun franchise Contra is back. During a Nintendo Direct E3 2019 presentation on Tuesday, Konami and Nintendo revealed Contra Rogue Corps, a new over-the-top entry in the series.

Contra Rogue Corps trades the traditional side-scrolling perspective for a top-down isometric view of the action, a la Super C and Contra 3: The Alien Wars. Players will shoot up Damned City, both as classic Contra characters like Kaiser, a mutated bug and ... a panda bear? Contra Rogue Corps will feature single-player and multiplayer gameplay when it comes to Nintendo Switch on Sept. 24.

The original Contra, released in arcades, dates back to 1987. Konami ported Contra to the NES in 1988, where it found a wide audience thanks to its solid run-and-gun gameplay and memorable music, and the game helped a generation memorize the Konami Code. Konami has released a long list of sequels, and in recent years has attempted to reinvigorate the franchise with a variety of spinoffs.

Fans can revisit the classic Contra games in Konami’s upcoming Contra Anniversary Collection.