Contra, known as Gryzor in Europe and Oceania, is a 1987 run and gun action game developed and published by Konami originally released as a coin-operated arcade game on February 20, 1987. This gamer decided to use a hacked NES version of the game to propose to his future wife. Continue reading to see the entire process.

The NES version of Contra differs from the arcade game in a few ways. All ten stages from the arcade version are present, although the “core” segments are no longer individual stages but boss battles that occur at the end of each base stage, reducing the total number of stages to eight. The base stages themselves were also made into linear levels instead of their original maze-like structure (resulting in the removal of the map display) and the time limit was removed as well. The rest of the game’s stages were also modified with the addition of more traps (such as surfacing spiked walls, mortar launchers, and bottomless pits). The design of the Area 3 boss (originally Area 4 in the arcade version) was changed as well.

All six power-ups from the arcade version are present, with the Machine Gun and the Laser Rifle now represented by letter-based Falcon icons (an “M” and an “L” respectively) like the other four power-ups. A seventh power-up is also introduced called the “Special”, which destroys all on-screen enemies once picked up. It is represented by an unmarked Falcon icon. Unlike the arcade version, the flying capsules appear regardless of which weapon the player is using.

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