Konami's first Contra on the Super Nintendo, released in 1992 and known as Contra Spirits in Japan, opens in a burning city with the alien invasion already reaching Earth. Bill and Lance can now carry two guns at once and swap between them, set off a screen-clearing bomb, climb walls and hang from bars, and the action escalates from tanks to a fight while hanging from missiles in flight. Two of the six stages switch to a top-down view using Mode 7, rotating the playfield around the player.
It quickly became one of the system's best-regarded action games for its pace, huge bosses and two-player co-op. The difficulty setting matters: the easy mode leaves out the final stages, so you need to play on normal or above for the full ending. A Game Boy adaptation, Contra: The Alien Wars, followed, and Contra: Hard Corps on Genesis took the series in a different direction.
Tips for Contra III: The Alien Wars
Losing a life costs you the gun in hand, so switch to the weaker weapon before taking a risk.
Plant your feet to fire in eight directions without walking into hazards, especially against the bosses.
Play on normal or hard; the easy setting ends early and skips the last stages.
How to Play Contra III The Alien Wars
Click Play Now to launch Contra III The Alien Wars directly in your browser — no downloads or plugins needed. A fires and Z jumps; X and S swap your two guns and launch a bomb, and holding W keeps you in place while aiming. Enter pauses. You can also connect a USB or Bluetooth gamepad for a more authentic feel.
Save states let you save your progress at any point. Create a free account to sync saves across devices. Press F11 for fullscreen mode.
Playing Contra III The Alien Wars is easy: press "Play Now" above and the game starts right in your browser window. Our emulator handles everything — no extra software needed.
Is Contra III The Alien Wars free to play?
Yes, Contra III The Alien Wars is completely free to play on RetroVault.GG. Just visit the game page and start playing in your browser.
What console is Contra III The Alien Wars for?
Originally a SNES game, Contra III The Alien Wars can now be played directly in your browser here on RetroVault.GG with no setup needed.
What genre is Contra III The Alien Wars?
Contra III The Alien Wars is a action, shooter game. It was made for the SNES.
Can I play Contra III The Alien Wars on my phone?
Contra III The Alien Wars is fully playable on mobile devices. Open this page in your phone's browser and tap Play Now — touch controls appear automatically.