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When it comes to classic side-scrolling blasters, they don't get more savage than Super Contra. Better known on these shores as Probotector II, the game updated the familiar formula with inclined surfaces, upgradeable weapons and top-down sequences that brought variety to the relentless carnage, keeping the repetitive action fresh and ensuring players stuck around to save the day. The mega shell, a smart bomb that instantly killed all enemies on the screen, was also a guilty gaming pleasure and the stuff of console legend.

Memorable for...
Unnecessary censorship. For its European release, the realistic characters of the Japanese and American versions were replaced by robots, which the publishers hoped would offset criticism of the game's remorseless violence.

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