I have enjoyed the Contra games since the year of 1991 when a guy older than my older sister and I introduced us to Contra for the Nintendo Entertainment System - and its sequel Super C (which was originally Super Contra in the arcade).
Up until I saw the trailer of the game, I was playing the classic Contra games on the Contra Anniversary Collection by means of my Nintendo Switch - and playing the old Contra game on the NES was no exception (let alone doing that "Konami Code" to get thirty lives instead of three). When I saw the trailer for this Contra game, I knew some good stuff was about to go down.
When I finally got the game, I was smiling - since I had played the demo, the game had a few alternate soundtracks - the Retro Mix (where the BGM is the music from Contra and Super C for the NES) and the Vania Mix (as the name implies, it's various songs from classic Castlevania games of the NES era) to name a few.
The game gives you two modes to start out with either Story Mode or Arcade Mode. Sure, the game is a reimagining of the old Contra on NES, and playing arcade mode is the closest thing to a remastered version of Contra, if anything.
Probably the best thing about this Contra are the perks. Before you fire up the game (after picking out which character you want to be - whether you want to be Bill or Lance or any other characters who you've unlocked via story mode), you're given the option to select whichever perks you want. I'm always using the "Weapon Retention" perk which keeps whichever weapons I have in the event of my death. Another good thing is that the game gives you the option to have a health bar or - if you're wanting to stay faithful to some old school Contra, the "one hit kill" where, when you take damage from an enemy, you lose a life - there's perks to extend your HP bar as well.
This is a must-have for people who grew up with Konami's Contra games - and I'm no exception.