What are the best games like Contra III: The Alien Wars?

The best games like Contra III: The Alien Wars are Blazing Chrome, Helldivers 2, Broforce, Cuphead. Each was selected based on gameplay similarity, genre, atmosphere, and player reviews.

What games are similar to Contra III: The Alien Wars?

Games similar to Contra III: The Alien Wars include Blazing Chrome, Helldivers 2, Broforce, Cuphead. These alternatives share similar Shooter and Adventure elements.

Games Like

Contra III: The Alien Wars

Find the best Contra III: The Alien Wars alternatives — AI-picked and ranked by similarity.

1992

ShooterAdventure

Boss Battles · Post-Apocalyptic · Sci-Fi

81Excellent

199281/100

ShooterAdventure

Boss Battles · Post-Apocalyptic · Sci-Fi

Contra's legacy stems from its relentless, twitch-based action and the creative ways it weaponizes the run-and-gun formula. The game's memorable levels, split between overhead and side-scrolling perspectives, are packed with relentless waves of aliens and inventive boss encounters. Whether you remember it for the iconic motorcycle stage or the ability to cling and shoot in mid-air, Contra III delivers a pure adrenaline rush, making it a benchmark in the genre.

About Contra III: The Alien Wars

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Set in the futuristic year 2636, two years after the events of Super Contra (Previous version released for the NES). The protagonists Bill Rizer and Lance Bean are called once again, against an alien invasion. Taking advantage of Super NES technology, in this game the graphics are improved compared to previous games. It is considered by many the best game of the Contra series. This game offers a lot of weapons, at first you have a precise but very weak machine gun, some of the weapons are: missiles, flamethrowers, laser, shot that reaches a wide area, extremely strong missile, among others, each with Their advantage and disadvantage. The game bosses are a strong point of Contra III, they are very scary, big and well made, each with a different skill and different ways to be defeated, which leaves the game very unpredictable, you never know how to defeat that boss , And dying in them is almost certain. In most phases there is also a mini-bosses, this is very easy to defeat. The gameplay is excellent, the joystick commands respond perfectly, the characters shoot in any direction, lay on the floor, jump, scale the wall, do almost everything. The graphics are great and original and the Aliens are different from what we are used to seeing and have a horrifying look.

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Top 4 Alternatives to Contra III: The Alien Wars

Rating

Critic & community

Match

Recommendation strength

92%

Blazing Chrome

2019 · Action

This game is a direct homage to classic 16-bit run-and-gun shooters like Contra, perfectly capturing the pixel-art aesthetic, intense action, and relentless difficulty that defined the genre.

Why recommended

Designed as a direct spiritual successor to Contra, featuring side-scrolling, high-octane shooting action against robotic and alien foes, complete with power-ups and massive boss battles.
Criteria — Includes a two-player local cooperative Multiplayer mode, allowing players to team up and tackle the game's challenges together, just like the classic Contra experience.
Criteria — Offers a genuinely Challenging Difficulty that demands precise movement, pattern recognition, and quick reflexes, providing a true test for fans of old-school arcade shooters.

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Blazing Chrome

2019 · Action · Shooter

Rating

79/100

92%Match

This game is a direct homage to classic 16-bit run-and-gun shooters like Contra, perfectly capturing the pixel-art aesthetic, intense action, and relentless difficulty that defined the genre.

Why recommended

Designed as a direct spiritual successor to Contra, featuring side-scrolling, high-octane shooting action against robotic and alien foes, complete with power-ups and massive boss battles.
Criteria — Includes a two-player local cooperative Multiplayer mode, allowing players to team up and tackle the game's challenges together, just like the classic Contra experience.
Criteria — Offers a genuinely Challenging Difficulty that demands precise movement, pattern recognition, and quick reflexes, providing a true test for fans of old-school arcade shooters.

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Rating

Critic & community

Match

Recommendation strength

89%

Helldivers 2

2024 · Shooter

Like Contra, Helldivers 2 throws you into an endless war against alien hordes, demanding quick reflexes and tactical teamwork to survive overwhelming odds and spread 'managed democracy' across the galaxy.

Why recommended

Features intense, fast-paced run-and-gun combat against swarms of alien enemies, requiring constant movement and precise shooting, much like Contra's arcade action.
Criteria — Offers robust cooperative Multiplayer gameplay for up to four players, where friendly fire is a constant threat, amplifying the challenge and strategic depth.
Criteria — Delivers a Challenging Difficulty experience where even on lower settings, players are constantly outnumbered and outgunned, demanding strategic use of stratagems and teamwork to survive.

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Helldivers 2

2024 · Shooter · Tactical

Rating

83/100

89%Match

Why recommended

Features intense, fast-paced run-and-gun combat against swarms of alien enemies, requiring constant movement and precise shooting, much like Contra's arcade action.
Criteria — Offers robust cooperative Multiplayer gameplay for up to four players, where friendly fire is a constant threat, amplifying the challenge and strategic depth.
Criteria — Delivers a Challenging Difficulty experience where even on lower settings, players are constantly outnumbered and outgunned, demanding strategic use of stratagems and teamwork to survive.

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Rating

Critic & community

Match

Recommendation strength

85%

Broforce

2015 · Action

Broforce is a love letter to 80s and 90s action, packing explosive run-and-gun gameplay, destructible environments, and a roster of iconic 'bros' that capture the over-the-top, chaotic spirit of Contra.

Why recommended

Delivers fast-paced, side-scrolling run-and-gun action with highly destructible environments and a constant stream of enemies and explosions, reminiscent of Contra's intensity.
Criteria — Supports up to four-player local and online Multiplayer, creating chaotic and fun cooperative gameplay as players unleash a barrage of bullets and special abilities.
Criteria — Offers a Challenging Difficulty curve that requires quick reflexes and strategic use of different 'bros' to navigate treacherous levels and defeat bosses, often leading to frantic, last-second victories.

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Broforce

2015 · Action · Platform · Shooter

Rating

80/100

85%Match

Why recommended

Delivers fast-paced, side-scrolling run-and-gun action with highly destructible environments and a constant stream of enemies and explosions, reminiscent of Contra's intensity.
Criteria — Supports up to four-player local and online Multiplayer, creating chaotic and fun cooperative gameplay as players unleash a barrage of bullets and special abilities.
Criteria — Offers a Challenging Difficulty curve that requires quick reflexes and strategic use of different 'bros' to navigate treacherous levels and defeat bosses, often leading to frantic, last-second victories.

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Rating

Critic & community

Match

Recommendation strength

78%

Cuphead

2017 · Action

While visually distinct, Cuphead shares Contra's relentless boss rush structure and precision platforming, demanding pixel-perfect dodges and pattern recognition to overcome its famously difficult encounters.

Why recommended

Emphasizes precise run-and-gun action with a strong focus on boss battles and occasional platforming stages, mirroring Contra's core gameplay loop.
Criteria — Features a cooperative Multiplayer mode for two players, allowing for shared suffering and triumph against its formidable challenges.
Criteria — Renowned for its brutally Challenging Difficulty, requiring players to master boss patterns, timing, and movement to progress, much like classic Contra games.

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Cuphead

2017 · Action · Platform

Rating

87/100

78%Match

Why recommended

Emphasizes precise run-and-gun action with a strong focus on boss battles and occasional platforming stages, mirroring Contra's core gameplay loop.
Criteria — Features a cooperative Multiplayer mode for two players, allowing for shared suffering and triumph against its formidable challenges.
Criteria — Renowned for its brutally Challenging Difficulty, requiring players to master boss patterns, timing, and movement to progress, much like classic Contra games.

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