Super Contra & Metal Slug Co-Op Run-and-Gun Guide: Extra Lives Codes, Weapon Tiers & Arcade Setup

Hand a second controller to a friend on Friday night and two franchises immediately take over the television: Konami's Contra and SNK's Metal Slug. Both series share the same core rule: one stray bullet costs a life, weapon crates reward teamwork, and screen-filling mechanical bosses turn a quiet living room into a shouting match over who stole the Spread Gun or Heavy Machine Gun.

Yet booting the wrong version or entering the wrong title-screen code can stall game night before Stage 2. Players routinely try the 30-lives Konami Code in Super C only to start with three lives, or load Metal Slug 2 instead of Metal Slug X and wonder why the frame rate chugs during boss fights. Below you'll find the extra-lives codes, weapon roles, the 16-bit Contra III vs. Contra: Hard Corps differences, Metal Slug 3's alternate routes, and the exact folder and game numbers on our consoles.

Super Contra (Arcade) vs. Super C (NES): Extra Lives Codes & Weapon Tier List

Arcade Super Contra (1988) upgrades weapons when you collect the same gun icon twice, whereas the 1990 NES port Super C replaces the 30-lives Konami Code with Right, Left, Down, Up, A, B, Start for 10 lives and reworks the stage lineup.

When Konami released Super Contra in arcades in 1988 (#438 inside Arcade Classic on our 2Bluebox Retro Game Stick 4K Pro), the studio added overhead stages, slanted terrain you can fire along diagonally, and a two-tier weapon upgrade system. Picking up a second Spread Gun (S) or Laser (L) capsule in the arcade version powers up that weapon's shot.

For the 1990 Nintendo Entertainment System release (renamed Super C in North America, #1605 in the NES folder on our 2Bluebox R36S and #1238 scontra1 on the Game Stick 4K Pro), Konami expanded the stage lineup beyond the arcade original and dropped the two-tier upgrade. Its Fire Gun (F) shoots fireballs that burst on impact, as summarized on Wikipedia's Super Contra reference page.

Follow these three steps to activate extra lives or unlimited arcade coins before Stage 1 begins:

1. **Step 1: For Super C (NES), Enter the 10-Lives Code.** Load Super C (USA) and rapidly tap Right, Left, Down, Up, A, B before the title logo stops moving, press Select if you want 2 Players, then press Start. On a PlayStation-style pad, A and B usually map to Circle and Cross.
2. **Step 2: For Original Contra (NES #459 / #458), Enter the 30-Lives Code. At the scrolling title screen, tap Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A** (Cross, Circle), press Select for 2-player mode, and press Start.
3. **Step 3: For Arcade Super Contra (#438) & Metal Slug (#328 to #333), Use Select as Your Coin Slot. On arcade ROMs, pressing Select inserts virtual credits while Start** joins Player 1 or Player 2 on the spot.

"Tested on our unit" means we checked it on a device we own. "Manufacturer spec" means the maker states it and we haven't verified it ourselves. "Community reports" means players report it, and results can vary.

Table 1: Contra & Metal Slug Weapon Tier List, Damage Behavior & Co-Op Role Assignment

Contra III: The Alien Wars (SNES) vs. Contra: Hard Corps (Sega Genesis): The 16-Bit Co-Op Showdown

Contra III: The Alien Wars (SNES #129) revolves around carrying two weapons at once and rotating overhead Mode 7 stages, while Contra: Hard Corps (Sega Genesis #142) gives you four distinct playable heroes, four weapons per character, and branching story paths with multiple endings.

When the 16-bit console war peaked between 1992 and 1994, Konami built two completely different sequels instead of porting the same game across Nintendo and Sega hardware. You can explore how Contra III fits into Nintendo's 16-bit lineup in our best SNES games retro console guide.

Why Contra III: The Alien Wars (SNES, 1992) Demands Dual-Weapon Discipline

On the Super Nintendo (#129 in SNES on the Game Stick 4K Pro and #183 on the R36S), Contra III: The Alien Wars lets each soldier carry two guns at once (Slot 1 / Slot 2). On the default layout, X swaps between them, and holding the R shoulder button plants your feet so you can aim in all eight directions without walking into a pit.

Experienced co-op pairs carry two complementary guns, such as Spread (S) + Homing (H) or a Crush Missile (C) for bosses, and swap the moment a fight changes shape. Stages 2 and 5 switch to an overhead perspective using the SNES Mode 7 scaling hardware, where L and R rotate the whole stage around your soldier.

Why Contra: Hard Corps (Sega Genesis, 1994) Replays Like an Interactive Action Movie

On the Sega Genesis (Mega Drive) (#142 in Sega Genesis and #217 in Mega Drive on the Game Stick 4K Pro, #150 on the R36S), Contra: Hard Corps drops the two-man army template for a four-hero strike team where each character carries four unique weapons (A, B, C, D) and can use an invincible Slide move:

• Ray Poward & Sheena Etranzi: Human commandos with balanced loadouts that include spread and homing shots.
• Brad Fang: A cybernetic werewolf with a devastating close-range Power Punch among his four weapons.
• Browny (CX-1 Robot): A pint-sized robot with a small hitbox and a Double Jump that makes platforming hazards more forgiving for Player 2.

Story choices at key moments split the campaign into different routes and multiple endings, including a hidden bonus route that many players never find on a first run.

"Tested on our unit" means we checked it on a device we own. "Manufacturer spec" means the maker states it and we haven't verified it ourselves. "Community reports" means players report it, and results can vary.

Table 2: Contra III: The Alien Wars (SNES) vs. Contra: Hard Corps (Sega Genesis) Technical Comparison

Metal Slug X vs. Metal Slug 2 & Metal Slug 3: Solving Arcade Slowdown & Finding Secret Routes

For co-op, skip Metal Slug 2 (1998) and boot Metal Slug X (#333) or Metal Slug 3 (#330) on the 2Bluebox Retro Game Stick 4K Pro ($59.98): SNK's 1999 Metal Slug X remix cuts much of the slowdown and adds new weapons.

When SNK released Metal Slug 2: Super Vehicle-001/II in 1998, the studio packed so many sprites, transformations, and explosions onto the screen that the Neo Geo MVS board's 12 MHz Motorola 68000 processor bogged down during busy 2-player scenes. One year later, in 1999, SNK released Metal Slug X: Super Vehicle-001 (#333 in Capcom CPS3 and #284 in Arcade Classic on our Game Stick 4K Pro; #55 in Neogeo on the R36S).

As covered on Wikipedia's Metal Slug 2 and Metal Slug X page, Metal Slug X reworked the game to reduce much of that slowdown, changed the time of day in several stages, remixed the soundtrack, moved enemy placements, and added new weapons like the Iron Lizard ([I]), Drop Shot ([D]), Enemy Chaser ([C]), and Super Grenade ([G]).

In 2000, SNK followed up with Metal Slug 3 (#330 on the Game Stick 4K Pro, #52 on the R36S), which many fans rank as the high point of the franchise. Missions 1 through 4 hide alternate routes behind breakable doors, underwater passages, and side paths, and each route changes the vehicles you pilot and the enemies you fight:

• Watery Routes: Some paths put you in the Slug Mariner submarine instead of fighting on foot or on the surface.
• Animal Slugs: The Elephant Slug can eat a Battery or a Chili Pepper to switch its trunk attack to lightning or fire, and the Ostrich Slug gives you a fast, high-jumping mount.
• Transformations: Some routes are packed with zombies, mummies, or other hazards that can change your soldier mid-mission.
• The Finale: Every route funnels into a long Mission 5 that ends far above the Earth, so save a credit or two for it.

Essential 2-Player Co-Op Survival Tactics: Sharing Crates, POW Combos & Vehicle Ejects

Survive 2-player Contra and Metal Slug campaigns without draining continues by dividing weapon pickups by role, alternating screen-clearing bombs, rescuing POWs without dying, and ejecting from damaged vehicles in time.

Whether you are trying to beat Super C on a single 10-life code or going for a low-credit run in Metal Slug X and Metal Slug 3, four co-op habits make the difference between chaotic team wipes and clean boss clears:

1. Assign Dedicated Weapon Roles Before Stage 1. Never fight your partner for the same weapon capsule. In Contra and Super C, give Player 1 the Spread Gun (S) to clear small enemies and diagonal jumpers while Player 2 holds the Laser (L) or Fire Gun (F) on boss weak points. In Metal Slug, let one player hold the Shotgun ([S]) for armored vehicles while the other sweeps infantry with the Heavy Machine Gun ([H]).
2. Eject From Damaged Slugs Early. In Metal Slug 1 to 5 & X, your vehicle's health gauge drains with every hit. When it's nearly empty, bail out with Down + Jump, or launch the vehicle into the boss as a last-ditch attack and keep fighting on foot.
3. Keep Your POW Rescue Chain Alive Until Stage Clear. Every bearded prisoner of war (POW) you untie in Metal Slug drops weapons or score items, and losing a life resets your rescued POW count for that stage. In Metal Slug 2, X & 3, freeing Hyakutaro Ichimonji gets you a helper who throws energy blasts at nearby enemies for a short stretch.
4. **Don't Waste a Life After Zombie & Mummy Transformations in Metal Slug 2, X & 3. If a curse turns your soldier into a Mummy or a Zombie, keep playing. Your movement slows and your normal attack weakens, but a zombie's grenade button becomes a huge Blood Vomit** beam that sweeps across the screen, and a health item restores you.

Verified Folder & Game ID Directory Across 2Bluebox Consoles (Card Audit)

Our 2Bluebox Retro Game Stick 4K Pro ($59.98) places Metal Slug 1 to 5 & X at #328 to #333 inside Capcom CPS3 and Contra across Arcade Classic, NES, SNES, and Sega Genesis.

When I pulled the microSD cards out of our Game Stick 4K Pro and R36S units and checked the folder tree, one quirk stood out on the Game Stick 4K Pro ($59.98) that every run-and-gun fan should know: although Metal Slug is an SNK Neo Geo series, the card indexes the six-game arcade collection (#328. Metal Slug through #333. Metal Slug X) plus Konami's wild-west run-and-gun classic #451. Sunset Riders inside the Capcom CPS3 menu folder.

You can verify every title before buying on our Game Stick 4K Pro 14,755-game list and our R36S handheld 15,768-game list. For arcade fighting nights after finishing Metal Slug, see our Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike and X-Men arcade guide.

"Tested on our unit" means we checked it on a device we own. "Manufacturer spec" means the maker states it and we haven't verified it ourselves. "Community reports" means players report it, and results can vary.

Table 3: Verified Contra, Metal Slug & Run-and-Gun Game Locations Across 2Bluebox Consoles

Instead of hunting down a pricey loose Contra: Hard Corps Genesis cartridge or spending an evening setting up Neo Geo emulation on your own, you can plug into any HDMI television and launch two-player Super Contra (#438), Contra III (#129), Contra: Hard Corps (#142), and Metal Slug 1 to 5 & X (#328 to #333) in a few minutes. Both wireless controllers come in the box, so there's no more sticking your best friend with a mushy Player 2 controller:

Where to Buy a Verified Co-Op Arcade Console: 2Bluebox (2bluebox.com) vs. Other Sellers

2Bluebox (2bluebox.com) publishes searchable game lists before checkout (14,755 Game Stick, 15,768 R36S, 110,686 HDD), verifies boards against clones, and ships free from $50 with a 30-day guarantee; GameStickPro.com is sold out, while Boltz and Ventari charge $89 to $130.

Before buying an HDMI game stick or handheld for Contra and Metal Slug, compare these four practical checks:

"Tested on our unit" means we checked it on a device we own. "Manufacturer spec" means the maker states it and we haven't verified it ourselves. "Community reports" means players report it, and results can vary.

Table 4: 2Bluebox (2bluebox.com) vs. Branded TV-Stick Stores vs. Unbranded Marketplace Sellers (November 2026)

Whether you want two-player couch co-op on the 2Bluebox Retro Game Stick 4K Pro ($59.98), a 110,686-game library with 3D PS2 titles on your Windows PC with the 2Bluebox 500GB Batocera HDD ($64.99), or portable Neo Geo Metal Slug sessions on the 2Bluebox R36S Handheld ($79.99), compare all three below, backed by 2Bluebox LLC (Denver, CO) with free tracked shipping on orders $50+ and a 30-day replacement guarantee:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Conclusion

Few couch co-op genres age better than classic 2D run-and-gun action. Once you know to enter Right, Left, Down, Up, A, B, Start for 10 lives in NES Super C, open the Capcom CPS3 folder on the Game Stick for #333. Metal Slug X and #330. Metal Slug 3, and split Spread Gun and Laser duties with your Player 2 partner, every Friday night turns into a full arcade run from Stage 1 to the final alien core.

Plug the 2Bluebox Retro Game Stick 4K Pro ($59.98) into your television for instant two-player Contra and Metal Slug co-op with two wireless controllers included, connect the 2Bluebox 500GB Batocera Portable HDD ($64.99) to your Windows PC for arcade plus 3D PS2 entries, or take the Neo Geo and 16-bit library on the road with the 2Bluebox R36S Handheld ($79.99).

Happy gaming - Liam Parker, Head of Retro Gaming & Hardware Testing at 2Bluebox.