From its run-and-gun power fantasy action, to being the most important use of the Konami Code ever, Contra on the NES is one of the most iconic games of its time. Everyone in my circle knew and loved it, and I would discover years later through the internet that the game struck a chord with much of the gaming populace around the world. Decades later, that game holds up incredibly well relative to the modern action games of today.
While the series would carry on for many years after that NES release, none of the franchises subsequent releases came even close to capturing the worldwide frenzy of the original. Super C was the first of those subsequent releases that fell short of its predecessor’s success. However, it didn’t fall short because it was a bad game.