Tuesday 25 March 1992
Brian Reynald, 28 years old, had always been obsessed with action movies, especially those packed with intense shootouts and military operations. Explosions, tactical gunfights, and relentless heroes taking down waves of enemies—those were the things he loved the most. So when he saw an advertisement for ZEPS showcasing games like Metal Gear and Contra, he knew he had to get his hands on them. The idea of playing through the chaos of a battlefield instead of just watching it unfold on screen thrilled him.
Tuesday was his day off, and he wasted no time heading to the nearest electronics store. The moment he stepped inside, his eyes scanned the shelves, and there it was—the ZEPS console, displayed prominently behind the counter. Without hesitation, he approached the store owner.
"Boss, one ZEPS and two games—Metal Gear and Contra, please."
The store owner nodded and gathered his items, placing them on the counter. "That'll be 300."
Brian handed over the cash without a second thought. "Thanks, Boss."
With his new console and games in hand, he rushed home, barely able to contain his excitement. He unboxed everything with careful precision, flipping through the guidebook to ensure he set everything up correctly. Once his ZEPS was installed, he sat back and admired his purchase. Two incredible games sat in front of him, waiting to be played.
"What should I play first? Metal Gear or Contra?"
His fingers traced over the cover art of both games. The Metal Gear cover had a stealthy, tactical feel to it, but Contra? That one screamed pure action. Two muscle-bound commandos wielding massive guns, explosions in the background, enemies all around—it was an easy decision.
"It's decided. I'm playing Contra first."
He opened the game box and examined its contents: the game cartridge, ZEPS Volume 1, a black and gray Z-card, and a game manual. His curiosity piqued when he picked up the Z-card and read the cryptic message on the back.
"Beat the red bird with everyone, then I'm gonna help you."
Brian frowned. "What the hell does that mean?" Shrugging, he set it aside and slotted the cartridge into the console. The screen flickered to life, and the game's opening 8-bit cutscene played.
In the year 2633, Earth was under siege by an extraterrestrial threat known as the Red Falcon. The invasion force had established a hidden base on the Galuga Archipelago, just off the coast of New Zealand. Humanity's only hope lay in the hands of two elite Contra Unit commandos—Bill Rizer and Lance Bean.
Their mission: infiltrate the enemy stronghold, destroy the Red Falcon forces, and eliminate the alien menace before they could take full control of the planet!.
Brian leaned forward, eyes wide with excitement. "Whoa! Alien stuff? So damn cool!"
He quickly navigated the menu and selected single-player mode. The screen displayed the two playable characters—Bill Rizer and Lance Bean—each with their own unique special abilities.
Bill Rizer Special Ability: Elite Gun Menace (Increases gun damage for 12 seconds) Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩·𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖·𝘯𝘦𝘵
Lance Bean Special Ability: True Grit (Nullifies damage from two attacks; effect disappears in two minutes if not hit)
Brian grinned and immediately picked Bill. "Of course, gun damage is the most important!"
The screen transitioned, revealing the first level: Stage 1 - Jungle. The game threw him straight into the action. As Bill, he could shoot, crouch, and jump, but more importantly, he could collect power-ups that drastically changed his firepower. Machine Gun (M) unleashed a rapid stream of bullets, Spread Gun (S) covered a wide area, Laser Gun (L) fired powerful straight beams, and FlameThrower (F) sent out slow but devastating waves of fire. Other buffs included Rapid Fire (R) to increase firing speed, Barrier for temporary invincibility, and Quick Time (Q) to enhance movement speed while slowing down enemies.
Brian was in his element. "Oh my god! This is everything I've ever wanted in a game! Hell yeah!"
His adrenaline surged as he dodged bullets, jumped over obstacles, and gunned down wave after wave of Red Falcon soldiers. The screen was a chaotic mess of gunfire, explosions, and enemies dropping from all directions. He quickly learned the importance of keeping power-ups—losing a life meant losing his current weapon, and that could spell disaster.
The jungle stage was relentless, forcing him to stay on his toes. He reached a section where enemies fired at him from above while turrets lined the ground. He barely made it through by grabbing a Spread Gun, which allowed him to take down multiple enemies at once.
And then came the first boss.
A massive fortified wall with mounted machine guns and laser cannons stood before him. Soldiers poured out, adding to the chaos. He fired rapidly, dodging bullets as best as he could, but the sheer number of enemies overwhelmed him. His screen flashes red—game over.
Determined, he restarted the stage, this time more focused. He made sure to save his best power-ups, avoided unnecessary risks, and increased his precision. When he reached the boss again, he activated Bill's Elite Gun Menace ability by pressing the input button left,down,right and shooting Bill Gun became coated with red light, increasing his damage output. With rapid shots tearing through the defenses, the wall crumbled under his firepower, and the path ahead opened.
"WOHO!! I did it! Hell yeah!"
A wide grin spread across his face as the next stage loaded. There was no stopping now. He was completely hooked, ready to take on whatever the game threw at him next.
Stage 2 - The Base. The setting completely changed. Instead of the side-scrolling jungle, Brian found himself staring at a new perspective—a third-person corridor where his character was facing into the screen, shooting forward at enemies emerging from behind barriers. It reminded him of something out of an intense military shooter.
"Holy crap, the game just changed styles! That's insane!"
Soldiers popped up from behind cover, laser traps flickered along the walls, and turrets fired rapidly. Brian's thumbs moved quickly, weaving Bill through enemy fire while returning shots in perfect bursts. The game's pacing was brutal. He barely had time to react before another wave of enemies appeared, but the sheer exhilaration of dodging, shooting, and progressing deeper into the base made it impossible to stop.
Midway through the level, he encountered a mini-boss—a large mechanical turret that covered nearly the entire screen. Unlike the jungle boss, this one didn't just shoot bullets; it fired homing missiles, forcing him to keep moving while carefully timing his shots. The fight was intense, but after several minutes of dodging and counter attacking, he destroyed the turret, earning a much-needed power-up.
Brian wiped sweat from his forehead. "Man, this game doesn't let up! But I love it."
As the base stage continued, he noticed the level design becoming more complex, introducing moving platforms and environmental hazards. The game wasn't just a mindless shooter—it required precision, memorization, and skill. Every power-up he collected felt like a reward, and every boss fight felt like a true test of endurance.
When he finally cleared the base stage and moved onto the next level, he leaned back in his chair, breathing heavily. "Damn. That was only the second stage? How much crazier is this game gonna get?"
He cracked his knuckles, sat up straight, and smirked. "Guess I'm gonna find out. Let's go, Contra!"
AN : Contra are amazing games, but it really make my controller broke back then! , i slam it to the ground because how hard it is!
Please give me your power stone and if you want to support me and get 10 advance Chapter for 3 bucks considering subscribe to my /Zaborn_1997
Also Join my discord if you want .gg/jB8x6TUByc