If you grew up in the 90s and loved fast-paced action games, chances are you crossed paths with Contra: Hard Corps. Released in 1994 for the Sega Mega Drive (Genesis), this was the first Contra game made exclusively for home consoles—and it showed. With branching storylines, multiple playable characters, and some of the most chaotic boss battles ever seen in 16-bit gaming, Hard Corps quickly earned a reputation as one of the most challenging (and rewarding) entries in the series.