The air on February 14, Valentine's Day, was filled with the scent of chocolate and anticipation.
But for countless players in Japan, what landed that day was a "sweet cannonball."
Konami released their latest masterpiece on the Famicom platform—Contra.
Explosive battle scenes.
The fun of fighting shoulder to shoulder that came with two-player co-op mode.
And that adrenaline-pumping, brutally difficult challenge.
The game quickly swept across the country. After school, children no longer talked only about which dungeon in Dragon Quest II was the hardest, or which hidden location in The Legend of Zelda II still had not been found. Now they had new topics: how to clear Contra with thirty lives, or which pair could make it to which stage in two-player mode. Even Mrs. Sato's grandson, the little boy who had cried before because he failed to buy Dragon Quest II, began saving his pocket money and setting his sights on a Contra cartridge.
Following close on the heels of Dragon Quest II, it became another phenomenon-level work.
The focus of heated discussion among media and players was almost monopolized by the Famicom.
On television, in magazines, reports about the arrival of the Famicom's "golden age" were everywhere.
The fever for Dragon Quest II had yet to fully subside.
Contra followed right on its heels.
The New Year's money children had just seen ravaged by The Legend of Zelda II and Dragon Quest II instantly faced a new temptation.
At the same time, Pokémon peripheral products were also becoming increasingly popular.
The third set of the Poké Ball Electronic Pet was about to go on sale.
Trading cards that kept bringing forth the new from the old.
All of these were like little whirlpools, fighting over the limited funds in children's hands.
"The Battle to Defend New Year's