Contra

If there is a phrase that the Contra video game for the NES will always be remembered for its up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, Start. THE CODE!! The most legendary code in video game history. The code that would get you 30 lives. It was a good thing too, because there weren't too many people who could beat the game without that code.

This was the original "blast anything that gets in your way shooter". Before Doom, there was Contra. There was no subtlety to the game. It was just the kind of the game that you shot anything that moved.

Contra could be regarded as one of the first successful co-op games in the history of the NES. Instead of battling your opponent, you worked as a team to complete the mission. The only argument would be who would get the spread gun. While the gameplay was repetitious, the ability to play co-op always led to repeated playing.

While the game originally was made for the arcade. The NES Contra video game will always be what players remember.