Contra Advance: The Alien Wars EX

The game uses a side-scrolling perspective where players guide Bill or Lance through enemy-filled stages, shooting, jumping, and dodging incoming fire. Characters can fire on the move, crouch, and use aerial attacks to handle enemies at multiple heights. Weapon pickups replace or upgrade the current armament, and some stages feature vehicles, forced-scrolling sequences, and multi-phase bosses. Progress is stage-based, with checkpoints handling most mid-stage recovery.

Bill Rizer

One of the series' main heroes, a front-line soldier built for direct assault.

Lance Bean

Bill's partner and fellow elite soldier who fights alongside him.

Learn which weapons work best against crowds and which ones melt bosses, and keep a strong weapon whenever possible before major encounters. In dense bullet patterns, focus on movement and spacing first; damage output matters less than staying alive. Use jump shots to control airborne threats, and don't rush to collect every pickup if it puts you in danger.

Tips and tricks

• Memorize enemy spawn points so you can pre-fire before threats reach you.
• In higher difficulty, survival positioning matters more than chasing every item drop.