Contra Spirits on Game Boy is basically the perfect pocket-sized version of the classic run-and-gun chaos. You jump in, grab the spread gun (because let's be real, that's the only correct choice), and immediately start blasting through waves of soldiers and weird alien creatures. The screen's small, but the action feels huge—those boss fights still make me sweat.

What surprised me is how well they crammed the Contra feel into the Game Boy. Yeah, it's monochrome, but the sprites have this chunky charm, and the controls are just as tight as the NES version. The music's got that same pulse-pounding energy too—you'll be humming the stage 1 theme for days.

It's brutal, but in that satisfying way where every death feels like your fault. I still remember the first time I beat the final boss after like twenty tries. Pure relief. If you've got a Game Boy and a love for old-school challenge, this one's a must.