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Earlier this month, we enthusiastically announced the release of the first official Contra game, Contra: Evolution. Unfortunately, that release was premature and later pulled from the App Store. To those few lucky people who were cool enough to get their hands on it before anyone else could, just update the app to add these changes and fixes.

There were some concerns with the game controls and how many lives you have. You can choose to play on the classic gamepad as well as on a joystick. You also have two buttons that allow you to jump and switch out which bullets you want to use.

You start each new game with five lives instead of just three. You can also gain extra lives when you level up and buy them in the store. An additional life costs 60 diamonds.

There are two different currencies in the game: diamonds and gold. To resurrect yourself, you used to only be able to use diamonds. When you run out of them, you have to spend real money to purchase more. However, in the updated version, you can use gold to continue your game. The cost to revive yourself increases depending on how far along you are in the game. Every time you complete a level, you earn more gold.

There are several in-app purchases that you can make. You can buy gold, diamonds, and experience points. Each type offers six different packages that you can choose from. The least expensive package is $0.99 and will buy you 6,000 gold, 20 diamonds, or 2,000 XP. The most expensive packages are $19.99 for 165,000 gold, 540 diamonds, or 54,000 XP.

I’m personally not a fan of the in-app purchases. The game is already a paid app. However, I can’t ignore the fact that a highly influential old school game has become assessable to the public without having to break out an antique Nintendo console. There are probably droves of people who dearly miss this game and would love the opportunity to play a Contra game once more. Despite the in-app purchases, the game is still an amazing tribute to arcade games from the 1980s.

Technologically, we’ve moved away from cartridges. We’re even phasing out disks. Yet, no matter how enthusiastic we are about the newest gaming technology, there’s still that ache for the games that taught us to love gaming. When old school games are converted into apps, a little bit of that early spark which raised a generation of gamers is revived and bridges the gap between those who grew up on disks and those who blew into cartridges.

Contra: Evolution has both an iPhone ($0.99) and iPad HD ($2.99) version, and they’re currently available in the App Store.

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Chillaxian ($1.99) by Madgarden is a game where you can “chillax and shoot some aliens for a while … at a nonchalant pace,” as the developer describes it. Given the look and feel of this title, along with the actual gameplay itself, it is clear that Chillaxian is an attempt at bringing a classic ’80s arcade game, known as Galaxian, to iOS.

If you’re familiar with the original Galaga series, you’ll feel right at home with Chillaxian. The game looks nearly identical to the original Galaxian, with similar graphics and sounds. However, the only controls include tapping on the left or right side of the display to move the spaceship. Unlike in Galaxian, the ship in Chillaxian shoots automatically, which may be a deal breaker for those who are used to having a manual button for this. Instead of using an on-screen joystick and button for controls, it appears that the developer has chosen this control method because it provides a much more laid-back experience. Still, the option to choose different types of controls would be appreciated.

Like Galaxian, Chillaxian is also made up of levels, called “waves.” In each wave, the number of aliens increases, along with the frequency with which they dive down to attack your ship. After shooting all of the aliens on the screen, you will move on to the next wave. You will also encounter the occasional debris field where there is an opportunity to rescue a spaceship that can serve as an extra shooter. There is also a unique boss at the end of every 10 waves.

The things that I enjoy most about Chillaxian are the little details. For example, when your ship is shot down (which only takes one shot), the whole game rumbles as the ship explodes into fragments that fill the screen. Also, for those who really want to be brought back to the time of Galaxian, there is an optional “1979 Mode.” When enabled, the game will look and sound even more like it is being played on an arcade machine. All of the early arcade players will know what I mean.

Overall, this has been one of the most enjoyable titles that I have played on my iPad in a while, and it is available for iPhone as well. Chillaxian is a $1.99 universal download in the App Store. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some aliens to kill.

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