Contra makes me bitter!

Welcome back Beer Gamers! I've got another hard game for you today, check it out!

One hit kill, lots of bullets, your buddy kills you because he makes the screen scroll up, no more lives, AAARRRGG! That's Contra in a nutshell. This is a classic run and gun game that I never get tired of. What should you drink? Something that will keep you on your toes with its sharp bitterness and give you the power you need!

Can you guess what style I'm talking about?

For those who never played, you play as one of two commandos on a mission to kill the Red Falcon and put an end to its attack on the planet. You gun down an endless army of enemies while trying to dodge them and their bullets because yes, it's one of those one hit kill games! Yes you could always use the Konami code to get thirty lives but, we all know that it's not the true way to beat Contra. Man up and try harder!

To help you get the extra push, you need a beer, a beer full of hops, filled with this good thing called bitterness. And the best style for that is an American IPA. This version of the India Pale Ale comes with higher bitterness and American hops giving a real herbal and citric taste to the beer. According to BeerAdvocate and other sources, IPAs were brewed with an extra dose of hops to make sure it could survive the road from Britain to India. With the extra oomph of the American IPA, you'll have everything you need to get to the end of the road and slay Red Falcon! Oh yeah, you also need patience and talent...

There is a lot of good American IPAs on the market. There's probably some around you that I'll never get to try and I can definitely say that there is some great ones here that you won't be able to get your hands on. I tried the Harpoon IPA while I was in Boston and I feel it's a good choice for Contra. If you can get yourself a Simple Malt Cascade from Brasseurs Illimités, go for it! Basically, look for big hops flavor and a nice citrus touch. You want something with character.

Everytime you die and think about breaking your controller, take a good sip and let this tasty beverage push you to the next level! You still need a little more? Get the Contra music cover "Welcome to the Contra Jungle" from Daniel Tidwell, it's freakin awesome! Now the rest is up to you.

Cheers!