Super C

References

1. ^The US NES Super C dispatches a weapon item on its type: M, S, L, and F replace the gun, R sets rapid fire, B sets an invincibility timer to $80, and the falcon destroys the enemies. A new gun drops rapid fire even when it's the gun already held, where Contra keeps it for the same gun.Codevermiceli/nes-super-c · vermiceli/nes-contra-usrevised
   How we know

   411weapon_item_pickup_tbl:
   412    .addr weapon_item_pickup        ; machine (M)
   413    .addr weapon_item_pickup        ; spray (S)
   414    .addr weapon_item_pickup        ; laser (L)
   415    .addr weapon_item_pickup        ; flame (F)
   416    .addr r_weapon_item_pickup      ; rapid fire (R)
   417    .addr b_weapon_item_pickup      ; barrier (B)
   418    .addr falcon_weapon_item_pickup ; falcon
   ⋮
   422    lda #$80
   423    sta INVINCIBILITY_TIMER,y ; set player invincible timer to #$80 frames
   ⋮
   428    jsr destroy_all_enemies ; destroy all appropriate enemies
   ⋮
   431r_weapon_item_pickup:
   ⋮
   

   6933@compare_and_set_weapon:
   6934    ldy #$f0                ; y = #$f0 (keep rapid fire flag)
   ⋮
   6938    beq @set_player_weapon  ; keep rapid fire flag (if set) when picking up same weapon
   6939    ldy #$e0                ; remove rapid fire flag since picking up different weapon
   ⋮
   6943    and P1_CURRENT_WEAPON,x ; strip/set rapid fire flag
   6944    ora $08                 ; merge in rapid fire flag with weapon being picked up
   6945    sta P1_CURRENT_WEAPON,x ; set current player's weapon
   

   Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.

   Revised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

   In the claim ledger

2. ^The US NES Super C checks a different code from Contra's on its title screen: six presses, Right Left Down Up A B, against Contra's ten-press Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A. Like Contra, a wrong press locks the check out. The code raises the starting lives byte from 2 to 9, where Contra's raises it from 2 to 29.Codevermiceli/nes-super-c · vermiceli/nes-contra-usrevised
   How we know

   539; checks for 10 extra lives cheat, i.e. right left down up a b
   540extra_lives_cheat_input_check:
   541    ldy EXTRA_LIVES_CHEAT_NUM_CORRECT ; load number of correct inputs to 10 extra lives cheat
   542    bmi @exit                         ; exit if failed inputting
   ⋮
   546    cmp extra_lives_code_tbl,y        ; compare input to next valid input for 10 lives cheat
   547    bne @mark_failure                 ; branch if incorrect to mark failure
   ⋮
   552    lda #$01
   553    sta CHEAT_CODE_STATUS             ; successfully entered full cheat code, mark success
   ⋮
   555@mark_failure:
   556    lda #$ff
   557    sta EXTRA_LIVES_CHEAT_NUM_CORRECT ; mark failure entering code
   ⋮
   564extra_lives_code_tbl:
   ⋮
   

   1154    jsr load_banks_extra_lives_cheat_input_check ; still animating intro, check for 10 extra lives cheat
   

   1504    lda #$02                           ; default to 3 lives
   1505    ldy CHEAT_CODE_STATUS              ; check if 10 lives cheat entered
   1506    beq @continue                      ; branch if not entered
   ⋮
   1510        lda #$09                       ; 10 lives cheat entered, set number of lives to 10
   ⋮
   1515    sta PLAYER_NUM_LIVES,x    ; set player number of lives
   

   930konami_input_check:
   ⋮
   938    lda #$ff                       ; incorrect sequence for Konami code
   939    sta KONAMI_CODE_NUM_CORRECT    ; since incorrect set KONAMI_CODE_NUM_CORRECT (number of successful inputs) to $ff
   ⋮
   954konami_code_lookup_table:
   955    .byte $08,$08,$04,$04,$02,$01,$02,$01,$40,$80
   

   1165init_player_lives:
   1166    lda #$02                  ; start off with #$02 lives
   1167    ldy KONAMI_CODE_STATUS    ; 30-lives code switch ($01 = code activated)
   1168    beq init_player_num_lives ; if KONAMI_CODE_STATUS is not set, then just set 2 lives
   1169    lda #$1d                  ; KONAMI_CODE_STATUS active so set lives to #$1d (29 decimal)
   

   Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.

   Revised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

   In the claim ledger

3. ^The US NES Super C allows 2 continues a game, where Contra allows 3: the count is set to 2 at the start, and each game over spends one before offering CONTINUE/END.Codevermiceli/nes-super-c · vermiceli/nes-contra-usrevised
   How we know

   1484init_player_for_level_a:
   ⋮
   1489    lda #$02
   1490    sta NUM_CONTINUES
   

   2465level_routine_06:
   2466    dec LEVEL_ROUTINE_DELAY           ; decrement level routine delay
   2467    bne game_over_exit                ; exit if level delay hasn't elapsed
   2468    dec NUM_CONTINUES                 ; decrement number of continues
   2469    bmi restart_game                  ; branch if no more continues to reset the game
   2470    lda #$0a                          ; store "CONTINUE END" in CPU_GRAPHICS_BUFFER
   

   1322    jsr clear_mid_high_ram
   1323    jsr init_player_level_1    ; set level 1, initialize player state, number of lives, player count, player mode, etc.
   

   1478init_player_level_1:
   1479    lda #$00
   

   1143init_score_player_lives:
   ⋮
   1146    lda #$03           ; a = #$03
   1147    sta NUM_CONTINUES  ; continues remaining
   

   3301    dec NUM_CONTINUES                         ; subtract from number of continues remaining
   3302    bmi @no_continues_remaining               ; if run out of continues, jump
   

   Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.

   Revised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

   In the claim ledger

4. ^The US NES Super C awards its first extra life at 30,000 points and each later one 20,000 points past the last threshold, the reverse of Contra's 20,000 and 30,000, and caps lives at 99 as Contra does.Codevermiceli/nes-super-c · vermiceli/nes-contra-us
   How we know

   1516    lda #$30
   1517    sta NEXT_1_UP_SCORE_MID,x
   1518    lda #$00
   1519    sta NEXT_1_UP_SCORE_HI,x  ; sets initial score to obtain to get an extra life to 0030000
   

   1757@give_1_up:
   ⋮
   1759    ldx #$20
   1760    lda NEXT_1_UP_SCORE_MID,y
   1761    clc                       ; adding 0020000 to the required score to get the next 1-up
   

   1777    lda PLAYER_NUM_LIVES,x
   1778    cmp #$63               ; see if at max number of lives (99 in decimal)
   1779    bcc @inc_num_lives
   1780    lda #$63
   1781    sta PLAYER_NUM_LIVES,x ; set number of lives to #$63 if #$63 or greater
   

   1177    lda #$c8                    ; set default high score. #$c8 is 200 decimal
   1178    sta EXTRA_LIFE_SCORE_LOW    ; starting score for extra life (20,000)
   

   1283; every time an extra life is obtained, #$12c is added to points required to get next extra life (300 decimal, 30,000 in game score)
   ⋮
   1291    lda #$2c                    ; a = #$2c (12c = 300 decimal) (high byte will be set to #$01 a few lines down)
   ⋮
   1293@set_extra_life_inc_num_lives:
   1294    adc EXTRA_LIFE_SCORE_LOW,y  ; add 300 decimal to low byte of score required to get extra life
   1295    sta EXTRA_LIFE_SCORE_LOW,y  ; player score for extra life - low byte
   1296    lda #$01                    ; a = #$01
   

   1312    cmp #$63                    ; compare to #$63 (99 decimal)
   1313    bcc @set_num_lives          ; can't have more than 99 lives
   1314    lda #$63                    ; a = #$63 (63 = 99 decimal)
   

   Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-25.

   Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

   Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-25.

   In the claim ledger

5. ^The US NES Super C takes 16 off the delay between random enemies once the game has been beaten and 4 for each living player holding the spread gun. The delay's start is read from an eight-entry per-level table with an index that isn't the level; the disassembly reads it as always $80, a value the table doesn't hold, and the atlas hasn't confirmed it. Where Contra counts loops up to 3, Super C keeps a beaten-once flag that stays at 1; where Contra reads every gun's strength, Super C counts only the spread gun.Codevermiceli/nes-super-c · vermiceli/nes-contra-usrevised
   How we know

   3755enemy_gen_routine_00:
   3756    lda CURRENT_LEVEL               ; !(BUG) a is immediately overwritten
   3757                                    ; this should probably have been ldy CURRENT_LEVEL
   3758    lda level_enemy_gen_delay_tbl,y ; y is actually PRG bank number, e.g. #$33 and not current level
   3759                                    ; this causes the delay to always be #$80
   ⋮
   3762    ldy GAME_COMPLETED              ; load whether or not the game has been completed
   3763    beq @adj_for_difficulty         ; branch if haven't beaten the game yet
   ⋮
   3770    lda #$10
   3771    jsr @set_enemy_gen_delay ; subtract #$10 * GAME_COMPLETED from ENEMY_GEN_DELAY
   ⋮
   3775    ldy ENEMY_DIFFICULTY     ; load current difficulty
   3776    beq @adv_routine         ; branch to not adjust initial enemy generation delay
   3777    lda #$04                 ; difficulty is non-zero, subtract #$04 * ENEMY_DIFFICULTY from ENEMY_GEN_DELAY
   

   4286level_enemy_gen_delay_tbl:
   4287    .byte $7b,$53,$53,$53,$53,$53,$53,$53
   

   165; calculate ENEMY_DIFFICULTY based on number of active players with S weapon
   ⋮
   172    lda PLAYER_CURRENT_WEAPON,x ; 0 = Regular, 1 = M, 2 = S, 3 = L, 4 = F
   173    and #$0f                    ; strip rapid fire flag
   174    cmp #$02                    ; compare to S weapon
   175    bne @next_player            ; move to next player if current player doesn't have S weapon
   176    iny                         ; increment number of players in normal state that have the S weapon
   ⋮
   181    sty ENEMY_DIFFICULTY          ; set enemy difficulty
   

   2421    lda GAME_COMPLETED          ; load whether or not the game has been completed
   2422    adc #$00                    ; increment game completion count (carry is set)
   2423    cmp #$02                    ; see if game already completed
   2424    bcc @continue               ; branch if first time completing game to set value to #$01
   2425    lda #$01                    ; game already beaten at least once, keep value of #$01 (don't set to #$02)
   

   1736adjust_generation_timer:
   ⋮
   1742    cmp #$04                          ; compare GAME_COMPLETION_COUNT to #$04
   1743    bcc @continue                     ; branch if GAME_COMPLETION_COUNT < #$04
   1744    ldy #$03                          ; maximum multiplier of increase chance for generating soldier is #$03
   ⋮
   1752    ldy PLAYER_WEAPON_STRENGTH ; load player weapon strength (damage strength)
   

   4111weapon_strength:
   4112    .byte $00 ; Regular = Weak
   4113    .byte $02 ; M = Strong
   4114    .byte $01 ; F = Medium
   4115    .byte $03 ; S = Very Strong
   4116    .byte $02 ; L = Strong
   

   Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.

   Revised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

   In the claim ledger

6. ^The US NES Super C keeps Contra's outdoor jump: a take-off speed of $FB.$F0 (4.06 px/frame up) and gravity of $23 a frame. Super C caps a fall at 5 px/frame and jumps out of water at $FD.$00 (3 px/frame).Codevermiceli/nes-super-c · vermiceli/nes-contra-usrevised
   How we know

   1539    ldy #$00                 ; default jump velocity index (-4.0625)
   1540    lda PLAYER_SURFACE,x     ; load the kind of surface the player is standing on
   1541    cmp #$04                 ; see if player in water
   1542    bne @set_init_jump_y_vel ; branch if player not in water
   1543    ldy #$02                 ; player in water, set Y fractional velocity index
   ⋮
   1559@apply_gravity:
   1560    lda PLAYER_Y_FRACT_VELOCITY,x
   1561    clc                           ; clear carry in preparation for addition
   1562    adc #$23
   ⋮
   1568    cmp #$05
   1569    bcc @continue_jump            ; branch if falling velocity is less than #$05
   1570    lda #$05                      ; player falling very fast, cap falling velocity at #$05
   

   1755player_jump_initial_y_vel_tbl:
   1756    .byte $f0,$fb ; player not in water (-4.0625)
   1757    .byte $00,$fd ; jumping from water (-3)
   

   4547    lda #$fb                           ; a = #$fb (-5)
   4548    ldy #$f0                           ; y = #$f0 (.94)
   

   5139apply_gravity:
   5140    clc
   5141    lda PLAYER_Y_FRACT_VELOCITY,x ; load player's Y fractional velocity
   5142    adc #$23                      ; add #$23 to Y fractional velocity (.1367 decimal)
   

   Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.

   Revised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

   In the claim ledger