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References

1. ^ abA new game of the US NES Contra gives each player 2 lives in reserve (3 in all) and the game 3 continues. A death with none in reserve puts that player in game over, and each game over spends a continue; with none left, the CONTINUE/END choice is skipped.Codevermiceli/nes-contra-us
   How we know

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

   1165init_player_lives:
   1166    lda #$02                  ; start off with #$02 lives
   

   5150init_player_dec_num_lives:
   ⋮
   5153    lda P1_NUM_LIVES,x         ; load player number of lives
   5154    beq @set_game_over         ; branch if no more lives
   5155    dec P1_NUM_LIVES,x         ; decrement player number of lives
   ⋮
   5158@set_game_over:
   5159    lda #$01                  ; a = #$01
   5160    sta P1_GAME_OVER_STATUS,x ; game over state of player (1 = game over)
   

   3289show_game_over_screen:
   ⋮
   3301    dec NUM_CONTINUES                         ; subtract from number of continues remaining
   3302    bmi @no_continues_remaining               ; if run out of continues, jump
   3303    lda #$0e                                  ; a = #$0e (continue  end)
   

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

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

   In the claim ledger

2. ^ abThe 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

3. ^ abWhen a player's lives byte drops below 0 in the US NES Gradius, the game-over state waits, for as long as $B0 is nonzero and then 120 frames ($78), and meanwhile runs the code check with its other ten-entry table, Down Up B A B A B A B A. If the count has reached ten when the wait ends, the player comes back with the lives byte at 3, the value a new game sets.Code“Gradius (USA)”revised
   How we know

   In the cartridge (“Gradius (USA)”): $979D-$97C4: decrement the player's lives byte at $20,X; if it's negative, branch to $97F1; $97F1-$9829: clear the player's bit in $0A, set the state $1B to `$C0`, draw text `$1C`, and store `$78` in the timer $4C; $96FB-$9764, state bit `$40`: while $B0 is nonzero, run the check with table 1 ($9789) without counting $4C down ($96FF branches to $975D); after that, while $4C is nonzero, count it down and run the check; when $4C reaches 0 with the count at 10, store 3 in $20,X, set the player's bit in $0A again, and resume; $9785-$979C: the first table, at $9789, is 04 08 40 80 40 80 40 80 40 80; $82F8-$8306, in the new-game setup: store 3 in both players' lives bytes, $20 and $21. We don't reproduce the bytes.

   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