I'm going to be picking up an NES again with a select few games and I was wondering what the consensus was on the 8-bit Contras:

Contra
Contra Force
Super C

I haven't played the first two in over a decade and I don't remember if any of them was significantly better than the others.

Contra and Super C are awesome.
I thought Contra Force was horrible.

Nevertheless all Contras are a piece of art. I'm sure you are going to get your fix with this games.

Enjoy

The first two (Contra and Super C) were both great. I liked Super C a little bit better than Contra, but you can't go wrong with either one IMO.

I never played Contra Force.

Contra was always my favorite

Personally, I really dig them all. The original is probably the best one, though.

The original is a classic. You should have that one, period.

I loved SuperC, and actually thought it was a better game than the original Contra, but it is much harder and not quite as classic.

Contra is the greatest. Contra Force is abosultely horrible. I didn't realize this until I picked it up a couple months ago. It is almost unplayable for me because it is so bad. Super C is good. None of the games are particularly hard for me.

contra 3 is the best imho -snes tho

Original Contra it is then.

Contra III, which I already own, is easily my favorite too.

Super C! Its the funnest, though a pain in the ass.

Contra is the only one I've played, and it's pure joy.

Can't say it any better.