Contra

Contra is where I learned that games could be unfair and still be loved for it. Three hits — sometimes one — and you were done, so you learned the patterns the way you learn a song: bridge, waterfall, base, boss. The spread gun was the first upgrade in any game that felt like a promotion.

And of course, the Code. Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A. Thirty lives. It was the first cheat I ever memorised, which means it was the first piece of software lore I ever carried around in my head. Konami built half of this shelf’s childhood; this cartridge is the cornerstone exhibit.