Goosegaws is right, the challenge mode is a great feature for an old-schoolishly challenging game. It basically allows you to play through the majority of the game in small(around 90 seconds) chunks-this makes the regular mode much more manageable. I've almost finished the challenge mode(4 more left), and I can't get a good enough start going on normal yet to keep myself from resetting;)
I love it, it's a breath of fresh air straight from the 80's. It's very much like Ninja Gaiden on X Box in that it isn't so hard it makes me punch myself, just makes me think about it sometimes. Basically it doesn't whore itself out by removing it's notorious difficulty, but remains more challenging than most games without going too far overboard.
Camiloc, I'm not sure if the old Konami code works on Contra IV itself, but there is a glitch that allows you to get 99 lives. You have to lose your last life just as you achieve a 1-up(happens via certain scores). I haven't lowered myself to this point, but I've been known to crawl in a ditch here and there. :)
"I feel like I could take on the whole Empire myself."
