After 37 years, the best weapon in video game history gets a new life in Vampire Survivors

Vampire Survivors is getting another DLC pack next week, this time bringing a crossover with Contra, Konami's classic shooter series. It wouldn't be a Contra mashup without the iconic Spread Shot, and developer Poncle has just revealed a bit about how the weapon will work in the indie smash.

As in proper Contra, Vampire Survivors' take on the Spread Shot "fires in a wide spread in the faced direction," as Poncle explains in a tweet. Paired with the Empty Tome, it'll eventually evolve into something called the Prototype C. There's no clear indication of what that is, but you can be sure it'll be exactly the kind of monster-melting power-up that makes the flurry of fireworks at the end of a round of Vampire Survivors so satisfying. 

If you've ever played Contra - either the 1987 arcade original or the beloved 1988 NES version - you already know that the Spread Shot is the best weapon in video game history. In an infamously challenging run-and-gun platformer, it turns out that it's pretty helpful to have a gun that can fire a spread of bullets to cover just about the entire screen, and there's no greater gaming heartbreak than losing out on the weapon to either a needless death or a greedy co-op partner.

The Spread Shot joins the Vampire Survivors arsenal on May 9 as part of the Operation Guns DLC, which includes a total of 22 new weapons alongside a selection of new characters and stages to explore. Vampire Survivors remains one of the most entertaining things $5 can buy, and its uber-cheap DLC hasn't disappointed yet.

Check out our guide to the upcoming indie games of 2024 if you want a heads up on gaming's next hidden gem.