In a press release today, Konami announced Contra 4 for the Nintendo DS. It's been twenty years since the release of the original Contra, and fifteen years since Contra III: The Alien Wars. There have been other entires into the series, such as Neo Contra, which brought the franchise into the 3D world, but Contra 4 is the first main-series sequel in fifteen years.

Contra 4 will continue the story from Contra III, two years later. After saving the world from invasion by the Red Falcon, Bill Rizer and Lance Bean, joined by mercenaries Mad Dog and Scorpion, must now protect Earth from yet another extraterrestrial invader—this one known as the Black Viper.

The action will span across both screens of the DS and the gameplay will retain the same core aspects of the original Contra games: a 2D side-scrolling shooter. Besides the dual-screen gameplay, there will be one other major addition to the game: a grappling hook. Two-player co-op will be possible using local wireless, but further details on multiplayer were not given.

Contra 4 is currently planned for a release in 2007.