Commit to the (8) Bit - Contra - Part 2

As a child of the 80s, it is my duty to defeat some of the hardest, ugliest games on the NES. We beat this game last session...thanks to the infamous Konami cheat code. But I want to beat it for real. Haven't been able to get past the fifth level, despite my best efforts. Is my dream going to be made incarnate, or is it destined to remain a fantasy?