Contra ReBirth retains the same sprite-based side-scrolling gameplay as the series' earlier installments. The game can be played with the standard Wii Remote, as well as with the Classic Controller or a Nintendo GameCube Controller. As with most Contra games, up to two players can play simultaneously. The player initially has a choice between two different player characters: Bill Rizer, the traditional Contra hero, or Genbei Yagyu from Neo Contra. Two additional characters: Brownie (Tsugumin in the Japanese version), an android shaped like a small girl; and Pliskin, a tall lizard-like humanoid alien, can also be selected once the player has completed the game on Easy (Brownie) and Normal (Pliskin).
Source: Wikipedia, "Contra ReBirth", available under the CC-BY-SA License.