It was published by Marvelous Entertainment in Japan on March 30, 2006, by Atlus USA in North America on October 18, and by Rising Star Games in Australia, Asia and Europe on January 25, 2007 and February 2, respectively.

The story begins as a scientist, known as the Professor, flees through space from a mysterious enemy known only as the "CosmoNOTs" (Cosmic Nihilist Organization for Terror).

Throughout the game, the Professor will talk directly to the player to give hints on how to use the controls and to voice his concerns about Terry.

Unlike many RPGs, experience gain is instantaneous during battles, which complements the real time combat system.

There are other statistics that affect Terry's relationship with the game's non-playable characters, including fame, courage, and karma.

Up to eight costumes can be obtained, turning Terry into such forms as a fisherman, a chef, a thief, an "aqua shot", a car driver, a digger and a pilot.

We wanted them to work for the story rather than dictate it, which is something we feel is incredibly important for an original concept like Contact".

When development moved to the DS, the team decided to take advantage of the dual screens by showing them simultaneously.

The company's localization director, Tomm Hulett, was attracted to the game's art style and humor, comparing it to the cult-classic EarthBound.

[12] As per the company's translation policy, the game's content was not altered from the original Japanese release beyond the English localisation.

[14] The rumour was later proven to be false when the Professor appeared in a Famitsu article unveiling Contact, rather than Mother 3.

[32] The site praised the story, job system and, especially, the music, but defined the battles as "fairly shallow".

[33] In contrast, Nintendo Power's major complaints were that the game was "frustrating" due to its objectives as "obtuse" and "unintuitive", in addition to its difficulty.

[9] When asked again in 2011 about a sequel, Ueda responded that he was ready to work with Suda on a follow-up game despite the original's lack of success.

Ueda explained: "Regardless of the business aspects of making a sequel, I think the world would be a better place if there was another Contact game in existence!