Unidentified Contra artwork?

[Ibrahim_UK 89]

Does anyone know if this was an interior Nintendo Power Contra piece?

Info I have gathered so far:
There is a note from "Wendy", a Nintendo Editor @Interactive Art Collection spoke to Wendy, but it's too long ago for her to remember.
The Artist "Philip Howe" did numerous Nintendo Power covers, interiors, and guides.

It makes sense if this was used somewhere within NP or guides, but I have not stumbled upon it yet...

[KingofGames 6]

This sucker has been ID’d! Contra III manual art! Love it!

[Ibrahim_UK 89]

Just now, KingofGames said:

This sucker has been ID’d! Contra III manual art! Love it!

Thank You!, That is the closest published work.

🙏

[Sanford_US 88]

I suspect that Phil's drawings here were done based on provided in-game sprite art?

For example, here is a page from EGM previewing Contra III: Alien Wars, when it was still called Contra 4.

Found via here: https://contrapedia.wordpress.com/contra-iii-the-alien-wars-developmental-material/

Here's another image:

 

And looking at a quick playthrough video you'll see that "main" image at the 5:09 mark:

It is certainly possible that it was Phil Howe that designed the art that was the basis for in-game art. Who knows!

[Sanford_US 88]

Update: Phil's art appears on pages 84-91 in Nintendo Power 36, likely based on in-game sprites (above) provided to Phil as reference material.

[Ibrahim_UK 89]

Thank you @Sanford_US I had a feeling it had to be used for Nintendo Power. There is a fifth image which is not part of the set.

 

[Sanford_US 88]

Yeah, I noticed that 5th image also! And it is among the in-game sprites pictured above, but of course it's the art that is missing, not it's origin. And then too, yours are the sketches rather than finals, wherever those ended up!