Contra: Operation Galuga

Contra is one of those franchises I have a hard time saying “no” to. Despite going down more than a few misguided paths throughout the last fourty years, I can’t help but be cautiously optimistic every time Konami announces a new Contra sequel or spin-off. That’s how I felt going into Contra: Operation Galuga. As somebody who hasn’t been all that impressed by the last few entries in the long-running series, I will admit to being skeptical. However, there’s hope, because this remake is being handled by WayForward, the same developers who gave us the excellent Contra 4. If anybody is going to make me fall in love with the series all over again, this is the team. So is that what happened? Find out now when I review Contra: Operation Galuga.

If you’ve played the original Contra from the 1980s, then you’re going to feel right at home with Operation Galuga’s set-up. When a terrorist group known as Red Falcon invades a peaceful island off the coast of New Zealand, the Contras -- Bill Rizer and Lance Bean – are sent in liberate Galuga. Little do they know that they are about to get caught up in an extraterrestrial battle spanning thousands of years and eight exciting levels.

If that sounds vaguely familiar, then it’s because this is, more or less, a remake of the first Contra. I say that in the Final Fantasy VII Remake kind of way, as there are elements that are clearly from the original game, but WayForward has taken a lot (and I mean, A LOT) of liberties when it comes to expanding the story, lore and even character roster.

The thing you need to know is that Operation G is the same side-scrolling run ‘n gun shooter that you fell in love with all of those years ago. It looks more modern and the polygonal graphics allow for some fun effects, but this is still a 2D action game where you run, jump, dash and shoot your way through thousands of soldiers, aliens and everything in between. This is a game that understands what made those classic Contra titles so memorable, and it does a good job of building onto those titles without trying to reinvent the formula.

In a lot of ways, this game feels like a Greatest Hits package. It has the vertical locations from the first Contra, the hoverbike stages from Hard Corps, the climbing challenges found in Contra III and bosses that are pulled from a whole bunch of games. Operation G is designed so that you won’t go more than a few minutes without saying, “hey, I recognize that.” It does a good job of pulling the best and most exciting elements from the different games, all while dropping some of the bits that haven’t aged as well (like the overhead stages found in The Alien Wars).

The big change to the game is a story mode that does a good job of tying the eight stages together. It has just the right amount of ‘80s bravado and cheesiness to keep you engaged, and I like that it never takes itself too seriously. There’s a twist towards the end where I did a literal spit take. It was so gloriously stupid, yet I couldn’t help but be entertained. I also really like how the story gives the side characters a lot of opportunity to fight alongside our hero. There are some really great cinematic moments that will catch you by surprise in the best way possible.

The story mode does a really good job of giving the different playable characters something to do. You’ll start out choosing between Bill and Lance, but you’ll eventually get to mix things up by selecting either Ariana (a Galuga native) or Lucia (who is also part of the Contra team). I also appreciate that WayForward has found a way to work the Probotector (a cybernetic soldier) into the mix, as this is how European gamers knew Contra growing up. While not radically different, there are small gameplay quirks that make each character stand out. Lance, for example, can jump higher than Bill, and Lucia uses a grappling hook instead of double jump. One of the most useful abilities is Probotector’s thrusters that let him hover around the level. This makes those pesky bottomless pit stages a breeze, as you can just fly right over them.

As a Contra game, this one is a lot more accessible than many of the previous entries. Yes, you can make it just as difficult as those early entries on the 8- and 16-bit systems, but you can also dial it back a bit without feeling like you’re compromising the challenge. For example, you can choose between the classic one-hit kills and a much friendlier multi-hit life bar. You can also buy and unlock perks that will give our heroes more lives, more health, a better starting weapon, new abilities and more.

There’s actually a lot to unlock in this game, so it’s good that there are a bunch of modes to help you earn credits. For those who want the game without any of the story elements, arcade mode has you covered. The more compelling mode, however, involve a bunch of challenge levels that are all somewhere between 30 seconds to a minute long. We’re talking about bite-sized bits where you dodge bullets until time runs out, race to a finish line or take on the various bosses in an even harder rematch. This is a great way to not only improve your run ‘n gun skills, but also earn a few extra credits.

For as much as I enjoy seeing new versions of classic levels and bosses, this new Contra game is not without a few glaring faults. For one thing, it’s insanely short. It won’t take you much more than a couple hours to fight through the eight-stage story mode. You’ll get another two or three hours out of the game by replaying the arcade and challenge modes to unlock the different perks, but that’s about it. Normally, I wouldn’t complain too much about that kind of thing, after all, a couple hours is par for this style of run ‘n gun shooter. The problem is that the game lists for $40, which is a bit steep for a game that barely lasts two hours.

There are also a lot of ideas hinted at in the game but not fully fleshed out. A good example of that are the different abilities each character has. For most of the cast, their special skill is barely worth talking about, making it hard to tell them apart. But even when the ability is more pronounced, the game doesn’t do much with it. I was hoping that you might unlock different paths through the levels based on whether your character double jumps or grapples, but there’s nothing like that here. The character-specific skills are such a non-factor that there will be times where you completely forget about them.

This is one of those games that introduces a bunch of new characters and adds to the lore, but I worry that it’s just going to be forgotten about when the next developer takes over the Contra franchise for a game. Although this installment is far from perfect, I want to see WayForward tackle a few of these Contra games in a row. Let them flesh out the story threads they set up and watch the characters grow, all while refining what worked and improving on what didn’t. Now that we’ve gotten the greatest hits out of the way, it’s time to take this series in some exciting new directions. Let the developer go as over-the-top as they possibly can. Maybe then we’ll have a game that can rival the greatness of Contra III.

There’s no question that Operation Galuga is a lot of fun in a nostalgic sort of way, but the remake framing ultimately holds this game back. It feels too familiar and safe. It does an excellent job of reminding gamers why Contra (and run ‘n gun shooters in general) are so much fun, but it doesn’t really add much to the formula. And in a world where games like Wild Dogs and Valfaris are taking the genre to new heights, this new Contra game feels like a missed opportunity. It’s fun, but I can’t help but be a little disappointed with Operation G.