Contra: Operation Galuga Review

Contra: Operation Galuga is a reimagining of the classic Contra game that was released on the original Nintendo Entertainment System back in the ‘80s. The classic run-’n’-gun mechanics that we loved are here, along with updated visuals and sounds. This is not just a remake of the original, however, there are new play mechanics, an updated weapon system, new stages to explore, and enemies that we haven’t seen before. Being a massive fan of the original title — especially the one released on the Famicom that had cinematic cutscenes — I’m excited to see if this feels like the game I love and if the updates improve the experience.

When you see the main menu, you will see a variety of different selections that you can play: Story mode, which can be played solo or cooperatively with another player; Arcade mode, where four players can play through the various stages, there are enough characters available to choose from so everyone can be someone different; Challenge mode is a singleplayer experience where you complete the challenges to get rewards; Perk Shop, spend the credit you earn from playing to purchase upgrades; and Options, you can switch the aiming style from 360 degrees to the classic eight direction type like in the original game.

The Options menu is where you will find the How to Play section. There are instructions to teach you about abilities, climbing, weapons, aiming, overloads, and bonus pods. It is very minimalist, and instead of showing you how everything works or having you play it, you just read what to do. Personally, I would rather have a more interactive way to teach how everything works instead of reading about the different game mechanics.

In the weapons topic, you learn that you can only hold two special weapons at a time and how to swap between them. If you pick up a weapon that you already have, it will power up to Level Two. If your character gets hit, the gun that they are holding will drop down a level. If it is at Level One, you will lose it, but if it was upgraded to the second level, it will go back down to the first, weaker level. It sucks when it happens, but at least you still have a special weapon to use!

There are six different types of weapons to acquire, including Machine Guns, Flame Weapon, Spread Shots, Homing Missile, Laser Beam, and Crush Bombs. My favourite is the Homing Missile, as it will target all the different enemies on the screen and go after them. This is especially helpful in areas where your view is blocked or you are hanging in the air off a platform, as it takes out foes that you may not normally be able to hit or even see. However, it does feel a bit like cheating since it’s so easy to use. You can hold two different weapons at a time, if you pick up another gun that is a different type, the gun that you are currently using will be dropped unless the other slot is open. You will quickly figure out which weapons fit your play style best and which ones you don’t like using so you know which ones to pick up while playing.

When you begin the Story Mode, you don’t get to jump right into the action. Instead, you will have to make some choices that will determine how challenging your time with the game will be. There are three difficulty options available: Easy, for new players to the run-'n’-gun genre; Normal, for players who have played Contra titles in the past; Hard, for veteran players wanting to challenge themselves. This isn’t the only setting that will determine the difficulty; you will also have to select the Danger Level between each character having their own HP Meter and perks; when it runs out, you lose a life or 1-Hit Kill where if you get hit once, you die. Even though this sounds evil, you will receive extra bonuses because of the added challenge, which may make it worth your while.

Story Mode is split up into eight unique-looking stages full of enemies and obstacles and that have you facing off against a huge and impressive-looking boss at the end. I was always looking forward to seeing what kind of monster I would be facing off against. They are huge and look incredibly intimidating, but the developers did a great job with the designs, so it’s always a treat to see. Once you take down the enemy, you will be given credits based on your performance. If you want to earn extra credits to exchange for perks, complete the stage again with a different character, and you will earn a bonus.

In the beginning, you will select between two muscle-bound characters: Bill Rizer, with his huge gun and Lance Bean, armed with a knife and handgun. As you play, you will unlock other characters like Ariana, who lives on Galuga Island and is trying to protect her people or one of the Probotectors (robots) that are used in Contra training. Like in the original game, our heroes, members of the Earth Marine Corps Contra, are sent to the Island of Galuga to take down a terrorist group called Red Falcon. They have been sending out strikes to various areas of the world, one targeting the Galuga Archipelago. They have set up shop on the island, and the military team that was sent to take them out hasn't been in contact for the last three days.

There is voice acting here by big names like Steve Blum, but there are a lot of characters that have only a still portrait and text to read instead of everyone being fully animated and voiced, as you may expect. However, I can say that the rest of the game looks great, and the camera pivots around the corners, making it feel like the environment is 3D instead of the flat 2D world we saw in the original Contra games. The stages are vibrant, all have a unique look to them, and, as I stated earlier, the bosses that you face off against look great. The music, like the visuals, does not disappoint, and if you had played the earlier titles, you may recognise a few of the songs.

Control-wise, I felt that it worked smoothly on the Xbox. Most of the time, I opted to use the D-pad instead of the thumbstick as it felt more precise for making jumps and for shooting at enemies, especially since I was using the classic eight-direction aiming. You use the face buttons for other moves like shooting, jumping, and dashing, with the shoulder buttons used to switch between your two weapons. If there are any buttons you want to switch, go into the Options section on the Main Menu.

No matter the difficulty you select, Contra: Operation Galuga felt like it was quite challenging. When you get a game over, you don’t have to start back at the beginning of the stage, but at the last checkpoint that you reached. As a warning, when asked if you want to continue, don’t visit the Perk Store first because if you do, you will need to start at the beginning of the stage. You will also need to start the stage over if you want to switch the character you are playing as; no swapping mid-stage!

Once you complete the game (it took me about 2.5 hours), you unlock three new characters in the Perk Shop that we are introduced to during the game's end cinematics. They aren't cheap, they cost 8,000 credits each! Besides characters, you can also now purchase background music from the 8-bit Contra titles, BGM from the Castlevania series, or Konamix, which is music from Konami's 8-bit classics; these will cost you 5,000 credits each. Now that Story Mode is complete, Arcade Mode now has seven characters to select from, Bill Rizer, Lance Bean, Ariana, Lucia, Stanley Ironside, and two different coloured Probotectors.

Contra: Operation Galuga is a must-play for fans of the earlier titles in the series. I had a great time playing through the Story Mode and multiplayer in the Arcade Mode. It was fun to have a variety of characters to play since they are all unique and don’t feel like reskins of the same person. Trying to figure out which combination of weapons I found most effective to use was interesting, especially when you can’t find the one you like best and have to adapt by using the other options.

Before I wrap this up, yes, the Konami Code does work in the game. It gives you 573 credits for the Perk Shop and the chance to grab a medal that gives you 30 lives, but it's going to cost you 7,500 to purchase. I think you are better off just playing the game on easy… I’m going to go back and try to earn more credits to buy some of that awesome background music in the shop. Who wouldn’t want to hear Castlevania music while playing Contra?