I’ve been a huge fan of the Contra series over the years, and still go back to the original when it pops up. Upon hearing that Contra: Operation Galuga would reimagine the first entry with some fresh visuals and gameplay, I was pumped. Contra: Operation Galuga is certainly a good time as far as 2D action shoot-em-ups go, even if it plays things a little too safe. It’s still super fun with friends and won’t take up too much of your time.
The Return
Bill Rizer and Lance Bean are back, to investigate an island off the coast of New Zealand named Galuga Archipelago, which has been invaded by the terrorist group known as Red Falcon. You’ll essentially need to neutralise the island of threats and find out just what is happening at the island’s core. For those of you who have played the original, there’s not much to spoil here as far as the narrative is concerned.
Contra: Operation Galuga certainly makes attempts to bring a cinematic quality to the experience, with voice-acted sequences and small cutscenes. While the voice acting is half-decent at best, the writing is a little cringe-worthy, clearly looking to send up the 80’s action era of the time, without any emotional stakes or deeper meaning. It’s also trying to deepen the lore of the surrounding world, which seems interesting at first to be completely honest. It’s just a shame that it takes a complete back seat to the gameplay once you’re in the thick of the action. Don’t get me wrong, that wasn’t necessarily to be expected, but it’s all far from memorable.
Shoot First, Ask Questions Later
Much of the same structure is still in place in Contra: Operation Galuga as far as gameplay is concerned. You’ll run and gun through various side-scrolling levels, dodging enemy projectiles and ultimately reaching the final boss at each level. It feels super responsive and punchy, with plenty of variety when it comes to weapon upgrades, new playable characters and level design.
Ariana, Lucia and Lt. Stanley Ironside join the fight, each with their unique looks and playstyles, including grappling hooks, and hovering and sliding abilities to dodge enemy fire. While they generally fall in line with the moment-to-moment gameplay, I can appreciate their overall inclusion, even if they too are super one-dimensional.
New levels ultimately replace the 3D shooting gallery missions of the original, which I think is a great move. It helps expand the overall length of the core game while adding variety to the level design. For example, a new hoverbike mission has been included, which does take a semi-3D approach at times, but does a great job at ramping up the pace of the gameplay, which is already blistering.
You’ll be able to switch between two weapon upgrades and overload them at any time, forfeiting that upgrade for a devastating attack that can almost clear the screen of regular enemies at any given time. Picking up two of the same upgrades now buffs your weapon a second time. It’s generally tough too, but thankfully, the difficulty level can be adjusted if you’re stressing out. While a health bar option exists, players can even opt in for a one-hit death scenario, should they want the extra punishment.
Two players can also tackle the main Story Mode, while up to four players can jump into the Arcade Mode, which essentially strips the experience of any narrative and context. There’s also a Challenge Mode that allows players to speedrun through missions with limited supplies. It’s certainly a great time when playing with friends, and I recommend cranking up the difficulty here for the most fun.
The only real issue here comes from its length. The original Contra was never that long, but that was also a different era. With a smooth run, you’ll be done with this in around 3-4 hours, which feels decent, given it’s not wearing itself thin due to its repetitive nature. I can’t complain too much as it was certainly fun while it lasted, but I do question this game’s longevity and replayability as a result.
Look the Part
Hey, it’s Contra. If you’ve played any game in the series, you’ll feel right at home here. That being said, it looks great, with super vibrant levels and some impressive revisions complete with an added layer of depth and detail that feels new and familiar all at the same time.
It’s also super smooth, which is to be expected for the most part. We played this on the PlayStation 5 and we have little to complain about. It sounds trivial at this point, but you’d be surprised how a poorly performing game could take you out of a fast-paced, reflexive and adrenaline-fuelled experience like this.
Final Thoughts
Let’s start with the negatives here. the rough dialogue and voice acting hold it back from adding the cinematic quality is going for, although it admittedly takes a backseat to its gameplay. While the shorter runtime helps it from getting stale, there’s also not really much to come back to after a handful of hours.
That being said, there’s also heaps to love about Contra: Operation Galuga, as it’s super fun while it lasts. Gunplay is responsive and punchy, while new levels and characters help to shake up the mix. The Arcade and Challenge modes are the most fun friends, while the shorter runtime helps the game from wearing out its welcome.
THREE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Engaging gameplay; Fresh visuals; New characters with new abilities; Fun with friends
Lowlights: Short runtime; Poor writing and voice acting
Developer: WayForward
Publisher: Konami, Konami Digital Entertainment
Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Windows PC
Available: Now
Review conducted on PlayStation 5 with a code provided by the publisher.
