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Home › Entertainment › Gaming Contra: Operation Galuga review – running and gunning like it’s 1987 author image GameCentral Published Mar 11, 2024, 4:00pm Comment Contra: Operation Galuga screenshot Contra: Operation Galuga – remember this guy? (Picture: Konami) WayForward get another chance to make a new Contra game, as they try to update the run ‘n’ gun formula while also honouring the original. The most positive thing we can say about Operation Galuga is that it’s the best Contra game in over a decade. Although that speaks more to the paucity of releases in that time, and the appalling quality of 2019’s Contra: Rogue Corps, than it does anything else. Although it was the definitive run ‘n’ gun 2D shooter of the 80s, Contra is not a name that is well remember today, despite it influencing a legion of indie imitators, including critical darling Cuphead. It doesn’t help that the series has gone under many names in its time, including Gryzor, Probotector, Hard Corps, and other variations. But the real problem is that, like many coin-op franchises of the era, it’s never been able to evolve beyond the original game. Some of the sequels have tried to refocus the action as a primarily top-down title, or lean into the co-op aspects, but the franchise’s peak was undoubtedly the SNES game Contra 3 (aka Super Probotector) in 1992 – which is a long time ago now. Rogue Corps was the absolute nadir of the series, but Konami has, wisely, got 2D specialist WayForward to create this new reboot, which is a pseudo-remake of the NES version of the original coin-op. Unfortunately, that could describe at least half the existing Contra games, which immediately tells you that brave reinvention is not at the top of Operation Galuga’s agenda. If you’re not familiar with Contra, the basics are not complicated. You run from left to right across the screen, shooting everything in your way with a small range of enjoyably over-the-top weapons, including the stalwart spreadshot and homing missiles that whizz around the screen like heat-seeking Catherine wheels. There’s always some light platforming involved as well, but the only new mechanic for this game, beyond the fact that weapons can be powered up if you collect the same one twice, is that you can overload them to use them up in one special move, such as an impenetrable shield or a giant bullet hell style attack. The original Contra was heavily influenced by Aliens (oddly, a lot of it often ends up looking like Predator too, but that came out after the first game) and so there’s a lot of alien and mutant enemies that nowadays seem reminiscent of Resident Evil, in terms of their impractical grotesqueness. There is a story but it’s overcomplicated nonsense that amounts to nothing but a few boring, talking head cut scenes. That’s not a problem, but the fact that the game is still riffing on the original levels and bosses from the NES game is certainly disappointing. It’s also a shame that the weird maze-like shooting gallery levels from the original coin-op aren’t represented here at all, as you really would’ve thought someone would’ve turned those into over-the-shoulder 3D sections by now. In the SNES era, top-down levels were used to replace those parts of the game but here it’s hoverbike sections which are used to break up the platforming. They’re entertaining enough but they’re not that different to just running along on foot and are often mixed in with normal levels, instead of being their own thing. Unlike Contra 4, which had some gorgeous 2D pixel art, the graphics in Operation Galuga use 3D polygons. They’re relatively detailed, for what is obviously a low budget title, but the lighting is extremely flat and uninteresting. It’s no doubt that way on purpose, to mimic the look of the earlier games, but it’s not an attractive look. The way the game shifts camera angles, despite the gameplay remaining 2D, is also rather ugly. It’s obviously done in mimicry of old sprite-scaling technology, but it just looks weird and we’d rather they actually just used sprites or made those sections properly 3D. While Contra 4, and many of the other entries in the series, were always ridiculously hard, this has a range of difficulty options which means practically anyone can see the end of the game if they want. Also, one of the key new features is a two or four-player co-op option, which means you can happily ride on the coattails of another more experienced player. Contra: Operation Galuga screenshot Contra: Operation Galuga – you can also play as the Probotector robots (Picture: Konami) There are four main player characters, with others available in arcade mode or as unlockables, and they all have some small differences in abilities, such as different collectable weapons working in different ways than normal. You can also customise the characters further by unlocking perks, with earned in-game money, that do similar things or add extra bonuses, like being able to hover or use a grappling hook. It’s all fine, but it’s also the sort of thing that has been seen a hundred times before, either in actual Contra games or various homages. Considering the high price tag, and the short running time, the whole concept comes across as ill-conceived and redundant. TRENDING FOR YOU Games Inbox: Are open world games dying, Shōgun video game, and Sega Vs. Capcom dream game Cyberpunk 2077 could still see ‘little’ updates in the future says CD Projekt Payday 3 boss is sacked after game continues to underperform Sega vs. Capcom fighting game teased by former Sonic developer Read More Stories In terms of alternatives, Cuphead is still the master of the genre, even if it has nothing in common with Contra in terms of presentation. But if you want something filled to the gills with 80s testosterone we’d recommend indie game Blazing Chrome. There are many other alternatives though and sadly Operation Galuga is a long way down the list. We’ve always felt that Gears Of War is the sort of game Contra should’ve evolved into, but when even the 3D descendant is showing signs of being past its prime it gives an indication of just how far behind the times the real thing is. Operation Galuga is a competent homage but nothing that is going to inspire new interest in the franchise or genre, with barely enough to excite even existing fans. Contra: Operation Galuga review summary In Short: