It’s been tough for Contra followers. The final new title within the collection we had actually seen was 2011’s Onerous Corps: Rebellion. That was it, I swear. Don’t look it up. Simply consider me.

Nevertheless, Konami appears to be waking up from its gambling-induced stupor and has been coaxing builders to deliver again their most honored franchises. For Contra, they went again to WayForward, who have been additionally the builders behind 2007’s Contra 4 on the DS.

I can verify that Contra Operation Galuga is, on the very least, a Contra recreation.

Contra: Operation Galuga (PC [reviewed], PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox SeriesX|S, Change)
Developer: WayForward
Writer: Konami
Launched: March 12, 2024
MSRP: $39.99

It has been so lengthy for the reason that final Contra recreation (belief me) that WayForward has made the belief that you’ve got forgotten the thrilling storyline of the unique arcade/NES title, and are retelling it in a wholly new approach.

That’s proper, Contra: Operation Galuga has a narrative mode with cutscenes, and it retells the story of Invoice Rizer and Lance “Imply” Bean as they go to Galuga island and shoot every part. The brand new strategy additionally ties in an historical artifact, and I sort of want it didn’t. I wasn’t anticipating a deep story, however Operation Galuga manages to tie in just a few of my least favourite storytelling units. In the event you have a look at it as if it’s attempting to convey a Saturday morning cartoon vibe, then it would work. I’m unsure that was the intention, nonetheless.

Alternatively, Steve Blum is terrific as Invoice Rizer.

The story mode is simply a part of the general equation, nonetheless. It should most likely take you an hour or two to topple it. When it comes to problem, Contra: Operation Galuga is versatile. Past simply having a straightforward, regular, onerous setup, there’s a life bar you may axe in favor of the basic one-hit deaths and quite a lot of “perks” you may slot to tailor your runs to your liking. 

I’m a easy woman, and tweaking my very own problem at all times bugs me. Contra: Operation Galuga appears to mean that you simply play the Arcade mode repeatedly. The arcade mode has you try all the ranges to get so far as you may. It feels extra like a typical run-and-gun, the place memorization of the degrees is essential to pushing additional into the sport.

Nevertheless, the issue appears arrange with the lifebars in thoughts. There are sections of the sport, and even boss assaults, that really feel like avoidance requires extra foresight and luck than is cheap. Possibly. This style requires a number of replays to essentially get down, and whereas I’ve definitely completed a number of, I haven’t completed “movement state” a number of.

However I don’t actually need to, and that could be a drawback of its personal.

For a recreation to demand {that a} participant retains working towards for the easy sake of having fun with it extra, it must be damned good. I’ve performed Metallic Slug extra instances than I can rely, and that’s as a result of it’s an unimaginable, well-designed recreation. There’s satisfaction in reaching for the bar video games like Metallic Slug set. The identical goes for the unique NES port of Contra and Contra: Onerous Corps. Contra: Operation Galuga is merely okay.

Whereas the unique Contra was considerably grounded other than the sudden look of aliens, the next video games started getting weirder and weirder. Contra 3 and Onerous Corps have been extremely imaginative with their settings and challenges. Contra: Operation Galuga is relatively extra grounded, which possibly suits its reboot intentions, however doesn’t do it any favors.

There are ranges the place you’re on a hoverbike, however you’re touring by some bland areas. One of many ranges takes place in a temple, and whereas it does a singular graphical impact so as to add some spice to its gameplay, I hate it a lot. Each time I hit that stage on a playthrough, my enthusiasm would simply die. The enemies are annoying and boring, the hazards aren’t properly positioned, and the backgrounds are bland.

That one stage kills the momentum of the sport because it begins constructing to a climax. What comes after it’s a smidge extra attention-grabbing, however as a result of it stumbles proper earlier than, I simply can’t get excited.

Galuga’s roster features a bunch of playable characters, however I might solely ever stand enjoying as Lance and Invoice. Lucia has a grappling hook that’s barely helpful on the uncommon event that you simply’re climbing vertically, whereas Ariana has a slide kick that’s helpful solely when the extent is flat. Worse but, enjoying as Lucia perverts the unfold gun into a rechargeable wave cannon that feels horrible in movement.

Finishing the sport unlocks extra characters. Probably the most thrilling ones require you to save lots of up a large variety of in-game foreign money. I unlocked the one I used to be most concerned about and came upon that their moveset relies on Ariana, and she or he has the horrible Lucia unfold gun. At that time, my disappointment had peaked, and I used to be completed with the sport.

I’m actually attempting to provide you with some reward for Contra: Operation Galuga, however the very best I can provide is that there’s an attention-grabbing finish boss, there are a number of soundtracks, and Steve Blum places on a very good efficiency. The problem mode could be some respectable enjoyable, however the rewards you get are poor. Apart from that, it’s nice.

It’s barely above par for a recreation usually and under it for Contra. Regardless of my complaints, I loved swaths of the sport when enjoying with Invoice Rizer, however not sufficient to need to replay it endlessly. The Contra collection has completed a lot worse, nevertheless it’s additionally completed a lot better. Contra: Operation Galuga manages solely to be a run-and-shrug shooter.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

6

Alright

Barely above common or just inoffensive. Followers of the style ought to take pleasure in them a bit, however a good few will probably be left unfulfilled.

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