Shane
A literal blast from the past, Contra is back from the late 80s with a fresh look, bringing the guns and action in a 2D platformer on present day consoles.
From Konami and Way forward, Contra – Operation Galuga sees you take on one of two unlocked characters; Bill Rizer and Lance Bean in Story mode on a small island where a terrorist faction called Red Falcon is creating anti-gravity weapons.
Gameplay is simple but tough.
Contra – Operation Galuga is a run and gun with classic platforming action. The screen moves as you push forward through the endless waves of enemies with no option to go back.
The environments are multi-tier and also has its fair share of hazards too.
You’ll equip two weapons at once and can toggle between as you need. You can also super-charge your current weapon for a mighty take down, this will sacrifice that particular weapon though, but that’s okay, weapon drops are frequent.
Super-charging your weapons is ideal when you’re swamped with foes, or for boss fights.
Contra – Operation Galuga uses a character life system. You’ll have a few lives, but when that last one runs out and you die and your dead. There are checkpoints of course, these are a bit questionable, as you never really know when you’ve reached one… until you all of your lives are gone. Any cool weapons you have do not ressurrect with you either. So if you die in a Boss fight. Good luck.
There are a few unlockable characters and perks (upgrades and abilities) where you can use in-game credits and additional game modes on offer.
Story is exactly its namesake, you’ll forge your way through the narrative. Arcade, although is the secondary option is likely the best place to start if you have not played Contra before. It plays very similar to Story and is just as unforgiving, but you do get two additional characters to play as.
Multi-player sees up to four at a time.
A perfect pick up and play title, Contra – Operation Galuga is a hell of a lot of fun to play. It retains that old school flavour from the 80s and 90s Nintendo classics while offering a challenge that will test even the more experienced of us gamers.
Released: March 2024
Rating: M15+
Platforms reviewed: Xbox Series X|S
Genre: Action
Developer: Way Forward
Publisher: Konami