Contra: Operation Galuga (魂斗羅 オペレーション ガルガ Kontora Operēshon Garuga?) is a run-and-gun platformer video game set in the Contra universe developed by WayForward and published by Konami. It is a reimagining of the arcade/NES version of Contra, featuring modern graphics and new mechanics.[1][2] It borrows characters, enemies, events and other assets from several previous games of the series and implements them into a new story, while also introducing new characters and storyline elements of its own into its narrative. A demo was released on Steam on February 21, 2024, and the retail version was released on March 12, 2024 on current generation platforms, including PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC (Steam).
Plot[]
Year: 26XX AD. The Galuga Archipelago off the coast of New Zealand is ground zero for a mysterious meteor shower. Six months later, the Red Falcon terrorist group invades the island, and unusual gravity waves can be detected emanating from the area. The Earth Federation sends in the GX Army for reconnaissance, but contact has been lost. With no other viable options, the Earth Marine Corps dispatches its most elite soldiers - Bill Rizer and Lance Bean of the Contra unit - to investigate and neutralize any potential threats. The conflict that follows turns the once-peaceful island into an all-out warzone where the fate of mankind hangs in the balance.[3]
Gameplay[]
Operation Galuga is a reimagining of the arcade/NES version of Contra, featuring modern graphics and soundtrack, new stages, enemies, bosses, and gameplay mechanics.[1][2] It is a 2.5D run-and-gun platformer game (aesthetically similar to previous titles like Contra: Evolution and Contra Returns). The game features an updated weapons system; classic weapons like the Spread Gun, Laser, Flame Thrower and Homing Gun are back, but now feature stackable upgrades that increase their destructive power, as well as introducing the new "Overload" system, which allow them to unleash unique attacks and special abilities.
There are three modes of play: Story Mode, Arcade Mode and Challenge Mode. In Story Mode, up to two players can play simultaneously along eight stages to defeat the evil Red Falcon alien invasion. In Arcade Mode, up to four players can join in simultaneous play.
The game borrows elements previously displayed from Hard Corps: Uprising. Characters can utilize a Health Bar, allowing themselves to receive multiple hits before dying. Characters can also make use of physical abilities such as Dashing and Double Jumping. This game marks the return of sliding, an ability first seen in Contra: Hard Corps. Operation Galuga also features different difficulty options to accommodate each players' skill, as well as a variety of challenge options. A Perk Shop is also accessible where a player can purchase upgrades for a specific character of choice.
Key features[]
- Multiple playable characters with distinct abilities.
- Stackable weapon upgrade system and "Overload" special abilities.
- Multiple difficulty options, including the option for classic one-hit deaths.
- Color coded weapons and character icons for ease of identification.
- 3-point color coded Health Bar (3 or more = green, 2 = yellow, 1 = red).
Special features[]
- The game features alternative soundtracks that can be unlocked if the system contains save data of any of Konami's "Anniversary Collection" compilation titles from 2019.[4]
- Contra Anniversary Collection - Retro Mix (Contra, Super Contra)
- Castlevania Anniversary Collection - Vania Mix (Castlevania, Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse)
- Arcade Classics Anniversary Collection - Konamix (music from previous Konami titles)
- Additionally, if save data from the Contra: Operation Galuga Demo is detected, the WayForward Mix (Contra 4) will be automatically unlocked.
- Alternative sounds can be used in Arcade and Challenge Modes.
- The 'Alternative Sounds' listed can also be purchased through the 'Perk Shop' after clearing the main game.
Characters[]
Playable[]
- Weapons in italics are for Alternate Weapons and Overloads, and appear with Level 2 weapon/pickup icons for further visual distinction.
NPCs[]
Stages[]
Development[]
Operation Galuga was first announced on the Contra Official account at X on September 14, 2023.[5] An Announcement Trailer of the Nintendo Switch version was released shortly afterward on the official Nintendo of America YouTube page revealing some aspects of the game, such as it being developed by WayForward (who previously worked on Contra 4) and showcasing gameplay that included playable characters, weapons, enemies, bosses, etc. Later that day, on the Nintendo Direct 9.14.2023, more aspects of the game were revealed, such as more detailed key features and an expected release date on early 2024.
According to the Deluxe Edition, Operation Galuga was intended to be a reboot of the 1987 game.[6] Operation Galuga was designed to be approachable to newcomers. Konami wanted to bring new players into the IP, but agreed that it could not be an easy game lest it alienate existing fans. The game's system of mobility boosts, weapon upgrades, and extra lives is a case in point, said system being loosely inspired by Gradius V.[7]
Reception[]
On the review aggregator website Metacritic, Contra: Operation Galuga holds a "mixed or average" approval score of 71, based on 22 critic reviews, and a "mixed or average" score of 7.2, based on 16 user ratings.[8]
Gallery[]
Screenshots[]
Artworks[]
![Special "Happy Thanksgiving" artwork from 2023.[9]](/wiki/File:Happy_Thanksgiving_-_Operation_Galuga_-_01.jpg "Happy Thanksgiving - Operation Galuga - 01.jpg (421 KB)")
![Special "Happy New Year" artwork from 2023.[10]](/wiki/File:Happy_New_Year_-_Operation_Galuga_-_01.png "Happy New Year - Operation Galuga - 01.png (3.31 MB)")
![Special artwork by Tom duBois.[11]](/wiki/File:Contra_Operation_Galuga_-_15.jpg "Contra Operation Galuga - 15.jpg (279 KB)")
Miscellaneous[]
.png "Operation Galuga logo (Japan).png (108 KB)"){kind=logo}
Videos[]
Trivia[]
- Much of the overall game resembles Contra 4, a previous installment also made by WayForward.
- This is the first Contra game to feature four-player simultaneous co-op. Previous installments were only limited to two-player co-op (with the exceptions of Operation C and C: The Contra Adventure, which were limited to one player only).
- The acronym of this game's subtitle is "OG", which is often used as an abbreviation for the word "original". When asked if this was a coincidence, Tomm Hulett, director of the game, said laughing: "I don't think it was an accident".[12]
- When a player dies, the defeated sound effect from the NES Contra plays.
- When unlocking bonus content using a save file from Castlevania Anniversary Collection, a message will read "You like Castlevania, don't you?". This line is spoken by Psycho Mantis in Metal Gear Solid when he reads the player's PlayStation memory card with a Castlevania: Symphony of the Night save file inside.
See also[]
- Contra - The original game Operation Galuga is a reimagining of.
- Contra 4 - Another Contra game developed by WayForward.
Related products[]
- X8 Contra: Super Wall Storm - An expansion pack for the X8 virtual reality hero shooter game themed after the world of Operation Galuga.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Contra: Operation Galuga at Konami.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Nintendo Direct 9.14.2023 - Nintendo Switch at YouTube.
- ↑ Description from the official Contra: Operation Galuga website.
- ↑ @ContraSoldier (Contra Official 魂斗羅公式) at X (March 7, 2024).
- ↑ @ContraSoldier (Contra Official 魂斗羅公式) at X (September 14, 2023).
- ↑ どのようにして本作が生まれたのか? 今回、斗」の新作を開発するにあたり、テーマにしたのはリリースされたシリーズ1作目の「1987年に再構築(リブートすべく、コナミデジタルエンタテインメント(以下、コナミ)社内では、さまざまなが生み出されたという。とくにアート大量のスケッチを描き、方向性が決まったところで(本作の開発を担当する) WayForwardと協議をしながら最終案を仕上げていった。
Translation:"How was this new game created? The theme for the development of the new “Dou” game was “Rebuild to 1987,” the first game in the series (various ideas were generated within Konami Digital Entertainment (Konami) in order to reboot the game). In particular, a large number of art sketches were drawn, and once the direction was determined, the final proposal was finalized through discussions with WayForward (who is in charge of the development of this title)." - ↑ Operation Galuga's Director On Capturing That Classic Contra Feeling at Kotaku (March 13, 2024).
- ↑ Contra: Operation Galuga at Metacritic (retrieved: April 6, 2024).
- ↑ @Konami at X (November 23, 2023).
- ↑ @WayForward at X (December 31, 2023).
- ↑ @ContraSoldier (Contra Official 魂斗羅公式) at X (March 12, 2025).
- ↑ How WayForward's New Contra: OG Boldly Reimagines a Classic | Developer Interview by GameXplain at YouTube.
External links[]
- Contra: Operation Galuga at Konami (official website)
- Contra: Operation Galuga at Nintendo
- Contra: Operation Galuga at Steam