Contra Operation Galuga FullGame
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Developer(s) WayForward
Publisher(s) Konami
Director(s) Tomm Hulett
Platform(s)
PlayStation 4
PlayStation 5
Xbox One
Xbox Series X/S
Nintendo Switch
PC (Steam)
Release date(s)
March 12, 2024
Media
Digital
Genre(s) Run-and-gun
Modes
1 or 2 players (Story Mode)
1 to 4 players (Arcade Mode)
Plot
When the Red Falcon terrorist group takes over the Galuga Islands off the coast of New Zealand, elite Contra commandos Bill Rizer and Lance Bean spring into action, initiating an all-out war in which the fate of mankind hangs in the balance.
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.[3]
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.
Development
Operation Galuga was first announced on the Contra Official account at X on September 14, 2023.[4] 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.
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.
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".