Contra Operation Galuga Review
Contra gained fame for its extreme difficulty, a legacy that still resonates today. Even iconic elements like the Konami Code trace back to the Contra series, as players memorized it to gain extra lives in their battle against alien foes. WayForward faced a unique challenge with Contra: Operation Galuga – how to modernize the original game for today’s audience while preserving its legendary toughness. Through clever enhancements, the game strikes a satisfying balance, though it falls short of achieving greatness.
This installment revisits the original game’s storyline, casting players as Contra operatives Bill and Lance on a mission to investigate strange occurrences on the island of Galuga. Following a verbose introduction in Story mode, players are thrust into fast-paced action. While the game retains the look and feel of its predecessor, seasoned players will notice significant differences. Notably, players now have a default double jump and a dash move usable on the ground or mid-air. These new abilities enhance agility, making it easier to evade enemy attacks, traverse gaps, and engage in more dynamic combat.
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Review of Contra: Operation Galuga
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Now Playing: Contra: Operation Galuga | Character Trailer
In Contra: Operation Galuga, familiar weapons from the previous games like Machine Gun, Spread, Laser, Flame Thrower, Homing, and Crush have received upgrades. Each weapon offers a significant power boost from the default gun and can be further enhanced by picking up additional weapon upgrades. For instance, acquiring another Homing power-up while already equipped with Homing transforms it into Homing Lv 2. Upgrades can alter the weapon’s range, behavior, or damage output, providing a dynamic gameplay experience.
While the upgraded weapons feel potent, losing them can leave you vulnerable. In the game, getting hit once with the life bar option will downgrade your weapon, and losing a life will result in losing the weapon entirely. This mechanic encourages strategic thinking and careful combat to navigate through challenging fights without a fully upgraded arsenal.
Enhancements and Perks
Operation Galuga introduces a shop where players can purchase various perks using credits earned during missions. Taking risks, such as playing on higher difficulties or enabling one-hit kills, rewards more credits. These credits can be used to expand health bars, buy extra lives, or even start with a specific weapon, enhancing the gameplay experience. Investing in game-changing upgrades like automatic weapon transformations and weapon retention after sustaining hits adds a layer of customization to the gameplay.
The game’s balance revolves around these perks, offering a satisfying level of challenge. Despite the intense combat scenarios, the ability to select stages individually in Story mode allows players to adjust perks and retry, supported by a generous checkpoint system that preserves progress. This approach maintains the classic Contra challenge while preventing excessive frustration or reliance on perfecting a single run.
For players seeking a greater challenge, classic mechanics like one-hit kills and directional aiming options are available. Arcade mode skips story sequences, presenting levels consecutively with increasing rewards based on performance. Additionally, Challenge stages offer specific objectives to test skills and agility within set time limits.
While the storyline may seem nonsensical, it embraces the exaggerated action movie themes of the 1980s with a touch of humor. The game’s absurd machismo and amusing surprises add to its charm, although further embracing its satirical inspirations could enhance the experience.
Contra Operation Galuga Review
Within the narrative, you will encounter additional characters aligning with the Contra faction, many of whom eventually become unlockable characters. This can happen either organically throughout the storyline or by purchasing them from the in-game shop. Each character possesses a unique ability available for purchase, such as a brief invincibility period for Bill or an enhanced double jump for Lance. These distinctive abilities add a layer of diversity to the gameplay, offering players varied experiences with the army-men action figures. While these special abilities provide some strategic value in selecting a preferred character, the decision often boils down to personal aesthetic preferences. The differences between characters do not significantly impact gameplay strategy.
Resembling action figures, the character models exhibit a glossy, plastic-like appearance, as do their surroundings. The visual design stands out as the least appealing aspect of the game presentation, often appearing generic and uninspiring. Although certain stages feature visually unique and captivating moments, there seems to be a missed opportunity in fully realizing the potential of creating character models reminiscent of G.I. Joe figurines. Overall, the visual execution lacks the flair typically associated with WayForward, which is disappointing considering the franchise’s rich history.
Nevertheless, Contra: Operation Galuga excels in essential areas. It successfully captures the essence of classic Contra gameplay, incorporating a range of enhancements and updates. From minor adjustments like automatic weapon equipping to significant additions like the perks shop, these changes contribute to a seamless and contemporary gameplay experience. While it may not achieve the status of a modern classic, the game effectively demonstrates how a beloved series like Contra can be revitalized to offer a fresh and engaging experience.
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