While the classic game will always be one of the greats, it wasn’t without its flaws. There was no storyline to speak of, there weren’t too many motivators to replay the game and you could play with just one other friend. Operation Galuga addresses many of these flaws while trying to keep the fans happy. It is a tough spot to be in, but I think the developers have done a good job. 

From the title screen itself, Contra: Operation Galuga will have you hooked. It starts with the all-too-familiar music, just a bit updated. There is a short cutscene in the helicopter before you go to battle; it sort of sets up the plot for the game. The helicopter drops you off into the thick of battle with your buddy or solo depending on what you choose. Then on it is basically the first stage of retro Contra.

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The first stage takes time to explain a few of the newer elements of the game like an alternative weapon, the ability to dash and sacrifice your weapon for a power attack. The rest of the stage though is very familiar with snipers, turrets, hand grenadiers and front-line soldiers all waiting to catch your bullet. As usual, you can shoot down blimps to collect newer weapons, and additionally, catching the same weapon again boosts its power. It’s not that important in the first stage but it gets significantly important in the latter ones. 

The game itself is a rush of adrenalin, I found myself frantically and instinctively mashing my controller just to make sure I get all the enemies on screen. The developers have done a good job of capturing the essence of the game. The modern updates like graphics, motion and 3D improve the gameplay experience without hindering its core, which is a tough thing to achieve especially in the legacy levels. There are a lot of legacy levels including Waterfall and the insides of the alien, but there are lots of new levels as well.

The developers have really thought about how they want to add to this game; things like bikes and snowmobiles to the game has significantly improved the experience. I also like the fact that you can play the game with four of your friends, Contra has always been a game that is a better experience with friends, and the addition of two more players in the arcade mode boosts the chaos factor. Each character also has their own unique ability which you can choose according to your gameplay style. There are also two modes to play the story mode of the game, one is a single shot gets you killed, in the other mode your health bar depletes every time you are hurt. One is of course more challenging than the other.

Other than this the game also has challenges which can help boost its replayability. This is needed because as it stands, the story/arcade mode is probably a one-time playthrough. There isn’t enough of unique content there to pull you in multiple times. The very thing that makes this game so attractive is also the reason you won’t be able to play it multiple times without going meh. The introduction of the story also does very little to entertain. I would go as far as to say it was downright annoying at times to skip so much dialogue.

Any person looking for a hit of nostalgia will be pleasantly surprised. Contra: Operation Galuga is all you want it to be and more. However, at just eight levels, it is a bit short and the additional gameplay modes do add to the replayability, but not enough to warrant its launch price on consoles. I would wait a month or two before buying this one, at around R1,500 which is the price of this game on PC, which makes a lot more sense.