A flagship game of the run and gun genre at the end of the 80s and 90s, the Contra license gets a boost of youthfulness by returning to business with a new episode, halfway between homage, reboot and new proposition. Head to the island of Galuga to slay monsters, bad guys, mercenaries armed to the teeth… with an original recipe that’s still just as effective?
If the name of Contra doesn’t mean anything to you, don’t panic, you’re just not an old guy. And if the name of Probotector doesn’t tell you anything, even less, there too, no problem. This was the European name of Contra, which was subject to censorship upon its release – it wasn’t their war, they said – and which had replaced the two main protagonists, Bill Rizer and Lance Bean, with two combat robots. Contra is above all a game of an old genre, run and gun, in which you shoot at all costs and in all corners of the screen to overcome waves of enemies, all on a 2D plane, which moves either in horizontal scrolling or vertical scrolling. And at the end of the path, a boss. Giant. But like very huge, very fat, very ugly and very cheated too.
If the game published and developed at the time by Konami had its success and is a classic of the genre, it is above all for its particularly high difficulty, the rhythm of the tables it offers, from the bosses to the introduction incredible and the joy of facing the challenge together rather than alone. And now, after a 2019 edition, Rogue Corps, well criticized by fans, Contra offers a return to basics, with a turnaround towards the original gameplay and a 2D view, sorry 2.5D since 3D is is literally invited to the program, supported by the developers of WayForward Technologies, bringing a skin and a new face to the whole. OK. Why not. No actually, yeah.
A 3D that doesn’t feel good
We will quickly mention this passage because once said, there is no need to develop and spread the argument over several lines. 3D does not honor and does not sublimate the original product. The textures are ok in some of the stages making up the 8 chapters of the main story, otherwise frankly runny in the other cases. Not to mention that things get messy when the camera pans to highlight background elements. As a result, in certain levels, we don’t understand why we got hit. The whole thing on the screen is not clear and as your character has the capacity, and an unfortunate tendency at the same time, to be able to hang on everywhere – a move which is nevertheless useful for watering certain angles and certain areas – the action can quickly become messy, as soon as people rush to the gate to eliminate you. And there are people all the time, eh… As a bonus, the rendering of the cutscenes and the effects of the engine on the characters is not in the best taste. At the end of the adventure, Operation Galuga still delivers cutscenes in the form of dialogues in colorful comic strip boxes. The result is 100 times more convincing, and we wonder who at the studio validated one of the choices rather than the other upon arrival.
We therefore embody the two iconic members of Contra, Bill and Lance, at least at the beginning, because they will quickly be joined by the different encounters that you will have during the game, including the two Probotector robots, just to complete the loop and to embrace the retro wink side to the end. Their mission, to land in Galuga, stormed some time previously by a shower of meteors, to bring down a very dangerous terrorist faction, the Red Faction, and put an end to its actions. But behind this conflict lies another, against the backdrop of an imminent extraterrestrial threat. So much for the story. We’re not going to lie to you, we followed it from afar and flew over it, because in Contra, what matters is the terrain. And the least we can say is that we were served.
A difficulty true to the origins
We start a level with the firm intention of cleaning it up as much as possible, by going to destroy the enemy forces, whatever their type and number. So much the better, because on the other hand, we are armed to the teeth and faithful to the saga: in Contra, the level of difficulty is devilishly high. Even on easy. The game is designed so that we die quickly and not to completely frustrate newcomers, a life bar system has been added, instead of the traditional “one bullet or an enemy touch and it’s over of your life”. Purists can rest assured, the player has the choice of returning to the old regime at the start of the game. Just like configuring your way of shooting, 360° or in eight directions.
We find the weapons listed by several letters of the alphabet, each with a different function: flamethrower, heat-seeking missile, laser, machine gun, which will not disorient a Contra player here too. These weapons, if picked up twice in a row, evolve into a superior version. They also have a special ability. By blowing up your weapon by overheating it, you release all its power and it will then manifest itself as a very powerful temporary ability, such as a bubble of protection, a wall of flames or nothing less than the slowing down of time.
Online, crossplay, the big road trip
We therefore spend our time thinking about the best combinations of weapons to have – because obviously some are more effective than others at a particular time and against a particular type of enemy. Not to mention that we collect coins as we play, which can be exchanged for bonuses and better playing conditions at the start of the game (level 2 weapons, several lives, temporary boost for certain characters). This gives a rogue-lite effect to the title, a feeling reinforced by the diversity of the characters unlocked and by their special characteristics on the ground (grapple, double jump, slide, dash, etc.). Everything therefore offers replayability, with heroes to unlock by doing the Story mode, which takes 2-3 hours maximum.
Also allow an hour, an hour and a half for Arcade mode, which repeats the missions of Story mode without the cutscenes and you will have taken the tour of a title which is worth picking up… but not necessarily purchasing. Indeed, apart from those nostalgic for the era and the license, who else is Contra: Operation Galuga ultimately aimed at? To the new generation of players? His 3D skin is not a seller. Just like its content. With its challenge modes and unlockable characters, Contra is primarily aimed at scoring and challenge enthusiasts, inevitably attracted by the speedrun aspect of the title. But it will have a hard time aiming beyond that, because apart from local multiplayer, it does not offer any other interaction. No crossplay… let’s take a breath. But no online co-op? In 2024, in a game based on coordination, extreme challenge and therefore a lot of fun, this has all the makings of professional misconduct. WayForward Technologies is depriving itself of a significant asset to justify the price of Contra: Operation Galuga – around forty euros – again much too high for the proposal made to us. Too bad, because between these well-established gameplay mechanics, the incredible music which accompanies each part and particularly stylish boss fights in terms of staging, pattern and design, Contra had what it took to give us a flawless copy. There, it will be necessary to revise the terms of the… contract downwards.
