Contra: Operation Galuga respectfully modernizes an arcade classic

I only had a handful of games growing up, but they were all I needed. I played games like Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Pitfall over and over again, without ever actually beating them. Instead, I was content to bang my head against them, learning a little more with each failure so I could get just a bit further on my next go-round. What I wouldn’t realize until I was much older was how short those games actually were. If I played my cards right, I could beat Sonic in under three hours. Pitfall, a game I played for years, was barely 40 minutes long. Difficulty meant value.

I can see exactly how much the video game industry has moved away from that idea while playing Contra: Operation Galuga. The new release is a fresh remake of Contra, a genre-defining run-and-gun shooter that’s notorious for its difficulty. Gaming website IGN once even went as far as to crown the original Contra as the “Toughest Game to Beat.” You could play it for years without seeing its ending, even though a full run only takes an hour tops.

In modernizing a classic, in terms of both visuals and new features, the new Contra: Operation Galuga highlights just how much the ideas of content and value have changed how games are made. While that may bug purists, it’s not a knock against a fun approach to a retro remake. Contra: Operation Galuga offers a new spin on Contra that gives players more flexibility in their mastery.

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Lock and load

Contra: Operation Galuga comes from WayForward, a studio that excels at creating modern retro titles. Its expertise is put to good usehere in building a new version of the classic shooter that feels both faithful to its predecessor and more up to date with today’s trends. On its surface, it’s tried-and-true Contra. Players blast through eight hectic levels, blowing away enemies, nabbing flying weapon upgrades, and taking down some tough bosses in an old-school arcade run-and-gun format.