Earlier on social media, I made a post stating that outside of like 3 or 4 games, everything under the Contra banner has been good. That's when it hit me: The realization that Operation C on the Game Boy might actually be five flavors of chewed ass. Fearing the worst, I fired up on my nonexistent handheld gaming hardware and braced for suck- nah, it's totally solid. It's difficult for me to even pretend to underestimate 90s Konami. They had a string of hits long enough to connect Earth and Mars like some galaxy-spanning bolas. This Run & Gun looks, plays, and sounds good. While there are only five stages, they deliver enough action to keep players motivated, as well as enough surprises to keep them intrigued.
I don't talk a lot about Contra on this blog, and that's partly because there's not enough to complain about. No really, imagine a few game developers got together and perfected a genre that until a minute ago basically didn't exist. Everything from the movement to aiming/firing is immaculately executed. It's so seamless that five seconds of playtime is enough to convince the player that they're ready for a war. Basically, these are some of the strongest fundamentals anyone could ever hope for. It's "simply" a matter of adapting them to fit a variety of action-packed scenarios.
The controls in Operation C are correct. They are as accurate as they need to be, while accounting for the limitations of the Game Boy's screen-size. Same goes for the level-design. Both enemies and obstacles are where they need to be in relation to the player, ensuring that they're not blindsided by poor placement or a spawn from out of nowhere. You're never going to be hurting for time to react to danger, though I'd never discount the effectiveness of a little memorization. Knowing where to stand can be a difference-maker in multiple situations.
In keeping with tradition, floating pods contain weapons that'll make gunning down alien scum easier. The hunter-shot in particular is nice because it's a homing weapon with hardly a downside. It might be weaker than the spread and flame-shots, but the fact that 99% of its shots actually hit what they're supposed to is great for players who'd rather focus on dodging attacks. Of course, weapons are lost on hit, but the default machine-gun can still get the job done. Extra lives are awarded for reaching certain score thresholds, and there's nothing stopping the player from farming respawning enemies to get an extra one or two for the battles ahead. I don't believe it's necessary, especially for series veterans. They'll shoot through this in 30 minutes or less.
Operation C is exactly what it needs to be. Easy to pick-up, fun to play, and features a hint of bite. Its long-term value isn't what I'd consider amazing, but it also doesn't negatively affect the game much. There's practically zero fat. Each encounter feels unique. Check it out.
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