It's always good to see another game in Konami's Contra series of run-and-gun shooters in the works, especially when that game is in good hands. Contra: Operation Galuga is being directed by our old pal Tomm Hulett of WayForward, and it will be coming to consoles and PC in early 2024. To hold us over until then, we asked Tomm about whether the game is a remake or a reboot, what the title means, co-op features and issues, and a whole lot more!
Co-Optimus: Thanks for taking the time once again to helicopter over to our island fortress for this dangerously in-person interview. We discussed your gaming experiences when we interviewed you about Spidersaurs last year, so let’s catch up instead. What games have you been into this year?
Tomm Hulett: It's been a pretty nu-retro year for me. With Zelda coming up, I wanted to clear the runway, so after completing the main game in Persona 5 (I'll go back for Royal content, I swear!), I did some Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters alongside Theatrhythm. Then [came] Zelda, which I just finished in October. We Love Katamari REROLL got me to Super Mario Bros. Wonder's release, and that's where I'm at now. I'll be hitting Final Fantasy XVI next. Oh, I also did Signalis early on. Everyone, play Signalis.
Tomm Hulett, Director at WayForward
Co-Optimus: Cool games! Before we zero in on Operation Galuga, let’s talk Contra sequels. Everyone loves the 8-bit and 16-bit installments, but reception becomes more mixed after that. What’s your favorite 3D Contra, and how do you feel about Hard Corps Uprising?
Tomm Hulett: I think Neo Contra would be my favorite of the 3D games before now. It isn't the most faithful gameplay-wise, but it's a lot of fun! As for Hard Corps Uprising, I actually worked on it early on (as an associate producer at KONAMI). I even localized the boss names — as each fight starts and the text callout appears, that's me cheering you on!
Hard Corps Uprising
Co-Optimus: How cool! Now then, I understand that you also worked on Contra 4 for Konami before moving to WayForward, where you worked on Spidersaurs, a charming Contra-style run-and-gun platformer. Can you tell us how you and WayForward ended up in charge of the next Contra game, Contra: Operation Galuga?
Tomm Hulett: WayForward is always proactive in talking with various partners, and at some point Konami asked us if we would be interested in working on a new Contra game. I think they had been exploring a lot of different ideas on how to carry on the franchise, and they decided to try keeping the gameplay true to the classic games. WayForward seemed like a good fit, specifically because of Contra 4, Spidersaurs, and a lot of our other projects — and it seems to have worked out!
Co-Optimus: What is a Galuga, anyway? Does it have medicinal properties??
Tomm Hulett: The [fictional] Galuga Archipelago is a chain of islands off the coast of New Zealand. It's not very populated, but the main island (also called Galuga) is home to an indigenous people as well as an outpost for a military contractor called Frasier Enterprises. It's also ground zero for a strange astronomical event [in which] a large number of meteors rained down across the island.
Contra (Famicom) from Contra Anniversary Collection
Co-Optimus: Alright, so I won’t be putting any Galuga on my salads. Anyway, Operation Galuga seems to be more of a reboot rather than a traditional remake of the first Contra. How did you decide on this approach?
Tomm Hulett: Story-wise, KONAMI asked for this to be a retelling of the initial Contra mission so that players unfamiliar with the original game didn't feel left out. However, they were equally clear that we shouldn't just be re-creating the old game — this was a new Contra title with original gameplay and new situations to overcome. Think of it like the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, where half the fun for comics fans is to see how classic storylines were interpreted, updated, or combined.
Contra (Famicom) from Contra Anniversary Collection
Co-Optimus: The NES and arcade versions of the first Contra didn’t have much in the way of story, though the Japanese Famicom version added between-level cinematics that fleshed out the narrative. Are you drawing on any of the plot from the Famicom game or other installments for Operation Galuga’s narrative?
Tomm Hulett: Contra's storyline has been a wild ride over the years, often being entirely different in the US versus Japan (and Europe! Goodness!). Back in the Contra 4 days, we tried to combine it all into a big happy cake, poking fun at some of the inconsistencies, but that didn't exactly simplify things. With Operation Galuga, KONAMI really wants to establish the true Contra story that everyone can follow. So. the basics are definitely derived from the Japanese Famicom release, but there's so much more going on now!
Contra: Operation Galuga
Co-Optimus: The original Contra starred a pair of playable soldiers, but Operation Galuga features a significantly expanded cast. Can you tell us about the playable characters that have been revealed so far, and which ones will be available from the start?
Tomm Hulett: Bill and Lance are back, of course, as you pointed out. Beyond them, as you play through the story, you'll meet additional characters who join up and become playable. Ariana is one; she's a young woman who has been surviving alone on Galuga since the meteor event destroyed her village. She has some ties to the island that reveal the bigger picture. Later on, Lucia [(from Contra: Shattered Soldier)] leaves the command center and joins the fray directly. She's an intel expert and seems to know more than anyone why they were brought to Galuga. We'll be revealing more information in the coming months…
If players fire up Arcade Mode, they can also select the Probotectors, who are robotic soldiers in the Contra unit.
Co-Optimus: What type of weapons can players acquire in the game, and how do the new upgrades and Overload system work?
Tomm Hulett: The basic system is similar to Contra 4. Your familiar Contra letters drop, grab one to get a fancy gun, and grab the same one again to power up that gun. The new twists come from what weapons those are. It will vary depending on your character — and we put a lot of thought and care into determining how the Level 2 weapons improve, and making sure they are satisfying. I actually made a huge spreadsheet to balance the weapons, and it included all our data from Contra 4, Spidersaurs, and classic Contra games. We made some interesting choices back then!
For Operation Galuga, I think we've really found an ideal balance where every weapon is useful in different situations, and none of them feel bad. I used to pass on the laser, but it's my main weapon in Operation Galuga! When you level it up, it ricochets between nearby enemies!
Overloads are our big new mechanic. At any point, you can overload your current special weapon, destroying it but creating a large effect of some kind. For some weapons this is a huge screen-clearing attack, while for others, it's more defensive or strategic. It creates a really satisfying risk/reward, especially in desperate situations.
Co-Optimus: Your previous game, Spidersaurs, was a blast, but it had this annoying enemy that would spawn right next to the player and kill them, seemingly as a punishment for standing still. Will Operation Galuga have any enemies or mechanics like that?
Tomm Hulett: We don't revisit that mechanic specifically in Operation Galuga, but you shouldn't think of it as a punishment. Think of it as a rare opportunity to observe the usually hidden Camo-leon! Did you preorder your limited edition Spidersaurs with Limited Run Games? The included cookbook has a delicious pasta recipe utilizing that particularly tasty specimen. It's time for revenge — and a balanced dinner!
Co-Optimus: Will Operation Galuga include 3D-style base invasion stages like the original game?
Tomm Hulett: Yes and no. Those stages were remarkable back in the day because they demonstrated a level of 3D that felt IMPOSSIBLE, especially on home consoles! Technical wizardry! It also began the tradition of Contra games each having "alternate gameplay stages" including top-down in Super C and Mode 7 rotation in Contra III. For Operation Galuga, we decided on hover-bike auto-scroll stages instead of behind-the-player infiltration.
But! Since Operation Galuga uses 3D assets, the spirit of those base stages — giving the users surprising and fun 3D moments — is alive and well. We find interesting things to do with every single dimension, and there is even a little technical wizardry lurking about.
Co-Optimus: Operation Galuga is based on the original game but features a fair helping of new content. What is the balance of new and old, both in level count and content within the levels?
Tomm Hulett: A majority of the game is new. For some of our past remakes/remasters at WayForward, we start by recreating the original game in a way, and then "adding on" where we have additional ideas or maybe the older designs don't hold up as well. This was not our approach with Operation Galuga.
Rather than looking at, say, how did this boss behave in NES Contra? What ELSE can it do? We instead decided which bosses would be cool to return, and then treated them as brand-new entities. Hey, this guy has spikes, how might he attack with them? Should he fire missiles? Is acid breath a thing? Sometimes it aligns with the original; other times, it's an entirely new encounter. Not to mention our actual, legit, entirely new encounters!
As for level layouts, Operation Galuga's are entirely new. (Okay, there is ONE cameo screen. Can you find it?) In my previous games at WayForward, I kind of have a penchant for sneaking in references to stage layouts. I'm not going to name names, but you can probably find them. With Contra, I made sure the design team knew we weren't doing that this time. These are jumps you've never jumped before!
Compared to Contra 4, I think there might be more original content in Operation Galuga — especially considering the new weapons and Overloads, and how they affect gameplay.
Co-Optimus: The new game offers both Story and Arcade modes. Can you tell us about the features of these modes and their differences?
Tomm Hulett: Story Mode is probably the best place to start, as you meet all the characters and get the rundown on what's happening on Galuga. It has a world map, and you can replay stages and really learn the game. Arcade is where you're gonna replay it for gamer cred, as you can focus on the game itself without story scenes, and boss fights may be a little spicier [too].
Co-Optimus: What kind of difficulty options does Operation Galuga have, and how would you compare the difficulty to Contra 4 and Spidersaurs?
Tomm Hulett: The game has three difficulty levels which govern not just enemy layouts, but also player lives and checkpoints. As hinted above, Story and Arcade modes have some subtle differences. Players can also choose between a life meter or one-hit death, and there are features we've not yet revealed that mitigate difficulty further. All these factors are independent of one another, so you can really find the settings that match your desired experience.
Compared to Contra 4 and Spidersaurs, the easiest settings in Operation Galuga are probably significantly easier, while the hardest are significantly harder. My hope is the game can be an entry point for players new to the genre, but also a path to expert mastery if they want to put in the time.
Optimus: Let’s talk co-op! Are there any multiplayer-specific mechanics, and does player count affect the difficulty in any way)?
Tomm Hulett: Enemy count and boss HP both increase as the number of players does. Also, as a little bonus feature, if your buddy is hanging from a rail, you can grab onto their leg if your jump comes up short.
Co-Optimus: What happens when a co-op player runs out of lives? Can downed players to be brought back to life?
Tomm Hulett: Players can recover from Game Over the old fashioned way — by stealing lives from the living!
Co-Optimus: One co-op gameplay issue that has been around since the original Contra is that when one player moves up too quickly in vertically-scrolling levels, the other player usually gets killed as a result. In my experience, this can be especially frustrating for casual co-op partners. Is the issue a solvable one, or do you see it as a feature of the genre?
Tomm Hulett: The genre maybe not, but Contra for sure! However, we have mitigated it a little bit this time; getting scrolled offscreen decreases your HP but doesn't necessarily kill you outright. This gives you a bit more room to turn the tables on your partner.
Co-Optimus: Speaking of features, the classic Contra games have iconic soundtracks, and Operation Galuga‘s trailer music is certainly snazzy as well. What can you tell us about the soundtrack?
Tomm Hulett: I'm immensely proud of the soundtrack. It's something players will be talking about, for sure! I can't say too much yet, but WayForward fans know we are fond of incredible soundtracks, and KONAMI really indulged us with Operation Galuga. It's all slap, no cap — guaranteed! I'm sure it will be available via usual means; there's a physical edition confirmed, and while the contents of a limited edition are still secret, I don't think an OST is out of the question…
Co-Optimus: Finally, is there anything you’re proud of about Contra: Operation Galuga that we haven’t already touched on?
Tomm Hulett: Having worked on Contra 4, Operation Galuga is a big project for me personally. Contra 4 was obviously a career highlight, thanks to the fine creative WayForward folks. But now that I'm in the director's chair, this felt a bit like my final exam. Like, you're on this side of the fence now, Tomm, can you match up to that high bar? The team and I are leaving everything on the field, so I hope it meets the players' expectations.
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Contra: Operation Galuga will launch digitally on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and Steam in early 2024. Physical editions will follow from Limited Run Games. Stay tuned for more news and coverage!
Screenshots: Copyright Konami Digital Entertainment