Contra: Operation Galuga – WayForward and KONAMI Interview Aggressively!

In the September 2023 Nintendo Direct, KONAMI and WayForward announced that they were bringing a remake of the original Contra adventure to all modern gaming consoles this year.

Naturally, I had to reach out to my friends over at WayForward once again to get the scoop on what this new, reimagined entry in the venerable long-running video game franchise would bring to the table. And you’d better clear a space at that table, because it’s a lot!

Joining me for this interview are directors Tomm Hulett (WayForward) and Akiyoshi Chosokabe (KONAMI Digital Entertainment).

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PoisonMushroom.Org: First, I just wanted to give a big “thank you” for taking the time to answer these questions about your upcoming game, Contra: Operation Galuga. Now, with that said: What is this place?

Tomm Hulett: Keep your eyes peeled.

When I first laid eyes on Operation Galuga, I initially thought it was a port of the mobile version of Contra, or a new title reusing some classic set pieces like Contra 4, only to find out it’s somewhere in the middle — a reimagining of the original game by the very same studio who made 4. What led to doing this new title as a reboot of the original?

Akiyoshi Chosokabe: Contra is one of KONAMI’s most iconic series, which has been running for over 35 years, and one that includes titles with various styles. Each of these titles has its own appeal. However, we knew that many Contra fans still find the earlier Contra titles the most appealing, so we decided to reboot the early Contra games with a modern touch. From the very beginning of the project, we knew we wanted to make a side-scrolling run-’n’-gun game, so we asked WayForward, a company with a proven track record in this genre, to produce the game.

Starting with the arcade original, Contra has been remade/ported numerous times. What sets this one apart?

Tomm Hulett: Story wise, we’re telling “the full story” of the first Contra mission, with additional context and world building. But as far as the gameplay content, it’s a brand-new game. Other than the setting of Galuga, we weren’t too precious with details from the original.

We see some elements from later games in the trailer, like hover cycles. How far from the original does this stray?

Tomm Hulett: This is a perfect example. To accomplish our gameplay goals, we felt that an autoscrolling mechanic on hover cycles made more sense than recreating the 3D base stages of the original just for the sake of fidelity. So you’ll see elements from later Contra games (such as the flamethrower), as well as familiar enemies and bosses, but also brand-new locations and challenges.

On a related note: The original arcade version of Contra had seven stages, and the iconic NES release remixed them into eight that could be completed by a skilled player in under half an hour. How will Operation Galuga compare in terms of scale/content?

Tomm Hulett: The game is eight stages in length, but they are significantly larger than those of the original. So nobody is going to be getting through this game in a half hour. (Hold on, someone from the speedrunning community just handed me their beer…?)

But it doesn’t stop there! Since our characters have unique abilities and strategies, there’s a big incentive for replay, and we have 30 Challenges, which are little mini-moments designed to test your action game skills to their limit.

Every time Contra seems to stray a little from its 2D roots, it seems to come right back. We had the 3D Apalooza games, then Shattered Soldier. Neo, then 4 and ReBirth. Rogue Corps, and now Operation Galuga. Why do you think that is?

Tomm Hulett: I think the long gaps between games plays a big part of that. My philosophy toward revisiting a classic series is to examine how long it’s been since the last “proper” entry. If you’re following really closely after a well-received classic title, it’s easy to stretch the concept in new directions because the hardcore players were just satisfied and are open to new ideas. But if you’re coming in after a long dry spell, fans are just desperate for more of the game they fell in love with. You have to build that trust because if they pick up your game expecting a certain thing, and you don’t provide that, it’s a betrayal.

It’s been 13 years since the relatively rapid fire of Contra 4, Contra Rebirth, Hard Corps Uprising — so we are definitely aiming for a solid, traditional Contra. Assuming the game resonates with fans, I think we have more room to expand the series from here.

We see that Contras Bill Rizer and Lance Bean have some new company. Can you tell us more about them?

Tomm Hulett: Sure thing — we have a number of new allies that will join the mission along the way. One is Ariana, who is a native of Galuga Island. Her village was destroyed by the initial Red Falcon attack and she’s been battling them on her own ever since. Another key character is Stanley Ironside, commander of the GX Army. He has a bit of a rivalry with Bill and Lance, but when push comes to shove they team up to accomplish the mission.

The characters of Dr. Drake and Lucia feel like callbacks — or maybe call-forwards? — to other characters in previous entries in the series specifically Dr. Geo Mandrake (Contra: Hard Corps) and Lucia (Shattered Soldier, Neo Contra). Can you tell us more about this/them?

Tomm Hulett: I can’t get into much detail other than to say Lucia will join as a playable character eventually. But we definitely want players to be thinking the way you are here. There are a lot of story details that hint at the larger Contra story for longtime fans to speculate about.

Previous Contra titles, including 4, have featured hidden unlockable characters from throughout the series. Will this one? Maybe not-Bill Mad Dog and not-Lance Scorpion, as seen in Contra 4?

Tomm Hulett: You know, there might just be some secret characters to unlock! But how?

Who are your favorite characters to play as, and why?

Tomm Hulett: I am pretty easy-going so I always play as Bill Rizer. I’m a Ryu main; what can I say? But our Challenge Mode has some stages that force you to master each character’s unique abilities and I definitely love those Challenges.

If a Contra character was going to be in Super Smash Bros., who would you pick, and what would their Final Smash be?

Tomm Hulett: Well, it’d have to be Bill and Lance, right? They’d be Echo Fighters of each other with slightly different stats. Bill’s Final Smash would be called “Contra Spirit,” and he’d fire all the classic weapons in a single prolonged blast, which the player can aim. Lance would summon the chopper to do a dive bomb like the plane in Alien Wars, which creates pockets of fire all around the stage for a limited time. We would, of course, need Mr. Sakurai to take some daily pics of the boys hanging out with Simon and Richter.

The importance of story in Contra games can certainly be debated, but it’s definitely there. Will Operation Galuga set things up for potential future remakes following the original story, or is it forging a whole new path (similar to how the Mortal Kombat 9 rebooted universe panned out differently from the original)?

Tomm Hulett: There you go with the thoughtful plot questions again. It’s an interesting thing to ponder, isn’t it? By the time the credits roll you may have some theories of your own. That said, I promise there isn’t some sideways twist. Future Bill isn’t going to show up and nobody will be phoning Alternate Reality Lance.

Speaking of stories, will the end of the game once again be available only to those who can take the hardest of what is no doubt an inherently hard game has to offer?

Tomm Hulett: Not this time! It was important to us that anyone can experience the story if they put in the effort. So if you play on Easy with some of our more welcoming settings, you can still say you completed a true Contra game. You won’t get turned away at the door to the final stage.

Will the whole classic suite of weapons be returning? Any new ones? The Prototype Weapon from Contra 4, perhaps?

Tomm Hulett: The classics are all here (or the expanded classics, as seen in Contra III or 4). In many cases they have new twists when powered up, as well (collecting the weapon a second time will “Stack” to create a more powerful shot). Additionally, there is an entire alternate set of weapons spread across our playable characters, so, for example, Lucia’s Spread Shot is an entirely different weapon than you’re used to. You can charge it up, and the resulting wave blast can destroy enemy bullets.

The Flame Thrower — or rather, Flame Weapon, as it now seems to be known — has often been a contentious weapon, depending on the version, with the NES Contra‘s usually being cited as one of the least-favorites. This version looks to be based on the more popular one introduced in Contra III. Was there any difficulty deciding between keeping true to the original game or going with the more popular choice?

Tomm Hulett: There was, in fact! Originally, we had a totally different type of bullet for the core Flame Weapon, and I was saving the flame thrower effect for the alternate version. But in our tests, everyone was asking where the flame thrower was, so we replaced it! Then we came up with an all new idea for the alternate.

With the new Overload system, you can “sacrifice surplus weapons” to unleash new abilities unique to the weapon type. Can you go into further detail about how this works? (For instance, does it work with any number of special weapons? Is there a hypothetical limit to how many Overloads you can store and use?)

Tomm Hulett: Sure. Any time you’ve got a special weapon, you can Overload it. You lose the weapon but in exchange you get a huge powerful attack or a strategic option (such as slowing all enemies for a limited time). You can’t store them, but each weapon has its own unique Overload effect, so players can find the best times to burn a weapon they don’t want to hang on to, or if the situation is so dire they need to ditch that Spread Shot because they’re out of options!

Operation Galuga features 4-player co-op action (a first for the 2D games, yes?), but it’s only available in arcade mode. Why not Story Mode? Some of us might need a little extra help from our friends to make it to the end, after all.

Tomm Hulett: There are a few reasons. First, we felt if you got three friends together to play the game, someone would just be pressing Start to skip the story anyway. It seems far more likely you can pressure a single roommate into listening to the dialogue with you. Second, when designing a game narrative, I like to create variations based on the characters present (to reward replays, and let players know they are experiencing the story directly). We can have some really nice moments for all combinations of two characters — but four gets a bit ambitious for a run ’n’ gun. So we think our approach provides the best story experience (in Story) and then the deepest gameplay options (in Arcade).

No online multiplayer is a bit of a surprise, particularly after being featured in Rogue Corps and Hard Corps Uprising. Was it ever a consideration here?

Akiyoshi Chosokabe: For this title, we wanted to focus on enhancing the single-player and couch co-op experiences, physically being together with your friends and sharing the moment together. Couch co-op is one of the key features of what makes a Contra game. Playing with family and friends sitting beside you will make your Contra experience one that is that much more enjoyable. Please enjoy cooperating with your friends, or enjoy tackling the challenge yourself!

KONAMI Code?

Tomm Hulett: Oh, all the coding was handled by WayForward. For example, the hidden sequence of secret button commands? We implemented that.

Just how aggressively can we attack?

Tomm Hulett: There’s no limits on it. We have plenty of Challenges and difficulty modes for expert players to really test their mettle with maximum Contra! Our big hope is onboarding newcomers so they truly understand the aggressive attacking they are capable of.

How soon can we expect to attack aggressively?

Tomm Hulett: Checking my watch, the little hand is just below “Revenge.” Does that answer your question?

Is there anything more you’d like to add for the Contra faithful?

Tomm Hulett: Operation Galuga is the result of a lot of effort and passion from both WayForward and KONAMI! We really want to reward longtime fans for their dedication and also onboard new players; showing off what makes run ’n’ guns so cool. Speaking for the entire team, we hope you enjoy the game!

Thanks to WayForward and KONAMI for making this interview possible!

And thanks to you for reading! In case you haven’t heard, re-upping our hosting for the next few years took a big bite out of our bank account, so if you like what we’re doing here, and can kick in a few bucks to our Patreon or buy us an E Tank on Ko-fi, we’d greatly appreciate it!

David Oxford

David Oxford, or “LBD ‘Nytetrayn’,” as he is sometimes also known, is a freelance writer of many varied interests who resides in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. If you’re interested in hiring him, please drop him a line at david.oxford (at) nyteworks.net.

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