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Episode 611: The Contra: Operation Galuga Wail (Patreon)

Published:
2024-05-06 11:00:08
Imported:
2026-06
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Stu: You thought the Euronauts were done with Contra after that epic Ranking Hootenanny, but no. Not quite. Because there is, as you well know, a new Contra; that being the Contra: Operation Galuga as discussed in episode 584. It seemed… wrong, somehow, not to cover it properly, put it into perspective with the others as discussed with John Linneman and Thomas Nickel, not to mention myself—Stuart Gipp. No, really, there actually is no need to mention me; you already know, it’s patently obvious.

The proceedings were more divisive than I expected, though it would be a huge spoiler to tell you exactly who took what position and who put up the most vociferous, effusive praise for Galuga. Well, I suppose it was me; after all, I gave it a very sincerely-held five out of five in my review and I stand by it. I think it’s a fabulous game you should certainly give a go, but I also respect the criticisms levelled in this episode, some of which hadn’t occurred to me.

Overall, I think this makes for a nice button on the Hootenanny, a companion piece of a sort that finally brings my time with Contra to some kind of close, at least for now. That Vampire Survivors DLC is looking tasty, so maybe we need two hours on that? (Absolutely out of the question – Ed) At any rate, expect more exhaustiveness in the future, more Hootenanning and – as if I have a choice – more silliness.

08:29 - Break Time's Over

15:10 - Contra Has Arrived

23:36 - Shantae: Half-Genie Hero: Counterfeit Mermaids

34:11 - Thanks for the Ride | Snow & Mechanica (Retro Remix)

45:40 - Bass Boss (Retro Remix)

55:08 - Top of the Mountain (Retro Remix)

1:06:48 - Taking the Ball and Going Home

Closing - Legacy of War (Retro Remix)

Files

Comments

Andrew O.

Stu, I'm with you on Vampire Survivors. I've always called it "Fancy Robotron". It certainly "borrows" a lot from Castlevania and the rouge-lite aspects don't mesh well. It felt less like I was growing as a player and more like the game was padded by being otherwise impossible. I honestly think it's a Gen-Z and later thing. They don't have the decades of playing the games that influenced these new ones, so anything that cribs from their greatness is cool and new to them. That doesn't mean there aren't good things about the new games, but I think it allows us older folks to be more critical of the flaws that are introduced from these "fresh takes". It seems social media drives them into an unwarranted "GOAT" status when they don't deserve to be. Sorry Undertale. (PS: Before I get crucified, I've known Toby Fox since he was 5. I'm proud of him and happy for his success. However, I never hear ANY criticism or thoughtful discussion about what Undertale does wrong, only endless praising from people thirsty for a Mother 4. I can't imagine the pressure he's under trying to make a followup that would need to appease to such a bizarre fanbase.)

Paul

I played the first level in the demo and that was enough for me to turn it off. The story stuff was weird, I couldn't see what was going on because there was too much on screen all blending together, and didn't really like the sound or aesthetic.

Michael and Titania Skidmore-Malone

Stuart, I’m a fan of puns like anyone. But that “conta-diction” joke was very contra-ived. For shame. 😒 (Also, enjoyed the episode as usual)

Brian Silvers

I liked Operation Galuga, but Wayforward’s switch away from pixel art combined with whatever kind of split they had with Jake Kaufman means it can’t hold a candle to Contra 4. I also mostly forgot about using the Overload system, which is pretty integral for most boss fights. Machine Gun Barrier and LaserTime come in clutch.

Oliver-1984

Just a small note regarding a physical release: Superdeluxe Games will be releasing one (and another quite reasonably priced Deluxe Edition) for the Japanese market at the beginning of September. Thank you for your valued opinions on the game. On my Switch, I've only been able to experience the demo, and I wholeheartedly agree with the general sentiment and John's critique in particular regarding this technical mess. Even on my Steam Deck (OLED), I'm struggling to maintain a stable 60 frames per second after the introductory level in the full game. It's a shame that issues like these, along with the game's visuals and pricing, dominate the overall discussion because the actual gameplay is quite solid and just plain fun, though not groundbreaking, when played on sufficiently powerful hardware. Update: I'm happy to report that the latest major patch has greatly improved performance on the Steam Deck. I also miss Jake Kaufman's contributions to WayForward's games and wonder if Megan McDuffee could be an option for future Shantae titles. Her wonderful soundtracks for the River City Girls games are, in my opinion, undoubtedly the best we've heard since Kaufman's departure from the studio's games. If nothing has changed, we can expect to hear new compositions by Kaufman in Mina the Hollower, which is another reason I'm eagerly anticipating the game's release.

About to Happy

The first trailer kind of put me off because the game looked rough, the subsequent trailers looked way better and got me super excited, then the Switch demo told me I'd better try this on another machine, so it's been a real up & down journey. As of last week there is/was a bundle deal on Steam celebrating the Operation Guns DLC for Vampire Survivors where you can get both that DLC and Galuga for just over $30. If it's not already over I need to go get in on it.