Anniversary: The First Handheld 'Contra' Is 35 Years Old Today

Back in the 1980s, and more specifically 1987, Contra in its original coin-op form was a game so awe-inspiring in its action, its graphics, and its weapons (you never forget you first spreader) that everyone who was anyone — which meant I was out from the get-go-- was to be found down their local arcade pumping coins into the bleeding thing on repeat.

It felt amazing to play (once I finally got my turn) in its smooth side-scrolling platforming, fast action, and tough baddies, and it also smashed the general action movie vibe of the time, which was basically big dumb muscle men shooting everything that moved with impunity.

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Yes, this was a game that laid the foundations for a whole load of arcade shooters to come down the road, and it still stands as one of the very best of the lot, even when you add in stuff like Metal Slug. So we're in good company.

To have this sort of experience in your house was the dream, then, and it was a dream duly realised on the NES with a stonking Contra port that actually bettered the OG arcade. Man, I wish I'd had a NES back in the day. I had to wait all the way until Street Fighter 2 on SNES for my first arcade parity moment of joy.

Anyway, we all know Contra, Super Contra, Contra III: The Alien Wars and all the rest. They're stone cold classics. But today is the turn of Operation C, a Game Boy sequel to Super Contra that was the very first handheld adventure in the series. And it's a cracker. Yes, it is. A cracker that's now 35 Earth-years old!

We gave Operation C an 8/10 back in 2009 (which makes my gilding of its lily much easier, thanks), concluding that, "This is without a doubt a Contra game more worthy of its title than, say, certain PlayStation entries. It hits on most of the aspects that make a good entry: challenging gameplay, tight controls, varied enemies, killer arsenal, macho tunes, big bosses."

Correct! And quite besides the fact that Operation C nails everything it needs to in terms of its levels and action, besides the fact I can whip it out on my Game Boy to this very day and crack into a game that still plays and controls well (or you could just play it via the Contra Anniversary Collection), the really dazzling aspect here is just how early in the Game Boy's life we got such a fully-fledged and impressive entry.

Nintendo's iconic handheld had only been around for two years and here we had it presenting players with a Contra adventure, complete with its signature side-scrolling and top-down levels, with the only fly in the ointment being that you couldn't have another player join you for co-op shenanigans. Hey, I would have taken that deal on more than a few Switch ports over the past few years.

Booting into Operation C now, three-and-a-half decades after the fact, and around 30 since I last played it, well, there's an overwhelming sense of sadness at the waste I've made of my life since I last saw its start screen - but perhaps that's another article for another time.

On the other hand, it's a game that genuinely still captivates, and with just five levels in total to blow through, it's very doable if you have a little time on your hands. Heck, it's slightly easier than other Contra games, so you might even get somewhere in this one. You never know.

This smart handheld version did well in carefully rejigging aspects such as more complex background and level details to keep things running smoothly without removing any of the tricks and traps that made side-scrollers like this so exciting and novel at the time. Yes, moving elevators were very exciting in a video game in the 1980s - what of it?

Weapons fire off nice big bullets that are easy to track to their target, and even though Contra pros might notice the gameplay a tad slower (to help with the Game Boy's ghosting-prone screen), this really is a proper entry in every regard.

Happy birthday, Operation C! Now, where did I put that piece of paper with the Konami code on it? I've heard it unlocks stage select mode.

Played Operation C? Make sure to let us know your thoughts on it in the comments.