With Konami seemingly devoid of both in-house developers and any kind of passion to revive their beloved IPs, WayForward, predominately a licence mule during the '00s, is by far the best option for a new Contra entry. Its work on 2007’s brutally hardcore Contra 4 cemented the developer's prowess, allowing the player to grapple hook between the Nintendo DS’s twin screens. Those who stuck with it discovered a worthy tribute to Konami’s iconic series: a strict memoriser full of magnificent setpieces and high-end destruction worthy of the name.
It’s been 16 years too long, and Contra: Operation Galuga has arrived in a markedly different kind of gaming landscape to that of 2007. It’s thanks in part to modern expectations that this new iteration comes with a litany of adjustable content. Where Arcade Mode follows a classic, uncluttered format, Story Mode is filled with cutscenes, in-game communications, and on-screen NPCs that join you sporadically during the action. It isn’t completely necessary and you’ll tire of repeating dialogue interjections as you practice, but, clunky script notwithstanding, it remains a welcome alternative experience. Although Arcade Mode is fat-free and streamlined, and therefore more appealing, we still appreciate having two different ways to tackle the adventure.
Easter eggs include unlockable characters with alternate abilities, including two new females and the kiddy-safe Probotector droids that originally appeared in the European versions. Additionally, there are adjustable parameters that make the challenge less intimidating. As well as three difficulty settings, you also get a three-point health bar by default, which is uncommon for the series outside of the Japanese version of Contra: Hard Corps on the Mega Drive.
Additionally, each character earns points through play that can be spent on upgrade perks. Some are restricted to the individual soldier, like Bill Rizer’s incredibly useful invulnerability during a dash, or Lance Bean’s increased jumping height. You can also acquire the ability to keep weaponry after a death, greatly reducing the game’s difficulty. These add-ons ensure Operation Galuga isn’t off-putting to newcomers, although dedicated play time is still required to accrue spendable points.
Even with all of the optional softeners, however, Operation Galuga remains good and tough, exactly as it should be. It demands learning, thought, and resourcefulness in terms of approach and deconstruction. For serious Contra veterans, Hard difficulty with a traditional one-hit-kill fixture, and with perks disabled, is a tantalising call to arms. This delivers the purest, most aggressive callback, and comes expertly tailored.
Contra: Operation Galuga is a fantastic game in both conception and execution. Some people don’t like the graphics, but we think they’re appropriately suited. Yes, pixel art always utterly trounces plasticky 3D, but again, there are younger generations to appeal to, and tonally it’s well handled. Arranged on a 2.5D plane, the camera occasionally shifts around new corners and dynamically during certain boss engagements, recalling Contra: Shattered Soldier’s more thrilling moments. Stage arrangements are nigh-on Contra perfection, finely orchestrated for bullet-fuelled chaos, taking advantage of modern hardware in terms of scale and setpieces, and throttling you as early as stage two into a hoverbike rampage through a giant factory. Bosses and mid-bosses are fearsome and unremitting, spitting patterns to test both memory and reflex accordingly, while weaponry is so well-balanced and plentiful that the hallowed Spread Gun isn’t always the best or most reliable option anymore. You can hold two weapons simultaneously and switch between them, and all can be doubled in power, making the homing shot a vicious screen clearer and the Crush missile a devastating force with its new shield property. Weapons can also be detonated in new overload attacks, too, each summoning a different offensive or defensive property, such as firing bombastic barrages or creating temporary forcefields.
In addition, the new double-jump and dash manoeuvres interplay beautifully with the action, opening up all kinds of experimental dimensions. Working harmoniously, it feels absolutely right to hop twice through the air and speed over the heads of enemy grunts while raining down laser-charged death from above. These functions are also perfectly pitched for speedrunning, able to negate scenery and heavy artillery entirely if timed right. Indeed, the first task in the game’s bespoke Challenge Mode is to speed run the first stage.
The components are all in place, from Bill’s macho soundbites to the fluidity and dynamic nature of your movesets and armaments, to the carefully assembled and ever-evolving stage layouts. This really is Contra 101, WayForward nailing both the material and the lofty expectations of its fans.
What’s that? You want to know what that elephant is doing in the room? Buckle up.
The game’s Switch demo, released several weeks prior to launch, was poorly received, with a crippled frame rate, freezes, and chronic lag. Even the PC version, while infinitely superior, was full of glitches. We expected the glitches to be fixed because the demo was actually a custom-built entity that combined elements of the first and third stages, but we still encountered legs in the floor, an enemy who disappeared into the floor, and on one occasion no music playing after hitting continue.
Glitches, however, are minor irritants compared to the game’s performance, which on Switch is frankly unacceptable. It pains us greatly to say this, especially considering how good an underlying game there is here, but you may want to seriously think twice about getting this version. The graphics are fine, with textures expectedly losing detail compared to the PC version, but certainly not in a way that’s a dealbreaker. But the frame rate, which is meant to be locked at 30fps, is a mess, and seems to regularly fall below the promised threshold. You’re going to see constant chugs, background scrolling jerks, and borderline freezes. This, in turn, affects the game’s control sensitivity, the severity of its lag seeming to fluctuate depending on the frame rate’s behaviour. Often unfairly slow to respond, it can get you killed, and the game feels much harder to play than the 60fps Steam version because it’s all so janky. Weirdly, there's no consistency with how the frame rate responds, seeming to improve inside stage four's Lab.
Visually, while it hurts on the big screen, it still plays better there than in handheld. This is due to the fact that there are times when the camera zooms out so much that everything is too diminutive to properly follow on the Switch's panel. This is immediately obvious on stage two’s hoverbike race where you pilot a tiny Bill Rizer attempting to shoot hoards of miniature roaming overhead guns. It feels confusing and imprecise, elements that are anathema to the Contra experience.
Even at its worst, it's such a good base game that some will be able to push through its issues and have fun with it. But there’s a lot of work involved in this, and with other, far superior versions out there, it’s tough to recommend bothering. It's irritating that you need to play the game in a more careful manner than you would on higher-end systems, since it doesn't function properly if you attack aggressively. Go balls to the wall and the input lag and temperamental frame rate kill its fluidity. Instead, baby-stepping and relying on homing weapons for safety works best from stage three onward. Because of this, it's not the gung-ho experience it should be, and a title we would think twice about before shelling out for physical limited editions.
Conclusion
WayForward has done god’s work in design and execution, and in rekindling the feel of Konami’s blistering run-and-gun IP. It’s all expertly assembled: an adrenaline-fuelled bullet ballet that knows exactly what Contra is and should be, borrowing key elements from the series' back catalogue and elevating the action with an original moveset that feels fresh, fun, and exciting to toy with. It’s this undeniable accomplishment that makes the Switch version somewhat deflating. There’s a great game here, and yes, it is playable, it is fun, and it can be learned. But it’s damaged by so many technical setbacks that one weeps for what should have been. Unity-coded titles on the Switch don’t have a great track record, but WayForward can’t really blame the tools and should have ironed it out considerably. Contra: Operation Galuga stands tall amongst its peers - just not this version. If you’re a serious Contra fan, we’re going to drop something utterly perverse for a Nintendo-focused publication, lay down a suppressing fire, and tell you to head straight over to Steam.
Comments 136
The Switch version get the worst treatments.
The game get code in box treatment for Switch version but full game in disc for PlayStation and XBOX version.
The game have the worst performance on Switch version than the other console version.
Because you know... Konami.
Time for Nintendo to upgrade the Switch hardware and stop the code in box treatment by providing cheaper price for cartridge with bigger size so the developers will not make any excuse to sell the games with code in box treatment again.
I didn't even bother to finish the demo because of its poor performance on Switch. Judging by the videos and this review they didn't really improve it. So, how come this still deserves 6/10?
It's a disgrace to release this title in this state. Why should we wait for patches which may never come?
Steam version for me then.
Why release it when it's so obviously not ready?
Let’s attack latency aggressively
so on that Reddit AMA they lied about the game running better in the full version
disappointed but not surprised
Maybe we can hope for a patch fix that'll take care of these issues. It just feels weird that a 2.5d game like this operates lower and one like...Contra Rogue Corps 🐼 plays smoothly by comparison.
I'm not shocked because the demo had clearly pointed out what the main game could be on Switch, and that's it, unfortunately. On the other hand, I have to admit I'm shocked by such poor optimization. In this kind of game, is it justifiable? Are the elements so top notch that the Switch can't handle them? I don't think so. Maybe we'll see this game get some updates that will make it playable at some point in the future, but that's a shame. The damage is done. In gaming, a release in a terrible state isn't usually something you can recover from.
The reviewer mentions the quality (and difficulty) 2007 DS Contra hit us with, and the impression that one left on me has been strong since I played it for the first time. I still go back to it from time to time
I'd love to get into the new game, but paying for it and investing my time in a game that's virtually broken is unacceptable, unfortunately.
I'm surprised that LRG even bothered to publish this.
While they're known to publish so-bad-it's-good games, this just plainly sucks, and should have been withheld, perhaps as a launch title for Nintendo's next console. Ultimately, all this train wreck has achieved is harm goodwill with Konami's customer base.
I love my Switch so much but man, the Steam Deck has pretty much killed all the performance issues I get with Switch ports. Reviews like this, take the cons away as they aren’t existent in other ports, and you add a good 1 or 2 points to the review score. You just don’t have to worry about these issues on the Deck. The Switch 2 can’t come soon enough.
EDIT: I also want to add that at the time of this post, the game is getting on average at least 8/10 on other platforms, per OpenCritic and Metacritic. The Switch version and its performance issues are holding down the overall game on OpenCriitc because they do not separate scores like Metacritic. Imagine how many times you might have overlooked a game using a site like OpenCritic because of low Switch review scores.
Removed - trolling/baiting
"Story Mode is filled with cutscenes, in-game communications, and on-screen NPCs that join you sporadically during the action." Does not belong in an action arcade game. If you want story, go read a book. If it isn't a JRPG or some big adventure like Zelda, all that is not needed and this is why most mainstream games suck now. Everyone is suddenly a writer, but they can't write and i'm not sitting thru your CW level garbage dialogue because I do not care. Just make a good game with good GAMEPLAY and GAMEPLAY FLOW. They should have cut the "story" and "cutscene" nonsense and spent the time they spent "writing" to polish the game.
When Wayforward released River City Girls 2 on Switch the performance was almost unbearable as well.
I really want to play Contra: Operation Galuda but will choose a different platform.
Thanks for the review!
So they neglected the Switch version... Interesting. I think they'll regret it, as it's the perfect console for this kind of game, but they'll know their priorities.
@Ironcore What the heck are you talking about? Everyone here is saying they won't be buying this game because of these technical issues. We DON'T buy games if they're broken, why would we? That's nonsense...
@Ironcore
Lol that's such a ridiculous statement and you know it.
Some of us only own a Switch, though, so yea - even if it gets your pants in a twist, I'm buying it on Switch because that's all I have. And who knows, maybe they'll even patch it, but I won't get my hopes up.
No reason a game like this can't run perfectly fine on Switch. Konami really screwed up here not giving more development time.
I must have popped in from an alternate reality, because I played the demo in handheld mode and it was fine? I didn't run into any issues as all and the game ran pretty smoothly for me. Am I just not super pedantic about the alleged issues it might have, or have other people just become super sensitised to them?
@Zulzar LOL, spot on! Love ya for that comment 👍🏻
@Psycho-Werekitsune Wow, I truly admire your resilience and willingness to put up with such input lag
Try pressing down on your D-pad and then tell me there wasn’t enough time to make coffee before that animation finished. And I’m only slightly exaggerating here
Also, play the PC and Switch versions back to back. They’re like night and day.
Guess it’s back to the patching board for the developers on this one. Boy do they love treating their audience like this every time.
Not surprise. Third Party titles are hit or miss when it comes to Switch optimization.
Unfortunate to hear performance is still significantly comprimised on Switch and the issues in handheld which is my preferred way to play, will hold back for now in hope that at least the former can be improved to some extent by patches in the future - although to be fair I would've waited regardless since it's a digital-only game here in Italy without importing and I usually wait for sales when it comes to those!
Wayforward always does this lol
I don't know what any of you, including the article, is talking about with the Switch demo. I saw no frame issues or glitches... and even if so... it was a demo, so lighten up. I did, however, notice between the Switch demo and PS5 demo, then Switch did have input lag. That was the only negative. Besides that, this is Contra thru and thru. Sadly, I have to say I will be getting it on the PS5... but for the demo... 9/10. Everyone needs to stop knit-picking and just enjoy. And I still enjoyed the Switch demo, even with the input lag.
Janky lag that can outright get you killed still earns a "Not Bad?"
I get that there are design merits too, but playability should have a bigger pull on the overall score.
@mohr365 good for you but the switch version is just trash
@Gryzor I did play the Switch and PC versions back to back. I legit never noticed anything. Maybe I'm just blind. XD
@Zulzar But what if I like the CW?
Disappointing to read, as I love the series. It's also expensive for a lamentable 8 levels of content. When something like Blazing Chrome costs probably around $10, it makes no sense to get this Contra if you want a quality running shooter.
I honestly feel entities like Nintendo Life shouldnt even give a review score to these obviously unfinsihed games. Just say game will not be reviewed until game is finished / in a finished state.
It's kinda baffling how WayForward was always one of the top devs on Nintendo consoles showing off what they're truly capable of and as soon as they went multiplatform all the games they're involved in run abhorent on Nintendo moving forward.
Bloodstained released almost unplayable and took forever to fix, River City Girls 2 ran like garbage on release day and took forever to fix(they also released an online co-op update for it on everything but...you guessed it, Nintendo Switch), now same thing with Contra running bad. It's ludicrous that a game like River City Girls is running only at 30fps WITH DIPS on Switch in the first place.
I'm surprised Nintendo even gives them a time of day in Directs with how much of an afterthought they seem to be treating the platform during development. This game was revealed and promoted in the Directs because even Konami knows this kinda game would sell best on Nintendo, why wasn't it the main lead development platform for it?
@miwa Did River City Girls 2 on Switch get fixed at least?
I played the demo and yeah it was very fun but it just lacks polish on Switch where it should be completely fine. I still have no idea why some devs or publishers don't prioritize the Switch version, even when its obvious that the Switch version is going to do the best of all of the versions. Many devs just work too high up and work back down for Switch, when they obviously should work from the ground up and move it up to the other more powerful systems. I'll most likely just get it elsewhere on sale unless the Switch version gets patched to fix the bugs
@TheExile285 There was a patch but it didn't fix all the issues (as far as I remember).
I miss Nintendo having competitive hardware, more and more each day.
remember when the NES/SNES/64/Cube version was more than likely the best and most polished version of any given game? I do. 😟
@smithyo The situation is not ideal but wouldn't you agree that this is what reviews are for: to inform potential buyers about a game in it's current state so they can weigh whether to buy it or not.
Also, when is a game considered "finished"? Do we know how many patches will be released and when?
I was looking forward to this, but the issues with it along with it being a "Code in a box" have sadly put me off it completely.
Damn, that's rather disappointing to hear, though not exactly surprising at this point.
Unfortunately, this seems often par for the course from Wayforward. Their games that they really care about, such as Shantae or River City Girls, are really well made, but most licensed stuff or franchises owned by other companies are pretty poorly made. It's a shame.
The demo has quite a few hiccups and stutters along the way but I feel the game itself is just a by the numbers type of game nothing really that interesting
I don't like the antagonistic tone of the intro. Konami does have internal developers. They're just working on games that never leave Japan now... that is to say I can't really blame Tom fro being so backhanded when Konami of America seem to be incentivised now to undermine themselves at every turn.
@NotoriousWhiz Then go watch the CW. Contra is not for you. If they spent less time trying to come up with character arcs and story for an arcade game, they would have had more time and budget to polish the gameplay and that's why it runs like ass. The industry needs more competent developers and less writers.
@Gryzor I'm glad to see someone else has some sense. lol
Ouch. I pre-ordered both this and the new Virtua Racing-like F1 title for the Switch instead of either the PS5 or XBox Series X, specifically because both were "retro"-inspired games of which A) the Switch already has a ton of, and B) thus far it's been tailor-made for such software compared to ports of high-end "AAA" titles. It's hugely disappointing to read that two such games released a week apart perform noticeably worse on Switch. It's a vital niche that suddenly doesn't feel at home on Switch as it used to.
Here's hoping both games get patched with improvements...but it's inexcusable that ANY game is released for (non-refundable) sale that's in need of patching to begin with.
Maybe ill buy on xbox at some point
I hate to hear this. I was really looking forward to this one. I'll wait for a patch and a sale, and there's still the Anniversary Collection to pass the time with.
@Anti-Matter I played the switch demo and Xbox one. Xbox one seemed worse and is weirdly not getting released till tomorrow. I really wanted this on switch but after reading this article almost pulled the trigger on Xbox one. Gladly I tried the demo first. I noticed slowdown and moments when the game just stopped for a half a second. Is this game really that hard to run without a current gen system?????
That's disappointing. Why do devs have such trouble optimizing these 2D games, when a lot of presumably more demanding games run fine? Hopefully they will patch it. It's a shame too because I feel like Switch is the best platform for a game like this and the Switch fanbase is more likely to have nostalgic feelings for the series.
@miwa i see your point, because there is an obligation to inform a potential costumer about how things stand, at the same time, a feel a review is supposed to review the actual game, and its quality as a game, and not supposed to be bogged down in a console specific problem vis-a-vis basically being not yet ready for consumer use. I personally would be happier with a statement in cases like this that said: 'not yet consumer ready so will not be reviewed'. I feel that informs the public strongly enough and sends a message to the dev.
@Phenzy
Even on XBOX also have the same issue as Switch version ?
Gosh... 😟
The demo felt like a warning in terms of it’s performance. That really killed the value. I even had Super C running at the same time just to get into the zone, and it was not comparably smooth going
Kinda dumb not to optimize a game like this for Switch when you know it's the version that'll sell best.
@HOUSE Yup. Still love my Switch, but the Steam Deck OLED has relegated it to full exclusives/games I already own status. Contra runs beautifully on it.
Why is optizimation so bad these days?? It feels like ever since covid, some devs just stopped optimizing their games. WayForward used to relaese such well optimized games. What happened?? This game especially appeals to primarily Switch users and its not like its a looker even on ps5.
@Itachi2099 its not just multiplat. Shantae Half Genie Hero released on PS4, Xbox One, Vita and Wii U day one and runs well on every platform it released on. It used to be you could just assume a game like this would run well on every platform it released on but something seems to have changed since covid...
@-wc- clearly somebody doesn't remember GC and n64 versions usually having content cuts and compressions due to storage limitations . Not to mention the Xbox usually had the best version of 6th gen games due to being the most powerful. Personally I just think devs should optimize their games on the platforms they release it on. You can't honestly look at this game and tell me with a straight face it couldn't run at 60 fps on Switch.
What a great review to read!
Can’t wait to play this elsewhere, unfortunately.
But i am excited to get my blapz on!
The key art is fantastic. I wish the game was 2D sprites made to look like that, the 3D does nothing for me and just drags the visuals down on Switch.
I liked the Switch-demo and was thinking it looked nice enough, it was fun and it functioned great. I'll download it someday at a discount, by that time it might be even better (with patches and all). For me it all worked.
I played the demo last night and thought it seemed fine performance-wise. It didn't grab me enough to want to buy the full game though. Super Probotector/Contra III perfected the run and gun, and I feel it's a very high bar to beat!
WayForward is a JOKE for releasing a game from a beloved franchise like Contra in such a pitiful state. They won't be receiving a single dime of my business in the future.
And 6/10?? I'm sorry, but if the game is in a similar state to the demo it deserves a 2 or 3 out of 10. Tops. It was nearly UNPLAYABLE.
@HammerKirby to much trouble to optomize it for the switch when the xbox and ps version runs very well.. that is why switch 2 cant come soon enough..
@miwa That's a shame. Thanks.
I’m gonna blame Konami for the bad state because A. WayForward is know for their quality and B. It’s much easier to blame Konami.
The downfall of WayForward on Switch over the last few years has been absolutely tragic. They went from being, in my opinion, one of the premiere developers on the platform, to an absolute joke. All of their recent releases have been pure train wrecks on Switch. They really need to re-evaluate their approach to the platform, or just outright drop support for it until the next gen Switch arrives. The Switch can handle these games, but they're just not putting in the time and effort to make it so.
A few years ago, Digital Foundry made an interesting video on the Switch port of the second Ori game. Like Contra, Ori was made in Unity. IIRC, the initial port ran at just 20 fps, so Moon Studios made their own Unity fork to get the performance up to the scratch. It seems like Wayforward did not have the time/capacity for this type of deep, engine-level performance tuning.
@Greatluigi It's on WayForward. All of their recent Switch games have been like this. RWBY, Advance Wars, River City Girls 2, and now Contra. Ever since they made the switch to Unity Engine, this has been a problem for them. They have not made the transition from their in-house game engine to Unity gracefully.
@HammerKirby
"clearly somebody doesn't remember GC and n64 versions usually having content cuts and compressions due to storage limitations"
Touché! 😊 there were some compromises with the storage quirks. (btw you don't think this is happening in this generation? 🤔) but the games ran smoothly, and i remember more than a couple times the 64 and gamecube version being the best and most polished 👍 which literally never happens now.
@-wc- GameCube ports were usually "phoned in", due to the smaller user base, and they still ended up running better than their PS2 (and sometimes even Xbox) counterparts!
It's crazy to think that the GameCube is, in terms of horsepower, effectively one generation behind Nintendo's current hardware.
Well I suppose it is time to put Way Forward on the “hope they patch it and buy at a discount in a few years” list.
@HammerKirby Yeah it seems darn near everyone are turning into trolls saying this runs poorly because "The Switch can't handle it." despite there being thousands of games on the console that look and run better...SMDH...
@HammerKirby I'm not sure that the Xbox "usually" had the best version. "Often", definitely, but I can think of several games that ran more smoothly on GameCube (and it's not like I have an entire encyclopedia of platform comparisons in my memory)!
The GameCube did have a few truly awful ports, though, I'll give it that! (Xbox had lots of so-so ports, but I'm not aware of any outright disasters.)
Nintendo is addicted to limited storage capacity, apparently, considering they've been hamstrung by it so many times.
I didn't have too bad of a time with the demo myself, so I'll be getting it on the Switch eventually.
I do hope performance patches are on the way soon, though
I'm no much of a Contra fan tbh but I would have been willing to give this a go like Rebirth (which i liked). However, not in this state. They may have lost a customer as I don't want to play this on an ass sat in one room & one place, tv console.
Cheers for the review.
@smoreon
huh, that isn't what i remember, but to be honest, i mostly play console exclusives and oddball stuff, historically 🤔 the logic checks out though ✌️
let me adjust my statement, to something more accurate if not slightly of topic for this thread specifically:
"I miss Nintendo having competitive hardware, more and more each day.
remember when the best NES/SNES/64/Cube games looked as polished and performed as well as any other contemporary console? I do. 😟"
👍
@Anti-Matter
Limited Run Games are doing physical copies with physical carts, & those are region free.
I'd probably wait for some patches first, but that'll be an option, if you'd like.
@Zulzar Do you have any proof that the development time that went into making cutscenes would've significantly affected gameplay tweaking or performance if they were this short and insignificant in the first place?
Of course not, gotta love these armchair developers in these types of comments sections saying they'd do better, lol.
@HOUSE I have both and I still prefer the Switch if the game is available on both systems (except on poor optimization games like this obviously) because overall the Switch has better user and handheld experience, battery life is better, less weight, better screen and also you don't need to play with the game settings and hardware setting for each game. People forget that SteamDeck is not handheld but a mobile PC which has their own niche market, I still enjoy the console but is not a Switch competitor.
So they didn't fix the input lag on the Switch version. What a letdown. But I gots me a PC and a Steam Deck, so I can play it there.
I’m sure there are some PlayStation and XBox owners who are into the Contra series, but honestly, the audience for a classic run and gun 2D series with routes in the 80s and 90s are playing on Switch. Konami (Wayforward) should have catered to the Nintendo audience and their sales will probably suffer for their misstep. I still preordered on Switch but I may wait to see if a patch is incoming before I jump in. Not like I don’t have a huge backlog on my system of choice!
@Qwiff Chances are that maybe Wayforward had limited time and budget when they made this game. So they worked with what they had and probably didn't have time to optimize the game well enough to run on Switch. Which is why game is getting slightly higher review scores on other platforms than Switch.
The demo, released 3 weeks before the full game's release, was actually indicative of the final product?
nah - ill play the Switch version and im sure it will be fine.
I hate playing games on my PS5. I never wanna sity in front of the TV that long anymore. I even have the Portal and still wanna play on the switch.
Removed - inappropriate
The input lag hit me immediately when I played the Switch demo, and I'm not entirely sure it was that much better on Steam; yet I played both on PC and Steam Deck and the experience was marginally better. However, in all cases, my character's feet were inside a floor and aiming downward caused the character to fall through the terrain and die, which was something that I just found unacceptable. I'm not about to buy the game on any system until I hear that's tightened up. Shame, because the game is largely good, conceptually, but Contra demands perfect control and "OG" isn't there yet.
And yes, it should have been pixel art or some combination of hand-drawn and 3D like Hard Corps: Uprising.
@russell-marlow gerter lerv erm chur develerperssssss blerrgggg
I'm 100% correct. They dicked off adding pointless crap, time they could have used to polish it. period.
I’m gonna hold out hope that Wayforward can make this a better experience via some patching. I’ll pick it up then if they bring it up to par.
I get that Unity is cheap to develop with, but I’m truly surprised it’s lasted this long as a creation engine…… it’s like Java was…. Nifty to work with, and could do some awesome things, but a taxing engine that was hard to optimize to make it not bog down every app/website that used it. Every time I see a Unity game release I wait for the reviews, and they always have issues on Switch at launch, and 80-90% of the time have issues across all systems. Smh
Where are all the people that swore it had no lag or framerate issues at?
@-wc- Yeah, most ports just aimed for parity with PS2, and I can think of a few which fell short of even that target.
But it's telling that GCN->PS2 ports always ended up downgraded in some way, whereas PS2->GCN ports usually ended up equal or better than the original.
And again, Nintendo's hardware sometimes outperformed the cutting-edge Xbox console of that time, which is absolutely unthinkable now!
Make that at least two of us who miss those days.
@smoreon
people seem to LOVE the hybrid concept (and fair enough,) but for roughly the same money, I much preferred the SNES + pocket, N64 + GBC, Gamecube + GBA setup.
we are living with the compromises of the hybrid approach, and it seems almost sacrilegious in these parts to even discuss it. ✌️
@the_beaver @rallydefault
People here on this forum for some reason love low framerates.
And no I was not trolling/baiting although I was being sarcastic.
I made a post on here and people seem fine with broken games for some reason.
https://www.nintendolife.com/forums/nintendo-switch/the_framerate_hill_am_willing_to_die_on
@-wc- I do remember those consoles having great ports. Of the 3 or 4 games they received... (I mean, 64 and GC)
Switch gets 100 games from third parties when 64/GC got 5. That's the difference. I honestly prefer this, even though 20 of them are crap like this (most of them are good ports, like Prince of Persia, Pentiment, Unicorn Overlord...).
Removed - flaming/arguing
Shame for the Switch version. Guess I’m better off getting this on PS5.
Good reason to never assume a developer means quality every time. I would have noped out at cutscenes and excess story anyway. I thought we were past shoehorning pointless fluff content in old series that never needed it. That alone shows me they have a serious misunderstanding of Contra.
"Glitches, however, are minor irritants compared to the game’s performance, which on Switch is frankly unacceptable."
6/10 Not Bad!
If you say it's bad, give it a bad score. If it looks like you reaaally don't want to give any game a bad score ever, you lose credibility. The review is of the switch version, not the "core game beneath" or whatever.
I tried the demo and it seemed rough. Oh well, at least I still have my copy of Contra 4, though I had to import that at the time as it never had an EU release.
@-wc- yea it definitely does happen with Switch. Team Sonic Racing had the opening removed on Switch. Quite a few Switch physicals require downloads due to storage limitations. But with patches and stuff its not as much of an issue as it used to be even if it annoys physical collectors like me
With n64 in particular it usually came down to what console was developed for first. Games like Space Station Silicon Valley and Glover have crappy Ps1 ports while games like the Tony Hawk games, Spider Man and Mega Man Legends were designed for ps1 first and foremost. Although those ps1 to n64 ports I mentioned aren't terrible, just clearly worse than ps1, missing things like FMVs, music tracks, etc. So I can understand what you mean when you say n64 ports were generally more polished. Re2 is an interesting case, where its worse from a technical persceptive on n64 (very impressive nonetheless) but has some exclusive content on n64. Thought that one was worth mentioning. GCN multiplats I find to be decent ways to play the game but its not uncommon to find games like Prince of Persia Sands of Time or Mega Man Anniversary Collection that miss bonus features the Ps2 and Xbox versions have. Also GCN versions sometimes lack progressive scan compared to the Xbox versions, although they still have them way more than ps2 versions did. Not that many ppl back in the day cared about 480p support but still.
@smoreon hmm interesting. Only game I can think of that was better on GCN vs Xbox was Sonic Heroes. Also kind of Soul Calibur 2 but the Xbox version was better from a technical persceptive although even I prefer GCN for Link . I'm also aware the ps2 versions of Silent Hill 2 and MGS2 are usually consider better than their Xbox counterparts. Care to enlighten me on any other times when GCN (or even ps2) beats the Xbox? I'm curious as it seems to me most multiplats are best on the Xbox for that generation.
@Zulzar has the proper take
We don't give a shiest about the story. It's a runandgun. Why did you waste time with this idiocy? We never needed a story in Contra (NES). That money/time should have been spent on optimizing it for all consoles.
The only real comfort of all the stuipidity I see in the world today is that I have to ask myself "Were humans always this dumb?" and being the History Buff that I am, I do indeed know that the answer is a resounding "Oh heck yeah."
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Damn. Anyone know Konami's or Wayforward's track record for optimizing games post launch? If no patches then geez what a waste. What a shame.
@HammerKirby Right, Sonic Heroes is the most clear-cut case, where GameCube had slightly better graphics and the best performance.
However, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Turok Evolution all ran at 60fps on GCN, but just 30fps on Xbox! There's a bit of subjectivity there, as LotR in particular drops to 30fps on GCN in some of the busier scenes (thanks to double buffering, it's either 30 or 60, with no in-between), so some may prefer the Xbox's lower, but more stable performance. Star Wars and Turok seem to stay around 60fps the vast majority of the time, from what I've seen, though Turok has less texture detail, and Star Wars appears to lack self-shadowing on the vehicle (literally the only downgrade I could see in that one).
If you're curious, the flip side is that the Xbox versions of Tomb Raider Legend and Avatar: The Last Airbender were 60fps on Xbox, and 30fps on GCN. (Might as well throw in Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, considering it's practically a 30fps game on GCN!) There was also Wreckless, where the Xbox version looked like it was from a whole other generation than the others (seriously), though it might've run better on GCN. Then there was Prince of Persia, where he had fingers on Xbox (and didn't speak with a lisp caused by audio compression), and Need for Speed: Carbon, which had N64-grade textures on GCN, and Shadow the Hedgehog, which ran a bit better in 2P mode... you know, maybe saying Xbox was "usually" better is fair. Not guaranteed, as there were both major and minor drawbacks, but it often had the overall edge, however minor.
As for PS2>Xbox, I've heard of the ones you mentioned, but the standout has to be Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2. The PS2's graphics are almost a generation leap over the other platforms (seriously again!), the gameplay is better, and there's even content that's missing from the other versions!
Anyway, that's the extent of what I can think of. At the end of the day, you can't go too wrong with Xbox, even if its performance advantage might not have been all it was cracked up to be.
Thanks for tolerating this overly long post!
Time for WayForward to get to work on patches.
@smoreon ah yes I have heard Hot Pursuit 2 (for some reason!) was basically a completely different game on ps2 made by a different developer and is considered far superior. I had no idea those games ran better on GCN, but then again those are probably not some of the more talked about games from that gen. Although I have heard the LotR games on gen 6 consoles were pretty good. Interesting to me that Shadow is slightly better on Xbox despite resusing the engine from Heroes. I believe the ps2 port of Shadow has similar issues to the ps2 port of Heroes (terrible framerate and buggier). Interesting write up. Thanks for the response.
Personally, I was planning on getting this on steam anyway because I can't trust Nintendo to honour my purchase on a successor to the Switch. This is an increasing concern for me as the Switch comes to an end of its life. I know it will run on a successor to Steam Deck, and other PCs because it will be linked to an account and not a console.
@Zulzar
oh, that won't fly here, bud.
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@-wc- You tell 'em, George.
On MetaCritic it's got below-average scores on all consoles so...
@Ironcore
Stop being ridiculous.
People saying they're fine with a 30fps game doesn't mean they "love" low framerates.
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Removed - flaming/arguing
@Zulzar
You're not gonna get to me with name calling, I'm a 38 year old man with actual self esteem. you're just killing the vibe and making a fool of yourself.
@HammerKirby
thanks for the well considered reply!
I don't have a lot to add, except that I'm reminded by this conversation that, especially in the old days, I've very rarely played multiplatform games! so I guess I was speaking out of school. 😅
anyway its an interesting topic and I feel enriched for it. thanks for the trip down memory lane, I'll never get tired of talking about Cube! 😊✌️
@rallydefault I agree, I am being ridiculous but sometimes fighting ridiculousness requires being a bit silly sometimes.
I cannot wait for this game!
I have 3 hybrid handheld, and docked consoles.
The first one will play this game butterly smooth at 1080p handheld with VRR and 4K when docked. I will buy it on this.
The second one will play this game butterly smooth at 720p at 90hz in handheld and 4K when docked. I will buy it on this too.
My third one is the switch.
@Ironcore
Yea, some people do take it a bit far. There comes a point when a stuttering framerate impacts the enjoyability of a game.
For me, the only game I can recall actually doing that to me on the Switch was Crash Bandicoot 4. It’s a great game, but the frame rate for such precise platforming and fast action really needed to be smoother, and I got frustrated with it.
For the Peach demo, it does stutter and run at 30 (right?), but it wasn’t really asking much of me in terms of intense gameplay, so I didn’t notice it or mind it as much.
@Psycho-Werekitsune They're totally different. The PC version runs at a solid 60fps with no drops.
@jake1421
It's a 6. It's unacceptable versus what the Switch is capable of, but it can still be played and enjoyed with some dedication. All of this is outlined in the body of the review.
The major issue is, if you're only planning to buy this once (and why would you buy any game twice), there are far superior options.
@Tom-Massey I guess we all have different standards and definitions of phrases like unacceptable and "requires determination to look past." For a $40(!) run n gun, that's far from "not bad." I'm a huge contra fan, that demo was trash.
I've also heard former reviewers say Nintendolife had increased the score they gave without their knowledge. That would make more sense to me here.
@huupawel I would point out that I am mentioning the Steam Deck OLED experience, which IMHO has a better screen than any Switch screen and can run at 90 frames vs. the Switch’s 60 (or in the case of Contra, 30). There is no tinkering needed for Contra and really any game that’s Deck verified. Giving the user the choice to tinker, however, is why games tend to release first on Steam, and by the time it releases on Switch, may be significantly cheaper. It does appear that others agree in here but i respect the differing opinions.
@jake1421
That's never happened to me. I've had consultations about scores before (one or twice, tops) based on criticism given in reviews, but not for this.
Please remember, scoring is a very arbitrary metric. One person's five is another person's seven, if that makes sense. The score for this particular game was based on several factors: an incredibly solid new Contra which is brilliantly concocted and captures the right feel, coupled with technical deficiencies that take work to look past.
I also noticed a lot of criticism in the comments thread aimed at the Story Mode. Honestly, I'm not sure what the worries are with this. Arcade Mode, as stated, is preferable, and exists as the pure option. There's no real incentive as far as I could tell to have to play through Story Mode, but it being there at the least is a welcome alternative. I don't think any resources were wasted due to its assembly.
The way I'd play it would be to master the game in Arcade and then take those skills to Story just to experience the narrative.
@Itachi2099 bloodstained is artplay, not wayforward. if you mean the 8 bit style ones, those were made by inti creates. in either case not wayforward.
@Anti-Matter an update came out today and the game plays perfectly as it should have day one!!! The game is amazing and I completed it today and the suprises after the game are so awesome!!!
@MeloMan they released one today and as far as I can tell it’s pretty smooth!
@Phenzy that's comforting to know, appreciate the heads up!
@HOUSE sadly here in Mexico where I live is hard to get an OLED steam deck and not sure if paying again for the whole product is worth the upgrade cause going from 60 to 90 in a small screen is hard to notice specially for indie games, also the OLED version was just released, so yeah of course anything 2024/2023 is better than 2017 hardware. Still for weight and battery life I still prefer to play on a switch console for indie games that has proper port work (not this case).
I would strongly recommend waiting for Digital Foundry's analysis before advising the undecided to make a purchase. I specifically bought the Steam version to be able to play it on my Steam Deck OLED, and even here, the framerate cannot be consistently maintained after the first level. The level with the moving train runs on average only about 45 frames, further demonstrating that the title has simply been very poorly optimized, and WayForward continues to have significant issues with Unity.
It's small dev with limited budget and clearly the quality could not be maintained on Switch.. A game like this used to run flawless on Nintendo DS and 3DS, Switch is more than powerful enough. It is simply a lack of money and knowhow that made this fail.
Hopefully it will be patched, because the Switch is probably the ideal platform for sales.
@Lucami oh, thank you! Thank you for your reassurance of my post and saying what I did was "good for me". Ive been up for weeks really hoping, wondering, and dreaming if you, Lucami, thought I was good or not. MY God, now I can sleep easy... phew.
@mohr365 Your welcome buddy, if you're gonna get so dense when someone reply to you on a public forum , maybe don do it in the future have a good day
@Lucami oooohhhhhh… so DONT POST on social media if you are going to react to someone. Ok… let me write that down… ::on’t post on public forums to responses to douchy posts::: ok… got it. Phew… thank you!!! 🙏🏻
@Oliver-1984 An average of 45 FPS is still a lot better than often dropping below 30 FPS. I probably wouldn't even be able to notice the frame drops on the Steam version.
@BulbasaurusRex I agree with that.
And: Since I left this comment, the game has also received a patch that has significantly improved performance on the Steam Deck.
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