Contra: Operation Galuga looks like a return to form for Konami’s iconic sidescrolling shooter, especially after the middling release of Contra: Rogue Corps. Unfortunately, Rogue Corps has one thing that Operation Galuga doesn’t: a proper physical release on Switch.
A listing from Amazon UK has confirmed that Operation Galuga will be another one of those code-in-the-box releases that physical collectors loathe. This is a real shame too, especially since Operation Galuga is a 2D shooter, so it shouldn’t even cost that much to put it in a cartridge.
Luckily, Limited Run Games has confirmed that they will be releasing actual physical cartridges of Contra: Operation Galuga, which is good for collectors. That being said, the fact that physical collectors will have to rely on Limited Run instead of Konami is pretty disappointing, considering how, well, limited these copies tend to be.
Granted, Operation Galuga is a 2D shooter, so most players were probably going to get this as a digital download anyway. It also helps that Nintendo has essentially confirmed that current NSO profiles will be brought over toward the Switch 2, or whatever it ends up being called. This way, fans will be able to play Operation Galuga on their preferred Nintendo Switch system.
Konami and WayForward not giving Contra: Operation Galuga a proper physical release is pretty disappointing since, once again, Rogue Corps received one. That was also a much worse-looking game most people weren’t excited for, making this decision a baffling one.
Now, we’re not going to act like releasing physical copies is a privilege all companies have, and some would argue that a 2D shooter will do better digitally anyway. Still, giving fans a physical box with a code just feels like a waste of time, making us wonder why they would do that in the first place.
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Contra: Operation Galuga will be coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PC, and Nintendo Switch sometime in 2024.