Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Operation C picks up the classic run-and-gun formula established by its NES predecessors and distills it into a compact, fast-paced Game Boy experience. You control a Rambo-esque commando armed with an arsenal of upgradable weapons, from the trusty Spread Gun—boosting from three to five projectiles—to the new Hunter Gun, which fires penetrating shots through multiple enemies. Weapon pick-ups are distributed thoughtfully throughout the five levels, ensuring that each playthrough feels dynamic and rewarding.

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Beyond straightforward side-scrolling action, the game throws in two overhead stages reminiscent of Super C, giving you a brief change of perspective and requiring you to navigate mazes of enemy fire and destructible scenery. This shift in design keeps the pacing fresh, letting you catch your breath as you dodge vertically and horizontally across tight corridors. The remaining three levels pivot back to classic platforming, complete with moving platforms, vertical climbs, and precise jump timings that demand both reflexes and map awareness.

Each stage culminates in a boss encounter that calls on everything you’ve learned: pattern recognition, smart weapon swaps, and split-second evasion. While the overall level count is modest at just five, the combination of side-scrolling run-and-gun, overhead navigation, and platforming sections creates enough variety to sustain repeated runs. Hardcore enthusiasts will appreciate the scoring opportunities and hidden bonuses, while newcomers can adjust to the steep difficulty curve by memorizing enemy placements and power-up locations.

Graphics

Given the limitations of the original Game Boy’s monochrome palette, Operation C delivers impressively clear and distinct sprite work. Enemies and environmental hazards stand out crisply against varied backdrops, from jungle outposts to mechanized fortresses. The animation remains fluid even when multiple bullets pepper the screen, avoiding the slowdown and flicker that plagued lesser handheld titles of the era.

Level designs are detailed and thematically consistent, with each stage offering a distinctive visual identity. The overhead stages feature tiled floors and destructible walls that change shades as you blast through them, while side-scroll segments showcase parallax-style layering to evoke depth. Boss sprites are large and imposing, making their attack patterns easy to read once you learn the telltale wind-up animations.

Subtle visual flourishes—like the muzzle flash when firing the Spread Gun or the recoil animation on the Hunter Gun—add weight to each shot, reinforcing the game’s arcade pedigree. Health bars, weapon icons, and score indicators are neatly organized at the top of the screen, ensuring that essential information never obscures the action. Overall, the graphics strike a fine balance between clarity and atmosphere on a platform known for its limitations.

Story

Operation C’s narrative is lean but serviceable, casting you as an elite soldier sent to neutralize the newly introduced villain, Black Viper. While plot beats unfold primarily through brief text interludes, the game’s pacing ensures that you’re never bogged down by exposition. This straightforward approach echoes the series’ arcade roots, focusing instead on high-octane combat rather than cutscenes or lengthy dialogue.

The introduction of Black Viper adds an intriguing thread to the Contra mythos, bridging the gap between early NES outings and later entries like Contra 4 on the Nintendo DS. Although the game doesn’t delve deeply into character backstories, veterans will appreciate seeing a connective tissue emerge between these handheld and console adventures. The sparse narrative works in the game’s favor, allowing players to concoct their own mental imagery of covert missions behind enemy lines.

Each new environment hints at a broader world under siege, from fortified compounds to underground bunkers. Minimal text prompts before boss fights build anticipation, making every confrontation feel like a step closer to dismantling a global threat. While the story isn’t the game’s central draw, it provides just enough context to keep you invested in blasting through waves of soldiers, drones, and mechanized beasts.

Overall Experience

Operation C stands as one of the most polished run-and-gun titles on the Game Boy, offering bite-sized levels that punch well above their weight in terms of challenge and replay value. Its blend of side-scroll, overhead, and platforming stages ensures that no two levels feel identical, maintaining a brisk sense of momentum from start to finish. The difficulty is unapologetic—enemies respawn quickly, and boss patterns demand memorization—but the tight controls and responsive hit detection make every death feel fair.

The game’s short length—just five stages—means that completionists and high-score chasers can master it in a handful of play sessions, while newcomers can still feel a genuine sense of accomplishment upon seeing the end credits. The absence of multifaceted story sequences or RPG elements keeps the focus squarely on twitch skills and weapon mastery, befitting its arcade heritage. If you’re craving a portable adrenaline rush with all the hallmarks of classic Contra action, Operation C delivers in spades.

For potential buyers, Operation C represents both a nostalgic callback and a surprisingly deep handheld shooter. Its clean graphics, varied level design, and introduction of series-wide lore elements like Black Viper make it a worthwhile investment for retro collectors and action-game enthusiasts alike. Whether you’re chasing the highest score or simply relishing the tight run-and-gun thrills, this Game Boy gem stands ready to test your reflexes and satisfy your craving for old-school intensity.

Retro Replay Score

8/10