Operation C

"Anyone else picture Arnold Schwarzenegger playing the main character?"

Introduction
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I am finding more and more that when there are Game Boy counterparts to NES games, I prefer the Game Boy version almost every time. It may be because I did not own an NES when I was younger, but I am not sure. I find the Mario games for the NES and Game Boy to be equally enjoyable, but to me, The Castlevania Adventure far outshines the original NES Castlevania and Operation C has always been a lot more fun than Contra for the NES.

Gameplay: 10/10
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No complaints here. The game runs smoothly and the 3D levels were handled much better in this game than in the NES's Contra. The game is quite a bit shorter than Contra, however. This can either be a good thing or a bad thing. On the up side, you can complete this game easily in a short amount of time. It is great if you want a short game to kill some time. On the down side, after you finish the game you will most likely be hungry for some more action. The spray gun and fire gun are both present in this game (the laser, from the NES game is not here, though), but the homing gun's usefulness is second to none.

Story: 8/10
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You are an elite military trooper who is assigned to defeat aliens that have invaded Earth. Sound familiar? It is the same story of pretty much every game in the Contra series. Do you really need an elaborate story to shoot up aliens, though? DO YOU?!

Graphics: 8/10
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The sprites are surprisingly detailed considering the release date of the game and also considering it is a Game Boy game of the gray brick era. Though there is nothing wrong with the backdrops, fundamentally, they are a bit drab and could have used a bit more inspiration/development.

Sound: 8/10
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If you've read my other reviews, you'll probably know that I frequently listen to CDs, MP3s, or LPs while playing video games. This game is no exception. That said, I have played this a few times with the sound on and can say that it is adequate. The sound is certainly nothing to write home about, but it suits the game nevertheless.

Replay Factor: 7/10
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There is very little incentive to replay this game once you have beaten it. There are no extra playable characters. There are no secret levels. There are no…you get my point. If you want, though, you can create your own challenge like beating the game without using the homing gun, without losing a life, etc. The strange thing about this game is that even though there are no bonuses, no secrets, and no real reason to keep replaying it, for some reason, I STILL PLAY IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

Final Recommendation: 8.2/10
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If you can find this game for under $10, it would behoove you to pick it up. If you can't find it for sale, try to borrow it from a friend or trade for it.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/23/06, Updated 08/28/08

Game Release: Operation C (US, February 1991)