Software:Operation C (video game)

From HandWiki
Operation C
Developer(s)Konami
Publisher(s)
Programmer(s)Toru Hagihara
Yukari Hayano
Artist(s)Koichi Kimura
Composer(s)Hidehiro Funauchi
SeriesContra
Platform(s)Game Boy, Game Boy Color
Release
  • JP: January 8, 1991
  • NA: February 1991
  • EU: May 21, 1992
  • JP: September 25, 1997 (Konami GB Collection Vol. 1)
  • EU: 2000 (Konami GB Collection Vol. 1)
Genre(s)Run and gun
Mode(s)Single-player

Operation C (released as Contra (コントラ, Kontora)[1] in Japan and as Probotector in the PAL region) is a 1991 run and gun video game by Konami released for the Game Boy. It is a sequel to Super Contra, and the first portable installment in the Contra series. Operation C features gameplay and graphics similar to the Nintendo Entertainment System versions of Contra and Super Contra.

Gameplay

The game has a total of five stages, many of which share design similarities to Super C (the NES version of Super Contra). The three odd-numbered stages (1, 3, and 5) are played from a side-view perspective, while the two even-numbered ones (2 and 4) are top-view. The soundtrack consists primarily of arranged background music from the original Contra, with the exception of a few tunes (namely the Area 2 theme, the Stage Select theme, the sub-boss theme in Area 3, and the ending theme). Operation C was the first Contra game to feature auto-fire as a default feature, resulting in the removal of the Machine Gun power-up from previous games. The Laser Rifle is also removed, leaving only the Spread Shot and Fire Gun from Super C. However, the game introduces a new Homing Gun that fires bullets that chase after enemies. The Spread Shot starts out as a three-way shot, but it can be upgraded to a five-way version after picking it up a second time. Unlike Super C, the Fire Gun does not have chargeable shots, while the Barrier and Rapid Bullets power-ups are not featured in this installment either.

Plot

The player takes the role of Bill Rizer, who must neutralize an enemy force that is secretly storing an alien cell in their base. As with the previous Contra games for the NES, the exact details of the game's settings varies between supplemental materials: in the Japanese version, the enemies are identified as the army of an unnamed hostile nation that is seeking to use an alien cell to produce weapons; in the American version, the enemies are working for an alien entity calling itself "Black Viper". Likewise, the main character's identity was changed from Bill (the Player 1 character from the previous arcade and console games) to Lance (the Player 2 character from the previous installments, as well).[2]

Versions and re-releases

The Japanese version, simply titled Contra, allows the player to begin the game at any of the first four stages. The American version only allows the Stage Select feature to be available by inputting the Konami Code. While the rest of the game was left unchanged for the American version, the plot of the game as featured in the manual was altered for the American localization (as detailed above). The European version, Probotector, changed the main character and some of the enemies into robots, much like the European localizations of the NES installments.

Operation C is included in the Game Boy compilation Konami GB Collection Vol. 1 released in 1997 in Japan and in 2000 in Europe. The Japanese version is identical to the original release, but with added Super Game Boy border support. While the version of the game included with the European compilation is titled Probotector, it retains the original human characters from the Japanese release and adds full Game Boy Color support.

The game is included in the 2019 Contra Anniversary Collection for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Steam.[3]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings80%[4]

Nintendo Life gave the game an 8/10 score, praising the gameplay, controls, enemies, weapons and music, while suggesting that the game borrowed from Super C a bit too much. It also criticized the game's lack of multiplayer option.[5]

References

  1. ↑ The game's Japanese title is written in kana, instead of the original game's ateji title of 魂斗羅.
  2. ↑ The Database mode of Contra uses the original Japanese plot of the game (as with other Contra games released up to that point), whereas the instruction manual for the American-developed Contra 4 reinterprets the events of Operation C as a previous mission of Mad Dog and Scorpion (the two new characters of Contra 4) against the alien invader Black Viper.
  3. ↑ (in en) Konami Announces Contra Anniversary Collection Lineup - IGN, 28 May 2019, https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/05/28/konami-announces-contra-anniversary-collection-lineup, retrieved 2020-09-29 
  4. ↑ "Operation C for Game Boy". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191209011547/https://www.gamerankings.com/gameboy/563289-operation-c/index.html. Retrieved 19 December 2020. 
  5. ↑ Wahlgren, John (14 August 2009). "Operation C Review - GB". Gamer Network. http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2009/08/operation_c_retro. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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