Konami has partnered again with developer/publisher WayForward to produce the newest entry in the legendary run-n-gun platformer Contra: Operation Galuga. Fans and enthusiasts now have their first thorough look at the gameplay and the characters.The Contra veteran duo of Bill Rizer and Lance Bean will be joined by Lucia, Probotector, the heavy-armed Stanley Ironside, and Galuga native Ariana.

Operation Galuga is a re-imagining of the original Arcade/NES game, retelling the invasion of the Red Falcon forces. 

Bill and Lance have always been the stars of the mainline Contra games, from the original arcade game, Super Contra, Super C, and through the Alien Wars (characters like Ray Power, Fang, and Sheena were leads of the Hard Corps spinoff). Lucia originally debuted in Contra: Shattered Soldier for the PlayStation 2 as a bionoid super soldier agent watching over Bill Rizer. She returned in the direct sequel Neo Contra as the boss character "Pheromone Contra" and was killed before revealing the secrets of Project C. She appears as a non-canon character select option in Contra 4. In the trailer, it appears she uses the same grappling hook peripheral that game's mechanics were known for. The cyborg Probotector was a reskin for the European localizations of the Contra. Stanley Ironside appears to be a brand new character, along with Ariana, a native whose home was destroyed by Red Falcon.

Operation Galuga will be the third Contra game to include a health bar (3 units of health). Like some previous entries in the series, the standard weapons (Spread Shot, Flamethrower, Homing Gun,Laser, etc.) will have stackable upgrades, first introduced in Super Contra. Along with unique skills from each character, this game will also introduce the "Overload" system, allowing you to unleash devastating attacks. 

Contra: Operation Galuga is planned to launch in 2024 for the PlayStation 5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Steam.