Operation C (USA-1)

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.