Konami’s Contra: Operation Galuga is poised to have a physical release in the near future, but there’s a catch — it’s a download code. We’ll never fully understand why video game developers will put in the effort of making a case but omit the cartridge itself, but it stings all the more to those Switch collectors out there.
Nintendo Life spotted a little note on its Amazon page indicating that it’s a download-only game. Basically, what you’re buying is the game itself and an empty cover to store on your shelf. At this point, we don’t know how large the file size is, but considering it’s still Contra, it’s probably safe to assume it would fit one of the Switch’s cartridges — Konami just doesn’t want to fork over the dough to go all-in.
It’s worth pointing to the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection, too, which offers Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, and the NES game packaged in a physical cartridge, but arguably the meat of the sale — the Metal Gear Solid games — are all download codes. It’s disappointing, to say the least, for Switch collectors who just want to feel more tangible ownership of Contra: Operation Galuga, especially as the games will inevitably go the way of the Dodo once the eShop goes out of style for Nintendo.