ÿþ<html> <head> <title>Operation C Papercraft Diorama</title> <meta content="Mark Patraw" name=Author> <meta content="Images of, and information about, a papercraft diorama of a screen from the first level of Konami's 1991 Operation C Nintendo Gameboy video game, made by Mark Patraw." name=Description> <meta content="diorama,papercraft,Operation C,Contra,Probotector,Konami,Scorpion,Lance,Black Viper,fan art,figure,miniature,sculpture,model,toy,Mark Patraw." name="Keywords"> </head> <body background="http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/MAP2/OPC_bg.gif" bgproperties=fixed> <br> <br> <table width=90% align=center cellpadding=10 border=10 bgcolor=white bordercolor=silver> <tr> <td> <center> <font size=5><b>³0ó0È0é0</b></font> <br> <br> <img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/OPC_logo_color_zps082778e0.gif~original"> <br> <br> <img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/PRB_logo_color_zps4b46bf9a.gif~original"> <br> <br> <font size="7"><b><i>Papercraft Diorama</font><br><font size=5>(Scorpion vs. Black Viper Snipers & Grunts)</i></b></font> <br> <br> <EMBED src="CNT_stage2.mid" width="0" height="0" autostart="true" loop="true" hidden="true"></center> <br> <p align=center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/OPC_papercraft_diorama_pivot2_zps4c2198d5.gif~original" border=10></p> <br> <p align=left> For my fourth video game papercraft diorama, I selected the first stage of Konami's 1991 <i>Operation C</i> Nintendo Gameboy run-and-gun video game [original Japanese title: <i>³0ó0È0é0</i> ("<i>Kontora</i>" which is the phonetic katakana spelling of the English <i>Contra</i>), and the moniker was changed yet again, to <i>Probotector</i>, when the game was later released in Europe]. <br> <br> Here's the reference screenshot I worked from. While Stage 1's design won out, I also considered doing a scene from Stage 3 (jungle) or Stage 5 (futuristic base with lots of alien facehuggers in containment tanks). <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/OPC_papercraft_diorama_screen_zps7216e1fb.png~original" border=3></center> <br> For comparison purposes, here's the same spot from the 1999 Gameboy Color port of <i>Probotector</i> that was released in Europe on the 4-in-1 <i>Konami GB Collection Vol. I</i> cartridge: <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/OPC_papercraft_diorama_screen2_zps029aea7a.png~original" border=3></center> <br> This is the sprites/tiles sheet that I made by ripping and editing the game's graphics. The blue background is just there for contrast purposes; an aid to help me in laying everything out. I printed the sheet in black-and-white. <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/OPC_sheet2_zps37bfa129.png~original" border=3></center> <br> Here's a brief look at the construction process for this piece: <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/OPC_papercraft_fab04_zpsfee2391c.jpg~original" border=3></center> <br> These are the two sniper towers/platforms, straddling colored pencils in the hopes of keeping their legs relatively straight while they dry (paper/cardboard loves to warp on you when the glue is still wet). <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/OPC_papercraft_fab01_zps0eb0a381.jpg~original" border=3></center> <br> Here's the finished bridge, the two towers, and a couple of the corroded steel columns. <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/OPC_papercraft_fab02_zps4789d274.jpg~original" border=3></center> <br> Test shot on the background/base. Nothing is glued down to it at this stage. <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/OPC_papercraft_fab05_zps21bd9a29.jpg~original" border=3></center> <br> This project probably shouldn't have taken any more than two-three days to complete, but, I kept messing around with different designs for the rusted steel columns, which ate up a lot of my time (and patience). I really wanted them to be hollow, with actual holes in the lattice-work, but it's a tricky thing to get them to look good, and not fall apart on you, at this small scale, so, that ultimately didn't pan out. <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/OPC_papercraft_fab06_zpscafe873b.jpg~original" border=3></center> <br> Here's the two medals (they represent the player's lives, if you've never played <i>Contra</i> and are wondering) and the crane head. <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/OPC_papercraft_fab07_zpsb522dcff.jpg~original" border=3></center> <br> Pictured is the bridge, five figures, and two sniper towers/platforms glued to the background/base. The protagonist, Corporal "Scorpion" Lance (Sergeant Bill "Mad Dog" Ko, is AWOL, as <i>Operation C</i> is only a one-player game), is on the lower left, while the other four characters are enemy Black Viper troopers; a pair of snipers taking potshots at our hero from up high, and two unarmed grunts rushing him from the right. <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/OPC_papercraft_fab08_zpsf71b6e58.jpg~original" border=3></center> <br> Here's another test shot to give an idea of what the final layout will look like (the rotted steel columns still aren't attached yet). <br> <br> The finished product: <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/OPC_papercraft_diorama_zps4376196c.jpg~original" border=3></center> <br> <br> </center> <hr width=650 size=3> <p align=center><b><font size=+1 >Materials:</font></b> <br> Cardboard, game graphics printed out on white paper, white lined notebook paper, white glue, newsprint, two cotton balls, and permanent marker.</p></p> <p align=center><b><font size=+1 >Dimensions:</b></font> <br> 8.5 cm (3.3") x 7.7 cm (3.0") <i> [widest point x highest point]</i></p> <p align=center><b><font size=+1 >Time:</font></b> <br> Six days: June 17 - 22, 2014.</p> <hr width=650 size=3> <br> <br> <center><font size=+1 ><b>REFERENCES:</b><br></font></center> <br> <li>&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>Konami GB Collection Vol. I</i> Nintendo Gameboy Color video game (contains the colored version of <i>Probotector</i>).</li> <br> <li>&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>Operation C</i> Nintendo Gameboy video game and instruction manual.</li> <br> <li>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_C">Wikipedia</a> <i>Operation C</i> article. </li> <br> <br> <br> <p align=center><a href="konami_artwork.html"><font size="5">&laquo; Return to my Konami Video Game Fan Art Gallery Index</a></font> <br> <br> <br> <font size="2"><i>This is a nonprofit web site. <br> <br> Any and all copyrighted imagery, terminology, etc., depicted on this page belongs to its respective holders/owners, namely Konami. <br> <br> The repeating background graphic is a floor pattern, that I edited in an art program, from the fourth stage of Operation C. <br> <br> The midi music playing is the "Stage 2" theme from Contra.</i></p> </td> </tr> </table> </body> <br> <br> </html>
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