Probotector (1994). Play Free Online

Summary

Probotector is the European/Australian incarnation of Contra: Hard Corps, the first Contra to appear on a Sega console. The game swaps the human protagonists for a squad of cyborg pilots – CX‑1 through CX‑4 – and repaints many enemies as metallic robots, continuing Konami’s long‑standing practice of robotizing the series for PAL regions. The storyline also shifts; the alien cell becomes a mysterious computer device called the “X‑Drive,” and key antagonists like Colonel Bahamut are reimagined as humanoid aliens. Gameplay mirrors the North American version, but the PAL edition tightens the budget of lives, offering only four continues instead of five, and censors several cutscenes – the Stage 1 boss is no longer described as piloted by a man and the scene where Dr. Geo Mandrake is devoured is cut. Finally, the option to side with the Alien General disappears, removing one possible ending altogether.

Storyline

Probotector on the Sega Genesis is the European re‑skin of Contra: Hard Corps. Set five years after Contra III: The Alien Wars, the story follows a special task force known as the Hard Corps as it hunts lingering alien threats and rogue military groups.
In this version the original alien cell is replaced by a mysterious computer device called the X‑Drive, and the villains Colonel Bahamut and Dead‑Eye Joe are depicted as humanoid aliens. The Hard Corps must stop the terrorist faction led by these alien antagonists, confronting the X‑Drive’s forces across eight stages. Unlike the Japanese version, the game removes the option to side with the Alien General, and cut‑scenes such as the Stage 1 boss identification and Dr. Geo Mandrake’s demise are omitted.

Edited by Maya Carter