| “ | This giant missile hugger was created to combat bad parasites that cling to missiles and absorb energy. Well, on the Black Viper's home planet where there are no such creatures, it was a useless creation... but be careful if you get stuck on a missile. | „ |
| ~ Description from the Contra 4 online manual |
Maximum Jumbo (マキシマム・ジャンボ Makishimamu Janbo?) is a recurring boss in the Contra series. It is a gigantic humanoid alien robot that bears a cannon installed on its singular eye, from which it fires a devastating energy beam.
General description[]
A gargantuan humanoid robot that generally makes its appearance among the ruins of a city, sometimes explicitly shown to be the cause of such devastation. Maximum Jumbo made its debut as one of the minibosses of the first stage in Contra: Hard Corps, and since then it has reappeared in a few more installments of the Contra series.
Its attacks usually consist on throwing large objects (such as cars) or using its powerful fists to smash onto the scenery. However, its trademark attack is emitting a devastating energy beam from the cannon on its head which is capable of delivering an immense amount of destruction. In almost all of its appearances, this cannon is also its weak spot and the only way to damage it.
Even though it may give the impression that this creature is bulky and slow, it has actually been shown to be very agile, being capable of jumping many stories high and perform a few complex maneuvers, as well as being resistant to extreme conditions, such as withstanding the effects of fire or keeping its integrity intact in high altitudes.
A unique model has appeared in every installment this enemy has appeared in, although all have in common their condition of being a gigantic robot and their characteristic cycloptic cannon.
Appearances[]
Contra: Hard Corps[]
First appearance of this miniboss in the series. Maximum Jumbo makes a dramatic entrance by initially appearing in the background, slowly walking among the ruins of a city and firing its fiery ray to add to the devastation. It then jumps high in the air and lands in front of the heroes, commencing its attack by once again firing its cycloptic beam, which generates several pillars of flame to rise from the ground (although also providing safe spots between them). The monster will then proceed to throw a car at the player.
It is not particularly resilient for a miniboss, though, and if the player remains at the center of the screen and concentrates all of their firepower toward the "eye" from the beginning, the creature will fall in a very short time, perhaps even before it can finish its initial beam attack.
Attacks[]
- Cycloptic beam attack: Fires several blasts, creating fire pillars that rapidly rise straight upward. However, they are well telegraphed, making it relatively easy to stand in-between pillars.
- Car toss: Grabs a red car with one hand and then throws it at the player's position.
Contra 4[]
In Contra 4, this biomechanical creature –now called Missile Hugger 3000 (or Scout Drone, as it is called in Contra 4: Redux)– appears twice in the Harbor stage: the first time as a miniboss midway through the level, and the second as the stage's main boss. It also bears an all out new design, now having a slimmer metallic body colored in green and gold.
The monster makes its introduction as the player has just taken off on a missile launched from the harbor. Making honor to its name, the "Missile Hugger" appears out of nowhere and clings onto one side of the missile while the player hangs for their life from a vertical metal beam. In this encounter, the mechanical giant just limits itself on either climbing up or down along the missile's surface and performing quick punches. This is also the only occasion the robot can be damaged on other part of its body that is not its "eye", with its torso being its weak spot this time around. Once defeated, the robot will start exploding and fall off the rocket.
The monster comes back for a rematch once the missile has crashed back on Earth, emerging from the ruins of the city. It mainly attacks by performing quick punches on the ground. Its arms are its weak spot during this phase of the battle and both have to be destroyed in order to proceed to the next one.
Once both arms have been destroyed, it will start attacking with its "eye" cannon, although coincidentally exposing its head to damage as well. It will also start launching missiles to aid it in battle, which will travel a short distance upward and then launch down toward the player's current position.
Contra Returns[]
In Contra Return, the Cyclops fights by slamming its arms against the ground, as well as firing a laser beam from its head across the ground in a slow turn. It also can sweep with its arm in a slow attempt to take out the player.
When defeated, it will initiate a self-destruction mechanism in a final attempt to kill the Contra squad, whose explosion engulfs everything within its vicinity. At first, they effectively seem to have been taken out by the blast; however, in the following character selection screen, they will be shown to have survived, good as new and ready for another mission.
Gallery[]
Screenshots[]
Artworks[]
.png "Maximum Jumbo Manual (Japan).png (1.39 MB)")
Trivia[]
- In Contra: Hard Corps, any car Maximum Jumbo is holding will instantly disappear when defeated.
- Contra 4's debug menu refers to the areas where the Missile Hugger is fought at as "Guardian".
References[]
- ↑ Contra Returns
- ↑ Contra 4 concept.
- ↑ Contra 4
- ↑ Contra 4: Redux
Big Fuzz • Crustacean Cruiser • Gomeramos King • Black Viper (final form) | |||