| “ | The Probotector is a fighting robot that was developed in top secret by a special scientific mechanized unit. | „ |
| ~ Super Probotector: Alien Rebels instruction booklet |
Probotectors are the main protagonists in most European game versions of the Contra series.
History
When Konami released the NES version of the original Contra in the PAL region (Europe and Australia), they modified the game by replacing the original main characters and most of the human enemies with robotic counterparts, re-titling the game as Probotector (a portmanteau of "robot" and "protector"). The two new protagonists, RD008 and RC011, replaced Bill Rizer and Lance Bean, respectively. This was presumably done due to the German Federal Agency BPjM, which banned the sales of media deemed too violent for children, including "content which glorifies war", thus requiring the change to robotic characters.
In Contra 4, a Probotector appears as a secret character and received something of a canon update; Probotector units are armed recon robots specifically used in areas normally too dangerous or threatening for humans to enter, an open reference to their appearance as the protagonists of the early European Contra games. Much as was the case for Scorpion and Mad Dog in Contra 4, Probotectors canonically served alongside Bill Rizer and Lance Bean during the first Galuga Island conflict.
Characters
- RD008: Player 1 in Probotector. A gray robot who also appears as an extra character in Contra 4 simply called "Probotector".
- RC011: Player 2 in Probotector. A blue robot who appears as an extra palette for RD008 in Contra 4.
Appearances
- Note: Years indicate when the version that includes the Probotector characters was released, not the original release date of the game.
- Probotector (NES, 1987)
- Probotector II: Return of the Evil Forces (NES, 1992)
- Probotector (GB, 1992)
- Super Probotector: Alien Rebels (SNES, 1992)
- Probotector (MD, 1994)
- Contra 4 (NDS, 2007)
Notes
- In Contra 4, after completing twelve challenges in "Challenge" mode, Probotector, the robot character from the old European versions in the Contra series will be unlocked. It is worth noting that Contra 4 was never released in Europe.
Gallery
Trivia
- In Contra 4, there is a enemy called Proboterror. Fittingly enough, they are Probotector units corrupted and altered by Black Viper's forces. In addition to a standard humanoid form, they can reconstitute themselves if destroyed, repairing themselves as an armed combat walker or dog-like recon robot.
- In Contra 4, the playable Probotector has three alternate colors. In addition to the standard gray RD008 color scheme, there is also a blue RC011 color scheme, a gold color scheme, and a dark-purple color scheme.