Probotector II : Return of the Evil Forces

Probotector II: Return of the Evil Forces is Konami’s 1992 PAL NES run-and-gun shooter, released as the European counterpart to the 1990 NES game Super C and the Famicom title Super Contra. It continues the arcade-born Contra series, but its regional presentation is unmistakably Probotector: the familiar human commandos are replaced by combat robots. Konami both developed and published the game. Designed for one player or two players at the same time, it sends the Probotectors RD008 and RC011 into a fast-moving campaign of alien warfare, making it a distinctly European version of one of the NES era’s defining cooperative action games.

The story follows a new emergency one year after the previous battle with an alien army. Federation commander General Hal disappears while approaching the ruins of a South American base, after reporting that friendly GX troops have turned hostile and may no longer be human. RD008 and RC011 are dispatched to find him and confront the invaders behind the attack. That premise gives the campaign a military-science-fiction frame, while the PAL localization recasts the protagonists and much of the opposition as machines. The result is not a separate sequel from Super C, but the European reworking of that NES adventure under the Probotector name.

Play proceeds through a compact set of punishing missions that alternate between side-view assaults and overhead stages. In the side-scrolling portions, players advance through enemy fire, jump across hazards, climb or descend the battlefield, and deal with set-piece threats before reaching a boss. The top-down sections change the perspective and allow movement in eight directions, asking players to clear routes through enemies and obstacles from above. A single-player run is demanding, but simultaneous two-player play is central to the design: partners can cover opposite sides of the screen, rescue the momentum after a mistake, and work together against the larger encounters.

The standard weapon can be traded for power-ups carried by flying capsules. Available firepower includes a machine gun, spread gun, bomb gun, and laser, while collecting the same weapon again strengthens it. The NES version also retains familiar pickups from the earlier home Contra game, including rapid bullets, a barrier, and a special power-up. Its fireball weapon differs from the original NES Contra interpretation: it can be charged by holding the fire button before release, producing a larger shot with a bigger impact. These choices make weapon selection part of survival, since each tool changes how safely players can tackle crowded formations and durable targets.

Probotector II is especially notable for how it adapts the arcade Super Contra template to the NES. The home version rearranges material and includes stages and bosses not found in the coin-operated game, rather than simply reproducing the arcade route. Its European release arrived later, in 1992, and localizes the game with the Probotector robots and PAL-specific audio work. The game later returned on Wii Virtual Console in Europe and Australia under its Probotector II title. For players exploring the NES library, it stands as both a substantial Konami action sequel and a clear example of how the Contra series changed identity for PAL territories.