Motorcycles (unofficial name) are recurring vehicles featured in the Contra series. They are two-wheeled vehicles that can only traverse on grounded terrains.
Description
A two-wheeled vehicle designed for a single person that can only traverse on grounded terrains. They usually appear as vehicles ridden by enemy troops, although there are rare instances where they become available for the player to ride as well.
Appearances
Contra: Hard Corps
One of these vehicles' most iconic appearances takes place in the Junkyard stage of this game, where troops of Bike Corps can initially be seen riding far in the distance, jumping high from the hills in a motocross style, while making their way to where the player is located at to commence their attack.
Similar motorcycle riding units, called Bike Soldiers, are later found in the Military Train stage, where they assault in large groups the train the player is riding on.
Contra: Shattered Soldier
This game features a minor one-time enemy appropriately called Biker, consisting of two soldiers: one driver and one rider in a sidecar. They both drive in front of the approaching hero(es) and park. The sidecar troop then opens fire at the player while parked. The entire motorcycle drives off if the vehicle is ignored by the hero(es).
Enemy troops riding standard motorcycles are later deployed by the train in Mission 002, while the player is riding on a hoverbike.
Hard Corps: Uprising
This game marks one of the few occasions where the player is allowed to ride one of these two-wheeled vehicles. In a co-op game, two will be present to ride even if one player has already received a Game Over (making the second one unused in that case).
Commonwealth Privates are also seen driving motorcycles through the windows of the Capital City Building, crashing their way inside the building in order to halt the advancing elite soldiers after Tiberius.
Harley Daniels is seen driving one on the Capital City streets escaping Police cruisers during the introductory animation of the game.
Gallery
Screenshots
Sprites
Trivia
- Real motorcycles are actually rarely found for the player to ride on in most Contra games. In most games featuring high speed chases on vehicles, the player usually gets to ride a hoverbike or a similar variant of it. Still, most of these alternate vehicles are based on the general design and functionality of a standard motorcycle.