Metroid (species)
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Metroids are a fictional species of parasitic alien creatures from the video game series of the same name, originating from the fictional planet SR-388. Having been bio-engineered by the birdlike extra-terrestrials, the Chozo, their original purpose was to combat the X Parasites, in hopes of keeping them from overrunning the planet's ecosystem. Metroids feed on the "life energy" of their prey in a manner similar to leeches draining a host organism's blood. However, Metroids normally drain enough energy to kill their victims - making it a target to be used as a biological weapon by Zebesian Space Pirates. According to the Metroid Fusion instruction manual, "Metroid" means "ultimate warrior" in the Chozo language.
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[edit] Physiology and morphology
The body of a Metroid - in its most common, larval state - consists of a thick, gelatinous, opaque membrane, resembling a jellyfish. Enclosed in this membrane are four red, raspberry-shaped nuclei which rest in a pyramid shape in the central part of the body. Each nucleus has many thick, neuron-like branches that connect it to its outer membrane.
Metroids have two pairs of mandibles, one for gripping their prey while the other extracts its life energy. These mandibles have the ability to drain energy immediately after hatching. When a considerable amount of life energy is extracted by a Metroid, it grows in size. Immediately after hatching, Metroids have the ability to hover in the air. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes explains that they defy gravity by using kinetic energy stored in their body. As they metamorphose into other forms, they gain limbs as well as weight, so a Metroid's ability to fly is lessened whereas strength and defense are gained.
Metroids are vicious predators with no natural enemies. Once attached to their prey, they are very difficult to dislodge and will otherwise drain their victim completely, killing it. They have an endless appetite and will feed on any and all living creatures they come across, with the single exception of their own species. This immense threat is compounded by their invulnerability to most forms of weaponry. Their only weakness is a sensitivity to extremely cold temperatures. Once their membrane is frozen it can be shattered by concussive weaponry (such as missiles), killing the Metroid.
Though a Metroid's nature is one that is threatening to any organism with a life force, they have been known to show signs of intelligence. A fight-or-flight response can be seen instantly after hatching, for example. They have also been known to show signs of having a memory, and even compassion. A log entry seen in the Space Pirate base in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes says that the Space Pirate Science Team believed Metroids could be tamed (the Pirate who wrote the log entry however seemed to disagree). Metroids also have the ability to transfer stored up life energy into another lifeform, healing them.
The only known forms with complete shells are the Metroid Queen and Metroid Prime. The egg-laying Metroid Queen appears to be the only form in which Metroids can normally reproduce, but Metroid Prime can instantly produce Metroids, Hunter Metroids, and Fission Metroids, though the method of production is mentioned at no point of the game.
When mutated by Phazon, Metroids gain various odd qualities. (See Phazon for notes on Phazon-mutated Metroids.) Exposure to beta radiation causes them to asexually reproduce by dividing, much like a cell undergoing mitosis.
[edit] History
[edit] Metroid/Metroid Zero Mission
In Metroid, Metroids were said to have been originally discovered by the Galactic Federation while researching SR-388. Not long after that, the Space Pirates boarded a ship in which some Metroids were being transported and stole the specimens, taking them to their base deep within the planet Zebes. Shortly after that incident, bounty hunter Samus Aran was sent to Zebes to destroy the Space Pirates and their stolen Metroids.
[edit] Metroid Prime
In Metroid Prime, a few surviving Space Pirates found the mutagen Phazon on the planet Tallon IV and used it to rebuild their army. They exposed the Metroids to it, along with many other life-forms. This revealed a new stage in Metroid development: 'Fission' Metroids, which split into two smaller Metroids when attacked. Another stage in natural Metroid development is the Hunter Metroid, the equivalent of adolescence. The Hunters have orange pigmentation and two energy-extracting tentacles. Also seen in the game is a creature called Metroid Prime, which is suggested to be a Metroid that has been heavily mutated with Phazon.
[edit] Metroid Prime: Hunters
Metroid Prime Hunters is the only game in the Metroid series that does not feature Metroids. It does, however, feature Quadtroids, a genetically engineered species that is similar in appearance and function to Metroids. One thing that is worth noting, however, is that Metroids do appear on the demo version.
[edit] Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
In Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, the Space Pirates bring Metroids with them to Aether. Metroids in this game appeared with both red and the traditional green membranes but are specifically known as "Tallon Metroids". The Ing later possessed some Metroids, creating Dark Tallon Metroids (which bear almost no resemblance to unpossessed Metroids, appearing as leathery, spotted, blackish-purple creatures with a ring of small fangs instead of the regular four). Also seen are Metroid cocoons, which release very small infant Metroids which need to come in contact with Phazon in order to grow to the size of normal Metroids. Very young infant Metroids cannot yet absorb energy, and instead use ramming attacks to damage their foes.
[edit] Metroid II: Return of Samus
In Metroid II: Return of Samus, seeing the dangers the Metroids posed to the galaxy, the Galactic Federation attempted to destroy them. After two failed attempts by the Federation's army to eradicate the Metroids on their home planet of SR-388, they called on Samus Aran to deal with them, as she had previously been the only person able to survive several encounters with the creatures. It was in this game that the natural Metroid life-cycle was revealed.
The game begins with a total global Metroid population of 39. Samus's goal was to explore SR-388 and hunt the Metroids down one by one. As she progresses further into the planet, the Metroids continue to evolve further into their life-cycle during the course of the game culminating into the Omega Metroids. Samus eventually makes her way into the Metroid nest at the center of the planet, destroying several (traditional) larval Metroids before engaging in a final battle with the Metroid Queen.
After the Queen was destroyed, an infant Metroid hatched and imprinted Samus as its mother. Because of Samus's efforts, this infant was the last surviving Metroid in the galaxy. It helped Samus escape from SR-388, and as the only "domesticated" Metroid in history, she took it back to the Federation Academy for research.
[edit] Super Metroid
In Super Metroid the Metroid larva that had imprinted on Samus was studied, and it was found that the Metroids' potential as life saving creatures was as great as their destructive powers. Right after Samus left Ceres Station, the Space Pirates besieged it and Ridley stole the Metroid larva, taking it back to the Space Pirates' rebuilt base on Zebes.
The Space Pirates quickly used beta rays to multiply the Metroid into a new army of feral larval Metroids. In Maridia Samus also finds many Space Pirate attempts of clones of the Metroids, called "Mochtroids". While they could leech life, they were weak and could not latch onto their prey. At the end of the game, the Metroid larva sacrificed itself to save Samus, causing the Metroid species to be extinct.
[edit] Metroid Fusion
Metroid Fusion takes place after Super Metroid. On planet SR388, the Metroids had been the top predators, and with them gone the ecosystem was thrown completely out of balance. Samus was hired to protect some Federation scientists who were studying the recovery of the SR-388 ecosystem. While they were on the planet, Samus was infected with an X Parasite. She was rushed back to Federation Headquarters with a minimal chance of survival. It had recently been discovered that the Chozo had created the Metroids to prey upon the X Parasites, which were dominating the ecosystem of SR-388. Using this information, the Federation saved Samus by injecting her with a vaccine made of a DNA sample from the last Metroid.
Later in Metroid Fusion, it was revealed that the Federation had a secret Metroid breeding program going, presumably based on clones of the last Metroid. The program was destroyed by a powerful X Parasite mimic of Samus, the SA-X. The entire section was detached from the station and ejected into space, just after Samus escaped, completely destroying the Federation's research.
However, one Metroid seemed to escape this fate and went on to metamorphose into an Omega Metroid; in the item-collecting post-game, cocoons from the metroid's evolution similar to those in Metroid II can be found in various areas in the map. Samus discovers the fully evolved omega metroid as she heads back to her ship to escape the space station. It attacks Samus and lowers her health down to critical levels(a similar situation to that in the final battle with Mother Brain in Super Metroid). However, an SA-X that Samus defeated earlier appears and begins attacking the Omega Metroid; the Metroid attacks it and it reverts back into a Core-X. Samus absorbs it to restore her suit's abilities, including her desperately needed (at this point) ice beam, and manages to destroy the Omega Metroid before leaving the space station.
Due to the amount of Metroid cocoons it seems this wasn't the only metroid that escaped the lab, although they too would have been destroyed by the colony's destruction.
[edit] Cameos
- A creature bearing a startling resemblance to the Metroid appears in Kid Icarus, and is called Komatayo. In the game manual, the enemy is described as "A mysterious floating creature. Nobody knows where it came from. One theory has it that it came from a planet other than Earth. It's a nasty jellyfish monster." The Name Komayto in the original Japanese is short for "Kometoroido", which may be translated as "Baby Metroid".
- Another resemblance can be seen in the water areas in the NES game, Blaster Master. This resemblance may be to use a jellyfish design for one of the underwater enemies, thus a seeming relationship to Metroid larva.
- In Kirby's Dream Land 3 there is a level with several Metroids in it. If a player kills them all (by freezing, as in the Metroid series), Samus takes off her helmet at the end of the level, otherwise she simply stands by the goal.
- A Metroid trophy is available in Super Smash Bros. Melee.
- In the Japanese PC freeware game Doukutsu Monogatari, the Grasstown area features jellyfish creatures that are very similar in appearance to Metroids.
- In WarioWare: Twisted!, one mini game involves having to tilt the GBA and fire Samus' gun to destroy Rippers, Weavers, and keep away a Metroid that tries to latch onto her.
- In WarioWare: Touched! for the Nintendo DS, one of the microgames features one, two, or three Metroids (depending on the difficulty level) that attempt to cling on to Samus. The player must use the stylus to drag the Metroids off her to keep her alive until time expires.
- In Wario Land 2, there is a Metroid as a level treasure.
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In Mega Man 2 for the NES, in Bubble Man's level, there are robots in the underwater section of the stage that bear an identifiable, but still distant, resemblance to Metroids, with three fangs on the bottom and a clear dome encasing robotic components that look somewhat like a Metroid's nuclei. (See image) Whether this is a quasi-hidden tribute by Capcom to Nintendo, a coincidence, or some other possibility is unknown.
In Mega Man 2, Bubble Man's level, there are robots that resemble Metroids. - In The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo 64, inside Jabu Jabu's belly level, there are larger versions of the jellyfish monsters called "bari" that have a very close resemblance to metroids, such as two sets of mandibles, translucent jelly fish like shape and three internal nuclei.
- In Animal Crossing: Wild World, it is possible to get a Metroid item from Gulliver, the Seagull, who flies around in space in a UFO and can be shot down with a slingshot.
- In the computer animated T.V. series Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, a creature similar to Metroid appeared in the episode "Who's Your Mommy?".
- In the Playstation game Silhouette Mirage, in the battle between Shyna Nera Shyna and Clod, Clod unleashes energy draining squids that act like Metroids and slightly resembles them as well.
- In the P2P version of RuneScape there is a monster called a Spinner during the void knight minigame that looks very similar to a Metroid. They are jellyfish-like with long mandibles and three red nuclei.
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