Games - Metroid

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Metroids are a fictional species of alien predators in the video game series of the same name, originating from the fictional planet SR-388. 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. According to the Metroid Fusion instruction manual, the Metroids were created by the Chozo to stem the spread of the X Parasites and "Metroid" is the Chozo word for "ultimate warrior".

Physiology and morphology

The body of infant Metroids consists of a thick gelatinous membrane, resembling a solid jellyfish, which contains a set of three red, raspberry-like nuclei. They have two pairs of mandibles, one for gripping their prey while the other extracts its life energy. In early stages of their development, Metroids hover in the air. Metroid Prime 2 explains that they defy gravity by using kinetic energy they store in their body. These larval Metroids are the ones most often encountered in the Metroid games.

Metroid larvae 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 are known to finish their victims in a matter of seconds. 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. They have only one real weakness: an extreme sensitivity to cold temperatures. Once their membrane is frozen it can be shattered by concussive weaponry (such as missiles), killing the Metroid.

In their natural life cycle (as seen in Metroid II and the ends of Metroid Fusion and Metroid Prime), Metroids gradually metamorphose to take a somewhat reptilian form, growing a hard organic shell, a head, and eventually limbs. This shell removes their weakness to cold temperatures, but most forms retain a section of weak, uncovered larval membrane, making them vulnerable to well-aimed missiles at normal temperatures. 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. As they grow, Metroids also gain the ability to project bolts of static electricity and spit their toxic saliva as attacks.

When mutated by Phazon (as seen in the Metroid Prime games), larval Metroids retain their jellyfish-like appearance while growing long energy-draining tentacles, becoming vulnerable to certain energy weapons, or experiencing other unusual mutations. (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.

The Metroids live on a mysterious energy that they drain from their victims. No one has been able to figure out just what it is — no blood or other body fluids are lost during a Metroid attack, but the Metroids grow larger on it and the victim dies without it. As of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, this energy is referred to as life energy. The Space Pirates are quite interested in this ability. Metroids are stated to be energy-based organisms, and they increase in mass even as they drain energy. They will attack any species besides their own, including Space Pirates, which leads to some amusing scenes in Metroid Prime.

Metroids can also feed off the energy used by Samus' Power Suit, which will protect Samus herself as long as it is active. As both the Metroids and the Power Suit were created by the Chozo, this seems to indicate some interesting connections. The Power Suit may have been specifically designed to resist a Metroid attack. It may also be powered by the same "life energy" that Metroids drain, or possibly a synthetic version of it.

Besides draining life energy from victims, Metroids also have the ability to transfer stored up life energy into another lifeform, healing them. Federation scientists were greatly interested in this aspect of the Metroids, as it promised to be a significant breakthrough in medical science. This avenue of research was lost when the lone remaining Metroid was kidnapped by Space Pirates and later destroyed

In Super Metroid, imperfect Metroid clones, called Mochtroids, live in the Maridia sector of Zebes. They are very weak and vulnerable to conventional weapons, and cannot grip their prey when attempting to feed. These creatures also appear in the demo, Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt.

Also, in Metroid Prime Hunters, there is a creature called a Quadroid that was genetically created from leech and lizard DNA. The creature resembles a Metroid in that it has a large green membrane holding nuclei similar to a Metroid, but is different from a Metroid in that it crawls on the ground and has a tail. This creature could have been created by the Chozo alongside the Metroid or the Metroid could have been a result of the Quadroid's genetics. It could possibly be a hybrid of the Quadroid and some floating creature, maybe a Petrasyl.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Metroid (species) ]

Games - Metroid

Physiology and morphology

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