Latest Posts by nerdy-the-artist - Page 3

Honestly, I would love to have some game that really fleshes out how much the Space Pirates scare the galaxy. The Urtraghians especially would work great in that role of trying to literally sniff you out and discover you. Honestly, more games could do with a horror game in that sort of style to flesh out their antagonist factions. Metroid kinda lacks a bit of stakes some times. There’s vague allusions to conquering the galaxy, but I think the game to do the individual consequence aspect was Metroid Prime 3. Having a game that centers around that “human” aspect of a piratical assault would do some good to establish what Samus is saving the good people of the Galaxy from.

Additionally, I think it could have some catharsis in ending the game with Samus arriving just in the nic of time and absolutely destroying the Space Pirates. It could even help to really show how much of a hero and symbol of hope the galaxy sees her as.

what would YOUR ideal METROID spinoff look like?

funny answer: a metroid-hatching tamagotchi clone, drawing from the metroid life cycle and variants to create branching evolutionary paths. raise your own metroid! feed it x parasite snacks! try not to die horribly!

real answer: I think it's unbelievable they haven't tried to make a horror game in the metroid universe. like it would be so easy to have a full game where the power suit is completely offline, or (if nintendo was really willing to experiment) having some kind of civilian protagonist separate from samus, but still placed in similar peril. I guess I'm basically just describing alien: isolation, but GOD could you imagine how good a ridley horror chase scene would be

Made a little edit of basically all of the footage we have of Sylux himself (song is “Psycho” by DHeusta)

Your life is nothing! You serve zero goodness! You should kill yourself NOW! And give somebody else a piece of that soul energy that’s here so we can live inside this spinning dust storm galaxy. Cuz what are you here for? To worship the Chozo? Kill yourself! I mean that with 100%, with 1,000%.

After the events of Fusion, Noxus learned that Samus had Metroid DNA (I have different ideas as to how), and realized it was destiny; He is a Judicator-wielding Vhozon who helped slay Metroids, and came into conflict with Samus Aran multiple times, believing during one incident that the Federation could not be trusted with an ultimate power she was attempting to secure. Noxus believed it was his duty to slay the last Metroid, and bring peace to the galaxy; Its DNA could not be trusted to fall into anyone's hands, least of all the Federation's after Adam helped leak its corruption. The Metroid must be destroyed completely.

Cue a confrontation in which Noxus is more of a threat than before because of Samus' new Metroid-inherited weakness to ice. And when murdering her himself isn’t quite working, Noxus remembers that Samus is still someone with a strong sense of justice that often overlaps with the Vhozon codex, in many ways he sees her as simply misguided. And thus someone whose sense of justice he can appeal to…

So Noxus suggests to Samus that she should just let herself die right here, right now, to save the galaxy; She understands the threat the Metroid poses, and she would sacrifice herself in a more conventional mission to save everyone. Why risk it, except to let herself enjoy a selfishly dangerous existence??? Adam tells Samus within her helmet not to listen to Noxus; You deserve to live too.

And in the end this episodic arc is meant to reiterate, it’s meant to be Samus practicing, a lesson she’s trying to internalize for herself after the events of Fusion, after the guilt and self-loathing she’s accumulated after so many loved ones’ deaths. Because damn Noxus is almost like the devil on her shoulder (ironic given his Holier than Thou personality; And Vhozon parallels to Christian extremism and the belief that suicide is a sin) making it sound real tempting to Samus to just kill herself.

She doesn’t even have to do it herself, someone will do it for her! Insisting it’s actually better for people Samus cares about if she’s dead, so this isn’t selfish but selfless, and vice-versa!!! So once again Samus is grappling with continuing to apply this lesson of self-worth because that’s the exhausting truth; You will relapse and you will have to constantly remind yourself and relearn that same lesson over and over again. That’s life, that’s the banal truth behind living, but there’s also a deep wonder behind it as well.

But in contrast to this, Noxus is essentially telling Samus:

I personally doubt we’ll see Adam in Beyond. Other M is a direct follow-up to Super, which the calendar year listed in the trailer implies took place prior (though, with all the inconsistencies in timelines, that’s not exactly definitive). Adam dies there, and isn’t seen again until his AI recreation in Fusion, after Samus’s suit gets diced up to remove the X parasite attempting to consume her. Given that we see the after effects of that in Dread but not Beyond, it’s safe to assume this game takes place before Fusion, leaving no room for Adam Malkovich to show up save for some obituary or something of the like. It would be nice to see a little Easter egg in Samus’s gunship of Adam’s helmet she retrieved at the end of Other M, though.

Of course, whether we should be adhering to Other M for canon is its whole other debate that I shall not be delving into right now.

Sometimes I wonder if Admiral Dane could’ve been replaced by Adam Malkovich for Corruption, since we already knew about his character’s past with Samus and even got a glimpse of him in the Zero Mission manga. I feel like that would’ve actually endeared the original, human Adam to fans, more than Other M ever did… That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if Sakamoto said no because that’s his character, whom he already had plans and a specific vision + game in mind for. So Retro Studios had to make up Dane, who ended up becoming an actual fan favorite and often compared to Adam as the superior Federation commander to Samus. Maybe Adam can show up in Beyond with a different studio writing him this time.

Kraid’s belly spikes are just high velocity owl pellets.

The Omega Metroid having the time of its life when the BSL’s gravity generators fail.

In the original Metroid 2, all stages of Metroid could fly, except the Queen, and even that example might’ve just been limited by a cramped room. The same could’ve applied to Fusion’s depiction of the Omega; But by Samus Returns (and I guess Other M), the Metroids have been retconned as losing flight capabilities past the Gamma stage. And even the Gamma’s flight has become limited; Presumably because its weight has become too cumbersome for its propulsive force, which hasn’t increased with each stage, to support.

In other words, gravity. But this makes me wonder; Could the Metroid’s method of propelling itself still exist, and it just isn’t strong enough anymore? Could the Queen still have that trait, vestigial as it is? And what if gravity was not there to tether a Metroid down to a surface?

We know Metroids can survive in the vacuum of space, so imagine seeing a Zeta, Omega, and even Queen Metroid flying there. They’d still be much slower than the preceding stages, but they’d still be able to move and navigate at all, just like in the original game. and that terrifies me. Imagine the Omega Metroid in Fusion escaping the BSL through the open hangar; Though it’d probably be stranded in space and if SR388’s explosion didn’t reach it, it’d have starved before finding a food source because space is vast. But man imagine the Federation employing a Metroid space fleet…!

I know this never happened in the games or any outside material, but what if frozen Metroids just… fell? Imagine shooting one with the ice beam and it just hits the floor with a nice *clunk*. Obey the laws of gravity, weirdo.

Idea

Vampires aren’t afraid of the sunlight. Oh, they know how deadly it is to them, but they do not fear it. They long for it. The longer they live for, the stronger that urge becomes. At the end of their life, with nothing left to lose, they stand outside and stare at the sun, just taking in that primal, human joy that humans are supposed to experience. They deteriorate quickly by that point, but they don’t care. It’s nice to just see the sun again.

To add a little fine detail to this, I like to think that Gandrayda’s whole shapeshifting ability needs a not insignificant amount of sourced energy. She would need to, say, tap into a ship’s power grid and siphon some energy out before transforming.

So imagine that scene aboard the Mothership where she reveals herself to Samus happening soon after a power flicker that cuts the lights out for a second, then it happens again as she leaves. Could be a really interesting tell for when she’s present, having a mini power outage.

Of course, with the PED equipped, that energy can be sourced from the Phazon growing inside of her, making her all the more deadly and capable. There’s no tell any more, no indication that she’s in your midst.

Headcanon that Gandrayda's been employed by the Federation as a spy for a long while; Specifically, to keep tabs on the Space Pirates. She was the one who reported that Mother Brain was responsible for controlling the Metroids, and with her destruction, the Metroids would turn on the Space Pirates, hence why they're used and prioritized a lot less in Prime and Echoes, and have a tendency to turn on their 'owners'.

(As for why we see Metroids feeding on Space Pirates in Zero Mission, it's because Mother Brain is a cruel entity who rules through fear and needs to feed her bioweapons; She doesn't mind disposing of lesser pawns, especially if some of them doubt her authority.)

If Metroid were to have a story adaptation... During the Zero Suit portion of the first game, Samus would find herself cornered at one point by Space Pirates; Only for one of their own to turn on them, shooting them down. Said Space Pirate reveals themselves as the spy the Galactic Federation alluded to, the one who dropped all of this key intel regarding the Space Pirates' Metroid operation.

Gandrayda isn't explicitly identified, not yet; But her wink, the way she calls Samus 'Sammy' and her leitmotif at the end; These hint to that. Plus, maybe she can take the form of an Urtraghus Space Pirate, adding to the implication and to allude to how Gandrayda debuted in Corruption and did take such an appearance there. Maybe the Space Pirates would have a more mixed army pulling from all the species we've seen, or they'd operate separately and in their own sectors, requiring Gandrayda to imitate a Zebesian idk.

The main reason why the Federation didn't notify Samus of Gandrayda is that she wasn't supposed to be on Zebes during the Zero Mission; She was stationed on the Space Pirate Mothership, which was locked in battle with Adam's fleet elsewhere (as shown in the manga). But when Ridley received news of Samus' infiltration of Zebes, he immediately flew the mothership back to that planet; Hence why in-game, he arrives about halfway through. Gandrayda stayed with the Space Pirates she'd infiltrated.

Otherwise, the Federation would've notified Samus of their spy on Zebes; Because they wouldn't want her to accidentally kill such a key asset. Plus they'd explain to Samus that the spy will introduce themselves as Gandrayda, since the Space Pirates don't know about her yet, but may suspect a spy; This is to play it safe so Samus knows she can trust whoever she comes across, because communications with the Federation are cut off on Zebes due to Mother Brain's monitoring and ability to intercept (This required Gandrayda to get off-planet to report intel).

But Gandrayda was supposed to be on the Mothership, which Adam was supposed to destroy after she fled through an escape pod, so none of these instructions were required at the time. So after saving Samus, Gandrayda leaves to maintain her cover, not bothering to elaborate on her exact identity. It's only in a future episode, somewhere between the games and before Corruption, that this Space Pirate spy is elaborated on to be a shapeshifting bounty hunter.

Gandrayda ends up playing a key role in saving the galaxy, acting as a turning point for the Federation's victory, much in the same way Samus herself did; Unlike other hunters like Rundas or Ghor (no offense), Gandrayda and Samus were both responsible for key, specific actions that nobody else could've done. And these actions shifted the tide drastically, changed the playing field definitively.

As a result, Gandrayda considers herself just as much the Hero of Zebes as Samus is to the rest of the galaxy; She can literally be the 'Hero of Zebes' herself by turning into Samus. And this helps drive her one-sided rivalry with Samus, especially since... Gandrayda can't take credit the way Samus does.

Not that Samus tries to; But in the end she's recognizable, she's a unique bounty hunter with iconic armor that anyone can see at a distance. She CAN be stealthy but she's also just as capable at blasting her way through an entire planet. Being well-known helps her career, it creates a bogeyman to terrify the Space Pirates, and a symbol of hope for the galaxy that the Federation can always remember if they're out of all other options.

Gandrayda can't be that; She's best suited as a spy, an infiltrator. Someone people don't notice, someone most of the galaxy, and even the Space Pirates, don't know about; So they can't suspect that someone they know they can trust has actually been impersonated by Gandrayda. She's meant to lurk in the shadows, she doesn't go the big and explosive, glamorous work. Her entire gimmick is being unrecognized, what is she without that?

And this feeds into this deep-down inferiority complex and resentment, including towards Samus. Not that she ever externalized it... Until Corruption, when Dark Samus took control and brought out the worst of Gandrayda through Phazon. That was when she actually revealed herself to the Space Pirates, many of whom still feared Gandrayda as secretly fooling their god into believing she was on their side; Not that they'd ever openly doubt Dark Samus' own evaluation of using Gandrayda. And it turned out they had nothing to worry about, alas... But the fear was in a way a form of recognition, validation even, for Gandrayda. She was otherwise a secret even to most of the Federation military, with only the upper echelons knowing of her.

Given how much we roll with Samus having a ton of self-loathing due to the deaths of so many loved ones by the time of Fusion... Let's do even more with that.

The SA-X is terrifying, and part of that comes from it being a soulless, unspeaking, automaton; Samus without any of the soul. But we also know the X can copy memories, and granted it's possible the X never got to access Samus' brain, and wouldn't have those as the SA-X.

But what if they still somehow did? We know there's more than one SA-X; About ten, Adam calculates. So maybe one of them is cold and unfeeling... But what if another is Samus' own self-loathing personified, externalized?

The X are clever; What if this SA-X voices all of Samus' doubts towards her. Tortures her psychologically to throw Samus off her game, because the X know that self-doubt can cause more intelligent creatures to underperform. What if we have an SA-X that asks aloud all the questions that Samus hates about herself; If she's such a hero, why are so many of her friends and family dead? Why does she destroy everything she touches?

This plays into Samus' self-destructive action in blowing up the BSL with herself aboard, because she's convinced herself she can't do anything right, so it doesn't matter if this doesn't actually eradicate the X on SR388. And then Adam, this computerized copy who is supposed to be cold logic, actually speaks through to Samus by acting more objective and reminding her; There are other ways to do this, and you don't need to die. And then he begins to rediscover himself.

And it's like a parallel because computer Adam is also a clone copying the memories and personality of an original, albeit a manmade, digital mimic. And Adam and the SA-X start off as cold and unfeeling, but then rediscover emotions; In the SA-X's case, they're cruel and ultimately meant more as a parroted echo of Samus' self-hatred, for an ulterior, practical motive of defeating the enemy at any cost. For Adam, it's him learning to live and love again, and save a friend from the fate he technically already went through, and can't truly come back from.

But yeah, imagine the SA-X constantly guilt-tripping Samus... Bringing up her parents, and then Gray Voice. Not to mention Rundas, Ghor, and Gandrayda. The Metroids, especially the Infant. Zebes. Adam Malkovich. Belittling, dismissing, undermining Samus' achievements, insisting those she did help and save, like the Luminoth or Old Bird, will follow suit eventually. She became Ridley when she eradicated the Ing, who just wanted to survive, and left only one baby Metroid alive.

It gaslights Samus, which adds to the paranoia of not knowing what to believe, what's real, with the X mimicking things and the Federation lying to Samus; Plus her projecting Adam onto what she believed was just a computer. She's really going through it, and for a while it's actually working in throwing Samus off of her game, and she already lost all her upgrades!

It's basically Samus fighting her inner demons; Not just this caricature of her as something that is only a weapon and destroyer, but her own feelings of inadequacy, the guilt, the loneliness, the tendency to push others away for fear of hurting them too. And the suicidal ideation. And eventually she conquers both of these takes on her that actually go hand in hand, and comes out stronger with her identity rediscovered and reclaimed, hence the removal of the helmet to reveal Samus within, and her Fusion suit resembling the classic Varia color scheme now.

Alright this is so great. Honestly, I’m not sure why I had never considered that possibility that Raven Beak already had samples of Metroid biological material and they were simply destroyed during the outbreak. That makes perfect sense. It certainly plugs the hole of “why did the Mawkin return to ZDR without any Metroid samples?” This certainly fits that and makes it much more understandable. Plus it helps the X seems far more intelligent but seeking out and destroying mere genetic material, not even a reproduced Metroid, because they knew the danger it could pose if the Metroids were reproduced. Plus the idea that they had been keeping track of their numbers and the Metroids were inexplicably reproducing makes the Chozo seem more intelligent and adds a layer of Dread to the situation. Having things go wrong is all the more terrifying when you did make failsafes, but those failsafes didn’t stop the problem.

Overall, good stuff here.

I like to think the Thoha Chozo had a very Jurassic Park moment when dealing with the Metroids' rebellion on SR388. Think of it this way; You need a bioweapon that can destroy the X, so you take DNA from a wide variety of other organisms on SR388, and splice them into a perfect chimera. You'll need a lot of these, so you program this creature to undergo mitosis when exposed to beta-rays. That way, your machines only need to create one 'Metroid' from scratch, and then it can be used to spawn the rest.

But here's the thing; After the Metroids devour the X, they start to transform and mutate. Turns out, using the DNA of other creatures has caused additional traits, originally deactivated in the creation process, to emerge thanks to the unique conditions of SR388. This results in them mutating into the Alpha, Gamma, Zeta, and finally Omega stages.

This isn't hopeless though, far from it; Unlike the X, the Metroids aren't natural creatures and can't reproduce on their own. They need beta-rays, and/or the device that spawned the original Metroid. Since SR388 doesn't have any natural source of beta-rays, all you have to do is turn off the devices that emit them, and the original Metroid creator, and there! The Metroid population will always be the same.

From there you just need to destroy them one by one, and luckily the Mawkin have showed up to help; Normally your relationship with them is suspicious to the point of programming Metroids to be hostile towards Mawkin, for fear they would exploit the 'Ultimate Warrior' as a weapon. But instead, the Mawkin seem to have some genuine heart and are helping you handle the threat, and you need all the help you can get.

You accept them and conveniently don't bring up the anti-Mawkin programming, because as far as they can tell this aggression is indistinguishable from how metamorphosis has made the Metroids hostile towards you, their creators. Progress is slow yet tangible, and you keep track of how many Metroids the Mawkin have killed, and compare that number to the Metroids you created and cloned. You reach that number, and can now rest easy.

...Then you hear a report of a Metroid attack, and something definitely isn't right. How is there another Metroid, you killed all of them, you kept track of their numbers and everything! Is there something wrong with the original tally? It's not as if the Mawkin could've been mistaken on whether they killed a Metroid or not... But just in case, you engineer devices that absorb Metroid DNA whenever they die, just to have physical evidence; Otherwise, Metroids disintegrate completely upon death, so there's no physical 'proof' to reassure yourselves with.

The Mawkin keep finding more and more Metroids and now you're baffled. You check the original Metroid creation machine and it hasn't been used since the first and only time; But you take it apart, in case... Someone's been making Metroids behind your back, somehow? But the numbers keep continuing. You take apart all your beta-ray emitters, but there are still more Metroids. Is Raven Beak creating Metroids behind your back? But why let his soldiers die to them?

You scan SR388 for any beta radiation, and then you find a big one deep underground. You send Mawkin soldiers to investigate it, and only one makes it back alive. You thought the Omega was the final stage in the Metroid lifecycle; But somehow, another one emerged. Of the many species whose DNA was used to create the Metroids, one of them relied upon a lone queen to produce offspring. Another was capable of emitting its own beta-rays.

You know how some real-life animals, if there isn't a member of the opposite sex, will adapt by having a few transform into that sex so reproduction can occur? Something similar happened with the Metroids. Without a source of beta-rays, one of their own mutated into a Queen capable of emitting beta-rays within her own body, which she uses to produce eggs that hatch into newborn Metroids. And this Metroid Queen has been filling in the ranks that the Mawkin have attempted to deplete. And now the original number of Metroids that the Thoha cloned has been exceeded.

At this point, the Metroids are too numerous and powerful to defeat. But they haven't ventured to the surface of SR388, being isolated to its caverns; So you opt to seal away the Metroids by filling passageways with poisonous water. In case anyone is foolish enough to try releasing all of them at once, you program these Chozo Seal mechanisms to require a certain amount of Metroid DNA to divert the poison; This way, the Metroid population needs to be lowered to access more. And this acts as a way to gauge if those who come back to destroy the Metroids for good are competent enough to get the job done, and don't just end up releasing all of the creatures onto SR388 in their failed attempt.

That last bit is important, because you and the Mawkin plan to retreat back to ZDR, and gather more weapons, troops, and resources to return to SR388 and properly destroy the Metroids this time; Because now they know about the Queen. Theoretically, the Chozo could just destroy the planet... But they want to minimize destruction, so confronting the Metroids head-on will spare the rest of the ecosystem, as was the intention.

Alas, seeing the continued power and adaptability of the Metroids on display has intrigued Raven Beak; He finds their potential impressive, and has changed his mind. It's been deduced that the source DNA of the Metroids reacted to the environmental stimuli of SR388, the world that evolved and nurtured those organisms. But without the cradle of SR388, the source DNA will not thrive, and will not activate the other suppressed traits; Larval Metroids can't access the rest of their life cycle in any other environment.

ZDR has powerful biomechanical supercomputers called Central Units, which have telepathic abilities that enable them to control machines; Given larval Metroids were designed to respond to Chozo commands, and the use of Chozo DNA in the organic aspect of the Central Units, these AI can be used to control larval Metroids. As long as Metroids of more developed stages aren't present to rally them -the authority of Alphas and beyond will naturally override any Central Unit's- the larval forms will remain obedient.

And while the larval Metroid is just the tip of an iceberg the Thoha had never intended, what they did intend was already incredibly dangerous and powerful in and of itself, being designed to combat the deadly X and the many forms they could assimilate. So Raven Beak wouldn't need his Metroid army to metamorphose beyond their larval stage; The first form was sufficiently powerful, especially with beta-rays to clone their numbers into the thousands, far beyond the original population of SR388.

Raven Beak slaughters all but one of the Thoha, leaving you, Quiet Robe, alive. He brings you back with him and the rest of the Mawkin to ZDR, as well as the Metroid DNA samples his soldiers acquired; A return trip to SR388 is no longer necessary, and Raven Beak is fine with that planet being overrun by Metroids resistant to his control, but otherwise unable to access other worlds. But amidst the chaos, a lone X emerged from hiding while the Metroids were busy fighting the Mawkin, and infected one of the latter. This parasite stowed away, returning to ZDR with the rest of the Chozo.

And without any Metroids on ZDR, it felt safe to reveal itself in Elun and begin infecting the rest of the tribe, resulting in a years-long war and quarantine effort between the Mawkin and X. The Mawkin attempted to clone Metroids using the DNA samples they had, but the X were intelligent and could absorb their victims' memories; They predicted this move, and were able to move quickly enough to destroy all Metroid DNA on ZDR before any of their predators could be cloned. Without any methods to destroy the X short of blowing up the planet itself, all but one of the Mawkin would end up infected -karma- before Raven Beak finally isolated the parasites within Elun, somehow.

There's no DNA samples to create Metroids from, not anymore. And you can't build another Metroid from scratch, not without the DNA of the original SR388 creatures that went into it... But you can definitely build beta-ray emitters. And there are still plenty of Metroid larvae back on SR388 to clone directly, instead of the more roundabout process; So Raven Beak flies the Itorash back to SR388... And finds a bunch of rubble where the planet used to be.

Eventually he puts together that the human warrior he helped Old Bird and Gray Voice hybridize blew up the whole damn planet, finishing what her fellow Thoha started. His plans to conquer the galaxy with Metroids is screwed, they're all extinct with any DNA samples eradicated. That is, until Raven Beak finds out that his "daughter" Samus has Metroid DNA, thanks to the Galactic Federation, and the very X that spawned the Metroids' existence (and yet also delayed Raven Beak's plans by infecting his entire tribe).

And now, after all that effort in creating and then trying to destroy the Metroids, you have to bring them back using the person who helped you destroy them. Or, maybe not... Over your dead body! Which turns out to be literal when an X absorbs your corpse and then helps Samus awaken her Metroid DNA by siccing the remaining EMMIs back on her. How did you even get to this point again???

How I would implement each type of Space Pirate

Given the variety of Space Pirate types (species?) at their disposal, I figured I would make an effort to maximize their usage and find specific niches for each of them. Of course, each variety of Space Pirate will be predominantly featured in the games they appeared (IE Zebesians will be the main enemy encountered in my rewrite of Zero Mission) but I’d like to sprinkle some other variants throughout each story. To that end, here’s the different roles I would have each Space Pirate variant fill.

Firstly, I don’t think I’m gonna use the Metroid Prime 2 Echoes Space Pirates. Their design just… doesn’t fit in with the others. That will likely disappoint many of you, but that’s just what I’m doing. Feel free to tell me how you would implement them in the comments or in a reblog.

Zebesians-Security/Sentries

These guys are known for their ability to crawl along walls and leap great distances. They also lack any obvious prehensile appendages, making the operation of extraneous equipment difficult. In the games they appear in, they are usually seen patrolling corridors and shafts for Samus. To that end, I feel like treating them as guards for the many Space Pirate facilities therein would be a good use of them.

Metroid Prime Space Pirates-Technology operators/pilots

These guys are synonymous with Metroid Prime’s story of insatiable technological aspiration. To that end, these guys could be tasking with piloting fighter crafts, setting up weapons emplacements, testing out prototypes (such as the beam troopers), or simply conducting dangerous research. There isn’t really any noticeable affinity for any specific line of work for these Space Pirates, so they can be a sort of Jack of all trades type that can be slotted into any role needed by High Command.

Urtraghians-Hunter Killers/Trackers/Raiders

As I have stated before, the Urtraghians’ eel like visage evokes that of a predator, a bogeyman for the Galaxy. To that end, these guys could make for good trackers, using their enhanced sensory capabilities to track their quarry with precision. They could also be used to intimidate underlings and captives into submission, given their sharp teeth and reputation for consuming disloyal members of their own species. I could almost imagine them like the Zorgons from Zathura, insatiable, predatory spacers terrorizing the innocent.

Federation Force Pirates-Heavy Infantry

Canonically, these guys are massive, and I would imagine they have the durability to match. I think the obvious choice for them is to be a heavy enemy type akin to the Hunters in Halo or closer to the Barons of Hell in Doom. They are deadly behemoths that you don’t wanna get close to, especially with that energy blade able to cleave you in two with ease. Hell, you could say that these things have a habit slurping up the insides of their victims with their proboscis. Creepy stuff.

Metroid Prime 4 Beyond Space Pirates-Elite Soldiers/Shock Troops

Metroid Prime 4 Beyond hasn’t released yet, so this designation is tentative. We may, and likely will, get some further details to flesh out this new variety of Space Pirates in full, with habits, specialties, and story telling beats making this new variety more unique. Until then, my temporary role for them is to be shock troops and warriors for the Space Pirate empire. Their ornamental and intimidating armor, combined with their tall stance and seeming pride, makes them an ideal candidate for the soldiers of the Space Pirates, capable of getting any mission done… except when it involves killing The Hunter. But when she’s not there, they’ve got it handled!



Space Pirate Design Ranking

The Metroid series has a boatload of different designs, completely changing between every game except the 2D iterations. Some think it’s simple design inconsistency, others think that they’re different genetic manipulations of the same species, while others (including myself) are of the opinion that the Space Pirates are a collective made up of various species. Today, I’ll be ranking these designs based on what they convey and, simply, what I think is cool and aesthetically pleasing. For the sake of simplicity, I’ll only be ranking the standard Space Pirate variant of each game, the “core enemy type” if you will. And yes, Metroid Prime 4 Beyond is here, though its place in the ranking is subject to change as we get more closer looks.

7. Metroid Prime 2 Echoes

Some people may consider this a sin to put so low on the list but, to me, this really just doesn’t fit the whole vibe of the Space Pirates, especially in the Prime series. In the Metroid Prime saga, the Space Pirates are an authoritarian empire who recklessly abuse technological advancement for the sake of domination. This just… doesn’t say that. It’s a good design, don’t get me wrong, but this really looks like some weird skeleton knight. I could see this crawling out of some crypt to seek vengeance, not descending from a space ship to plunder. For that reason, I gotta put this guy in last place.

6th place: Metroid Prime Federation Force

For many of the problems Metroid Prime 2’s design has, I think Federation Force remedies… and then makes the opposite mistakes. Federation Force’s Space Pirate design is, canonically, around the same height as Metroid Prime’s Omega Pirate. Why make mechs for your game if you’re just gonna scale the enemies up anyway is anyone’s guess. With that in mind, I kinda like this as a heavy unit for the Space Pirates, but the center of this design just is a bit hard to look at. I love the limbs and the inclusion of the iconic Prime Pirate energy blade. There’s a mix of fleshy joints and tough, metal plating that I enjoy, I actually like the bright red eyes as well, especially for a heavy unit. But the carapace around it just feels… it’s kinda hard to look at. That mouth, as well, is just a bit too buggy and lacks expressiveness. Really, that’s my edict on this thing. Good extremities, but lacks expression and is generally tough to look at. Still, I imagine someone could retool/retexture this thing to be a real banger of a design.

5th place: Metroid Other M

From here on, these designs are ones I truly like as Space Pirates. Metroid Other M’s Space Pirate design was a tough one to find a good image of. This was about the best one I could find in a cursory search. As far as official designs go, I think this is the best translation of the iconic Zebesian Space Pirate to 3D we’ve ever gotten. There was a small effort made in Prime 2 to bring the claws back, but here there are on full display and they look great. The whole design is, honestly, fantastic. You can see the smooth bands around the limbs and torso, downward pointed jaw, and the big, smooth, blank eyes of the old sprite. The spines on the back and head really add some personal flare to these guys as well, and the whole design has a delightfully cheesy color scheme that I simply adore. I think the series has designs that evoke certain feelings and themes better, but this is certainly a fun looking guy.

4th place: Metroid Prime 3 Corruption

Unlike every other type but the Zebesians, the Space Pirates of Corruption have a distinct name based on the Homeworld we explore, Urtraghians. There is a distinctly pseudo organic bend to these guys, with the textures on the armor plating feeling almost Xenomorphic. However, where I think this design stands out is, of course, the head. The long, pointed teeth clearly visible under the rows of eyes really makes this eel-like head intimidating. You can really imagine the Urtraghians descending from their ships in a city, gunning down innocents and plundering whatever they choose. These animalistic terrors will smell where you’re hiding and drag you out kicking and screaming. It really fits the Space Pirates’ role in the story. From day one, they really have just been a bogeyman for the Federation. We rarely actually see them doing… ya know… pirating. The rampant technological obsession was a concept introduced by the Prime trilogy. As a design for the Bogeyman of the Galaxy, I think the Urtraghians work great.

3. Metroid Prime 4 Beyond

Haha, 3 is for 4 and 4 is for 3. This will be subject to change and many people might not rank them until we get clearer images, but uh… I’m doin it. Beyond’s pirates have a very buggy design, but in a way that’s parallel, not identical, to the Zebesian designs from the 2d games. Their mouth is split into mandibles, they have a hard carapace, and their movements can be jittery and unsettling. The large size of them compared to the Federation personnel seen in the trailer really evokes power and control. Their armor has outward pointed edges and defined pectorals. These are conquerors, proud, undefeatable warriors. The sparseness of it also evokes a sense of confidence, as if they don’t need a full covering when their hardened shell is so superior to weak flesh. It’s almost ornamental in a way. (Though someone should remind them they lost in every previous fight against Samus). Their mandibular maws, hunched backs, double thumbed hands, and digitigrade stance (standing on their toes with their heels off the ground) also evokes a certain other core enemy type in a sci fi shooter.

I’m going to leave it here for now as I have some other stuff to get to at the moment and I Forgor the image limit on Tumblr posts. I’ll get the ranking for the final (first?) two designs by the end of today. Then, I might make a post about what roles I’d fit these different species into for my own storytelling purposes.

Space Pirate Design Ranking Part 2

2nd place: 2D Sprite/classic Zebesian

I’m grouping all of the original game sprites from the OG all the way up to Zero Mission together as they have very little differences, and with how pixelated they are, those differences really don’t amount to anything more than a slight change in position or fidelity. The Zebesian Space Pirate design is a classic. I had seen the 2D cosplay of a Zebesian before I was even a Metroid fan and always thought it looked cool. There’s an intimidating factor to it with its hunched posture and agility. The “big snappy lobster claws”, as FatBrett so eloquently put it, make them instantly recognizable. The heads also feel very serious and intimidating, with the downward curve and alert gaze. You get the sense that these guys take their role seriously. They are good at what they do, no nonsense professionals.

And for the winner!

1st place: Metroid Prime

These guys are just fantastic. Sure, it can be argued that they’re a bit generic, but I think the sense of identity and visual storytelling that these guys bring to the table just takes the cake for me. Firstly, the addition of the arm mounted energy blades is really cool, and giving a standardized “tool of the trade”, so to speak, does a good bit to make them more unified. In previous entries, unless you looked at a manual, you couldn’t really tell where the fauna stopped and the Space Pirate menace you were sent to eradicate began. Metroid Prime, however, makes that distinction exceedingly clear. In addition, the inclusion of the metal crudely grafted into their bodies really does a good bit to sell the portrayal of the Space Pirates’s modus operandi of going as far as possible with scientific advancement with zero ethical limitations, all in the name of gaining a combat advantage over all that would seek to stop their conquests. The storytelling here is really a thing of wonder. For more on that, I recommend FatBrett’s video on the Space Pirates in Metroid Prime. It goes into more detail here than I will here.

Regardless, all of these designs are, at the very least, good. They all have things going for them that I truly dig. From the immense storytelling of Metroid Prime’s Space Pirates, to the intimidating skeletal appearance of the Echoes Pirates, to the back pointing spines of Other M’s Zebesians, there is always something to like about the designs of the core infantry of the Space Pirates.

Space Pirate Design Ranking

The Metroid series has a boatload of different designs, completely changing between every game except the 2D iterations. Some think it’s simple design inconsistency, others think that they’re different genetic manipulations of the same species, while others (including myself) are of the opinion that the Space Pirates are a collective made up of various species. Today, I’ll be ranking these designs based on what they convey and, simply, what I think is cool and aesthetically pleasing. For the sake of simplicity, I’ll only be ranking the standard Space Pirate variant of each game, the “core enemy type” if you will. And yes, Metroid Prime 4 Beyond is here, though its place in the ranking is subject to change as we get more closer looks.

7. Metroid Prime 2 Echoes

Some people may consider this a sin to put so low on the list but, to me, this really just doesn’t fit the whole vibe of the Space Pirates, especially in the Prime series. In the Metroid Prime saga, the Space Pirates are an authoritarian empire who recklessly abuse technological advancement for the sake of domination. This just… doesn’t say that. It’s a good design, don’t get me wrong, but this really looks like some weird skeleton knight. I could see this crawling out of some crypt to seek vengeance, not descending from a space ship to plunder. For that reason, I gotta put this guy in last place.

6th place: Metroid Prime Federation Force

For many of the problems Metroid Prime 2’s design has, I think Federation Force remedies… and then makes the opposite mistakes. Federation Force’s Space Pirate design is, canonically, around the same height as Metroid Prime’s Omega Pirate. Why make mechs for your game if you’re just gonna scale the enemies up anyway is anyone’s guess. With that in mind, I kinda like this as a heavy unit for the Space Pirates, but the center of this design just is a bit hard to look at. I love the limbs and the inclusion of the iconic Prime Pirate energy blade. There’s a mix of fleshy joints and tough, metal plating that I enjoy, I actually like the bright red eyes as well, especially for a heavy unit. But the carapace around it just feels… it’s kinda hard to look at. That mouth, as well, is just a bit too buggy and lacks expressiveness. Really, that’s my edict on this thing. Good extremities, but lacks expression and is generally tough to look at. Still, I imagine someone could retool/retexture this thing to be a real banger of a design.

5th place: Metroid Other M

From here on, these designs are ones I truly like as Space Pirates. Metroid Other M’s Space Pirate design was a tough one to find a good image of. This was about the best one I could find in a cursory search. As far as official designs go, I think this is the best translation of the iconic Zebesian Space Pirate to 3D we’ve ever gotten. There was a small effort made in Prime 2 to bring the claws back, but here there are on full display and they look great. The whole design is, honestly, fantastic. You can see the smooth bands around the limbs and torso, downward pointed jaw, and the big, smooth, blank eyes of the old sprite. The spines on the back and head really add some personal flare to these guys as well, and the whole design has a delightfully cheesy color scheme that I simply adore. I think the series has designs that evoke certain feelings and themes better, but this is certainly a fun looking guy.

4th place: Metroid Prime 3 Corruption

Unlike every other type but the Zebesians, the Space Pirates of Corruption have a distinct name based on the Homeworld we explore, Urtraghians. There is a distinctly pseudo organic bend to these guys, with the textures on the armor plating feeling almost Xenomorphic. However, where I think this design stands out is, of course, the head. The long, pointed teeth clearly visible under the rows of eyes really makes this eel-like head intimidating. You can really imagine the Urtraghians descending from their ships in a city, gunning down innocents and plundering whatever they choose. These animalistic terrors will smell where you’re hiding and drag you out kicking and screaming. It really fits the Space Pirates’ role in the story. From day one, they really have just been a bogeyman for the Federation. We rarely actually see them doing… ya know… pirating. The rampant technological obsession was a concept introduced by the Prime trilogy. As a design for the Bogeyman of the Galaxy, I think the Urtraghians work great.

3. Metroid Prime 4 Beyond

Haha, 3 is for 4 and 4 is for 3. This will be subject to change and many people might not rank them until we get clearer images, but uh… I’m doin it. Beyond’s pirates have a very buggy design, but in a way that’s parallel, not identical, to the Zebesian designs from the 2d games. Their mouth is split into mandibles, they have a hard carapace, and their movements can be jittery and unsettling. The large size of them compared to the Federation personnel seen in the trailer really evokes power and control. Their armor has outward pointed edges and defined pectorals. These are conquerors, proud, undefeatable warriors. The sparseness of it also evokes a sense of confidence, as if they don’t need a full covering when their hardened shell is so superior to weak flesh. It’s almost ornamental in a way. (Though someone should remind them they lost in every previous fight against Samus). Their mandibular maws, hunched backs, double thumbed hands, and digitigrade stance (standing on their toes with their heels off the ground) also evokes a certain other core enemy type in a sci fi shooter.

I’m going to leave it here for now as I have some other stuff to get to at the moment and I Forgor the image limit on Tumblr posts. I’ll get the ranking for the final (first?) two designs by the end of today. Then, I might make a post about what roles I’d fit these different species into for my own storytelling purposes.

Space Pirate Design Ranking

The Metroid series has a boatload of different designs, completely changing between every game except the 2D iterations. Some think it’s simple design inconsistency, others think that they’re different genetic manipulations of the same species, while others (including myself) are of the opinion that the Space Pirates are a collective made up of various species. Today, I’ll be ranking these designs based on what they convey and, simply, what I think is cool and aesthetically pleasing. For the sake of simplicity, I’ll only be ranking the standard Space Pirate variant of each game, the “core enemy type” if you will. And yes, Metroid Prime 4 Beyond is here, though its place in the ranking is subject to change as we get more closer looks.

7. Metroid Prime 2 Echoes

Some people may consider this a sin to put so low on the list but, to me, this really just doesn’t fit the whole vibe of the Space Pirates, especially in the Prime series. In the Metroid Prime saga, the Space Pirates are an authoritarian empire who recklessly abuse technological advancement for the sake of domination. This just… doesn’t say that. It’s a good design, don’t get me wrong, but this really looks like some weird skeleton knight. I could see this crawling out of some crypt to seek vengeance, not descending from a space ship to plunder. For that reason, I gotta put this guy in last place.

6th place: Metroid Prime Federation Force

For many of the problems Metroid Prime 2’s design has, I think Federation Force remedies… and then makes the opposite mistakes. Federation Force’s Space Pirate design is, canonically, around the same height as Metroid Prime’s Omega Pirate. Why make mechs for your game if you’re just gonna scale the enemies up anyway is anyone’s guess. With that in mind, I kinda like this as a heavy unit for the Space Pirates, but the center of this design just is a bit hard to look at. I love the limbs and the inclusion of the iconic Prime Pirate energy blade. There’s a mix of fleshy joints and tough, metal plating that I enjoy, I actually like the bright red eyes as well, especially for a heavy unit. But the carapace around it just feels… it’s kinda hard to look at. That mouth, as well, is just a bit too buggy and lacks expressiveness. Really, that’s my edict on this thing. Good extremities, but lacks expression and is generally tough to look at. Still, I imagine someone could retool/retexture this thing to be a real banger of a design.

5th place: Metroid Other M

From here on, these designs are ones I truly like as Space Pirates. Metroid Other M’s Space Pirate design was a tough one to find a good image of. This was about the best one I could find in a cursory search. As far as official designs go, I think this is the best translation of the iconic Zebesian Space Pirate to 3D we’ve ever gotten. There was a small effort made in Prime 2 to bring the claws back, but here there are on full display and they look great. The whole design is, honestly, fantastic. You can see the smooth bands around the limbs and torso, downward pointed jaw, and the big, smooth, blank eyes of the old sprite. The spines on the back and head really add some personal flare to these guys as well, and the whole design has a delightfully cheesy color scheme that I simply adore. I think the series has designs that evoke certain feelings and themes better, but this is certainly a fun looking guy.

4th place: Metroid Prime 3 Corruption

Unlike every other type but the Zebesians, the Space Pirates of Corruption have a distinct name based on the Homeworld we explore, Urtraghians. There is a distinctly pseudo organic bend to these guys, with the textures on the armor plating feeling almost Xenomorphic. However, where I think this design stands out is, of course, the head. The long, pointed teeth clearly visible under the rows of eyes really makes this eel-like head intimidating. You can really imagine the Urtraghians descending from their ships in a city, gunning down innocents and plundering whatever they choose. These animalistic terrors will smell where you’re hiding and drag you out kicking and screaming. It really fits the Space Pirates’ role in the story. From day one, they really have just been a bogeyman for the Federation. We rarely actually see them doing… ya know… pirating. The rampant technological obsession was a concept introduced by the Prime trilogy. As a design for the Bogeyman of the Galaxy, I think the Urtraghians work great.

3. Metroid Prime 4 Beyond

Haha, 3 is for 4 and 4 is for 3. This will be subject to change and many people might not rank them until we get clearer images, but uh… I’m doin it. Beyond’s pirates have a very buggy design, but in a way that’s parallel, not identical, to the Zebesian designs from the 2d games. Their mouth is split into mandibles, they have a hard carapace, and their movements can be jittery and unsettling. The large size of them compared to the Federation personnel seen in the trailer really evokes power and control. Their armor has outward pointed edges and defined pectorals. These are conquerors, proud, undefeatable warriors. The sparseness of it also evokes a sense of confidence, as if they don’t need a full covering when their hardened shell is so superior to weak flesh. It’s almost ornamental in a way. (Though someone should remind them they lost in every previous fight against Samus). Their mandibular maws, hunched backs, double thumbed hands, and digitigrade stance (standing on their toes with their heels off the ground) also evokes a certain other core enemy type in a sci fi shooter.

I’m going to leave it here for now as I have some other stuff to get to at the moment and I Forgor the image limit on Tumblr posts. I’ll get the ranking for the final (first?) two designs by the end of today. Then, I might make a post about what roles I’d fit these different species into for my own storytelling purposes.

I had a similar idea for a side game called “Ridley’s Rage” where it’s about him conquering worlds and causing more destruction nets you a higher score.

Anyways, similar to Halo Wars, you could have different commanders with different capabilities, such as Ridley, Weavel, and Mother Brain for the Space Pirates, against Castor Dane, Adam Malkovich, and Alex Miles in the Federation. Perhaps Castor Dane would be good for air support tactics while Alex Miles would be good for mechanized warfare, and Adam would be sort of an all rounder, Jack of all trades. For the Space Pirates, Ridley might focus on heavy explosives that would cause a lot of collateral damage, Weavel could focus on swarms of weak troops, and Mother Brain could be more strategic and mobile, requiring some more thought and foresight.

Maybe the story mode could be Dane vs Weavel, but a vs mode could feature those other commanders.

Metroid spinoff idea, RTS focusing on Caster Dane

In my head I’m imagining a real time strategy game like halo wars focusing on caster Dane as you command federation troops, vehicles, etc in a prolonged conflict with the space pirates over a planet they’re trying to conquer. While also being able to send in bounty hunters like spire or noxus as special units, or if it’s set before prime 3 maybe rundas, gorr, and gandrayda. Or even introduce new bounty hunters to expand the world further.

Meanwhile the chief rival to Dane in command of the pirate forces would be weavel. Perhaps getting some help from trace or kanden

I have no idea how this would work and it probably only appeals to me specifically so I highly doubt Nintendo would ever do it, but what do y’all think? Deep down I think really I just want a game that expands a bunch on the GF and the space pirates and their abilities and tactics.

Pride month is ending and I never got to kiss my girlfriend once :(

I tend to go for a middle ground between the two. Someone with scars from injuries that no human being should be able to survive, but also let her care about eyeshadow and lipgloss because it’s just a fun thing she can do to express herself in a busy life of hunting down criminals and super predators. Give her absolutely chiseled abs and towering height, yes, but let her smile with the people and little critters she’s saved along the way. I’m not saying you can’t have your buff, grizzled veteran of many battles with the scars to prove it, but she’s still human, she still needs to live a little. But yes, give her a massive co-

People who draw Samus Aran as a 5 foot nothing girl with an hourglass figure, flawlessly smooth skin, perfectly applied makeup, absolutely no musculature, and a bubbleheaded smile are cowards. That woman has been put through the ringer and should look like it. Give her towering height. Give her absolutely chiseled abs. Give her terrifying scars snaking across her skin. Give her weird feathers and scales covering her body. Give her a scowl that could shatter glass. Give her a massive co-

That… makes an immense amount of sense. Don’t get me wrong, I’m team trans Samus myself (and trans myself), but that little detail does add a not insignificant amount of character and respectability to Adam. I actually showed some Other M stuff to my friends and we all laughed at how bad it is and made some points how things could be improved but this even makes Fusion and Dread better for it.

adam malkovich referring to samus as "lady" as a sign of respect always reads as a touch condescending and belittling until you look at young adult samus and realise she was a 6-months hrt effeminate twink just growing out her crew cut and its highly likely the rest of the force kept misgendering her. for their commander to respect her identity and refer to her as a woman would be a huge acknowledgement of her agency and personhood beyond her martial prowess, and for a girl who has only known war and was raised to be a weapon i would blow up a couple space stations with that guy too

Me realizing my promise to release my Metroid fanfic “Before Metroid Prime 4 releases” now has an actual deadline.

Damn.

my job in the pirate base is to climb up and down the walls

What happens if you climb sideways?

my job in the pirate base is to climb up and down the walls

Nerdy the Artist’s Metroid fanfic Spotlight!

I have read a fair few excellently written Metroid fanfics in my short time in this fandom, a lot of which gave me many ideas, as well as possible biases, that I have taken into my own fanfic. Still, with the obscene amount of nsfw fics related to Samus (no shame), finding those engrossing stories with plenty of character development, intrigue, and action is a bit of an annoying task. People have different standards of tagging things, and less tags does not necessarily mean less quality. Use to this, for your convenience, I’m going to be sharing a list of some of my favorite Metroid fanfiction stories, in no particular order.

1. Whispers from Beyond the Veil

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/56266696/chapters/142947040

Whispers from Beyond the Veil, by AlexRussoStuff, is still in its early stages, and brand new at the time of writing it. Currently, there’s only 1 chapter, but it’s a really promising one. If this fic maintains the tone and quality in this chapter, I’m all for it. It is mainly a retelling of Metroid Prime, interspersed with flashbacks from Samus’s childhood. The tone is far more brutal and gruesome than the original game, with more in the way of gore as Samus steps over the ripped apart remains of Space Pirates aboard the Orpheon. I am excited to watch this fic develop.

2. The Downfall of Ashkar Behek

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/42231552/chapters/106034202

I was pointed in the direction of this fic by @molagboop due to some amazing artwork by the Chozo specialist himself. The Downfall of Ashkar Behek, by Acayl, is quite long, following much of the past of Raven Beak, known in Chozo as the titular Ashkar Behek. The story is long, detailing his past as a soldier of the Mawkin, including his maiming by Ridley, known to the Chozo as Balan dosh Nabular, translated to English: Bring to Dread. The story covers many bases in the tragedy of his downfall, and you never feel he is truly evil until he is utterly consumed by madness, and his belief in the innate responsibility of the Chozo to shepard the Galaxy. He goes from a relatively basic villain in Dread to a well fleshed out antagonist whose world view we can understand, and perhaps sympathize with. While it is very lengthy, it is a wonderful read if you have the time and patience for it.

3. Metroid S

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4156530/chapters/9378699

This fic is also incomplete (Metroid works slow, I guess), but the story is oozing with mystery and intrigue. Metroid S, written by Suribot, sees Samus Aran arrive on an icy world following a contract for a scientist’s rescue, and a separate, cryptic message telling of a Metroid’s presence in the derelict laboratories within. The plot is hard to sus out, and the mysteries hiding within are captivating. There is also a fair bit of monologues from Samus Aran about her past (did I mention this is in first person?) where we get to here about many past exploits and relationships. I still am itching to get questions answered with the next chapter. I think you’ll find yourself in the same boat.

4. Inheritance

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11560101/chapters/25965126

Remember when I said less tags doesn’t mean less quality? This is what I mean. Inheritance, by Cuofeng, was written before Dread came out, but there are many coincidental story elements that are interesting to compare and contrast between the two. The story itself is absolutely amazing, especially in the first act, but does have some problems in the third. The sense of mistrust and paranoia that the first act gives off is unrivaled, even by S. The story follows a mission set after Fusion where Samus is tasked with helping in the fight against a reinvigorated Space Pirate faction, with eyes on some advanced Chozo technology. This might be my favorite Metroid story, due to its amazing atmosphere, great personality, and shear rule of cool excellence.

I do have one major issue though: Where Morph Ball?

5. This Time

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/34383862/chapters/85563343

For those of you looking for something more lowkey and feels-y, This Time, by CuratorOfFluff, is a wonderful short fic centered around Samus’s relationship with Old Bird, who is now living on Earth by himself with Samus’s pet rabbit-squirrel, Pyonchi. The care the two have for each other is just adorable, and you can tell the author had a lot of fun with this little slice of life.

6: A Swift and Howling Darkness

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/42723552

A Swift and Howling Darkness, by Noxshade, is a very different kind of story to most, feeling right at home with Metroid Prime’s method of storytelling. This fic is in an epistolary format, meaning it is told by logs and reports, rather than outright narration. The story centers around Samus Aran, fresh off of her horrifying adventure aboard BSL, encountering a distress beacon sent from deep into the undocumented regions of space, codified as being pre-Federation in make. Driven by her innate curiosity. She decides to investigate this unusual call for help into the dark, unknown regions of the galaxy.

7: We Will Evolve

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/54081529/chapters/136920130

We Will Evolve, by Thundamoo, comes hot off the heaps of Metroid Dread, using the loose plot thread of the missing Chozo ships during the escape sequence to tell a story of the X outbreak spreading beyond ZDR’s untamed wilds, and into sentient space. The horrifying idea is compounded on by the realization that what we saw of Samus’s Metroid mutations in Dread were the tip of the iceberg. Furthermore, we get to witness the arrival and spread of the X, known by the Chozo and itself as Eres, from the perspective of a civilian, caught up in the galaxy’s nightmares. The secondary protagonist is a joy to follow along, and Samus’s rage is palpable. Once again, this fic is not yet complete, but it is well worth a read thus far.

Honorable Mention: Confronting Adam (animatic)

Link: https://youtu.be/_hrU1tPZ7R8?si=bkvehOrjTVJsfOfr

This is a wonderful project by a YouTuber known as Galactic Gaming, making an animatic out of the fateful interaction between Samus and Adam where Samus brings out the goodness within the AI recreation of her former CO. The voice acting here is great, and the artwork is nice.

Well, these are some of my favs. I might make a new post with some other good ones, but I think these should be at the top of your reading list. If you have any suggestions for me, let me know in reposts or in the comments. Happy reading!

You know, I haven’t seen anyone talk about how damn LOUD Thardus is! He is so damn loud it is intense! Granted, I haven’t played Metroid Fusion so I can’t really compare it to Neo Ridley, but it’s still gotta be up there. He just drowns out everything, even the music.

Our interest in their hand sanitizer was purely for the betterment of mankind. Everything has clearly gotten out of hand now, yes, but it was worth the risk.

Him again…

And part 5 to cap things off! I had a lot of fun with these. It’s always great to flesh out things I haven’t given too much thought to before, as well as sharing the things I’ve mulled over for a while. Truly, this has been an awarding effort. I am posting these a night early as I have a fairly busy day tomorrow, so I’m not sure if I’ll have the energy to remember about posting this then. Without further ado, the final set of entries.

Day 29: Neo

Scan of Contained Bioform

“Subject is of the same unknown species as Ridley. However, other than the marked similarities in morphology, there are significant differences between it and the late pirate commander. Fat levels exceed all of Ridley’s previous appearances, and his skin’s color is a more colorful shade of indigo. His eyes also have vertical slit pupils, unlike Ridley’s own eyes. The lack of scars and grafted weapons is also in stark contrast to Ridley’s stories history. All things considered, this is not Ridley.”

Day 30: Victor

Scan of Defeated Mother Brain

“Life signature of Mother Brain indicates several areas of tissue damage. Blood clots and hemorrhaging has already begun to occur. Death is 100% certain. Fluctuations in brain activity are causing random activations in equipment due to interfacing equipment interpreting various power spikes as neuronal action potentials. Such aberrant activity will surely cause catastrophic failures in multiple systems. Immediate departure is advised.”

Day 31: Mission Complete

Mission Debrief Report: Zebes

“Mission completed. Metroid cloning facility on Zebes has been eliminated. However, 2 Space Pirate Research Frigates by the titles of Siriacus and Orpheon has escaped. Several Metroids were captive aboard the Orpheon during its departure for distribution to Pirate cells across Federation controlled space. Recommend efforts be made to track it down before cloning operations can be restarted.

Total confirmed enemy losses: 285 footsoldiers, 1 adult Kridilian, 4 Space Pirate Interceptors, 2 Revenant elite units, 1 Space Pirate Research Frigate, ‘Mother Brain’ ACI central unit, Commander Ridley.

Cleanup teams requested to eliminate remaining Space Pirate presence on and around Zebes.

Personal Notes: Zebes isn’t their’s. Zebes belonged to the last of the Chozo. Please treat it with dignity.”

Maytroid 2024 is here!

I am so excited to get to work on these new prompts. Last year, my entries for each day were fairly sloppy, and I was new to the series, so I was lacking a fair bit of information. Now, I’m armed with more knowledge and am eager to use it.

For those who haven’t seen what I did for Maytroid last year, what I’m going to be doing instead of art is something more writing focused. These little text entries are mostly styled after the scans from the Metroid Prime series. Matter of fact, this new set of prompts actually lends itself much better than last year’s, as I have a lot more leeway to play to my own strengths than last year (I still don’t know what the fuck I’m gonna do with Gorea). These are all canon to my own Metroid AU currently, though as things change in development, these may become out of date. They will give the vibe my stories are going for, but these shouldn’t be held to as the absolute canon for them. I’ll be posting these week by week, around 7 at a time, starting today.

Day 1: Ridley

Transcript of Security Footage

Several individuals in this footage cannot be identified at this time. They shall be identified as Pirate 1, Pirate 2, and Pirate Major.

Ridley: What I want to know… is why he is not in custody.

Pirate Major: I gave them their orders, they knew he was to be brought in alive, and instead they killed him.

Pirate 1: You told us to take care of him! We thought you meant an execution, not milk and cookies!

Pirate Major: Insolent Wretch! You say such things about your orders in front of our Commander?! You know how we handle that sort of insubordination!

Pirate 2: Cool it, we’re already in hot water.

Pirate 1: We’re in hot water because of the life of some winy little nobody that begged for his life with money he didn’t even have.

Ridley: While your insolence is… aggravating… I am willing to forgive this misstep.

Pirate Major: What?

Ridley: He was an insignificant pawn. We can always find another. As I was saying, I am willing to forgive this on one condition. Did he die in pain?

Pirate 2: Yes. He did suffer before he died.

Ridley: What methods or torture did you employ?

Pirate 1: Waterboarding. Works wonders on humans. I always liked how they sound when they cough and gasp for air.

Ridley:Mmmmm… was blood shed before his end?

Pirate 2: Yeah. My partner here has… quite the way with knives.

Ridley: Do tell.

Pirate 1: Slashed his wrists. Those arteries gush lots of blood from humans. And we started pulling teeth when he lied.

Ridley: Delicious. You have escaped capital punishment, but you will still be serving as guards for the Metroid containment units. For further forgiveness, you will need to be more creative with your implements. I find Revine’s death, by your account, to be quite dull. Your are dismissed, unless you wish to enlighten me further.

Day 2: Fiery

Scan of Pipe System in Norfair

“These pipes appear be delivering superheated magma into the Norfair region. Given the proximity to Ridley’s personal quarters, likely explanations include terraforming the area for Ridley’s own comfortability, additional protective measures, or the intentional destruction of Chozo artifacts not deemed useful. The latter is most likely, as the immediate area was once a Chozo burial tomb. It is now completely submerged in magma, disintegrating much of the artifacts within.”

Day 3: Winged

Scan of SA-X Mutations

“This X-Parasite copy has suffered some form of destabilization of its copying abilities. Abnormalities include a malformed, beak like structure around the mouth, several atrophied fingers, several hypertrophied fingers, small patches of feathers, and an extraneous structure protruding from its back resembling a Chozo wing bereft of feathers. These unusual deformities could be the result of DNA infusions during childhood complicating the process of anatomical replication within X-Parasite offspring. This individual seems to suffer great stress from its predicament, but it is unsafe to assume that its combat functionality is greatly hampered. Adaptation is this species’s main trait.”

Day 4: Pirate

Scan of Space Pirate Elite

“Subject is a member of an unknown species known only from individuals working within Ridley’s special operations group, The Revenants. This group acts as Ridley’s personal enforcers and assassins, fanatically worshipping their commander as a literal God of Death. They wield melee weapons personalized to their unique fighting styles. Each weapon is charged with electricity, giving them an additional ranged attack capability. They have operated since before the Galactic Federation, making a name for themselves in fighting Chozo warriors. Their endurance, agility, and strength cannot be overstated, in spite of their gaunt appearance.”

Day 5: Mecha

Scan of automaton codenamed Mecha Ridley

“Subject is a battle ready drone, seemingly created by Ridley’s fanatical special forces, the Revenants. Mecha Ridley is heavily weaponized, as there could be no altar to the God of Death without the ability to take a life. Weapons include flamethrowers, guided munition launchers, and superheated claws. Mecha Ridley’s armor is highly durable, but greatly hampers mobility compared to its inspiration. Additionally, as a cult idol of worship, advanced artificial intelligence was not prioritized during production. Mecha Ridley displays average combat intellect for a war drone. Recommend staying moving and outsmarting the automaton.”

Day 6: Fang

Scan of Rundas’s Necklace

“Rundas appears to have begun collecting Metroid Fangs as trophies since last he was approached. Assuming one fang was taken from each Metroid he has eliminated, he has defeated 15 Metroids in the two months since he was last seen. Unfortunately, his ego has grown with his kill count.”

Day 7: Cunning

Scan of Abandoned Home

“Old Bird and Grey Voice’s abandoned home has been left mostly in tact, minus the usual signs of neglect. However, there appear to be a plethora of traps lain around the home. Various grapple snares have been detected, alongside explosive charges, beam emitters, and microphones. Much of these systems appear to be inert, and once reported directly to Mother Brain. It is clear she anticipated you might return here before confronting her. Given her destruction, several trap systems remain completely dormant. Still, any approach must be made with great caution.”

Part 4, the penultimate week and the last full week of these. Not really much else to say at this point, so I don’t have excuses to dilly dally, right? Let’s dive straight in!

Day 22: Stalk

Scan of Space Pirate Logs

“Project Shadow has yielded significant results. The MSC-MK3 cloaking device has proven to be a highly effective cloaking unit, able to conceal a soldier from a vast range of visible light spectrums. While certain frequencies of light can still detect a cloaked soldier, they are not within a spectrum that most sapient species can see without ocular enhancements. There are two main downsides to the tech, however. Projectiles being fired while cloaked can completely disrupt the cloaking field, as it will attempt to envelope the projectile, causing a system overload which requires a lengthy factory reset in order to continue functioning. For this reason, troopers equipped with the MSC-MK3 should be instructed to only use melee weapons. More significantly, the energy expenditure for cloaking is immense, requiring near constant upkeep in order to function. For this reason, the MSC-MK3 should only be used by internal security for installations with proper energy dispensaries. Science Teams aboard the Research Frigate Siriacus claim that models with superior energy efficiency shall be made available soon, but with the caveat of being too expensive for mass production.”

Day 23: Savage

Scan of Crashed Civilian Ship

“While various burn marks across the hull indicate small arms fire scorching the exterior, the attack that brought down the vessel was an explosion near the engines, causing them to short out before the ship could approach the atmospheric limit. Several deep gouges are visible on the roof of the hull, with a large chunk being cut out. The molten metal around the cuts indicate a heated blade piercing the plating. Given the blood staining the inside of the vessel, the fate of the occupants bears no thinking about.”

Day 24: Taunt

Scan of Gandrayda’s Power Suit Mimicry

“Although Gandrayda’s shapeshifting capabilities can mimic the form of an individual, it has a great deal of trouble copying the functions of said form. While she may be able to mimic the outer coating of an animal to near perfection, the internals are rarely mimicked with any amount of finesses. However, certain functionalities can be replicated, albeit imperfectly. Energy blasts can be created, though strength and range are hampered greatly. Movement can be achieved, though only through patterns she is already accustomed to. Thus, while her mimicry of the Power Suit does have certain marked similarities in function, such as the Power Beam, Grapple Beam, and Double Jump Boots, other abilities remain beyond her ability to mimic. Unfortunately, this is enough to fool most beings without a thorough biometric scan. Do not get distracted by the recreational uses for her shapeshifting abilities.”

Day 25: Clone

Suit Maintenance Record Playback

“Eres attached to suit. Countermeasures active. Containment Measures active.

Isolation between Suit and Wearer… successful. Suit Immobilization… successful. Visor hue warning… successful. Self immolation… failed.

Multiple components of wearer compromised by Eres Consumption. Emergency tissue surgery commencing… successful.

-Fast forward seven hours

Removal of armor plating detected, further insulation of wearer required.

-Fast forward 27 hours

Warning, breach of suit through all layers detected. Eres consumption of wearer imminent and unavoidable. Attempting detonation of suit’s power core… failed.

Eres assault fought back by unknown pathogen. No information available on pathogen.

What we cannot gain… we take.

Eres presence not detected. Severe damage of Power Suit present. Will remain in stasis until further notice.”

Day 26: Haze

Scan of Space Pirate Logs

“It has been a whole cycle since the planet identified as Aether was discovered. Our operations on the planet have been slower and far more cautious after the Amelioration Incident on Talon IV. It has become apparent that biological manipulation via Phazon will instead be putting them under control of a force outside of our current ability to control. However, the extremely potent energy signature of Phazon still makes it an extremely potent energy resource with boundless combat applications. However, the strange nature of this world has lead to many disappearances from scouting and security groups. Those who survive report the sky suddenly growing dark as a Phazon based mist rolls into the area. They have even reported seeing teammates fade out of existence before their eyes. When such events occur, encounters with hostile entities become increasingly common. Until we can discover the nature of this phenomenon, patrols outside of our bases of operations will be heavily restricted. We have already lost eight whole teams to such incidents.”

Day 27: Strike

Scan of Space Pirate Logs

“It appears as though the Galactic Federation has created a special fighting force specifically dedicated to replacing some of their reliance on independent contractors in recent decades. What little information our spies have been able to glean on these soldiers calls this advanced combat element ‘Operation Golem’. These soldiers are far more capable than typical ground troops, utilizing advanced combat exoskeletons with modular weapon hardpoints. These soldiers have already eliminated several of our facilities and outposts with great proficiency. Out of 16 engagements, we count only 1 casualty, occurring only when the team was outnumber 7 to 4 by Metroids. The obvious combat proficiency of this team represents a risk if such technology begins to proliferate in our enemies’ forces. Our spies have identified General Alex Miles as being in charge of Operation Golem. Efforts have begun in order to track him down for assassination.”

Day 28: Vendetta

Space Pirate Revenant logs

“With the command of the God of Death, we go forth, seeking the Hunter clad in metal. She trespasses His domain, challenging His rule over life and its end. Death cannot be stopped. It cannot be halted. To cease the end of living things is to tear the fabric of the universe. To challenge His will is to challenge the rules of nature. As sure as the stars will one day burn out, all things shall perish, save for the God of Death and His chosen. The Hunter challenges the very notion of Death itself. We cannot end her, for that is not our place. Our place is be bring her before Him, so that she maybe shown the futility of struggle against a God, a rule of nature, and a thread in the fabric of reality. He is Death. With each destruction, his thread in the fabric of reality becomes frayed. He can repair this fray, but we must ensure she does not flaunt this desecration to the natural order. We must find the Hunter, for The God of Death commands it.”

Maytroid 2024 is here!

I am so excited to get to work on these new prompts. Last year, my entries for each day were fairly sloppy, and I was new to the series, so I was lacking a fair bit of information. Now, I’m armed with more knowledge and am eager to use it.

For those who haven’t seen what I did for Maytroid last year, what I’m going to be doing instead of art is something more writing focused. These little text entries are mostly styled after the scans from the Metroid Prime series. Matter of fact, this new set of prompts actually lends itself much better than last year’s, as I have a lot more leeway to play to my own strengths than last year (I still don’t know what the fuck I’m gonna do with Gorea). These are all canon to my own Metroid AU currently, though as things change in development, these may become out of date. They will give the vibe my stories are going for, but these shouldn’t be held to as the absolute canon for them. I’ll be posting these week by week, around 7 at a time, starting today.

Day 1: Ridley

Transcript of Security Footage

Several individuals in this footage cannot be identified at this time. They shall be identified as Pirate 1, Pirate 2, and Pirate Major.

Ridley: What I want to know… is why he is not in custody.

Pirate Major: I gave them their orders, they knew he was to be brought in alive, and instead they killed him.

Pirate 1: You told us to take care of him! We thought you meant an execution, not milk and cookies!

Pirate Major: Insolent Wretch! You say such things about your orders in front of our Commander?! You know how we handle that sort of insubordination!

Pirate 2: Cool it, we’re already in hot water.

Pirate 1: We’re in hot water because of the life of some winy little nobody that begged for his life with money he didn’t even have.

Ridley: While your insolence is… aggravating… I am willing to forgive this misstep.

Pirate Major: What?

Ridley: He was an insignificant pawn. We can always find another. As I was saying, I am willing to forgive this on one condition. Did he die in pain?

Pirate 2: Yes. He did suffer before he died.

Ridley: What methods or torture did you employ?

Pirate 1: Waterboarding. Works wonders on humans. I always liked how they sound when they cough and gasp for air.

Ridley:Mmmmm… was blood shed before his end?

Pirate 2: Yeah. My partner here has… quite the way with knives.

Ridley: Do tell.

Pirate 1: Slashed his wrists. Those arteries gush lots of blood from humans. And we started pulling teeth when he lied.

Ridley: Delicious. You have escaped capital punishment, but you will still be serving as guards for the Metroid containment units. For further forgiveness, you will need to be more creative with your implements. I find Revine’s death, by your account, to be quite dull. Your are dismissed, unless you wish to enlighten me further.

Day 2: Fiery

Scan of Pipe System in Norfair

“These pipes appear be delivering superheated magma into the Norfair region. Given the proximity to Ridley’s personal quarters, likely explanations include terraforming the area for Ridley’s own comfortability, additional protective measures, or the intentional destruction of Chozo artifacts not deemed useful. The latter is most likely, as the immediate area was once a Chozo burial tomb. It is now completely submerged in magma, disintegrating much of the artifacts within.”

Day 3: Winged

Scan of SA-X Mutations

“This X-Parasite copy has suffered some form of destabilization of its copying abilities. Abnormalities include a malformed, beak like structure around the mouth, several atrophied fingers, several hypertrophied fingers, small patches of feathers, and an extraneous structure protruding from its back resembling a Chozo wing bereft of feathers. These unusual deformities could be the result of DNA infusions during childhood complicating the process of anatomical replication within X-Parasite offspring. This individual seems to suffer great stress from its predicament, but it is unsafe to assume that its combat functionality is greatly hampered. Adaptation is this species’s main trait.”

Day 4: Pirate

Scan of Space Pirate Elite

“Subject is a member of an unknown species known only from individuals working within Ridley’s special operations group, The Revenants. This group acts as Ridley’s personal enforcers and assassins, fanatically worshipping their commander as a literal God of Death. They wield melee weapons personalized to their unique fighting styles. Each weapon is charged with electricity, giving them an additional ranged attack capability. They have operated since before the Galactic Federation, making a name for themselves in fighting Chozo warriors. Their endurance, agility, and strength cannot be overstated, in spite of their gaunt appearance.”

Day 5: Mecha

Scan of automaton codenamed Mecha Ridley

“Subject is a battle ready drone, seemingly created by Ridley’s fanatical special forces, the Revenants. Mecha Ridley is heavily weaponized, as there could be no altar to the God of Death without the ability to take a life. Weapons include flamethrowers, guided munition launchers, and superheated claws. Mecha Ridley’s armor is highly durable, but greatly hampers mobility compared to its inspiration. Additionally, as a cult idol of worship, advanced artificial intelligence was not prioritized during production. Mecha Ridley displays average combat intellect for a war drone. Recommend staying moving and outsmarting the automaton.”

Day 6: Fang

Scan of Rundas’s Necklace

“Rundas appears to have begun collecting Metroid Fangs as trophies since last he was approached. Assuming one fang was taken from each Metroid he has eliminated, he has defeated 15 Metroids in the two months since he was last seen. Unfortunately, his ego has grown with his kill count.”

Day 7: Cunning

Scan of Abandoned Home

“Old Bird and Grey Voice’s abandoned home has been left mostly in tact, minus the usual signs of neglect. However, there appear to be a plethora of traps lain around the home. Various grapple snares have been detected, alongside explosive charges, beam emitters, and microphones. Much of these systems appear to be inert, and once reported directly to Mother Brain. It is clear she anticipated you might return here before confronting her. Given her destruction, several trap systems remain completely dormant. Still, any approach must be made with great caution.”

As Samus learned as a child, dull Chozo claws make for excellent back scratchers. I cannot be convinced otherwise.

And now for part 3! I have finally learned how to collapse text (is that the right word?) so that this will be much less cluttered. I love seeing all the tags in reblogs mulling over the specifics here. It’s always great to see these ideas leaving an impact.

Day 15: Nemesis

System Stress Alert

“Warning: Cortisol at dangerously high levels. Continued use of Power Suit can result in endocrine-

Warning: Stress levels continuing to rise. Please cease use of this Power Suit to avoid systemic-

Warning: Power Suit Emergency shutdown initiated. Due to critically high stress levels, wielding of weapons grade force multipliers has been deemed unsafe for you and anyone in your vicinity. Reactivation can be initiated once stress levels have subsided to stable levels.”

Day 16: Hatchling

Recommendation on Adaptation Procedure on Human Child

“The life readings of the child, Samus Aran, have stabilized for the fourth time. However, according to various shamans, spiritual harmonics remains an issue. This is likely due to her traumatic past before arriving in our care. In spite of being sedated too heavily to dream, and being supplied air filtered for human consumption, she can still, somehow, feel the pain of her past. This is an issue that must be resolved once she leaves sedation. As it stands, this is an area of healing which I can only offer minimal assistance in.

Nevertheless, preparations are being initiated for gene tailoring and conjoining. A problem still remains. Much of the Chozo bloodline on Zebes has become too old and frail to provide samples not liable to produce genetic defects. The only individual on Zebes who is not in too great a state of atrophy is Grey Voice. However, without multiple donors, genetic aberrations are likely to occur unpredictably. Without a second donor, regular genetic tailoring procedures will be required in order to stabilize any potentially hazardous mutations or cancers. To solve this issue will require political discussions with another Hasana.”

Day 17: Proteus

Administrator Command Log of Aurora Unit 059

“System Plugin initiated.

Please input credentials

Response: System Admin Proteus

Administrator Identity Confirmed. All functions available.

Command: Initiate Self Destruct Sequence

Initiating Self Destruct. Alerts placed to all personnel onboard. Evacuation Procedure Underway.

Command: Expedite

Timer reduced to thirty seconds.

Command: Quarantine

All access to exits now blocked without valid confirmation.”

Day 18: Thief

Space Pirate Archeological Report

“We have successfully located and secured one of the three artifacts needed to unlock the seal around the meteorite. The so called ‘Artifact of Study’ appears to be a miniature display of a solar system. Studies have begun on the artifact by science team to discern what its functionality may be in the seal’s mechanism. With sufficient study, we may be able to unlock the seal without locating the other two artifacts. This will be very beneficial to our time table and personnel resources. It took expenditures of 17 teams in order to obtain our first artifact, due to both the physical traps and defenses surrounding the artifact as well as the presence of one or more spectral entities. Regardless of if opening the seal takes study of the first artifact, or capture of the other two, we are closer than ever before to gaining access to the crater.”

Day 19: Sinewy

Combat Scan of Meta Ridley

“Various armor plates have been damaged, revealing fleshy layer beneath. Ridley is still undergoing a healing process from the confrontation on Zebes. Various areas destroyed during the battle have begun to regenerate, such as the eyes, tongue, internal organs, wings, and arms. This regeneration is not fast enough to overcome direct arms fire. Recommend targeting these weak points.”

Day 20: Tail

Scan of Space Pirate Carcass

“Unlike many other corpses on the Orpheon, this does not appear to be the work of Space Pirate bioweapons. The lacerations have severe heat trauma within the wounds. The killing blow dealt to the torso has begun to melt the internal organs through excessive burning. Whatever was in the blade that pierced this individual’s chest was at least 475°F.”

Day 21: Deceptive

Last Words of a Lone Chozo

“To any who may read this message, Mother Brain has betrayed us. Even as the battle raged on Zebes’s surface, she refused to call for aid. Little did we know she was communicating to find some arrangement with the Space Pirate commander, the demon. I have retreated into Norfair, separated from my kin. I have no food or water. I do not expect to live for long. The demon and his minions come for me, aided by the betrayer. Safe havens have become kill houses. Security doors have become open halls. I have no protection, no weapons, no armor. But I will ensure that the world knows this. The Chozo did not sit idle as we were slaughtered. A great betrayal cut us down. The one we relied on turned our own world against us. I am Onyx Vow, and Mother Brain is not one of us.”

Maytroid 2024 is here!

I am so excited to get to work on these new prompts. Last year, my entries for each day were fairly sloppy, and I was new to the series, so I was lacking a fair bit of information. Now, I’m armed with more knowledge and am eager to use it.

For those who haven’t seen what I did for Maytroid last year, what I’m going to be doing instead of art is something more writing focused. These little text entries are mostly styled after the scans from the Metroid Prime series. Matter of fact, this new set of prompts actually lends itself much better than last year’s, as I have a lot more leeway to play to my own strengths than last year (I still don’t know what the fuck I’m gonna do with Gorea). These are all canon to my own Metroid AU currently, though as things change in development, these may become out of date. They will give the vibe my stories are going for, but these shouldn’t be held to as the absolute canon for them. I’ll be posting these week by week, around 7 at a time, starting today.

Day 1: Ridley

Transcript of Security Footage

Several individuals in this footage cannot be identified at this time. They shall be identified as Pirate 1, Pirate 2, and Pirate Major.

Ridley: What I want to know… is why he is not in custody.

Pirate Major: I gave them their orders, they knew he was to be brought in alive, and instead they killed him.

Pirate 1: You told us to take care of him! We thought you meant an execution, not milk and cookies!

Pirate Major: Insolent Wretch! You say such things about your orders in front of our Commander?! You know how we handle that sort of insubordination!

Pirate 2: Cool it, we’re already in hot water.

Pirate 1: We’re in hot water because of the life of some winy little nobody that begged for his life with money he didn’t even have.

Ridley: While your insolence is… aggravating… I am willing to forgive this misstep.

Pirate Major: What?

Ridley: He was an insignificant pawn. We can always find another. As I was saying, I am willing to forgive this on one condition. Did he die in pain?

Pirate 2: Yes. He did suffer before he died.

Ridley: What methods or torture did you employ?

Pirate 1: Waterboarding. Works wonders on humans. I always liked how they sound when they cough and gasp for air.

Ridley:Mmmmm… was blood shed before his end?

Pirate 2: Yeah. My partner here has… quite the way with knives.

Ridley: Do tell.

Pirate 1: Slashed his wrists. Those arteries gush lots of blood from humans. And we started pulling teeth when he lied.

Ridley: Delicious. You have escaped capital punishment, but you will still be serving as guards for the Metroid containment units. For further forgiveness, you will need to be more creative with your implements. I find Revine’s death, by your account, to be quite dull. Your are dismissed, unless you wish to enlighten me further.

Day 2: Fiery

Scan of Pipe System in Norfair

“These pipes appear be delivering superheated magma into the Norfair region. Given the proximity to Ridley’s personal quarters, likely explanations include terraforming the area for Ridley’s own comfortability, additional protective measures, or the intentional destruction of Chozo artifacts not deemed useful. The latter is most likely, as the immediate area was once a Chozo burial tomb. It is now completely submerged in magma, disintegrating much of the artifacts within.”

Day 3: Winged

Scan of SA-X Mutations

“This X-Parasite copy has suffered some form of destabilization of its copying abilities. Abnormalities include a malformed, beak like structure around the mouth, several atrophied fingers, several hypertrophied fingers, small patches of feathers, and an extraneous structure protruding from its back resembling a Chozo wing bereft of feathers. These unusual deformities could be the result of DNA infusions during childhood complicating the process of anatomical replication within X-Parasite offspring. This individual seems to suffer great stress from its predicament, but it is unsafe to assume that its combat functionality is greatly hampered. Adaptation is this species’s main trait.”

Day 4: Pirate

Scan of Space Pirate Elite

“Subject is a member of an unknown species known only from individuals working within Ridley’s special operations group, The Revenants. This group acts as Ridley’s personal enforcers and assassins, fanatically worshipping their commander as a literal God of Death. They wield melee weapons personalized to their unique fighting styles. Each weapon is charged with electricity, giving them an additional ranged attack capability. They have operated since before the Galactic Federation, making a name for themselves in fighting Chozo warriors. Their endurance, agility, and strength cannot be overstated, in spite of their gaunt appearance.”

Day 5: Mecha

Scan of automaton codenamed Mecha Ridley

“Subject is a battle ready drone, seemingly created by Ridley’s fanatical special forces, the Revenants. Mecha Ridley is heavily weaponized, as there could be no altar to the God of Death without the ability to take a life. Weapons include flamethrowers, guided munition launchers, and superheated claws. Mecha Ridley’s armor is highly durable, but greatly hampers mobility compared to its inspiration. Additionally, as a cult idol of worship, advanced artificial intelligence was not prioritized during production. Mecha Ridley displays average combat intellect for a war drone. Recommend staying moving and outsmarting the automaton.”

Day 6: Fang

Scan of Rundas’s Necklace

“Rundas appears to have begun collecting Metroid Fangs as trophies since last he was approached. Assuming one fang was taken from each Metroid he has eliminated, he has defeated 15 Metroids in the two months since he was last seen. Unfortunately, his ego has grown with his kill count.”

Day 7: Cunning

Scan of Abandoned Home

“Old Bird and Grey Voice’s abandoned home has been left mostly in tact, minus the usual signs of neglect. However, there appear to be a plethora of traps lain around the home. Various grapple snares have been detected, alongside explosive charges, beam emitters, and microphones. Much of these systems appear to be inert, and once reported directly to Mother Brain. It is clear she anticipated you might return here before confronting her. Given her destruction, several trap systems remain completely dormant. Still, any approach must be made with great caution.”

It occurs to me now that I can simply reblog this with each week’s update, so I think this will be a good way to go forward. If anyone has any better way to link this back to the other updates, lemme know. Anyways, week 2, here we go!

Day 8: Menace

Confession of Captured Revenant Pirate

“There is no hope for this world. You have been chosen. Kill me, release me, or keep me, it does not matter. The God of Death will descend upon this world, and bring with him our beautiful ends on his violet wings of destruction. His gift to us is the beauty of annihilation, and our swan song will be the cries of pain and the begging for mercy. Blood shall soak the land, decay shall fill the air, and fire shall paint the sky. He has died before, and come back once again. He is the beyond and the end. His promise is simple: Death to Everything. And we shall bask in its glory.”

Day 9: Meta

Scan of Space Pirate log

“Transfer of Commander Ridley has been successful. Smuggling operations, codifying his pseudo-corpse as Geoform-187, successfully transferred him to Frigate Orpheon for resuscitation and enhancements. While the metamorphosis was painful, it was completed to great success, and with equally great haste. One behavioral oddity following his awakening has been an uncharacteristic obsession with his murderer, the Bounty Hunter known as Samus Aran. His obsession with her has bordered on all consuming. While combat simulations targeting her are understandable, the latest advent of troops undergoing mandatory training on human torture techniques has shaken our confidence in his current leadership capabilities. Still, we expect this boiling rage to be reduced to a simmer over time. How long this change shall take remains to be seen.”

Day 10: Armor

Metroid Durability testing log

“This series of tests is to discern the limits of the outer casing around a Metroid. For the sake of testing accuracy and preventing longterm damage reflecting in subsequent experiments, each test has been conducted on a separate specimen. A maximum of five projectiles will be used in each test unless effects of projectiles are detectable.

Test 1: 9mm bullet

Result: No effect detectable. A mild shimmer across the gelatinous surface of the Metroid as each projectile bounced harmlessly off the outer shell. Metroid is healthy and appears to merely be confused by the impact.

Test 2: High Velocity Sniper Round

Result: No effect detectable. The outer layer appears to have rippled from the impacts, but no damage was suffered. Metroid is irritated by the impacts, though not in any serious pain that we can discern.

Test 3: Low Power Plasma Bolt

Result: Mild damage sustained. The area where the bolts made contact appeared to glow for a time from the transferred heat, but damage was reversed within 8 hours. Metroid appeared in pain from impacts. Tests on a further 2 subjects resulted in death from approximately 24 more shots.

Test 4: High Power Plasma Bolt

Result: Serious damage sustained. The area where the bolts made contact glowed, with numerous fissures visible in the membrane. Metroid appeared to be in pain from impacts and subsequent burning effects. Damage was reversed over the course of 26 hours. Tests on a further 2 subjects resulted in death from approximately 9 more shots.

Test 5: Troop grade missile system

Result: Serious damage sustained. Immediate damage and discoloration was less serious than energy based weapons, but compounding attacks lead to rapidly increasing damage. Damage was reversed over the course of 8 hours. Tests on a further 2 subjects resulted in death from 1 and 2 additional missiles respectively.

Test 6: Emplacement grade missile system

Result: Immediate destruction. Metroid was blown apart by detonation. While the efficacy of such an attack against a Metroid is real, the viability of such munitions against a small and agile target is low.

Day 11: Talon

The Edict of Ashkar Behek

“Between your own to hands, you created life in a form this galaxy has never seen. You nurtured it and allowed it to prosper, named it the Ultimate Warrior. However, when this novel form of life sought not to be controlled, you betrayed the values of your Hasana, and of the Chozo. You denounced your creation, sealed it away, and intended to destroy this world and all life upon it, to rid the world of what you birthed. Though your intentions were pure, this is a crime the Chozo will not tolerate. The sentence for you, Golden Claw, is death.”

Day 12: Fierce

Scan of Bioform Kraid

“Given the passage of several years, it was guaranteed that Kraid’s size would increase drastically since the initial invasion of Zebes. His species, the Kridilians, are used by Glaxamore forces as sentinels for important locations during sieges. They are transported in their juvenile stage of life, where they take up much less space. Once on site, they eat any bio forms they come across to accumulate mass as quickly as possible. As an adult, their legs become vestigial structures, reducing movement greatly. Kraid, himself, has been outfitted with various weapons on a rig grafted to his back, in addition to the various biological defenses native to his species. Perhaps most notably, Kridilians gain sentience once they reach adulthood. Kraid is likely to have an exemplary tactical intellect.”

Day 13: Omega

Scan of Pirate Security Log

“Subject 42, codified as Omega Pirate, has been transferred to the Phazon Mine sector known as The Grid, where the bleed through of Phazon through the Chozo shield occurs. While Omega Pirate has been cooperative and forthcoming in all tests and procedures, there are some of us who have our own suspicions about how much of his intellect he is withholding. On numerous occasions, he has been seen looking into the shield as if staring through it. As he does, he has been witnessed gesturing and nodding as if holding a conversation with an entity on the other side of the barrier. While some have dismissed this as Phazon mental degradation and have even celebrated its minimal effects on Omega Pirate, I have silent suspicions that his long staring sessions with the barrier are only the tip of the iceberg.”

Day 14: Relentless

Orders from Commander Ridley

“Tallon IV is now to be put on lockdown. Any vessels entering or leaving Tallon IV’s orbit are to be immediately destroyed. Curfews are to be in place for all non-combat personnel. Any unauthorized access to facilities or systems is to be reported immediately. Ration and payment rewards shall be given to any individual providing information leading to The Hunter’s capture. Capture of The Hunter is preferable to destruction. Any individuals who unnecessarily terminate The Hunter will face summary execution.”

Maytroid 2024 is here!

I am so excited to get to work on these new prompts. Last year, my entries for each day were fairly sloppy, and I was new to the series, so I was lacking a fair bit of information. Now, I’m armed with more knowledge and am eager to use it.

For those who haven’t seen what I did for Maytroid last year, what I’m going to be doing instead of art is something more writing focused. These little text entries are mostly styled after the scans from the Metroid Prime series. Matter of fact, this new set of prompts actually lends itself much better than last year’s, as I have a lot more leeway to play to my own strengths than last year (I still don’t know what the fuck I’m gonna do with Gorea). These are all canon to my own Metroid AU currently, though as things change in development, these may become out of date. They will give the vibe my stories are going for, but these shouldn’t be held to as the absolute canon for them. I’ll be posting these week by week, around 7 at a time, starting today.

Day 1: Ridley

Transcript of Security Footage

Several individuals in this footage cannot be identified at this time. They shall be identified as Pirate 1, Pirate 2, and Pirate Major.

Ridley: What I want to know… is why he is not in custody.

Pirate Major: I gave them their orders, they knew he was to be brought in alive, and instead they killed him.

Pirate 1: You told us to take care of him! We thought you meant an execution, not milk and cookies!

Pirate Major: Insolent Wretch! You say such things about your orders in front of our Commander?! You know how we handle that sort of insubordination!

Pirate 2: Cool it, we’re already in hot water.

Pirate 1: We’re in hot water because of the life of some winy little nobody that begged for his life with money he didn’t even have.

Ridley: While your insolence is… aggravating… I am willing to forgive this misstep.

Pirate Major: What?

Ridley: He was an insignificant pawn. We can always find another. As I was saying, I am willing to forgive this on one condition. Did he die in pain?

Pirate 2: Yes. He did suffer before he died.

Ridley: What methods or torture did you employ?

Pirate 1: Waterboarding. Works wonders on humans. I always liked how they sound when they cough and gasp for air.

Ridley:Mmmmm… was blood shed before his end?

Pirate 2: Yeah. My partner here has… quite the way with knives.

Ridley: Do tell.

Pirate 1: Slashed his wrists. Those arteries gush lots of blood from humans. And we started pulling teeth when he lied.

Ridley: Delicious. You have escaped capital punishment, but you will still be serving as guards for the Metroid containment units. For further forgiveness, you will need to be more creative with your implements. I find Revine’s death, by your account, to be quite dull. Your are dismissed, unless you wish to enlighten me further.

Day 2: Fiery

Scan of Pipe System in Norfair

“These pipes appear be delivering superheated magma into the Norfair region. Given the proximity to Ridley’s personal quarters, likely explanations include terraforming the area for Ridley’s own comfortability, additional protective measures, or the intentional destruction of Chozo artifacts not deemed useful. The latter is most likely, as the immediate area was once a Chozo burial tomb. It is now completely submerged in magma, disintegrating much of the artifacts within.”

Day 3: Winged

Scan of SA-X Mutations

“This X-Parasite copy has suffered some form of destabilization of its copying abilities. Abnormalities include a malformed, beak like structure around the mouth, several atrophied fingers, several hypertrophied fingers, small patches of feathers, and an extraneous structure protruding from its back resembling a Chozo wing bereft of feathers. These unusual deformities could be the result of DNA infusions during childhood complicating the process of anatomical replication within X-Parasite offspring. This individual seems to suffer great stress from its predicament, but it is unsafe to assume that its combat functionality is greatly hampered. Adaptation is this species’s main trait.”

Day 4: Pirate

Scan of Space Pirate Elite

“Subject is a member of an unknown species known only from individuals working within Ridley’s special operations group, The Revenants. This group acts as Ridley’s personal enforcers and assassins, fanatically worshipping their commander as a literal God of Death. They wield melee weapons personalized to their unique fighting styles. Each weapon is charged with electricity, giving them an additional ranged attack capability. They have operated since before the Galactic Federation, making a name for themselves in fighting Chozo warriors. Their endurance, agility, and strength cannot be overstated, in spite of their gaunt appearance.”

Day 5: Mecha

Scan of automaton codenamed Mecha Ridley

“Subject is a battle ready drone, seemingly created by Ridley’s fanatical special forces, the Revenants. Mecha Ridley is heavily weaponized, as there could be no altar to the God of Death without the ability to take a life. Weapons include flamethrowers, guided munition launchers, and superheated claws. Mecha Ridley’s armor is highly durable, but greatly hampers mobility compared to its inspiration. Additionally, as a cult idol of worship, advanced artificial intelligence was not prioritized during production. Mecha Ridley displays average combat intellect for a war drone. Recommend staying moving and outsmarting the automaton.”

Day 6: Fang

Scan of Rundas’s Necklace

“Rundas appears to have begun collecting Metroid Fangs as trophies since last he was approached. Assuming one fang was taken from each Metroid he has eliminated, he has defeated 15 Metroids in the two months since he was last seen. Unfortunately, his ego has grown with his kill count.”

Day 7: Cunning

Scan of Abandoned Home

“Old Bird and Grey Voice’s abandoned home has been left mostly in tact, minus the usual signs of neglect. However, there appear to be a plethora of traps lain around the home. Various grapple snares have been detected, alongside explosive charges, beam emitters, and microphones. Much of these systems appear to be inert, and once reported directly to Mother Brain. It is clear she anticipated you might return here before confronting her. Given her destruction, several trap systems remain completely dormant. Still, any approach must be made with great caution.”

Maytroid 2024 is here!

I am so excited to get to work on these new prompts. Last year, my entries for each day were fairly sloppy, and I was new to the series, so I was lacking a fair bit of information. Now, I’m armed with more knowledge and am eager to use it.

For those who haven’t seen what I did for Maytroid last year, what I’m going to be doing instead of art is something more writing focused. These little text entries are mostly styled after the scans from the Metroid Prime series. Matter of fact, this new set of prompts actually lends itself much better than last year’s, as I have a lot more leeway to play to my own strengths than last year (I still don’t know what the fuck I’m gonna do with Gorea). These are all canon to my own Metroid AU currently, though as things change in development, these may become out of date. They will give the vibe my stories are going for, but these shouldn’t be held to as the absolute canon for them. I’ll be posting these week by week, around 7 at a time, starting today.

Day 1: Ridley

Transcript of Security Footage

Several individuals in this footage cannot be identified at this time. They shall be identified as Pirate 1, Pirate 2, and Pirate Major.

Ridley: What I want to know… is why he is not in custody.

Pirate Major: I gave them their orders, they knew he was to be brought in alive, and instead they killed him.

Pirate 1: You told us to take care of him! We thought you meant an execution, not milk and cookies!

Pirate Major: Insolent Wretch! You say such things about your orders in front of our Commander?! You know how we handle that sort of insubordination!

Pirate 2: Cool it, we’re already in hot water.

Pirate 1: We’re in hot water because of the life of some winy little nobody that begged for his life with money he didn’t even have.

Ridley: While your insolence is… aggravating… I am willing to forgive this misstep.

Pirate Major: What?

Ridley: He was an insignificant pawn. We can always find another. As I was saying, I am willing to forgive this on one condition. Did he die in pain?

Pirate 2: Yes. He did suffer before he died.

Ridley: What methods or torture did you employ?

Pirate 1: Waterboarding. Works wonders on humans. I always liked how they sound when they cough and gasp for air.

Ridley:Mmmmm… was blood shed before his end?

Pirate 2: Yeah. My partner here has… quite the way with knives.

Ridley: Do tell.

Pirate 1: Slashed his wrists. Those arteries gush lots of blood from humans. And we started pulling teeth when he lied.

Ridley: Delicious. You have escaped capital punishment, but you will still be serving as guards for the Metroid containment units. For further forgiveness, you will need to be more creative with your implements. I find Revine’s death, by your account, to be quite dull. Your are dismissed, unless you wish to enlighten me further.

Day 2: Fiery

Scan of Pipe System in Norfair

“These pipes appear be delivering superheated magma into the Norfair region. Given the proximity to Ridley’s personal quarters, likely explanations include terraforming the area for Ridley’s own comfortability, additional protective measures, or the intentional destruction of Chozo artifacts not deemed useful. The latter is most likely, as the immediate area was once a Chozo burial tomb. It is now completely submerged in magma, disintegrating much of the artifacts within.”

Day 3: Winged

Scan of SA-X Mutations

“This X-Parasite copy has suffered some form of destabilization of its copying abilities. Abnormalities include a malformed, beak like structure around the mouth, several atrophied fingers, several hypertrophied fingers, small patches of feathers, and an extraneous structure protruding from its back resembling a Chozo wing bereft of feathers. These unusual deformities could be the result of DNA infusions during childhood complicating the process of anatomical replication within X-Parasite offspring. This individual seems to suffer great stress from its predicament, but it is unsafe to assume that its combat functionality is greatly hampered. Adaptation is this species’s main trait.”

Day 4: Pirate

Scan of Space Pirate Elite

“Subject is a member of an unknown species known only from individuals working within Ridley’s special operations group, The Revenants. This group acts as Ridley’s personal enforcers and assassins, fanatically worshipping their commander as a literal God of Death. They wield melee weapons personalized to their unique fighting styles. Each weapon is charged with electricity, giving them an additional ranged attack capability. They have operated since before the Galactic Federation, making a name for themselves in fighting Chozo warriors. Their endurance, agility, and strength cannot be overstated, in spite of their gaunt appearance.”

Day 5: Mecha

Scan of automaton codenamed Mecha Ridley

“Subject is a battle ready drone, seemingly created by Ridley’s fanatical special forces, the Revenants. Mecha Ridley is heavily weaponized, as there could be no altar to the God of Death without the ability to take a life. Weapons include flamethrowers, guided munition launchers, and superheated claws. Mecha Ridley’s armor is highly durable, but greatly hampers mobility compared to its inspiration. Additionally, as a cult idol of worship, advanced artificial intelligence was not prioritized during production. Mecha Ridley displays average combat intellect for a war drone. Recommend staying moving and outsmarting the automaton.”

Day 6: Fang

Scan of Rundas’s Necklace

“Rundas appears to have begun collecting Metroid Fangs as trophies since last he was approached. Assuming one fang was taken from each Metroid he has eliminated, he has defeated 15 Metroids in the two months since he was last seen. Unfortunately, his ego has grown with his kill count.”

Day 7: Cunning

Scan of Abandoned Home

“Old Bird and Grey Voice’s abandoned home has been left mostly in tact, minus the usual signs of neglect. However, there appear to be a plethora of traps lain around the home. Various grapple snares have been detected, alongside explosive charges, beam emitters, and microphones. Much of these systems appear to be inert, and once reported directly to Mother Brain. It is clear she anticipated you might return here before confronting her. Given her destruction, several trap systems remain completely dormant. Still, any approach must be made with great caution.”