Metroid

Yeah, whenever I hear the name "Whatever Number" in Sci-Fi, it's usually the numberth planet in the whatever system.

Yeah, like how Earth can be also called Sol III

Ridley is one of the big shots, but he either answers to or is only one part of High Command. He's probably still the top field officer in the Space Pirate forces, though, if only because we have no evidence to the contrary.

edited 29th Jun '15 6:55:57 PM by Pulse

Tallon IV being heavier is probably why Samus is a little slower in Prime than in Super or Zero Mission.

Watch, they'll introduce an even higher and more badass pirate operative and have him worf Ridley in his first appearance. What would be a good name for such a monster? My money's on Poochie.

That just leads me to want to see Ridley in a meeting with the rest of high command.

"Ridley, we're going to need you to stop dying. You're using too many cybernetics."

"Says Mr. Vapor Brains himself, have you heard what the troops say about your science team?"

I want a transcript of High Command meetings, 90% of which is Ridley being witheringly sarcastic.

"Your division is using too much money, Commander Ridley!"
"SKEEEEROOOONK" -chewing noises-

According to the wiki the star is FS-176. The other planets are Twin Tabula, Oormine II, Zebes, and Bilium.

edit: The planets that aren't Tallon IV or Zebes sound even worse than those two.

edited 29th Jun '15 7:07:21 PM by Kostya

I like to imagine that Ridley is eloquent in his native tongue.

The games don't translate it for us, or Samus doesn't turn on her translator module, or Ridley doesn't bother speaking in the galactic standard or whatever because by this point, the two have literally nothing to say to each other.

But finding Ridley's logs would be fascinating.

I mean, the Pirates never speak English in the games. Not even the Primes. They sort of growl at you. And hiss.

EDIT: Nevermind

Apparently the Omega Pirate speaks.

Not that you'd be able to tell.

And random Pirates in Prime 3 say Samus's name.

The things you would never know until people started ripping random audio files.

edited 29th Jun '15 7:12:53 PM by unnoun

Wonder what his perspective on the whole repeatedly-dying thing is. I wonder if he has any fear for Samus.

I imagine that he's only been mostly dead most of the time.

He crawled his way through Norfair to the Frigate Orpheon before it took off and ate a few dozen members of the crew before sleeping the day off like a bad hangover.

"Lord Ridley, the hunter has made planetfall."

"Right, start cooking up a clone of me. This time, I want wings made of lasers."

He doesn't seem to actually be scared of her. Can't imagine he looks forwards to meeting her though considering she keeps putting him in hospital.

Samus' universal translator had an option for Ridley-speak but she chewed it off because she has nothing to say to him.

Actually hold on, how many times have we fought Ridley clones?

Does that like count as Ridley? It's just a clone, not actually him. Like they're two separate entities right? Or did he do some kind of mind transfer?

I don't know how I feel about Ridley directly speaking but a log written by him would be interesting.

Only Other M and Fusion Ridley are different from the original. Ridley seems to be the same entity from Zero Mission until Super.

edited 29th Jun '15 7:16:46 PM by Kostya

That's an intriguing concept. With a face like that, it's hard to imagine. Maybe he's the Metroid equivalent to the Joker, and he's just fighting her for sport?

"Dear space diary: Well, the Hunter blew me up again today. Fortunately, my men got my brain scan into a clone that didn't need heavy cybernetic enhancement this time. I'll have to reward them. Maybe a metroid? I hear the troops love those as pets. Whatever."

God, why am I making Ridley so... I don't even know what I'm doing here.

edited 29th Jun '15 7:19:42 PM by ultimatepheer

I mean, it seems like, officially, the only clone was Other M. And Fusion.

Like.

See, there's a neat detail where we never actually see Omega Ridley explode. And if you leave and check your kill count in the gunship, Ridley doesn't actually count towards it. Either time. Which might have to do with there apparently being a cut boss fight against Ridley above Phaaze. You'd be in the Gunship and actually use those damn missile expansions.

...Also, Omega Ridley is noticeably more organic and purple than he was as Meta Ridley in the opening. Like the Phazon corruption was making him shed his cyborg parts and regrow his regular body. Which fits because the next game would be Super.

The scans in Prime indicate that they recovered him from the depths of Norfair when they started enhancing him. No cloning involved.

edited 29th Jun '15 7:22:50 PM by unnoun

Whedonesque? Sort of casual and humanish?

Yeah, that works.

The idea of Ridley as a put upon leader of pirates who has to deal with this tiny little girl constantly killing him, and being Surrounded by Idiots, while still being an evil space dragon. It's almost inherently amusing.

edited 29th Jun '15 7:33:53 PM by ultimatepheer

Samus isn't tiny, she's six feet and 200 plus pounds of pure muscle.

Well, yeah, but everything is tiny to Ridley.

Any human being's tiny compared to Ridley though.

Incidentally, I once read a fic I liked that portrayed him as a Blood Knight that just kept fighting Samus despite getting killed every time 'cause it was fun.

edited 29th Jun '15 7:36:49 PM by Perseus