Metroid

The Metroids already had good results against the Feddie ship tehy raided so it stands to reason they'd probably make a fine security force. Shame Samus found just the tools needed to make them dead.

Yep. Joke's on Mother Brain; Ridley's killer already had Chozo cyrogenic containment equipment in her possession.

Like. It's kind of funny that the titular Metroids are only encountered once you already have the weapon that makes absolute jokes of them in zero seconds flat. Some of the other games in the series would start introducing Metroids before the Ice Beam comes into play so that you can feel relieved once you no longer have to worry about them.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Mar 19th 2023 at 4:06:44 AM

Reminds me of how Other M tried to hype up unfreezable Metroids as an unstoppable bioweapon.

When blowing them up seems to work just fine.

NOOOO! We aren't going there again, we know that plot point is dumb!

I like how in Metroid 2, the Chozo Statue where you find the Ice Beam near the Queen's lair is broken.

I love how one mention of Other M just sends people into a panic.

But okay, dropped.

The second time around, Mother Brain sent Ridley to collect all the power-ups before Samus could get them. Unfortunately, she was stymied by the fact that Ridley is just too big.

How do people here headcanon Mother Brain and Ridley's dynamic?

I personally like the idea they can barely stand each other, Ridley enjoys sassing her while Mother Brain repeatedly demands to be taken seriously and shocks Ridley to remind him who is in charge.

No wonder the entrance to MB's lair only opens with Ridley's death.

Been playing Prime Remastered a lot over the past week. I've reached the Omega Pirate boss, but unfortunately I keep getting killed by this guy and the pirates he summons (normal difficulty).

I think that Ridley and Mother Brain know that they had to work together if they were going to take over the galaxy. Ridley was the head of the pirates, Mother Brain brought the knowledge of metroids and came with Zebes. So they began working together, but they didn't trust each other. They each had plans in place in case the other betrayed them. Mother Brain intentionally waited until Samus left for the Federation before summoning the pirates to Zebes, so that, if they betrayed her, she could call Samus, who would in turn tell the Federation about the pirate activity on Zebes, and they'd send a fleet to wipe out the pirates, and they'd succeed because Mother Brain would have been helping them. She didn't think Samus herself would have been able to do squat. Likewise, Ridley had his own plans in case Mother Brain betrayed them. However, after years of working together, the two actually realize the other is exactly what they're looking for in a partner in crime, and they eventually get along quite well.

Edited by WillKeaton on Mar 19th 2023 at 5:41:11 AM

"I like how in Metroid 2, the Chozo Statue where you find the Ice Beam near the Queen's lair is broken." Its some of my favorite environmental storytelling in the franchise.

While I like the idea of a Villainous Friendship, at least for me I think Mother Brain and Ridley's dynamic is more of a Teeth-Clenched Teamwork. She sees him as mindless brute, useful only to be an attack dog, while Ridley views her as an insufferable arrogant A.I upstart and only very grudgingly follows her command since she proved to be superior.

But they know they need each other if their plans are to proceed, but have different goals. Mother Brain wants an orderly galaxy under her eternal rule while Ridley prefers to have a brutal chaotic empire where he can kill to his hearts content.

So they both know the other is planning on cutting the other loose and are just preparing to to kill the other when they conquer the galaxy.

Funnily enough, the Manga does have Mother Brain attempt to recruit Samus as a pirate commander.

If nothing else, I imagine Mother Brain would see Samus as a better attack dog than Ridley. And better company.

Edited by RedHunter543 on Mar 19th 2023 at 7:43:43 PM

My take on MB and Ridley is respectful, but non-friendly. Mother Brain sees in Ridley's existence and by extension the Space Pirates a sense of freedom and escape that she longed for under the Chozo. Meanwhile, Ridley recognize Mother Brain's value as an asset to his operation. They have a professional respect and courtesy to one another, but neither really has any personal opinion on the matter.

I also interpret Mother Brain as the source behind Ridley's repeated cybernetic revivals. She sees him as too valuable an asset to lose, and after faking her death in Samus's first attack on Zebes, works very hard to keep him alive and bring him back into the field using Chozo medical knowledge. Notably, Ridley stops getting cyborg resurrections as soon as Mother Brain dies for real.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Mar 19th 2023 at 4:48:52 AM

So, while Mother Brain probably has some idea that will turn the galaxy into a utopia under her rule, I don't think Ridley particularly cares about what happens to the galaxy after he conquers it. He's all in it for the conquest in and of itself. I'm gonna just post this thing I wrote:

Old Bird: You wish to rule the galaxy.
Ridley: That is High Command's desire, and the reason Mother Brain allied herself with us. However, I have absolutely no interest in ruling over this galaxy. I am here simply to conquer it.
Old Bird: I'm afraid I don't see a difference.
Ridley: I am a predator. My entire life is spent in the pursuit of prey. Not just any prey, but strong, clever prey that makes the hunt interesting, that gives me something to strive for.
Old Bird: You seek a challenge.
Ridley: Precisely. And what greater challenge could there be than leading an army to overthrow the Galactic Federation? At present, we are a small band of warriors fighting against a powerful alliance. It will take years before we accomplish our goal, but every moment of it will be more than worthwhile. To put it simply: I want to conquer the galaxy to prove to myself that I can. And this is not just about the destination, because I am very much enjoying the journey. I relish conflict in all its forms, from the cerebral act of developing a complex stratagem on a galactic scale, to the simple joy of tearing out a man's heart.

Edited by WillKeaton on Mar 19th 2023 at 5:52:11 AM

Yeah I also assumed Mother Brain was the brains behind Meta Ridley. I do think she died in the first game but backed up her mind since she is an AI.

Thinking about Mother Brain's life under the Chozo and training her pseudo daughter Samus is fun to think about. It's an interesting complexity that Mother Brain views the Chozo as weak old fools but rages whenever she's called defective by them. And she of course has a bad case of jealousy towards Samus.

Like I said before, Mother Brain and the Superman TAS version of Brainiac are quite similar. I can see MB giving similar quotes in Super Metroid.

Mother Brain: At last, the true defective kneels before me. History will show that I am the Chozo's superior creation.

Mother Brain: You truly are the product of Old Bird and his inferior teachings. You haven't changed from your days in Zebes, Samus. Headstrong, foolish, easily defeated, and much like the Chozo, ultimately forgotten.

Edited by RedHunter543 on Mar 19th 2023 at 7:57:33 PM

I have said before that I really appreciate Superman TAS's Brainiac actually being emotionless instead of just saying they are, which is a big point in his favour. And this ties in with the bit about Mother Brain unleashing the metroids in Tourian even if it kills pirates: An emotionless computer won't get mad at you for screwing up, but they are absolutely incapable of empathy, so they will ruthlessly sacrifice you if it will help their goal.

Edited by WillKeaton on Mar 20th 2023 at 9:28:15 AM

I feel it would be neat if Mother Brain is generally emotionless and coldly logical but when she gets angry, she REALLY gets angry.

And it's always involving the Chozo or Samus.

The only times Brainiac shows even the slightest emotions is when he interacts with Superman. And it's usually subtle sadistic glee whenever he has an advantage over Clark.

After a few more defeats to the Omega Pirate, I gave in and looked up its weakness.

It becomes a lot easier when you can take out a third of its lifebar each cycle, instead of an eighth.

If I were writing Mother Brain, I'd probably have to resist the temptation to not make her something like a Shodan expy.

Though the idea of being extremely emotionless, then getting extremely angry, that does sound like a good idea.

Mother Brain should only get pissed in certain circumstances though. Like the Chozo calling her defective or her jealousy over Samus.

Such as the Manga and Comic version of Super Metroid.

Super Missiles make the game so easy, it's funny.

"Oh no, an Elite Pirate!" Down in three Super Missiles.

"Jetpack pirates!" Missiles have a homing function and this does not disable for Super Missiles.

"Cloaked stealth pirates who only become targetable up close or with Thermal Visor!" Ice Beam. What are we, savages? Not everything needs a Super Missile.

"THARDUS!" Thar-Super Missiles, you mean.

And when a Super Missile can't do it, the Power Bomb does.

"Elemental Beam troopers!" Power Bomb and laugh demonically as they die instantly.
"FISSION METROIDS!" Power Bomb instantly kills them.

Edited by ScubaWolf on Mar 20th 2023 at 12:32:29 PM

Adam: >=[

Well Adam at least proved that unfreezeable Metroids aren’t immune to being blown up.

Remember him?

I remember him

Samus already knew they weren’t power bomb proof. That’s why Adam forbade her to use them

His sinister machinations ran deep