Metroid Hatcher

The Metroid Hatcher is a Metroid that can spawn Phazon Metroids. It has four long tentacles, which it can use to drain the life force of creatures, much like Hunter Metroids.

Origin
It could be speculated that the Hatchers are highly mutated or simply evolved Hunter Metroids because of their similarities in attacks and appearance. However, they are infact the next stage of evolution from Phazon Metroids on the Space Pirate Homeworld. Eggs of a Metroid are infused with alien chemicals and Phazon on the Pirate Homeworld. The result is a Phazon Metroid that evolves into the Metroid Hatcher. The "natural" evolution of a Phazon Metroid would seem to be a Hopping Metroid.

Battle
The Metroid Hatcher's membrane is protected by a Phazite shell; however, the same does not apply to its tentacles. If the tentacles are harmed enough, they will retract into the Metroid Hatcher's shell, at which point it will begin spawning Phazon Metroids from its mouth and violently spinning around the room. Before it does so, however, its mouth is vulnerable; if it is attacked enough, it will become stunned, allowing one of its tentacles to be ripped off with the Grapple Lasso. Ripping off all four tentacles will defeat it.

The Hatcher can also spin while any number of the tentacles are remaining, and can also use them to drain Samus' energy much like a Hunter Metroid.

Metroid Hatchers are fought at three locations: in the Metroid Creche on the Space Pirate Homeworld, in the Aurora Chamber on the Valhalla, and in Generator B on Norion. The only the Hatcher that must be killed in order to progress through the game is the one on the Pirate Homeworld.

Once Samus had received both the X-Ray Visor and the Nova Beam she can hit a Metroid Hatcher in its weak spot by locking on and aim for the Hatcher's Heart -- the red and yellow glowing internal organ, destroying it in one hit.

Trivia

 * Ilya Nazarov designed and modelled the Metroid Hatcher.


 * The Hatcher somewhat resembles a Leviathan.


 * It is interesting that the Metroid Hatchers on Norion and the Valhalla can be ignored or skipped completely on a fast run: The wing containing Generator B on Norion is a completely optional area, so the Hatcher there can be ignored completely (however, this Hatcher MUST be defeated if the player wishes to obtain all 9 Energy Cells). The Hatcher in the Aurora Chamber on the Valhalla is automatically encountered after restoring power to the room's systems (by using 2 Energy Cells); however, it can be avoided by simply running to the upper exit of the room (doing this will cause the Hatcher to wait by the upper doorway until you return, when it can again be avoided by heading directly to the lower door).