Meta Ridley

Meta Ridley is Ridley rebuilt and reborn through Space Pirate technology.

Biography
After his defeat on Zebes, the Pirates were forced to go back to the drawing board and reconstruct Geoform 187, or Ridley as he's code named. This reconstruction was ordered by Command. Ridley had to go through a painful metamorphosis to become the mechanical behemoth. After completion, some of the early Pirate tests showed an increase in mobility, strength, and offensive potential and capabilities. They also added cybernetic modules and armor plating. In Metroid: Zero Mission, the final boss was Ridley Robot, a robot built in Ridley's likeness; this could be viewed as a Meta Ridley prototype (as they share similar characteristics), though this one was complete machinery and had no legs (instead having a tube that was most likely a computer interface), unlike the true resurrected Ridley meta-form.

Metroid Prime
When Samus is evacuating the Space Pirate frigate Orpheon, she sees him break constraints and flee the station. She later sees him flying across Phendrana Drifts to an unknown destination, presumably the Phazon Mines. She then is forced to battle him and defeats him at the Artifact Temple.

Battle in Metroid Prime
In first phase of the battle, Meta Ridley attacks from the air with powerful missiles and his "kinetic breath weapon." He could only be damaged by shooting him in the chest, as his armor has poor shielding there. However, there are points in the fight when he flies too far away for Samus to shoot him, but a lock-on can be maintained. After losing most of his health, Meta Ridley's wings burn off and he is forced to land and fight. On the ground he proves far more dangerous, as he possesses far greater speed than Samus, despite his size. This issue is compounded by the fact that the Artifact Temple is very small, forcing Samus to remain close to him. He continues to attack with his fire breath, but his main attack is to rush at Samus and tackle her. This can be dodged if Samus moves when he rears his head back and gives off a small shriek. After the charge, he looks back to see where Samus might be and he sweeps his long tail in hopes of catching Samus. Often, Meta Ridley would stay low on all fours, guarding his weakspot, but his chest could be exposed if he was stunned by being shot in the mouth. After an intense fight Samus wears out Meta Ridley, and the Chozo statues glow red and focus an energy beam at his chest and he is shoved off the edge of the arena into the abyss. During the ground-based fight, the Wavebuster can target Meta Ridley's mouth and chest simultaneously.

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
After surviving his ordeal on Tallon IV, Ridley leads the Pirate invasion of Norion by distracting the G.F.S. Olympus and its fleet of starships with a sneak attack through a wormhole, giving his troops sufficient time to land on the planet's surface.

He then leads the battle to take out the GF defense base personally. At one point of the battle, Samus and a fellow Federation PED Marine watch helplessly as Meta Ridley single handedly wipes out an entire platoon of Marines on the other side of the base. Ridley also attacks Samus multiple times throughout the invasion, striking her while in Morph ball form when she is traveling to the last power generator. Interesting to note is that Meta Ridley has gained a blue-ish tint on his entire body: phazon exposure could be the cause of this.

Battle in Metroid Prime 3
Samus confronts Ridley once more after fixing the problem with the generator. Ridley surprises her and tries to tackle her to the ground. However, due to his immense weight, the two fall into a very deep shaft under the generator. He is much weaker and easier to defeat this time, possibly because he hasn't fully recovered from his Tallon IV encounter. In the fight Ridley alternates between three phases. Phase one is when Samus is above Ridley, and she has to avoid his flame breath and other fireballs. Ridley will then swoop down and grab Samus. Here he tries to strike Samus with his claws and bite her, but she can prevent this by shooting the glowing weak spots on his body. After a period of time, Ridley lets go of Samus, and the battle enters the last phase, with Ridley pursuing Samus from above. Repeating this pattern, Samus is easily able to wear him out. Samus defeats him once again and, after being rescued at the last minute by Rundas who leaves Ridley to fall down the rest of the generator shaft.

Omega Ridley
Main Article: Omega Ridley

However, Ridley survives the fall through the restorative powers of Phazon in his meta-armor, and is able to escape Norion. He flees to the Pirate Homeworld and becomes fully corrupted in the Leviathan seed.

Samus meets him on the Pirate Homeworld, corrupted and now known as Omega Ridley. In this form, he possesses enhanced strength and defense, though curiously, Omega Ridley is noticebly slower compared to his original Meta form back on Tallon IV. He can only be damaged by shooting the wound on his chest possibly acquired from the fall on Norion. However, Omega Ridley's armor covers that point and Samus has to pull it open with her Grapple Lasso before she can hurt him.

Metroid Prime

 * Pirate Lore, Meta Ridley: "The reconstruction of geoform 187, code-named Ridley, was recently completed. After his defeat on Zebes, Command ordered a number of metagenetic improvements for him. Though aggressive, we were able to implement these changes in a cycle. The metamorphosis was painful, but quite successful in the end. Early tests indicate a drastic increase in strength, mobility, and offensive capability. Cybernetic modules and armor plating have been added as well. We believe our creation, now called Meta Ridley, will become the mainstay of our security force, a job he will certainly relish."


 * Meta Ridley: "Reborn and evolved through Pirate technology, Meta Ridley is a fearsome enforcer. Its armored hide is extremely resilient, save for the chest, which has thinner plating. The Pirates have fused a number of potent weapons to the creature, including a Multi-Missile System, a Kinetic Breath Weapon, a Meson Bomb Launcher, and an Ultrathermal Flamestrike Projector. Meta Ridley is also a formidable melee combatant, making any sort of engagement a risky proposition."

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

 * Meta Ridley: "Target's body is covered with incredibly durable armorskin, making it difficult to damage. All parts of the body are protected except for the mouth, where Meta Ridley fires his plasma-powered weaponry. Observing target may reveal additional target points. Target will use powerful plasma-based ranged attacks, along with potent melee strikes."

Official Website
homeworld: Unknown

civilization type: Unknown

history: "Meta Ridley is a genetically enhanced Ridley metaform. It is a mainstay of the Space Pirate's army. After being defeated by bounty hunter Samus Aran, Meta Ridley has been reborn and evolved through Space Pirate technology. Meta Ridley is a fearsome enforcer. The Pirates have fused a number of potent weapons to the creature, including a Multi-Missile system, a kinetic breath weapon, a Meson Bomb launcher, and an Ultrathermal Flamestrike projector. Meta Ridley is also a formidable melee combatant, making any sort of engagement a risky proposition.

''It is a bird-like creature with large powerful wings and a long agile tail. Meta Ridley's armored hide is extremely resilient, save for the chest, which has thinner plating."''

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Meta Ridley appears as a boss in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. He is one of the generals of the Subspace Army.

After R.O.B., Diddy Kong, Donkey Kong, Captain Falcon, Pikachu, Samus,and Captain Olimar make their way out of the doomed Bomb Factory flying away in the Falcon Flyer, they are attacked from behind by the resurrected Meta Ridley.

Meta Ridley's attacks can additionally send the Falcon Flyer reeling about. In this battle, he is attacking the ship as well and 2 minutes are given to beat him. He has completely different moves from Ridley and the opponent has to jump whenever he hits the ship or they could fall. Another move is when he grabs onto the ship and attempts to drag it down which instantly kills the character. He is later defeated when he is burnt by the Falcon Flyer's engines and the massive amounts of Subspace Bombs explode, covering the island in Subspace, taking everything in it, including the charred remains of Meta Ridley, into the Subspace. Tabuu, the leader of Subspace, revives Meta Ridley in The Great Maze to attack the heroes, but is defeated like last time, presumably leaving him out of the picture for good.

Trophy Information
The meta form of Ridley, revived using the Space Pirates' genetic engineering and cybernetic technologies. His thin chest plate--and weak point--is protected by a highly resistant membrane. Meta Ridley is highly mobile and features a multimissile system, a bomb launcher, and powerful wings. Ice attacks are particularly effective in dealing damage to him.

Trivia

 * During the Metroid Prime battle with Meta Ridley, there is a bug that can be exploited. When he lands, Samus can enter Morph Ball, charge the Boost Ball ability and dash into the opening in Meta Ridley's legs to obliterate his health to the point where his wings disappear, making for a shorter, easier fight. This however has been fixed in the Wii versions of the game.
 * Meta Ridley's appearance in Generator C after Samus activates it resembles the way he appears in Super Metroid; the eyes glow in the darkness and then he emits a wild roar.
 * The music heard when fighting Meta Ridley in Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is a remix of the music heard when battling him in Super Metroid.
 * In Smash Bros Brawl, after Tabuu resurrects all the previous bosses, Ridley and Meta Ridley appear to be resurrected as two separate beings.
 * During the Metroid Prime battle with Meta Ridley, there's an attack featured in PAL and Japanese versions which isn't included in NTSC version. This attack has been added to Metroid Prime Trilogy. After jumping very high, he lands on ground and launches a giant flamewave. He also charges differently. It also takes more than a single charged shot in order to stun him and damage his chest.
 * Meta Ridley can be seen on Nintendo Monopoly representing Tennessee Avenue for $180, though the property is simply referred to as "Ridley".
 * In Metroid Prime Pinball, Meta Ridley is not destroyed when the Artifact Temple table is completed; instead, he simply flees. This is the third time Ridley has fled danger, after (potentially) Super Metroid's introductory sequence and the end of the the Super Metroid comic.
 * Meta Ridley's Roar was later used recycled for the Pokemon Dialga's roar in the movies and television show.
 * All 3 of the Mascots of the Pokemon D/P/Pt series don't have original roars as seeing that Palkia is a mix of the Varactyl's roar in the Star Wars series,King Ghidorah's roar and Godzilla's roar of the Toho Daikaiju Series, Giratina roar's is the Daikaiju Mothra's roar and Dialga is Meta Ridley's roar.

Other
This is the music heard when battling Meta Ridley in Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl: