Barrier Core-X

"Chozo script translated."

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This article's name is an unofficial translation from official Japanese media and may not represent the canonical English name, if one exists.
An alternate name from an official source may be required.

Barrier Core-X
Featured in	Metroid Fusion
Location	Sector 6 (NOC)
Attacks	Ramming
Weakness	Charge Beam
Battle Music	VS. Zazabi, Barrier Core-X
Reward(s)	Varia Suit

“	How did that X download the Varia Suit data? This doesn't seem to make any sense at all, unless the X... Unless the X have the ability to process data organically...	„
—Adam

The Barrier Core-X (バリアコアX) is the fifth boss Samus faces aboard the Biologic Space Laboratories research station in Metroid Fusion.

Description

Before the battle, a normal Core-X is seen downloading Galactic Federation data of the Varia Suit in a Sector 6 (NOC) Data Room, thus turning the Core-X into the Varia-armored Barrier Core-X seen in the next room. The Barrier Core-X is a large Core-X with miniature variants of itself surrounding it. While its spiked outer barrier retains the traditional colors of a Core-X, its inner body is colored a bright yellow and green, resembling the Varia Suit's coloring on the Fusion Suit.

Samus battles the giant Core-X.

During the battle, its only strategy is attempting to ram into Samus, with its miniatures swirling around it in a fast rotational clockwise speed and slight inner/outer radius movement. To defeat it, Samus must use her Charge Beam, as only fully charged shots will damage it. Firing a charged shot at the smaller Core-X orbiting the main body will destroy them, reducing both the number of obstacles protecting the Barrier Core-X and the boss's attack range. The Spin Jump Attack can also destroy the small Core-X and can even be used to damage the Barrier Core-X itself (although doing so will result in Samus taking damage as well). Samus's Missiles will not damage the Barrier Core-X or any of the smaller X orbiting it; incorporating the Varia Suit data evidently rendered it immune to a Core-X's normal weakness, much like Samus's Varia Suit protects her from extreme temperatures.

It should be noted that while Samus's movements in the water without the Gravity Suit are incredibly hampered, the Barrier Core-X moves at the same rate regardless of the presence of water (or walls, for that matter). If Samus slips off the platforms, she will be at a sore disadvantage until she can get out of the water again.

Samus, having recovered the Varia Suit.

The boss will change into a darker shade of coloring when sufficiently damaged, then an even darker orange once it is near defeat. Once the Barrier Core-X has received too much damage altogether, its shielding explodes and its size shrinks, reverting it to a normal Core-X once more; its membrane loses its invulnerability to Missiles but can no longer be harmed with the Charge Beam (shots will still produce X parasites). Once Samus has ruptured the tough casing and absorbed the core within, she will recover the stolen Varia Suit data.

Trivia

• Since "Varia" is a mistranslation of barrier (バリア), the Barrier Core-X's name could potentially be alternatively translated as "Varia Core-X", which would accurately reflect the fact that it carries the Varia Suit data.
• As it downloads the Varia Suit, the Core-X's casing can be shot with Super Missiles, though it won't affect the boss itself.
• On Easy mode in the Japanese version of the game, the Barrier Core-X lacks its miniature variants.
  • In earlier prototypes of Metroid Fusion, the Barrier Core-X also does not possess miniature variants of itself.
• The Barrier Core-X is the only X-based boss in Fusion that did not infect/mimic an organism.
• This boss shares its boss music and damage sound effects with Zazabi.
• Excluding the non-beam Core-X fought prior, the Barrier Core-X is the first boss in Fusion to change its body color during battle when damaged.
• Humorously, Metroid Fusion: The Official Nintendo Player's Guide describes the Barrier Core-X, which it refers to as simply "creature", as resembling a "giant, deadly beach ball."

Gallery

The "Barrier" destroyed by Samus, reverting the boss back to its original Core-X state.

Sprite of one of its miniatures surrounding the larger Core-X.

The Barrier Core-X and its minis turns orange when heavily damaged.

Further damage darkens the Barrier Core-X and its minis, signifying its near defeat.

The Core-X exposed, granting the Varia Suit once absorbed.