Scatter Bombu is a life-form made entirely out of raw electricity. It is part of the Bombu family present in Metroid Prime.
Scatter Bombus are found exclusively on Tallon IV, though there are robots seemingly built with their likeness and behavior on Aether called the Diligence Class Drones.
Description[]
The body of this particular breed of Bombu consists of four red orbs attached to a larger purple nucleus. Every Scatter Bombu is found flying back and forth within narrow cylindrical corridors; when Samus approaches the creature, three of its red orbs begin to each discharge an incessant stream of electricity outward as they travel along the purple nucleus' surface in a clockwise or counter-clockwise pattern, depending on which side of the hallway Samus is on. The fourth orb does not shoot anything and simply faces one end of the hallway.
Contact with these streams will harm Samus and physically impede her from moving past the Scatter Bombu. Additionally, getting close to one will cause Visor interference. She can avoid all contact with the creature and its three electric tendrils by using her Morph Ball ability to roll with precise timing through the safe spaces between them. Scatter Bombus can be killed once Samus acquires their only weakness, the electric-based Wave Beam. Because of their energy-based nature, if Samus charges any of her beam weapons near them, they will sense the focused energy and accelerate their movement. As such, using the Charge Beam in close proximity can lead to abrupt, unexpected impacts with the Scatter Bombu.
Although Scatter Bombus produce electrical fields, they can somehow enter water seemingly without being affected. This is in stark contrast to their free-roaming relative, the Pulse Bombu, which will promptly explode upon contact with water.
Scatter Bombu can be found in Ice Ruins Access, Canyon Entryway, Temple Entryway, Hydra Lab Entryway, West Tower Entrance, Aether Lab Entryway, Lower Edge Tunnel, Lake Tunnel, and Elevator Access A.
Official Data[]
Logbook entry[]
Scatter Bombu
Morphology: Scatter Bombu. Pulsing tendrils of energy extend from creature's body.
Like all Bombus, these creatures can only be harmed by electrical energy. Proximity to these life-forms may result in electrical Visor interference. It is possible to avoid engaging Scatter Bombus by rolling into the Morph Ball and slipping between the rotating energy seams.
Metroid Prime and Metroid Fusion: Prima's Official Strategy Guide[]
- Scatter Bombu
- "In narrow halls you'll often encounter this menacing electrical creature. These unusual beings emit three static beams that connect with nearby walls as it spins in circles and travels back and forth down the hall. This creates an obstacle early in the game, which you can bypass in Morph Ball mode. The Wave Beam is the only weapon able to destroy a Scatter Bombu, so until you locate that, you'll have to skirt through its spinning trap."
- Scatter Bombu
- Found In: Chozo Ruins, Magmoor Caverns, Phendrana Drifts, Phazon Mines
- Recommended Weapon: Wave Beam
- "Scatter Bombus are floating electrical creatures invulnerable to most known weapons. The electric field it produces can cause your visors to malfunction if you get too close. The Wave Beam is the only weapon that can destroy it. If you encounter a Scatter Bombu before you find the Wave Beam, change into the Morph Ball and roll between their electrical beams."
Metroid Prime: The Official Nintendo Player's Guide[]
- SCATTER BOMBU
- "Scatter Bombus won't drop ordnance on you from above, but they will extend a three-pronged spoke of electricity around their body. Only the Wave Beam can destroy them. Until you gain the new item, roll into Morph Ball form and duck between the electrical bolts."
Metroid Prime Official Strategy Guide[]
- SCATTER BOMBU
- MORPHOLOGY
- "Pulsing tendrils of energy extend from the creature's body. Like all Bombus, these creatures can only be harmed by electrical energy. Proximity to these life-forms may result in electrical Visor interference. It is possible to avoid engaging Scatter Bombus by rolling into the Morph Ball and slipping between the rotating energy streams."
- COMBAT TIPS
- "When encountering a Scatter Bombu for the first time, Samus won't have the ability to destroy it. It's best to enter Morph Ball form and roll past the Bombu's energy streams. The Scatter Bombu can be destroyed with the Wave Beam, once acquired."
Metroid Prime Official Perfect Guide[]
- SCATTER BOMBU
- "Indestructible for the time being. Roll under Scatter Bombus as a Morph Ball; being upright in their vicinity causes your visor to fuzz out."
Development notes[]
Internally, the Scatter Bombu is called AtomicBeta.[1] This provides evidence that the Bombu species was originally intended to be the similar Atomic from Super Metroid, before Nintendo requested that Retro Studios create new original enemies.[2]
An extremely similar enemy called the Diligence Class Drone is found in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. Its internal name is "Beta Atomic",[3] which further confirms that its appearance and behavior is derived from the Scatter Bombu.
Trivia[]
- The Luminoth's creation, the Diligence Class Drone, is seemingly designed to imitate the Scatter Bombu from Tallon IV. How the Luminoth knew of the latter's existence is never stated, but it is known that the Chozo colony of Tallon IV met with them in the past.
Gallery[]
.jpg "Lake Tunnel (PD).jpg (37 KB)")
References[]
- ^ Metroid Prime - The Cutting Room Floor
- ^ "The entire first year’s worth of characters I modeled for the game were cut. At first, we were making all the enemies looking just like the old Metroid 2D enemies. Nintendo later decided that they wanted the enemies to have a new look, so we scrapped all of those creatures. These weren’t just models that were scrapped, but these were enemies that had a full set of animations and some even had AI programmed. I’m actually very glad Nintendo made that call because I think the newer designs that Jones and Keller came up with were a big improvement over the original 2D designs." https://shinesparkers.net/interviews/mike-sneath/
- ^ Metroid Prime 2: Echoes - The Cutting Room Floor