Ramulken

Ramulkens are a species native to SR388 in Metroid II: Return of Samus and Metroid: Samus Returns.

Description[]

Ramulkens are four-legged, one-eyed creatures whose bodies are protected by a hard, spiked shell, and all Beam weapons except the Plasma Beam (Wave Beam in the original game) will not affect them. Their only weak point is their vulnerable underbellies and legs.

In Return of Samus, Ramulkens jump around, with their pattern alternating between hopping three times to the left and three times to the right. Samus Aran encounters the first one at the summit of a tall Chozo tower in Phase 7. They are very rare, with only a few specimens found in Phase 7 and Phase 8.

In Samus Returns, Ramulkens are now purple in color, with Stronger Ramulkens^[1] being colored red like their original concept art. They crawl along the ground, the walls, and the ceiling. When they see Samus, they roll into a ball and quickly charge at her, which she can dodge by jumping or deflect by using her Melee Counter. Stronger Ramulkens are more powerful and can instantly turn around up to three times while rolling. These lifeforms are far more common compared to the original game, now found in many areas of SR388.

Official data[]

Metroid II: Return of Samus manual[]

Enemies (p. 30): RAMULKEN; "Their bodies are protected by a hard shell, and beams will not affect them. Their only weak point is their legs!"

Virtual Console manual[]

Enemies (2) (p. 15): Ramulken; "A strong shell protects most of this creature's body. Its only weakness is its exposed underside."

Metroid: Samus Returns Official Guide[]

INHABITANTS & ECO SYSTEM OF SR388 - SR388 NATIVE LIFE (p. 18): RAMULKEN; "Some of the most aggressive creatures on SR388, Ramulken look a bit like hermit crabs, but they don’t act like them. They skitter about an area until approached by a threat, at which point they duck into their shells and begin spinning furiously at their target. The meaner sub-species is even worse. Your best bet is to buckle down and aim for that Melee Counter, or run and escape the fight entirely. All other options lead to a long, dangerous fight, especially if multiple enemies are involved."

WALKTHROUGH - AREA 3 (p. 95): RAMULKEN; "These shelled creatures are what you’d get if you mixed a Halzyn with a Gravitt. Ramulkens scuttle around peacefully until approached by a creature they perceive as a threat—Samus, in this case. When that happens, they quickly enclose themselves in their shells and begin spinning rapidly, then let loose in the direction of their enemy. They move pretty fast, so watch out. Listen for that telltale click of a counterable attack."

WALKTHROUGH - AREA 5 (p. 142): STRONGER RAMULKEN; "Stronger Ramulkens are hard to defeat and can spin at you three times consecutively. Your best bet when dealing with them is to stand your ground and Melee Counter them. Don’t try to shoot them with missiles while they spin; this is a good way to take damage, or to drag out the fight much longer than necessary."

Trivia[]

Ramulkens look similar to the Gravitts and Halzyns, as noted by Metroid: Samus Returns Official Guide.
They also bear resemblance to Zazabi in both attack pattern and appearance.
It is unknown if they became X Parasite hosts, as Samus did not encounter any Ramulkens in Metroid Fusion.
Their roll ability in Samus Returns resembles the Needler from Metroid II: Return of Samus, which does not appear in the remake.