Groganch

Groganch
Samus battling a Groganch in the Cryosphere.
Featured in	Metroid: Other M
Knownlocales	Experiment Floor 2, Sector 1 / Biosphere Experiment Floor, Sector 2 / Cryosphere
Known worlds	Unknown
Attacks	Purple orbs that contain a noxious gas.
Weakness	Orange bulb initially on the creature's underside.

A Groganch(グルガンジー, Guruganjī) is a large tree-like creature in Metroid: Other M.

Groganches reside in three locations within the BOTTLE SHIP. The first location is a Swamp Zone in the Biosphere. The second location is also in the Biosphere in Experiment Floor 3. The third location is in the Cryosphere's Experiment Floor, just outside the Materials Storehouse.

The bioform consists of six spidery legs and an avian head resembling Ridley's mounted on a thin, jointed neck, joined together by a central core which is adorned with a large, orange bulb on the underside. The creature's skin is very similar to that of tree bark, allowing the creature to easily blend in with forest environments.

The Groganch's defeat will result in the large bulb going from orange to green, as well as a loss of color in the creature's eyes. Strangely, a close look on the bulb at this point reveals a translucent outer shell containing a smaller spherical structure inside; it is unknown to what purpose this inner bulb serves.

The Groganch's legs also have a 360-degree rotation radius, allowing it to merely rise up backwards when on the ground as opposed to getting up manually. This results in two different forms of the Groganch: a smaller, more mobile to-the-ground form resembling a spider, and a taller, lumbering form resembling a sauropod's.

Battle

To defeat a Groganch, Samus must target the large bulb with Missiles or the Power Beam, (any beam will do) and after enough damage the creature will flip itself over and begin to fire explosive globes from the bulb (now located on its back), which Samus can either dodge or shoot before they reach her- it can either fire one to three from its back or rapidly fire them from its mouth. Continuing to shoot the bulb (either by entering Search View, or by climbing nearby terrain) will eventually cause the Groganch to flip over again. This cycle will repeat until it dies. Its body will not disappear, but remain in the area it fell until Samus leaves the room.

It is possible to use Overblast on the Groganch by jumping on the bulb while it is located on its back. To perform the Overblast, Samus can go underneath the Groganch so that it will slam down, lowering the bulb so that Samus can jump on it and execute the Overblast.

Metroid: Other M Art Folio

Groganch concept art.

Samus in the Cryosphere Drifts

"Sector 2 of the Bottle Ship was called the Cryosphere, and its sub-zero temperatures sustained many recognizable Zebesian life-forms. One was new to me - a massive creature with a spiderlike body that lobbed globes containing noxious gas. As I first encountered it in the Biosphere, it was obviously adapted to many environments."

Trivia

• In the Biosphere, a glitch will occasionally cause the Groganch to become stuck against a pipe bundle and walk endlessly without ever actually changing position. This makes the creature rather easy to defeat, as Samus can fire on the bulb while remaining out of range of its projectiles.
• In a corridor in the Biosphere, there are two Groganches that are much larger than the others behind glass that cannot be reached, but they can be killed once the Wave Beam is obtained. Killing them offers Samus no reward, though, and they respawn once Samus leaves. Oddly, they are constantly firing their projectiles at random parts of the environment for no specific purpose.
• The Groganch's bulb resembles a Kashh Plant, and is shared by the Dragotix.
• It's possible that this may be a reference to Half-Life 1's Gonarch, as they share a similar weak point and name.
• The Groganch's dual plant-animal nature is shared by another Biospherian creature, the Gripper. However, it is unknown whether the two species are at all related.
• The Groganch's head and ostrich-like qualities strongly resemble that of the Dachora.
• Concept art of the Groganch states that it lays eggs.[1]

Gallery

A Groganch overlooking the skyway in the Biosphere.

ULF 53.png

The bird-like head of a Groganch, suggesting the organism has hybrid plant and animal characteristics.

Samus fires a Charge Beam at the Groganch.

The fragile and easily-damaged bulb of a Groganch, its only weak spot.

Samus locks on a Groganch.

Samus performs an Overblast on a Groganch.

The Groganch weak spot turns green when killed.

A Groganch in the Cryosphere.

Japanese guide