- This article is about the creature on Zebes and the BOTTLE SHIP. For the creature on the B.S.L. research station, see Geruta.
Skrees are native inhabitants of Zebes which have appeared in half of the main Metroid games. This aerial enemy and its variants roost on ceilings akin to bats, waiting for Samus to pass beneath them before they dive-bomb at her with their razor-sharp wings.
Although the Skrees are absent in the Metroid Prime series, their role is filled by the extremely similar Shriekbat and its many subspecies.
Appearance and behavior[]
Skrees have a large bulbous head featuring a pair of eyes and insect-like mandibles. They have two small legs to cling upside down with, and the two wing blades have serrated inner edges. The appearance of their torso differs slightly between official artwork and in-game graphics: they appear elongated and somewhat cylindrical in the former, but are quite diminutive in the latter. Regardless, the torso is built in a way that allows the section holding the wings to rotate horizontally, causing the wings themselves to spin around the body in full 360 degree movement without hindrance. This rotation is sped up when the creatures are flying at Samus.
The original Metroid and its remake, Zero Mission, feature two types of Skrees. The standard, weaker type can be recognized by their green and orange pigmentation, with the latter color changed to brown in Zero Mission. The stronger version of the species is blue and dark brown in the original game, but purple and dark green in the remake. In Super Metroid, all Skrees are mainly green in color while the inner edges of their wings are yellow. Other M's Skrees share the same coloration as the weaker type from Zero Mission but darker in shade.
When a target is underneath it, a Skree will let out a high-pitched noise as it flies down at high velocity in an attempt to wound it with its wings. Whether it hits the target or not, the creature will end up embedding its wings to the ground, at which point it will follow-up with another attack by either:
- Detonating its body which releases four harmful shrapnel that spread outward in Metroid and its remake, Zero Mission. The explosion can be stopped if Samus kills the Skree as soon as it gets stuck on the ground.
- Drilling through the floor with the rotation of its wings, causing four pieces of damaging rubble to be thrown in an arc as the creature escapes underground in Super Metroid. Killing the Skree while it is perched or during its flight will make it release four arching shrapnel.
- Standing on its feet and returning to the ceiling to repeat its initial attack in Metroid: Other M. They will repeat this process until Samus kills them or they unpredictably self-destruct, harming her if she is near the blast radius.
Skrees also appear in the Metroid Manga, where a pair of them unintentionally save Samus and her group from a pair of Zebesian Pirates by instantly killing them by dive-bombing the back of their heads.
Variations[]
Unlike the original Metroid and its remake which categorized both the standard and stronger types of Skree under the same species, other games present their stronger variations as separate subspecies with entirely different names.
Metaree[]
Skree family described in the Nintendo Official Guidebook for Metroid: Other M
Metarees are only encountered in Super Metroid. This strain is similar in appearance to the Skree except for its light brown color, extremely durable body and what appear to be mechanical drills for wings. It is unknown if this is acquired naturally or artificially, the latter possibly through enhancements made by Space Pirates.
Cyclaw[]
Cyclaws are the stronger variation in Other M. Mostly black in color but still possessing the same basic structure. They attack like an average Skree but have an added attack which consists of latching onto Samus and self-destructing. These differences may be attributed to genetic engineering and/or cybernetic enhancements by the scientists in the BOTTLE SHIP.
Official data[]
Metroid manual[]
- Skree
- "They stick to the ceiling and lie in wait for Samus. When he approaches, they spin downwards to attack her[sic]."
- Skree
- "They use their wings like drills to descend from the ceiling and attack Samus. Be careful of rock splinters when they are digging into the ground."
Victory Techniques for Metroid[]
"When Samus draws near, they will spin and attack. When they burrow into the ground, be careful of the rock fragments."
The Official Nintendo Player's Guide[]
- SKREE
- "It attacks from the ceiling screwing down like a drill. If it pierces the ground, it blows itself up."
Nintendo Power Volume 29[]
- ENEMIES OF BRINSTAR AND NORFAIR (pg. 41)
- SKREE
- "They dive-bomb straight down from the ceiling."
- SKREE
- "Their spiraling attack from above is easy to foil with your laser."
Super Metroid manual[]
- SKREE
- "These creatures hang down from ceilings and drop as intruders approach."
Super Metroid Nintendo Player's Guide[]
SKREE
| Enemy Data | Description | |||||||
| Color | HP | ATK | E | BE | M | SM | PB | Crateria/Brinstar/Norfair. They will dive-bomb you as you pass underneath. Dash! |
| Normal | 15 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 33 | 2 | 2 | |
Information
Super Metroid Players' Guide[]
"Skrees drop on you as you walk beneath them so run by as quickly as possible."
Zero Mission manual[]
- Skrees
- "These creatures hang from the ceiling and drop down to attack when Samus passes underneath. They then self-destruct, inflicting damage with shrapnel from their exoskeletons."
Zero Mission Metroid.com[]
SPECIMEN ID# G2-003 "Specimen prefers to hang upside-down from ceilings, diving after prey with razor-sharp wings. Interior analysis shows symmetrical pockets of combustible gases, causing creature to explode on impact. DANGER LEVEL: MODERATE."
- Curved feet and claws
- Jagged wings
- Combustible gas pockets (Head)
Metroid: Other M Premiere Edition[]
- Low-Level Enemies (p. 9)
- Skrees and Cyclaws
- "Skrees and Cyclaws are sneaky creatures that usually hang around unnoticed until they're ready to strike. These bat-like beasts hang in the corridors and wait until you get nearby. When you do, they swoop down from above and drill into you with their wings. Use Search View when entering a new corridor and look to the ceiling. Blast the ambush-happy creatures with Normal Missiles or tear through them with Beam blasts as you traverse the halls."
Nintendo Official Guidebook for Metroid Other M[]
This article, section, or file contains text that is unofficially translated by Metroid fans. Some information (such as proper English names) may not be accurate. If an official translation becomes available, the fan translation(s) may be replaced.
"The Scree series typically can be found hanging from ceilings. As Samus approaches, they will charge. Cyclaws, which appear in the Main Sector, are in the same family as Screes."
Cancelled appearances[]
Metroid Fusion[]
Despite being one of the Metroid series' signature enemies, the Skree is absent in Metroid Fusion. However, beta trailers show that an X Parasite mimic of the Skree was originally going to appear in Sector 1 (SRX),[1] but was dropped for unknown reasons.
Sprites for the Skree were reused from Super Metroid and still remain in the game's data along with its AI. If the creature is placed in the game through modding, the alterations to its behavior by the X are revealed: the Skree initially burrows into the ground after its dive just as it did in Super Metroid, but will try to attack Samus once more by drilling back out from underneath her. It will then fly up and perch on the ceiling, repeating the whole pattern if she's still nearby. The Skree does not throw harmful rubble when digging nor does it release shrapnel when killed.[2]
Metroid Prime[]
Metroid Prime and Metroid Fusion: Prima's Official Strategy Guide
Even though Skrees are replaced by the Shriekbats in this game, there is concept art in Metroid Prime and Metroid Fusion: Prima's Official Strategy Guide that feature what appear to be two variants of a creature identical to the Skrees seen in games outside the Prime series. While one of them has an orange and yellow color, the other possesses the Skree's green color scheme. Their eyes also resemble a Skree's, and are largely different than a Shriekbat's. Both artworks appeared in the Brady Metroid Prime Official Strategy Guide on page 119 along with Ripper artwork.
Shinesparkers: During the development of any game there are ideas that don't make it for various reasons. Can you tell us about any concepts or models you came up with for Metroid Prime that didn’t make the final cut and why?
Mike Sneath: The entire first years worth of characters I modelled 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 was a big improvement over the original 2D designs.
Trivia[]
- The shrapnel released by Skrees in the original Metroid look like small spheres. In the remake, they are redesigned to resemble actual body parts from the creature.
- Curiously, the rubble that gets dispersed when Skrees drill through the floor in Super Metroid are identical in appearance to the shrapnel launched from their bodies when killed by Samus. This may suggest that Skrees are somehow destroying themselves as they dig.
- One Skree appears in a microgame based on Metroid: Zero Mission, in WarioWare D.I.Y.
- Weavel is a Space Pirate that was reconstructed following an incident in Brinstar during Samus's first mission on Zebes. Seeing as the only Pirates present in said area at that time were the pair attacked by Skrees in the manga, Weavel might possibly be one of those two.
- Two Skrees that have been drained of their energy are found in a room in Tourian in Super Metroid. If shot, their brittle husks crumble to dust.
- Metroid Fusion features a flying enemy that is slightly reminiscent of a Skree due to its curved wing-like arms, with the Metroid Prime and Metroid Fusion: Prima's Official Strategy Guide naming it as such.[3] However, another guide with more credibility, the Nintendo Official Guide Book for Metroid Fusion, identifies it as another species known as the Geruta despite the two creatures sharing just as little, if not fewer traits with each other.
- In the Metroid manga, Samus states that the Skree is a unique predator found nowhere else in the galaxy, This statement is contradicted with the existence of Shriekbats on several planets, as they're in fact very much like the Skrees.
Gallery[]
Captain N: The Game Master[]
References[]
| Food, Nourishment and Sustenance | |
|---|---|
| Plants & Fungi | Blueroot Tree • Fruit • Red Starburst • Sap Sac • Saturnine • Tangle Vine Fruit |
| Species | Geruta • Embers • Kiru Giru • Pirate Militia • Reo • Ripper • Sciser • Scritter • Skree • Space Pirate • Tallon Crab • Torizo • X Parasite • Zoomer |
| Carrion | "Deceased Soldier" • Amok Mommy |
| Liquid | Lava • Phazon |
| Artificial/Misc. | Deca-triticale • Elite Nutrient Mix • Energy • Nutrient-grade biomatter • Synthetic Metroid rations • Wrecked Ship |
| Shriekbats | |
|---|---|
| Subspecies | Shriekbat • Ice • Bryyonian • Elysian • Urtragian • Phazon • Fire |
| Similar | Skree • Metaree • Cyclaw |