Skree

Skree
Official art from Zero Mission.
Featured in	Metroid Metroid: Zero Mission Super Metroid Metroid Other M
Knownlocales	Cave ceilings of Brinstar and Crateria on Zebes (Natural Habitat). Corridor ceilings of Main Sector of the BOTTLE SHIP (Unnatural Habitat).
Known worlds	Zebes
Attacks	Dive-bombing; unpredictable self-destruction of exoskeleton on contact with the ground; Returning to the ceiling; Jumping out of the ground and returning to the ground

Skrees are native inhabitants of Zebes and are a type of enemy which have appeared in several games since the original Metroid. Roosting from ceilings, these bat-like creatures will quietly rotate their wings (which are also used as pincers and shovels) around their comparatively small thorax as they wait for prey. Once prey enters the area under its roost, the Skree will proceed to dive-bomb the intruder, resulting in either the Skree exploding into harmful shrapnel (in Metroid or its remake, Zero Mission), or its escaping by drilling into the ground (in Super Metroid or Other M), which will also release shrapnel.

There are two known varieties: a green variety which appears in the first part of Brinstar, and a blue variety that appears in Brinstar after Samus receives the Varia Suit in Metroid. (The blue variety was recolored grey in Zero Mission.) The blue ones are harder to kill (possibly possessing a thicker exoskeleton), and have a larger blast radius upon self-destruction.

When Skrees are killed in Super Metroid, they will also explode into shrapnel, unlike any other Metroid game. Skrees also do not throw shrapnel upon hitting the ground. This could be due to a change in the population post-Zero Mission.

Skrees in Metroid: Other M no longer burrow themselves into the ground (due to the BOTTLE SHIP's metal floor preventing them from doing so) in an attempt to damage Samus; rather, after missing their target, they will stand on their feet and swoop back to the ceiling. They will keep repeating this process either until she kills them or until they unpredictably self-destruct, harming Samus 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 Space Pirates by instantly killing them via dive-bomb.

In the Metroid Prime games, the creatures known as Shriekbats (and their many strains) play the same role as the Skrees (ceiling hanging dive-bombing enemies). According to the manga, the species do not seem to be related, as Samus explains to Kreatz and Mauk that Skrees are one of many predators found "nowhere else in the galaxy."

Variations

Metaree

Metarees are a strain of Skrees encountered only in Super Metroid. This strain has a light brown color and has what appear to be mechanical drills for wings, though it is unknown if this is acquired naturally or artificially, the latter possibly through enhancements made by Space Pirates.

Cyclaw

Cyclaws are another variation of Skree. Black in color but still possessing the same basic structure, they appear only in the BOTTLE SHIP from Other M . 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 by the Galactic Federation.

Official data

Metroid manual

Metroid Prime and Metroid Fusion: Prima's Official Strategy Guide

Metroid Prime and Metroid Fusion: Prima's Official Strategy Guide

"They stick to the ceiling and lie in wait for Samus. When he approaches, they spin downwards to attack her[sic]."

"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."

1986 manga

"When Samus draws near, they will spin and attack. When they burrow into the ground, be careful of the rock fragments."

Official Nintendo Player's Guide

"It attacks from the ceiling screwing down like a drill. If it pierces the ground, it blows itself up."

Super Metroid manual

"These creatures hang down from ceilings and drop as intruders approach."

Super Metroid Nintendo Player's Guide

"They will dive-bomb you as you pass underneath. Dash!"

Zero Mission manual

"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."

Official website

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)

Cancelled appearances

Metroid Fusion

Interestingly, 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 to appear in Sector 1, but was dropped for unknown reasons. Screenshots show that the sprites were reused from Super Metroid. These remain in the game's data along with AI for the Skree. If a Skree is placed in the game through modding, it can be seen that the Skree no longer dies when it impacts on the ground after its kamikaze attack. It now burrows through the ground and attempts to attack Samus from underneath her position. It will then fly back up to the ceiling and repeat.[1]

Beta Skree and burrowing projectile.

Metroid Prime

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

• 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.

Gallery

Metroid.

A Skree as it appears in Metroid.

1991 The Power Game Calendar

Japanese Metroid guide

A Skree as it appears in Super Metroid.

Green Skrees as they appear in Super Metroid.

Smart crateria.jpg

Metroid: Zero Mission

Skree sprite from Metroid Zero Mission

Metroid Manga.

Metroid: Other M

Japanese guide

Captain N: The Game Master

Captain N: The Game Master: Kevin in Videoland.

Captain N: The Game Master: Metroid, Sweet Metroid.

Captain N: The Game Master: The Master Machine.

(Possible, clearer image needed.)

Captain N: The Game Master: A King of Shreds and Patches.