Zazabi

Zazabi
Featured in	Metroid Fusion
Location	Sector 2
Weakness	Missiles Charge Beam
Reward(s)	High Jump Spring Ball

Zazabi (also known as Pogo, Cyclops-X and Giant Plant in the Metroid Prime and Metroid Fusion: Prima's Official Strategy Guide) is the second boss Samus Aran faces aboard the Biologic Space Laboratories research station in Metroid Fusion.

Biology

Zazabi resembles an enormous, one-eyed sea medusa. Its upright, segmented body is transparent, leaving its purplish organs visible within. Its "head" sports five sensory appendages on top, and houses its single, giant purple eye. Its mouth is located on the underside of its body, and it uses the eight teeth for locomotion as well as consumption: When prey is close, the Zazabi will leap up, expand its mouth, then slowly descend around the creature, trapping it in its body. However, the Zazabi is vulnerable to attack while its mouth is open: When it receives a certain amount of damage, a section of the tall creature's body will collapse, causing it to become increasingly shorter each time.

History

At some point, a Zazabi specimen was kept by a faction of the Galactic Federation in Sector 2 of the Biologic Space Laboratories research station. When an outbreak of X-Parasites spread to the tropical sector, Zazabi was infected by an X possessing Samus Aran's Hi-Jump and Spring Ball abilities.

When Samus entered the boss' steep chamber, she witnessed the Core-X combining with several smaller X to mimic the Zazabi's shape and form. After it attempted multiple times to devour her, the Zazabi-X was eventually cut down to size and exterminated by the bounty hunter, who regained her lost abilities by absorbing its Core-X.

Battle

The organism attacks by jumping across the room and then slowly flying down on Samus. As it is flying down, its mouth, located on the bottom of its body, opens up. When the mouth is opened, Samus can fire Missiles or charge shots into it to damage it. If Samus is grabbed by the plant's mouth, she gets caught inside and forced into her Morph Ball form. She is then pulled through its body layers to the top to be fed on. She has to lay multiple Bombs depending on its health to be freed.

With every two or three missiles that hit, a layer of the plant's body disappears. Once all the layers disappear and Samus fires the final Missile into Zazabi-X, it will transform into a Core-X. After defeating the Core-X, Samus gains back her High Jump and Jump Ball abilities.

Trivia

• Zazabi's form is similar to that of a Human cone cell, notably found in the eye.
• When Samus is imprisoned in its mouth, it is reminiscent of the battle against the Queen Metroid in SR388 in that they both require the use of Bombs to escape from their maws.
• Advanced weapon upgrades acquired through hacking do not harm Zazabi.
• Chisato Morishita, who portrayed Samus in the Japanese Metroid: Zero Mission commercial, was asked by Yoshio Sakamoto to play Fusion in preparation. Morishita later reflected that she had trouble defeating Zazabi.

Gallery

The Zazabi jumps.

Samus caught in the Zazabi's mouth.

The Zazabi Core-X form.