129-579: Metroid: Samus Returns is a 2017 action-adventure game developed by MercurySteam and Nintendo EPD and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS handheld game console . It is a remake of the 1991 Game Boy game Metroid II: Return of Samus . Players control series protagonist Samus Aran , a bounty hunter who is contracted by the Galactic Federation to exterminate the parasitic Metroid species on their home planet of SR388. While
258-627: A fantasy " setting. Tutankham , debuted by Konami in January 1982, was an action-adventure released for arcades . It combined maze, shoot 'em up, puzzle-solving and adventure elements, with a 1983 review by Computer and Video Games magazine calling it "the first game that effectively combined the elements of an adventure game with frenetic shoot 'em up gameplay." It inspired the similar Time Bandit (1983). Action Quest , released in May 1982, blended puzzle elements of adventure games into
387-446: A joystick -controlled, arcade-style action game, which surprised reviewers at the time. While noting some similarities to Adventure , IGN argues that The Legend of Zelda (1986) by Nintendo "helped to establish a new subgenre of action-adventure", becoming a success due to how it combined elements from different genres to create a compelling hybrid, including exploration, adventure-style inventory puzzles , an action component,
516-571: A monetary system , and simplified RPG-style level building without the experience points . The Legend of Zelda series was the most prolific action-adventure game franchise through to the 2000s. Roe R. Adams also cited the arcade-style side-scrolling fantasy games Castlevania (1986), Trojan (1986) and Wizards & Warriors (1987) as early examples of action-adventure games. Games like Brain Breaker (1985), Xanadu (1985), Metroid (1986) and Vampire Killer (1986) combined
645-767: A subgenre of open world action-adventure video games in the third-person perspective . They are characterized by their likeness to the Grand Theft Auto series in either gameplay or overall design. In these types of open world games, players may find and use a variety of vehicles and weapons while roaming freely in an open world setting. Metroidvania is a portmanteau of Metroid and Castlevania ; such games are sometimes referred to as "search action", and are generally based on two-dimensional platformers. They emphasize both exploration and puzzle-solving with traditional platform gameplay. Survival horror games emphasize "inventory management" and making sure
774-466: A "wonderful" sense of depth. The game's soundtrack by Daisuke Matsuoka also received praise, with Chris Carter of Destructoid calling the melodies "hauntingly beautiful". Ben Reeves of Game Informer considered the games environments to be rich in detail, noting the graphics being inspired by the Metroid Prime sub-series. Chris Scullion of Nintendo Life called it a "must-buy" for fans of
903-564: A Hornoad, before it is defeated by Samus, but its Core-X escapes, preventing Samus from absorbing it. As Samus attempts to escape the station, she is injured by a surviving Metroid in its Omega state. The SA-X reappears and ironically ends up saving Samus' life when it attempts to destroy the Omega Metroid. The SA-X is defeated by the Metroid, allowing Samus to absorb SA-X's Core-X, which includes Samus' Ice Beam, and gives her Fusion Suit
1032-557: A Sound Test, and Fusion Mode, an extra-hard difficulty setting featuring Samus's Fusion Suit . A standard Hard Mode is also unlocked upon completing the game, which does not require an Amiibo. In the year 20X5, a lone bounty hunter named Samus Aran is sent by the Galactic Federation to infiltrate the Space Pirate base on the planet Zebes, where she foils the Pirates' plans to use the parasitic organisms called Metroids and defeats
1161-538: A basic repeating assault weapon, and in Metroid Prime 3 , some are equipped with the Phazon Enhancement Device. The Metroid larva is chronologically the last Metroid of its race following the events of Metroid II: Return of Samus and its remake Metroid: Samus Returns . At the beginning of Super Metroid , Samus describes how a Metroid larva hatched from an egg and immediately imprinted upon her, believing her to be its mother. She brought
1290-751: A black-colored doppelgänger of Samus. Metroid Prime was formed when a Phazon meteor known as a Leviathan impacted on Tallon IV, released its living core, and enticed and fused with a Metroid unfortunate enough to cross its path. It caused severe damage to the Chozo colony before the Artifact Temple was built to contain Metroid Prime inside the impact crater of the Leviathan. According to the NTSC version of Metroid Prime , Space Pirate miners discovered
1419-545: A choice of what to say. The NPC gives a scripted response to the player, and the game offers the player several new ways to respond. Due to the action-adventure subgenre's broad and inclusive nature, it causes some players to have difficulty finishing a particular game. Companies have devised ways to give the player help, such as offering clues or allowing the player to skip puzzles to compensate for this lack of ability. Brett Weiss cites Atari 's Superman (1979) as an action-adventure game, with Retro Gamer crediting it as
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#17327986485211548-478: A collaboration. MercurySteam specifically pitched Nintendo a remake of Metroid Fusion (2002), but Sakamoto instead wanted to recreate Metroid II . Although Sakamoto had never worked on the original Game Boy game, he believed it to be an important entry in the Metroid series, particularly regarding its plot point of Samus encountering the last Metroid, and so he was enthusiastic about remaking it. The Nintendo 3DS
1677-474: A combination of complex story elements, which are often displayed for players using audio and video. The story is heavily reliant upon the player character's movement, which triggers story events and thus affects the flow of the game. Popular examples of action-adventure games include The Legend of Zelda , God of War , and Tomb Raider series. There is a good deal of controversy over what actually constitutes an action-adventure game. One definition of
1806-448: A complex text parser and no free-moving character. While they share general gameplay dynamics, action-adventures vary widely in the design of their viewpoints, including bird's eye , side-scrolling, first-person, third-person , over-the-shoulder, or even a 3/4 isometric view . Many action-adventure games simulate a conversation through a conversation tree . When the player encounters a non-player character , they are allowed to select
1935-553: A final attempt to stop Gorea's rampage, the last of their race focused their telepathic energy to confine Gorea into a "Seal Sphere", which they placed in a starship called the Oubliette . The ship was launched into a dimensional rift called the Infinity Void, to be released only when eight keys called "Octoliths" were assembled. In the game, Gorea sends a telepathic message of an ultimate power to lure unsuspecting victims as
2064-489: A futuristic suit with weaponry and movement in mind, allowing ease of movement while having decent armor and blaster cannons (and other weapons, such as missiles, unlocked early in most games). It is also likely the reason Samus is able to survive on other planets. Samus also appears in the Super Smash Bros. series as a playable character. The Chozo are a mysterious, birdlike species that are featured throughout
2193-517: A game with a mix of elements from an action game and an adventure game , especially crucial elements like puzzles inspired by older adventure games. Action-adventures require many of the same physical skills as action games, but may also offer a storyline, numerous characters, an inventory system, dialogue, and other features of adventure games. They are typically faster-paced than pure adventure games, because they include both physical and conceptual challenges. Action-adventure games normally include
2322-661: A light portal previously hidden behind a wall of Phazon. The Ing then perish along with Dark Aether. Gorea is a powerful, malevolent being that crashed in the Alimbic Cluster a millennia ago. In Metroid Prime Hunters , the lore mentions that it came by a comet and struck the planet Alinos, thus shattering the Alimbic Utopia. The creature copied the cellular structure of the Alimbics, physically mimicking them and their weapons, and destroyed their civilization. In
2451-576: A major antagonist in the series. The Chozo created it as a councilor, and as a means to "accelerate their plan to link the galaxy into one unified society". During the Space Pirate invasion of Zebes , it saw the Space Pirates as a "perfect force capable of restoring true order to the universe", and successfully established itself as one of their leaders. At the same time, Mother Brain attempted to persuade Samus to be an ally in order to "build
2580-503: A melee counterattack came from MercurySteam, who had implemented a similar parry mechanic in their Castlevania game. Sakamoto felt that the inclusion of the melee counterattack offered players an alternative combat style, in contrast to previous games where players had to rely on dodging charge attacks from enemies and then defeating them from afar. The team moved from the pixel art of 2D Metroid games to 3D models to incorporate varied animations and use different camera angles to enhance
2709-451: A new age for the universe" by claiming that because it built the power suit that Samus wears, she is indebted to Mother Brain. Mother Brain is depicted as a large brain with cybernetic spikes and a single eye, usually contained in a glass tube which Samus must break in order to injure it. In Super Metroid , Mother Brain also rises from the floor and reveals a grotesque body after her tank is destroyed. Samus seemingly destroys Mother Brain in
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#17327986485212838-506: A plan to be free. During the battle, it is revealed that Gorea's formless matter comes from a shapeless gas, and can therefore undergo several different forms in battle. Bounty hunters appear in Metroid Prime Hunters and seek the ultimate power for themselves while unaware it is a hoax by Gorea. Sylux is one of the bounty hunters in Metroid Prime Hunters . He is Samus' rival and is the most personal one with her out of all
2967-457: A planned storyline for Metroid Prime 4 would focus on Sylux and Samus. Sylux later appeared in the announcement trailer for the game with the new title Metroid Prime 4: Beyond in June 2024. One of Samus' rivals in Metroid Prime Hunters , he is a frequent enemy. He was born in an attempt to create the perfect soldier, and as a consequence is unpredictable and dangerous. He seeks to prove he
3096-419: A return to the series' roots. Peter Brown of GameSpot believed that it represented a look at the potential future for 2D Metroid games. Russ Frushtick of Polygon thought that the game's visuals were "remarkable", while Webster thought that the game's 3D visuals made it easier and more playable than Metroid II . Webster also praised its use of the handheld's glasses-free 3D effect, stating that it added
3225-711: A side-scrolling platformer format with adventure exploration, creating the Metroidvania platform-adventure subgenre. Similarly, games like 005 (1981), Castle Wolfenstein and Metal Gear (1987) combined action-adventure exploration with stealth mechanics, laying the foundations for the stealth game subgenre, which would later be popularized in 1998 with the releases of Metal Gear Solid , Tenchu: Stealth Assassins , and Thief: The Dark Project . The cinematic platformer Prince of Persia (1989) featured action-adventure elements, inspiring games such as Another World (1991) and Flashback (1992). Alone in
3354-400: A single avatar as the protagonist . This type of game is often quite similar to role-playing video games . They are distinct from graphic adventures , which sometimes have free-moving central characters, but also a wider variety of commands and fewer or no action game elements and are distinct too from text adventures , characterized by many different commands introduced by the user via
3483-416: A species called the Metroid . Key: = Does Not Appear Samus Aran ( サムス・アラン , Samusu Aran ) is a bounty hunter and the protagonist of the series. Her homeworld was attacked by the Space Pirates, and her parents were murdered by their leader Ridley when she was young, which led to her being taken in by the Chozo, who saved her life and raised her to become a warrior. She wears
3612-557: A story and structure similar to the original game but includes updated controls, visuals, and gameplay. The game introduces several features new to the side-scrolling Metroid games. Samus can perform a Melee Counter with her Arm Cannon to stun nearby enemies that use physical attacks. A visual cue indicates when an attack can be countered. Successfully countering an enemy places Samus in an advantageous position; against Metroids, her next shot will be fully charged, and she can fire several Missiles at them. In Metroid II , her firing direction
3741-479: A vicious form by an X Parasite . Based on the item completion rating, players may unlock a series of images, depicting the history of the Chozo race inhabiting SR388. After landing on the planet, the Chozo encountered the X parasites, which use the planet's creatures as hosts. To this end, the Chozo created the Metroids using their advanced technology to combat the X parasites. Although the Chozo lived in peace when
3870-412: Is "truly alien" and that they "pose an immediate and real danger" when they appear. Hardcore Gaming 101 called their design "iconic", and praised their first appearance in the original Metroid , saying that it was "a moment of shock and terror almost unlike anything in any other NES game", especially if the player did not know how to beat them. Mother Brain ( マザーブレイン ) is a recurring game boss and
3999-411: Is Judicator which can freeze opponents on their tracks with a charged shot. A bounty hunter and the last survivor of the silicon-based Diamont race and one of Samus' rivals in Metroid Prime Hunters . He searches for answers about the fate and location of his race and after receiving the message of the ultimate power, he travels to the Alimbic Cluster to use the said power for the same purpose. His weapon
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4128-465: Is Magmaul which can fire molten projectiles that will splash lava after explosion. A feared member of the Kriken Empire and one of Samus' rivals in Metroid Prime Hunters . He searches for other planets for his people to invade and wishes to use the ultimate power in the Alimbic Cluster to make himself and his people stronger. His weapon is Imperialist, a precise sniping gun. A Space Pirate who
4257-748: Is a gravity-controlling, monster cyborg originally created by the Galactic Federation's secret bio-weapons project. In Other M , Samus encountered the Nightmare for the first time in her life while on her journey to Sector Zero on the Bottle Ship. The creature fights Samus twice; once when she tries to enter Sector Zero, and again when she tries to exit the same sector. In Fusion , an X parasite infects and revives Nightmare contained in Sector 5-ARC. It escapes and destroys ARC's data room. Samus confronts Nightmare-X, defeating and absorbing its Core-X, obtaining
4386-417: Is a member of the Galactic Federation military. The actions of Samus and Adam's heroic sacrifice put an end to their bio-weapons research on the Bottle Ship, but their secret bio-weapons research and Metroid breeding program continues on the B.S.L. research station until it is overrun by the X parasites. In Fusion , Samus discovers the continued bio-weapons research and learns that they foolishly plan to capture
4515-543: Is able to enter the Chozo Ruins. In Metroid Dread , the social structure of the Chozo is explored, revealing they are split into two tribes: the peaceful Thoha , who left their warrior traditions behind to become scientists, and the Mawkin , who retained a warrior culture. The Thoha initially colonized SR388 and encountered the X parasites, genetically engineering the Metroids to serve as their predators. For this reason,
4644-735: Is an action game that includes situational problem-solving. Adventure gamers may also be purists, rejecting any game that makes use of physical challenges or time pressure. Regardless, the action-adventure label is prominent in articles over the internet and media. The term "action-adventure" is usually substituted for a particular subgenre due to its wide scope. Although action-adventure games are diverse and difficult to classify, there are some distinct subgenres. Many games with gameplay similar to those in The Legend of Zelda series are called Zelda clones or Zelda -like games. Popular subgenres include: A Grand Theft Auto clone belongs to
4773-463: Is destroyed during the climax of Super Metroid , but a group within the Galactic Federation itself resurrects the Space Pirates, along with Ridley and the Metroids, to be used as bio-weapons, explaining their continued presence in Other M and Fusion . Series director Yoshio Sakamoto stated that the Space Pirates that invaded Zebes took "Zebesian" as a general name for themselves after the conquest of
4902-430: Is directly responsible for the invasion of Samus' home planet and the death of her parents and is the franchise's most frequently recurring villain, though he doesn't typically act as the primary antagonist in individual games. Kraid ( クレイド , Kureido ) is a gigantic lizard-like beast and as a member of the Space Pirate's High Command. His most prominent feature is his grotesquely oversized belly. First appearing in
5031-404: Is encased with a silver battlesuit with an arm cannon similar to Samus', albeit with a more bulkier design. His suit gives him access to many abilities that Samus has such as Shinespark and Aeion abilities, as well as unique abilities and techniques. He indirectly played a role in the plot of most other titles, as he was responsible for the initial dispersal of Metroids and X Parasites from SR388. He
5160-516: Is implied to be a member or operative for the group. Additionally, an unnamed GF colonel who orders MB's destruction and attempts to force Samus to handover Madeline Bergman using the fact she is an outsider to force her to comply is implied to either work for or a top ranking member of the group and may have been the one responsible for sending the Deleter to eliminate Adam and his team before they could uncover and expose their bio-weapons research as he
5289-482: Is its mother. Refusing to kill the infant Metroid, Samus decides to take it with her. As Samus and the infant Metroid reach the planet's surface to return to her gunship, they are attacked by a half-mechanical Ridley . After a long battle, Ridley is defeated, and Samus, along with the Metroid, leave the planet together. In a post-credits scene , a Hornoad wanders on the planet's surface, gnaws on Ridley's discarded mechanical claw before suddenly being killed and copied into
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5418-487: Is not explicitly stated, the Deleter was in fact James Pierce, the squad's communications expert. The presence of Samus derails James' mission, though he does manage to kill several members of Adam's squad before he himself was found dead in the Bioweapons Research Center: it can be surmised that he tried to eliminate MB, but failed. An unnamed scientist who cleans the Metroid and Ridley's DNA off Samus
5547-634: Is responsible for authorizing the use of Samus' weapons, with the exceptions of the Seeker Missile and the Diffusion Beam, which are found instead, and the Gravity Feature, which Samus activates herself while leaving Sector Zero. He is generally cool and collected even when under fire, but some of this is temporarily lost when he sees Ridley on the control room monitor. He was nonetheless able to outwit James when he suddenly appears in
5676-485: Is the best Hunter by attaining the ultimate power in the Alimbic Cluster. His special weapon is the Volt Driver, which shoots bolts of lightning that disrupt Samus' visor should they strike her. A bounty hunter of the proud and reclusive Vhozon race and one of Samus' rivals in Metroid Prime Hunters . He seeks the ultimate power in the Alimbic Cluster in order to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. His weapon
5805-553: The Uncharted franchise, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Ark: Survival Evolved . Space Pirate (Metroid) Metroid is a series of nonlinear science fiction action games published by Nintendo , featuring side-scrolling , metroidvania , and first-person shooter elements. The player character and protagonist of the series is Samus Aran , a space-faring bounty hunter who battles Space Pirates and
5934-449: The Metroid series. Sakamoto had expressed interest in making a new 2D Metroid game, which had not been done since Metroid: Zero Mission (2004), for a few years before the game's development started in 2015. After hearing that MercurySteam, following their involvement with Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate (2013), was interested in taking on the challenge of remaking a Metroid game, he visited their studio to organise
6063-551: The Metroid series. The origins and age of the Chozo race and civilization are unknown. They were once spread across several planets in the Metroid universe, with their home planet being ZDR. Lore entries in Metroid Prime suggest that the race may have traveled to a higher plane of being as opposed to dying out. The sage -like Chozo were extremely advanced in technology, and took pride in their elaborate statuary . They also exchanged knowledge with other species, including
6192-612: The Titanium Awards . At the 2017 Golden Joystick Awards , Nintendo EPD won Studio of the Year, while the game received a nomination for Nintendo Game of the Year. Samus Returns won Destructoid 's award for Best Portable Game of 2017. It also won IGN ' s Best 3DS Game as part of their Best of 2017 Awards. The 2017 Game Critics Awards awarded Samus Returns for Best Handheld Game. GameSpot listed it as one of five best Nintendo 3DS games in 2017. Game Informer gave it
6321-589: The action game and adventure game genres. Typically, classical adventure games have situational problems for the player to explore and solve to complete a storyline, involving little to no action . If there is action, it is generally confined to isolated instances. Classical action games, on the other hand, have gameplay based on real-time interactions that challenges the player's reflexes and eye-hand coordination . Action-adventure games combine these genres by engaging both eye-hand coordination and problem-solving skills. An action adventure game can be defined as
6450-484: The cutscenes . The music was composed by Daisuke Matsuoka and directed by Kenji Yamamoto , who had co-composed the music for the 1994 game Super Metroid . The project was revealed during Nintendo 's Treehouse livestream at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2017 held on June 13, and was released for the Nintendo 3DS handheld game console on 15 September. A special edition version of
6579-818: The "first to utilize multiple screens as playing area". Mark J.P. Wolf credits Adventure (1980) for the Atari VCS as the earliest-known action-adventure game. The game involves exploring a 2D environment, finding and using items which each have prescribed abilities, and fighting dragons in real-time like in an action game . Muse Software 's Castle Wolfenstein (1981) was another early action-adventure game, merging exploration, combat, stealth, and maze game elements, drawing inspiration from arcade shoot 'em ups and maze games (such as maze-shooter Berzerk ) and war films (such as The Guns of Navarone ). According to Wizardry developer Roe R. Adams, early action-adventure games "were basically arcade games done in
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#17327986485216708-573: The Baby Metroid comes to Samus' aid by recharging her energy, but is destroyed by the Mother Brain. Samus avenges its death by destroying Mother Brain with an extremely powerful weapon given to her by the Metroid. After a planet-wide self-destruction, Samus mourns the death of the Metroid. In Metroid: Other M , the Baby Metroid is mentioned in the opening cutscene as it serves as a reminder for Samus' loss of loved ones in her life. Later in
6837-485: The Chozo Soldiers, are all X, and Raven Beak himself is infected by an X after being defeated by Samus. The detonation of ZDR at the game's finale presumably marks their extinction. Raven Beak is the leader of the Chozo warrior tribe called Mawkin and the main antagonist of Metroid Dread . He is ruthless and calculating warrior, possesing superior intelligence and strength compared to other Mawkins. Raven Beak
6966-637: The Chozo as a type of bioweapon in order to combat the more dangerous X Parasites , they are one of the primary plot points in the Metroid games as Samus either fights them or tries to prevent the Space Pirates or Galactic Federation from harnessing their powers for evil. Metroid II: Return of Samus and the remake Metroid: Samus Returns established a five-stage life cycle in which those Metroids native to their home planet SR388 go through two stages of ecdysis followed by two stages of mutation , thus maturing through five previously unknown forms: Alpha Metroid, Gamma Metroid, Zeta Metroid, Omega Metroid, and
7095-482: The Chozo statues would rise up and attack Samus; these bosses are called Torizo , substituting the native Japanese word tori ("bird") for the usual, Chinese-derived chō . In the late game of Metroid Prime Chozo ghosts appear and attack Samus. Although originally allies, the Chozo became maddened by the Phazon corruption of their planet, and could no longer distinguish friend from foe. In Metroid Zero Mission , Samus
7224-526: The Control Room. Samus and Adam are shown to have had a very close relationship: Samus does not explicitly mention it herself, but he sees her as a daughter as she saw him as a father. It was this that drove him to first detach his ship and a space liner with three thousand passengers on board from a repair ship with his brother on board in the past, and enter Sector Zero of the Bottle Ship in Samus' place in
7353-490: The Dark (1992) used 3D graphics , which would later be popularized by Resident Evil (1996) and Tomb Raider (1996). Resident Evil in particular created the survival horror subgenre, inspiring titles such as Silent Hill (1999) and Fatal Frame (2001). Action-adventure games have gone on to become more popular than the pure adventure games and pure platform games that inspired them. Recent examples include
7482-516: The Federation planned to breed Metroids and other creatures, like the Zebesians, to be used as bio-weapons, employing various methods to keep their activities a secret from the rest of galactic society. In Other M , they are revealed to have used genetic remnants of the baby Metroid obtained off Samus' powersuit after her mission on Zebes to genetically engineer a new breed of Metroid immune to
7611-561: The Galactic Federation's network of Aurora Units, crippling it. Shortly after, Dark Samus leads an attack on Norion, corrupting Samus and other bounty hunters with Phazon. After Samus destroys the Leviathans of four planets, she goes to Phaaze, where she finally defeats Dark Samus, who then merges itself with the Aurora Unit 313 in a last-ditch effort to defeat Samus. After the Aurora Unit is destroyed, Phaaze explodes, and all Phazon in
7740-476: The Grapple Beam, Power Bombs, and Super Missiles. Samus Returns supports Amiibo figurines, with compatible figures based on the Metroid series. Scanning these figurines can unlock reserve tanks and a Metroid Marker, which helps locate nearby Metroids. After completing the game at least once, players can unlock Amiibo-exclusive content, including a Metroid II art gallery, a Samus Returns art gallery,
7869-645: The Gravity Suit upgrade. The X Parasite is a unique parasite witnessed in Metroid Fusion , Metroid: Samus Returns , Metroid Dread and the Metroid manga. They are the main antagonists of Fusion . The appearance of an X Parasite is simple: a basketball-sized, floating gelatinous life form. The structure of their bodies allow them to slip through the tiniest crevices of any organism or synthetic surface; their soft form also allows projectiles to harmlessly pass through them. Additionally, they have
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#17327986485217998-635: The Ing appear to be on the verge of victory, until Samus Aran enters the picture when she comes to Aether, looking for a missing Galactic Federation squad. Samus assists the Luminoth in their war, recovering the lost energy, and ultimately enters the Sky Temple, where she confronts the Emperor Ing, the Ing horde's leader and the main antagonist of the game. Despite the Emperor Ing being powerful thanks to
8127-735: The Luminoth of Aether, the Reptilicus of Bryyo, and the Elysians of Elysia (robots which the Chozo themselves built). Lore found in Metroid Prime 3 specifically mentions a fellowship of enlightened races that once existed between the Chozo, the Luminoth and two other species known as the Reptilicus and the Ylla. While the former three have been expounded on in the series, the Ylla are only mentioned in this piece of lore and have yet to be seen. The Chozo were also responsible for raising Samus, infusing her with their DNA and creating her Power Suit, and for
8256-501: The Marines under the Federation colonel's orders. A hostile group known as Space Pirates ( スペースパイレーツ , Supēsu Pairētsu ) , or Zebesians ( ゼーベス星人 , Zēbesu Seijin ) , serve as the antagonists of the Metroid series. They are a group of "interstellar nomads" resembling humanoid reptiles , insects , or crustaceans who plunder colonies and ships and exist in an insect-like hive society. Considering their appearance throughout
8385-399: The Metroid, which was secretly being bred on the B.S.L. station. SA-X attacks Sector 0 to destroy the Metroids, inadvertently initiating the Sector's self-destruct mechanism, which Samus escapes. Adam then reveals to Samus that due to their ability to asexually reproduce there are more SA-X aboard the station. Eventually, Adam discloses the Federation's plans to send a team to capture SA-X and
8514-525: The Metroids are calm in the presence of Thoha genes and hostile towards Mawkin. While the Thoha feared both species, the leader of the Mawkin, Raven Beak , saw potential in the Metroids, and ordered the killing of all but one Thoha ( Quiet Robe ) so they would not obstruct his plans. However, one Mawkin soldier was infected with an X while returning to ZDR and a pandemic broke out, leaving Raven Beak and Quiet Robe
8643-520: The New York Game Awards 2018, and won " Handheld Game of the Year " at the 21st Annual D.I.C.E. Awards . The game won the award for "Control Design, 2D or Limited 3D" at the 17th Annual National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers Awards, whereas its other nomination was for "Original Light Mix Score, Franchise". Action-adventure game An action-adventure game is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both
8772-542: The Pirate leader, the Mother Brain . Seeing the threat posed by the Metroids, the Federation sends a special squadron of elite soldiers to the Metroids' home planet of SR388 to investigate, but the squadron soon goes missing. After retrieving a small sampling of data confirming a Metroid presence within the planet, the Federation sends Samus to SR388 to destroy the species. Samus lands on the surface of SR388 and explores
8901-465: The Pirates picked up life signals coming from within the Artifact Temple. After Samus gets all of the artifacts, she is able to enter the impact crater and fight Metroid Prime. After its defeat, the creature takes Samus' Phazon Suit to reconstruct itself into a body similar to hers, resulting in the being referred to as "Dark Samus". In Metroid Prime 2: Echoes , Dark Samus arrives in Aether while chasing
9030-463: The Security Robot B.O.X. and Samus' Power Suit. After being infected by the X, Samus' infected Power Suit components were surgically removed and sent to B.S.L. station, but this allowed the X to mimic Samus and her Power Suit, creating another doppelgänger of Samus called SA-X , who is implied to have used a Power Bomb to escape the infected Power Suit components containment unit, thus allowing
9159-532: The Space Pirates, and Kraid , a recurring boss. The organization also includes a winged, mantis -like species, the Ki Hunters. The Space Pirates are interested in Metroid research, especially in using Metroids for energy generation, as soldiers, and for experimentation – their Phazon experiments produced all the Metroid variants seen in the Prime games with the exception of Metroid Prime itself. The organization
9288-530: The X parasites and the SA-X for the bio-weapons research, and crashes the station into the planet SR388 with the help of her ship's AI, which was based on Adam Malkovich. It is also believed that they are also responsible for the creation of the power suit, weapons, and ship stolen by the Federation-hating bounty hunter Sylux from Metroid Prime Hunters . The Nightmare ( ナイトメア , Naitomea )
9417-422: The X parasites for research. While trying to convince him of the insanity of the Federation's plan, Samus is able to restore the computer's original personality of Adam Malkovich, who then advises Samus on how to destroy the station and the X by crashing it into SR388. This leads Samus to confront the SA-X which, after being weakened, transforms into a misshapen monster that is an amalgamation of Samus' power suit and
9546-625: The X parasites were gone, the Metroids grew out of control and the civilization came under threat. A discussion was held between two Chozo leaders; the final image reveals one leader (revealed in Dread to be Raven Beak) seemingly killed the other, standing over its body while overlooking its army. Metroid: Samus Returns was developed by the Spanish studio MercurySteam in collaboration with Nintendo EPD . Yoshio Sakamoto , senior officer of Nintendo's Entertainment Planning & Development division,
9675-471: The X to spread and infect countless creatures throughout the B.S.L. (the exception being the Etecoons and Dachora). SA-X mimicked Samus at her most powerful, proving to be a dangerous foe for the weakened Samus, and passed on some of Samus' Power Suit abilities to Core-X. SA-X also gained Samus' Ice Beam and Metroid hunting knowledge, making SA-X the only X capable of taking on the X parasites natural predator,
9804-536: The ability to split into smaller colonies via asexual reproduction. X are capable of infecting other organisms and mimicking their prey's DNA and memories. They do this by infecting the organism's nervous system where they then start reproducing at an exponential rate, killing the host creature in the process. Once that is accomplished, the X absorb the DNA of their host and are then able to use it to mimic their prey perfectly. X can also mimic biomechanical technology such as
9933-540: The award each for "Best Mobile/Handheld Exclusive" in their "Best of 2017 Awards", and for "Best Handheld" in their 2017 Action Game of the Year Awards. In their Reader's Choice Best of 2017 Awards, the game came up at second place for "Best Mobile/Handheld Exclusive". Polygon ranked the game 30th on their list of the 50 best games of 2017. It also won the Tappan Zee Bridge Award for Best Remake at
10062-402: The baby Metroid is reenacted in an FMV cutscene, and the main antagonist, MB, is an android housing an AI cloned from Mother Brain's genetic material from Samus' suit. MB , nicknamed Melissa Bergman ( メリッサ・バーグマン , Merissa Bāguman ) by her adoptive mother Dr. Madeline Bergman, was created by the scientists of the Bottle Ship as a copy of the original Mother Brain , whose genetic material
10191-532: The controls, stating that Samus's complicated weapon options have players "working the 3DS shoulder buttons, slider, and face buttons in a downright painful way". During its first week in the United Kingdom, Samus Returns was ranked eighth in an all-format chart. It was the third best-selling game in Japan in its debut week, with 30,855 copies sold. An additional 6,206 copies were sold the following week. It
10320-549: The creation and breeding of Metroids to combat the X Parasites. While in the Japanese versions of the games, the beings are only ever identified by the generic term chōjin-zoku ( 鳥人族 , lit. "bird-folk race" ) , a misunderstanding during the localization process led to the mistaken adoption of the descriptor chōzō ( 鳥像 , "bird statue" ) , rendered "Chozo", in the English versions instead. In Super Metroid , some of
10449-508: The creature, eventually dubbing it "Metroid Prime" after containing it with security units and drones brought to their laboratories to perform experiments. Metroid Prime broke free and managed to assimilate several weapons and defense systems from fallen security units before going back to the impact crater. However, the PAL and Trilogy versions deny this, with the Pirate Logs only stating
10578-498: The discovery of the Galactic Federation's initial military purposes for her caused her to have a meltdown, which inadvertently led to the remaining Mother Brain DNA within her corrupting and controlling her software, and she forced the Bottle Ship on a collision course. Melissa was confronted by both Samus and Madeline after her Queen Metroid had been killed. Despite their attempts to persuade her not to become violent, she did not listen and tried to kill them both, only to get shot down by
10707-474: The effect of cold temperatures. However, this project was foiled by the accidental cloning of Ridley and the rebellion of MB, the Mother Brain-like android created to control the Metroids. This leads to the interference of Adam Malkovich's team of soldiers and Samus, but one of their operatives called "The Deleter" by Samus, infiltrates Adam's squad to remove any evidence of the project. While it
10836-522: The eponymous Metroids, which the X Parasites can't due to the Chozo specifically engineering the Metroids to hunt the X), and originated when a Leviathan from Phaaze impacted the planet Aether and created Dark Aether, a trans-dimensional duplicate of the planet. The Luminoth, the inhabitants of Aether, fight against the Ing over the Light of Aether, the planet's power source, for decades, in spite of disadvantages, and
10965-475: The former's impersonation of ADAM), but actually speak the fictional Chozo language; both are voiced by Spanish voice actors. Samus' former commanding officer in the Galactic Federation army. He only appears in person in Metroid: Other M , but plays a major role in the events of that game. At first, he does not accept Samus' assistance, but lets up after she defeats a hostile on the bridge. After this, he
11094-422: The galactic savior she is today, and Gray Voice was one of the Chozo who donated his DNA to Samus. Gray Voice later feigned joining the Space Pirates in an attempt to destroy the renegade Mother Brain. The Galactic Federation ( 銀河連邦 , Ginga Renpō ) is the governing body of the galaxy formed by an alliance of alien species and often contracts Samus with difficult missions to complete, which typically make up
11223-570: The galaxy is rendered inert. Dark Samus appears in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U as an Assist Trophy and an alternate costume for Samus. She also appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with a similar set of moves to Samus, being labeled as an Echo Fighter. IGN listed Dark Samus as the 88th best video game villain. The Ing horde is a race of powerful and intelligent dark creatures that appears primarily in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes . They are capable of possessing anything mechanical, organic, artificial, dead, or alive (including
11352-445: The game includes a reversible cover and a soundtrack CD called Samus Archives , featuring 25 tracks from numerous Metroid games including Samus Returns . A European Legacy Edition version also includes a soundtrack CD, alongside a 40-page art book, a Morph Ball keyring, an S-marked pin badge, a download code for Metroid II , and a steelbook designed in the likeness of a Game Boy cartridge. Two Amiibo figurines were released alongside
11481-439: The game, on Bottle Ship's Sector Zero, she encounters a Metroid that resembles something similar to the Baby Metroid, but it immediately attacks her only to be saved by Adam Malkovich. The Metroids ( メトロイド ) are floating, predatory jellyfish -like organisms with tripartite nuclei . They are capable of siphoning an undetectable life energy from any life form, generally causing Samus's health to rapidly decrease. Created by
11610-499: The game; one figurine is of Samus kneeling in the pose shown on the cover art of Metroid II , while the other is of a Metroid creature that has escaped containment. A special "Samus Edition" of the New Nintendo 3DS XL console was also released alongside the game. Metroid: Samus Returns received "generally favorable reviews", according to review aggregator Metacritic . Andrew Webster at The Verge viewed Samus Returns as
11739-406: The gameplay still follows a number of adventure game genre tropes (gathering items , exploration of and interaction with one's environment, often including an overworld connecting areas of importance, and puzzle-solving). While the controls are arcade-style (character movement, few action commands) there is an ultimate goal beyond a high score. In most action-adventure games, the player controls
11868-412: The hopes of having her bond in a more organic way with the Metroids, mimicking Samus' mother-son-like relationship with the "baby". As MB gained emotions of her own just like the original Mother Brain once did, the scientists decided to reprogram her AI, something Madeline was initially opposed to but ultimately accepted when faced with the dangers of keeping her active. Madeline rejecting her safety and
11997-562: The introduction of a counterattack ability to be a major improvement to the 2D Metroid ' s gameplay. Conversely, Martin Robinson of Eurogamer criticised the effect of the counterattack system, writing that it led "to a staccato rhythm to the action as you're constantly stopped in your tracks for such one-note encounters". Robinson, while believing Samus Returns fixed problems the original game had, overall considered it to be underwhelming. IGN ' s Samuel Claiborn complained about
12126-491: The larva to Ceres Space Colony, where scientists learned that they could harness its power. Just after she left the colony, she received a distress call and returned to find the scientists dead, and the larva stolen. The search for the Baby Metroid is the source of conflict in the story. When encountered by Samus, the Baby Metroid attacks Samus and nearly drains all her energy. During the final battle against Mother Brain,
12255-411: The last of Dark Aether's planetary energy and great amounts of Phazon, Samus defeats the creature and takes the remaining planetary energy, putting an end to Dark Aether and the Ing horde for good. During her escape from the destabilizing Dark Aether, Samus is confronted by Dark Samus, who she barely defeats, and then a group of Ing attempting to stop her from escaping, which she narrowly escapes from using
12384-402: The majority of the games. Samus trained in the Federation's military before becoming a bounty hunter, leaving some time after a disagreement with her commanding officer, Adam Malkovich in the events of Metroid: Other M . The Galactic Federation's troopers also use powered armor, and their technology usually bears multiple versions of their symbol, a stylized cross-shape. Troopers are also given
12513-429: The only known living Chozo when Metroid Dread takes place. Since they are both killed during the game, the Chozo are believed to be extinct as of Dread . In the Metroid manga series, which is a prequel to the original game, two Chozo who had a hand in Samus's origins were introduced as Old Bird and Gray Voice . When Samus lost her family to the Space Pirates, they took her under their wings and raised her to become
12642-466: The original Metroid , but again confronts it in Super Metroid . It was revealed in Metroid Prime 3 that the Galactic Federation had constructed biomechanical supercomputers called Auroras, and that there were plans for a "Future Aurora Complex", which appears to be the Mother Brain depicted in Super Metroid . In the first cutscene for Metroid: Other M , the scene of Mother Brain destroying
12771-494: The original Metroid , he is the first part of the mini-boss duo along with Ridley. In Super Metroid he appears in his giant form, two screens tall and almost a screen wide. Metroid: Zero Mission retconned his size and appearance, showing he did not grow between games. He was also slated to appear in Metroid Prime as a boss in the Phazon Mines, with a metal dome covering his head and blue Phazon veins on his belly, but
12900-422: The original version, with many also deeming it a return to form for the series. Some criticism was given to the controls and the counterattack mechanics. It received awards and accolades from multiple publications and awards shows, including "Best Handheld Game" at The Game Awards 2017 , and " Handheld Game of the Year " at the 21st Annual D.I.C.E. Awards . Sakamoto was impressed with MercurySteam's understanding of
13029-409: The other hunters, due to association with the Galactic Federation, which he harbors a great hatred towards for unexplained reasons. In the 100% ending's post-credit scene of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption , Sylux chases Samus in his ship. Sylux also appears (presumed via silhouette) in a post-credits scene of Metroid Prime: Federation Force . According to Metroid Prime series producer Kensuke Tanabe,
13158-400: The planet's Phazon. Shortly after, Samus arrives and encounters Dark Samus many times, eventually defeating her as Dark Aether was destroyed, but a post-credits scene shows Dark Samus reforming herself in deep space. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption shows a team of Space Pirates returned to Aether to pick up Phazon, and eventually found Dark Samus, who killed a third of the Pirates and brainwashed
13287-558: The planet, comparing it to people who referred themselves as " Americans " when they emigrated to the United States . Ridley ( リドリー ) is the archenemy of Samus Aran , an intelligent and sadistic dragon -like entity that despite being killed multiple times by her, is always revived by the Space Pirates (or accidentally by the Galactic Federation in Metroid: Other M ) using cloning or robotics. Other than Samus and
13416-467: The planet, traveling through its caverns. She encounters the Metroids in different metamorphosis stages, growing from small jellyfish-like creatures to large reptilian beasts. After killing most of the planet's Metroids, Samus finds and destroys the Queen Metroid. Shortly afterward, Samus discovers a Metroid egg that hatches in front of her. The Metroid hatchling imprints onto Samus, thinking she
13545-489: The player has enough ammunition and recovery items to " survive " the horror setting. This is a thematic genre with diverse gameplay, so not all survival horror games share all the features. The Resident Evil franchise popularized this subgenre. Action-adventure games are faster-paced than pure adventure games, and include physical as well as conceptual challenges where the story is enacted rather than narrated. While motion-based, often reflexive, actions are required,
13674-418: The present: both of these actions were taken for the greater good, and for the good of Samus herself. Upon entering Sector Zero, he activates the laboratory's self-destruct protocol, sacrificing himself. While Samus vows not to grieve his death, she also vows not to forget him, and gives him a thumbs up sign instead of a thumbs down, indicating that she knows what he would have wanted: for her to live her life for
13803-485: The rest to be their leader. After discovering Phaaze, Dark Samus begins her mission to spread Phazon across the universe - one of the planets hit was the Pirate Homeworld, in order to turn the rest of the Space Pirates into followers of Dark Samus. In an attack to the Galactic Federation vessel G.F.S. Valhalla, Dark Samus steals a supercomputer , the Aurora Unit 313, which is used to implant a computer virus into
13932-501: The same coloration as her Power Suit. These enhancements allow Samus to defeat the Omega Metroid and escape the B.S.L., which then crashes into SR388, destroying both and therefore killing all the X Parasites aboard the station and on the planet. The final X Parasites are contained in Elun on the planet ZDR, and midway through Metroid Dread are released by Raven Beak to hinder Samus. The bosses Escue, Golzuna, Experiment No. Z-57, as well as
14061-409: The series, especially the Prime series, they could be considered arthropod-like reptiles. A single Pirate may have many biological differences from the other individuals of their species, most likely because of their willingness to perform self-experimentation and mutation. Important leaders include Ridley , the Space Pirate commander, Mother Brain , the bio-mechanical defense of Zebes controlled by
14190-530: The series, leading to their continued partnership for Metroid Dread (2021) on the Nintendo Switch . Metroid: Samus Returns is a side-scrolling game presented in a 2.5D perspective. Players control series protagonist Samus Aran , a bounty hunter who explores labyrinthine environments, defeats hostile aliens, and collects power-ups to access new areas. Samus Returns is a remake of the 1991 Game Boy game Metroid II: Return of Samus ; it features
14319-467: The series. Reception to the gameplay mechanics and controls were more mixed. Chris Scullion at Nintendo Life wrote that the "Scan Pulse" ability was a useful feature and made the game "far more entertaining" as a result, although Brown felt that it removed some of the thrills of discovering secrets in the game. Webster called the game's combat "fast and fluid", while Brown wrote that it was more aggressive and satisfying than expected. Frushtick considered
14448-438: The series. MercurySteam originally pitched a remake of Metroid Fusion before Sakamoto suggested remaking Metroid II . New gameplay features and areas were added to "spice up" the experience of the original game. Music was composed by Daisuke Matsuoka and directed by Kenji Yamamoto , who had co-composed the music for Super Metroid . Samus Returns received positive reviews upon release for its visuals and improvements over
14577-494: The spread of the X among his Chozo army ruined his plans. However, once he learned that Samus had absorbed Metroid DNA during the events of Metroid Fusion , he changed his plan to capture and obtain her DNA instead. When the Galactic Federation sends E.M.M.I. units to ZDR to investigate signs of X Parasites, he hijacks them by ordering Quiet Robe to commandeer them, planning to exploit their ability to harvest genetic information. When Samus arrives on ZDR, Raven Beak fights her, gaining
14706-423: The stage. Metroid Prime and its later form Dark Samus is the main antagonist of the Prime subseries. It is a strange, black-carapaced, red-eyed creature with a humanoid face within its shell and the ability to control and horribly mutate anything it attaches to. Metroid Prime appears in Metroid Prime as the final boss, and after its defeat, reforms itself by stealing Samus' Phazon Suit to become Dark Samus,
14835-406: The story and structure parallel the original game, Samus Returns features redone graphics, updated controls and user interface , and new gameplay mechanics not seen in previous 2D Metroid titles, such as a melee counterattack and the ability to aim freely at any angle. Development began in 2015, overseen by longtime producer Yoshio Sakamoto and directed by Takehiko Hosokawa, a game designer in
14964-430: The term "action-adventure" may be '"An action/adventure game is a game that has enough action in it not to be called an adventure game, but not enough action to be called an action game." In some cases an action game with puzzles will be classified as an action-adventure game, but if these puzzles are quite simple they might be classified as an action game. Others see action games as a pure genre, while an action-adventure
15093-640: The titular Metroids, Ridley is the only character that has appeared consistently throughout most of the games in the series (the exceptions being Metroid II: Return of Samus for the Game Boy , Metroid Prime 2: Echoes for the GameCube , Metroid Prime Hunters for the Nintendo DS , Metroid Prime: Federation Force for the Nintendo 3DS , and Metroid Dread for the Nintendo Switch). He
15222-502: The uncommon Queen Metroid (the latter as the primary antagonist of the game). They are frequently shown to be vulnerable to ice-based weaponry such as the Ice Beam and freeze guns. These weapons can freeze most Metroids instantly, and often all it takes to finish them off after this is a strong impact such as one from a missile. Game Informer called the Metroid their favorite alien race in video gaming, praising how their appearance
15351-403: The upper hand even at her full power, but when her Metroid abilities initially manifest themselves, he leaves her alone, sparing her. He tracks her progress through ZDR, masquerading as Adam Malkovich, and sets the E.M.M.I upon her. When she arrives at his fortress he expresses his disappointment in her refusal to submit to him, drops the guise of Adam, and engages her in combat. He once again gains
15480-432: The upper hand, but her Metroid DNA fully awakens and she is able to easily defeat him. On the brink of death, he is infected with an X Parasite, turning into Raven Beak X , a massive monster resembling Kraid who was previously killed and absorbed, with a radially symmetrical mouth that contains his head. This form is destroyed by Samus using her Metroid abilities. Raven Beak and Quiet Robe do not speak English (not counting
15609-467: Was Sakamoto's platform of choice to employ the 3D visuals and a dual-screen setup offered by the portable system. Sakamoto noted that the potential for 2D games in the Metroid franchise had opened up for Nintendo following the announcement of the game. He expressed that he was keen to evolve some of the traditions in 2D Metroid games. As a remake, he wanted to preserve some of the originality and to avoid changing things without good reason. Their approach
15738-412: Was a high-ranking member of the Mawkin, and donated his DNA to infuse into Samus, technically making them biologically related. When the Thoha intended to destroy the planet to eliminate the threat of the Metroids and X, Raven Beak ordered their extermination, with the exception of Quiet Robe, as he needed a pawn to use to control the Metroids. He intended to create a Metroid army and conquer the galaxy, but
15867-581: Was also the eighth best-selling game in the United States during September 2017. The game returned to the top sales charts on the Nintendo 3DS eShop in June 2021 following the announcement of Metroid Dread . Metroid: Samus Returns won the "Best Mobile Game" award at the Gamescom 2017 Awards. It also won "Best Handheld Game" at The Game Awards 2017 , and was nominated for "Best Spanish Game" at
15996-476: Was harvested from Samus' Power Suit following Mother Brain's death in Super Metroid , in order to control the Metroids and the Zebesians, an offshoot form of Space Pirates, that were being mass-produced in Sector Zero of said starship. Originally, MB was only a computer software, but due to its inability to interact personally with the Metroids, the scientists decided to give her an artificial human body in
16125-617: Was limited to specific angles, but in Samus Returns, she can fire freely in any direction. Samus also gains access to new abilities called Aeion abilities , which use an energy gauge. One example of an Aeion ability is the Scan Pulse, which allows Samus to scan the surrounding environment for hidden pathways and items. The game also includes Teleport Stations, enabling Samus to fast travel between areas. Several abilities introduced after Metroid II return in Samus Returns, such as
16254-624: Was removed due to time constraints. Kraid returns in Metroid Dread after being captured and experimented on by Raven Beak where he is shown as the first and most significant boss of Cataris, a lava filled zone used to heat the rest of the area he is present in, and is the second boss of the overall game. Kraid also makes an appearance in the background of the Brinstar Depths stage in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate where he periodically slashes and rotates
16383-455: Was severely wounded in a fight against Samus and became a cyborg in order to survive. In Metroid Prime Hunters , he is one of the bounty hunters looking for the ultimate power in the Alimbic Cluster and his weapon of choice is Battlehammer. A small group within the Federation government which is responsible for the events in Metroid: Other M and serves as a behind-the-scenes antagonist in Metroid Fusion . Secretly, this unnamed group within
16512-413: Was the game's producer, while Takehiko Hosokawa of the same division was the director, along with Jose Luis Márquez of MercurySteam who was creative director. MercurySteam head Enric Álvarez described their collaboration with Nintendo as an "incredible" achievement, and Sakamoto in return stated that the studio was the best choice for a Metroidvania game given their "good design sensibility" and respect for
16641-473: Was to add to aspects that improved upon the game's core concept of hunting the Metroids. Sakamoto hoped to start from the original game's "simple and straightforward progression" and "spice up and excite the experience", offering new gameplay features and areas to explore such as the Aeion abilities. These ideas led to some control enhancements, such as the addition of free aiming for more precise firing. The idea of
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