Samus Aran (サムス・アラン, Samusu Aran?), is the fictional protagonist of the Metroid video game series. Introduced in the 1986 video game Metroid, Samus is a bounty hunter armed with a cybernetic power suit with a number of advanced technologies built into it. One of the few and earliest female video game protagonists, she hunts aliens called the "Space Pirates" and energy-draining alien parasites called "Metroids," while attempting to complete missions given by the Galactic Federation. Samus is voiced in Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, Metroid Prime Hunters, and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption by Jennifer Hale, but only for incidental sounds (such as cries of pain, grunts and death screams).
Her gender was unusual for a game protagonist of her time; Metroid led players to believe Samus was a male cyborg (including references to the character as male in the English instruction booklet) until the very end of the game, where it was revealed that Samus is in fact an athletic young woman. Although Samus wears the Power Suit throughout most of the Metroid series, it has become a tradition to depict her in much more revealing attire at the end of each game, often as a reward for satisfying certain conditions (such as completing the game quickly or with a high percentage of the game’s items collected). Samus is considered the first playable female character in a Nintendo game.
Samus' creation is usually credited to Metroid producer Gunpei Yokoi, but the original game concepts were done by game director Makoto Kanoh. She was designed by Hiroji Kiyotake.!
Samus' main distinguishing feature is her Power Suit, a modular suit of armor created for her by a fictional race called the Chozo. The Power Suit's main purpose is to protect her from adverse environments (including the vacuum of space) and enemy fire. During gameplay, the suit can be upgraded to various other forms for added protection. She can also receive various power-ups which augment her abilities, including Space Jump boots, energy tanks, the Screw Attack, and numerous modifications to her weapons. In Metroid Fusion, parts of her infected Power Suit are removed and she fights with what is left, commonly known as the Fusion Suit.
Samus' gunship in Super Metroid
Samus' gunship in Super Metroid
For transportation, Samus uses her distinctive gunship, which resembles her helmet. She has had several gunships throughout the series, one of which has been described as a custom Hunter-class starship made especially for her by the Galactic Federation. The first appearance of Samus' gunship was in Metroid II: Return of Samus, and the differences in the gunship's design, with very few exceptions, have been cosmetic in nature. The ship's most common incarnation is seen in Metroid II, Super Metroid and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, as well as making various cameos in non-Metroid games.
The gunship serves the player primarily as a save point and a place to recharge energy and ammunition stores. It is often used as a goal for escaping during the many "self-destruct countdown" sequences in the series. In some games in the series, it is destroyed or damaged through the course of the story. Within the last chronological game, Metroid Fusion, the ship is replaced by another ship containing an A.I. which acts as Samus' commanding officer. In Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, the gunship not only features a new design, but it also plays a key role in Samus' mission. Controlled by Samus' command visor, it is used to travel to various locations in the game and, after being upgraded, can shoot missiles to destroy obstructions or to provide air support against enemies. The gunship can also lift and drop items using a grapple attained later in the game.
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wow, that killed enough time for the update!