Mother Brain (Japanese: マザーブレイン, Hepburn: Mazā Burein) is a fictional character created by Nintendo for the Metroid series. She is one of the most prominent antagonists within the series, serving as the main antagonist of Metroid and Super Metroid.
| Mother Brain | |
|---|---|
| Metroid character | |
 Mother Brain in Metroid: Zero Mission | |
| First appearance | Metroid (1986) |
| Created by | Gunpei Yokoi |
| Designed by | Yoshio Sakamoto |
| Voiced by | Levi Stubbs (Captain N: The Game Master) |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Cybernetic supercomputer (instilled with human DNA) |
Mother Brain has been killed multiple times by series protagonist Samus Aran. Her Super Metroid design was originally milder than its final version, resembling an "old lady living in an apartment complex" when designed by Toru Osawa. This design was altered by Tomomi Yamane, who gave her an overall more monstrous appearance. She takes the form of a large brain that sits within a jar, from which she controls the Space Pirates on the fictional planet Zebes. Since Super Metroid (1994), she has had a single large eye.
Mother Brain has made several appearances in other media, most notably as the primary antagonist in Captain N: The Game Master and archenemy of Kevin Keene. Since appearing in the Metroid series, she has received positive reception.
Concept and characteristics
editMother Brain is depicted as a large brain with cybernetic spikes, usually contained in a glass tube which Samus must break to attack it, but in the Super NES video game Super Metroid, she is seen in a bipedal form. When designing the bipedal version of Mother Brain for Super Metroid, Toru Osawa described what he wanted her to look like as being an "old lady living in my apartment complex". Tomomi Yamane added to the design, giving her dripping saliva, foul breath, and a filthy appearance.[1]
Appearances
editMother Brain first appeared in the NES video game, Metroid, and again in the third Metroid title, Super Metroid. She would appear again in the Game Boy Advance video game Metroid: Zero Mission, a remake of the NES Metroid, which explains what happens after Mother Brain's defeat. The Wii video game Metroid Prime 3: Corruption revealed 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.[2] In Metroid: Other M, the scene of Mother Brain destroying the baby Metroid is reenacted in an FMV cutscene. Also, the primary antagonist of Other M, MB, is an android partially constructed from Mother Brain's DNA, hence the initialism (which is shared with its human matrix, Madeline Bergman, from whom Mother Brain was originally grown).
Mother Brain makes cameos in various video games, including WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and Tetris DS.[citation needed] She appears as an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate which when summoned, appears in her glass tube and spawns Rinkas around the stage. She also fires her Hyper Beam as seen in Super Metroid.[3][4]
Mother Brain makes multiple appearances in other media, including a manga based on Metroid: Zero Mission, as well as a Nintendo Power comic book based on Super Metroid.[citation needed] A reimagining of the character also appears in Captain N: The Game Master and its related comic book media, where she serves as the series' primary antagonist and is voiced by Levi Stubbs.[5]
Reception
editSince her appearance in the original Metroid, Mother Brain has received mostly positive reception, considered a top video game villain by IGN and Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition.[6][7] In particular, the boss fight against her in Super Metroid has been well-received, with 1UP.com staff finding it one of the most emotionally moving battles in video games and GameSpy writer Ryan Scott calling it "jaw-dropping".[8][9] Boston Phoenix editors Ryan Stewart and Mitch Krpata named Mother Brain the fourth-greatest boss in video game history, stating that while she had triumphant roles in Metroid and Captain N, she did not come into her own until Super Metroid. They cited the overall quality of the ending for why she was so notable in this role.[10]
References
edit- ^ 任天堂公式ガイドブックスーパーメトロイド― ガイドサムス・アランの2時間59分 [Nintendo Official Guide Book for Super Metroid by Samus Aran 2 Hours 59 Minutes] (in Japanese). Shogakukan. April 1994. pp. 86–95. ISBN 978-4091024749.
- ^ Matt Casamassina (August 14, 2007). "The Return of Aran's Fiercest Enemy". IGN. Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved 2008-02-26.
- ^ Whitehead, Thomas (2014-02-07). "Mother Brain Revealed As An Enormous Super Smash Bros. Assist Trophy". NintendoLife. Archived from the original on 2015-06-18. Retrieved 2015-06-18.
- ^ Carter, Chris (2014-02-07). "Metroid's Mother Brain is in Smash Bros. as an assist". Destructoid. Archived from the original on 2015-06-18. Retrieved 2015-06-18.
- ^ Seanbaby, "Memorial to Captain N: Mother Brain", Electronic Gaming Monthly 229 (June 2008): 91.
- ^ "Mother Brain is number 9". IGN. Archived from the original on 2010-08-18. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
- ^ "Bowser voted top of 50 video game villains". Digital Spy. 24 January 2013. Archived from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
- ^ "25 of the Most Badass Boss Fights of All Time from". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 2011-11-29. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
- ^ "GameSpy: GameSpy's Favorite Videogame Bosses - Page 2". Xbox360.gamespy.com. Archived from the original on 2010-09-26. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
- ^ "The 20 Greatest Bosses in Video Game History - #4: Mother Brain - Ultimate Lists - Boston Phoenix". Thephoenix.com. 2006-10-13. Archived from the original on 2009-01-14. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
