Mother Brain

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other uses, see Mother Brain (disambiguation).
Mother Brain
Metroid character
Mother Brain in Metroid: Zero Mission
First appearanceMetroid (1986)
Created byGunpei Yokoi
Designed byYoshio Sakamoto
Voiced byLevi Stubbs (Captain N: The Game Master)
In-universe information
SpeciesCybernetic supercomputer (instilled with human DNA)

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 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

Kevin Keene
. Since appearing in the Metroid series, she has received positive reception.

Concept and characteristics

Mother Brain is depicted as a very large brain with cybernetic spikes, usually contained in a glass tube which Samus must break to attack it. However, 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

Mother 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 it's related comic book media, where she serves as the series' primary antagonist and is voiced by Levi Stubbs.[5]

Reception

Since her appearance in the original

Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition listed Mother Brain as 36th in their list of "top 50 video game villains".[13] Cracked named her one of the best Nintendo villains, joking that she was the "Osama bin Laden of space", due to her hiding in an underground lair giving orders to dangerous fanatics. They also mocked her depiction in Captain N, commenting that "for want of any actual comedy, she was given the voice of a sassy black woman, which was an acceptable substitute at the time".[14]

The

UGO.com listed Mother Brain as one of the runners-up for the "Miss Entertainment", commenting that she has sadly diminished in her attempts to thwart Samus, though they hope that she returns.[21] Mother Brain is also featured in the ongoing GameSpot's all-time greatest game villain.[22] In 2011, Complex ranked her as sixth on the list of "most diabolical video game she-villains".[23]

References

  1. ISBN 978-4091024749
    .
  2. ^ 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.
  3. NintendoLife. Archived
    from the original on 2015-06-18. Retrieved 2015-06-18.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ Seanbaby, "Memorial to Captain N: Mother Brain", Electronic Gaming Monthly 229 (June 2008): 91.
  6. ^ "Mother Brain is number 9". IGN. Archived from the original on 2010-08-18. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
  7. ^ "/features/vgs/universal/tenspot_villainsreader/p7_01.html". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ "GameSpy: GameSpy's Favorite Videogame Bosses - Page 2". Xbox360.gamespy.com. Archived from the original on 2010-09-26. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
  10. ^ "Ron Alpert's Blog - Retro Game of the Day! Metroid". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 2010-05-09. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
  11. ^ Schedeen, Jesse (2009-11-20). "Big Boss of the Day: Metroid's Ridley - Stars Feature at IGN". Stars.ign.com. Archived from the original on 2009-11-26. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
  12. ^ Thomas, Lucas M. (2007-12-14). "Smash It Up! - Reader's Arenas - Wii Feature at IGN". Wii.ign.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-16. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
  13. ^ "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.
  14. ^ Sunsets, Prussian (2010-06-25). "Best Nintendo Villains". Cracked.com. Archived from the original on 2010-07-06. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
  15. ^ "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.
  16. ^ Workman, Robert (2008-11-26). "Gallery and Images". GameDaily. Archived from the original on 2008-12-05. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
  17. ^ "Gaming's most hideous mums". GamesRadar. 12 March 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
  18. ^ "The Greatest Games of All Time". Gamespot.com. Archived from the original on 2009-12-12. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
  19. ^ "Metroid: Other M Hands-On - Wii News at GameSpot". Gamespot.com. 2010-02-24. Archived from the original on 2010-07-10. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
  20. ^ Sterbakov, Hugh. "The 47 Most Diabolical Video-Game Villains of All Time (Page 5 of 7), page 5, Feature Story from". GamePro. Archived from the original on 2011-06-07. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
  21. ^ "Versus: Miss Entertainment". UGO.com. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
  22. ^ "Gamespot's All-time greatest game Villain contest". GameSpot. 2010-08-05. Archived from the original on 2010-08-28. Retrieved 2010-08-30.
  23. Complex. June 30, 2011. Archived
    from the original on October 15, 2013. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
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