Defense Drone

Description

The Elysians designed the Defense Drone to guard key areas on SkyTown – however, only one is ever encountered. The Defense Drone's appearance is bronze-colored, bipedal, dome-topped, and tank-like. Armor covers the entire exterior of the unit, protecting it from harm. A feature at the lower end of the mechanoid resembles a rib cage. A large cannon protrudes from the base of the unit and is used for multiple attacks. A single yellow eye is the unit's main optical device. Three antennae are located above the robot's head, which can be damaged by Beam or Missile fire. After all three antennae are brought offline, the mechanoid will be stunned for a period. This allows the robot's optical device to be damaged by the Grapple Lasso, which causes an erratic spinning motion of the eye and reveals the drone's Control Unit. The dome splits into two parts, and the Control Unit is vulnerable to weapons fire. After the Defense Drone becomes critically damaged, the unit emits a deep fog that covers the area and impairs Samus's view. Its shielding also closes more frequently when exposed when the machine is nearly defeated. During the course of the battle, it tends to perform a small two-step side stomp, likely as a means of preparing itself for combat. Direct contact is not advised, as the Defense Drone produces a large amount of energy that can cause electrical feedback to its recipient.

After the Defense Drone is defeated, it short-circuits and collapses, then explodes. The locking device that held the Boost Ball upgrade in place deactivates and the upgrade appears.

Arsenal

Offensively, the Defense Drone is very well-equipped. The main cannon features a homing plasma bomb launcher and lock-on missiles. Both of these attacks need to be charged for a brief period. The plasma bomb can be independently locked onto and destroyed with an Ice Missile. The missiles may be fired in a cluster of four, a quick rapid-fire barrage attack of nine, or a single missile. The Defense Drone does not require charging when performing the latter two variations. The feet are equipped with a booster for propelling the unit far for jumping, and also to slow the speed when falling. The Defense Drone is also capable of performing quick sidesteps. It can also create large, expanding electrical shockwaves after landing. When close to Samus, it will perform a shockwave jump, and then backstep (if possible) to maintain distance. If Samus takes too long at disabling all three antennae, any disabled antennae will reactivate after a set amount of time has passed. When the Control Unit is revealed, the Defense Drone will jump to high ledges around the room. It will tilt its cannon underneath itself and use it as a launcher, firing homing mine balls on the ground floor that explode and splatter upon contact with Samus. These are used as a distraction from damaging the Defense Drone's control mechanism and can be destroyed with several shots. These bombs drop health pickups when eliminated by Samus's weapon fire. The Defense Drone initially will fire groups of three bombs, but as it receives damage, this will increase to seven. If a certain amount of damage is inflicted to the Defense Drone during its vulnerable phase, after the bomb firing, it will immediately abandon the tactic and return to the ground floor.

Hypermode can prove to be a good countermeasure against the Defense Drone. The Hyper Beam can be used to damage the plasma-ball shot and the Beam's charged shot can effectively damage the three antennae quickly. Hypermode can also be used to negate much of the damage the Defense Drone can inflict. The bombs' energy pickups can provide Samus with a means to replenishing her Phazon reserves. Using Hypermode can greatly counter the fog effect on the visor.

Statistics

Veteran

Attack	Damage Output
Shockwave, contact damage	10 damage, produces electricity around Samus
Missiles	10 damage each
Plasma Bomb	25 damage, heavy screaming.
Mine Balls	15 damage, briefly flinches Samus. Covers Visor in a sticky tan substance.

Official data

Logbook entry

Defense Drone

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

Temporary scan

Mechanoid: Defense Drone
Antennas appear to be fragile. Control Unit inside armored helmet.

Logbook entry

The Defense Drone is used to secure key areas within SkyTown. The externally mounted antennas are tied into the unit's optic array. By destroying all of the antennas, the optic array will overload and be vulnerable for a short period. The machine's Control Unit is also vulnerable, but must be exposed to be targeted. Its armor is immune to small-arms fire.

Scan when control unit is exposed

"Target's armor is open. Control Unit is now exposed and vulnerable to attack."

Development notes

Paul Tozour programmed the Defense Drone's artificial intelligence. His notes on this are below.

Trivia

• The Defense Drone's broken parts also appear in a Diorama in the game's Extras menu (see gallery).
• The Defense Drone resembles the ED-209, a large two-legged mechanoid from the first RoboCop film.
  • The Metal Gears from the games of the same name also look similar to the Defense Drone. Both the ED-209 and Metal Gears were developed as bipedal tanks. They share this trait with the Defense Drone.
• Oddly, using hacks reveals that the Defense Drone can be killed in a single shot with the Nova Beam and X-Ray Visor combo. The Defense Drone can also receive major damage from the Screw Attack (via hacking) if aimed directly at its Control Unit, even if shielded. The last sentence in the Defense Drone's Logbook entry may allude to these weaknesses.
  • Standard Nova Beam shots will pass through all parts of its body, whereas charged Nova Beam shots are deflected. In the former's case, this means the antennae cannot be damaged by uncharged Nova Beam shots.
• The shield covers around the Defense Drone's Control Unit can be destroyed with the Screw Attack once it is defeated (achieved via hacking).
• The battle theme of the Defense Drone is an altered version of Boss Reptilian, which is shared with several other creatures in the game. This theme replaces the Boss Reptilian theme entirely in Metroid Prime Trilogy.
• Although Seeker Missiles (via hacking) can be used on the antennae, strangely they will not work on the Control Unit itself.

Gallery

The Defense Drone awaits as Samus soon exits the elevator.

Samus fighting the Defense Drone.

Samus knocks out one of the three antennas.

The Defense Drone is stunned.

Samus grapples the Drone's optical unit.

The Defense Drone's head is now vulnerable to attack.

Samus fires missiles at the exposed Control Unit.

Close-Up of the exposed Control Unit.

The Drone's energy completely depleted (its head covering is also destroyed).

Samus defeats the Defense Drone, the latter's metal body downed and exploding to pieces.

The Drone's final explosion. Its debris litters the area.

The Defense Drone's internal Engine core (center) as viewed through the X-Ray Visor (via Hacking).

The Defense Drone's pieces are shown on the floor in this Diorama.

Concept art.

More Defense Drone art. This seems to be a Phazon-enhanced version.

From ek2studios.com.

Pre-release screenshot, in which the Defense Drone is called "Defense Mechanoid".

A decorative hologram depicting the Defense Drone, seen above the doors leading into the Ballista Storage building.

The Defense Drone's temporary scan.

Attacks

Samus receives electrical feedback damage from direct contact.

Cluster missiles.

Launching homing bombs.

The Defense Drone launches homing bombs under the veil of a thick fog.

Covered by bomb splatter.

Releasing a shockwave as it drops down from the higher elevation.

References