| “ | Etecoons and Dachoras. I've met these intelligent beings before. They seemed to recognize me, as well. How unusual to meet again here. In the past, they've helped me unleash abilities I didn't know I had. But where did they run to? I hope they're safe... | „ |
—Samus Aran | ||
The Dachora (Dachola in Super Metroid Nintendo Player's Guide) are a species of ostrich-like animals found on planet Zebes.
Description
An adult Dachora appears in Super Metroid, in which it teaches Samus Aran how to perform a Shinespark, a technique used with the Speed Booster. The Dachora continuously runs back and forth through a long corridor, building up speed before crouching and jumping extremely high; by imitating its motions, Samus can execute the Shinespark. A nest with an egg can be seen in the background.
Later, in the escape sequence in the end of the game, the Dachora and Etecoons are trapped in the Torizo's chamber in Crateria, which is being flooded with scalding-hot lava. Samus can rescue the trapped animals before the planet explodes; if she does so, a tiny white spaceship[1] will be visible leaving the planet along with Samus's Starship during the ending sequence. Although their rescue is optional in Super Metroid, the action is considered canon due to the fact that the same Dachora and Etecoons make a reappearance in Metroid Fusion.
The appearance in Fusion shows that the egg from Super Metroid had hatched, with a small Dachora chick as the result. The Dachoras and Etecoons are seen as the sole survivors of the X Parasite infestation aboard the Biologic Space Laboratories research station. They are found on the Habitation Deck, confined in a sealed, tropical themed area with hanging tires for the Etecoons to play on. It is unknown why these creatures were on board, or why the X did not target them as potential hosts, though Adam suggests the creatures had no useful capabilities for the X. After Samus releases them, the Dachoras and Etecoons go to Samus's new Starship, and they later save Samus from the space station's explosion after the defeat of the Omega Metroid by piloting her Starship into the Docking Bays to rescue her.
The further fate of the Dachoras and Etecoons is unknown, as they neither appear nor are mentioned in Metroid Dread.
Official data
Super Metroid Nintendo Player's Guide
DACHOLA
| Enemy Data | Description | |||||||
| Color | HP | ATK | E | BE | M | SM | PB | Brinstar. Learn the Super Jump technique from Dachola. He's friendly, too. |
| Normal | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
Information
- DACHOLA [sic] (pg. 49)
- "A friendly ostrich-like creature, a Dachola, will show you the way out of this section. Just pay attention to what it does. Build up speed along the bottom and then Super Jump up the vertical shaft."
Super Metroid Players' Guide
- DISCOVER THE SUPER JUMP (pg. 31)
- "The strange bird will execute a super jump (see Special Techniques) for your pleasure. Watch it and practice the move."
Super Metroid Developer Interview
This article, section, or file contains text that is unofficially translated by Metroid fans. Some information (such as proper English names) may not be accurate. If an official translation becomes available, the fan translation(s) may be replaced.
Akinori Sao: Yamamoto-san, what part of Super Metroid do you recommend?
Yamamoto: This is a bit detailed, but after you beat the last boss, Mother Brain, Samus escapes, right? The planet is beginning to explode, so you really have to hustle. But at a certain spot, there's a Dachora and some Etecoons…
Sakamoto: Dachoras and Etecoons are alien creatures who teach Samus new moves, and they've gotten trapped while trying to evacuate.
Sao: If you help them, the ending changes. Is that right?
Sakamoto: The ending doesn't exactly change, but when the planet explodes and Samus just barely clears the blast in her ship, out to the side you can see…
Yamamoto: The Dachora and Etecoons escape, too.
Sakamoto: About one dot of light shoots out from the exploding planet! (laughs)
Sao: (laughs) You understand from that one dot of light that they survived.
Sakamoto: I tried it myself, and the dot was so small I could barely see it! (laughs)
Sao: Is that because it was an old tube TV?
Sakamoto: Yes. With the high resolution screens today, you should be able to see it clearly. I hope people will check that out for themselves.
Yamamoto: There may also be people who played Super Metroid before who don't know about that. I hope they will play the game again and help those creatures! [2]
Development notes
Yasuhiko Fujii stated that the idea of saving the Dachoras and Etecoons was conceptualized by another programmer on the game, but did not say who that was.[3]
The baby Dachora in Fusion has an unused blinking animation.[4]
Etymology
The Dachora's Japanese name, "ダチョラ", comes from Japanese for ostrich ("ダチョウ"). Its name in French is Vertozor.
Trivia
- The Dachoras, along with Serris, feature abilities similar to the Speed Booster.
- Interestingly, the Dachora can be released from its corridor by Shinesparking at the same time and in the same place at which the Dachora does. After this, it will run back and forth in the same usual manner and Shinespark at the ceiling.
- While the adult Dachora is commonly viewed as a maternal figure due to having offspring, it is referred to as a male in Super Metroid Nintendo Player's Guide. This is likely an error.
Gallery
References
- ^ Super Metroid Nintendo Player's Guide
- ^ https://www.nintendo.com/super-nes-classic/interview-super-metroid
- ^ "That was something a different programmer came up with on his own. And if you save them, when the planet explodes there’s some extra graphics showing them successfully escape too." http://shmuplations.com/yasuhikofujii/
- ^ biospark. Metroid Fusion - Unused Sprite Animations. YouTube. June 21, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGnwul2oWMc (starts at 15:52)
| Helpful/harmless organisms | |
|---|---|
| Tallon IV | Glider |
| SR388 | Baby • Flitt • Proboscum • Septogg |
| Zebes | Dachora • Etecoon • Powamp • Shaktool • Suspensor platform • Tatori • Tatori, Jr. • Tripper |
| BOTTLE SHIP | Pow • Wadge • Zuru |
| Features of Samus's Gunship | |
|---|---|
| Personal | Adam's helmet • Chozo biotech computer • Chozo language • Data records • Logbook • Mii Bobblehead • Samus Screen • Ship Bumper Stickers • In the Cockpit • Music player |
| Armaments | Plasma Beam • Power Beam • Ship Grapple Beam • Ship Missile Launcher • Gunship Multiball • Bunker-Busting Annihilator • Gunship |
| Mission features | Auto-repair function • Biohazard scanner • Blast Shield • Bombing Run • Command Visor • Commander Adam Malkovich • Cryostasis • Escape Pod Heads-Up Display • Helm controls • Landing Gear Legs • Microfactories Missile Station • Recharge Station • Save Station • Tetra Galaxy Scan Screen • Transmission console • B-Unit |
| Cargo | Theronian Bomb (1st piece • 2nd piece • 3rd piece) • Colossal War Golem |
| Passengers | Baby • Anthony Higgs • Dr. Madeline Bergman • Commander Adam Malkovich (computerized) • Dachoras • Etecoons |
| Indestructible Creatures | |
|---|---|
| Non-hostile | Aurora Unit 217 • Baby • Dachora • Databot • Etecoon • Fleet Admiral Castor Dane • Fleet Mechanic • Pow • Septogg • Tatori • Tatori, Jr. • U-Mos Training Drone • Watchdrone • Work Robot |
| Hostiles | Aazelion • Airthorn • Autom • Big Metroid • Cannon • GMX-04 Halberd-class turret (if provoked) • Polyp • Proboscum Puromi • Ring Beam Unit • Ripper II • Samus Eater (Bud) • Seed platform • Unfreezable Metroid • ZipNMEBomber |
| Misc. | Bloatsac • Blueroot Tree (Dark) • Butterfly • Chomper Fish • Durable plantform • Fish • Fungus • Glow Stem • Great Tree Massive tentacle • Moth • Parasitic fungus • Protozoan • RedGrass • Sandgrass • Sbug • Scarp • Scatterbug • Tallon fern • Mantha |