Tourian

Tourian
Series	Metroid
First game	Metroid
Created by	Nintendo

Tourian is the Space Pirates' headquarters on the planet Zebes. It is in Tourian that the Space Pirates conduct experiments on Metroids, and Samus faces off against Mother Brain. As such, it is a highly technological area, made up of metal pipes, hardware, and other high-tech designs, with deadly lava filling some of the rooms.

History

Metroid/Metroid: Zero Mission

Tourian was originally built by the Chozo, and was where they held council with Mother Brain before the Space Pirates took over the planet. Samus can enter Tourian using an elevator at the top of Brinstar, but first, she has to defeat Kraid and Ridley in their respective hideouts. Statues of the two characters are positioned over a gap, flashing if they have been eliminated; Samus must shoot them to create a bridge into the next room, which contains the elevator. In Metroid: Zero Mission, the statues are replaced with huge busts of Kraid and Ridley, whose eyes open when they are defeated, then open their mouths when Samus enters the room.

To reach Mother Brain, Samus has to fight through several Metroid-infested rooms, while also dodging Rinkas. After Mother Brain is defeated, a Time Bomb destroys Tourian. Samus can revisit Tourian in Metroid: Zero Mission to see the devastation from the Time Bomb's detonation: a harmful green acid fills the Zebesian Command Center where Samus fought Mother Brain, and the room preceding it and the escape shaft are severely damaged.

Super Metroid

During the events of the Metroid Prime series and Metroid II: Return of Samus, the Space Pirates rebuild their base on Zebes and construct a new Tourian. Like before, Samus needs to defeat Kraid and Ridley, as well as Phantoon and Draygon, to access the elevator to Tourian, located in Crateria; a golden statue depicting the four of them seals the passage to the elevator.

This new Tourian features a natural environment containing several creatures native to Zebes, put there for the baby Metroid Samus took from SR388 to feed on, as well as strange plant-like substances. After Samus's second victory over Mother Brain, another self-destruct sequence is initiated. This time, though, it destroys the entire planet.

Gallery

The Tourian escape shaft, as seen in Metroid: Zero Mission.