The RB176 Ferrocrusher is a manually-piloted heavy industrial machine, presumably used by the Galactic Federation for construction and cargo loading. One such machine was in use in the Materials Storehouse of the Cryosphere of the BOTTLE SHIP. After Samus initially meets MB, a figure wearing a Galactic Federation Power Suit (later referred as the Deleter) drives the Ferrocrusher through a stack of crates, attempting to kill Samus and MB as well.
The Ferrocrusher is a machine designed primarily for industrial purposes, but can be used as a devastating vehicle in combat situations. It attacks with large metal arms for lifting, lasers for precision cutting, and heavy industrial buzzsaws for ripping and tearing.
Both the Ferrocrusher's arms must be frozen and then broken off with a Missile. Once Samus breaks off both arms, the Ferrocrusher engages several buzzsaws in front of the machine, and attempt to run over Samus while still using lasers occasionally. In order to overcome the Ferrocrusher, Samus must freeze one of the treads used to move to reveal the engine on top of the machine. Samus finishes off the Ferrocrusher with an Overblast or a Missile aimed at the engine, critically damaging the machine and sending it into a wild frenzy.
After the Ferrocrusher is seemingly defeated, the vehicle starts to crash into walls. When the object stops, the suit within the cockpit is missing.
If Samus fails to damage the engine, the tread will break free and close the engine point.
- The name of the Ferrocrusher is apparently a combination of the prefix "ferro-" referring to iron, and "crusher," which indicates the machine's industrial purposes.
- Strangely, the RB176 Ferrocrusher is not present prior to the post-credits sequence. It is possible that the Ferrocrusher was taken somewhere else to be repaired and/or reused, or was simply disposed of.
- Considering Metroid's admitted source of the Alien films, the Ferrocrusher could be an homage to the Power Loader Exoskeleton from the finale Aliens. Both are yellow industrial machines with cagelike cockpits, not designed for but improvised for combat. However, in Other M it is an antagonist that wields the machine, not Samus, the protagonist, but the heroine is still protecting a weaker female, in Aliens, Ripley was protecting Newt from the Queen Alien, and in Other M, Samus was protecting the supposedly helpless MB.
- 'Ferro' is also the name of a character in Aliens.
- The code number RB176 in the Ferrocrusher's name is similar to the star system's code number, FS-176.
- The code number may also reference to the mechanism being one of many in a series of models.
- Strangely, when Samus freezes the Ferrocrusher's arms, it won't attempt to break free from the icy casing. Also, despite being frozen, the arms are not hindered in any way.
- If Samus attempts to Overblast the Ferrocrusher but does not fire, she will simply slide off with no damage incurred.
- The RB176 Ferrocrusher plays a similar role to the B.O.X. Security Robot in Other M 's sequel, Metroid Fusion.
- The battle mechanic of destroying the arms of the Ferrocrusher and then attacking the machine itself is somewhat similar to Gorea in Metroid Prime Hunters.
"As you might guess from the coloring, this is an industrial machine... but it ends up attacking Samus anyway. It's covered in tools that may have served less violent purposes originally but are very effective as weapons. The trick to defeating it is to stay calm and freeze its moving parts and then dismantle it with extreme force."
- ^ Name from Other M Prima Strategy Guide
|Bosses in the Metroid series|
|Metroid||Kraid • Ridley • Mother Brain|
|Metroid: Zero Mission|| King Worm • Mua • Kraid • Bug Larva • Kiru Giru • Imago • Ridley • Mother Brain • Ruins Test • Ridley Robot |
|Metroid II: Return of Samus||Alpha Metroid • Arachnus • Gamma Metroid • Zeta Metroid • Omega Metroid • Queen Metroid|
|Super Metroid||Torizo • Spore Spawn • Kraid • Crocomire • Phantoon • Botwoon • Draygon • Golden Torizo • Ridley • Big Metroid • Mother Brain|
|Metroid: Other M||Brug Mass • Fune and Namihe • Groganch • King Kihunter • Mystery Creature • Goyagma • RB176 Ferrocrusher • Rhedogian • Vorash • Ridley • Nightmare • Queen Metroid • MB • Phantoon|
|Metroid Fusion||Arachnus-X • Elephant Bird • Zazabi • Serris • B.O.X. Security Robot • Mega Core-X • Scientist • Yakuza • Nettori • Nightmare • Neo-Ridley • SA-X • Omega Metroid|
|See also: Bosses in Metroid Prime Series|