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Wikitroid
Metroid-pipe

Air Holes, found below planet Zebes' surface, are artificial pipe-like structures protruding from floors and walls that strongly resemble Warp Pipes from the Super Mario Bros. series. Indeed, in Victory Techniques for Metroid, Samus mistakes it for one. Like Warp Pipes, they come in a range of colors and a few of them can be entered by Samus. They are only seen in the 2D Metroid games.

Some of these Air Holes, however, have small species of animal emerging from them which immediately attempt to ram Samus by flying towards her. Depending on the region of the planet, Zebs, Geegas, Zebbos, and Gamets can be seen flying out of the artificial structures. Samus can repeatedly kill them for energy and ammunition because these creatures continuously spawn, suggesting they have constructed hives within these tunnels. There are underwater crustaceans called Zoas that only emerge from sandpits found in Maridia instead of Air Holes, but nonetheless fall under the same category as the bioforms mentioned above due to their limitless spawning and attack pattern.

Other than sandpits, it is interesting to note the existence of other naturally formed crevices found throughout Zebes, some of which are filled with either lava or acid, that will also continuously release the "Air Hole-based" enemies.

On planet SR388, there are several corridors containing vine-like tunnels on the floor that infinitely release Gawrons, Skreeks or Yumees, serving exactly the same function as Zebes' Air Holes. In some areas of the planet, these creatures will emerge from pools of hazardous liquid. In Metroid II: Return of Samus however, they will cease to fly out from their respective "nests" whenever 10 of these are killed, suggesting the creatures become concerned in preserving their lives rather than continue sending more of their own to face the threat. A strange noise will notify Samus of a depleted airhole.

There are other artificial structures on the ground found only in Norfair that share more or less the same function as Air Holes, though these have a different appearance and can only spawn Polyps.

There are instances in Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption where creatures are continuously spawned from pipes or other small crevices, essentially acting as Air Holes. The Puffers, Plated Puffers, Puffer Mines, Phazon Puffers and Phazon Metroids are infinitely spawned within the Phazon Mines Ventilation Shaft, Tower of Light, Airshaft, Drop Shaft and Metroid Cavern, respectively.

In Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, an unscannable device known internally as a "Puffer Port" behaves like an Air pipe, spewing out an infinite supply of Preed or Dark Preed within the area these devices are housed in, but only two Preed/Dark Preed can be spawned at a time from these devices. The pipe device is made up of a small shieldless door surrounded by a metal ring, with the unit situated on a wall. These air pipe-like devices can be destroyed with Missiles. They are seen within Hydrodynamo Station and Undertemple Shaft respectively. Because there is no further covering behind the port's door, whenever a door opens, it gives off the appearance that Preed/Dark Preed are appearing through a solid wall. Oddly, one of the doors in a set does not open properly, making the creatures spawn from a closed door.

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