Crateria (クレテリア Kureteria) was the surface area of planet Zebes. Samus Aran landed on the respective area in Metroid: Zero Mission and in Super Metroid. It connected multiple areas, such as Maridia, the Wrecked Ship, Brinstar, Norfair, Chozodia and Tourian.
Environment
Crateria was mountainous and rocky and contained many caves for Samus Aran to explore. It had little vegetation, except for grass and other small plants. After Tourian's destruction in Metroid: Zero Mission, the landing site was constantly drenched by Acid Rain (most likely due to pollution from the destruction). This rain could not harm Samus due to the physical adaptations she had gone through while on Zebes. However, the Metroid Manga seems to suggest that Acid Rain has always been a part of Zebes.
Further down, was the site of the original Tourian from Metroid and Zero Mission. Its remains could be found on the way to Old Brinstar.
West of the landing site, there were caves leading to Brinstar with large mushrooms. There was a room with Golden Statues that served as the gateway to Tourian.
East of the landing site, ruins of the Chozo could be found on the way to Chozodia, as well as items left behind for Samus by the Chozo including the Power Grip upgrade and Unknown Item 1. Later, in Super Metroid, there were large pools of Water on the way to Maridia. They housed the Wrecked Ship.
Several pools of intense Lava could be found in upper Crateria, as well as lots of water; this lava is identical to that seen in Lower Norfair, no doubt having reached the planet's surface through a volcano created by diverging or converging of tectonic plates. Crateria is the area with the most water on Zebes besides Maridia.
Enemies
- Alcoon (Super Metroid only)
- Beetom (Super Metroid only)
- Boyon (Super Metroid only)
- Choot (Super Metroid only)
- Fire Flea (Super Metroid only)
- Geemer (Super Metroid only)
- Green Space Pirate (Super Metroid only)
- Kago (Super Metroid only)
- Kihunter (Super Metroid only)
- Ripper
- Sbug (Super Metroid only, harmless)
- Sciser (Super Metroid only)
- Skree (Super Metroid only)
- Skultera
- Stoke (Super Metroid only, unused enemy that only functions properly in Crateria)
- Tripper (Super Metroid only)
- Waver (Super Metroid only)
- Yapping Maw (Super Metroid only)
Bosses
- Torizo (Super Metroid only)
Power Ups
Metroid: Zero Mission
Super Metroid
- 8 Missile Tanks
- 2 Energy Tanks
- 1 Super Missile Tank
- 1 Power Bomb Tank
- Bomb
Trivia
An unusually tall mushroom-like platform.
- What appears to be an early depiction of Crateria appears in Metroid in both the title screen as well as each ending. This depiction of Crateria has a golden-brown surface with a space background. It is unexplorable ingame. In Zero Mission, the remade area does not represent Crateria and is now more barren-looking.
- In Super Metroid, there are several unusually tall mushrooms with helixial stems present in Crateria. These function as a platform, and are found in only two hallways on the left side of the map, with four in each room.
- The name Crateria appears to be derived from the word crater.
Official data
Metroid: Zero Mission manual
"This is the surface of Planet Zebes."
Gallery
