Metal Shark Player

"Heh heh heh. You have excellent DNA, don't you? I'd like to analyze your DNA once."

- Metal Shark Player

Metal Shark Player, also known as Metalshark Prayer (メタルシャーク・プレイヤー) in Japan, is a hammerhead shark Maverick created by Gate to work as member of a recycling research team. His job was to oversee the analysis and control of DNA at the facility and was very skilled in his work. Player's abilities in DNA analysis soon led him to experiment in the recreation of reploids using the DNA of retired Mavericks. Gate still used and encouraged his work despite "DNA Resurrection" being deemed illegal by the government. Player's activities were eventually discovered and he was disposed of as punishment. Gate later revives him as one of his Nightmare Investigators, putting him back in charge of the recycling plant.

He usually attacks with anchors and parts of junk robots. Being adept in "DNA Resurrection", he capable of creating clones of previous Mavericks, like Sting Chameleon, Magna Centipede, and Blast Hornet. Despite being a shark, he's weak against water (probably because he's made of metal and will rust), so use Meteor Rain (if X) or Ensuizan (if Zero).

Attacks:

 * Metal Shark Player, seeing as he is a shark, uses swimming as his main mode of transportation. He can either swim above the trash on the floor or below it.
 * If he is going to swim above, he will jump straight up just slightly, then swim along the floor. Once you have jumped over him, he will stop and return to being upright.
 * If he is going to swim below, he will jump diagonally up so he is above you, then dive. He will not yell anything when he does this (this is important). He will then swim below (you can see his fin, don't touch, you'll take damage), then he'll jump straight up out of it, almost to the top of the screen.


 * Metal Shark Player will jump diagonally up so he is above you, then dive into, but not below, the ground. He will yell when he does this.


 * Metal Shark Player will jump straight up about halfway, then throw a Metal Anchor towards your current position. These anchors will then bounce around the floor for a little while before exploding. They cannot be destroyed (except if you touch one), and he can have up to 2 on screen at once.


 * (1/2 health left) Metal Shark Player will jump towards either wall, then create a clone of a Maverick from a previous game. They are indestructible, and will attack you with their signature attacks.
 * Sting Chameleon will appear, lash his tongue at you, disappear, reappear, lash, etc.
 * Magna Centipede will appear on the ceiling, then fire sets of shuriken at you.
 * Blast Hornet will appear, then fire sets of 3 small hornets at you. You can destroy these. Destroying one of them will cause him to fire a 2nd set at you.

Stage enemies
Enemies in Metal Shark Player's stage, the Recycle Lab:
 * Hidden bosses: Zero Nightmare / High Max / Dynamo
 * Sub-boss: Nightmare Pressure
 * Nightmare Virus
 * Metall T
 * Junkroid

When Playing as X
X: You! What are you up to? Instead of investigating the Nightmare, you are manipulating it! It's strange that you are not affected by the Nightmare.

??: Heh heh heh. You have excellent DNA, don't you? I'd like to analyze your DNA once.

X: You must be Metal Shark Player. Right?

Metal Shark Player: It doesn't matter! I'll get your DNA!

When Playing as Zero
??: What are you doing?

Zero: I don't have time for this... What do you want? Metal Shark Player?

Metal Shark Player: I want DNA! Excellent DNA! But I don't need your DNA data.

Zero: Shut up and fight!

Metal Shark Player: Fine! Heh heh heh!

Trivia

 * His localized name is actually a mis-translation resulting from R & L being identical in Japanese. His name should be Prayer, as the joke is that he deals with resurrection and thus, "prays".


 * He is one of the two Mavericks that Zero tells to "shut up and fight", with the other being Frost Walrus.