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-based Reploid created by Gate to work as member of a recycling research team.

History
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.

Strategy
He usually attacks with anchors and parts of junk robots. Being adept in "DNA Resurrection", he is 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. Jump over him, and he will stop and stand upright.
 * If he is going to swim below, he will jump diagonally up so he is above the player, then dive. He will not yell anything when he does this (this is important). He will then swim below (his fin will be visible, and will inflict damage if touched), then he'll jump straight up out of junk, almost to the top of the screen.


 * Metal Shark Player will jump diagonally up so he is above the player, 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 the players current position. These anchors will then bounce around the floor for a little while before exploding. They cannot be destroyed (except if touched), 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 with their signature moves.
 * Sting Chameleon will appear, lash his tongue at the player, disappear, reappear, lash, etc.
 * Magna Centipede will appear on the ceiling, then fire sets of shuriken at the player.
 * Blast Hornet will appear, then fire sets of 3 small hornets at the player. These can be destroyed. Though, destroying one of them will cause him to fire a 2nd set.

Stage enemies
Enemies in Metal Shark Player's stage, the Recycle Lab:
 * 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.
 * His lines when facing Zero, furthermore, seem to imply that he has already obtained Zero's DNA for study, but not X's.
 * He and Duff McWhalen were mentioned in one of the volumes of Nintendo Power as they were said to be "one of the worst Mega Man boss names ever."
 * He and Axle the Red are the only Mavericks to have three-word names.
 * When Metal Shark Player summons a clone of a retired Maverick, he will yell their Japanese name.