The first boss in Metroid Dread is by far the toughest enemy players have encountered up to that point (besides EMMI with its instant kill). Beating the boss in Artaria takes some perseverance because Corpius doesn’t go down as quickly as most Nintendo bosses. However, it does follow a pattern, and learning it will allow players to exploit Corpius’ weaknesses and kill it.
How to beat the first boss in Metroid Dread Artaria region
To beat the first boss in Metroid Dread’s Artaria region, players will need to learn its patterns and its weak spots. The fight has three different phases, and each phase switches up Corpius’ weak spot, movements, and attacks.
During the first phase of the boss fight, Cataris will push the player toward the left part of the screen. At this time, its head is vulnerable to Charged Shot and missiles. The best tactic here to head toward the left and pummel its head. Its attack during this phase will only hit the bottom left corner, so when players see Corpius wind up, then can time the jump to avoid the attack.
Once players cause enough damage, the boss will engage its cloak and continue its attack. Now, its weak spot is indicated by the glowing sphere on its tail. The best tactic here is to get fairly close to it and wait for it to strike with its tail. The spike will get stuck on the ground, and players can pummel it with any attack to do damage. In this phase, players can tell the tail’s health by the color of the orb. It’ll turn from yellow to red as it takes more damage.
Once the tail takes enough damage, the third part of the fight will begin. The boss will decloak and point its rear at the player and attempt to strike with its tail. Players can’t damage it from the rear, so they should slide under its legs, so they’re facing its head again. While sliding, note that the boss will attempt to strike Samus, and players will need to counter to avoid damage.
In this phase, once again, its head is the weak point and can be damaged by Charged Shots and missiles. During this phase, players will notice that panels on the wall have opened that Samus can cling to, but they’re not entirely safe. The boss will swing toward the bottom right corner if Samus is standing there or the blue panel if she’s clinging there. The key is to switch between the two at the right time to avoid the attack. It will also belch green gas, which will cover the ground, and players must jump up to the blue panel to avoid it.
After doing enough damage, Corpius will once again cloak, and it’ll be a repeat of the second phase. Once players damage the tail enough, the boss will repeat its third phase. Unfortunately, players don’t get much of an indicator for when Corpius is about to die, and the unusual (for Nintendo) battle might make some think they’re doing something wrong. However, two more rounds of each phase and the boss should go down. One thing to note is that the creature will move and attack faster the closer to death it gets. This increased speed can make its tail attacks hard to avoid, and sliding away from them might make for a quicker dodge as the fight continues.
Once players beat the first boss in Artaria, they’ll be able to lay claim to its Phantom Cloak. This new ability will allow them to open the way to Cateris, the next area in the game.
