Kago Report

Creature Name: Kago
General Locations: Zebes (Crateria and Norfair) and B.S.L. Research Station (Sectors 2, 4 and 5)
Species Status: Extinct

The Kago is an insectoid that is only a small portion of the structure that it is often observed in the field within and has at times been mistaken for said structures as a result of its size. In short, the Kago is a very small, semi-flightless insectoid that feeds on tiny microorganisms in the soils and rock crevices of Zebes and is almost completely unnoticeable; in fact, its small form is so small that it is usually not even noticed by human-sized creatures, though it can leap very high for its small size and can use its tiny mandibles and physical momentum to inflict minute damage against others. What really makes the Kago an interesting species, however, is their hive. Kago hives are comprised of two main components, a soft inner core and a solid exterior shell. The outer shell, which is usually a sickly green color, is as hard as rock and virtually indestructible against weapons even as strong as the Power Bomb; moreover, if the interior of the nest is shot, the entire ground and even surrounding room may shake, showing just how deeply rooted and rigid this outer structure really is. The interior portion of the Kago hive is a red, pulsating orb that contains not only the nesting burrows for the Kago but also spare food reserves and pouches where the creatures reproduce in safety. This inner orb is actually vulnerable to direct fire as a result of the large holes that fill the outer structure of the hive, but with every single shot, a part of the hive will break and release an angry Kago that will hop around its hive in an attempt to scare off potential predators. The Kago are not that dangerous and can be easily destroyed with a single shot from any basic weapon, and even the interior of their hives is soft enough that it too will be destroyed if hit enough times, but these creatures are probably best left to their own devices as they are completely and utterly harmless as long as they are not provoked.

It is further noted that the Kago were among the many forms of life that were killed and copied by X-Parasites aboard the B.S.L. Research Station, but their mutation is unique enough that it deserves special attention. For some reason, the DNA of the Kago seems to be one that X-Parasites have a very hard time working with, as the mutated Kago that were created by them were an abomination with the copied Kago and their hive being fused into a single, bizarre creature with a dark green supporting matrix and a purple inner core. In this state, the monsters will feed off of small microorganisms for survival, but the individual Kago cannot be released from the core if struck as they are literally stuck to their hives; on the plus side, though, this does give the mutant copy near invulnerability to all types of weapons. However, things get extremely messy when another X-Parasite decides to join with the copy in order to increase its power and resilience; when this happens, the inner and outer portions of the hive are horrifically fused together and transform into a towering mass of living tissue at least three times the size of a normal Kago hive. In this form, the colors of the body switch places and the exterior shell grows into a jointed, rigid tower with the inner part of the hive being reduced to a massive series of green, pulsating nodules that move with the cage to give the abomination a disgusting and vile motion. In this state, the inner green nodules are filled with a pus-like acid that will readily eat through just about anything and is especially damaging against energy shields; it is possible to freeze them and jump over them with enough height, but these pulsating masses are otherwise better left alone, as they can only be destroyed with the power of a Shinespark or the Screw Attack.