User blog comment:BannedLagiacrus/Monster Appreciation Week: Zamtrios/@comment-5020152-20150509133751

ZAMTRIOS (aka THE ZAMMY)

Concept: While we’ve had landsharks in Monster Hunter before, Zamtrios is probably the only one that looks like a legit shark. And it wasn’t enough for him to be another shark monster, oh no – to make the Zammy stand out from Cephadrome, Plesioth, and Nibelsnarf, they gave him the ability to transform into two different forms, his Icy Rage Mode and Beach Ball Mode. On the face of it, this is a really good concept for a monster, and you’ll see why as I dig deeper. 8/10

Design: The Zammy is based on a generic shark – whether great white or something else, I’m not sure. However, he really has the potential to strike fear into players new and old alike by sharing the same body plan as the Tetsucabra. Essentially, he’s a shark with legs. How awesome is that? Not only does the Zammy have frog-like legs to propel him across the ground with amazing speed, but he also has a foldable dorsal fin and horizontally-positioned tail fluke. When he goes into Icy Rage Mode, the Zammy gains an array of new weapons, namely a nose spike, tail-blade, blade-fins on his front legs, and spikes lining his back. And when he goes into Beach Ball Mode… well, it’s an unexpected transformation in every way. The design of this monster is one reason why he’s such a dynamic addition to the series. 8/10

Sound: “KRYYYYYEEEEEEEEE!” The sound of that ear-piercing screech never fails to send shivers up my spine. Besides that, Zamtrios has a few quiet growls and snarls that he uses during the course of the battle. The sound of forming ice that occurs when he goes into Icy Rage Mode is great, and when he deflates out of Beach Ball Mode, he goes out with a prolonged “fffffffffffffft”. The Zammy can only be encountered in the Frozen Seaway, where the local battle music is a fantastic fit for this landshark. 9/10

Gameplay: As I said before, Zamtrios is dynamic. Even outside of Icy Rage Mode, when he’s relatively calm, he jumps erratically all over the place, making it difficult to predict what he’s about to do. When he strikes that curled-up pose, not only does he have three different attacks to choose from, but he can also do a surprise leap to the side in order to outflank you before actually executing one of those attacks. When he burrows underground, he also has several attacks at his disposal, the most surprising of which being giant icicles that spring out of his back. In Icy Rage Mode, he becomes faster and even more unpredictable. In Beach Ball Mode, he gains a brand-new moveset that consists of slow and ponderous, but also extremely powerful, moves. Then when the Zammy deflates, the cycle repeats. He might not be my absolute favorite monster, but fighting the Zammy never gets old. 10/10

New Stuff: I’m a big fan of shapeshifting, so a monster that is able to do exactly that is welcome to the ever-growing Monster Hunter roster any day of the week. 10/10

Equipment: The Zammy offers top-notch Ice-element equipment that spans a wide range of weapon classes, including a Sword + Shield and an Insect Glaive. The Dual Blades are one of the few that possess two elements (in this case, Ice and Water). However, they tend to suffer from negative Affinity, which limits their usefulness. The Zammy’s armor set introduces an interesting skill called Meat Lover, allowing you to digest Raw Meat and gain a +50 stamina boost out of it. The armor also has an interesting design – it looks a bit like a cross between a football player and Metroid in my opinion. 8/10

Cutscene: The Meownster Hunters flee a marauding Zamtrios and seek out the hunter for protection. Upon confronting the Zamtrios, they briefly pluck up the nerve to challenge it, only to be shut up instantly by the shark’s screech. The Palicoes flee when the Zamtrios enters Icy Rage Mode, leaving the hunter behind to fight the menace. A surprisingly good cutscene, with the Palicoes offering some comic relief before the hunt begins. 8/10

Summary: In a word, the Zammy is dynamic. Just when you think the fight is about to get tedious (and why would you think that in the first place?), he goes into Icy Rage Mode or Beach Ball Mode, changing the course of the battle completely and refreshing the whole experience. To keep it flowing further, the Zammy has an extremely diverse selection of attacks to choose from, and he cycles between each and every one with the unpredictability of the weather. And he’s a landshark. Who doesn’t love a good landshark? Overall 8.5/10