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One of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate’s boss monsters is the Zamtrios, a shark-like creature that has the ability to cover itself in an armour of ice while fighting. In a blog post on Capcom Unity, Capcom share where inspiration for the creature came from.
“One of the key features of the Zamtrios is its ability to secrete a special liquid that coats its body with an icy armor when it becomes enraged,” Capcom write. “This was inspired by dermal denticles, or placoid scales, very hard and sharp scales present in actual sharks. In real life, these tiny scales reduce underwater drag, helping sharks move faster, but they are also hard enough to work as armor.”
Zamtrios’ actual form was inspired primarily by two different sharks: the Basking Shark and the Frilled Shark. An early design sketch for the Zamtrios looked much more like the Basking Shark, but it’s the Frilled Shark (above) that the creature really looks similar to.
Zamtrios has the ability to shoot out a beam of fluid that can freeze whatever it touches. It also has the ability to inflate itself to make itself look larger and more intimidating. You’ll find Zamtrios in the company of its minion monsters, the Zamites.
Images and Concept art courtesy Capcom.
