A guide for the Gamecube title... * __ __ ___ ____ ___ __ __ ___ * (/)(_)(_ _)(,) / ()( ) () _))() (()))())) | (_//_)(___) (__) (_)_)__/(__)(___/ | { P } { R } { I } { M } { E } * * .--------------------------------------------------------------------. | A FAQ/Walkthrough for METROID PRIME (GameCube) | | Version 1.0 updated as of 11/30/02 | `--------------------------------------------------------------------` | Written by marshmallow | '--------------------------------------------------------------------' * Check the last section to see what has been added! * Hello everyone, it is marsh again. I haven't fallen off the planet yet, I have simply tired of writing walkthroughs and found other things to do. Yet when I play through Metroid Prime I just get an urge to write and help people with it. Especially as I scan the GameFAQs message boards and see the same questions asked over and over again and, currently, few guides available. I don't plan to make this a super intensive walkthrough by any means. In fact, I wasn't even going to make a FAQ because I thought there'd be dozens by the time I even finished the game. I was actually going to work on speed files to see how low you could push the game's designs, but this seems like a good opportunity to help people. Maybe as the boards die down we can all work on getting fast strategies. This all feels like Super Metroid again... ============================================================================== 0. T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S ============================================================================== Introduction 0. Table of Contents 1. The Game - Background - Mechanics 2. Metroid Prime Walkthrough - Setup style - Pirate station - Missiles - Chozo map - Morph ball - Morph bombs - Energy spike - Charge beam - Varia suit - Boost ball - Space jump - Wave beam - Super missiles + Thermal + Map - Spiderball - Icebeam - Gravity suit - Power bombs - Save point - Grappling beam - X Ray visor - Chozo artifact - Plasma beam - The Grand Collect-o-thon - Ice spreader - Wavebuster - Phazon suit + Flame + 2 Artifacts - Quest for 12 Artifacts <-- list of all artifacts - Final Impact - Hard Mode Tips 3. Energy Tank Locations 4. Missile + Power Bomb List 5. Bosses 6. Secrets 7. Speed??? 8 Contribution 9. Version History 10. Legal Notes ============================================================================== 1. T H E G A M E ============================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ METROID BACKGROUND: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q: What are the areas of the game and what are they like? A: Tallon IV Overworld - Surface of the planet, think Crateria Chozo Ruins - Ruins of ancient Chozo cities Magmoor Caverns - Bowels of the planet, think Norfair II Phendrana Drifts - Icy world of death; Space Pirate facilities Phazon Mines - Space Pirate hideout; little shop of horrors Impact Crater - Site of the Phazon leak; small but last area of the game (AND HARD!!) Q: What time does Metroid Prime take place? A: Metroid Prime takes place shortly after Metroid 1 (NES) but before Metroid II: Return of Samus (Gameboy). We know this because Zebes still exists and the pirates are "rebuilding after a great loss." Q: Are there actual Metroids in the game? A: You meet your first Metroid about 1/3 of the way through. From there on they get nastier and more common. They make their big appearance at the very end though... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ METROID MECHANICS: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q: How is this game similar to other Metroid titles? A: The basic concept is the same: find items to earn new abilities to find new areas, more items, and kick Space Pirate/Metroid ass. Also, most of the enemies will be VERY familiar to Super Metroid fans. Think, literally, Super Metroid in 3D. Q: How is the game different? A: The most obvious are the vast hardware, graphics, and sound gaps. The entire scope of the game is also enormous. Gameplay wise there are more firefights and some situations seem to have been integrated from a Zelda or other action-RPG type game (items disappearing until you get a boss, walls moving, and some of the puzzles). Q: What items are there? A: Same as always. In fact, just about every item from every Metroid game makes an appearance (save for the screw attack). Missiles, super missiles, power bombs, morph ball, spider ball grapple, space jump, all the beams, etc. There are also some new surprises waiting in store. Q: What kind of doors/barriers are there? A: Blue = any beam, any bomb Red = missile Purple = wave beam White = ice beam Dark red = plasma beam Sandstone = regular bomb Radeon = missile Cordite = super missile Bendzeium = power bomb Missiles, super missiles, bombs, and power bombs all destroy other types of barriers, ranging from different types of rocks to grating. Q: Why first person? A: Third person would not work for this game in its entirety. In fact, it'd be terrible. First person in this game works much better than any critics thought it'd ever do. The immersion, style, etc. is unprecedented. Q: Is the game ever third person? A: When using the morph ball; and cinemas of course. Q: What's up with the strafing? A: The controls are difficult to get used to at first. However, after getting used to them they are a dream and you realize how much thought has been put into them. After awhile you will be jumping around looking in all directions and shooting the pirates to dust. Q: How do I evade better? A: Tap B while locked on to perform a sideways dash. A: Ahhh, I hate the helmet! It blocks so much. Anyway to change it? A: Yeah, I hate the helmet too. So go to the options menu (pause, L) and turn down the opacities on the helmet. The visor should be at 100% so you can see the stats but the helmet is the main culprit of the blockage. ============================================================================== 2. M E T R O I D W A L K T H R O U G H ============================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MY SET UP STYLE: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Like all Metroid titles, Metroid Prime is fairly open ended. The purpose of this FAQ is to SET YOU STRAIGHT! From the beginning to the end I will tell you where you're supposed to be going and your goals to complete. I could take your hand and you lead you through as a child to bed but I feel that for this game that would be too over the top, especially considering the VAST majority of people reading this document will either be: 1) reading for fun or 2) looking for tips because they don't want to ruin the game. Basically, if you don't know what to do after you get an item, collect what I tell you. It's all in order. A -> B -> C etc. all the way to Z. I will not tell you all the missile/energy tank places. Find these in their appropriate section (or more likely another guide). Throughout the walkthrough I will point out some easy missile locations just to keep your thirst low. I believe more in E-Tanks, so I'll definitely point the majority of those (especially early on). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ a. SPACE PIRATE STATION (Low Orbit over Tallon IV): ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bring back any memories yet? Q: What sort of level is this? ---------------------------------- A: Mainly a tutorial for the newbies. For experienced players, a short romp to get to the meat of the game. Q: How do I get past the force shields? ------------------------------------------ A: Shoot the glowing red buttons using the R button to aim. For the second set, scan (L) the red button to activate the main switches. Shoot the switches and it'll open. Q: Do I have to scan all of this stuff? -------------------------------------------- A: No. But the first time through it sure does make the experience that much more satisfying. Q: What do I HAVE to scan? ------------------------------ A: Mainly elevator switches. You'll recognize them by the floating blue icons. Scan them and the lift becomes active. Go through the glowing, orange elevator icon that appears to use it. Q: Where did those little enemies run off to? -------------------------------------------------- A: Stand in front of the hole, tap X to become a ball, and chase them. All that is at the end is a map station though. Q: How do I destroy the Parasite Queen? -------------------------------------------- A: By reading the boss section. Q: How do I escape the ship? ------------------------------- A: Run. It's all very linear. Shoot missiles at the automated machine guns and run past the space pirates. Q: Is that who I think it is at the end? --------------------------------------------- A: Oh yeah, the Big Ridely has returned. This time he has cybernetic attachments and extra bits and pieces. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ b. COLLECTING THE MISSILES: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q: Woah, woah, woah...where did all my items go? --------------------------------------------------- A: Remember the little "accident" in the elevator? They were all fried on the escape from the station. We'll be recollecting them for the rest of the game. Step 1: missiles. Q: Where do I get the missiles? ----------------------------------- A: From the starting point of Samus's ship on the Tallon Overworld... Jump down and climb the rock platforms to the first blue door. Continue along the path, killing and examining the enemies if you want. Go along the coast of the small waterfall/lake, through the blue door, and straight ahead lies the CHOZO RUINS main elevator. Open the blue door to enter the Chozo Ruins. Go through the next door behind the beetles. This is the main plaza of the Ruins, all other areas branch off here (and eventually form a huge circle that ends at an elevator to Magmoor). Run ahead, killing the mass of beetles that ambush you if you want and run to the half pipe structure. Jump up the steep edge cut into the cliff. Turn left and blast through the blue door, entering a long, winding corridor. A large pack of Scarabs live here: tap L and fire continuously until they're all dead. With only an energy tank, running through isn't a smart idea. The next hallway contains Eyons, which shoot laser beams from a fixed point. Shoot them and they stop for a short period...or you could simply time your jumps and get through, whichever you prefer. This room is called the ruined nursery and the game will notify you of a save point. Jump up the stairs and get to the side platform for easy access. After saving, go through the other blue door on the second level. After a twisty corridor with a swarm of weak fly like enemies you'll be in a large room filled with acid and some wasp enemies. The only other doors are a red missile door and a blue one across the way. Eventually you'll reach a large room filled with acid and a central platform (on map: "Hive Totem."). Jump to the platform and a large robot will make an appearance (see BOSS section). After its defeat the path to the missile is laid bare. Ahhh...classic Metroid collection theme. Gotta love it. Missiles, of course, can open all red doors and also kick the stuffing out of the alien scum. Behind the red door nearby is an energy tank also. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ c. ACCESSING THE CHOZO RUINS MAP: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q: Where do I get the Chozo Ruins Map? ------------------------------------------- A: After collecting the first missiles, turn around and backtrack to the room with the wasps and acid. Fall to the lower path and scan the wall: in the acid is a weak radeon wall. Use a missile on to get another missile pack. Now blow open the red door using the newfound technology and the map station will be located in a dead end room. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ d. COLLECTING THE MORPH BALL: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q: How do I get the morph ball? ---------------------------------- A: After getting the missiles or the map beacon (map = optional but useful), backtrack all the way to the main plaza (large outside area). Jump down the steps, evade the mass of beetles that pop up, and shoot open the red door. Enter the long hallway, being wary of the huge swarm of scarabs (L shoot, L shoot in rapid succession, then collect the goodies). The next door leads to the Ruined Shrine. As you enter the pit several DOZEN beetles will burrow out of the sand. As long as you focus on one beetle at a time and jump constantly you shouldn't take much damage. Hopefully they will refill your missiles for the MINI boss that comes out (check boss section). After the plated beetle is reduced to cinders the wall slides back to reveal the glowing MORPHING BALL. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ e. COLLECTING THE BOMBS: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q: How do I get the bombs? ----------------------------- From the room with the morphing ball, use the small pipe to exit and go back to the main plaza. Go through the half pipe, climb the steps, go straight ahead and jump on top of the steps to reach a second level. Jump over the gap in the path, cross the bridge (shoot wasps if necessary) and enter the blue door at the end. Morph into ball mode to get under the logs that block the path and you will end up in a large room filled with acid ("Ruined Fountain"). Jump along the outside to the central fountain (which is spewing acid, so step away). Go to the blue door that requires you to jump on a platform in acid. The other one leads to a hot area, which we can not enter until much later in the game. You are now standing in the "Arboretum", a huge room with a central tree, platforms, and a LOT of acid. We will be coming back here to kill a boss, but for now we must tread on. Turn left and dispose of the two reaper vines (jump where they were guarding very quickly because they regenerate within seconds). Jump up the spiral platforms, leap to the leaf covered bridge, and go to the next path, heading downward. Destroy the reaper vines and blow open the red door using a missile. After a small transition corridor (that requires the morphing ball) you will be in the "gathering hall." To the right up the hill is a save point through a red door, use it if you must. Step away from the entrance and look up: there is an edge above it. Jump up there using the nearby platforms. Destroy the poison mushrooms inhabiting the next platform and then leap. Destroy the skrees and the other mushrooms until you reach a hole that requires the morph ball. After this you will be returned to the same room, only higher. Kill the skrees across the way then leap across the gap. Enter the door. After a tunnel filled with skrees and then another tunnel filled with eyons you will be in the "Energy Core," a large complex filled with acid and skrees. Kill the skrees, then turn left into the corridor. Kill the skrees, hop over the acid, and you'll be at a dead end with a stone toad (large, stationary monster) and a tunnel large enough for the morph ball...so slip on in there, baby. After a small roller coaster ride you will be in the "Burn Dome" and you get to fight a new mini boss: the incinerator drone (see BOSS section)! After it is made into spare parts the BOMB will be yours. For an extra set of missiles, bomb the weak wall at the end of one of the acid creeks. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ee. ENERGY SPIKE DETECTED (OPTIONAL BUT DO IT): ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q: Energy spike detected? What in the blazes does that mean? ---------------------------------------------------------------- This means it wants you to get this energy tank. You can either get this early or later -- early is better in this case since you have to do this puzzle anyway and it's nice for when you face off against the next wave of bosses. It's also not off the beaten path too much. After getting the bombs from the incinerator drone, roll up into a ball and blow up the stone toad blocking the hole. Bomb the device to lower the water. Drop down and go to the second device and perform the same duty. This raises some platforms to a third machine. The third and final machine raises more platforms...open the door and morph through the hole. The tank is at the end. Remember this later, after you get the spiderball. You come back here to get some other goodies. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ f. COLLECTING THE CHARGE BEAM: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q: How do I get the charge beam? ------------------------------------- Go to the "gathering" hall after collecting the bombs and leap down. Use the door we haven't used yet (ground level). In the transition tunnel with skrees you'll hear that little "missile" music playing -- turn to the weak wall on the left and blow it open for some missiles. You will be in the "watery hall" after the next door. For now it is filled with reapers, platforms, and acid. At the end is a huge grate with four icons on it. Find the matching icons in the room, scan them, and the gate will swing open. All of these appear as bright red when you use the scan visor... Icon 1: Jump to the first platform, turn around and scan the wall next to the entrance door. Icon 2: On the platforms that are floating in acid is a group of poison mushrooms. Kill them all, then scan the ground they were on: an icon is in the small hole. Icon 3: Below the gate, nearest the acid. If you know where it is you can scan it from above too. Icon 4: Next to the gate. After all four icons are scanned, scan the main gate to open it. The CHARGE BEAM is open for the taking. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ g. COLLECTING THE VARIA SUIT: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q: How do I get the Varia Suit?: ----------------------------------- From the charge beam, return to the gathering hall and use the save point again. Backtrack to the arboretum and jump in the acid, slosh over to the entrance you used to get here originally (blue door, of course). Nearby, in the acid, is an island that has poison weed on it, shoot them and examine the icon they were hiding (1). Now climb up the platforms around the central tree. When you jump on the wooden bridge covered in leaves, examine the location where the tree and bridge meet for the second icon (2). Turn right, jump, and use the morph ball and bombs to clear the path of the rocks. Turn your attention to the tree: kill the wasps and use a missile to take down their hive. Now look at the circles in the wall, one of them is the third icon that can be scanned (3). Shoot the poison weed and use the ball to get through the next ball path (hurry, the poison weed regrows very fast). Destroy the second wasp hive, else they could push you all the way to the bottom (NOT cool). Jump to the gate at the very top of the room (same type as when getting the charge beam). Turn around and face the opposite direction and on the tree is the last icon (4). The gate opens, revealing a rock. Bomb it and go through using the morph ball. After some hallways filled with dense poison weed and reapers (go crazy with that beam to clear the path) you will enter the enormous "Sun Chamber." This is the lair of Flaahgra, the master of the Chozo Ruins (see: BOSS section for details). After melting this freak the Varia Suit will be yours. Super heated areas are now fully accessible and you take less damage from your foes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ h. COLLECTING THE BOOST BALL: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ How do I get the Boost Ball?: ---------------------------------- First, we must go through Magmoor Caverns and enter the frost bitten world of Phendrana. Step a: Magmoor Time ---------------------- After collecting the Varia Suit simply continue ahead. You will enter the elevator shaft that leads to Magmoor Caverns (aka NORFAIR II with sweet renditioned Super Metroid Ridely Hideout Music...baby!). Before doing that you can enter the sidehall, follow it to the end, and get an easy energy tank and a puzzle oriented missile pack. Fall down the vertical shaft after the elevator, go through the corridor that has steam shooting out the walls (well...the only choice, really). Blow open the red door with a missile for a convenient save point. After jumping across several platforms with armored foes and flamethrowers you will enter the main part of Magmoor... After the small intro, you get to see why it's called Magmoor Caverns: a Magmoor dragon raises out of the magma to greet you. Two charged bolts later it will be decapitated and you can move on, jumping from platform to platform. Suffice to say, taking a dip in the magma is NOT a good idea, even with the varia suit you will lose an e-tank every couple seconds. Shoot the puffers (aka Bulls in Super Metroid) but wait until the acid gas dissipates, unless you want some nasty damage (it also pushes you into the magma usually). The other side of the room contains a supposed dead end covered in boxes. Shoot the boxes and bomb the light colored rocks: morph ball tunnel time. This next cavern is filled to the brim with puffers, just wait until the gas goes away and then you can jump across easily. The "Pit Tunnel" has a large grate, the only way to get across for now is to morph into a ball and go under the small recess beneath the gate. However, several Triclops will make sure that doesn't go smooth. Bomb them if you must and continue to the "Triclops Pit." Do the same routine, moving on up the platforms to the "Monitor Tunnel" where you will face piston-like platforms surrounded by puffers. The glorious finale of this run is the "Monitor Station", a simply monstrous cavern with lots of machinery and auto guns. Target the guns and shoot volleys of missiles to kill them, otherwise they will really mess you up when you try to jump on platforms (often sending you to your death in the magma). Make sure to shoot all the boxes, you'll need some missiles for later. At this point you can only go one direction: up. It leads to an elevator to Phendrana. Step b: Getting the Boost Ball ---------------------------------- Shoot out the ice barriers by using your charge beam and you will be lead to the main area of Phendrana: "Shorelines." Follow the left wall and you will find a sewer grating: shoot it out with a missile, roll up into a ball and get in there. Activate the console using your scan and you will unlock a door you must go through in a second. The game will also tell you the location of a nearby save station, I'd suggest using it. After saving, exit and turn to the extreme left and use the snowy ledges to go up, up, and away, eventually leading to the unlocked door. Shoot out the ice barrier with a charged beam, roll into a ball roly-poly style and duck the energy beams of the bombus. At the end are the "ice ruins east," which shall be your first encounter with Baby Sheegoths...which are rather fearsome, I must say. Easier to avoid them totally, so concentrate on going up the platforms that lead out of these icy ruins. After a short tunnel you will end up right in front of a cliff and if you're not careful you'll fall down, making you go all the way to square 1 again. Instead, turn left and go through the next blue door. Ahh...lots of bombus here. Zig-zag through the carnage of the energy bombs and you'll enter "Ice Ruins West" which is almost a copy of the east version, except the door you want is on ground level. Sheegoths will probably hurt you a little but don't try to stop and kill them since there's no point. Use the morph ball to get through the next set of bombus, eventually leading to your goal: Phendrana Canyon. Jump down, run past the Sheegoth, up the hill, and kill the Crystal enemy (missile). Scan the computer to activate the gas powered platforms. They all form a nice stair step pattern that leads to...the BOOST BALL! I love the view after you collect it, seems so angelic. The Boost Ball enables you to use the half pipe structures to leap to new heights. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ i. COLLECTING THE SPACE JUMP BOOTS: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q: How do I get the Space Jump Boots? ------------------------------------------- A: From the Boost Ball... Step a: Getting to Tallon Overworld ------------------------------------- This involves a trip to the Tallon Overworld. Wait! Don't cry, come back...there's a shortcut. We don't have to go all the way through Magmoor and Chozo Ruins. Just a short little trip through Magmoor is all. Use the boost ball to get out of the boost ball canyon and as they say, going back down is easier than going up...so backtrack to the Phendrana elevator entrance, saving of course. Down in Magmoor you'll be in the ball maze. Since you saved, try to get the energy tank up there via the bomb jump (for more detail, go to #4 energy tank in the tank section). Now go ahead to the Monitor Station. Kill the auto guns and then jump down...way down. Get to land, of course. Remember the blue door we ignored? There's some boxes nearby...go through this door, you'll end up in the "Shore Tunnel." Kill the Magmoor and leap from platform to platform. Use a bomb boost to get inside the morph tunnel which is an easier way to get to the other side of the room. Evade the flame throwers that are on the ceiling (don't try to jump through them...you'll get stuck in the magma until they stop, which is not good on your e-tanks). Roll up in the next room and race through the metal tracks (you can't fall off). The West Talon lift is here. Step b: Getting the Space Jump --------------------------------- Run up the steep path (missiles under the foggy bridge), blow open the door and you'll be at the bottom of a tall vertical room. Use the logs and platforms to reach the door at the top. After a short tunnel with lots of tangle weed and a blood flower you will back in familiar territory: Tallon canyon, from the very start of the game. Drop down to the bottom, kill the beetles, and get ready for fun. This could take some practice...you want to boost up the left side of the halfpipe using the boost ball. So roll up and tilt the control stick in that direction while holding B to charge up. When you have a full charge release it AS you go up the incline...as such... 4 2 / / / 3 1 / ____________________/ 1. Boost here 2. Start charging again, you will roll back down 3. Boost again 4. Charge continue this process until you reach the top. At this point the rest is clear: cross the bridge, bomb the wall (you'll appear at a much higher point in the Landing Site), make two jumps, go through the door, and the Space Jumps sit in a nice little pedestal in a ray of happy sunshine. The space jump allows you to do a double jump. It doesn't let you fly as in older games...however, it is still EXTREMELY useful here. We need it anyway. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ j. COLLECTING THE WAVE BEAM: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q: Where the heck do I go after getting the Space Jump? ----------------------------------------------------------- A: In short, we must go back to Phendrana land and get the Wavebeam. a. Phendrana Time ---------------------- Save at your ship and then jump down to ground level. Explore with the morph ball for an easy container of missiles. Go through the blue door to Tallon Canyon. Jump up the platforms by the waterfall, circling around to the door that leads to the Magmoor elevator (know you're on the right track when you see the blood flower). Go down... Basically backtrack to the Monitor Station and climb back up to the Phendrana elevator. Oh and right before would be a good chance to try to get the e-tank up there...if not, oh well. b. Getting the Wave Beam ----------------------------- We now stand at the entrance to Phendrana. Save if you wish and jump up the platforms, except instead of going through the blue door turn around and you'll see a platform floating in midair. Jump on and then use the space jump to just barely reach the platform beyond that, then you'll be in front of a grand doorway adorned with pillars and fancy smancy artwork. Must be something nice through here. As the door opens shoot a missile at the barrier, roll up, and dodge the bombu's energy tentacles. You now are in the Chozo Ice Temple, which is inhabited by a single baby Sheegoth and lots of enemies that require missiles to kill, although these are only minor annoyances and can be ignored (time your jumps). This is good practice with the space jump. At the top is a large Chozo statue with ice in its hands. Scan the nearby faces and find the Shaman bust...bust the bust with a missile and then use a bomb jump to get in the bomb machine. Bomb machines are activated by bombs. Lay a bomb and it will unlock the next door. Use the morph bombs to destroy the pillars. Fairly straightforward. The path leads to a huge room, which should tip you off to a boss fight. Especially since the WAVE BEAM is right there. See the Sheegoth section in the boss chapter. The Wave Beam allows you to open purple doors and kill the annoying bombus. However, the charged wave beam is weaker than the charged power beam. It makes this up by homing in on its target, however. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ k. COLLECTING THE SUPER MISSILES + THERMAL VISOR + MAP COMPUTER: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q: What do I do after the Wave Beam? ---------------------------------------- A: This is gonna be a long trip into Pirate held territory. Go to the Phendrana shorelines and jump up the platforms on the side and go to ice ruins west -- the room right before where you got the boost ball before. Turn right as soon as you enter and jump up the platform and use the space jump to move on up, being careful to not let a crystal knock you off. Target the icicle hanging off the ceiling and shoot a missile at it -- boom! Now you can jump on top of that to get to the area with the purple door. You'll need to jump some more, but it'll be easy once you get over the icicle problem. After a short tunnel filled with scarabs and a bombu you arrive at the Ruined Courtyard, a large yet easy puzzle room. I bring to your attention a new device -- the spinner machine. Morph into the slot and tap B to use the boost ball. The machine converts your mechanical energy into electricity which is used to power machines. You can tell your progress by how far down the top is...when it connects to the bottom you're done and something happens. In this case it activates the next spinner device across the way. Use this and it activates the bomb switch above. Use the space jump on the nearby platform to get up there. Bomb the slot and water will fill the area and raise the platforms. Jump from platform to platform, your goal is the hole in the wall on the other side. Morph down there for an energy tank. When you get back out the water will be back down...it's possible to jump back to the center but if you fall you'll need to go to the bomb slot and refill the room with water. Anyway, as soon as you get to the center you'll have access to three doors: a broken gray door, a purple door, and a missile door. Go to the missile door for a save point. Now enter the purple door. Get used to this scene: space pirates en masse and that lovely yet slightly odd action music. Pump them with charged wave beams and use missiles on the auto drones and everyone will be happy. In the Research Entrance room, the first of its kind, the map computer can be found through a blue door on the far side. Your next route is through the purple door up top. Research Lab Hydra is filled to the brim with scanning material; it's rather obscene, really. Fill up those notebooks boys! You'll also need to scan two buttons to deactivate a force field and access an elevator, but those are clearly marked. The next door is in the ceiling, truly Metroid style. Jump on up and use charged beams + jumping + strafe action to kill the trio of machine guns that guard the Observatory, a large dome shaped room. After clearing the room of Pirates the main computer console will be activated. Scan it to activate two bomb slots. Jump and bomb them, which in turn activates the four spinner devices on the ground level. Spin all four and you'll get a pretty lightshow and more platforms. Work your way to the top (there's only one semi difficult jump that is easily managed with practice) and you'll be at a red missile door. Blast it open for a save point. Otherwise, turn around and jump to the central platform to collect the coveted SUPER MISSILES. No green doors to open I'm afraid, although they destroy lots of obstacles and are uber powerful. Continue through the purple door and you'll end up in a large outside area filled with boxes and pirates. After dispatching the ground based forces about 6 fliers will come in and they're not too nice. After death they tend to kamikaze themselves right into you, dealing some nice damage. After they're all slain (charge + missile + charge works well) the next door will be unlocked. Scan the lift and continue. A Metroid in a tube? Yeah we know from the Metroid saga that tubes can always contain those suckers. After scanning it the glass will shatter and it will lunge at you!...actually it just sort of floats around, chirping as you shoot it to death with charged power beam blasts. The Metroids around here are very weak as you don't even have to use missiles to kill them. Don't worry, by the end of the game you'll be getting raped by Metroids regularly. As for now... After the Metroid dies a pirate will break the glass, leap into the fray and slay them all. Down here in a tube is an energy tank (shatter the glass with a missile) and a missile expansion that you can use by jumping on a platform and then using the morph ball to carefully go across a thin line (dumb camera angle pisses me off). The exit to Lab Aether is a purple door under some boxes. It all leads to our goal: the Research Core, which houses the Thermal Goggles. However, before that we must kill the pirates (flying ones too) and then activate three red switches in the room. This is easily accomplished, since there are three levels to the room and a switch is on a computer on every level. Ta da, the force field is down and the THERMAL VISOR IS YOURS! Now you can see any heat traces that would escape the naked human eye. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ l. COLLECTING THE SPIDER BALL: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q: How do I get the spider ball? / What do I do after the Thermal Visor? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- A: Well...first we get to backtrack. We need to go all the way back to the Ruined Courtyard, before all of this Space Pirate jazz. And since all the lights get turned off, Metroids burst loose, and cloaked Shadow Pirates come in, we'll need the Visor (You'll also need to shoot the power conduit next to the door to get out of the Visor room). Well, from here on out all the doors are unlocked and there's nothing else to collect...so just RUN. You fool, run! Although in Lab Hydra, at the top, as soon as you enter be sure to blow open the cordite tube with a super missile. Inside is a pack of missiles. Eventually we'll get back to the peaceful Ruined Courtyard. Relax at the save point and then go to the "broken door." Use the Thermal Visor to find the power conduit. It is covered in a cap of rock which the Super Missile (to use it charge the power beam and then hit Y). Now hit the conduit with the wave beam. Ta da! Walk right in, blow away some bombus, morph ball through the crazy tunnel and you'll find yourself in Quarantine Cave, a MONSTROUSLY insanely overpriced and overflashy room. You know what this means...? Boss fight baby. Boss section of course...Thardus, in fact. After he crumbles to dust you receive the sexy sleek SPIDER BALL, which allows you to use the metallic tracks thrown haphazardly around the planet. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ m. COLLECTING THE ICE BEAM: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q: Where do I go after the Spiderball? --------------------------------------------- A: Yes, after the Spider Ball we must fetch the Ice Beam so we can open those annoying white doors. The Ice Beam is located in the Chozo Ruins. We are in Phendrana...so it is approximately one hell of a long way aways. Fortunately, I know a good route after Thardus is sawdust that can put us in a good position for some items on the way to the beam. Go to the spiderball track that requires a bomb boost to get up and follow it to a door. This leads to an elevator to Magmoor. Magmoor Route --------------- Turn around and get in the missile door for a very convenient save point. Now continue to the Magmoor Workstation, a large room filled with flying pirates. After they are all gone jump to the bottom and use heat vision to find three conduits, use the wave beam to power them up. Blow up the triclops under the grating and solve the puzzle for the energy tank (more detail in energy tank section). After that jump up the steps and continue. The rest of this route is VERY linear at this point in the game. You only need to know two things: (1) shoot the large rock creatures in the mouth so you can jump on them as platforms and (2) when you get to the north core tunnel you will start shooting missiles at stalagmites (look up, use L to target them). When they fall they will kill the Magmoor dragons and server as a platform in the absence of the grapple beam. After a lot of platforming action you will end up at a metallic trackway which will spit you out at the western Tallon Overworld lift - this should be familiar. Goooooing up! Tallon Overworld --------------------- We've been here before when we came back for the space jump. Work your way up back to your ship to save, then enter the Chozo Ruins. Chozo Ruins - Missiles and IceBeam Fun ----------------------------------------- Go straight ahead from the main entrance and use the boost ball on the half pipe for some missiles. Go up the platforms, across the bridge, through the door, and use the morph ball to duck under the logs. In the ruined fountain go to the fixed fountain and it'll boost you to a metallic track that leads to more missiles. Continue along to the arboretum, skip across and go to the gathering hall. Go to where the charge beam was (Watery Hall) and bomb the wall near its pedestal. Inside, blow the gate open with a missile for another missile pack. Then use the metallic track for another pack. Not bad for one room. Back in the Gathering Hall, use the platforms (space jump makes this way faster than before) to get inside the Energy Core. Remember this place? You got the bombs here at the start of the game. You also probably found an energy tank here...if not, we're gonna get it now and open a new path. If the path is already open skip the next paragraph. Turn left as if going for the bombs. Roll up into a ball so the stone toad will swallow you, then kill it by laying bombs inside its stomach. The room behind it has a bomb device which will lower the water. At the bottom is another such device which will raise some platforms. The platforms lead to the third bomb device which will raise two more platforms to the blue door. Inside the door is a metallic track and a hole. The hole leads to an easy energy tank, the track leads to the Furnace, which is where we're heading. Inside the furnace you can ignore the big group of beetles. Go under the hole beneath the Chozo lore on the wall. Keep on trucking through scarabs and pretty empty tunnels...eventually leading to a halfpipe. Boost ball up and examine the hanging: cordite? Super missile it. Boost to the magnetic tracks, bomb the machine, roll to the next set of tracks and another missile pack comes under your control. Drop back down and boost to the exit. After several hallways you'll find the Hall of the Elders and your first encounter with a CHOZO GHOST. Lock on when it appears...only power beam weapons can hurt it. One super missile and one charged beam will kill it. After he dies a second time the room will light up. From here you can see the huge Chozo statue in the center of the room with its hands palm up, as if holding something. You knew this was gonna come eventually, didn't you? Roll up into a ball in his hands and the statue will come to life and throw you at the ceiling. Hold R as it does this so you latch onto the tracks there. Bomb the device and three special color coded circles will appear on the second level - purple, white, red. Purple = wave beam, white = ice beam, red = plasma. All we have now is the wave beam, so blast that Tinky Winky wannabe orb to reveal another bomb device. Once activated a new path will open up...so form up rolly polly style in the Chozo's hands again to get tossed to a new path. The reflecting pool...lots of stone toads and a big ass pool (makes sense). Leap into the pool and drain it by bombing the rusty plug. I find it comical how the fish also get sucked down after trying to escape. After it's dry use the boost ball to get to the second level (if a toad swallows you simply bomb its stomach to death). Up here are two missiles doors and a white door. The ICE BEAM is behind one of the doors. The Ice Beam is simply devastating against Pirates. One shot -- doesn't even have to be charged -- will freeze the pirate. One missile to a frozen pirate = instant death (and lots and lots of pirate pieces all over the floor...get out the trash can, Susy). Charged ice bolts kill everything else that is annoying pretty well also. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ n. COLLECTING THE GRAVITY SUIT: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q: What do I do after the Ice Beam? --------------------------------------- A: I tend to shudder because I don't like the next leg of the game. Why did they put the Gravity Suit ALLLLLL the way back in Phendrana in a STUPID place? They should have put it in Magmoor and made a killer boss for it (It is a suit, after all, and Magmoor has no boss darn it. That is just friggin' weird to have an area without a boss. It's almost blasphemy to the Metroid series. Plus Magmoor is rather lacking in important upgrades). After Ice Beam ------------------- *grumble* *grumble OK, the Gravity suit then. After the Ice Beam you can go back to the Hall of Elders and use the white switch to get an energy tank. Or you can save it for later, we'll be back after we get the plasma beam and going back now opens more ghosts and is a hassle. Anyway, back near the ice beam (reflecting pool) open the other red door that has a save room. Save and go through the morph ball tunnel which leads to a Tallon Overworld elevator. There is another lift too but we can't do anything there yet. You want the lift by the SAVE STATION ROOM! Tallon Overworld ------------------ You'll get spit out in some side tunnels. At least you get a free missile pack. Then you see it -- the wrecked ship! Well, the "Wrecked Frigate" officially. It's the wreckage of the pirate craft you were on at the very start of the game. It's under water and we'll be coming back here shortly. In the meantime, own the pirates with ice + missiles and then jump into the water, run across the bottom, and go into the door after surfacing. It leads back to the landing ship. Save and then go to the Tallon Canyon. Hop up the platforms by the waterfall, blow open the door, go down to Magmoor and make your way to Phendrana. This is like the third time we've done this so if you don't know where to go it's not my fault. Magmoor Route ----------------- Remember where we went after Thardus? We're going back there, to his elevator that went to Magmoor. Except the opposite way. To make it easier for you, when you come down from Tallon go through the door that has magnetic spiderball rails -- then follow that to the lift up to Phendrana. Phendrana And Gravity Time ------------------------------- If you did everything correctly you will be in "Transport to Magmoor Caverns South." It is the lift after Thardus that taunted you with its white door. Now we can open that bastard. Ugh, ugh, play that funky music. It's catchy but it tends to wear thin after 2 minutes of mindless frustration trying to get the damned Gravity Suit (which by now is highlighted on your map as the "gravity chamber." How coy.)! You will find yourself at the top of a large vertical chamber called the "Frozen Pike." Jump all the way down into the water. The purple door under there is an exit, NOT an entrance. I don't want to even think how long I tried to find a way in there on my first file. Instead, climb out of the water using the steps and go through the first door you find on your climb back up (the only other option, really). After a short transitional tunnel you should be in "Frost Cave." Freeze the mature Metroid and kill it with a missile. Look up and scan the icicles -- you should find two. Lock on and use missiles to bring them down. Is this getting to be second nature yet? We've surely done it enough down in Magmoor. Anyway, the nearest door is a save, the one across the ice lake is where we're heading to. It has an unnecessarily long morph tunnel to show off reflections on ice (tm Nintendo and Retro Studios, apparently). We end up in another vertical room named "Phendrana's Edge." How quaint. Some flying pirates come in but you can ignore them by leaping off the edge into the water. There is only one other door and it's under the drink -- head on in. After a tunnel filled with a lot of bombus (love those explosions) you'll end up in "Hunter Cave." Do the icicle dropping tactic again. The easiest way to get on the pillars in the water is to look down, hold L, then jump. Or if you miss, jump on the pillar from the beach. Regardless, the door we are jumping to leads to...could it be? GRAVITY CHAMBER! We're under water and really slugish, so use the boost ball to speed up a little. After two sets of aqua reapers you will see a large alcove in the side of a rock face. And inside that is a glorious, silver and blue shining, spinning GRAVITY SUIT OF ORGASMIC FUN! This allows you to move in fluids as if they weren't there, see better underwater, and you also take way less damage. Feel free to walk around in magma like a fool, etc. Exiting the Gravity Area ----------------------------- An easy way to get out is to use the gravity suit's newfound abilities to get out of the water and onto dry land. Exit the gravity chamber from the top and you will be in a higher portion of Hunter Cave, except now there's flying pirates in them. Ignore them and run across the ledge and through the next purple door. Kill the drone, go through the next door, and we're in a tunnel filled with lots of enemies but eventually spills us back into the Frozen Pike. Now climb all the way to the very top and you will be back to the Magmoor lift after Thardus. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ o. COLLECTING THE POWER BOMBS: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q: Where do I go after the Gravity Suit? --------------------------------------------- A: We get to open up a brand new area -- Phazon Mines, the source of the Pirate's powerful new technological upgrades that use that nasty blue stuff. First we have to go through the wreckage of the pirate ship. What a coincidence -- it landed right on top of the Phazon elevator. Reaching Phazon Mines ------------------------- The sunken derelict is located in the Tallon Overworld, of course, we've been here before. With the gravity suit we can also nab a missile pack under the water. To get to the ship's front door you simply jump up the platforms (underwater) that leads to a seemingly dead end. Roll into a ball, go through the tunnel (to the right) and it'll lead on up. Blow open the ice door and we're in. This entire level is VERY linear. It also has two nice energy tanks. Same set up as the start of the game, we just need to use the heat visor to find electrical conduits to shoot with the wave beam so we can power up the failed systems. You do that about 5000 times. The first energy tank will find you -- it'll be behind a grate that is right in front of you, so it's hard to miss. Blow it open and grab it. The second one is in the morph ball maze. Go to the long vertical shaft and do bomb jumps until you get high enough to get it. Bomb jumps send you higher underwater, so this is arguably easier than the one you get like this in Magmoor. The only other thing of interest here is a missile pack at the bottom of Biohazard containment -- use a super missile to blow up the tube you can scan. Easy snatch. After lots more thermal scanning + wave beam using you'll be dumped into the Phazon elevator shaft. Phazon Mines (SAVE POINT) --------------------------------- Now things get juicy. As you step into the main quarry you need to switch to the ice beam and lay waste to any pirates that get in your way (charged shot kills them, they're weak). When you find the mega turrets use two charged power beams to kill each. Near them is a magnetic track for the spiderball which leads to the save point. YOU NEED THIS SAVE POINT TRUST ME! Q: Duh huh, why do I need this save point? --------------------------------------------- A: Well Charlie, you'll go about a mile through advanced pirate hordes and ultra turrets and a boss. This is the last save point until after the power bombs. Things get a little rocky, so use this. Or die and lose all your progress until after the gravity suit...whatever you feel like doing there, bub. Continuing to Power Bombs ------------------------------ Jump down to the dead turrets and examine the two consoles to open the force field. The Space Pirates are tired of you getting in the way of things and have found a way to reverse engineer several of your weapons and incorporate them into their own body suits...your first tango is with Wave Pirates. The only way to kill them is with wave beams, preferably charged (4-5 charged per pirate will put it down). After the first encounter the door will be in the ceiling, which leads to a large lab. In Elite Research you get to see another twisted part of their plan: injecting Phazon into their own kind to make "Elite" pirates. Loads of data here to scan for story. Don't worry about the thing in the tube, it won't come out to dance. Activate the computer to get to the next level and meet your first Power Pirate (use the power beam to kill it -- one super missile also works, since it uses the beam to fire). Activate the console up here and you'll find a large, industrial sized plasma beam. Get into the spinner device and spin until it is pointing straight ahead of you. Activate the computer to fire and the doorway will be laid bare. Another missile pack can be found here also by blowing away the wall to the left of its starting position. Fall down the vertical shaft and enter Ore Processing, which is an interesting puzzle room. More akin to Zelda than Metroid, really. Slay the Power Pirates and go to the machine. The hologram shows the tracks in the central pillar. When you bomb the machine the bottom part of the pillar turns, shifting the magnetic tracks. Keep an eye on the upper left hand corner of the screen and stop when you see the BLUE track stop there. Use the blue track to reach the second story and find the center bomb device. Again, keep an eye on the upper left hand and stop when the RED lines up over there. Now drop to the bottom and start bombing until the RED track is lined up (you won't be able to see it, you'll need to use the hologram). Now with the red lined up you can use the spiderball to roll right up to the third story. You need power bombs to use the third computer so go through the ice door instead. Fall down the vertical shaft and enter the elevator that goes down to Lvl. 2 of the Phazon mines. Lvl 2. Phazon Mines ----------------------- In Elite Control Access look at the ceiling (but not straight up) and you will see a vent. Not the pipes -- a vent -- spewing green gas is right next to an explosive box. Shoot the box and the vent will be destroyed, revealing an easy missile pack. Here in Elite Control you meet your first Elite Pirate, which is really a pushover. Get out the power beam, charge up a super missile and let it fly. Three supers will kill it. Then Ice Pirates descend upon you but they are, of course, vulnerable to the ice beam (charged ice + missile works here for an instant kill). After possibly scanning roughly thirty two thousand different lores and data banks you can move on (up the ramp, NOT through the ice door on the bottom). The Ventilation shaft is interesting, but you'll see why later when we come back. Quickly run through to avoid the poison and puffers that fill the room. Omega Research is more pirate shooting to death, etc. Although it is a waste to shoot them, since they will be replaced by something tastier when we come back and there is no lock on the exit. Speaking of which, the exit is in the floor in a corner. The Central Dynamo is where've been heading this entire time. It is guarded by a cloaked autogun of some sort. I don't even think you can scan it, but no matter. It does relatively little damage, although you may be low on tanks. To kill it simply hold R and when you see it stop to shoot you shoot a charged bolt of some sort at it. After a couple shots it dies. For an even easier time use a well aimed super missile. You may miss with the delay but it will die if one super connects with it. After it's dead a hole will be blown in the floor. Go in and navigate through the electrical maze. When you get in the mass of water use a bomb to clear the area. Generally, go where the arcing off/on yellow electricity is located. At the end are the POWER BOMBS! W00t! Now you can blow that annoying BENDEZIUM TO HELL! DIE BENDEZIUM, DIE! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ p. I NEED A SAVE POINT HERE BOB: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q: I need a save point after the power bombs, halp! ------------------------------------------------------ A: After collecting the power bombs there are two white doors on the ground level. One is a save point. "Thanks, Bob." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ q. COLLECTING THE GRAPPLE BEAM AND MAP: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q: Where do I go after getting the Power Bombs? --------------------------------------------------- A: We're gonna backtrack to the Ore Processing puzzle to get the grapple beam. We'll also pick up an energy tank on the way. To get back to the entrance to the Central Dynamo look up: you'll see platforms that seem to be on fire. Blue fire. Oooh, purdy. Climb all the way back up there and you'll be back in Omega Research. All the beam pirates are gone...No wonder why, an Elite will break out of a tube -- a couple super missiles later and it's taking a seat. This also unlocks the doors. Jump to the central platform and use the power bombs to blow away the pile of rocks and twisted steel to reveal a door to the map computer. Now backtrack to the next room, the Ventilation Shaft. Scan for the gate that is made of BENDEZIUM...lay a power bomb to reveal a large hole. Go in and activate the computer. After an amusing sequence showing a group of puffers getting sliced through fan blades an energy tank will be revealed and the poison is cleared. Now if you'll notice this entire room is one large half pipe. Use the boost ball to get up to the door you originally used to get in here. "Elite Control" room is now filled with cloaked Pirates, blow them to hell using the ice beam or ignore them. Fall down to the bottom and go up the lift (ignore, once again, the white door). Lvl. 1 Phazon Mines -------------------------- Use the magnetic tracks to carefully slip between the bombu energy tentacles. Back in Ore Processing, go to the third computer and use a power bomb to clear the junk (you should now have 0 power bombs). Watch the hologram and keep bombing until the YELLOW track stops on the OPPOSITE SIDE (so you can't see it). If you look on the map it will be right in front of a white door. Now jump to the second level and line up the yellow. Do the same on the ground floor. If you mess this up you'll need to do the dealie with the blue/red tracks again...but it's not that hard. When the yellow line goes all the way up the central pillar you can receive the glorious GRAPPLING BEAM. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ r. COLLECTING THE X-RAY VISOR: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q: What do I do after the Grappling Beam? ----------------------------------------------- A: Time to leave the Phazon Mines, I'm afraid. Use the grapple beam in the Ore Processing room to grapple across the gap and go through the door. After an underwater morph ball maze We'll be all the way back in the first area of the mines. Save and then use the lift to return to the Tallon Overworld. Tallon Overworld --------------------- After the short tunnel you will be in the Great Tree Hall. Kill all the enemies so you can get replacement power bombs because we'll need one in a minute. Jump on the platforms and use the spinner device to open the grating. From now on, you can acess the Phazon mine via the elevator in the reflecting pool in the Chozo Ruins that doesn't have a save point in it. If that doesn't make sense now you'll learn why it does after you explore a bit. The two areas are connected now that the gate is open. Continuing on up, freeze the blood flowers using the ice beam so they don't knock you down here. Roll up the vertical/winding magnetic tracks and blast open the white door. Examine the seemingly dead end -- traces of BENDEZIUM found? Lay a power bomb my friend and watch as it DIES A VIOLENT BLOODY DEATH. Well, it is only metal, but it is so retarded. Anyway, use the boost ball to get through a series of half pipes (get a missile pack at the top of the second one, use a bomb when you get up there) and then you will literally fall on the X-RAY VISOR. Obviously, this lets you see through all sorts of things. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ s. COLLECTING THE ARTIFACT OF CHOZO: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q: How do I escape the X-ray area / Where's the Artifact of Chozo? -------------------------------------------------------------------- A: Might as well do this now. If you missed it when you got the X-ray visor then come back and get it, big boy. Lay a power bomb in the Life Grove and the walls will melt in every direction. Go to the center of the pond and bomb the drain to reveal a pillar. Inside the pillar is a spinner device. Spin away, baby. An artifact is revealed -- the Artifact of Chozo. Easy to get too. Now to get out of this place simply climb the platforms. As the Chozo Ghosts come out to play you can use the X-ray visor to never lose track of them and then own them badly with super missiles. I love it! After they're all dead the exit is revealed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ t. COLLECTING THE PLASMA BEAM: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q: It's obvious I need the Plasma Beam. Where is it, Mommy? --------------------------------------------------------------- A: It's in Magmoor. Wow, an actual reason to go to Magmoor OTHER than a way to Phendrana...amazing. From the Great Tree Hall you can access an elevator to the Chozo Ruins. It dumps you in the reflecting pool, where we got the Ice Beam earlier. Go through the other door that has the save point, save, and use the tunnel there to find another lift to the Tallon Overworld. Take it and you will appear near the wrecked pirate vessel again. Use the grapple to get across (or the water, whichever) and you'll find yourself back to your ship eventually. Now go to Tallon Canyon, jump up the waterfall platforms, past the bloodflower, and it's Magmoor time. Magmoor ----------- By now you should be getting the data about the "unusual seismic activity." It's only a couple rooms over in the Geothermal Core. You should be in the Transport to Tallon Overworld West lift now. So