/\
###/ /# ### ### ###### ######## ###### #### ###### #####
###/ /### #### #### ## ## ## ## ###### ## ## ##
###/ /_#### ## ### ## ###### ## ###### ## ## ## ## ##
###/ // \#### ## ## ###### ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ##
####\ \#### ## ## ## ## ## ## ###### ## ## ##
####\_// /### ## ## ###### ## ## ## #### ###### #####
#####/ /###
###/ /### P R I M E
#/ /###
\/ STRATEGY GUIDE
AUTHOR: 3791
EMAIL: sr3791@yahoo.com
VERSION: 1.15
LATEST UPDATE: 03/17/2007
Made some minor corrections based on tips from Kai, Neil,
Nathaniel, and Sabu750. Also, changed the copyright info: the
guide is now released under a Creative Commons license.
*ATTENTION:* IF ALL YOU NEED ARE A FEW QUICK STRATEGIES FOR A BOSS OR
MINI-BOSS, SEE THE QUICK TIPS SECTION IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE MINI LEGAL/CONTACT
INFO NOTICE!
===============================================================================
Mini Creative Commons Notice
===============================================================================
This guide is released under a Creative Commons license. The Creative Commons
deed can be viewed here: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/
In a nutshell,
YOU CAN: copy, distribute, print, upload to your website, or do whatever else
you want with this guide
SO LONG AS: you credit me as the author, you don't sell the guide or use it to
make money, and you don't change anything in the guide.
You can find a few more details in the Creative Commons Info section at the
end of the guide.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>|
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>|
_____________________________________________________________________________
/ \
0. QUICK TIPS >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [0]
\_____________________________________________________________________________/
STOP! If you are currently fighting a boss or mini-boss, can't figure out how
to beat it, and have just now paused the game, run to your computer, and found
this guide, then this section is for you. This section lists each boss or
mini-boss and provides a few bullet-point strategies for defeating it. If you
need more help, then that's what the rest of the guide is for. If you need to
know where to go after defeating a boss or collecting an item, turn the hint
system on in the Options menu, or look in the walkthrough.
o PARASITE QUEEN
- scan, then lock-on to mouth
- stay in line with gap in force field and fire continuously
o HIVE MECHA
- kill all wasps, then fire at Hive Mecha
o PLATED BEETLE
- stand still while it slides back and forth in front of you
- once its antennae jitter, dash to the side
- fire at its exposed abdomen
o INCINERATOR DRONE
- flames will be at one of 3 heights: high, middle, or low
- jump over low, walk under high, stay in between middle
- fire at red light on top whenever it appears
o FLAAHGRA
- must knock all active dishes out of place to make Flaahgra collapse
- keep Flaahgra stunned as much as possible to prevent it from knocking the
dishes back into place
- once Flaahgra collapses, roll through tunnel and lay Bomb at its base
o SHEEGOTH
- fire at side of its head after it completes an attack
- will flash red if attack hits
- can also lay Bombs underneath Sheegoth
o METROID
- before you get Ice Beam, use Charge Beam or Missiles (Super Missile for
quick kill)
- once you have Ice Beam, fire one shot to freeze, Missile to kill
- if one latches on to you, roll into Morph Ball and lay a Bomb (Power Bomb
to kill)
o THARDUS
- use Thermal Visor, will see one glowing rock
- lock-on and fire at glowing rock, after several hits will overload Thermal
Visor
- rock now visible with Combat Visor, continue firing until rock is destroyed
- use Boost Ball to avoid rolling attack
o CHOZO GHOSTS
- Power Beam only effective weapon
- use radar to find them (or X-Ray Visor)
o ELITE PIRATE
- do not fire if its hand is raised
o CLOAKED SENTRY DRONE
- use Wavebuster (Wave Beam charge combo) if you have it (does not require
lock-on; will automatically target drone)
- cannot be scanned or locked-on
o OMEGA PIRATE
- use Plasma Beam (Super Missiles if you're desperate) to destroy Phazon
armor on legs and shoulders
- once armor gone, switch to X-Ray Visor and charge Power Beam
- do not attack troopers, dodge and ignore them
- once Omega Pirate appears in X-Ray Visor, fire Super Missile
o META RIDLEY
- use Plasma Beam to fire at chest while hovering in air or on platform
- once on ground, switch to Power Beam
- dash as soon as he holds his head up and opens his mouth, then jump over
tail
- when he sticks his head out and holds mouth open for several seconds, fire
charged beam or Missile into his mouth to stun
- chest will now be exposed; immediately charge up and fire Super Missile
- at end of battle, Ridley will charge multiple times in a row and not allow
you to stun him very often
o METROID PRIME
- color indicates which beam it's vulnerable to
- destroy flying spheres before they reach you, use Charge Beam to collect
pickups
- after Prime flashes red and reels around, roll through tracks on ground to
avoid charge
o METROID PRIME
- cannot attack until it creates a Phazon pool
- periodically changes visor it's visible in:
Combat --> X-Ray --> Thermal --> Combat, etc.
- once Phazon pool appears, step in it to activate Phazon Beam, lock-on and
hold down A
- once Metroids start appearing, use Phazon Beam or Power Bomb to kill them
quickly
_____________________________________________________________________________
/ \
TABLE OF CONTENTS >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
\_____________________________________________________________________________/
To quickly jump to a specific section and not have to scroll through the entire
file, copy the tag in brackets that appears to the right of the section you
want to go to (include the brackets). Then, go to Edit|Find in this Page...
and paste the tag into the search box. Click Find Next and you should jump
directly to that section. (That's for Firefox; it's very similar for Internet
Explorer.)
0. QUICK TIPS [0]
I. INTRODUCTION [I]
II. GAME BASICS [II]
A. Controls [II.A]
B. Menus [II.B]
C. Pickups and Expansions [II.C]
D. Stations [II.D]
E. Doors [II.E]
F. Morph Ball Devices [II.F]
G. Map [II.G]
III. INVENTORY [III]
A. Suits [III.A]
B. Visors [III.B]
C. Arm Cannon [III.C]
D. Secondary Items [III.D]
E. Morph Ball [III.E]
IV. WALKTHROUGH [IV]
A. Unidentified Distress Beacon [IV.A]
1. Story [IV.A.1]
2. Pirate Frigate [IV.A.2]
3. Parasite Queen [IV.A.3]
4. Escape [IV.A.4]
B. Chozo Ruins [IV.B]
1. Tallon Overworld West [IV.B.1]
2. Missile Launcher, Morph Ball [IV.B.2]
3. Charge Beam, Morph Ball Bomb [IV.B.3]
4. Expansions [IV.B.4]
5. Flaahgra [IV.B.5]
C. Magmoor and Phendrana [IV.C]
1. Magmoor Caverns North [IV.C.1]
2. Boost Ball [IV.C.2]
3. Space Jump Boots, Artifact Temple [IV.C.3]
4. Wave Beam [IV.C.4]
5. Super Missile, Thermal Visor [IV.C.5]
6. Thardus [IV.C.6]
D. Further Explorations [IV.D]
1. Wavebuster, Expansions [IV.D.1]
2. Ice Beam [IV.D.2]
3. Gravity Suit [IV.D.3]
4. Crashed Frigate [IV.D.4]
E. Phazon Mines [IV.E]
1. Phazon Mines Level 1 [IV.E.1]
2. Power Bomb, Grapple Beam [IV.E.2]
3. X-Ray Visor, Expansions [IV.E.3]
4. Ice Spreader, Plasma Beam, Expansions [IV.E.4]
5. Phazon Mines Level 3 [IV.E.5]
6. Omega Pirate [IV.E.6]
F. Impact Crater [IV.F]
1. Meta Ridley [IV.F.1]
2. Impact Crater [IV.F.2]
3. Metroid Prime [IV.F.3]
4. Metroid Prime [IV.F.4]
V. EXPANSIONS AND ARTIFACTS [V]
A. Energy Tanks [V.A]
B. Missile Expansions [V.B]
C. Power Bomb Expansions [V.C]
D. Chozo Artifacts [V.D]
VI. LOG BOOK [VI]
A. Pirate Data [VI.A]
B. Chozo Lore [VI.B]
C. Creatures [VI.C]
D. Research [VI.D]
VII. CREATURES [VII]
VIII. CHECKLIST [VIII]
IX. NECESSARY ODDS AND ENDS [IX]
_____________________________________________________________________________
/ \
I. INTRODUCTION >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [I]
\_____________________________________________________________________________/
Welcome to this strategy guide for Metroid Prime; the best game currently
available for the GameCube. If you already own Metroid Prime, congratulations
on a wise investment (especially now that it's a Player's Choice, so it only
costs about $30). If you don't own it yet, stop reading this guide, go buy it,
and come back here once you get stuck. OK, just to give you an idea of what
you'll be getting into, here's some general information about the game and this
strategy guide.
Metroid Prime is a first-person adventure game. You play as bounty hunter
extraordinaire Samus Aran as she explores the vast, lush world of Tallon IV.
Samus Aran wears a full-body protective suit known as the Power Suit. Her main
weapon is an Arm Cannon attached to the end of her right arm, which can fire
unlimited amounts of energy beams. This might lead you to believe that Metroid
Prime is a first-person shooter, but it is not. It is an adventure game that
happens to be in first-person and that happens to contain shooting. I know that
sounds like I am just trying to avoid the label of a first-person shooter, but
when you play the game you will see that it is about much more than mowing down
huge swarms of creatures; a large emphasis is also placed on exploration,
puzzles, and story.
Since the game is in first-person, you play the game through Samus's visor;
that is, you see what she sees. As with all Metroid titles, the structure of
the game is to explore the world defeating enemies, finding new items, which
you can use to explore new areas, find more items, and so on. Unlike most
previous Metroid games, Metroid Prime also contains a large amount of story and
background information, which you can gradually learn as you progress. However,
almost all story information is learned in-game and can be skipped if you wish;
there are very few cut-scenes in Metroid Prime. Also, Metroid Prime is very
nonlinear; there are no "levels" or "stages", just several large regions. There
is a recommended path to follow to beat the game in the most logical manner,
but you can go anywhere you want. This guide, obviously, will show you what I
feel to be the best path to follow to beat the game.
Samus Aran only has one life, which is measured by her Energy Meter. If it
reaches zero, then Samus dies and the game is over, sending you back to the
last point at which you saved your game. Samus can, however, collect Energy
Tanks, which will increase her maximum amount of energy. Saves can only be
made at Save Stations, which are scattered across Tallon IV.
As I mentioned earlier, Metroid Prime contains much more story content than
other Metroid games, most of which can be skipped if so desired. However, I
strongly recommend against this. I love games that allow me to become fully
immersed in its world, and Metroid Prime's story makes that easy to do. The
story is very compelling and adds another layer of richness and detail to the
game. With that in mind, in this guide I will pay special attention to the
story and attempt to emphasize that aspect of the game in the guide.
*IMPORTANT NOTES ON TERMINOLOGY*
Before moving on, it's important that I clarify a few things regarding the way
I will refer to locations in this guide. First off, Tallon IV is divided into
several large areas that I will refer to as "regions". Some of the regions are
Tallon Overworld, Chozo Ruins, and Magmoor Caverns. Each region is subdivided
into dozens of smaller areas that will be referred to as "rooms". Note that
they will be called rooms whether or not they are actually indoors. Rooms are
separated by doors, which almost always appear as a hexagonal hatch surrounded
by a colored border; if you go through a door, you're in a different room. This
may sound rather trivial, but it's important to know exactly what I'm talking
about in the walkthrough, though I will try to make things as clear as
possible. Also, throughout this guide, I will refer to item locations using the
initials of the region, followed by the name of the room, as in CR:Main Plaza.
You can see the name of all rooms you have been in by using the map. This is
the key for the region name abbreviations:
PF: Pirate Frigate (beginning of the game only; NOT after it crashes)
TO: Tallon Overworld
CR: Chozo Ruins
MC: Magmoor Caverns
PD: Phendrana Drifts
PM: Phazon Mines
IC: Impact Crater
Also, this guide is based on playing the game with Normal difficulty. In Hard
mode, all the same strategies will still apply, but enemies will deal
approximately twice as much damage and take approximately twice as many hits to
kill.
_____________________________________________________________________________
/ \
II. GAME BASICS >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [II]
\_____________________________________________________________________________/
This section contains all the basic, mechanical, how-the-game-works information
you'll need to play Metroid Prime. It is divided into a number of subsections,
each explaining one aspect of the game. The subsections are: controls, menus,
pickups and expansions, stations, doors, Morph Ball devices, and the map.
/===============================================================================
A. Controls [II.A]
\==============================================================================
These are the controls for actual game play. Some people have complained that
these controls are not the same as in other first-person shooters; my response
is that Metroid Prime is not a first-person shooter, so stop whining. If they
seem unusual at first, don't worry, you'll get used to them in no time.
o CONTROL STICK:
Move. Tilt forward on the stick to walk or roll forward. Tilt left or right
to turn, and tilt backwards to move backwards. The farther you tilt, the
faster you will move.
o CONTROL PAD:
Select a visor. Each visor is assigned a different direction on the Control
Pad, and you can press that direction to select that visor. These are the
directions for each visor:
up: Combat Visor left: Scan Visor
down: Thermal Visor right: X-Ray Visor
o A BUTTON:
In normal form, the A Button fires the currently selected beam weapon, and
holding A activates the Charge Beam. In Morph Ball form, it lays a Bomb.
o B BUTTON:
Jump. If you have the Space Jump Boots, you can perform a double jump by
pressing B again while still in the air. Also, if you push B while holding L
and tilting left or right on the Control Stick, you will perform a quick leap
to the side, which you can use to dodge enemy attacks. In Morph Ball form,
hold B to charge up a boost (once you have the Boost Ball), then let go to
boost.
o C STICK:
Select a beam weapon. Each beam weapon is assigned a different direction on
the C Stick, and tilting the C Stick in that direction will set your Arm
Cannon to that beam weapon. These are the directions for each beam:
up: Power Beam left: Plasma Beam
down: Ice Beam right: Wave Beam
o X BUTTON:
Enter or exit Morph Ball form.
o Y BUTTON:
In normal form, the Y button will fire a missile. When in Morph Ball form,
use the Y button to lay a Power Bomb.
o Z BUTTON:
Pauses the game and displays the map.
o L BUTTON:
If there is an enemy in Samus's field of view, press and hold the L button to
lock on to it. Any shots you fire will automatically be aimed at that enemy,
and moving left or right will allow you to strafe, moving you in a circle
around the enemy. (If you've played any of the recent Zelda games, this is
similar to the Z/L-Target feature.) If there are no enemies in sight, you can
press L and left or right on the Control Stick to move side to side. Also,
once you have the Grapple Beam, holding down the L Button will activate the
Grapple Beam, provided there is a Grapple Point in range. Finally, in Morph
Ball form, holding the L Button locks the camera behind Samus.
o R BUTTON:
Aim and look around. Holding R allows you to manually aim and look around
using the Control Stick. This is handy if you want to get a better view of
your surroundings or you want to fire at something you can't target (such as
a crate). In Morph Ball form, hold R to lock onto a magnetic rail track
(once Samus has the Spider Ball upgrade).
o START/PAUSE BUTTON:
Pauses the game and displays the Pause Menu.
/==============================================================================
B. Menus [II.B]
\==============================================================================
There are two menu sets in Metroid Prime: the Main Menu and the Pause Menu,
which is further divided into three screens. For both menus, the controls are
extremely simple: Control Stick to select, A to confirm, B to cancel.
MAIN MENU----------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the file select menu that appears once you press Start or A from the
title screen. Use this menu to start or erase a game file, and to access
unlocked features.
o GAME FILES:
The top of the menu lists the three available saved game slots. They will be
named Samus A, B, or C for Normal mode or Hard A, B, or C for Hard mode.
Empty slots will display New Game. Next to the file name will be a percentage
which represents the percentage of items (weapons, secondary items, Energy
Tanks, and expansions) found. After the percentage, the region in which the
game was last saved will be displayed, along with the elapsed time (which
does not include pauses, viewing the map, or reading scanned information). To
play a saved game, simply select it and press A. To start a new game, select
an empty slot and press A. If you have unlocked Hard mode, you will be asked
to choose Normal or Hard mode, and then the game will start.
o ERASE:
To erase a file, select Erase from the menu, then select a game file. A
message will appear asking you to confirm. Select Erase and the game will be
permanently deleted.
o CONNECTION BONUSES:
This option will open the Connection Bonuses menu, from which you can access
the two Metroid Prime/Fusion connection bonuses. These are unlocked by
connecting a Game Boy Advance with Metroid Fusion installed to the GameCube
using a special cable (sold separately). If you have beaten Metroid Prime,
you will unlock the original NES Metroid, and if you have beaten Metroid
Fusion, you will unlock the ability to wear the Fusion Suit in Metroid Prime.
This does not change your suit's abilities; your suit behaves just like it's
whatever suit you "really" have. It just looks cool, although since the game
is in first-person, you only get to see it during cut scenes, Save Stations,
and elevator rides.
o IMAGE GALLERIES:
This option will not appear until you have unlocked one of the four available
image galleries. Once you have done so, this option will allow you to view
the images. Image galleries are unlocked by a variety of methods, including
scanning certain percentages of Log Book entries and beating the game in
both Normal and Hard modes.
PAUSE MENU---------------------------------------------------------------------
You can access this menu at any time during play by pressing Start. This menu
consists of three screens: Inventory, Log Book, and Options, which can be
cycled through using the L and R buttons. For all three screens, categories are
listed along the left side, and selecting a category will allow you to select
an individual item from the right side. The contents of that item will then be
displayed in the center.
o INVENTORY:
This screen lists all of Samus's current items and abilities along with
descriptions of them; this information is available in this guide in section
III, Inventory. In the center a picture of Samus is displayed. Press Y to
zoom in on Samus, and you can then use the Control Stick to rotate her, the C
Stick to move her, and L and R to zoom out and in. Press Y again to return
to the menu.
o LOG BOOK:
This screen lists all the Pirate Data, Chozo Lore, Creature, Research, and
Artifact entries you have downloaded. Information about the locations of
these entries can be found in sections VII and VIII.
o OPTIONS:
This screen allows you to modify the video and audio settings for the game.
For each item below, its name is displayed followed by the available options,
with the default value in parentheses. Also, each category has a Restore
Defaults option, not listed here, which resets all items in that category to
their default values.
- Visor:
.Visor Opacity: 0-100 (100)
adjusts the opacity of all HUD elements except the energy meter
.Helmet Opacity: 0-100 (100)
adjusts the opacity of the physical helmet, which is visible on the edges
of the screen
.HUD Lag: On|Off (On)
determines whether HUD movement lags behind visor movement
.Hint System: On|Off (On)
turns the hint system on or off
- Display:
.Screen Brightness: 0-100 (50)
adjusts the brightness of the picture
.Screen Offset X: 0-100 (50)
moves the picture to the left (<50) or right (>50)
.Screen Offset Y: 0-100 (50)
moves the picture up (<50) or down (>50)
.Screen Stretch: 0-100 (50)
stretches the picture in (<50) or out (>50)
- Sound:
.SFX Volume: 0-100 (100)
adjusts the volume of all sound effects
.Music Volume: 0-100 (100)
adjusts the volume of all music
.Sound Mode: Mono|Stereo|Dolby (Stereo)
selects the format the game output sound in
- Controller:
.Reverse Y-Axis: On|Off (Off)
reverses the orientation of the y-axis on the Control Stick while holding
R (so that pressing down on the Control Stick causes you to look down).
.Rumble: On|Off (On)
turns the rumble feature on or off
.Swap Beam Controls: On|Off (Off)
switches the location of the beam and visor controls so that the Control
Pad selects beams and the C Stick selects visors
- Quit Game: Yes|No (No)
quits the game and returns to the title screen (does NOT save)
/==============================================================================
C. Pickups and Expansions [II.C]
\==============================================================================
Pickup items are often left behind by defeated enemies or found in crates, and
usually refill energy or weapon supplies. Expansions, on the other hand,
increase the maximum capacity of those supplies, and are often well-hidden.
o SMALL ENERGY:
This looks like a small, translucent blue or purple sphere with a black ring
around it and a black dot in its center. It will refill 10 energy units.
o LARGE ENERGY:
This pick-up looks like a Small Energy except that it is larger and is red.
It refills 20 energy units.
o ULTRA ENERGY:
This one is also similar to a Small Energy except that it is gold-colored and
refills 100 energy units, or an entire Energy Tank's worth! Don't look to
find these too often; they are usually found either immediately before or
after major battles.
o ENERGY TANK:
This expansion increases Samus's maximum energy by 100 units. There are 14 of
these in the game, which means that Samus can have up to 1499 energy units.
Energy Tanks look like blue cylinders with gray caps on the end. Each Energy
Tank Samus finds will add a small square above her energy meter. Each square
represents an additional 100 units of energy Thus, when the meter
(representing the current tank) runs dry, one of the squares will be dimmed
and the meter will refill. This means that you will die only when the energy
meter reaches zero and there are no squares remaining.
o MISSILE AMMO:
Missile Ammo looks like a flat gray-and-orange triangle; it is actually the
Missile icon. Each Missile Ammo will refill 5 Missiles of Samus's stockpile.
o MISSILE EXPANSION:
Missile Expansions look like, well, Missiles, and will increase Samus's
missile-carrying capacity by 5. Some Missile Expansions are cunningly hidden,
and uncovering all of them is a real feat. There are 49 Missile Expansions in
all, which, combined with the 5 you get from the Missile Launcher, makes for
a maximum of 250 Missiles! Try and find as many as you can, because they are
worth it! (And if you're having trouble finding them, then that's what the
Missile Expansion section of this guide is for!)
o POWER BOMB AMMO:
Power Bomb Ammo looks like a small, smooth yellow sphere. Each one will
refill one Power Bomb.
o POWER BOMB EXPANSION:
Power Bomb Expansions are pretty weird-looking: they're big yellow spheres
with orange spikes sticking out of them. Each one will increase your maximum
number of Power Bombs by one. There are only four of them to be found,
meaning you can carry a maximum of eight Power Bombs.
/==============================================================================
D. Stations [II.D]
\==============================================================================
Stations are special devices that you will find in rooms across Tallon IV.
There are three types of stations, and each will benefit Samus in a different
way. To use a station, simply walk into it.
o SAVE STATION:
By far the most common and important station, Save Stations will save your
game and also refill your energy. It's a good idea to use a Save Station
every time you come across one, even if you don't think you need to. You
never know what's going to be in that next room, and it never hurts to get an
energy refill. Note that Samus's gunship serves as both a Save Station and a
Missile Station.
o MAP STATION:
Map Stations will download a map of the current region, allowing you to see
the general layout of the region and prepare for what's ahead.
o MISSILE STATION:
There are not many of these in the game, but they are usually placed at
strategic locations. Missile Stations will totally refill Samus's Missile and
Power Bomb supply.
/==============================================================================
E. Doors [II.E]
\==============================================================================
Doors, obviously, separate the hundreds of rooms in Metroid Prime. Also, in an
ingenious move by Retro, the next room loads while the door leading to it is
opening. That's why there are never any load screens or pauses in Metroid
Prime. Also, if you're about to enter a large room and the door takes a few
seconds to open, that's why, so just be patient. Anyway, there are several
different types of doors which require different methods for opening.
o BLUE DOORS:
Almost all doors in Metroid Prime are hexagonal and are ringed by a colored
border. The color of the border indicates which beam weapon will open the
door. To open the door, fire a shot of the correct beam weapon at the door.
The colored border will fade and the door will automatically open when you
approach it. Doors with blue borders are the most common, and any beam weapon
(or a Bomb) can be used to open them.
o PURPLE DOORS:
Use the Wave Beam to open purple doors.
O WHITE DOORS:
White doors require the Ice Beam.
o RED DOORS:
Red doors require a blast from the Plasma Beam to open.
o BLAST SHIELD:
Some doors will be covered with thick metal plating with a red light in the
center. To open these doors, you must first blow off the blast shield with a
Missile, then open the door with the appropriate beam weapon.
o LOCKED DOORS:
Occasionally you will find a door that has blue bars covering it. This is a
locked door, and it cannot be opened until you accomplish a specific
objective in the room. These doors will usually appear to lock you into boss
battles or to force you to solve a puzzle.
o UNPOWERED DOORS:
If a door has no power, it will not have a colored border around it and will
not open. To power the door, you must find a certain number of Power Conduits
in the room and shoot them with the Wave Beam. This will power the door,
allowing it to be opened normally.
/==============================================================================
F. Morph Ball Devices [II.F]
\==============================================================================
This subsection, as its name implies, describes devices that are specifically
designed for use with the Morph Ball and its upgrades.
o MORPH BALL SLOT:
Morph Ball Slots are like switches that can be activated by the Morph Ball.
They look like circular, Morph Ball-sized depressions with a blue border. To
use one, simply roll into it and lay a Bomb.
o SPINNER:
Spinner devices usually serve to control larger machinery in a room, and
require the Boost Ball ability. A Spinner looks like a small, boxy structure
with an open area in the front just large enough for the Morph Ball to roll
into. Once you roll in, the camera will usually shift to an angle that allows
you to see what it is you're manipulating. To use the Spinner, repeatedly
charge and release boosts as fast as you can, which will move whatever device
the Spinner controls. Once you have moved the device into the correct
position, it will lock into place and you will be automatically ejected from
the Spinner device. If, for whatever reason, you need to exit the Spinner
before moving the device into place, lay a Bomb.
o HALFPIPE:
Not so much as an actual device, but rather an architectural feature,
halfpipes are smooth, curved, semicircular surfaces that you can use to reach
new areas, provided you have the Boost Ball. Once you find a halfpipe, start
rolling back and forth until you are as high as you can get. Then, while
rolling up one side, charge the Boost Ball. Roll down, then release the boost
just as you start to ascend the opposite side. The boost will send you higher
than you would have gotten otherwise, and this added momentum will allow you
to roll up to the same height on the other side. Keep boosting to climb
higher and higher up the halfpipe until you reach the top.
o SPIDER BALL TRACK:
Across Tallon IV, you will encounter magnetic rail tracks. These tracks are
narrow and gold-colored, and can be seen snaking up walls and ceilings in
many rooms. With the Spider Ball, you can latch onto these tracks and
climb up or down them by holding R. You can detach from a track either by
releasing R, in which case you will fall off, or by laying a Bomb, which will
blast you up off the track. Use this technique to jump from one track to
another.
/==============================================================================
G. Map [II.G]
\==============================================================================
The map is a very handy resource, and ocassionally a necessity to keep from
getting lost in Metroid Prime's sprawling regions. To access the Map, simply
press Z. This pauses the game and displays a 3-D map of the current region,
with your current room centered and flashing. If you have not downloaded a map
of the region from a Map Station, only the rooms you have entered will be
displayed. If you have downloaded a map, then rooms you have not yet explored
will be displayed in blue, while rooms you have been in will be orange. At the
top of the screen the name of the selected room will be displayed; these are
the names used in this guide to identify rooms.
Other information displayed on the map includes your current location,
indicated by a green triangle, pointing in the direction you are facing. Doors
into and out of the selected room are displayed on the map as colored squares,
with the color indicating the type of door. Other locations displayed on the
map include an E for elevators, S for Save Stations, and M for Missile
Stations. If the hint feature is enabled, a ? will appear at the location you
should head for next.
There are also a number of controls for the map, so that you can see exactly
what you want. If you do not need the legend or list of controls and don't want
them in the way, press Y to make them disappear. Use the Control Stick to
rotate the map (which can rotate in three dimensions), use L and R to zoom in
and out, and use the C Stick to select different rooms to view. Finally, press
the A Button to zoom out and view the map for the entire world, where you can
select the map for a different region. Once you're done, press Z or B to return
to the game.
_____________________________________________________________________________
/ \
III. INVENTORY >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [III]
\_____________________________________________________________________________/
This section will describe all the items and upgrades that Samus will find and
use on Tallon IV, and is separated into five categories: Suits, Visors, Arm
Cannon, Secondary Items, and Morph Ball. The walkthrough subsection in which
the item is found will appear in parentheses next to the room location.
/==============================================================================
A. Suits [III.A]
\==============================================================================
Samus's suits are vital equipment on all of her missions. They allow her to
explore underwater and in space, as well as to withstand enemy attacks and
environmental hazards. Also, Samus's suits allow her to withstand any fall, no
matter how far. Each suit that Samus acquires upgrades her old suit, adding new
abilities while retaining those of the previous suits. It should also be noted
that each suit upgrade reduces the amount of damage that enemies cause to
Samus.
o POWER SUIT:
This is the suit that you begin the game with. It is fairly basic and does
not have any special attributes.
LOCATION: Default
o VARIA SUIT:
The Varia Suit adds more armor plating to Samus's exterior, including her
trademark giant shoulders. More importantly, though, the Varia Suit allows
you to withstand high temperatures, such as rooms that contain lava. This
will not prevent you from taking damage when actually standing in lava, but
does allow you to enter rooms containing lava.
LOCATION: CR:Sunchamber (V.B.5)
o GRAVITY SUIT:
Without the Gravity Suit, you have limited mobility underwater: you move
slowly, cannot jump very high, and have low visibility. The Gravity Suit
corrects these deficiencies, allowing you to move underwater just as if you
were on dry land.
LOCATION: PD:Gravity Chamber (V.D.3)
o PHAZON SUIT:
Definitely the coolest-looking suit in the game, the Phazon Suit will turn
Samus's armor black and red: very nifty. The Phazon Suit allows you to
resist taking damage from Phazon. It also has a very useful "side effect"...
LOCATION: PM:Elite Quarters (V.E.6)
/==============================================================================
B. Visors [III.B]
\==============================================================================
Samus's visor is your window on the world. You will play the game through
Samus's visor, and thanks to the geniuses at Retro, it behaves just like a real
visor would. Rain will bead on it, enemy goo will splatter on it, and
electrical interference can even cause it to fill with static (which means, of
course, that you won't be able to see). Samus can find up to four visors, each
of which is sensitive to a different part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
o COMBAT VISOR:
This is the standard visor you will use most of the time. It does not have
any special sensitivities, it just picks up light in the visible spectrum.
However, the Combat Visor displays the most information of all the visors,
which is broken down and described below:
- Energy Meter:
Your energy meter is found at the top center of the display. The number and
line indicate the number of energy units left in the current tank, while
each square along the top represents an additional Energy Tank in reserve
(100 more energy units).
- Missile Meter:
The vertical bar on the right side of the display indicates the number of
Missiles remaining. Whenever you fire a Missile or pick up Missile ammo,
this meter will brighten.
- Environmental Threat Meter:
This is the vertical bar on the left side of the screen, which is marked
with an exclamation point. This indicates how close you are to hazardous
substances (such as lava, poison, or Phazon). As you get closer to the
substance, the meter will rise. When you're right next to it, the meter
will display "Warning" and beep. If you are in the substance and are taking
damage, the meter will display "Damage" until you get out.
- Radar:
The circle in the upper-left corner is a radar map of your vicinity. You
are in the center, the triangle at the top represents your current field of
view, and enemies appear as orange dots. This is useful for chasing down
enemies that try to hide from you or that are hard to follow.
- Map:
A map of the current room is displayed in the upper-right corner.
- Targeting Reticule:
Any enemies that you can lock-on to will have a circle around them, and
locking-on will put a large targeting reticule around them. Also, a small
cross-hair will appear in the center of the visor when you use manual
targeting.
- Visor Select:
Your visors are displayed in the lower-left corner, arranged in a + shape,
so that their placement in the display indicates the direction on the
Control Pad used to select them, with the current visor in the center.
- Beam Select:
The various beams for your Arm Cannon are found in the lower-right corner,
arranged the same way as the visors.
As you can see, your visors provide a lot of information about what is going
on around you. Note that most of this information is also found on the other
visors' displays, but sometimes in slightly different locations.
LOCATION: default
o SCAN VISOR:
In contrast to the Combat Visor, the Scan Visor has the least-cluttered
interface, displaying only the energy meter, the visor select display, and
a large rectangular window in the center. With the Scan Visor, you'll see
orange and red scan icons on enemies, computer terminals, and other objects
of interest. When one of the icons is inside the rectangular scan window on
your visor, you can lock-on to it with L to scan it. Once it is scanned,
the game will pause and displays will appear providing you with information
about what you scanned. Remember to keep holding down L while you are reading
the information. Though it sounds boring, SCANNING IS THE KEY TO GETTING THE
MOST OUT OF METROID PRIME! Scanning enemies will reveal their weaknesses and
suggest attack strategies, scanning devices and controls will operate them,
and scanning computer terminals and displays can provide hints. Also, the
story is told almost exclusively through scanning logs and databases.
Basically, SCAN EVERYTHING! When you first enter a room, look around and see
if there's anything to scan. If you see a new enemy, scan it first, then kill
it. If you see anything unusual, scan it; you'll usually find out what it is.
A note about the scan icons: red icons denote items that will be downloaded
to the Log Book as well as scans that are required to progress (switches,
locks, etc.). Orange icons are used for enemies and less critical
information. Once you have scanned something, its scan icon will be faded
out, but you can lock-on to it again to reread its information if you want
to. Remember, when in doubt, SCAN IT!
LOCATION: default
o THERMAL VISOR:
This is a really nifty item. The Thermal Visor detects wavelengths in the
infrared range, which means it can detect heat signatures. Once you switch to
the Thermal Visor, everything will become purple, orange, and yellow. Objects
with high temperatures will be orange or yellow, while cooler objects will
appear purple or black. The visor itself has a large triangle in the center,
and your display readings are centered around that. Your energy is displayed
at the top, as always, while the environmental threat meter is along the left
side of the triangle, with your Missiles along the right. The targeting
reticule is also triangular while using the Thermal Visor. The Thermal Visor
comes in extremely handy in situations where there is not a lot of light, in
which case you can use the Thermal Visor to find your way.
LOCATION: PD:Research Core (V.C.5)
o X-RAY VISOR:
As you journey deep into Tallon IV, you'll start to find that some things
aren't exactly as they appear. That's where the X-Ray Visor comes in handy.
It detects x-rays, which means it can penetrate through walls and reveal
objects that are invisible in the normal spectrum. You will need these
capabilities in order to spot hidden items, invisible platforms, and false
walls. The X-Ray Visor display is based around a large circle in the center
of the display. Your energy is displayed curving around the top part of the
circle, the environmental threat meter curves around the left side, and your
missiles curve around the right side. The X-Ray Visor does not display color,
however, and it can be difficult at times to make out what you're seeing, so
you generally don't want to be running around with it very much. Use it if
you know there's an item in a room but can't find it, or if you need to get
across a pit but can't see a way. The X-Ray Visor will often reveal the
answer.
LOCATION: TO:Life Grove (V.E.3)
/==============================================================================
C. Arm Cannon [III.C]
\==============================================================================
Samus's Arm Cannon is your primary weapon on Tallon IV. It has unlimited ammo
and can fire four different beam types, which you can select by using the C
Stick.
o POWER BEAM:
At the beginning of the game, this is your only beam. It is the regular,
plain vanilla beam of your arsenal, with no special attributes or effects; it
just fires blasts of energy. It is the weakest beam in Samus's arsenal, but
it also has the fastest rate of fire. You can fire Power Beam shots almost
like a machine gun, so it's great for spraying large numbers of small
enemies.
LOCATION: default
o WAVE BEAM:
The Wave Beam fires blasts of electrical energy and is a little bit more
powerful than the Power Beam. It is different from the other beams in that it
does not fire a ball-shaped blast that travels straight forward. Instead, it
fires three small blasts that travel at a slight angle to each other. Its
weakness is that it has the second-slowest rate of fire. Since the Wave Beam
is electrical, it's the weapon of choice for electrical and mechanical
enemies, and can also stun some other creatures. It can also be used to
restore power to nonfunctioning devices.
LOCATION: PD:Chapel of the Elders (V.C.4)
o ICE BEAM:
Yes, the Ice Beam is back, having not appeared in any Metroid game since the
original Metroid for NES. The Ice Beam fires a blast of ice that will freeze
enemies solid, even in midair. You can then shatter them with a Missile.
Naturally, the Ice Beam will be effective against creatures that prefer a hot
environment, and it can also be useful in cooling down hot objects. The only
disadvantage to the Ice Beam is that it has the slowest rate of fire of all
the beams.
LOCATION: CR:Antechamber (V.D.2)
o PLASMA BEAM:
The Plasma Beam is the strongest, most devastating beam at your disposal. It
fires blasts of super-hot plasma that can make short work of most enemies,
especially those accustomed to cooler temperatures. It's really cool to watch
an enemy evaporate into nothing after a good blast from the Plasma Beam. The
beam also has the second-best rate of fire, but it is balanced by having only
a short range.
LOCATION: MC:Plasma Processing (V.E.4)
o PHAZON BEAM:
Yeah, I know, I told you there were only four beams, but this one is special.
The Phazon Beam is a side effect of the Phazon Suit, and it allows you to
fire a stream of pure Phazon energy. This is by far the most powerful weapon
in the game, but you can only use it when she is standing in pure Phazon.
There is only one place in the game where this is found, so that means that
you only get to use the Phazon Beam once. When you can use the Phazon Beam,
your visor will display "Hyper-mode" and pressing A will automatically fire
the Phazon Beam, overriding whatever Arm Cannon setting was selected with the
C Stick.
LOCATION: PM:Elite Quarters (V.E.6)
/==============================================================================
D. Secondary Items [III.D]
\==============================================================================
Along with suits, visors, and beams, you will also discover a number of other
items that will grant you new and powerful abilities.
o MISSILE LAUNCHER:
Energy beams are all well and good, but sometimes you just need some pure
concussive force. That's what the Missile Launcher is for. The Missile
Launcher allows you to fire (what else?) Missiles out of your Arm Cannon,
which will create a powerful blast on impact. You cannot fire Missiles very
rapidly, however; there is a gap of several seconds for the launcher to
reload. Also, Missiles are the one of only weapons for which you have a
finite supply. Once you find the Missile Launcher, you will have 5 Missiles.
You can increase the number of Missiles you can carry by finding Missile
Expansions, which will increase your maximum capacity by 5, all the way up to
250 Missiles. You can replenish your Missile supply by finding missile
pick-ups, which will be left by enemies and found in crates.
VULNERABLE MATERIALS: Radion, Brinstone
LOCATION: CR:Hive Totem (V.B.2)
o CHARGE BEAM:
The Charge Beam allows you to charge up your Arm Cannon blasts by holding
down A before firing. This will make the blast larger and more powerful, and
it applies to all four beam types. As an added bonus, the Charge Beam also
provides a kind of tractor-beam function. While a beam is charging, pick-up
items within a certain range will be drawn towards you. This means that you
don't have to run around the room collecting them, you can just charge a beam
and let them come to you.
LOCATION: CR:Watery Hall (V.B.3)
o SPACE JUMP BOOTS:
The Space Jump Boots allow you to perform a double jump. To do this, jump
once, then jump again while still in the air. This allows you to jump twice
as high and twice as far as before, which means she can reach higher ledges
and cross bigger gaps. It may seem a little awkward at first, but you'll get
used to it in no time.
LOCATION: TO:Alcove (V.C.3)
o GRAPPLE BEAM:
With the Grapple Beam, you'll be able to swing across large gaps and move
through certain areas very quickly. The Grapple Beam upgrade allows Samus to
fire a beam of energy from her left hand by locking-on to special Grapple
Points. By holding L and using the Control Stick, you can swing back and
forth, gaining momentum. When you are at the other end of the gap, release L
to disconnect the beam and land on the other side. By quickly releasing and
pressing L again, you can actually swing from one Grapple Point to another.
These Grapple Points will appear as yellow circles with a grapple icon
inside. When a point is in range, it will grow larger and turn blue. Once
that happens, pressing and holding L will latch onto the Grapple Point.
LOCATION: PM:Storage Depot B (V.E.2)
o CHARGE COMBOS:
Charge Combos are powerful attacks that infuse Missiles with the energy of a
charged beam blast. These attacks are generally large and devastating, but
they all require multiple Missiles to fire and can deplete your Missile
supply in a hurry. Also, all but the first Charge Combo are optional items
that are not necessary to complete the game. To fire a Charge Combo, first
charge up a beam blast by holding A, then (while still holding A) press Y to
fire the Charge Combo. Note that each beam has a separate Charge Combo, so
there are four different Charge Combo items. All four are listed below.
- SUPER MISSILE (Power Beam):
The Super Missile is just what it sounds like: an uber-powerful Missile. It
basically acts the same as a Missile, except that it's about ten times
stronger. This is the Charge Combo you will use the most, as it's very
handy against bosses or any time you need to get rid of an enemy quickly.
VULNERABLE MATERIAL: Cordite
MISSILE COST: 5
LOCATION: PD:Observatory (V.C.5)
- WAVEBUSTER (Wave Beam):
The Wavebuster creates a stream of electrical energy that will arc from
your Arm Cannon to the nearest enemy, whether they're targeted or not. This
combo is different from the Super Missile in that it is not a one-time
blast, but will keep firing as long as you hold the Y button. Due to its
high Missile cost, the Wavebuster is only useful in a few limited
situations, such as as a last-ditch effort to kill an enemy before you die.
MISSILE COST: 10 + 5/second
LOCATION: CR:Tower of Light (V.D.1)
- ICE SPREADER (Ice Beam):
The Ice Beam's combo, the Ice Beam, fires a huge sheet of ice that covers a
wide area and can freeze multiple enemies at once. This combo is also of
limited usefulness; I can only think of one situation in which it comes in
handy. It does look really cool, though!
MISSILE COST: 10
LOCATION: MC:Shore Tunnel (V.E.4)
- FLAMETHROWER (Plasma Beam):
This one is pretty self-explanatory. The Plasma Beam's combo will unleash a
powerful stream of fire. Unfortunately, it has a very short range and, like
the Wavebuster, continues to use Missiles as long as you hold Y, making it
a fairly worthless upgrade in my opinion.
MISSILE COST: 10 + 5/second
LOCATION: PM:Storage Depot A (V.E.5)
/==============================================================================
E. Morph Ball [III.E]
\==============================================================================
Samus's ability to transform into a tiny ball is one of her strangest, yet
coolest abilities. Once you roll into Morph Ball form the camera will switch to
third-person.
o MORPH BALL:
The Morph Ball is one of the signature features of the Metroid series and is
faithfully carried over onto the GameCube. The Morph Ball upgrade allows you
to roll into a tiny ball. This allows you to roll through small tunnels and
activate a number of Morph Ball-sized devices. The Morph Ball is often
involved in the puzzles of Metroid Prime, and is also a faster way to travel.
LOCATION: CR:Ruined Shrine (V.B.2)
o MORPH BALL BOMB:
With the Morph Ball Bomb upgrade, Samus can, you guessed it, lay Bombs while
in Morph Ball form. These small explosives can be used to destroy some
enemies and certain materials. Another key use of Bombs is to perform a bomb
jump. If you're near a Bomb when it detnonates, it will pop you into the air.
This gives Samus a way to get past small obstacles while in Morph Ball form.
You can only lay three Bombs at a time, however, and it takes a few seconds
for them to replenish. It is also possible to perform a double bomb jump.
This is a tricky maneuver that is not required to beat the game, but that is
required to get 100%. With good timing, you can lay your Bombs in such a way
that you can jump twice as high as normally. Here's how to do it:
1. Lay one Bomb.
2. Lay a second Bomb a moment before the first one detonates.
3. When the first Bomb detonates and sends you into the air, lay a third Bomb
at the apex of your jump.
4. The second Bomb should detonate as soon as you reach the ground, sending
you up into the third Bomb, which will detonate to send you even higher.
To get good at the double bomb jump, you just have to practice it a lot.
Eventually you will get the timing down and will be able to do it easily. And
remember: you don't have to learn this move in order to complete the game, it
just allows you to reach a few upgrades that can't be reached otherwise.
VULNERABLE MATERIALS: Sandstone, Talloric Alloy
LOCATION: CR:Burn Dome (V.B.3)
o POWER BOMB:
The Power Bomb is much more powerful than a regular Bomb and creates a really
cool explosion when it detonates. However, unlike the regular Bomb, you can
only carry a limited number of these: four at first, though you can also find
Power Bomb Expansions that increase your maximum capacity. The Power Bomb is
so strong that it can be an effective weapon against tough enemies. You can
replenish your supply with Power Bomb pick-ups that will be left by enemies
and in crates. Note that the Power Bomb only has increased explosive power;
you cannot perform a bomb jump with a Power Bomb.
VULNERABLE MATERIAL: Bendezium
LOCATION: PM:Central Dynamo (V.E.2)
o BOOST BALL:
The Boost Ball allows you to "charge up" the Morph Ball, which will give you
a temporary speed boost when released. This does not permanently increase the
speed at which the Morph Ball moves; it just allows you to execute a
temporary speed boost. This is useful in situations requiring quick timing,
but its main use is for navigating halfpipes. By charging up the Boost Ball
as you roll up one side of the halfpipe, then releasing it just as you begin
to roll up the opposite side, you can climb up the halfpipe, gradually
allowing her to gain enough momentum to reach the top.
LOCATION: PD:Phendrana Canyon (V.C.2)
o SPIDER BALL:
With the Spider Ball, you can latch onto magnetic rail tracks and ride them
to new locations. When you are next to a magnetic rail track, you can lock
onto it by holding R and move along it with the Control Stick. These tracks
will allow you to reach many otherwise unreachable locations.
LOCATION: PD:Quarantine Cave (V.C.6)
_____________________________________________________________________________
/ \
IV. WALKTHROUGH >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [IV]
\_____________________________________________________________________________/
This is a 100% walkthrough for Normal mode, meaning that if you follow this
guide you will complete the game with a100% file. Also, this should be obvious,
but just to be clear, each walkthrough subsection will contain a box underneath
the title that will list the regions explored as well as, in order, items,
Chozo Artifacts, Energy Tanks, Missile Expansions, and Power Bomb Expansions
found in that subsection. The numbers for the expansions correspond to their
numbers in the expansions section, section VI.
|>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>|
A. UNIDENTIFIED DISTRESS BEACON ---------------------------------------- [IV.A]
|>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>|
/==============================================================================
1. Zebes Has Fallen [IV.A.1]
\==============================================================================
|[Story] |
---------------------------------------
Samus Aran is an expert bounty hunter for the galactic Federation, infiltrating
enemy lairs and stopping those who would seek to destroy the galactic
civilization. The Federation's greatest enemies are the Space Pirates: tough,
relentless, and intelligent beings who are constantly seeking out new
technologies to use against more civilized lifeforms. Previously, Samus
infiltrated their base in the maze-like caverns of planet Zebes. There she
learned that the Space Pirates had discovered a species known as Metroids,
parasitic lifeforms that latch onto other being and steal their life energy.
Samus then defeated the Space Pirate captains Kraid and Ridley, and finally
destroyed the leader of the Pirates, the Mother Brain. The Pirates' base on
Zebes was subsequently destroyed, apparently killing all the Pirates and
Metroids inside.
Now, Samus has received an unidentified distress signal from a derelict space
station orbiting the planet Tallon IV. She immediately heads off to
investigate...
/==============================================================================
2. Research Frigate Orpheon [IV.A.2]
\==============================================================================
|[Pirate Frigate] |
---------------------------------------
After Samus's exceedingly cool appearance and exit from her ship, you will gain
control of her. As you make your way across the docking platform, you will be
blocked by a force field. Shoot the four controls next to the field to
deactivate it. (Isn't it nice how the game tells you how to do everything? This
first region is like a tutorial level designed to get you familiar with all of
Samus's abilities.) The controls for the next force field, though, aren't
activated. Switch to the Scan Visor and scan the panel next to the force field
to activate the controls, then shoot them. Follow the walkway and you can now
enter the ship.
In the next passage you'll find a series of blue circles on the left-hand wall.
Scan them and you'll find out that there are environmental problems in Deck
Alpha, which (as you can discover by scanning the doors) is where you're
headed. The next hallway is an air lock, and it has not yet been pressurized
(hence all the debris floating in the vacuum). Scan the control panel to
repressurize the room, which will allow you to open the door into the Emergency
Evacuation Area.
There's a lot in this room, and the first thing your attention should be drawn
to is the giant creature lying on the floor. Get a little closer to it and
you'll find several dead Space Pirates next to it. Space Pirates! You are on a
Space Pirate vessel! There's a Parasite chewing on one of the dead Pirates;
scan it to download it to your Log Book, the first of many such entries. Next,
scanning the giant creature will reveal that it has been mutated somehow. Also,
scanning the alcoves along the perimeter of the room will reveal that most of
the ship's escape pods have been jettisoned. The impression you're getting is
that the mutated creatures on this ship escaped and started attacking the
Pirates, damaging the ship and causing the crew to evacuate to the planet
surface. Your job is to find out what they were doing up here. At the other end
of the room you'll find a few more Parasites and a Space Pirate that still has
a little life in him. Give him a few blasts from your Power Beam and dodge his
blasts.
Once you've scanned everything (See how much information you learn from
scanning!) exit through the door at the other end of the room, then use the
Charge Beam to clear out the rubble in the following hallway. In the next
passage, you'll see a small, square tunnel in the right-hand wall. Switch into
Morph Ball form so you can roll through the tunnel, which leads to a Map
Station. Step onto the station to download a map of the Pirate Frigate, which
will let you keep track of your location. Once you've got the map, scan the
computer screens in the room and then move on. The next room is a platform down
to Deck Beta, so scan the control panel to activate the platform, then step
into the hologram in the center to descend. Once you reach Deck Beta, exit the
platform and continue on. In the next hallway you'll need to enter Morph Ball
form to roll underneath the rubble, and then to get past the arcing electricity
once it shuts off.
This hallway leads to Biotech Research Area 1. You'll be on a walkway ringing a
large room containing three giant tanks. In one of them is another giant
creature (which, in my opinion, looks a lot like Kraid), while the other two
have been shattered, as if something broke out of them... creepy. Anyway,
you'll also find a couple Space Pirates on the walkway that are alive enough to
move around. Lock onto them and blast away with the Charge Beam, jumping and
strafing to avoid their fire. Once they're gone you can scan the wall displays,
which describe various mutations the Pirates are experimenting with. Enter the
door at the end of the walkway, and as you turn the corner, you'll find
yourself being shot at by a gun hanging from the ceiling! Quickly, lock onto it
with the Scan Visor and then dash back around the corner to complete the scan
and find out it's an Auto Defense Turret, which can be defeated with a Missile.
Wait until it fires, then quickly dash out and fire a Missile at it. Now you
can safely proceed to the next room, Biohazard Containment.
As you begin to explore the room you'll soon encounter another Auto Defense
Turret, so take it out like the last one. Now you can investigate the wealth of
information in this room. When you first enter the room, you'll be facing a
giant tank with a huge creature inside. Scanning it will reveal that it died
after being horribly mutated. If you scan the computer terminal in front of it
you'll download a Pirate Data entry to your Log Book, which describes how the
Space Pirate base on Zebes was destroyed (by you, called "The Hunter") and how
a few ships, which were in orbit at the time, managed to escape (including this
one, evidently). Also significant is the fact that the frigates carried some
Metroids off with them, the creatures you were sent to Zebes to destroy.
Scanning the rest of the computer terminals ringing the tank will reveal that
the Space Pirates were experimenting on this creature with a material called
Phazon, which seems to be highly radioactive. Apparently the Space Pirates are
trying to use this mysterious Phazon to genetically enhance lifeforms, though
it seems they may have done it too good of a job, since the problems on the
frigate seem to be caused by the escape of several of the mutated creatures.
The opposite wall consists of holding tanks, inside of which are several
lifeforms native to Tallon IV. On the other side of the room you'll find an
elevator platform. Scan the nearby panel to activate it, then step onto it to
ascend to the next level, where you'll meet a few more Space Pirates. Lock on
and fire charged blasts at them while jumping and strafing to avoid their fire,
and you'll eventually get rid of them. From up here you can scan the cylinders
above the tanks, which are injecting different varieties of Phazon into the
tank, while the wall contains more holding tanks for Tallon IV creatures.
Enter the door at the end of the walkway to enter another hallway, which will
then lead into the Cargo Freight Lift to Deck Gamma. As soon as you enter the
room, you'll be fired upon by an Auto Defense Turret. Destroy it, then scan the
panel to open the lift, which will ride down a sloping track leading to Deck
Gamma. When the door opens, a Space Pirate will drop down from the ceiling and
start attacking. Take him out and you'll be facing what appears to be a dead
end. Scan the panel, however, and power will flow to a small, spherical
receptacle in the center of the floor. Switch into Morph Ball form and roll
into the receptacle, which will cause the giant door to open. The next room
contains two Auto Defense Turrets, so lock on and fire at one while strafing to
avoid the fire of the other. Once they're both destroyed, go through the blue
door to the left, which leads to a Save Station. Now that the turrets are gone
you'll find another panel and another spherical receptacle. Use the same
procedure as before to open the door to the Reactor Core.
/==============================================================================
3. Unforeseen Evolutions [IV.A.3]
\==============================================================================
|[BOSS: Parasite Queen] |
---------------------------------------
Upon entering the Reactor Core, you'll ride a platform down to the floor. Once
you get down there, though, you'll find that a giant creature has trapped
itself inside the core, and it's not too happy about it! Scan the creature to
find that it is, in fact, one of the Parasite Queens that the Space Pirates
have infused with Phazon. You'll also discover that its mouth is its weak
point, which is where you'll lock-on to. Its only attack is a blast of acid
that it fires from its mouth, which you can avoid by dashing just before it
shoots a blast at you. You can tell it's about to fire when it rears its head
back.
The creature is trapped by a rotating force field that only has one gap in it.
To defeat the Parasite Queen, charge up a Power Beam blast, then rotate around
the room (maintaining a constant lock-on) until you are in line with the gap.
Fire the charged blast at the Queen, then just keep moving with the gap and
continue firing. Periodically, the force field will break apart into a number
of small segments that will spin around rapidly. When this happens, just fire
normal shots as as fast as you can; a few will make it through before the field
stabilizes and you can resume the previous attack pattern.
Just maintain this strategy of avoiding the acid, following the force field
gap, and keeping a steady stream of fire on the Queen and she'll soon have had
enough. Unfortunately, the creature's death will also severely damage the
reactor core, meaning the ship will be destroyed in just seven minutes! It's
time to get out of here!
/==============================================================================
4. Reactor Core Breach [IV.A.4]
\==============================================================================
|[Escape] |
---------------------------------------
The door you came in by is too high up for you to reach, so you won't be able
to go back the way you came. Instead, use the door on the floor level to get
out of the Reactor Core. Following this pathway will soon lead to an elevator
up to Deck Beta. Take it, then scan the control panel you'll see as soon as you
step out of the elevator to deactivate the Auto Defense Turret waiting for you.
Now you'll emerge in Biotech Research Area 1, a room you passed through before.
However, things are a little different now. The creature that was previously in
the giant tank has escaped and caused heavy damage in the room. It'll knock off
a couple of Pirates before another explosion kills it. In one corner of the
room you'll find a pile of rubble that you can use to climb up to the walkway
(use your map if you're having trouble finding it). Up here, quickly dispatch
the Space Pirates (use Missiles if you've got a good supply left), and the
ventilation shaft cover next to the door will explode. Well, it's the only way,
so head into shaft.
You'll now be passing through a series of ventilation shafts as you make your
way out of the ship. Most of these shafts are infested with swarms of
Parasites, but there's no time to stop and kill them. Scan them if you haven't
already, then just run straight through them, firing as you go. They won't do
much damage, and you don't have time to stay in one place. In the circular room
after you cross the freight lift, you'll find an Auto Defense Turret, so be
prepared to take it out with a Missile. Shortly thereafter, in Main
Ventilation Shaft Section E, you'll have to cross a shaft that is occupied by a
large piston. Wait for the piston to shoot out, then follow behind it as it
retracts. As soon as you see the door on the opposite side of the shaft, get
out of the way of the piston and get out of the room.
Finally, you'll make it out of the ventilation shafts and will enter Biotech
Research Area 2. Here, you'll receive a nasty surprise when you see a shiny,
metallic Ridley fly off the ship towards the planet! Before you can try to
figure out how he got here, you've got to get off this ship. To get across the
gap in the room, you'll have to use your Grapple Beam. Hold L to latch on to
the Grapple Point on the ceiling and start swinging across. When you reach the
far side of your swing, rapidly release and then hold down L again to latch on
to the next Point. Once you reach the other side of the gap, release L to drop
down to the ground. If you do fall, you can climb back up, but it will take
longer. Once across, you'll find a computer terminal that will reveal that the
creature you saw is called Meta Ridley, and is fitted out with some pretty
powerful equipment.
In the next hallway are a couple more Auto Defense Turrets; destroy them or
scan the computer terminal to shut them off. Then, just as you reach the
elevator up to Deck Alpha, there will be a huge explosion which will blast you
into the elevator. As you ascend, you'll realize that the explosion did serious
damage to your Power Suit. All your suit's functions except for your Arm Cannon
have been disabled! You'll also notice that your Power Suit has had much of its
armor stripped away, leaving you in a much lighter, thinner suit. You'll have
to recover these functions somehow, since you can't put up much of a fight now.
Once you reach Deck Alpha, you've almost made it. Scan the panel in the Air
Lock again to unlock the door, and head back to the docking platform.
As you run to your ship and the frigate disintegrates, Meta Ridley will fly off
of the ship down to the planet. You'll try to follow him in your gunship, but
will lose him in Tallon IV's thick atmosphere. In the Metroid tradition, you'll
have to land on the surface and search for him. Your landing site will be a
rainy clearing with heavy vegetation. Welcome to Tallon IV, Tallon Overworld,
Landing Site. It's time to start exploring.
|>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>|
B. CHOZO RUINS --------------------------------------------------------- [IV.B]
|>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>|
/==============================================================================
1. Ground-Based Recon Required [IV.B.1]
\==============================================================================
|[Tallon Overworld West] |
---------------------------------------
All right, here you are on Tallon IV, stripped down to just your basic Power
Suit and Arm Cannon. Here you have your first chance to truly appreciate the
amazing environments Retro has created, from the rain beading up on your visor,
to the lush detail of the plant life, to the soft remix of the Brinstar theme
playing in the background. Well, here you are, and there's a lot of questions
you need to answer: What are the Space Pirates doing here? Where does that
Phazon stuff come from? Where are Meta Ridley and the other Pirates? How are
you going to recover your lost abilities? For now, about all you can do to
answer these questions is to explore. Use your Scan Visor and you can learn
about the various forms of plant life in the room. You'll also see several
doors leading out of this room, but only two of them are accessible right now.
You might as well start with the closest one, which is located to the right of
your ship.
In the passage through the door several Beetles will jump out of the ground,
possibly causing you to jump yourself! Scan them, as you should be getting in
the habit of doing whenever you encounter a new enemy, and quickly shoot them
before they charge into you. At the other end of the tunnel is another door,
which leads into Tallon Canyon. Here you will encounter several new enemies,
including Blastcaps, Zoomers, and Geemers. Avoid the Blastcaps, since they will
explode and release poisonous gas if you touch them. If you ever have to
destroy any, make sure to do so from a distance. Zoomers simply walk around
walls and ledges, and can be destroyed easily. Geemers are more powerful
versions of Zoomers which can't be harmed by the Power Beam, so leave them
alone for now. Make sure to scan them all, so they'll be added to your Log
Book. From now on, I'm not going to tell you to scan every time you see a new
enemy, I'll just assume you did it. For now, just go straight across the canyon
towards the stone half-pipe structure. A few Beetles will pop up, so dispatch
them, then head on through the door. Kill or avoid the Zoomers on the walls and
make sure to scan the yellow blobs on the walls (Sap Sacs). There's no need to
kill the sacs, but if you decide to, make sure to do so from a distance; they
pack quite a punch.
The next room is a good old elevator chamber, complete with hints of the
original Metroid elevator music in the background. To use the elevator, scan
the panel in front, which will cause an orange hologram to appear in the center
of the elevator. Step into the hologram, and off you go to the Chozo Ruins!
/==============================================================================
2. Visions of Darkness [IV.B.2]
\==============================================================================
|[Chozo Ruins West] |
|o Missile Launcher |
|o Morph Ball |
|o Energy Tank 04 |
|o Missile Expansion 16 |
---------------------------------------
When you come to a stop after your elevator ride, you'll be in a very different
environment. In fact, it's almost desert-like, with sandy ground and red, rocky
walls. In the room past the elevator chamber, a few more Beetles will pop out
of the ground, so get rid of them, then take a look around. A doorway is set
deep in a stone wall ahead of you, and several ruined columns stand in front of
it. Also, above the door you'll see a shimmering panel with writing on it. Scan
it and you'll discover that it's a piece of Chozo Lore. These entries are
downloaded to your Log Book, so you'll need to find all of them to have a
complete Log Book. Fortunately, they all look the same: shimmering wall panels.
Anyway, this entry describes a fountain at the top of a city, and the Chozo's
visions showing it pouring darkness instead of water. Remember, the Chozo were
the powerful race that gave you your Power Suit. They inhabited many planets,
including Zebes. Now all this raises a few questions: Why were the Chozo here
on Tallon IV? And how did this place, apparently their city, become ruined? As
you explore, be on the lookout for more Chozo Lore that will explain more of
what happened.
The door leads to the Main Plaza, a large room that acts as the center of this
part of the Chozo Ruins. Upon descending the steps, be ready for five Beetles
to pop up and greet you, then try and figure out where you can go. A little
ahead and to the left is a door, but it's blocked by a blast shield that repels
your Power Beam shots; you'll need something more powerful to open it. Climb up
the steps to the far side of the room, and you'll find a door on your left that
you can enter.
This leads into a metallic passage, and in the middle of the passage you'll run
into a group of Scarabs, tiny creatures that move as a group, blocking your way
through the passage. Spray them with Power Beam fire to eliminate them. The
metallic passage leads into a stone-cut tunnel filled with Eyons, large eyes
stuck on the walls that emit lasers in a sweeping path. Shooting them will
cause them to close their eyes for a few seconds, allowing you to move forward.
At the end of this hallway you'll reach the Ruined Nursery. Upon entering,
you'll be greeted by some more Beetles springing up from the floor. Kill them,
then scan the Chozo Lore on the back wall. This entry describes how the Chozo
used Tallon IV as a refuge from technology, a kind of spiritual haven, and how
they have now evolved to the point that they are leaving the physical world.
After reading the entry, scan the tree in the corner; you'll learn that it's
been poisoned. Now jump up onto the ledge, and some large bee-like creatures
will fly at you out of the tree! Scan them (quickly) to discover that they are
War Wasps, and they can be really annoying. They will fly all around you,
suddenly striking from any direction. As soon as you hear them, target one,
fire off a few shots to kill it, then move on to the next one. Make sure to
spin around so that you can find ones that are behind you. You'll know they're
all dead when the buzzing sound stops. Once you've gotten rid of them all,
you'll probably be ready for a recharge. Follow the ledge around towards the
tree, where a short hallway leads to a Save Station. Step into it, and not only
will your game be saved, but your energy will also be refilled! Now that you're
at full health again, you can continue on by going through the other door on
the ledge.
The next connecting passage contains another swarm of Scarabs. When you enter
the next room, the Ruined Gallery, you'll have to deal with some War Wasps,
then you'll discover that the room is flooded with a sickly green liquid, which
is water containing high levels of toxins. This must be what has killed all the
trees in the Ruins, but where is this poison coming from? Use the ledges on the
right wall to cross to the other side. As you walk down the next passage,
you'll feel the room is not level anymore, as if an earthquake has tilted it or
it has partially collapsed. You'll also run into a couple of Plazmites, which
are basically giant fireflies. They won't attack you, but they can fly into you
or get in your way, so you may want to kill them anyway. There's also Tangle
Weed in this room, another creature which is more nuisance than enemy. It
doesn't cause damage, but it does slow you down if you walk through it.
Shooting it will cause it to retract into the ground for a few seconds, but
there's no way to kill it permanently. Shoot the crates in the room if you need
to recover any health.
The tilted passage leads into the Hive Totem, a large, partially flooded room
that is also not level. Avoid the toxic water and climb up on top of the
central platform. A bridge leads from it to a large mechanical structure, with
has something resting inside it. Once you reach the platform, though, more
toxic water will start pouring out of pipes on the walls and the bridge will
retract, trapping you on the central platform. At the same time, the item will
descend into the device, which will then release a swarm of enemies at you!
It's time for your first mini-boss! First, if you're going for a perfect Log
Book, you have to scan the device itself, the Hive Mecha (its Scan Point is
slightly underwater), and the creatures, which are Ram War Wasps (a separate
Log Book entry). You have to scan them now because this is the only time they
appear in the game. At this point you're probably ready to start fighting back
and not just scanning.
The Ram War Wasps will all fly around you in a circle for a while, then stop
and hover, while one wasp at a time jumps out and attacks you. Since the wasps
are surrounding you, dodging them can be tricky. While they're flying around in
a circle, don't lock-on, just use manual targeting to fire straight ahead into
their flight path; you'll probably get a few hits in. Once they start
attacking, target the one in front of you and kill it, then turn and find the
next one. When you hear a wasp emit a chirping sound, indicating it's about to
attack, jump or dodge to get out of the way.You have to keep this up until you
kill all of the wasps. The most important thing, though, is to not fall into
the water. If you do, you'll have to find the steps leading back up, which are
underwater, all while your energy is being depleted. Once you've killed all the
wasps, you'll have a few seconds to fire away into the Hive Mecha. Collect any
health the wasps left, then prepare for the next round. More Ram War Wasps will
be sent at you, which you should handle the same way. After three sets of
wasps, the Hive Mecha will explode, the toxic water will recede, the bridge
will extend once more, and you can finally cross it to earn the Missile
Launcher! This allows you to, um, fire Missiles. It also means that you can
enter doors that have grey blast shields on them. For example, the door right
behind the Hive Mecha. Fire a Missile at the blast shield to destroy it, then
go through the door to enter a small room containing an Energy Tank! You now
have 100 more energy units, effectively doubling your life! There's also a
small tunnel in the wall, but it's much too small for you to go through.
Well, it appears that this is a dead end. You'll have to backtrack to the Main
Plaza, but now that you have the Missile Launcher, you can go through all those
doors you saw with blast shields on them. It also means that you can begin the
wonderful, fun-filled quest for Missile Expansions! One thing to remember,
though, is that you only have 5 Missiles right now, so you need to be stingy
with them. Don't fire Missiles at everything you see, because you'll run out in
no time, and may not be able to find any Missile Ammo. Once you have 200
Missiles, you can shoot them at anything you want, but not now. OK, so now you
can start heading back. When you reach the Ruined Gallery, notice there's a
door with a blast shield on it next to the toxic water, underneath the ledge.
Destroy the blast shield, and in the room behind it you'll find a Map Station.
Step into it to download a map of the Chozo Ruins. From this map you can see
that there's a lot more exploring to do. Also, scanning will reveal a damaged
wall underneath the door leading to the Hive Totem. Fire a Missile at the wall
and it will disintegrate, revealing a Missile Expansion! One down, 48 to go.
When you return to the Ruined Nursery, you'll have to kill the War Wasps again,
but afterwards you can visit the Save Station again. Now go the rest of the way
back to the Main Plaza.
Once you're in the Main Plaza, use a Missile to destroy the blast shield on the
door near the Ruins Entrance door, which leads into another metal tunnel. There
will be more Scarabs in your way, but they shouldn't pose much of a threat. The
tunnel leads to the Ruined Shrine. Jump across the semi-circular wall (you've
seen several of those by now) and you'll see the Morph Ball resting in an
alcove in the far wall, just waiting for you to take it. When you approach it,
though, a wall will appear in front of it, and a swarm of Beetles will erupt
from the ground! There will be about a dozen of them, so the best strategy is
to lock on to one while constantly jumping and moving to keep others from
charging you from behind. Once you've killed about half of them, move towards
one end of the room so you can keep all the Beetles in front of you. Once you
kill them all, the wall will come down and you can easily... you didn't think
you were getting off that easy, did you?
Once the last Beetle is dead, a much larger beetle will emerge. This is a
Plated Beetle, and as you'll no doubt soon discover, the armor on its head will
repel your fire. However, its bright red abdomen is just begging you to shoot
it. To get at its behind, though, you'll have to let the creature charge at
you. Stand still and the beetle will slide to one side, then the other, then
jitter its antennae. That's your cue to dash to the side, because it'll charge
at you immediately afterward. Don't try to move earlier, though, or it won't
charge. Once it charges, its red abdomen will be exposed, so let it have it! If
you're low on energy and need to end the battle quickly, use Missiles, but
otherwise you might as well save them and just use your Power Beam. Once the
beetle turns to face you, just do the same thing over again. If you can get
into a rhythm of dodging and firing, this battle can be pretty easy. After
about five successful dodges, it will die, and now you can claim the Morph Ball
for real. This is Samus's trademark item, which allows her to roll into a small
sphere so she can navigate tight areas. It's a good thing, too, because the
wall you dropped off in this room is too high to jump over, so switch into
Morph Ball form and roll through the small tunnel in the wall. Once you're
through, return to the Main Plaza.
/==============================================================================
3. The Hatchling Arrives [IV.B.3]
\==============================================================================
|[Chozo Ruins South] |
|o Charge Beam |
|o Morph Ball Bomb |
|o Missile Expansions 22,26 |
---------------------------------------
From your map, you can see that there is a large unexplored area of the Chozo
Ruins on the other side of the Main Plaza. To reach it, go to the back of the
plaza (near the door leading to the Ruined Nursery). There you will find a pile
of debris that you can climb up to reach a ledge along the wall. The ledge
leads to a bridge made of tree branches, which crosses over to another ledge on
the opposite side of the room, where you can see a door. You'll have to deal
with some War Wasps on the bridge, so take them out, then go through the door,
which leads into another tunnel.
In the passage you'll find that it has been blocked in two places by fallen
trees and rocks. This would have been a dead end had you come here earlier, but
with your Morph Ball, you can roll through small gaps to get past. You'll then
enter the Ruined Fountain, a room flooded with toxic water and lit only by
Plazmites. The only safe ground is a series of ledges along the walls, so
carefully jump from one to the other until you reach the fountain. Also, don't
shoot the Plazmites, because they provide the only light in the room; even if
you have to let a few run into you, it's much harder to see without them. Once
you reach the fountain (spewing more toxic water), you'll see there's another
Chozo Lore entry on the wall behind it. This one relates how the Chozo are
struggling against the "Great Poison", while you, the "Hatchling", fight the
"corrupted". The last part seems to refer to your infiltration of the Space
Pirate base on Zebes, but what is the "Great Poison" the Chozo are struggling
with? It seems like it's something bigger than the poisonous water, but what?
Also, you'll notice that you've gathered two different pseudonyms so far: the
Hunter to the Space Pirates, the Hatchling to the Chozo.
There are two doors out of this room, but the one closest to the fountain leads
to a room full of lava that is too hot for you to enter. The other door
can be reached by jumping across a couple more ledges over the water, and leads
to another narrow passage. As soon as you enter, you'll hear a high-pitched
noise and see several bright objects speeding towards you. These are
Shriekbats, and they will go kamikaze on you if you let them. Go into a rapid
pattern of locking-on and firing to eliminate them before they crash into you.
You will then enter the Arboretum, a large, tall room containing a single large
tree and filled with toxic water. From the amount of toxins present here, you
can surmise that this room is close to the source of the poison. The only safe
ground is a series of circular platforms on the water, so carefully make your
way across. As you do so, you'll encounter Reaper Vines, which can be subdued,
but not killed, with a shot to the circular eye-like structure near their
blades. Once one pops out, lock-on and fire until you hit it, then quickly move
past its hole. After crossing the water, the platforms will begin to climb up
the tree until reaching a bridge leading to a path along the wall. There are
platforms continuing up the tree, but save that path for later. For now, follow
the path along the wall to a door.
This door leads to a passage just barely big enough for you to walk through
without using the Morph Ball, and which is filled with steam pipes. At the
other end of it, you'll enter the Gathering Hall. Your first stop should be the
Save Station, located through the door to the right. After you save and reenter
the room (watch out for the Shriekbats that will greet you), consult your map.
You can see that there are two doors out of the room: one on ground level,
another high above. The lower door leads to a dead-end, while the higher one
has substantially more past it. Therefore, you should explore the dead-end
first, then head up to the rest of the larger unexplored area. Make sure to
kill the Blastcaps blocking the path to the door (from a distance), then go
through to enter a hallway whose floor has collapsed and flooded. Also, you'll
hear a low-pitched humming sound that will grow louder as you approach the
weakened left-hand wall, next to the water. It sounds like there's an item
behind that wall, so fire a Missile to demolish it and reveal your second
Missile Expansion! You can use this characteristic sound can be to help locate
Missile Expansions, which can be very helpful.
The hallway leads to the Watery Hall, a much larger room with a flooded floor
dotted with small islands and a series of platforms along the walls. Follow the
platforms up and around the U-shaped room (watching out for Reaper Vines) until
you come to a large metal gate blocking access to a large ledge behind. Scan
the gate, and you'll learn that to open it, you need to find and scan four
runic symbols in this room. Turn to the right and you'll find the first one.
Now look down and drop onto the ground at the base of the wall, where you'll
find the second symbol. Make your way back towards the entrance by jumping
between the tiny islands of dry ground. One slightly larger island will have a
group of Blastcaps on it. Shoot them all from a distance, and after the toxic
gas clears you'll discover that they were sitting on top of a third symbol.
Keep heading back, and when you reach the last island before jumping back to
the door, you can see the fourth symbol above a drainage grate set in the back
wall. Now a fifth symbol will illuminate in the center of the gate, so return
to the gate and scan the central symbol. The gate will open and you can jump
down onto the ledge it blocked. You'll see that there are a number of Eyons
on the walls of the ledge, but they are all closed at the moment. At the far
end of the alcove, though, you'll find the Charge Beam and a Chozo Lore.
The Charge Beam allows you to charge up all of your beam weapons to fire a more
powerful burst. Also, the Charge Beam can pull pick-ups towards you: just hold
onto a charged blast, and energy, missile ammo, etc. will be drawn right to
you, which comes in quite handy. As soon as you get the Charge Beam, all the
Eyons will "wake up" and start firing a maze of lasers blocking your way back,
but first take a look at the Chozo Lore on the wall. This entry describes a
meteor striking Tallon IV, a meteor carrying a "Great Poison" that has ravaged
the planet so badly that the Chozo have been forced to return here from their
metaphysical existence to try to stop it. By now you're beginning to get a
picture of what's happened here: Tallon IV was used by the Chozo as a retreat
from technology before they left the physical world. Then the meteor struck,
and the "Great Poison" has damaged the planet, including toxifying the waters
in the Chozo Ruins. Now the Space Pirates are here, too, but what are they
doing? Could this "Great Poison" be the Phazon they were experimenting with on
the frigate? It seems you still have plenty of unanswered questions. Now it's
time to return to the Gathering Hall, but first you've got to get past these
Eyons. If a single Power Beam shot causes them to shut for a few seconds, what
do you think a charged Power Beam blast might do? Try it, and you'll see that
it destroys them completely. Kill all the Eyons, then drop down onto the bottom
ledge and return to the Gathering Hall.
When you get back, head to the Save Station to save your progress. Now you need
to climb up to the top of this room to reach the door at the top. Climb on top
of the pile of rubble in the corner next to the door from the Arboretum, then
jump onto the ledge above it (keep an eye out for Blastcaps and Shriekbats as
you climb). Now jump across the water to the ledge in the corner, then to the
platform against the wall. The next ledge is above you and to the right, then
you can make your way to the small, Morph Ball-sized tunnel leading into the
wall. This tunnel is U-shaped, and it will deposit you on another ledge across
from a door in the midst of a metallic, industrial-looking wall. Quickly take
out the half dozen or so Shriekbats that will fly at you, then jump across
(carefully, it's a big jump) and go through the door.
The door leads to a narrow, enclosed passage containing a few Eyons, and beyond
is the Energy Core, a large room containing several twisting tunnels. The main
part of the room is inaccessible since it's full of toxic water, but there is
a door on a high ledge across the room with blue bars across it. Scanning it
will reveal that it is a locked door, and that even if you could reach it, you
couldn't open it right now. Since the central section of the room is out of the
question right now, that leaves two tunnels to the left and right. The one on
the right is also flooded, so the left-hand tunnel is the only option. Follow
it and you'll eventually meet a Stone Toad, a strange creature that is
invulnerable to your weaponry, but luckily it won't attack you unless you roll
near it in Morph Ball form, in which case it will swallow you, then spit you
back out a few seconds later. Pass it you'll find a Morph Ball tunnel, which
leads to the Burn Dome.
As soon as you enter, the mechanical contraption in the center of the room will
activate, and by activate I mean start spraying two jets of flame around the
room! This is an Incinerator Drone, and it evidently thinks that you need to be
incinerated! Lock on to it and circle around it, staying in between the two
flame jets as they rotate. When a red circle appears on the top of the drone,
fire at it. A few shots will cause the machine to malfunction, spraying a burst
of flame at a War Wasp Hive above, releasing several of the pesky creatures!
These are Barbed War Wasps, and they will shoot their stinger at you rather
than charge into you. Now you have to deal with the wasps while the Incinerator
Drone is spraying fire at you. Lock on to the wasps first and shoot them while
keeping track of the flames with the corner of your eye. Once all the wasps are
gone, focus on the drone until more wasps arrive or the red circle appears.
Also note that the drone will start to fire the flames at an angle, either
higher or lower than normal. If the flame is high, you can walk underneath it;
if it's low, jump over it; if it is in the middle, stay in between it. If you
can juggle shooting wasps and dodging flames long enough to damage the drone
about five times, it will explode, revealing the Morph Ball Bomb.
Once you collect it, you'll be able to lay up to three Bombs at once while in
Morph Ball form. They will allow you to do bomb jumps and to destroy Sandstone
walls; you've probably seen several tunnels blocked by Sandstone in the Ruins.
You can test them out on the Sandstone blocking the tunnel in the Burn Dome,
which leads to a Missile Expansion and crates containing some well-deserved
(and probably much-needed) energy.
By now you have explored most of the Chozo Ruins, regained several of your
abilities, and learned some of the history of this planet. It will soon be time
for you to head to the large central room you can see on the map where, as
you can guess from the Chozo's messages, is the source of the toxin that has
choked all life from the Ruins lies. But before that, you've probably noticed
many passages or areas that were, at the time, inaccessible. With the new items
you've gained, though, many of those areas can now be explored. Head back to
the Energy Core to begin stocking up on items and completing your initial
exploration of the Chozo Ruins.
/==============================================================================
4. Drawing Strength [IV.B.4]
\==============================================================================
|[Chozo Ruins West, South] |
|o Energy Tanks 03,06 |
|o Missile Expansions 13,15,17,18,24 |
---------------------------------------
Back in the Morph Ball tunnel to the Burn Dome, you'll find that you'll need to
do a bomb jump to get back to the Energy Core. Once there, you'll find that
Stone Toad still just sitting there. According to the scan, it's vulnerable
"only from within". Well, why don't you find out just how vulnerable. In Morph
Ball form, roll up to the toad and allow it to swallow you. Now, while inside
the creature, lay a Bomb. When it detonates, the toad will explode! (Hey, that
rhymes! I'm a poet and I don't even know it.) What's more, it will reveal a
room behind it! Inside, you'll find a tall blue power generator with cables
connecting it to a circular depression in the wall. Scan, as always, to learn
that this is a Morph Ball Slot, and that it can be activated by laying a Bomb
in it. To get in, do a bomb jump and you should get locked into the slot. Now
lay a Bomb, and the power generator will turn on, draining all the toxic water
out of the room! A steady tone will also start to sound, which means that
you're on a time limit. Once you drop out of the slot, roll through the hole in
the window, and across the room you can see another power generator. Head over
to it and quickly activate its Morph Ball Slot. This will cause platforms to
rise up from the ground, allowing you to reach a third generator higher up. To
get there, follow the tunnel behind the second generator around to the front of
the room (this is the tunnel that was flooded previously), then jump across the
platforms to reach another tunnel that leads to the third generator. If you can
activate its slot before the time runs out, then a second set of platforms
leading to the far door will rise, the door will unlock, and everything will
stay in place permanently.
When you jump across the platforms to the door, you'll reach a Morph Ball
passage: a room just wide enough for the Morph Ball to roll through. These
rooms are usually maze-like; but this one is rather simple: simply roll along
the bottom. At the other end, you'll enter a cylindrical drum or tank that
seems to be full of coal. However, it also contains an Energy Tank, a reward
that makes all your power generator efforts worthwhile. By the way, by
consulting your map you'll see that you've actually gone off the map you
downloaded earlier, showing that the map was not totally complete. There's
still more to be discovered in the Chozo Ruins, but it will have to wait for
later.
There's still plenty more to be found with your Bombs, so backtrack all the way
to Watery Hall, where you found the Charge Beam. Return to the ledge at the end
of the room, and after clearing out the Eyons, you'll find a Morph Ball tunnel
blocked with Sandstone. Unblock it, and follow the tunnel to the Dynamo. The
doors are blocked with blast shields, so make sure you have some Missiles with
you. Once you reach the Dynamo, which is obviously a power station for the
ruins, you'll find a Missile Expansion behind a grate, which can be broken with
another Missile.
To complete your hunt for upgrades, you need to retread the first rooms you
explored in the ruins: the path to the Hive Totem. Your first stop is the
Ruined Nursery. A maze of passages has been carved into one wall, and they lead
to a Missile Expansion resting near the door you entered by. However, progress
through the passages is impeded by a series of stone blocks. The solution is
that there are actually two ways to get into the passages: one on the ground
level, another from the higher platform. Use the lower entrance first, because
it leads to a dead-end where a solid block sits atop a weakened block. A Bomb
will destroy the weakened block, causing the solid block to fall and freeing
the top path of obstructions. Now follow the top path, using Bombs to jump and
remove blocks as needed until you reach the Missile Expansion. Continuing on to
the Ruined Gallery, you can find another Missile Expansion by bomb jumping into
a U-shaped tunnel on the lower level.
For the next item, you'll need to make your way all the way to the Hive Totem
(don't worry, the Hive Mecha won't be back), and then into the room behind it,
where you found an Energy Tank after getting the Missile Launcher. There is a
tunnel in the room that you can now roll through. It leads to another Morph
Ball passage consisting of multiple levels connected by pistons moving up and
down. Ride the pistons up to each level, taking care not to let their edges
clip you as they descend and not to hit the bottoms of the ledges as you
ascend. At the top of the passage, you'll reach an elevator! Scanning the
control panel will reveal that it goes to Magmoor Caverns, but you don't want
to go there yet, not while you haven't finished exploring the Chozo Ruins.
However, where should you go next? There are three doors out of this room: the
one you came in by, one directly across, and one to the right. The one straight
ahead is a dead-end (for now) and doesn't have anything in it, so take the door
to the right, which from the map you can tell leads back to the Main Plaza.
Also, it's easy to get disoriented in this room, so use the map to figure out
which way you're facing and where the correct door is. Once you find the right
door, you'll be in a passage consisting of more tunnels and pistons for you to
navigate, and you'll eventually reach the Vault.
You can see why the room got its name from the square area in the center of the
room that is blocked off by gates on all sides. Also, by peering through the
bars you can see that the vault contains another Missile Expansion. Before you
tackle the problem of getting the expansion, though, you'll find a Chozo Lore
entry on a side wall. This entry seems to be rather early, since it describes
the Chozo building this city on Tallon IV as a refuge from technology,
information you've already gathered from other entries. On the opposite side of
the room, you'll find three Morph Ball slots on the vault gate, which appear to
be the locks for the gate. The first one is at ground level, the second is a
bit higher, the third is really high, and the first two are blocked by a weak
grating. To activate the first one, all you have to do is bomb the grate to
destroy it, then roll into the slot and lay another Bomb. For the second, do a
bomb jump, lay a second Bomb at the apex of the jump to destroy the grating,
then do another bomb jump to enter the slot. This technique gives you a clue
for reaching the final slot, which is out of reach of a bomb jump. To make it
to the third grate, you'll have to execute a tricky double bomb jump. This move
is not required to complete the game, but is to get 100%. To do it, lay one
Bomb, then just a moment before it explodes, lay a second Bomb. When the first
Bomb propels you upward, lay a third Bomb at the apex of your jump. If you
timed it right, the second Bomb should explode just as you reach the ground,
sending you back up to the third Bomb, which will explode, propelling you up to
the final slot, causing the walls around the Missile Expansion to lower. It
will probably take you many tries to get this down; it's very tricky. The sound
of your thumb hitting the A button should be something like "tap....tap.tap".
It's impossible to convey the actual timing like this, but once you get it
you'll see what I mean. Once you get the expansion, go through the other door,
which leads back to the Main Plaza. Specifically, it leads to a ledge high
above the Main Plaza, where you'll find another Energy Tank waiting for you.
There's one more expansion you can find, and this one is in the Ruined Shrine,
the room where you got the Morph Ball. Return to the area where you fought the
Beetles and you'll find a tunnel blocked with Sandstone, which leads to a final
Missile Expansion. At this point you should have found three Energy Tanks
and eight Missile Expansions, meaning you have a maximum of 399 energy units
and 45 Missiles. You now have but one area to enter: the arena-like room in the
center of the ruins that is the source of the toxic waters.
To start out, return to the Arboretum via the Ruined Fountain, then head
through to the Gathering Hall and save. Now return to the Arboretum, where the
Map shows a pathway leading from the top of the room to the giant chamber. When
you return to the Arboretum from the Gathering Hall, follow the sloping ledge
around the circumference of the room, then step out on the short bridge that
leads to the tree and back down towards the Ruined Fountain. You'll see a runic
symbol mounted on the trunk of the tree in front of the bridge. Scan it, and
you'll know that there must be three more here in this room, which probably
control a gate that blocks your passage out of the room. Now, while still on
the bridge, look down over the side. You'll see that you're over a small island
that you probably noticed when you first entered this room from the Ruined
Fountain. Scanning the island will indicate that it contains a Runic Symbol, so
drop down onto it. The symbol is on the ground, covered by what looks like
Tangle Weed, but with bright red blades. This is Venom Weed, and if you try to
step in it, you'll find that it damages you. However, like Tangle Weed,
shooting at it will cause it to retract, allowing you to scan the symbol. Now
follow a series of circular platforms that lead across the water and rejoin the
main path up the tree.
This time, once you cross the bridge, follow the path to the right, where after
fending off some War Wasps, you'll reach a Morph Ball-sized tunnel hollowed
into the wall. Roll through the tunnel in Morph Ball form, using Bombs to
destroy the blocks in the way. (Be careful, you can fall out of this passage!)
Once on the other side, you'll find the third symbol on the wall and will soon
reach another Morph Ball tunnel, this one filled with more Venom Weed. To avoid
taking damage from it, shoot it to make it retract, then quickly roll through
the passage before it reappears. Now you are nearing the top of the tree, and a
few more jumps will take you to a ledge near the top of the room where the
runic symbol gate is located. The final symbol can be found on the tree across
from the ledge, so scan it to open the gate, revealing a Morph Ball tunnel
blocked by Sandstone. Use a Bomb to blow it up, then roll through to reach the
door, which is blocked by a Blast Shield.
The next two rooms are straight passages full of Venom Weed and Reaper Vines.
You'll also notice that the walls of the room are covered with vines as well;
as if the entire area has been taken over by plants. Just before the final door
are some crates; break them open to reveal some Ultra Energy and, possibly,
Missile Ammo. Once your energy is as full as possible, enter the Sunchamber.
/==============================================================================
5. Source of Darkness [IV.B.5]
\==============================================================================
|[BOSS: Flaahgra] |
|o Varia Suit |
---------------------------------------
You'll enter a large, ruined circular room containing a pool of toxic water in
the center with an island in the midst of it. The island is occupied by a
monstrous plant. As you enter, a gigantic insect-like body will grow from the
bulb on the ground, complete with eyes, teeth, and bladed arms. It will
immediately cause a strip of toxic plants to shoot up from the ground
underneath you, which you will swiftly avoid. Finally, one of four dish-shaped
mirrors around the room will lower, focusing sunlight on the creature, and the
battle will begin.
The first order of business is to scan the being, which will reveal that its
name is Flaahgra, a highly mutated plant that is indeed the source of the toxic
waters in the ruins. Also, you'll learn that it needs constant sunlight in
order to keep up its strength and that it can be stunned with Arm Cannon fire.
The mirror that lowered at the start of the battle seems to serve the purpose
of focusing sunlight on Flaahgra, so disabling it should be part of your attack
plan. Before you start fighting back, make sure to scan one of the four
tentacles which are sticking out around the creature. This is a separate Log
Book entry, and it also lets you know that there are tunnels behind the
tentacles which lead to Flaahgra's central nervous system. With the scanning
done, it's time to fight!
Flaahgra's main attack is to spew a series of purple and yellow energy balls at
you. These can be dodged fairly easily by jumping and strafing. To damage
Flaahgra, you need to stop the mirror from focusing sunlight on it, so you
want to make your way over to it. It's much easier to do this if Flaahgra isn't
attacking you, so start by stunning it with Power Beam fire. Two charged shots
should be enough to stun the creature; once stunned, it will stand straight up
and wave around for 5-10 seconds. Use this time to run around the room and find
the dish that is shining light on Flaahgra. Once you find it, you'll see that
it has a red light on a protrusion from the bottom, and that shooting it will
tilt the dish. Lock on to the red light and fire a Missile or charged beam at
it to knock the dish completely offline, in which case it will "lock" in place.
Once this happens, Flaahgra will not be receiving any sunlight, causing it to
collapse to the ground and the tentacles blocking the tunnels to recede. This
is your chance to roll through one of the tunnels previously blocked by a
tentacle, at the end of which you'll find a Morph Ball slot. Lay a Bomb in the
slot to cause an explosion which will damage Flaahgra. Flaahgra will sink back
into its base, only to reemerge a few seconds later, and this time two dishes
will fall into place.
Now, you have to get both dishes offline before Flaahgra will collapse. Also,
Flaahgra may start using a few other attacks on you. One is to causing a strip
of toxic plants to spring up out of the ground at you. Jump out of the way of
it, and after a few seconds the plants will disappear. Flaahgra's other attack
is to swipe at you with its arm blades. Dash to the side or roll away in the
Morph Ball to escape this attack. The key to getting both dishes off is to work
quickly. If you take too long between the two dishes, Flaahgra will knock them
back into position, forcing you to start over. Also, it will knock the dishes
back immediately if you try to disable the dish while it's not stunned.
Therefore, the strategy is to keep Flaahgra stunned as much as possible. Start
out by stunning Flaahgra, then run to one of the dishes. By the time you get
there, Flaahgra should be reawakening. As soon as it does, stun it again, then
disable the dish and run to the next one. Stun Flaahgra again and disable the
second dish, allowing you to lay another Bomb and deal damage. The whole point
is to not give Flaahgra a chance to knock the dishes back into place.
Once you damage Flaahgra the second time, you guessed it, three dishes will
lower, and you'll have to do the same thing over again. These latter portions
of the battle can be extremely frustrating if Flaahgra keeps knocking the
dishes back on. The key is to never give Flaahgra a chance to. Always keep your
Power Beam charged, and be ready to fire as soon as Flaahgra wakes up. Also,
never try to knock out a dish right before Flaahgra recovers; it'll probably
knock it back before you can get to the next one. Only knock a dish offline
immediately after stunning Flaahgra, then use the time to run to the next dish.
If you can lay a Bomb at Flaahgra's base four times, the last time being with
all four dishes on, then Flaahgra will die. There will be an extra-large
explosion, the creature will shrink down for the final time, and water will
start spewing out of the plant's base, which will gradually turn from sickly
green to clear blue, indicating that the toxins have been removed from the
water. On the opposite side of the room from where you entered, you'll find
another door, with an item resembling the Metroid logo in front of it. This
item is the Varia Suit, which will add more armor plating to your Power Suit,
lower the amount of damage enemies deal, and allow you to enter rooms with high
temperatures. Also important is that you'll finally look like your old self
again, after being in the rather bare Power Suit for a while. Now that you're
much better outfitted, head through the door.
The door leads to a flooded passage, but scans will confirm that the water is
totally toxin-free, so jump into it and wade across to the other side. The path
takes a turn to the right and returns to dry land, so follow it to find a stack
of crates which will contain some much-needed energy. Farther down the hall
you'll run into a very strange object: a blue and yellow floating blob that
drops exploding balls of electricity. This is a Pulse Bombu, an electrical
creature that can't be harmed by any of your current weapons. Don't even try,
because the Charge Beam will actually draw the creature to you. Run past it in
between drops and you'll find yourself standing at the top of a tall vertical
shaft. You are at the top of the Sun Tower, and the only way to go is down, so
yell "Geronimo!" and jump. As soon as you land, you'll be welcomed by a swarm
of a dozen or so War Wasps. Take them out as quickly as you can and use the
Charge Beam to collect any energy they may leave behind.
The only object of note in this room is a Chozo Lore entry located on the wall.
This entry tells how the Chozo have realized that they cannot return to their
metaphysical world until they have defeated the Great Poison that is devouring
Tallon IV. They describe their plans to build a temple to contain it, a temple
that will be contain a Cipher powered by twelve Artifacts. Somehow you suspect
that this temple will become an important part of your adventure. After reading
the entry, go through the door, which leads to the elevator chamber you
encountered earlier on your way to the Vault. You passed it up the first time,
but now, with the Chozo Ruins completed, this looks to be your next move.
You've learned a lot in the ruins, but you haven't found any signs of the Space
Pirates or their mysterious Phazon. Perhaps that will change as you explore
Magmoor Caverns.
|>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>|
C. MAGMOOR AND PHENDRANA ----------------------------------------------- [IV.C]
|>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>|
/==============================================================================
1. Geothermal Power Operations [IV.C.1]
\==============================================================================
|[Magmoor Caverns North] |
|o Energy Tank 08 |
|o Missile Expansion 30 |
---------------------------------------
When the elevator concludes its descent deep into the bowels of Tallon IV,
you'll arrive in another elevator chamber that looks rather similar to the one
you left in. Stepping through the door, you'll find yourself at the top of a
vertical shaft with several platforms moving up and down along the walls. You
can hop from platform to platform, or just jump down; you won't miss anything.
At the bottom of the shaft, though, you'll begin to realize that you're in a
different part of the planet. The passage is red-lit, hot, and there are jets
of steam shooting up from the floor in several places. The hallway is also
filled with Shriekbats. About halfway through the passage, you'll find a door
on the left-hand wall. Open it and you'll find a Save Station, which you should
be very relieved to find; your victory over Flaahgra has now been saved. You'll
also notice that there are two large pipes full of a red liquid or plasma
substance in the room with the Save Station. Is this lava, super-heated gas, or
what? And what's it for? And who built the pipes in the first place? Maybe
you'll learn as you progress through the Magmoor Caverns.
At the end of the Burning Trail (as this hallway is called), you'll reach a
small pool of lava that can be crossed via an island in the center. Now you
realize that had you decided to try this elevator without the heat-resistant
Varia Suit, you wouldn't have gotten very far. The island is occupied by a
Grizby, a small creature that can only by destroyed by a Missile. Through the
door is another lava pool to cross, but this time the ledges also contain jets
that will release a burst of flame at regular intervals. Jump to the first
ledge as soon as its jet shuts off, then to the second as soon as its does.
It's important to state here that the Varia Suit does NOT prevent you from
taking damage from lava, it just allows you to enter areas that CONTAIN lava.
So, you should treat the lava here just like you treated the toxic water in the
ruins. When you reach the far side you'll meet a Burrower, an extremely
annoying creature that burrows around underground before jumping up for a
split-second to spit at you. To kill it, you have to hit it while it's in the
air, which can be difficult. After you manage to kill it or just give up, go
through the door to enter Lava Lake.
This room really is a lava lake, dotted with small rock islands and floating
platforms. As soon as you enter, though, a dragon-like creature will appear out
of the lava and spew flames at you! This is a Magmoor, the namesake of the
region, and you can avoid its flames by backing up or strafing. Two or three
charged shots should be enough to blow its head off, though. The room is also
full of floating land mines known as Puffers. When shot or touched, they
explode, releasing a cloud of poisonous gas. The best strategy is to shoot all
that you can see as soon as you enter a room, then wait for the gas to clear
before progressing. Also, make sure that you shoot from a distance, because the
explosion has some range and is damaging. To cross the room, you'll have to
jump across a series of small rocks sticking out of the lava, and some of the
jumps are difficult. After a few failed attempts, though, you'll soon have a
pretty good grasp of Samus's jumping abilities. You'll also encounter a few
saucer-shaped platforms which will begin to sink as soon as you set foot on
them. Obviously, you want to get off of these as soon as possible. Before you
reach the opposite wall, you'll encounter another Magmoor, and then you'll find
a pile of crates in front of a cracked wall. At the other end of the tunnel it
hides is another, smaller lava pool similar to the first.
Once you cross the second half of Lava Lake, you'll enter the Pit Tunnel, a
smaller room with another lava/plasma-filled pipe in the center, as well as a
fence blocking the other side of the room. To get across, use the Morph Ball to
roll through a gap between the rock and the grating that serves as the floor,
putting you underneath the floor. Here you'll meet several Triclops, small
creatures that can be a real nuisance: they'll grab you in their jaws and carry
you back to the entrance. To get rid of them, drop a Bomb in front of one, then
roll away. The Triclops will pick up the Bomb, and when it detonates, the
creature will explode. Roll underneath the floor and back out of another gap on
the opposite side, and continue on to the next room, the Triclops Pit. This is
a large, high ro