Guide For Metroid Prime %######@@###### ASCII courtesy of Written by black hole sun .oo.ooo%@@@@@%OoO".o## Dark Phenomenon Version 2.10 o,.O#@%%#O%%@@O', .##"%#O Jan 15th .,,.#@.####%%O; .##%oO""@#. Email addy: ., "#@O,@@@@. ,###OOO%##%##o [email protected] ;;;,%, ,;,.O"',.;o" .% ,'', , ,'O, .;"##Oo;..% . ,';".;';, .,, o"';o ;"";@# "";######@##.';@####.'.###O, # . ###."' o'#' o"'###"o"" ';.;O ,#., # '; ' o"o" ; %. "# ; # .. # , #,# ,o,;,.# ,; % ;;,# ,;. #'o##o .# ,,. ######o%' , @" , #o;..### . #'#" ." , %; ;.,# ,. # "# #; % . ""% o, o ",., "#. , % # " #####' ;####;@#####OoOo###O@%o%"O####### .O%O####%O%#### ####%'######### .###";"';######@ , O;OO#''"## ;## , ####o #;'#### .#, ########O @#####OO########' ###"Oo ;@####@%%#%@%"'ooO; oo"O###Oo""o"";'"''@@O. %######@@###### Metroid Prime has finally arrived! One of the most eagerly anticipated games of 2002 is here in our lovely little GameCubes. By all accounts Ms. Aran's new adventure is going to receive the coveted GOTY. But enough about how great Metroid is. I'm sure you well knew that when you popped open the package; you must have some other reason to coming here then listen to my rambling. Maybe you need help with this challenging Metroid game? Well, that is exactly why this file exists, so feel free to scroll down and have your little brains educated on the big, bad world of Tallon IV. Table of Incompetence ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ Look here, then for wherever you want to go, enter the assigned numbers on The right into the search function (CTRL + F) to arrive where you need to; this is much faster than using the scroll bar. i) But First! Notes Legal Revision History 1) Chapter One: Introductions and Tutorials Introduction [1.1] Storyline [1.2] Controls [1.3] Combat / The Basics [1.4] 2) Chapter Two: The Walkthrough Proglogue: The Frigate [2.1] Tallon IV's Treasures [2.2] Frigid Heat [2.3] Of Ruins and Mines [2.4] Metroids, Ridley, and Even Bigger Metroids [2.5] The Grand Finale [2.6] 3) Chapter Three: Gotta Catch 'em all! Suit Augmentations [3.1] Chozo Artifacts [3.2] Missile Expansions [3.3] Energy Tanks [3.4] Chozo Lore [3.5] Pirate Research Logs [3.6] 4) Chapter Four: Outro Credits [4.1] Contact Guidelines [4.2] Legal (again...) [4.3] Sections in the walkthrough contain the following upgrades: [Artifacts and Weapon Combo's are not listed here] Tallon IV's Treasures : Missiles, Morph Ball, Morph Ball Bomb, Varia Suit Frigid Heat : Speed Ball, Space Boots, Wave Beam, Spider Ball Of Ruins and Mines : Ice Beam, Gravity Suit, Power Bomb, X-Ray Visor ...and even Bigger Metroids : Plasma Beam, Phazon Suit The Grande Finale : The Final Boss...duh. ______________________________________________________________________________ Read this stuff. It's essentially irrelevant, but just think of this as the FAQ of the FAQ, if that makes sense. * This guide was written for the United States version of Metroid Prime, _not_ the PAL or Japan version. There may be slight differences between the two, but our PALs in Europe (pardon the pun) and the Japanese won't be seeing Ms. Aran until March. Ha-ha, ha-ha. It's only fair since those $%@!%&@ in Japan get Zelda four months before we do [face_really_really_angry] * I'm not allowing this guide on ANY website other than GameFAQs, Gamespot, and CheatCodes. NO OTHER SITE IS PERMITTED TO HOST THIS FILE. * IF YOU ARE GOING TO EMAIL ME WITH A QUESTION, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE MAKE SURE IT CAN'T BE ANSWERED IN THE GUIDE! I WILL NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT CAN BE FOUND IN THE GUIDE; I SIMPLY DO NOT HAVE THE TIME TO DEAL WITH SUCH LAZINESS (or illiteracy, which is quite common over the internet) ON YOUR GUYS' PART. ------------------ -Revision History- ------------------ v. 2.10 ~ January 15th, 2003 ~ Two more strategies have been added to the Omega Pirate, a few minor corrections, and the 'Cipher' Chozo Lore has been added. v. 2.00 ~ January 7th, 2003 ~ Want to know what MY new years was like? Recovering ALL of my FAQ files that crashed and failed to open when I transferred them to a floppy disk. Yes, I know, all floppy disks suck and I should be beaten with a sledge hammer for using them, but I did and I suffered the consequences. For two hours alone I spent fixing and recovering this FAQ. ARGH. Bleh, happy new years. Oh yes, and all of the nasty line break problems have been fixed as well. This will, in all likelihood, be the last update. Oh yes, one more thing: Game Recommendation - Want to know what to play AFTER Metroid? Well, I'll tell ya'll what. I just felt like making this, though it's incredibly off topic. Sue me, I can do what I want! *snickers evilishly* Most of these aren't on GCN, though. ! = You absolutely must own this game or hairy demons wearing "WASUP!" tee-shirts will eat your entrails. * = You should own this game...because I said so. Morrowind! [PC, Xbox, either one will do] No One Lives Forever 2! [PC - I'm making a FAQ for this, if you wanted to know] Suikoden III! [PS2] ICO* [PS2] Deus Ex! [PS2 or PC, PC version much better] And just because this a GameCube game, I HAVE to list at least one (there aren't many worth listing, lol...) Pikmin* [ALL PREVIOUS UPDATE DESCRIPTIONS DELETED] The grounds on which I may hire Johnny Cockrin and sue for ungodly sums of money (aka THE LEGAL NOTICE): This guide may NOT be freely distributed among the WWW. This guide may NOT appear on ANY site, or be linked to on ANY site, but GameFAQs and GameSpot and CheatCodes. This guide may not be ripped off, meaning you cannot paraphrase this and submit it under your name. It may not be redistributed electronically or physically, except for personal, private use. This guide may not be modified in any way, shape, or form without the authors (my) consent. Anyone who violates these terms of service is subject to the punishment of the full extent via various copyright violations. This copyright notice expires when the United States expires and short Chinese people take over the earth, so if you're wanting to violate this, you're in for a wait. ___________________________________________________ / ____ == ____ == ____ == ____ == ____ == ____ == ¯¯¯¯ = ¯¯¯¯ = ¯¯¯¯ = ¯¯¯¯ = ¯¯¯¯ = ¯¯¯¯ = / ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ Chapter One: Introductions and Tutorials ___________________________________________________ / ____ == ____ == ____ == ____ == ____ == ____ == ¯¯¯¯ = ¯¯¯¯ = ¯¯¯¯ = ¯¯¯¯ = ¯¯¯¯ = ¯¯¯¯ = / ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ __ __ __ __ /__/__ [1.1] Introduction [1.1] /__/__ __/__/¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯__/__/ Metroid Prime. Two words that when uttered send a chill down every GameCube fanatic's, hell, even every Xbox and PS2 fanatics spine (though they'd never admit it!). This, my friends, is the long-awaited continuation of the Metroid series, the last being the 1994 smash hit "Super Metroid" on the SNES. Boy, has the wait been worth it. You're Samus Aran, tracking down the evil Space Pirates, creators of the Phazon virus, which has mutated the once-beautiful world of Talon IV into a gruesome display of beasts and horrors beyond imagination. Well, not quite beyond the imaginations of those freaks and genius's at Retro! This is quite possibly the most polished, prettiest and most atmospheric game on the GameCube right now. But enough about the game. Let's talk about me. Don't you dare scroll down and omit this precious paragraph! This guide is, for all intensive purposes, complete. I might add a Power Bomb section a bit later, if I'm feeling up to it. If you have some information you'd like to contribute, scroll down or run a search for "Contact Guidelines". With all that filler put away, scroll down and all your Metroid Q's shall be answered in a disorderly and right-to-left fashion (...) ~ BHS __ __ __ __ /__/__ [1.2] Storyline [1.2] /__/__ __/__/¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯__/__/ First I will give the you guys the plot, courtesy of the instruction manual. You wouldn't believe how long it took me to transcribe this. (I want my 30 minutes back!) ___ ___ / / The Chozo / / ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ The Chozo...over millennia, this bird-like race of creatures made incredible technological and scientific leaps. Traveling at will through space, they built many marvels across the universe--technological wonders of unfathomable complexity and cities unmatched in beauty. They shared their knowledge freely with more primitive cultures and learned to respect and care for life in all its forms. Even as their society reached its technological peak, however, the Chozo felt their spirituality wane. Their culture was steeped in prophesy and lore, and they foresaw the decline of the Chozo coinciding with the rise of evil. Horrified by the increasing violence in the universe, they began to withdraw into themselves, forgoing technology in favor of simplicity. Tallon IV was one of several refuges they built--a colony bereft of technology, built of natural materials and wedded to the land and its creatures. The years passed, and in time a great meteor crashed into Tallon IV, sending a massive spume of matter into the atmosphere and impregnating the land with a cancerous element known as the Phazon. This element immediately sank into the earth and water, poisoning life wherever it bloomed. Most plants and animals died while other mutated into hideous forms. The Chozo then called upon their knowledge and technology to control the power of the Phazon, but their efforts were doomed to fail. All they could do was build a temple over the crater at the impact site, separate the Phazon core, and seal it away. Believing that someday a savior would return to the planet, the Chozo left for an unknown destination, leaving nothing behind but engraved accounts of their time on Tallon IV. ___ ___ / / The Space Pirates / / ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ The space pirates were interstellar nomads, technologically advanced in both weaponry and space travel. When they plundered the Metroid population that had been discovered by the Galactic federation on SR388, they recognized in them massive military and energy resource potential. They immediately invaded the nearby planet of Zebes, wiping out all life (including most of the indigenous Chozo) and building a massive network of research facilities below the planets surface. Deep below the surface of Zebes, the space Pirates researched Metroid for Many years, even as a young girl orphaned by their raid on the neighboring planet K-2L was growing up among the Chozo. Trained as a warrior and infused with Chozo blood, Samus Aran donned a Chozo-made power suit and cut a swatch through the space pirates operation destroying everything in her path, including the mainstays of the Space pirate army. She eventually made it to the core of their base, destroyed all the Metroids she say, and seemingly blew up the mother brain. But the Space Pirates were far from finished. They immediately split their survivors into two main camps. One headed to Zebes to begin rebuilding their ravaged facility and resuscitating mother brain, Ridley and Kraid. The second set out in search of a planet with powerful energy resources. They didn't search far before they discover Tallon IV, which was still emanating huge pulses of energy from the Phazon contained beneath the Chozo temple. Entranced by the massive potential of the strange mutagen, they immediately moved in retrofitting their laboratories, transporters and life support systems into the Chozo ruins. As the mined the Phazon and they found that its capacity to mutate was beyond anything they'd ever seen, and they promptly started combining it with native life-forms. They refined their operation: powering their machinery with thermal-powered engines sunk in the molten depths of Tallon Iv, they drove deep mineshafts and mined more and more Phazon, shipping it to their two man labs in the Phendrana Drifts, where sub-zero temperatures made specimen containment safer. Research leaped forward; by harnessing the Phazons power, they were able to create untold horrors that soon patrolled the dark caverns below Tallon IV's crust. The space pirates also transported man species to their orbiting ship for zero-G Phazon experiments, unaware that Samus Aran had finally tracked their ship to its low orbit. As they continued with their unnatural experiments, Samus sped towards Tallon IV, preparing to wipe them out once and for all... __ __ __ __ /__/__ [1.3] Controls [1.3] /__/__ __/__/¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯__/__/ Yes...Metroid Prime does indeed have a unique set of command buttons. Here's a look at what you will press to manipulate Samus (don't you feel all sexy?). + + + + |-----------------------------| |-----------------------------| + + + + | L Button |---| R Button | | |---| | | • Lock onto enemies |---| • Look Up and Down | | • Scan objects in Scan Mode |---| • Aim | | • Use Grapple beam. |---| • Activate Spider Ball aug | | |---| | + + + + |-----------------------------| |-----------------------------| + + + + | Z Button |---| Y Button | | |---| | |• Call up map (use when you |---| • Fire Missiles | | need to find out the name |---| • Lay Power Bombs | | of the room your are in or |---| | + place where you need to go)+ + + |-----------------------------| |-----------------------------| + + + + | X Button |---| A Button | | |---| | | • Go into/out of Morph mode |---| • Fire Laser beam weapon | | |---| • Lay Bombs | | |---| | + + + + |-----------------------------| |-----------------------------| + + + + | B Button |---| C Stick | | |---| | | • Jump |---| • Select beam weapon | | • Activate Boost |---| | | • Dash while locked on |---| | + + + + |-----------------------------| |-----------------------------| + + + + |---| ______|___|_______ | Control Stick | | | | • Control Samus | | • Look around | | • Aim (with R) | ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ __ __ __ __ /__/__ [1.4] Combat / The Basics [1.4] /__/__ __/__/¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯__/__/ ___ ___ / / ~The Visor~ ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ The Visor is a revolutionary way of being in the first-person perspective. The visor displays all the normal statistics, such as Energy Rates, Missile Ammo, etc. There are some things that are easy to miss, however. This things include the little "!" sign. When this sign is emboldened, it indicates the nearby presence of an enemy. Pay attention to this, as some times in the game, if you're not paying attention, you could find yourself being shot at from an unknown source. This is a time to pay attention to the standard radar as well. Another likable thing about this visor of Samus' is that it can be augmented to hold up to four upgrades, and you never know when you might need them. Switch to them using the (+) Control Pad. The last, but certainly not least most important feature of the Visor is to scan enemies and objects. Press Left on the (+) Control Pad to bring up the scanner, then scan any object or enemy you want. This often provides useful information on the objects and the weak spots of enemies around you, and it's required to scan everything in the game to attain the imagery galleries. ___ ___ / / ~Lock On~ ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ Yes, unlike most games of this genre, there isn't any free-look function using the C-stick. Well, that's just too bad people, because this isn't your standard FPS fare. Basically, it's back to the Golden Eye days with one stick. But, it isn't that bad since there is a lock-on function. To do this, face any enemy in your visor and press the L Button. Hold that button and Samus' weapon will hold its aim on the desired object. This makes shooting a lot easier. The only thing to remember is to hold down the L Button tightly. Now, we all know the L and R buttons have sensitivity problems, but you will have to deal with it. ___ ___ / / ~Mortal Combat~ ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ No, not the new fighter from Midway. I'm talking the fight-for-your-life- against-hideous-beasts-combat. Though the enemies aren't as powerful as those from, say, Half-Life, they still are pretty intimidating. The thing to remember in lock-on duels is that you should always keep moving. You can't just sit there and shoot at a foe and expect it to die without Samus taking any damage. No, you must learn to strafe. Strafing can be accomplished using the B Button; tapping the B button can execute this. Strafing in a circle around a fire-breathing or icicle-spewing or any other form you find in Tallon IV is key to your victory in battle. Not only are moving targets (YOU) harder to hit, but you can also find the weak spots of the enemy, most often the back of it or the tail. A general rule of thumb is to never get in a situation where you're overwhelmed. In other words, try not to engage too many monsters at once; taking on five or six space pirates isn't the easiest nor the smartest thing to do. Always try and a kill enemies one at a time, making things a lot less stressful and with much less melee than taking on battalions of the enemy. ___ ___ / / ~The Morph Ball~ ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ As from previous Metroid games, as well as in SSB:M, the Morph ball returns. It is a very important ability that will get you through tight areas, half- pipes, and even defeat some enemies. To change into the Morph ball, press the X button. You will switch to third person view and you can move Samus around in the little ball anywhere you want. You obviously cannot use any of her weapons, but, once you find the upgrade, Samus can drop bombs which act as weapons and as a means to blowing open false or cracked walls. The bombs Samus drops often will be used to propel her upward, acting as a mini-jump to get her into area's that require diligence and speed. There are three other useful upgrades to the Morph ability Samus can find. First, is the Speed Ball. The Speed Ball provides quick bursts of speed while Morphed. To activate the burst, press and hold B, then release it. There are a few uses to this upgrade, but most importantly it'll be used on half-pipes (the kind pro-skaters use to pull off tricks) to reach higher areas. The last upgrades available are the Power Bombs and Spider Ball. I've yet to attain these, so I'll hold off an explanation until later. ___ ___ / / ~Power Ups & Power Moves~ ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ There are several power-ups, health healers, and upgrades you may find during the course of your playing time. Here is a list of the aforementioned things and their purpose. _________________________________________________ + Object + Purpose/Explanation + |-------------------|-----------------------------| + + + | Small Energy Ball | Heals 10 points of lost | | | health. | | | | | Large Energy Ball | Heals 20 points of lost | | | health. | | | | | Ultra Enrgy Ball | Heals 100 points of health.| | | | | Missile Expansion | Increases the number of | | | missiles you may carry in | | | reserve by 5. | | | | | Energy Tanks | Increases your health | | | reserves by 100%. | | | | + + + |-------------------|-----------------------------| + + + ___ ___ / / ~Critical Mash~ ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ Here in the world of Tallon IV, you will have a ton of info at your disposal. This includes your Map, Log Book, and Inventory. To bring up the map during gameplay, press the Z button. This shows a three dimensional display of the area's surrounding Samus. There are a few key elements that make this map special. First though, learn to use the legen. Many times you will find yourself lost, looking for a door. Look at the map and find the symbol that marks the door and there ya go. Second, there is a hint feature built into the map. At certain points in the game, a little screen will come up on your Visor and will say its downloading or decoding or something along those lines new information. Once it's finished, check your map and a question mark will appear over an area on the map. That question mark notes where you should go next. This is VERY VERY helpful, so don't be afraid to use it since it doesn't spoil anything. A good nudge in the right direction never hurt anybody, right? The Inventory is standard fare in Adventures and some FPS. Here in this hybrid we have the inventory as well. Here you may look at any and all of Samus upgrades and get an in-depth description of them. The Log book is where your scanings go to. All the information you've collected from scanning enemies and objects is copied and permanently pasted here for later reading. This includes Pirate Data, Chozo Lore, Creatures (the bestiary), Research, and Artifacts. Be sure to check this screen now and then as it's key to understanding the story and truly immersing yourself into this gargantuan game. ___ ___ / / ~The Armory~ ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ The last sub-section in this section is information on Samus' various suits and gadgetries. The Power Suit is the most basic of Samus collection of high-powered Chozo- made energy efficient armor. You will never see Samus out of her suit as it's an important source of protection as well as a way to survive the harsh environments Samus will venture to. The Varia suit is the same as the power suit, but with one special little ability: it allows Samus to survive extreme heat, ala Magmoor Caverns. The Gravity Suit allows Samus to ignore the adverse affects of being submerged by letting her jump and move as she normally would on dry land. The last suit, the Phazon Suit, grants immunity to the adverse affects of the toxic substance called Phazon. Now, we get into Samus weapons. The Power Beam is her most basic weapon which is a standard blaster. It can be charged for a more powerful blast, but there's nothing really special about it except for its fast firing- rates. The Wave beam fires rounds of energy (electricity) at foes. As like the Power Beam, the Wave Beam can be charged up for a more unruly blast, but this one blast momentarily stuns foes, allowing you to put them away without much more of a scuttle. She two more weapons that I can remember off the top of my head: The ice and plasma beams. The Ice beam, as you'd expect, shoots out ice. For a more detailed description (well...sorta) see the "Suit Augmentations" Section. As for the Plasma Beam, this one is the most powerful and it gives off extreme heat. I for one didn't know plasma was hot...I mean, it makes up 99% of the universe, and most of the universe is at absolute zero temperature. Except for stars, which are made of plasma and obviously very very hot...what the hell am I babbling about!? Bleh, stooopid science exams. Sorry if I made your head hurt. ___________________________________________________ / ____ == ____ == ____ == ____ == ____ == ____ == ¯¯¯¯ = ¯¯¯¯ = ¯¯¯¯ = ¯¯¯¯ = ¯¯¯¯ = ¯¯¯¯ = / ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ Chapter Two: The Walkthrough ___________________________________________________ / ____ == ____ == ____ == ____ == ____ == ____ == ¯¯¯¯ = ¯¯¯¯ = ¯¯¯¯ = ¯¯¯¯ = ¯¯¯¯ = ¯¯¯¯ = / ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ Yes, the real reason that you clicked on this file's link is directly below. You should run a search using the Table of Contents by Pressing CTRL + F and typing in where you want to go. Of course you don't have to, but it sure saves a lot of scrolling. As some of you may notice, the section breakers I used to separate the levels are identical to my Ts2 FAQ. You can blame this on my laziness and the fact that they still look damn good ;) _____ _____ /___/ [2.1] Prologue [2.1] /___/ /___/¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯/___/ Take the time after the introducing cut scene to familiarize yourself with the awkward controls. You're going to have to deal with them since there isn't any customization available. After you're done doing whatever it is you usually do when you start a brand new game, be it admiring the surroundings, playing with Samus's Morph function, or hoping your dad will buy you a new zucchini for Christmas (...), head up to the force- field and hit all four buttons attached to the beams with Samus's Power Beam. This will cause the force-field to dissipate. You just solved the games first puzzle, congratulations :P Go up to the machine on the center of the platform. If you cannot find it, my best advice is to jump naked into a piranha infested pool. Anyway, scan the thing to activate the red buttons over on the left. Shoot the visible four like last time. But it doesn't open! Try looking up with the R button. Leap up the step and proceed into the frigate itself. If you honestly need help from here until you get to the boss, well, I feel for you buddy. Eventually, you should reach the boss, the Parasite Queen. [BOSS: The Parasite Queen] The Parasite Queen is a large mutant insect the Space Pirates have been experimenting with, augmenting it and injecting it with Phazon, a substance known to genetically mutate life forms (which they hope to use for their purposes). You shouldn't have come to this conclusion yet, but I just told you, so there. Anyways, this boss is relatively generic and simple; it's main purpose is to get you familiar with the lock-on and strafe techniques. All that needs to be done is to [GASP!] shoot it a bunch of times. Retro spices things up by putting a force-field around the thing, so there are only two openings in the force field at any given time. You must use the B Button to strafe to the points where the force field is not active. The Queens only attack is spitting out some kind out some kind of toxic juice. If you're caught in the beam, you lose only about 10 points of health. Just strafe around the attacks. All and all, this a pretty simple minded fight. It is time consuming, but to anyone at least somewhat familiar to the action genre, this should be a breeze. After the Parasite Queen is defeated, the frigate will Start to get really screwed up, and as the five-minute timer indicates it's going to blow up in a jiffy. Escaping isn't that hard, just ignore the bugs crawling around. It's all very linear, but don't worry; once you're off this space rig and onto Tallon IV things get much better. _____ _____ /___/ [2.2] Tallon IV's Treasures [2.2] /___/ /___/¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯/___/ You will land on Tallon IV (pronounced either "Tallon Four," because of the possible Roman numeral [IV], or "Tallon Eye-Vee," and I'm not really sure) at the landing site. As you might have noticed, Samus has lost her Morphing function, her Grapple Beam, the Charge Shot, her missile capabilities, and her Varia suit. Yeah, that definitely sucks, but here in this section we're going to get them all back, and more. You will be prompted to save. Do so by pressing "yes". Note that when you return to your ship all your ammunition (if you have any) will be restored. Here in this landing site there isn't much you can do without augmentation. So for now, jump up the terraces in front of Samus' ship and proceed through the door. You will encounter some Beetle's, whom will burrow from out of the sand. Blow them to pieces if that is your desire, but I wouldn't waste my time on them since all enemies reappear once you enter a new area and return. Out of the tunnel you will arrive at a small area called Tallon Canyon. It's green, full of wildlife, with a beautiful waterfall at its center and a half-pipe at its end (which you can't do anything with yet). You may explore the canyon, but there isn't much you can do in your current state. Just proceed through the door at the canyons end. A Chozo-made elevator is what Samus will stumble upon. Scan the elevators control panel and take it up to the Chozo Ruins. Proceed through the Ruins Access, disarming a few beetles while you're at it. When you reach the Main Plaza, head straight, meaning directly to the north. At the end of the plaza, turn left and you will find a door. Head on through it to the Nursery Access, and then to the Ruined Nursery. There you'll encounter some pesky bugs called War Wasps. As you might guess, they are only bees; a blast or two from your Power Beam should put them in their place. Hop up the slabs of stone and enter the door where you may save your game. Exit that room and proceed on through the door, noting the Morph ball maze on the wall (which you can't use yet). Continue to the North Artium, and then to the room entitled Hive Totem, a dark and murky room full of toxic sludge that you wouldn't want to be caught dead in (haha). Mini-Boss time. This "boss" is incredibly easy. All you have to do is dispose of the War Wasps, then shoot the machine that is dispensing them. That's it. When you destroy it, a [MISSILE EXPANSION] will become unlocked; go retrieve it to restore Samus' missile launch capabilities. ~ ACQUIRED : Missile Launch ~ Grab the [ENERGY TANK] in the adjoining room, then return to the Ruined Gallery. There is a [MISSILE EXPANSION] behind a cracked, false wall that can be blown open with a missile. Also in this room is a map machine, which downloads the entire map of Chozo Ruins. Nifty little device, no? Get to it by blowing the barricade off the door it's behind. Now, return to the Main Plaza. Go back to the half-pipe in the centerway of the plaza. Right after you fully pass it, turn right to find a door with a barricade over it, like the one you found blocking the door to the map machine. This is the same; blow it off as a gun blows a lock off. Battle the beetles in the Ruined Shrine Access, then proceed to the Ruined Shrine itself. Leap over the stone to come to a small, enclosed little area, and a bajillion beetles will unearth themselves to engage in battle. This isn't hard by any means, but after you annihilate all the little buggers, the big momma, also called the Plated Beetle, will appear nice and angry. Destroy this piece of work by blasting its red tail. Two missile's will do it in. Afterwards, a slab of stone will lower itself, giving you access to the Morph Ball augmentation! ~ ACQUIRED : Morph Ball ~ Use the Morph Ball to get through the pipe going through the work of stone. Back at the Main Plaza, head to its northernmost end to find a series of platforms which you can use to ascend. Do so and you will encounter some more troublesome War Wasps; blast their hive and proceed to the door the bridge made of roots will take you to. Inside is a small tunnel; watch out for the suicidal Scarabs and Morph through the wreckage like you did on the Space Frigate. Head to the Ruined Fountain where you will find some fire-fly like creatures lighting the chamber. Go through the door on the left, to the Arboretum. The Arboretum is a huge, cylindrical chamber with a giant tree in the center, which reaches up to the ceiling. Well, we'll explore it later, as for now we have other errands. Go through the door on the other end of the bottom floor, avoiding the omnipresent poisoned waters, to a small maintenance corridor. Run on through it to the Gathering Hall. On the right is a saving point for the paranoid, if you fall into that category. Go through the door to the right of the poisoned pond, to the Watery Hall Access, where another false and cracked wall conceals a [MISSILE EXPANSION]. At the Watery Hall (such a clever name) you will have to scan four smartly hidden Runes to open a door. The first (1) is to the left of the entrance. The next (2) is on the bottom floor; jump across the stone islands to reach it, under the Blastcaps (the deformed toadstools). Next (3) is on the east side of the room, directly below the door you're trying to open. The last (4) is right next to the door we're attempting to open; get their by making like Mario and hopping across the platforms. When you scan all four, scan the center of the door and it'll retract, revealing to you the Charge Shot. ~ ACQUIRED : Charge Shot ~ Exit this Watery Hall back to the Gathering Hall. Once there, make your way up to the top using the various platforms. Continue into a place called the Energy Core. Turn left and enter the pipe on the bottom of the floor. Go through the network of pipes until you find... a boss. Not too tough. [Mini-Boss - Incinerator Drone] This is a mini-boss, not a boss. Thus, things are a lot easier than they normally would be. The things only attacks are spewing out jets of flame, but you should watch out for the War Wasps in the indestructible hive above the machine. To attack the thing, all you have to do is wait until a red button appears over it. Hit that red button until it retracts. Continue in this fashion to defeat it. Once you defeat it you will get the bomb upgrade. ~ ACQUIRED : Morph Ball Bomb ~ Before you leave, scan the (with your eyes) floor and you will spot a small discoloration in the shape of a pipe. It's a little blockade preventing you from entering it; blow it open, go down the pipe to find a [MISSILE EXPANSION]. Return to the Energy Core. Find the fat Stonetoad on the floor and let it eat you. How to let it eat you? Go into a Morph in front of it and it'll slurp you right up! Bomb the inside of its mouth to spill its guts and open a secret room. Inside the room is a machine, and next to it a Morph Ball Slot in the wall. Get into the slot and drop a bomb in it. This will force the machine to start churning, draining the Energy Core of its toxic waters. A timer will now start (remember this, Ocarina of Time fans?) and you must get to the room outside and to the right, before the poisonous water returns when the timer expires. Get there, use the ball switch in the wall, and this will make some platforms start moving. Use them to get to another machine; use the ball switch and the timer will stop and more platforms will rise and a door will unlock. Through the unlocked door you will find a Magnetic Rail Track; you cannot use it it yet, since you don't have the Spider Ball upgrade, so just go through the small pipe next to it. It leads to a valuable [ENERGY TANK]. Backtrack to the Arboretum. If you forgot where it is, check the map. Here you want to find four Runic symbols, like you did in the Watery Hall, and scan them to open a door. The first (1) is on a small little island in the midst of the poisonous waters, on the bottom. Blast away the toxic gas to get to it. The (2) is located up a bit higher. Use the platforms connected to the tree to get to a small Morph ball ledge. Get across it by blowing away the blocks with your bombs. After you pass another small ledge accessible only by using your Morph ball, you will find the second runic symbol. The third (3) is above the small bridge made out of sticks, and the last (4) is facing the door we need to get open, way up at the top of the Arboretum. Once you scan them all, the door will open, of course. Make your way through some hazardous corridors filled with toxic grass and Reaper Vines to find your first REAL boss battle, with Flaagrha. [BOSS: Flaagrha] Flaagrha is a giant plant with a name that I don't care to learn to pronounce. That pretty much sums it up. But, destroying the thing will require some critical thinking skills. Flaagrha's main attack is to beam stuff at you, like the Parasite Queen did, and swipe with its claws. Its only other attack is to throw its head on and create a temporary garden, fully of toxic plants that you should take care to avoid. Now, onto the strategy you'll use to kill the thing. Look around the arena and you will find four mirrors. In the beginning, only one mirror is active and is shining light on Flaagrha. That light is the source of the plants' power. That means you must somehow stop that light from shining on the plant. But first, you must stun Flaagrha. Get into the vicinity of the active mirror and start pounding Flaagrha with your Power Beam until it is stunned. Once it is stunned, shoot the button on the backside of the mirror; this will cause the mirror to deactivate, and Flaagrha will take a blow and fall paralyzed to the floor. Now is your chance to damage it. FMV will show the vines guarding the tunnels that lead to Flaaghra recede. Morph into those tunnels and at the end you will find a Morph Ball Slot. Use it and you will hit Flaagrha, hard, and do some damage. _____________________________________________________________________________ A good strategy from It's Ray: Go to the door that leads out but DON'T LEAVE. You will have lost some health and missiles for sure. You might as well fill them up if you can, right? Well, slowly advance towards the gas area. SLOWLY until the threat meter (or whatever you call it) is at the highest before hurting you. Hold down your "R button" and shoot the [insert name of ball thingies that have gaz in them] one by one as they come out. When you shoot them, use your charge beam to bring in the missiles and health. Do that until you get full health and missiles. It might take awhile, but it'll help you later on. _____________________________________________________________________________ After you damage it the first time, not only will the original mirror reset into its default position but ANOTHER mirror will activate, giving the monster more energy. The same strategy applies; stun the beat then quickly deactivate the mirrors. Make sure the thing is stunned BEFORE you attempt to deactivate the mirrors, otherwise Flaagrha will reach with a tentacle and reset the mirror itself. After you damage it again, three total mirrors will become active. Hit it again, and then one more time with all four mirrors functioning, and you will kill the source of the poison that is plaguing the Chozo Ruins. After you defeat the plant-monster, grab the little coin, which is actually your Varia suit! ~ ACQUIRED : Varia Suit ~ Now you can enter the dangerous heats of the Magmoor Caverns! Hop up the steps the Varia suit was lying on. Go through the door, pass the currently- invulnerable Pulse Bombu to the elevator that will take you where you need to go. _____ _____ /___/ [2.3] Frigid Heat [2.3] /___/ /___/¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯/___/ Run along the Burning Trail, making your way to the saving point on the left where the tunnel turns at a right angle. I suggest you use it. Afterwards make your way into the Lake Tunnel. Kill the Grizby's with concussion missiles, proceed to the Lava Lake, the threshold of Magmoor. At the Lava Lake you will encounter a Magmoor poking its head out of the lava (if you didn't guess, this whole place is named after that serpent). Give it a few blows to the head with any particular weapon to blow its head off (literally). While you're standing there, it's a good idea to rid this cavern of the troublesome Puffers, who [on death] release an annoyingly poisonous gas. Since you've no double jump, this little bit of platforming will be quite a challenge for the newbie. Well, deal with it and get to the other side of this beautiful, vacation-worthy pool of magma (...) Wait! There's no way out of here! Help me BHS!!! As someone once said, you've got to think outside the box. In this case, that someone meant it literally; approach the supply boxes ahead of you and Morph into them. Blow the boxes up with a bomb to reveal a false wall. I'm sure you can take it from here. Ahh, here's a lovely piece of work. Morph into the pit to find some Triclops', vexing little creatures that like to take Samus into their mouths and spit her out...to the exit. They really will carry you to the exit of the pit and spit you out if you get caught in their claws. So, it's better to put them to death by leaving a Morph ball bomb in their vicinity; they will pick the bomb up and BOOM: pop goes the weasel. Once you're out of the annoying little pit you shall come to another, larger cavern with another Triclops pit. If you want a [MISSILE EXPANSION], you must throw Samus into the pit and navigate around the little creatures. If you don't, or are lazy like me, then just platform-hop up the floating islands to the exit. The Moniter Station is the most important area in Magmoor, as it contains an Artifact (which we can't yet get) and has transports to Phendrana and Tallon Overworld. For now, we'll take the path to Phendrana. Firstly, destroy the turrets hanging from the arch. Once finished, proceed to the west end of the area, where a single Puffer is floating around near a small island in the lava. Use the island to get onto a narrow, ascending path. Run up the path and at its summit leap off and onto the catwalk protruding in your direction. From there, proceed to the door. Blow it open, then use the tunnels to get to Phendrana. Blow away the ice with a charged shot of your Power Beam to arrive at Phendrana. This is a beautiful land of snow and ruins. It's also one of the places you will spend a lot of time at, searching for upgrades and whatnot. There [currently] aren't any immediately threatening enemies, unless you consider the Crystallites to be a true horror. Approach the blocked up tunnel to your left. Get into it by using your Morph abilities, and then scan the wall for a switch. It will unlock a door "directly above you". Exit the tunnel and hang a left to find a series of small platforms acting like a set of stairs. Follow them up, and at the top landing jump to the door you just unlocked. In the Ice Ruins Access you will encounter some Pulse Bombus. These irrational little creatures are just a ball full of energy...literally. You cannot destroy them (you need the Wave Beam) so just Morph by, squeezing through their electrical arcs. In the Ice Ruins East you will encounter some Baby Sheegoths, the real predators of Phendrana. Heheh, those are pretty big babies aren't they? Just wait till you see the adults! To defeat them you've got to blast their backs until their shells come off, then hit their vulnerable backs a few more times to kill them. That is if you feel like it. You're better off ignoring them; it's not like you get more EXP. points for defeating the Sheegoths. Anyway, turn to your right and start making jumps up the platforms. Continue to roof-hop until you reach a door. Get through it to a small tunnel. Run through the melee of bugs that like to splatter stuff on your visor, to the Ice Ruins West. On the far corner of this snowy ruin there is a ditch leading to a door. Enter the door to come to a clearing with Pulse Bombu's bombing away. Ignore them for now and continue to Phendrana Canyon. There is a switch up a short slope. Activate it and some platforms will appear over a half-pipe. Right when you land on one, that one starts to sink, so make your jumps quickly to get the Speed Ball. ~ ACQUIRED : Speed Ball ~ Now, 'tis time for some backtracking and gathering goodies on your way. So, head back to the Chozo Ruins. In the room with the Transport to Magmoor are three doors. The center door is the one you should go through to the Transport Access North. Ride the pacing lift up to a small pipe. Go through the pipe via Morph ball to come to a small chamber with an upgrade blocked off from all sides. Unlock the upgrades using the Morph Ball Slots; you're going to have to time your bomb placement since the slots are pretty high. Once you use all three, the [MISSILE EXPANSION] is yours. Now head out the door in here to find a [ENERGY TANK] on a ledge overlooking the main plaza. Drop down off the ledge and head over to the half-pipe. On the half-pipe, go into your Morph mode. The camera should reveal a [MISSILE EXPANSION]. Grab it by using your Speed Ball augmentation. Do I need to explain how? Back on our mission, head all the way back to Tallon Overworld, the Tallon Canyon to be precise. There you will find a half-pipe. Use it to reach the higher ledges. Cross the bridge of wood to a dead end. Or so it seems like a dead end. Bomb the false wall in Morph mode to reveal a small passageway. Get through it to arrive back at the Landing Site, only this time you're on a previously inaccessible height. Turn left and enter the door to find your Space Boots. ~ ACQUIRED : Space Boots ~ Jump down and save at your ship; this also replenishes your missile supply. While you're down there you might as well explore. Upon further examination you should find a small hole containing a lot of grass. Inside is a [MISSILE EXPANSION]. Now it's time to return to Phendrana. A much quicker way of getting there is by going through the Root Cave. If you haven't already been there, the Root cave is accessible through the Tallon Canyon; its entrance is next to the waterfall. On the bottom of the root cave is a door. Go through it to find a small tunnel. Under the causeway is a [MISSILE EXPANSION]; be sure to grab that before entering the transport room and taking it to the Magmoor. Once in Magmoor Caverns, take the path to your right. Navigate the track over the lava. Don't worry about the Magmoor; he shouldn't bother you much. In the following room, you should notice you appear to be stranded. Not so; look to your left to find some crates. Go into Morph mode and bomb them to reveal a Morph ball track. Follow the track above the lava to a [MISSILE EXPANSION]. Drop down to find a not-so-pleasant Triclops. Have fun with it. Leap over the magma and continue to the door. From here, I dare make the assumption that you have the competence to find your way back to the Monitor Station. Look at the map if you get lost. Once you're back there, head on up to BRIDGE to the transport to Phendrana. On the BRIDGE, look to your left to find a small maintanence cart hanging slightly above it. Jump onto it to reach the higher platform. Approach the spinner and place Samus in it. I assume you know what to do. Once you finish the bridge will extend...half-way, but it's enough to let you jump. Do so, then follow the path up the Artifact, the first of twelve. Now, proceed to Phendrana. Once you re-arrive at the Phendrana Shore, go up the slope you took to reach the East Ice Ruins, the slope with the Crystallites crawling all over it. This time though, *instead* of jumping to the door that led to the East Ice Access, jump on the floating platform. You shouldn't have any trouble with your new jumping capabilities. Use the following platforms to reach the entrance to the Ice Temple. Head on through the door to find a little jumping puzzle, and a baby Sheegoth; you know what to do. As for the jumping, the only thing you should worry about are the Ice Parasites crawling around the blocks. Blast them to pieces beforehand to insure they don't get in the way. Once at the top, notice the door is closed and there doesn't appear to be a switch nearby. Scan the nearby faces...one of them has "stress fractures that can be seen running down its face." Blast that one with a rocket to reveal a Morph Ball Slot. Use it to open the door. In the Chapel Tunnel, there is a block that can be broken. Bomb it to drop down. Scroll to the far left and start bombing away to lower the above pillar. Do that same with the next and you will come to the Chapel of the Elders, where you will be received with an ambush of baby Sheegoths. Destroy all four...and an adult Sheegoth will blast out of the wall. I told you they were big. [Unofficial BOSS: (Adult) Sheegoth] I know this isn't a boss, but to the first-time Metroid gamer it will seem as hard a as a real boss battle. The Sheegoth is immune to Beam weaponry (except the Plasma Beam, but that information doesn't apply to us yet). Everything you shoot at it will be absorbed by the crystals on its back. The way to damage it is to wait until it breaths ice; after it breaths ice it goes into a short hibernation period, almost as if it is resting. That's your chance; lock onto the mouth and hit it with a Missile. About six Missiles blasts will kill it. As for its attacks, they are basic. Just a ram when you get too close and a breath of ice which can freeze you (tap B to get unfrozen). Once you finish up, the Wave Beam will be yours! ~ ACQUIRED: Wave Beam ~ Backtrack to the Phendrana Shoreline. Go to the Ice Ruins West. Once there, notice a ruin with an open door directly right of the entrance. Go into that ruin and you will find some Chozo Lore. Scan it, then jump higher to a vantage point where you can lock onto a hanging stalactite. Hit it with a missile and the stalactite will plop to the snow, providing you with platform to reach a higher area. Exit the ruin and hurdle onto the fallen stalactite. Turn 180 degrees to find a ledge with Crystallites crawling on it. Jump over to that and continue to roof-hop until you come a door openable only by hitting it with your Wave Beam. Through the door you will find some Pulse Bombu's and Scarabs. You can finally kill the annoying Pulse Bombu's! Do so and proceed to the Courtyard. Head over to the spinner and use it to open the hatches of two large pipes 50 feet above you. There is another spinner, on the west end of the Courtyard (consider 'west' the left of where you first entered). Use it and you will activate a Morph Ball Slot. Use the slot to temporarily raise the water levels in the Courtyard; when the levels are fully raised, traverse over the floes to the small ball chute. Enter it to find an [ENERGY TANK]. The water levels should now be back to normal; raise them again, but this time climb up to the top platform. Before you go any further, you may want to save, on the east side of the courtyard; the door with the barricade on it. Go through the door on the north end of the Courtyard, noting that the door on the west is not powered. We've got to fix that, but doing so will take a while. Head into Specimen Storage. A Shadow Pirate will be kind enough to make your acquaintance. He doesn't have any weaponry...except for his claws. You should take care to avoid those. Afterwards, take out the turret and proceed to the Research Entrance. There will be an ambush of four or five Space Pirates. Use a charge beam to take them out, as two charged shots will do the lamen Space Pirate in. Once you've finished your dirty little business, advance up the catwalks and make your way to the Hydra Lab. Dissipate the force-field using the switch and some more wannabes will attack. KO all six of them then head up the catwalks. Take out the turret, scan all the information that can be scanned, and that's a lot it. It'll take you ten minutes to read all of that. When you care to leave, do so via the purple door on the ceiling, on the top platform. This icy tunnel contains four turrets. Knock them all out before entering the Observatory. Take out all the pirates in here and a terminal will activate. The FMV will show you where. Activate that terminal to activate a Morph Ball Slot. Activate that to activate another Morph Ball Slot. Activate THAT to activate the four spinners around the base of the projector. Use them to get the hologram of the planets up and running, and to make what looks like a missile expansion appear above. You might want to scan Zebes and Tallon IV, as well as the other planets (a hint of a sequel, Retro?) before climbing up and taking...the Super Missile! ~ ACQUIRED: Super Missile ~ Save in the door behind you, the one with the barrier on it, before continuing to an elevator that leads to the Control Tower. There are several Space Pirates lurking; take them out, and afterward you will have to deal with four Flying Pirates. They aren't that hard; just make sure to get out of the way of their suicide dash when you damage them enough. In Reasearch Lab Aether, you will find a Metroid! Metroid fans are now in reverie of their days as 8 year olds playing Super Metroid. After you get over the gorgeous model of the Metroid you're going to have to battle the thing. It isn't very hard...unless it gets stuck on you. If that happens, go into Morph mode and lay a bomb on yourself; the explosion will knock it off. If you just leave the Metroid there, it will stay on Samus, sucking her energy away. Once you kill it, a Space Pirate will promptly appear and object to your rude ways. Put him to 'rest' and clean out the entire room. Look at all the storage tanks...in one of them is an [ENERGY TANK]. Get it by blowing up the glass with a missile. Afterwards, exit to the Research Core Access through a small door on the floor. There isn't much in the Research Core Access, so continue to the Research Core itself. You will spot a single Space Pirate near a terminal. Take him out as well as the flying pirates who've arrived. Drop to the bottom to find the thermal visor, behind a force-field. Deactivate the force field by scanning the three terminals in this room, one on every level. ~ ACQUIRED: Thermal Visor ~ Now your only goal is to get out of here, back to the Courtyard. But, first things first. Some Space Pirates will attack; drop them and head up the catwalks. And guess what; the Metroid containment tanks will all shatter as you get near them. Go figure. Once you've cleared the entire room, head to the door. But you will note it's not working; turn on your Thermal Visor to spot a power conduit. Blast the power conduit with your Wave Beam to restore the doors power. Return to Research Lab Aether. Turn on your Thermal Visor (if it isn't already on) and proceed up the catwalks...you should notice a small, narrow ventilation duct...without its sealing. This means it's just a narrow catwalk, big enough for a cat, or of course your Morph Ball. Use it and carefully follow it to a [MISSILE EXPANSION]. I assume you can make your way back to the Courtyard. Back in the Courtyard, recall the door that was inactive. Go to it now. Turn on your thermal Visor to spot a power conduit; but it's behind a thin sheath of cordite. Blast the rock off using your Super Missile (How to fire the super missile? With the Power Beam out, hold the A button until fully charged, then press Y). Now hit the conduit to activate the door. Proceed through some tunnels and Morph ball paths to a boss battle with Thardus. [BOSS: Thardus] Thardus is...a bunch of rocks held together by some kind of energy force. Don't ask, I don't know either. Its main attacks are stomping the ground and sending out an ice trail that, if you're caught in it, will freeze you. Simply double-jump whenever you see him ready himself (why do I assume it's a "him"?) for the ascribed attack. His other attack is raising rocks out of the ground and throwing them at you. Be sure and destroy them once they are in the air, as they can be heavily damaging. His last, and perhaps most potent attack is when he rolls into a ball and speeds towards you. The ONLY way to avoid this is to get into morph mode and use the speed function to scoot away. This RARELY works; count on taking a hit whenever he does this attack. You cannot initially see his weak spots, thus you cannot lock onto it. But, turn on your Thermal Visor and you will see a particularly weak joint. Now you may lock on. Strafe around this joint, hitting it with whatever you have, hopefully with missiles because any other method takes way too long. Some things that might pose a problem while attacking in this manner include the defect of the Thermal Visor; it can be disrupted by flashes of energy. Recall that the Thardus draws rocks out of the ground to toss at you; when you destroy them your vision is gamma white and you can't see a thing for several life-threatening seconds. I recommend that once you identify that he will execute this attack to quickly switch off your Thermal Visor and destroy the rocks with Combat Visor, then quickly switch back and resume your usual attacks. When you hit the weak joint enough, it will loose its outer membrane and become visible to the naked eye. Good thing, too, because the Thermal Visor will overload when the joint loses its membrane. Take the Thermal Visor off and start attacking the joint in your Combat Visor. After you destroy it, you will do damage to the Thardus. This will be a LONG fight. You must hit and destroy about seven or eight joints until Thardus finally is killed. About half-way through the fight, things will get even more interesting when Thardus summons a blizzard; this means that when your Combat Visor is on, your vision is all cloudy like it's foggy in the arena. This (obviously) makes it difficult to see. Luckily your Thermal Visor won't have this problem, but you can only use that for so long. Once you destroy all of his vital weak spots, it will FINALLY fall to the ground, turned back into what it originally was; a lifeless pile of rock. Your reward? The Spider Ball! ~ ACQUIRED : Spider Ball ~ Use the Spider Ball on the Magnetic Rail Tracks to get out of here. But there are two different routes you may take; one leads back to where you came from, the other leads to a transport to Magmoor. Take the one that leads to Magmoor. Check the map to see which one this is. Once you arrive back at Magmoor, turn around and save your game. Now proceed out into the Magmoor Workstation. Some Flying Pirates will greet you; drop them and take out your Thermal Visor. You should spot at least three power conduits. Activate all three, and a machine will start working; it will cool the lava in the Triclops pit below. Enter the Triclops pit and roll to the path with the recently cooled magma. What it leads to is a Morph Ball Slot. Activate it to cool another path, and start a timer. Get to where you need to and activate next Morph Ball Slot, cooling the north path. There, you will find an [ENERGY TANK]. Get back to ground level and take the path to the northeast, up the blocks of rock to a fiery chamber with a large...THING, called a Puddle Spore, in the center of the heat. Shoot the things, ahhh, mouth, to make it turn over on its back, pretending to be a stepping stone (...). Make your way to the Geothermal Core. There isn't anything you can do there yet, but remember its location. Use the puddle spores to get across the lava pit. In the North Tunnel, there will be a piece of rock hanging over a Magmoor. Shoot the rock with a missile to have it crush the Magmoor (that was OH so satisfying...well, to me at least). In the Twin Flares tunnel, again hit the rock on the ceiling with a concussion missile to create a stepping stone. Proceed to the transport to... the Chozo Ruins. Well, the transport itself won't directly take you there, but it will point you in the right direction. And if you couldn't guess from my not- so-subtle hinting, the Chozo Ruins is where we need to go next. Thus, this section concludes. _____ _____ /___/ [2.4] Of Ruins and Mines [2.4] /___/ /___/¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯/___/ Once in the Chozo Ruins, head to the Ruined Shrine, the place where you received the Morph Ball upgrade. In there, two [MISSILE EXPANSIONS] can be found; one can be collected up the half-pipe; the other through the blocked-up pipe entrance (use bombs to blow it open). After you gather them, use the half- pipe to get up to a small landing. Head through the stone corridor to find a Magnetic Rail Track. You know what to do. Proceed from here to the Tower of Light. The Tower Of Light has an upgrade we need to get. First, though, we're going to have to solve a puzzle. We need to get to the top of the Temple of Light; but the problem is the platforms required are just too high to jump to. So, scan the pillars supporting the tower. You will find many of them cracked and otherwise structurally unsound. If you put a pair of missiles into them, they will collapse. There are four of these structurally-lacking points on this level; blow them all and the entire Tower of Light will lower itself about 10 feet, enough for you to reach the next set of platforms. Watch out for the Oculus' though, as missiles bounce of their backs. Continue to lower the Tower of Light in this manner until you reach the Wave Buster upgrade. ~ ACQUIRED : Wave Buster ~ Now it's time to get back on our main quest. Backtrack from wherever you are to the Ruined Fountain. Check the map to find out where that is. In the Ruined Fountain, you will notice that the fountain is now clear of toxicity and is working correctly. Put your Morph ball into the fountain when it's not spouting water. Wait a second and the water will push Samus' ball into the Magnetic Rail Track on the ceiling. Use it to reach a [MISSILE EXPANSION]. From the Ruined Fountain, head to the Gathering Hall. You might want to save your progress, but I'll leave that up to you. Go into the Watery Hall through the door adjoining this hall. Remember here, where you got your Charge Shot? Anyway, head to right, where you found the Charge shot. There you will find a entrance to a pipe. Head through the pipe to the Dynamo. There you will find some Magnetic Rail Tracks. Use them to get a [MISSILE EXPANSION]. Drop back down and blow open the circular pan covering another [MISSILE EXPANSION]. We're done with the Watery Hall, for now at least. Return to the Gathering Hall. Make your way up and go into the Energy Core. Skip across the previously lain platforms to another pipe. Morph through it to find a Magnetic Rail Track. Continue through the 2D puzzle maze, using the Speed Ball on the blocks that like to put on a disappearing act. You're now in the second part of the furnace. Turn left and read the Chozo Lore above the pipe, then hop in. In the Crossway is another half-pipe. Do we ever get tired of these? No ;) Use it to reach the north end of the room. Scan the three editions of Chozo Lore, then turn on your Thermal Visor. Notice that the face next to the exit is glowing. Blast the face off with a Super Missile to reveal a power conduit. Hit the conduit with the Wave Beam and some Magnetic Rail Tracks will appear over the half-pipe. Use the half-pipe to get to the rail tracks, then use the rail to get in the Morph Ball Slot. This will make another Magnetic Rail Track swerve out of a wall. Continue with this pattern until you earn the [MISSILE EXPANSION]. Leave the premises to the Hall of the Elders where you will be greeted by a Chozo Ghost. Kill the Chozo Ghost (again I suppose, since technically it's already dead), and the hands on the statue of a Chozo will start to give off a blue hue. Put the Morph ball into the hands, and they will clasp and throw Samus onto a Magnetic Rail Track. Use it to find another Morph Ball Slot. Use it and three slots will light up. Jump to the upper level, then shoot with your Wave Beam the purple colored circle, revealing a Morph Ball Slot. Once you use it, the tracks on the lower level will rotate. Let the Chozo statue toss you again, and this time your destination will be the Reflecting Pool (don't forget to deactivate the force field). Jump head first into the pool. At bottom you should find a drain plug. Blow it off in Morph mode and the water will drain, leaving you the half-pipe free of the ever-hindering hydrogen(II) oxide. Use the half-pipe (watch out for the Stone Toads; you may want to consider taking them out beforehand) to get to the upper level. There is a saving point behind another one of those barriers, though it's hardly necessary. Proceed into the Antechamber, where you shall find the Ice Beam. ~ ACQUIRED : Ice Beam ~ Revisit the Hall of the Elders, more precisely the three Morph Ball Slots. This time, shoot the white circle with the Ice beam. Use the slot, and the course below will alter itself again. This time, when used it leads to an [ENERGY TANK]. Now that we have the Ice Beam, we get to backtrack to Phendrana, ALL the way back to the Research Core. Have fun on your trip, because there will be more of this kind of excessive backtracking. At the bottom floor of the Research Core, there is a door openable only by hitting it with the Ice Beam. Do this and you shall arrive at the Frozen Pike. There isn't much to do here, so take the second entrance from top (check your map) to the Frost Cave Access. In the Frost Cave itself you will come across an adolescent Metroid, called a Hunter Metroid (get it?). Destroy the incommodious little creature before hitting the stalactites on the ceiling with concussion blasts. Use the fallen blocks of rock and ice to get to the only viable entrance way, which happens to lead to a small tube. You know what to do. This lengthy stretch of metal takes you to Phendrana's Edge. Here, you're going to jump into the water. Yes, I know you don't want to. I don't either, and I know it's hard as hell to maneuver in that psuedo-zero gravity chamber, but we have to. Exploring the depths you will find a purple door. Enter it and take the antechamber to the Hunter Cave. In the Hunter Cave, hit the three stalactites; two will literally break the ice lake below and serve as islands for you to get across the water with. The last stalactite will allow access to a higher door; go through that door to find the Lake Tunnel, which looks EXACTLY like the tunnel you entered the Hunter Cave with. Don't worry, you're not hallucinating, turned around, lost or high (well, maybe not...). Just submerge yourself into the icy depths and enter the door. You will drop down to the bottom of a lake. You can barely see a damn thing down here, so turn on your Thermal Visor. This will let you see where your awaiting upgrade, the Gravity Suit, is situated. Avoid the Aqua Reapers and claim it as your own. ~ ACQUIRED : Gravity Suit ~ Now that we have this nifty piece of technology we need to make another long backtracking trip. This time, it's to the Landing Site in Tallon Overworld. Get there using any means necessary. Directly behind Samus' space ship (well, maybe behind and to the left) is a small cave entrance. Follow it where it leads, to the Waterfall Cave, and then to the Frigate Crash Site. Destroy the Flying Pirates (a good general tactic: freeze them with a shot of the Ice Beam, then hit them with a missile, which will shatter them in thirty different pieces) and jump into the lake. Notice the spilled substance on the ground; for your information, you will be seeing a lot more of that toxic goo. Navigate through the murky depths to get to the other side. There you shall find the remains of the pirate's ship Samus blew up in. Put the few mortally injured pirates lying around out of their misery and examine the area to find some stacked crates. Blow them up to unmask a door. You are forced to enter the ship through the ventilation ducts. Make do and jump into the waters. Don't worry about going up for air, because if you haven't already noticed Samus' suit provides her with adequate oxygen levels in any environment. Since there isn't anything of interest here in Vent. Shat A, continue to the Ventilation Shaft Section B, where things are even less interesting, if that's possible. But, there is at least something to do. Hit the power conduit after you destroy the turret, which will reactivate the door. Proceed down the heavily damaged shafts, minding the Tallon Crabs which look a little like red lobsters. In the Reactor Access, use the saving point, and in the Reactor Core, search out and hit the pair of conduits to advance to the Cargo Freight Lift to Deck Gamma.
Embark on an inspiring mission of human connection beyond the UCA. Sam — with companions by his side — sets out on a new journey to save humanity from extinction. Join them as they traverse a world beset by otherworldly enemies, obstacles and a haunting question: should we have connected?
