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Metroid Prime

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Metroid Prime
Metroid Prime box art
Developer(s)Retro Studios
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Platform(s)GameCube
ReleaseNorth America November 15, 2002
Japan February 28, 2003
Europe March 21, 2003
Genre(s)First person adventure
Mode(s)Single player

Metroid Prime is a first-person adventure video game developed by Nintendo-owned Retro Studios and released by Nintendo in 2002 for the GameCube. It was the first 3D Metroid game and is officially classified by Nintendo as a first-person adventure rather than a first-person shooter due to the large exploration element in the game. It was also the first Metroid game to be released since Super Metroid, nearly eight years earlier. The storyline, however, comes in between the original Metroid and Metroid 2. Metroid Prime is now available as a Player's Choice title.

The game was first announced in 2001 E3 and was shortly revealed to be played from first-person perspective. Screenshots of gameplay in first-person quickly set off much outrage in many Metroid fans who perceived it as a first-person shooter. The game was widely believed to be an inevitable train wreck, and it was the biggest running joke since Daikatana throughout gaming related boards, publications, and magazines until near the point of retail release where various publications quietly claimed it as possibly the best game they had ever played.

After its release, the game has received much critical acclaim (including a perfect review score from Electronic Gaming Monthly and a 9.7/10 from Gamespot) for its "very impressive graphics, amazing, innovative gameplay (yet still true to the classic Metroid formula), and excellent soundtrack." The video game countdown show Filter named Metroid Prime as having the Best Graphics of all time. It also won many 2002 game of the year awards from major publications and gaming sites. Most Metroid fans believe that Prime was a great transition into 3-D for the series; however, some question the choice on having it made as a first-person game. Also, many fans of more conventional first-person shooter games have questioned the unusual control scheme and wished it was more like a typical first-person shooter. For most players, however, Metroid Prime is an instant classic.

Phazon

Main article: Phazon

An important part of the Metroid Prime storyline is a highly mutagenic radioactive substance of unknown origin known as Phazon. Direct exposure to this electric blue-coloured substance results in either a violent death or the rapid addition of new abilities and/or organs. Another, more powerful, form of Phazon is bright orange and is only found in the core of the impact crater of the meteorite that brought Phazon to the planet. It seems to exist naturally as a solid and sometimes as a liquid, but its solid form may be considered more common---and possibly a metal---as many Space Pirate log entries call for mining of Phazon ore.

Phazon was spread throughout Tallon IV when the aforementioned meteor containing it crashed into the planet’s surface. The Phazon immediately began negatively influencing the indigenous flora and fauna – it either killed them or severely mutated them. A group of Chozo colonists tried to seal away the Phazon source with a mystic seal called the Cipher, which was an enormous temple linked to twelve artifacts, which they then spread across the planet. Some Chozo lore texts suggest that Chozo who were exposed to Phazon became violent and destructive wraiths, which would explain one of the hostile creatures found in the game known as the "Chozo Ghosts". A long time after the Chozo contained the source of the Phazon, the Space Pirates picked up on an unknown and powerful energy signature. After their first defeat on Zebes at the hands of bounty hunter Samus Aran, they were eager to find a powerful energy source to rebuild their army, and so tracked the energy signature back to Tallon IV. The Space Pirates tried to use the substance, now dubbed Phazon, to mutate various species for use as biological weapons, including some of their own people and even some native materials. Scans of Space Pirate computer terminals verified a high death rate in many subjects, especially when the descendants of the original Phazon-exposed creatures were exposed to the substance.

According to the North American release, the Space Pirates discovered the powerful creature that fed upon Phazon, and captured it, naming it Metroid Prime.

Storyline Differences

Template:Spoilers The version released in North America has several storyline differences with the one released in Europe. The European storyline, among other things, says that:

  • The Space Pirates never captured Metroid Prime because the twelve artifacts sealed the crater.
  • The meteor that brought the radioactive substance Phazon did not come to Tallon IV twenty years before the game starts; it came at an indeterminable time before the game began.
  • The Chozo Lore entries paint a much different picture of the relationship between Samus and the Tallon IV Chozo.

The versions released in Japan, Europe, and the North American Player's Choice versions have also had a number of gameplay modifications implemented to prevent players from using certain tricks to play the game out of sequence. Certain aspects of difficulty have also been increased.

Furthermore, when the game was being prepared for translation by a European team, the team decided to remove specific logs from the game which you could originally scan, finding them to be confusing for someone trying to understand the plot. The edit not only occurred in the translated versions of the game, but also in the PAL English release. Some players sided with the NTSC version of the game, while others decided that since the PAL version was most recent it should be used to determine the specifics of the plot. Eventually Retro Studios released that the removal was never intended by them, and that the official version of the game was the NTSC version (although some people still find that version of the plot inconsistent, despite this). They also promised that nothing like this would happen during the translation of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, although there were still some version diffrences.

PAL Version Storyline

Template:Spoilers

Many years ago, the Chozo were prosperously living on Tallon IV, then a beautiful planet full of life. The Chozo discovered the power to see into the future and prophecised the coming of 'the Worm', which would destroy their way of life. Sure enough, a meteorite harbouring the radioactive substance 'Phazon' crashed into Tallon IV, mutating and destroying the life of the planet. The Chozo sealed off the source of the Phazon, the Impact Crater, using their technology with twelve artifacts hidden around the planet. The Chozo then retreated from the planet, waiting for a prophecised hero to destroy the worm and cut short the poison that destroyed Tallon IV.

It is possible that the worm (Metroid Prime) could have been carried inside the Meteorite but the Metroid Fusion Instruction Manual reveals in an official timeline that the Metroids were actually created by the Chozo to prevent the spread of the highly corruptive X-parasites. If this is true, then the Metroid that mutated into Metroid Prime must have already been living on Tallon IV by the Chozo around the area where the meteorite crashed (perhaps it was a Queen Metroid). Like other Metroids, Metroid Prime was attracted to the Phazon energy and fed upon it to the point where it actually became a being of Phazon (as shown in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes).

After Samus defeated the Space Pirates on Planet Zebes at the end of the first game, a Space Pirate colony discovered high radioactive levels on the surface of the barren planet Tallon IV. Investigating the radiation, they set up a new base to conduct research. They soon discovered the radioactive material and named it Phazon. They researched its potential and developed a new race of Elite Pirates that were over-powered by Phazon. They also discovered that the Metroids were attracted to the Phazon because of the enormous energy emitting from it but had not managed to create any new weapons out of them.

The Space Pirates traced the source of the Phazon to the Impact Crater and found bio-signs within but they could not access it because the Chozo had sealed it with the twelve artifacts. They searched for the artifacts but were hindered by the Chozo Ghosts who were guarding the artifacts until the phrophecised hero would come to take them and destroy Metroid Prime. When Samus picked up a distress signal from an unknown space vessel flying over Tallon IV, she discovered that it belonged to the Space Pirates but had been overrun by small parasites. While escaping the ship, she came across the metallic re-incarnation of Ridley, one of the leaders of the Space Pirates who also escaped.

Back on Tallon IV, Samus infiltrated the Space Pirate bases, destroying the Metroid population along with the Elite Pirate specimens in containment. Upon defeating the newly developed Omega Pirate, Samus' Power Suit became contaminated with Phazon. After collecting the twelve artifacts, Samus defeated Ridley once again and gained access to the Impact Crater. There, Samus defeated Metroid Prime, whose only remaining instinct was to absorb all the nearby Phazon that existed in the crater and Samus' Power Suit. The crater collapsed but Samus was able to escape. Meanwhile, Metroid Prime (now a simple pool of Phazon) began to reform itself in the form of Samus' Power Suit. Now a creature of pure Phazon, Metroid Prime (now Dark Samus) searches the galaxy for more Phazon to rebuild its' weakened form...

Items

Related article: Items in the Metroid series

Throughout the game, the player will find and collect many different items, which range from weapons, to upgrades of Samus's Power Suit, to various other items the grant additional abilities (such as the Morph Ball). Most of the items from previous Metroid games make appearances here; however, the functions of many of them have been altered to suit the 3D environment. For example, the space jump only allows the player to perform a double jump, as opposed to jumping continuously as in previous games, to prevent the player from getting stuck or unwittingly triggering a glitch.

Glitches can allow knowledgeable players to receive items much earlier than intended, or to bypass collecting them altogether. The current world record for lowest item pickup percentage at the end of the game is 22%.

Locations

Space Pirate Frigate

Orbiting the planet Tallon IV, this is where Samus begins the game. The frigate's name is Orpheon. Later this crashes into Tallon IV and Samus then explores in it after acquiring the Gravity Suit.

Tallon Overworld

A rainforest-like area, this is where Samus initially makes planetfall and is where Samus' gunship stays for the duration of the game. Tallon Overworld also encompasses the sunken Orpheon.

Chozo Ruins

This ancient structure was once a center of the thriving Chozo civilization on Tallon IV that was brought to an end by the meteor that hit many years ago.

Magmoor Caverns

A kind of subway system for the game – its magma-filled tunnels connect all the areas together with the exception of the Impact Crater. The Space Pirates use the caverns as a source of geothermal power.

Phendrana Drifts
View overlooking the Phendrana Shorelines, located in the Phendrana Drifts.

This cold, mountainous location consists of three main parts: an ancient Chozo ruin, some Space Pirate research labs (since the subzero temperatures make specimen containment easier), and the ice caves and valleys at the edge aptly called Phendrana's Edge. It is home to many creatures of electrical origins (Pulse Bombu, Scatter Bombu) and ice based creatures (Sheegoth, Ice Shriekbats).

Phazon Mines

The Phazon Mines are the center of the Space Pirates' Tallon IV operations. The scenery here alternates between the Space Pirates' mining and research facilities and dark caves illuminated only by the glowing Phazon.

Impact Crater

This is the final area of the game. This location is completely corrupted by Phazon radiation. Samus finds Fission Metroids, and Phazon strong enough to damage her even through the Phazon Suit.

Bosses

Parasite Queen

The first boss in Metroid Prime, the Parasite Queen is located on the Space Pirate Frigate. The parasite queen was made by genetically combing phazon with the parasite genome. As a result the parasite queen is huge and has the ability to shoot acid from it's mouth. It can also create multiple space parasites very quickly. After three parasite queens escaped on the Space Pirate frigate Orpheon they killed most of the crew. Finally one was fought and killed by Samus in the nuclear reactor of the ship. This was a grave mistake because as soon as the parasite queen was defeated it fell into the reactor core causing a meltdown and ultimately the destruction of the frigate. Most of the parasite queen is quite resilent but it can be injured by firing on its mouth which is its weakest point. It is surrounded by rotating shields and fires acid from its mouth. Plug missiles and beam shots into its mouth to defeat it.

Flaahgra

Flaahgra is a large mutated plant that is the source of the poisonous waters in the Chozo Ruins. There were two main parts to Flaahgra, the actual creature and the root. The way to stop the beast is to cut off its access to solar energy (disabling the sun dishes) and plant bombs into its root system using the morph ball. Flaahgra gives up the Varia Suit when it's defeated, which protects Samus from super-heated areas in Magmoor Caverns. After you kill it you can return to the room later to to battle three Chozo Ghosts to retrieve a Chozo Artifact needed to access the Impact Crater.

Thardus

File:Thardus.jpg
Thardus (cinema)

Thardus is an experiment created by the Space Pirates who used Phazon on inorganic objects to make sentient beings for weapons, but the Pirates gave up trying to pacify it since it became too dangerous. Thardus is locked in a quarantine cave from which there is no real exit. Thardus has the ability to control the weather, roll into a ball, hurl large rocks, and encase enemies in ice. However, the Phazon experiments resulted in structural weaknesses within the rock that make up Thardus.In order to defeat Thardus, switch to thermal visor and fire at the glowing rock with the wave beam. After a while, your thermal visor will overload, but by then you can lock on to the glowing rock with the combat visor. Dealing enough damage to the rock will cause the rock to explode. A this point switch back to thermal visor to track down another rock. Destroy 6-7 rocks to acheive victory. Defeating Thardus gives you the Spider Ball.

Omega Pirate

The Omega Pirate resides in the Phazon Mines. It is an extremely large Elite Pirate which is able to become invisible and regenerate health. It attacks with its powerful hands, a Wave Quake Generator, and a Missle Launcher. Omega can also summon Beam Troopers as a distraction, but ironically, most of its attacks can defeat any unlucky Trooper that is on the ground. Defeating the Omega Pirate gives Samus the Phazon Suit, which protects her from Blue Phazon damage (but not the Orange Phazon in the Impact Crater). She obtains the suit when the dead pirate collapses on her, enhancing her suit with the huge amounts of Phazon stored in him. Many fans consider Omega Pirate to be one of the toughest bosses in the game.

File:Omegapirate.jpg
Omega Pirate (concept art)

Meta Ridley

The fight with Meta-Ridley occurs above the crater in the Tallon Overworld after all 12 Artifacts are collected. Meta-Ridley has two forms: a flying form and ground form, who uses a number of weapons and melee attacks. His weak spot is the plating on his chest. He is the final boss you must defeat before you can enter the Impact Crater.

Metroid Prime

Main article: Metroid Prime (creature)

The final boss of the game. It exists in two forms: the first being a spider-like creature with mainly projectile attacks. This form is weak against Power Beam if yellow, Wave Beam if blue/purple, Ice Beam if white, and Plasma Beam if red. The second form is an entity of pure phazon and tenticles. It is most commonly called "The Essence". To defeat the second part Samus must stand in the pools of Phazon it creates and blast it with your new Phazon Beam. There are also various mini-bosses, such as the Sheegoth, Plated Beetle, Hive Mecha, Incinerator Drone and Invisible Sentry Drone.

Speed running

Unlike its predecessors, Metroid Prime is not designed to be run quickly, illustrated by the fact that the ending one gets is determined solely by the percentage of items one collects, rather than by how quickly one finishes the game (as was the case in earlier Metroid games). A person who knows precisely where to go would likely still take seven to ten hours to finish the game; however, the current world record is one hour and four minutes, done using the first North American (NTSC) version of the game. Speed runs are possible by taking shortcuts that allow the player to collect items in a different – and faster – order from the one intended (known as sequence breaking). Speed running is popular among hardcore fans of Metroid Prime and can significantly increase the replayability of the game. Fast finishes in this game are somewhat complicated by the loading system: the game loads as you play, with few loading screens, and original NTSC versions of the game will sometimes freeze.

(Please note that because the game was released later in Japan and the PAL territories, changes were made to prevent sequence breaks. The Japanese, PAL and North American Player's Choice versions are therefore undesirable for speed running compared to the original North American (NTSC) version.)

Trivia

  • Allegedly, Kraid was originally intended to make an appearance in Metroid Prime as a boss, and was modeled and skinned by Gene Kohler for that purpose. [1] However, time constraints prevented it from being included in the final version of the game. Though the beta model displays him inside Phazon Mines, he was not in fact replaced by the Omega Pirate. Kraid is referenced, however, in Metroid Prime: one of the tanks in the pirate's base suggests that one of the pirate's experiments is re-making the creature. Body parts in the vat appear to be Kraids.

Sequels

  • Metroid Prime: Hunters is a similar game to Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes which takes place between the two titles. The game is to be released for the Nintendo DS. A demo of the game was released with purchase of a Nintendo DS titled, Metroid Prime: Hunters - First Hunt.
  • Metroid Prime 3 is due to be released on Nintendo's next generation console the Nintendo Revolution in 2006. Footage of this game was shown at E³ 2005. It was later determined that the footage was run on GameCube hardware instead of the Revolution's.

See also

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