Metroid Prime
This guide was written, contributed and copyrighted by me by me, known
here as lighterfluid6. Don't plagiarize, or use this guide giving
yourself credit. This guide is not to be posted in any website other
than gamefaqs.com, ign.com and associated websites. To contact me, email
me at redshift71388@aol.com or IM me at redshift71388 (do not contact my
previous addresses, ChaosUnit22). If you do contact me, do it only to
ask for help that you feel isn't covered in my guide, or for any
constructive criticism and appraisal. Do not, under any circumstance,
contact me asking me to join your special forum, be part of some special
group, or make small talk. If you ask a question about the game, make
sure the guide doesn't cover that. That is all.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Introduction.
The Chozo are in peril. After centuries of technological advancement and
deep space exploration, this race of beings had regressed into natural
simplicity, adopting the fertile planet of Tallon IV as their home, and
looking inward to reach an enlightened plane of existence. For a while,
the Chozo lived in harmony with the native creatures, and built their
homes and temples from the natural materials Tallon IV provided them.
Soon, the Chozo were able to leave their physical bodies behind and
exist as omniscient spirits. Then, twenty years ago, a meteor struck
their planet. Tallon IV was a biological paradise, teeming with unique
life forms. However, the meteor carried with it a deadly mutagen known
as Phazon. The Phazon polluted the planet's ecosystem, killing and
mutating the native species. What the Phazon did not kill, it mutated
into corrupt new forms. Eventually even the Chozo spirits began to feel
the Phazon's effects. They either slipped into insanity or disappeared
to an unknown realm, leaving only their ruins behind. The Chozo spoke of
a 'Worm' that came along with the meteor. Before their demise, they used
their once-forsaken technology to seal away the Worm within the meteor's
Impact Crater, so that only the holder of twelve Chozo Artifacts could
enter its lair. But this was not enough. Soon after the extinction of
the Chozo, the Space Pirates arrived, seeking the power of the Phazon
for their biogenetic experimentations and to rebuild their forces after
their defeat on Zebes. Their research and mining brought them to the
Worm, which they called Metroid Prime. Their experiments also took place
aboard the Space Pirate Frigate, Orpheon, but lately, things haven't
been going so smoothly for them....
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Walkthrough.
When using this guide, all you really need to know is that important
items will be in CAPITALIZED print. This includes new Log Book entries,
power-ups, expansions and more. The walkthrough section of this guide is
divided into fourteen chapters:
1.    The Space Pirate Frigate.
2.    Obtaining the Missile Launcher.
3.    The Morph Ball.
4.    Toxins at the Ruins.
5.    Fire and Ice.
6.    High Waves.
7.    Phendrana Labs.
8.    Return to the Ruins.
9.    The Gravity Suit.
10.    A Miner Threat.
11.    The Treasure Hunt.
12.    Phazon Corruption.
13.    An Old Friend.
14.    The Worm.
=============
Chapter 1: The Space Pirate Frigate.
=============
The game of Metroid Prime is the first of the Prime series, which takes
place between the original Metroid game and Metroid 2: Return of Samus.
After destroying the Space Pirate base on Zebes, Samus went in pursuit
of the remaining Space Pirate forces to try and eliminate them once and
for all. She was able to intercept a distress signal coming from the
Space Pirate Frigate, Orpheon, in orbit around Tallon IV. Being the
bounty hunter that she is, Samus moves in to investigate.
The Space Pirate Frigate is the only area in the game that you can't
revisit again, but you will have a chance to explore the vessel once
it.... (Sorry, I can't spoil that for you). Nevertheless, some of the
elusive creatures and information found aboard the Orpheon can only be
scanned during your initial tutorial run through the ship. If you want a
full Log Book, scan.
After Samus docks with the frigate, you'll assume control over her. You
start in the Exterior Docking Bay, a room boxed in with special force
fields that prevent you from falling off into space. The only way to
progress is by going through the energy field that bars your way to the
next portion of the room. The field is powered by four nodes located
along its side. After you play around and get used to the game's
controls, target each of the power nodes and blast them with the Power
Beam to disable them. The shield will deactivate once all four nodes are
shut down. Walk out to the second section of the room. Your progress
through this area is also barred by an energy field, again powered by
multiple nodes. This time however, the nodes are lacking power. You need
to reenergize the system by scanning the blue control panel on the
center pillar of the room. Afterwards, shoot all six power nodes to shut
down the force field. You'll need to look up to shoot the topmost two
nodes. Now jump up to the third section of the room and follow the
walkway to a blue door. Shoot the door to open it, and then step inside
the frigate.
You can skip through these next three small passageways, scanning when
you need to. In the last potion of the Docking Bay, you can scan the
holograms on the wall for information about the ship's status. When you
reach the Air Lock, you won't be able to continue until you re-
pressurize the room. Scan the control panel to do so. You'll know when
the room is re-pressurized when the floating debris falls to the ground
and the door ahead glows blue. Continue to the Emergency Evacuation
Area.
This room is a waste. Whatever happened here ended with several dead
Space Pirates and the dominating carcass of a large, insect-like
creature. Before you go too far in, scan the smaller creatures you see
feeding on the Space Pirate's body to your right. The PARASITE is fairly
common aboard the frigate; you probably saw a few running beneath the
floor crawlspace of the last room. Despite that fact, they can only be
found on the Orpheon, and you'll lose your chance of scanning any for
your Log Book afterwards. Parasites aren't deadly. Like most enemies,
you'll suffer minor damage if you make contact with one, but it takes
only one Power Beam shot to kill them. After dealing with them, head
around the fire and across the balcony, blasting more Parasites as you
go. Turn left and prepare for your first real threat, if you can call it
that. The injured Space Pirate ahead will start shooting you if you get
too close, so take it out from afar. Because of its injuries, its aim
will be hindered and it will take only a few shots to put it out of its
misery. Like all pirates aboard the ship, you won't add it to your Log
Book if you scan it. Take the door on your right.
The Deck Alpha Umbilical Hall is blocked off by a pile of rubble. Charge
up your Power Beam and unload onto the debris to clear it. The door at
the end of the passageway takes you to the Map Facility. As soon as you
open the door to this room, a short cut-scene will interrupt your fun to
show you two Parasites fleeing down a small tunnel along the right wall.
Roll into your Morph Ball and follow them to the small room with the
glowing hologram. Scan the hologram, before you step into it. When you
step into a MAP STATION, you can download the schematics for each area
that the station corresponds to. This station will show you the layout
of the frigate. There are only four Map Stations in the game, and if you
download one before scanning it, there will be nothing to scan
afterwards. Be sure to scan one of them (preferably this one) before
using all four. After your map is updated, roll back through the tunnel
and use the door at the end of the Map Facility.
To use the elevator to Deck Beta, scan the control panel and a hologram
will appear in the center of the lift. Walk into it and you will rise to
Deck Beta. The first room after the lift, the Deck Beta Conduit Hall, is
blocked by more rubble, fire and some live wires. Touching the fire will
harm you. Use your Morph Ball to roll under the rubble, but wait for the
live wire current to flicker off so that you don't take additional
damage.
The following room is the first Biotech Research Area. The room houses a
dormant Parasite Queen contained within the large stasis tank in the
center of the room. This monstrous creature is not unlike the dead beast
you saw earlier. The Space Pirates are somehow enhancing regular
Parasites to grow many times their normal size, mutating them and
building an army of giant Parasite Queens. But if the Emergency
Evacuation Area and the distress signal is any clue, you can tell
something went wrong with their experiments. Anyway, turn left and walk
around the upper part of the room, cleaning up Space Pirates as you go.
You'll encounter another crippled individual, as well as another who is
able to stand and actively attack, but isn't much more of a threat
anyway.
When you kill an enemy, it will sometimes leave behind a pickup. Pickups
glow and make unique whirring hums, and they can be drawn towards you
using your Charge Beam. Pickups provide energy and restore your
ammunition. The different types can also be scanned for Log Book
entries. By now you may have seen the small purple units, or SMALL
ENERGY units. These restore ten of your health points. In the following
corridor after the Biotech Research room, turn left for a nasty
surprise, an AUTO TURRET. These stationary defense weapons are
programmed to attack whenever they sense you nearby. They fire damaging
bolts of energy, and it's wisest to quickly dismantle them as soon as
possible. Don't bother scanning this one yet; just shoot it with a
missile and scan the yellow pickup it leaves behind, a MISSILE AMMO unit
(which replenishes five missiles to your Missile Launcher).
The next room is the Biohazard Containment. Somewhere from the depths of
this room, you'll have another Auto Turret shooting at you. Luckily, you
can take cover behind the stasis tank in the room, which contains the
grisly remnants of a failed Parasite Queen experiment. Flip on your Scan
Visor and find the computer monitor with the red scan symbol, and scan
it. It is your first and only opportunity to scan Pirate Data: FALL OF
ZEBES. It's the only Pirate Data entry that can't be revisited if you
accidentally miss it, so scan it now! Also, turn to the left and scan
the control panel along the left wall. This panel will disable the Auto
Turret. Not all turrets have a corresponding panel to shut them down,
but it sure makes fighting them a lot easier. Now that the turret is
pacified, scan it for an easy Log Book entry if you didn't get the last
one. If you wish, collect data on the rest of the room's creepy-crawly
contents, and then head to the back of the room.
Scan the control panel back here to activate the small lift that takes
you up to the upper level of the room. The top section is made up of a
balcony that encircles the room. As you travel to the door on the
opposite end, you'll have to level a few pirates. The first few are
easy, but the third one is particularly nasty. It hasn't sustained many
injuries, and it's about as tough to take down as the pirates you'll
fight later in the game. Don't hesitate to use missiles on it. Collect
any dropped pickups and head for the door. A final dying pirate will
attempt to stop you by the door; laugh at him, mop him up and continue.
Head down the Deck Beta Transit Hall and to the Cargo Freight Lift to
Deck Gamma.
The top of the cargo lift is guarded by another Auto Turret. Take it out
of commission the old fashion way, and then scan the nearby panel to
activate the lift to Deck Gamma. Enjoy your pleasant ride down; there's
another vicious Space Pirate at the bottom that will attack. Kill it
with missiles and then go after the Parasites feeding on the pirate
carcasses. You should have them scanned by now. If not, do it now
because the next and final time you see them will be when you're in a
hurry. After the room has been cleared, scan the panel down here to
energize the large door ahead. It still won't open unless you use the
use the device on the floor marked with a spherical hologram. The panel
told you to insert a metal sphere...like your Morph Ball. Roll into the
mechanism and the door will open.
Be quick to destroy the two turrets in the next room. Charge up your
beam to draw in the Missile Ammo. The door ahead of you opens up just
like the last one, but we'll worry about that in just a second. Use the
regular blue door on your left to save your game, using the SAVE
STATION. Unlike Map Stations, there are plenty of reusable, scan-able
Save Stations scattered throughout the game. They allow you to save your
progress and they restore all of your lost health. Give this one a scan
and then make sure you heal and save. Back outside, scan the control
panel and use the Morph Ball to open the large door like you did with
the previous one. The next room is the Reactor Core.
When Samus enters the Reactor Core, she'll be attacked by a live
PARASITE QUEEN. This mutant beast is your first boss, the first true
test of your skills. Like all bosses, the very first thing you should do
when fighting her is scan her. Bosses can only be fought once, and thus
you only get one chance to scan them. Not only that, but scanning the
Parasite Queen in particular will prove useful when fighting her. The
first thing you need to know is that when you target the queen, you'll
lock on to her fleshy stomach. But after you scan her, you'll discover a
new weakness in her mouth, and you'll target the mouth from that point
forward. Yes, you can win without finding this weak spot, but it takes
longer and it deprives you of her one-shot scan. So go ahead, scan her
like you mean it. All you need to do to win this battle is shoot her
repeatedly with Power Beam shots and/or missiles. The trick is that the
Parasite Queen is perched inside a dual force field system around the
ship's energy core. The blue field will deflect your shots, but the
orange field is weak enough to shoot through. In return, the queen can
attack through both fields. The force fields will rotate around the
queen, meaning you'll have to practice your strafing techniques to get
shots in. Lock on to the queen and dash to the sides. This will also
help you avoid her attacks; she fires jets of volatile acid from her
mouth. The battle itself isn't all too difficult. Use up your missiles,
and then feed her Power Beam shots to finish her off. Keep moving in
order to get a shot through the blue force field. Sometimes the fields
will scramble, so you will need to wait until they reset themselves.
Again, this battle shouldn't be too difficult. And if it is, well,
that's what the Save Station was for.
When the Parasite Queen succumbs, she'll fall into the reactor core,
destroying herself and the core in the process. With the core gone, the
entire ship will become unstable and self destruct in seven minutes!
That means you need to get moving now. Samus's Power Suit, being the
technological wonder that it is, will tell you to "evacuate immediately"
while an alarm blares loudly. The door you entered from won't do, but
luckily there's another door that should be right in front of you. Head
forward, up the steps and through the passageways. Take the next lift
back up to Deck Beta. On the way out, scan the panel on the wall in
front of you to deactivate a hidden Auto Turret.
Enter Biotech Research Area 1. This is the bottom section of the room,
not the upper balcony you explored previously. Already, the ship has
turned into a war zone. The Space Pirates here are trying to subdue the
awakened Parasite Queen. You won't have to fight either of them; as soon
as you take a few steps in, a large explosion will kill everything in
sight. Head behind the stasis tank and up the pieces of rubble to the
second floor. Turn right and head down to the other door. Three Space
Pirates will attack you up here. Dispatch the first two with missiles.
The third might get killed for you by another explosion which will
reveal a new path through the ventilation systems. The entrance to the
system is to the right of the door (which you can't use anyway).
Go ahead and use your Morph Ball to quickly make your way through the
ventilation shafts. Roll into the openings in the walls to continue
through the tunnels. The shafts are all basically the same, with some
added turrets along the way (roll out of the Morph Ball to deal with
them). Most are infested with swarms of Parasites. You'll take damage
when you roll through them, but it isn't anything to worry over.
Additionally, you'll reach an area that you'll have to bomb through, and
another in which the tunnel is blocked off by a large piston. Wait for
the piston to retract, and then continue before it pumps out again.
Eventually you will reach the end of the tunnels and emerge in Biotech
Research Area 2.
It's Ridley! Samus stumbles upon the most intriguing of the Space
Pirates' research projects, the resurrection of one of their leaders.
Samus defeated the dragon-like Ridley on Zebes when she destroyed their
base and the commanding Mother Brain. The survivors of her purge went on
to revive their winged aggressor and scout for new base locations; hence
their presence on Tallon IV. The cybernetic-enhanced Meta Ridley will
break out of his restraints and escape through the ceiling. Now you'll
notice a chasm blocking your way to the door on the far end of the room.
To get across, you'll need to implement your Grapple Beam. The Grapple
Points ahead of you are marked with special Grapple icons. Fire your
Grapple Beam as indicated and swing across. As soon as you reach the end
of your swing, let go and then immediately reattach yourself to the
second Grapple Point, and then swing across to the other side. Enter
this door and continue.
The next passage has another blue panel that needs scanning. Well, you
don't need to, but if you don't, there will be another Auto Turret
raining death upon you. Turn the corner and head towards the lift. Avoid
the damaging currents of electricity down this passage. When you scan
the lift's control panel, you'll trigger a cut-scene. A violent
explosion slams Samus against the wall, damaging her Power Suit. When
you recover, you'll be at full health, but at the price of losing almost
all of your gear. That includes the Varia Suit (you'll notice your suit
looks different), Missile Launcher, Morph Ball (and its bombs), Charge
Beam and Grapple Beam. Basically, all you have left is your default
Power Suit, Power Beam, Combat Visor and the Scan Visor. Yay. Now ride
the lift to Deck Alpha.
The Deck Alpha Mech Shaft is a short passage with a few sharp turns that
dumps you at the Air Lock. Good news: that's only a room away from
freedom. However, since you pressurized this room earlier, you need to
wait a few seconds for it to depressurize so that the door becomes
active. Dash through the next passage to complete your escape to the
outer docking bay. If you didn't make it in seven minutes, you'll die
and be forced to restart at the Save Station (before the boss battle).
When you step outside, a cinematic will take over.
Samus narrowly escapes from the crumbling Space Pirate Frigate as it
self-destructs. Meta Ridley has also escaped and is fleeing for the
nearby planet, Tallon IV. Samus will give chase, but end up losing the
tracking signal and be forced to continue reconnaissance on foot.
=============
Chapter 2: Obtaining the Missile Launcher.
=============
Samus lands her ship upon the lush rainforests of the planet's first
major area, the Tallon Overworld. Tallon IV is divvied up into five main
areas each connected via a system of transport elevators. There is also
one final area that can be reached at the very end of the game. Tallon
Overworld is a place characterized by rainy weather, thick vegetation
and plenty of wildlife, but comparatively little intrusion from any
civilization.
You can always return to the Landing Site if you need to use your
GUNSHIP. Your ship acts as a multipurpose station. It allows you to save
your progress, restore health and restore any ammunition. You should
also scan it at some point for a Log Book entry. There are several doors
leading out of the Landing Site, but of those doors, only three are
accessible to you right now. Take the door on your right, leading to the
Canyon Cavern.
When you enter this cavern, several disturbed BEETLES will attack. You
won't be hurting for opportunities to scan these creatures, but you may
as well. Beetles are aggressive insects that surface from their
subterranean dens whenever they sense movement above. They attack you by
ramming you, so shoot them all before they get that chance. The passage
on your left takes you to a door, leading to the Tallon Canyon.
The canyon is home to a variety of new species, all of which will add a
new page to your Log Book. The yellow plantlike object in front of you
is a SAP SAC. These are only dangerous if you shoot them; they'll
explode with enough force to harm you or kill any creature that is too
close. Ruptured Sap Sacs sometimes leave behind pickups and you may even
get one to leave behind a LARGE ENERGY unit. These health pickups are
slightly larger than Small Energy units, are red, and heal 20 lost
health points. If you don't find it now, keep your eye out for it.
Further down the canyon you will see a waterfall to your left. Crawling
among the rocks are common creatures called ZOOMERS. Zoomers keep to
themselves, but can defend themselves with their spikes when necessary.
They are still fairly easy to destroy though. GEEMERS on the other hand,
are a bit tougher. You'll find a Geemer above you, crawling around the
ledge on your right, opposite to the waterfall. Geemers are variants of
the Zoomer, but are invulnerable to any type of beam weapon except for
missiles and the late-game Plasma Beam. Lastly, scan the mushrooms
growing in the corners of the waterfall pond. These are BLASTCAPS, which
can be shot to reveal pickups. Blastcaps are poisonous though, so after
you shoot one wait for the toxic gas to disperse before you approach.
Keep walking towards the half-pipe-shaped rock formation past the
overhanging bridge. Kill the two Beetles that attack, and then continue
to the blue door.
The tunnel ahead takes you to a transport. You can easily destroy the
Zoomers crawling around here by shooting the Sap Sacs nearby. Head
through the door at the end. This, your first transport, will take you
to the Chozo Ruins. Scan the bird-shaped control panel and then step
into the elevator's hologram to ride upward.
The Chozo Ruins area was once home to the very beings that raised Samus
as a child. The Tallon Chozo are now extinct, but their crumbling ruins
are filled with clues and lore as to what led to their demise, and how
they existed before their way of life was brought to an abrupt end. Walk
through the next two doors until you reach the Ruins Entrance. There are
Beetles here to kill. Also, if you have the hint system option turned
on, you'll get a notification now about strange seismic activity
occurring deeper within the ruins, in a room called the Hive Totem. That
is your next destination. Before leaving through the door up ahead, scan
the shimmering section of wall above it. These weird symbols are pieces
of Chozo Lore, entries in your Log Book. This piece is Chozo Lore:
FOUNTAIN. The Chozo Lore pieces each tell a part of the Chozo's story.
You'll find more as you explore deeper into Tallon IV.
After the introductory cinematic in the Main Plaza, step down into the
clearing and eliminate the dozen or so Beetles that pop up. The Main
Plaza connects many sections of the Chozo Ruins together, with many
doors leading to and from the room. The door you should be interested in
right now is the far left door at the back of the room. Cross the half-
pipe configuration and head up the steps, and then turn left to find
your door. You should now be in a tunnel called the Nursery Access.
After the turn, check out the swarm of insects crawling towards you.
SCARABS are common throughout the tunnels of the Chozo Ruins, and can be
quite a nuisance. Like Parasites, they travel in swarms, but differ in
that they will eventually stop moving to try and block your path. If you
get too close to them, they explode. Kill them all before proceeding.
The next tunnel, Eyon Tunnel, is named after its inhabitants: EYONS.
These organisms look like eyes attacked to the wall. They can
concentrate energy in the form of a laser beam and shoot it at anything
in their line of sight. Eyons can't be destroyed without the Charge
Beam, but you can shut them for a few seconds by simply shooting them.
After you get past them, head to the next room.
The Ruined Nursery has a Save Station right next to it, but you'll need
to find a way up to it before you can use it. First, scan the Chozo Lore
on the opposite wall (EXODUS). To get up on the ledge on your right,
head to the back of the room and use the steps from there, taking out
the two Beetles along the way. At the blue door, turn back towards the
room's center and scan the yellow structures on the ceiling and opposite
wall. These are HIVES, which are homes to vicious WAR WASPS. The wasps
will attack you as soon as you get up onto the ledge. Shoot them quickly
before they attack. They'll hover near you, and then swoop in for a
ramming attack. You can also use missiles to destroy the Hives before
the wasps emerge; that way you'll prevent any of them from appearing.
So, from the blue door, jump to the ledge on the right wall (the wall
opposite of the entrance door) and locate the door leading to a Save
Station. Use it, then head back out and go through the other blue door.
You'll be interrupted by a swarm of Scarabs as you pass through the next
small room, the North Atrium. Kill the swarm, and then proceed to the
next room. The Ruined Gallery is another Hive infested room. First, take
out the War Wasps. Then, scan below for a new entry. TANGLE WEED is the
grassy stuff. Ignore it for now, and make your way across the ledges on
the right side of the room to the other side where a door is. Head on
through.
The path in the Totem Access slopes downwards, patrolled by new
creatures called PLAZMITES. These fireflies are relatively harmless, and
are actually beneficial in some areas. Because of the light they emit,
they can sometimes be your only means of seeing where you're going, so
shooting them would leave you in the dark. This isn't really a problem
here, but you should still watch your step when you go through the room.
The water in the Chozo Ruins is being polluted by an unknown source, and
its toxicity levels are high enough so that you'll take damage from
contact with it. The crate in the middle of the room can be opened with
the Power Beam to reveal pickups. You'll see more of that Tangle Weed
stuff too. It's harmless, but you'll be slowed down if you try walking
through it. Anyway, there's a door at the far end of the room that you
should now head through.
Your goal is reached, for you are now in the Hive Totem. You aren't out
of danger yet though. Head to the center structure of this slanted room,
accessed by steps made by collapsed rubble near the toxic water.
Downhill, to your left, is a metal bridge that spans the toxic pond to a
glowing item. This is you first power-up, but you'll have to fight for
it. Once you try and cross the bridge, a cut-scene will interrupt and
your first mini-boss battle will commence. The large machine above the
power-up lowers to block your path across the bridge, while the Chozo
statues to either side of the bridge begin to spill green water into the
room, trapping you on top of the center island. While the HIVE MECHA
isn't really a boss, you only get one chance to scan it. Got that? Only
one chance. Point your scanner below the water level and look for the
red scan symbol. The Hive Mecha is a mechanical wasp hive designed to
interact with hive dwellers. This unit houses a nasty new breed of War
Wasp, the RAM WAR WASPS. When the battle starts, the Hive Mecha will
release several of these red insects, which will begin to zoom around
you at high speeds. Make sure to scan one, because like the Mecha
itself, these only appear this one time. Don't bother trying to get a
lock on a circling War Wasp. Instead, study your radar and wait for one
of the yellow dots to stop moving. When one does, look for the hovering
War Wasp and blast it out of the air before it strikes. When all of the
wasps have been eliminated, the Hive Mecha will reveal a weak spot.
Target this red area and give it a few shots of the Power Beam until the
Hive Mecha closes itself and rotates. The cycle will need to be repeated
two more times. More wasps will be released each time you damage the
Hive Mecha. After the third cycle, the Mecha will surrender its captured
power-up and the water level will recede to normal. Cross the bridge and
collect the MISSILE LAUNCHER.
Your trusty missiles will allow you to open the door ahead of you,
sealed with a MISSILE DOOR LOCK blast shield. Scan the shield first, and
then blow it apart with a missile. The small chamber beyond contains
your first ENERGY TANK, which restores all of your energy and increases
your maximum health capacity by 100. You can also bust up some crates in
the room to collect Missile Ammo. There is nothing else you can do here
now, but do take note of that tunnel in the back of the room. Now return
to the Ruined Gallery.
Destroy the wasp Hive as soon as you enter the gallery. Now, jump down
to the room's lower level, but don't touch the water. Turn around and
shoot the Blastcaps, and then fire a missile at the cracked section of
the wall across the small pond. The wall will crumble and reveal a space
containing a MISSILE EXPANSION. These items allow you to carry five
extra missiles. There are 49 expansions in the game, meaning you'll end
up with a maximum capacity of 250 for the Missile Launcher (the launcher
itself also provided five of those missiles). Jump back across to solid
ground and head for the back of the room's lower section. You'll find
another door with a Missile Door Lock to your right. Bring it down and
enter to download the Chozo Ruins map via the Map Station. After that's
done, climb back up to the upper ledges and take the door back to the
Ruined Nursery. Once you get there, use the Save Station nearby.
=============
Chapter 3: The Morph Ball.
=============
After saving, backtrack to the Main Plaza. Defeat any Beetle opposition
and head down to the clearing in front of the tree, where the main
Beetle population lives. Across from the tree is a door covered by a
Missile Door Lock. Blast it to bits and enter the exposed doorway. The
tunnel beyond is crawling with Scarabs, as expected. There are in fact
two swarms that you have to fight through. The door at the end of this
tunnel takes you to the resting place of your next power-up (that was
quick, wasn't it?), the coveted Morph Ball.
Climb over the formation ahead of you and hop down into the clearing.
The Morph Ball in the back of the room is sitting there waiting for you,
but as soon as you approach it, a wall will rise up from the ground and
deny you access. At that point, you'll be ambushed by a huge colony of
vicious Beetles. You can't turn back now, so the only way to make it out
alive with the Morph Ball is to fight this wave of Beetles. Try to keep
moving and always stay locked on to a target. Don't think twice about
using missiles if you can get the Beetles in a cluster, but don't get
too carried away with them either. A lot of them will drop health, so
collect that when you can. After you've decorated the floor with every
last Beetle's guts, the ground will rumble and a new breed of nasty will
surface from the ground. The angry PLATED BEETLE is another mini-boss.
Scan it now if you wish, but don't worry if you forget; unlike the Hive
Mecha, there will be plenty more of these baddies to fight later in the
game. So how do you fight it? Frontal attacks are useless against the
Plated Beetle because of the hard shell around its head. The only way to
damage the bug is to shoot its red backside, but the beetle will always
do its best to be facing you so that its weakness isn't exposed. The
only time you can damage it is when it charges. Get reasonably close to
the bug and wait as it shuffles from side to side. Watch for its
antennae to twitch, and then dash out of the way. As the beetle charges
past you, make sure you maintain your lock on it and fire a missile when
you see its red rear. Whenever the Plated Beetle is about to charge, it
will twitch its antennae and make a loud shriek. If you run out of
missiles, pelt it with Power Beam shots when it exposes its weak spot.
Repeat this process until the beetle dies. Claim your MORPH BALL prize
after the battle and then use it to exit the room, through the small
tunnel in the rock structure.
The Morph Ball, in combination with the Missile Launcher, will allow you
access to new places in Tallon IV. The Morph Ball itself is neat, but
you're still defenseless with it until you reclaim its explosives.
Before we get to that though, it's a good idea to collect expansions
that you previously couldn't get without the two aforementioned power-
ups.
Go back to the Ruined Nursery and use the Save Station. From here, go
back to the empty Hive Totem and enter the small room behind the bridge.
Remember the hole in the back of the room? Roll into Morph Ball mode and
enter the new path. Navigate through the small maze of pistons and to
the other side of the tunnel, where you'll be dropped off at a new
elevator, which leads to a new area known as the Magmoor Caverns.
Without the Varia Suit, you won't survive long after taking the
elevator, so ignore it for the moment and use the door on your right.
The small Vault Access has a piston in the corner that will lift you up
to a new Morph Ball tunnel. Roll through the set of pipe lines and
eventually you'll end up at the Vault. There's a large cage in the
middle of the room that blocks off an expansion, but you need Morph Ball
Bombs to get that. You can still scan for Chozo Lore: BEGINNINGS,
though. Use the door on the other side of the room and kill the Beetles
within the following room, the Plaza Access. The door at the end takes
you to a part of the Main Plaza that you can't reach from the other
side, and resting on the ledge is an ENERGY TANK.
After that's all done, head all the way back to the Tallon Overworld
area. Reenter it by using the lift on the other side of the Main Plaza
and Ruins Entrance. Once you get there, stop at the Tallon Canyon. When
you clear the area of enemies, turn towards the waterfall and hop onto
the rocks that the Zoomers were crawling on. Climb upwards and then turn
to face the platform where the Geemer lives. Kill it using a missile,
and then hop across. From there, turn right and cross the bridge, then
enter the doorway ahead of you.
This next cavern is home to a new enemy, a BLOODFLOWER. To kill this
plant, wait until it hurls a green spore at you. You can target the
spore and shoot it, which will cause it to bounce back at the
Bloodflower, killing it. This Bloodflower in particular is easy to kill
alternatively by hitting the Sap Sacs above it, which will incinerate
the flower when exploded. Make your way to the other side, avoiding the
water (it's clean, but it slows you down and prevents you from jumping
high). Blast the door with a missile and enter the next room.
The Root Cave is huge. Jump or drop down to the very bottom of the
shaft. There's a Beetle nest down here, so watch out. Fight or flight,
and head for the door that's down here. This takes you to yet another
Transport Tunnel, but it leads to the same area as the one back up in
the Chozo Ruins, so you should wait to take this elevator until you've
acquired the Varia Suit. You can still grab the MISSILE EXPANSION
beneath the steamy bridge though, avoiding the sneaky Zoomers as you do
so. After you grab that, turn back to the Root Cave and climb back up to
the top using the platforms and tree formations (again, avoid those
Zoomers). Return to your Gunship at the Landing Site.
You can collect another MISSILE EXPANSION by using the Morph Ball to
roll underneath the small hole behind your ship. You may want to shoot
the Tangle Weed down before that so that you can roll through at normal
speed. Now, go to the other end of the Landing Site. Wade into the small
pond and locate the cavern to the left of the waterfall. You can also
get there by rolling into a hidden tunnel along the left side of the
room, from your ship's point of view. Either way, you should end up
looking at a new doorway.
The Waterfall Cavern is home to a few Blastcaps, but nothing too
threatening. Roll under the rock obstruction blocking your way and exit
by using a missile on the door on the other side. Prepare your Scan
Visor before stepping through to the Frigate Crash Site.
The huge clearing that is the Frigate Crash Site is separated down the
middle by a large pond. You can't cross this pond yet, but you can scan
one of the two creatures up ahead on the shoreline, guarding a ruptured
crate. These are jetpack-equipped FLYING PIRATES. Flying Pirates are
actually very dangerous, and right now they're way out of your league.
Luckily, these two will flee once they see you, but try to scan them
before they escape. The reason you'll want to scan them now is because
when you next fight them, you'll want to devote all of your efforts into
actually fighting them, not scanning them. They're that deadly. After
you've spooked them off, turn back towards the Landing Site. There is
nothing more you can do at the Frigate Crash Site, but if you're
determined to explore it some more, stay away from the crate that the
pirates were guarding. It's oozing deadly Phazon, a blue substance that
will cause heavy radiation damage if you touch it.
From the Landing Site, return to your ship to get your bearings. Facing
forward from the front of it, and look for a set of mossy stone steps
above the entrance to the Waterfall Cavern. These lead to a path behind
the waterfall, and eventually to another blue door. Climb and walk this
path until you're at the door. Beyond it, scan one of the three new
creatures crawling on the ceiling. SEEDLINGS are very similar in
behavior to Zoomers, but they are a bit more aggressive and have the
ability to launch their spikes at you. Kill them and then shoot the
Tangle Weed out of your way so you can cross to the next doorway.
After the Temple Hall are the Temple Security Station and the Temple
Lobby. The lobby is merely an empty tunnel, but the security station
contains a hologram of some Pirate Data (ARTIFACT SITE) and a Missile
Door Lock blocking you way. You'll also be shown a short cinematic
introducing you to the Impact Crater. This is the game's final area, but
you aren't actually in it right now. This is just the gateway to the
crater. After passing through the Temple Lobby, you'll be inside the
Chozo's sacred Artifact Temple.
The Chozo built the Artifact Temple directly over the Impact Crater. It
was designed to contain a great evil within the crater, and keep out
anyone who would want to exploit that evil, like the Space Pirates. The
only way through the temple's ancient seal and to the game's final area
is by collecting the twelve Chozo Artifacts that act as keys to unlock
the seal. At the large window up ahead, turn to either side and scan the
Chozo Lore entries along the far walls: STATUARY and BINDING. The right
path is blocked by rubble, so turn left and take the path down to the
outside area of the Artifact Temple. You'll find the first Chozo
Artifact at the base of the Artifact Temple's central pillar, the
ARTIFACT OF TRUTH. After you collect it, seven of the pillars around the
room will activate and allow you to scan them. These pillars provide
clues as to the whereabouts of the other Chozo Artifacts. Note that when
you scan a clue, it registers as a Log Book entry. This is misleading;
the Artifact section in your Log Book doesn't need to be scanned in
order for the Log Book to be completed. You just need to find them all.
Still, if you don't know what you're doing, it's a good idea to scan the
clues to help you during your quest to collect the artifacts. After
you're done, return to your ship and save your game.
=============
Chapter 4: Toxins at the Ruins.
=============
The Morph Ball is crucial to a bounty hunter who needs to explore every
last corner of Tallon IV, but you still need a way to defend yourself
whilst using it. The Morph Ball Bombs fill that void, so it's important
that you track them down as quickly as possible. Additionally, it's
about time we return to the Chozo Ruins and clean up the polluted water
supply, and then find a way through Magmoor Caverns' crushing heat. With
your Arm Cannon raised, and Scan Visor at the ready, be prepared to take
down the greater evils that lurk within the Chozo Ruins. It all starts
at the Main Plaza.
At the back of the Main Plaza, there's a set of steps that lead up and
around to the left and across the bridge. Watch out for the gap over the
entrance to the Nursery Access. The bridge is patrolled by a lone War
Wasp. If it notices you, it will retreat into its Hive at the other end
of the bridge. More wasps will attack if you try to cross the bridge, so
shoot the Hives from afar and eliminate the scout. On the other side of
the bridge, use the door on your right. Use the Morph Ball to make it
across this winding tunnel, which is blocked in some parts by fallen
tree branches. Try to roll fast enough so that you can zip by the
Scarabs before they drop from the ceiling. This tunnel leads to the
Ruined Fountain.
The Ruined Fountain was clearly named after the stone fountain in the
back of the room, which is currently spewing sickly green water into the
air. You will also see Chozo Lore: HATCHLING behind the fountain, and
several Plazmites flittering through the air. This room is fairly dark,
and you won't be able to see very well of you gun down all of the
Plazmites, so keep them alive. You'll need the visibility to get through
the flooded portion of the room. From where you entered, you'll want to
reach the door on the left wall, not the one up ahead and to the left
behind the fountain. To get across, use the stones along the right side
of the room to get to the back. Avoid the fountain's plagued water and
jump over to the platform with the desired door. When you reach the
door, head through and equip your Scan Visor. Turn the corner and
quickly scan one of the SHRIEKBATS flying at you. These flying creatures
usually hang from ceilings, but are very territorial. When you approach
their roosting site, they'll dive-bomb you in a kamikaze fashion,
accompanied by the high-pitched shriek that earned them their name. Turn
another corner and open the next door with a missile.
The grand Arboretum contains a large amount of vile water, and a huge
tree growing right in the middle of the room. Use the platforms around
the tree to get to the other side safely. Turn left from the door and
scan the vine-like plant swinging its scythe at you. REAPER VINES grow
from crevices in the wall and are only dangerous if you get too close to
them. Just stay out of reach of its deadly blade and you'll never get
hurt. In instances where you must get past them in order to proceed
however (like now), just target the vine's eye and shoot it. It will
retract into its crevice for a few seconds. Only with the Plasma Beam
can you actually destroy a Reaper Vine. Anyway, shoot down the first two
and jump onto the platforms in the water. Hop up to the platforms
surrounding the tree to get to a wooden bridge. Cross the bridge and
turn left. There are more Reaper Vines growing down this sloped path,
but you can roll safely past them with the Morph Ball. Use a missile on
the door down here and go through this next small passage.
This next room is the Gathering Hall. To your right is a path that leads
to a Save Station, behind the Missile Door Lock. After saving, enter the
door opposite to the Save Station door, fighting off the Shriekbats and
Blastcaps in your way. Turn the corner at the Watery Hall Access room
and shoot down more Shriekbats. At the bottom of the sloped path, just
about at water level, there's a section of the left wall that's weak
enough to blast through with a missile. Expose and grab the MISSILE
EXPANSION behind it, and then continue through to the Watery Hall
(beware of more Shriekbats as you turn the last corner, and use a
missile to open the door).
The Watery Hall is a quick detour, but a highly valuable one at that. To
your left is a platform with Blastcaps on it. Shoot them and step onto
the platform. Turn around and scan the symbol on the wall above the
drainage pipe. There are three more runic symbols in this room that need
to be activated in order to gain access to your next power-up. Hop
across to where the Reaper Vine is, shoot it and proceed. Shoot all of
the Blastcaps on the next long platform and scan the runic symbol
beneath them. Keep crossing platforms until you can go no further. There
will be another runic symbol to scan on the wall. Now head back to the
beginning of the room. Notice the suspended platforms that lead up above
ground level. Make your way across them, fighting off Reaper Vines as
you go, until you reach a metal gate with the four runic symbols on it.
Three of them should be lit up, representing the three you've already
activated. To your right is the fourth. Scan it and a fifth will be
revealed on the gate. Scan it to open the gate and gain access to the
area beyond. Up ahead, grab the CHARGE BEAM and scan Chozo Lore: METEOR
STRIKE. The Charge Beam is nothing new to you; it lets you charge your
beam weapons for a more powerful shot. Also, keep in mind that while
you're charging your shot, the energy from your Arm Cannon will draw in
any pickups lingering in the air. Use the Charge Beam whenever pickups
are otherwise out of your reach. Most importantly (at the moment
anyway), you can now destroy Eyons with a charged shot. Once you collect
the Charge Beam, six previously-dormant Eyons will trap you inside.
Destroy them all and head back to the Gathering Hall.
Now, about those Morph Ball Bombs. Starting from the Save Station at the
Gathering Hall, face the left door to the Arboretum but jump up onto the
platform directly above it. Hop platforms as you go around the room,
shooting Shriekbats and Blastcaps when necessary. When you get to the
opposite corner (above the Watery Hall Access door), turn around and
jump onto the platform on the wall behind you, further up. Make sure you
clear off all of the Blastcaps before hopping over. On the wall ahead is
a small hole that loops around to the center platform. Kill the
Shriekbats that swoop down from the opposite doorway, and then jump over
to the door.
Blast the Shriekbats in the next room and head through the next door.
Now you will be in a tunnel with a few more Eyons to deal with. Also
notice the raised section of the tunnel with a sealed Morph Ball tunnel.
It will provide a shortcut on your way back through the tunnel, so that
you don't have to mess around with the Eyons. You will now reach the
next large room, the Energy Core.
After you defeat the Shriekbat horde, scan the door with the weird lock
on it, on the opposite end of the room. This is a LOCKED DOOR system,
and no weapon you have can break the lock. Once you clear the room of
enemies or accomplish a certain task, the Locked Doors will remove
themselves from the door they were sealing. Since you can't reach it
anyway, turn and head down the left wing of the room. Avoid any water
puddles and Shriekbat attacks. You'll find a Morph Ball tunnel at the
end of the wing. At the end of this tunnel is the door to the Burn Dome.
Prepare for battle! The Burn Dome is home to a malfunctioning disposal
unit known as the INCINERATOR DRONE. Like the Hive Mecha, this mini-boss
is one-of-a-kind, so definitely take a few moments to download its Log
Book entry. Also like the Hive Mecha, the Incinerator Drone fights