================================= ====Metroid Prime Speed Guide==== ================================= by Tim :tim@megaman-network.com :http://metroid.retrofaction.com ====== Index: ====== 1. Introduction 2. Version Notes 3. History and Plot 4. Controller Setup 5. Gaming Basics 6. Intro to the Speed Run 7. The Orpheon 8. Ancient Ruins 9. Fire 'n' Ice 10. Revisiting Chozo Ruins 11. Fire 'n' Ice, Part II 12. Exploring The Mines 13. Space Wreckage 14. Revisiting the Mines 15. The Scavenger Hunt 16. The Final Showdown 17. Power Suit Upgrades 18. Samus' Abilities 19. Item Checklist 20. Endings 21. Secrets and Tips 22. Contributions 23. Legal ================ 1. Introduction: ================ Welcome to the official Metroid Online speed guide for Metroid Prime. Developed in cooperation with Retro Studios and Nintendo, the classic 2D sidescrolling gameplay of Metroid has now become an astounding blend of a first person shooter, action/adventure, and platformer genres of gaming. The information contained in this speed run document is primarily meant for one to play the game and complete all objectives within a rela- tively low clock time. Of course, updates will always continue to be made, as long as speed running is involved. Use the index above for a handy reference guide, and go to http://metroid.retrofaction.com/guides for assorted guides to all the other Metroid games. Happy gaming. ================= 2. Version Notes: ================= 1) We should make note that this guide is meant primarily for those using the NTSC-U/C version of Metroid Prime; as such, almost all of the sequence breaking contained here- in is meant for the US version ONLY. Please do not email the staff complaining of any inaccuracies if you have a PAL or Japanese disc. 2) Yes, it is possible to speed run this game, but it takes a great deal of practice and effort. Please read the descriptions of all the required speed tricks before emailing for help. It is assumed that you are familiar with every room in the game, that you have memorized the mapping system, and you have completed the game numerous times. Definitions: ------------ 1) NTSC - "National Television Standards Committee"; Organization that regulates the standards for region-defined consoles and television operations in North America and Japan. 2) PAL - also known as "Phase Alternating Line", this is the format on which European TVs and video games operate. Games encoded in this format cannot be played on a North American or Japanese console system; special modified PAL tv equipment is required. 3) U/C - United States/Canada. Games encoded as this cannot be played on PAL or Japanese systems, without system modification. 4) J - Japan. Games encoded as this cannot be played on PAL or North American systems, without system modification. Differences between NTSC-U/C and other versions: ------------------------------------------------ Now, we are aware that there are graphical and gameplay-style differences present in the PAL and Japanese versions of Metroid Prime. As some of the sequence breaking is flipped and in some places, blocked off, this section will try to list all the known differen- ces, so as to avoid confusion when playing the game. Do remember that this guide is built for the North American version, released November 18, 2002. Known Sequence / Enemy Differences: 1) Plasma Processing Blocked - In the PAL version, a chunk of Bendezium sits in front of the door to Plasma Processing, meaning that in order to get the Plasma Beam early, you need to go to Phendrana's Edge and get that Power Bomb expansion first, then revisit Plasma Processing. Note: This does mean you'll have to make a second trip to get the Artifact of Spirit, though. 2) Storage Depot B Blocked - Again, there is Bendezium in front of the door to the Grappling Beam. If you want it early, make sure you have a handy Power Bomb from Phendrana. 3) Waste Disposal Locked - There is a way in the US version, albeit very tricky, to skip the Wave Pirate initial encounter by taking a short cut from Main Quarry into Waste Disposal. In the PAL version, this door is locked until you get the Grappling Beam. 4) Track Jump Not Usable - In the PAL version, that bit of glitchy programming that led to Rage's discovery of the Track Jump cannot be used. While it's sad to see it go, you can still get up the Furnace with the use of a simple Triple Bomb Jump. 5) Missing Metroid - There is no Hunter Metroid in Frost Cave; you will encounter your first Hunter Metroid in the Phazon Mines. 6) Misplaced Metroid - Here's a weird one. In the Phazon Mines, when you reach Metroid Quarantine A, you'll encounter Fission Metroids instead of the normal Metroids. Have fun with these. As you descend to the third level of the Mines, encounters with Fission Metroids become far more frequent, even moreso than the Impact Crater. Known Graphical Differences: 1) The water has some nice effects to it, namely the lakes ripple with waves and the rain glistens as it runs down rock or other types of solid surfaces. 2) Ice is reported to be a bit shinier, and more slippery, but I have not confirmed this one yet. Misc. Differences: 1) Apparently there are more types of refills here. The ones I've heard of include: - Large Missile refill - refills 10 Missiles. ==================== 3. History And Plot: ==================== The Metroid series has taken place over five games. This one is, to be specific, the fourth one to be released, but takes place second in the actual timeline. Metroid Prime occurs, at best, a few years after the events described in the original Metroid. The evidence for this placement can be found in the game manual: "...But the Space Pirates were far from finished. They immediately split their survivors into two camps. One remained on Zebes to begin rebuilding their ravaged facility..." By the events described, it by definition can't take place after Super Metroid because Zebes was completely destroyed in that game, and it must take place prior to Metroid II: Return of Samus because Metroids still exist, and in rather large quantites. The games after this make it well known that the Metroids are an extinct species. Thus, the progression of the Metroid series looks like this: - Metroid (1987 - Nintendo Entertainment System) "Stop the Space Pirates and preserve galactic peace!" - Metroid Prime (2002 - Nintendo Gamecube) "Destroy the evil beneath the surface of Tallon IV!" - Metroid II: Return of Samus (1991 - Nintendo Game Boy) "Exterminate all remaining Metroids!" - Super Metroid (1994 - Super Nintendo Entertainment System) "Destroy the Space Pirates and save the last Metroid!" - Metroid Fusion (2002 - Game Boy Advance) "Exterminate the X parasites and save the universe!" Here's the introduction to the game's story as told in the manual: The Chozo --------- The Chozo... Over millennia, this bird-like race of creatures made incredible techno- logical and scientific leaps. Traveling at will through space, they built many marvels across the universe-technological wonders of unfathomable complexity and cities un- matched in beauty. They shared their knowledge freely with more primitive cultures and learned to care for and respect 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 prophecy 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 Phazon. This element immediately sank into the earth and water, poisoning life wherever it bloomed. Most plants and animals died, while others mutated into hideous forms. The Chozo called upon all 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. Believ- ing that someday a savior would return to the planet, the Chozo left for an unknown destination, leaving nothing but engraved accounts of their time on Tallon IV. The Space Pirates ----------------- The Space Pirates were interstellar nomads, technologically advanced in both space travel and weaponry. When they plundered the Metroid population on SR388, they recog- nized 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 planet's surface. Deep below the surface of Zebes, the Space Pirates researched Metroids for many years, even as a young girl orphaned by their raid on the neighboring planet of 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 swath through the Space Pirates' operation, destroying everything in her path, including the gargantuan mainstays of the Space Pirate army, Ridley and Kraid. She eventually made it to the core of their base, destroyed all the Metroids she saw, and seemingly blew up the Mother Brain. But the Space Pirates were far from finished. They immediately split their survivors into two camps. One remained on 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 long before they discovered 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 Space Pirates mined the Phazon and experimented with it, they found that its capacity to mutate was unlike anything they'd ever seen, and they promptly started combining it with indigenous lifeforms. They refined their operation; powering their machinery with thermal-powered engines sunk deep in the molten depths of Tallon IV, they drove deep mineshafts and mined more and more Phazon, ship- ping it to their two main labs in the Phendrana Drifts, where sub-zero temperatures made specimen containment safer. Research leaped forward: by harnessing Phazon's power, they were able to create untold horrors that soon patrolled the dark caverns below Tallon IV's crust. The Space Pirates also transported many 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 toward Tallon IV, preparing to wipe them out once and for all... ==================== 4. Controller Setup: ==================== The Gamecube's controller certainly makes good use of all the buttons, but it won't take long before you're rapidly switching between this and that on the fly. Here's the layout of the buttons (it's a shame that you can't experiment and switch the buttons around; but you can alternate the functions of the Control Pad and C-Stick by switching which one controls the Visor and Beam functions...). - L Button: Lock on to enemies, Scan objects (with Scan Visor equipped), and use the Grappling Beam (only when the Grapple icon appears). - R Button: Pan Camera, Aim (with the Control Stick), Activate Spider Ball tracks (in Morph Ball mode). - Z Button: Call up the Map Screen. - Start/Pause: Pause game and bring up Samus' databanks. - Control Stick: Move Samus, Look around, and Aim (with the R Button). - Control Pad: Switch between available Visors. - C Stick: Switch between available Beam weapons. - Y Button: Fire Missiles, Beam Combos (when charged), lay Power Bombs (only in Morph Ball mode). - X Button: Switch in and out of Morph Ball mode. - A Button: Fire Beam weapon, lay Bombs (only in Morph Ball mode). - B Button: Jump, Activate Boost Ball (in Morph Ball mode), Dash side-to-side while locked on (strafe move). ================= 5. Gaming Basics: ================= Retro Studios did a masterful job preserving the classic exploration element of the Metroid games in this installment. You play from the first person perspective, but you'll still encounter plenty of the fierce action and platforming style that defines Metroid. You'll find that over half the game is about learning your surroundings and exploiting them: searching high and low, bombing obstacles out of the way, and looking for more efficient routes is integral to the game. The 3D maps can get a tad confusing at times, but with patience, you'll make it through. Now here's a brief list of some things to consider that might make your journey through Tallon IV a bit less hair- raising. General Tips: ------------- 1. Like in almost every Metroid game, you'll often deal with not just one enemy, but an entire horde of them. Make liberal use of the L Button during a swarm to constantly target and pick off the nearest threat to you. In later cases such as with Auto Defense Turrets, Flying Pirates, and Fission Metroids, you can sometimes use doors to your advantage to provide cover. Flying Pirates and Fission Metroids, due to their size, cannot fit through the doors, so it's really easy to stay on the opposite side and pick your targets off from there. 2. Your Combat HUD is your life-saver. While it's difficult to focus on the huge influx of information, it will definitely help you to check out the various readings from time to time. Your Radar (upper left) will tell you of impending enemies, your Map (upper right) will display a small cross-section of where you are, you have your Missile Count on the right hand side, your Threat Assessment (left hand side), and your Targeting Reticules that appear when enemies are in the vicinity. 3. Once you gain the Charge Beam, you can charge it up to draw refills to you, but the tractor range is limited. In cases where you can defeat smaller enemies or obstacles during boss battles, you can use the Charge Beam to nab those refills without going all the way to them (this also works for refills higher up than you can jump). 4. Make sure you master or at least have passing familiarity with some of the stuff listed under "Samus' Abilities" since there are a few ares where you must perform some type of trick to proceed. 6. Every single room in the game has a name. So during the walkthrough, you'll often find references to these names to make navigation a lot easier. To view what room you're in, press Z to call up the map. You can then use the C Stick to scroll along the different rooms from there. 7. Unlike previous titles, Metroids will only attack if you get close (this goes for the normal variety only; Hunter Metroids will attack from farther away, and Fission Metroids don't seem to give a darn where you are). This fact coupled with the rate at which the Ice Beam fires can make approaching a group of Metroids somewhat risky. If you have Missiles to spare, you can always lock on and blast one with a concussion blast to lure it to you, where it'll be easier to defeat. Areas of Tallon IV: ------------------- You'll traverse six "worlds" on your journey through Tallon IV, all of which have their own unique environmental conditions and hazards. Just as in Super Metroid, all of the worlds here interconnect through the use of the Transports. However, unlike Super Metroid, there are often multiple transports within a particular area, giving you more than one route (heck, sometimes three) back to any other area. What follows is a short sample list of the areas of Tallon IV. - Tallon Overworld: Damp surface of the planet; somewhat of a jungle environment. Think Crateria here. - Chozo Ruins: Ancient ruined Chozo cities. You'll get a lot of stuff in this area, so keep on the lookout. Most of the Ruins is sandy and desert-like, but deeper in you reach watery areas. - Magmoor Caverns: Think Norfair, except larger and much more hazardous. Magmoor is a bit of a bore since its only real use in the game is to reach various Transports... - Phendrana Drifts: The icy mountain region of Tallon IV, this frozen wasteland is home to the Space Pirates' Research Labs. - Phazon Mines: The primary stronghold for the Space Pirates, this area is full of their Phazon experiments, plus lots of Phazon just lying about. You'll find many a twisted enemy here. - Impact Crater: A very small area consisting of but four rooms; this final area is very difficult to traverse. The source of all Phazon resides deep in this area (cue the spooky music). Transportation: --------------- There are various means of transportation around Tallon IV. Traveling from world to world is accomplished through the use of Transports or elevators. Moving from area to area is accomplished through passages or doors. Transports must be scanned before they can be used, and then remain active for the remainder of the game. There are four main types of doors, but certain conditions can affect the use of them. Other than transports and doors, there are tunnels you can access with the Morph Ball and Magnetic Rails that you can travel along with the Spider Ball. Refer below to see a good list of the means you'll be using to move from place to place. - Blue - requires a Bomb or normal Beam to open up. - Purple - Only the Wave Beam will open these hatches. - White - Only the Ice Beam will open thes hatches. - Red - Only the Plasma Beam will open these hatches up. - Blast Shield - A red shield blocks these doors. Shatter the shieldin with a Missile. - Locked - You must complete some objective or scan some type of console to unlock these doors. You'll receive a message when the objective has been achieved. - Transport: You'll use the Scan Visor to activate these giant platform lifts that take you from place to place around Tallon IV. Once a particular Transport is activated, it remains online for the duration of the game. - Morph Ball Tunnel: Once the Morph Ball has been acquired, you can and will use these small passages to travel new places. Some tunnels are blocked, and the obstructions must be removed. - Magnetic Rail: You'll still use these to navigate certain areas once you have the Spider Ball. Hold R when near a Rail to attach and use them. - Power Conduit: Found only after acquiring the Thermal Visor, these are used to power inactive doors (which you'll start finding a lot of). Power them up with the Wave Beam; once all Power Conduits in a given room have been activated, power will be restored to the door. Power-Up Stations: ------------------ - Map Station: Scan or step into the hologram and Samus will download the Map for the area she's in. Explored regions show as orange, while unexplored areas remain blue. - Save Station: Step into the pad to replenish all your Energy and save your game's progress. - Missile Station: Step into the pad to reload your Missile complement. Obstructions: ------------- As you upgrade your items and progress, you'll find more and more things that block your path. Here's a list of the rocks you'll find and how to get around them. - Sandstone: Use Morph Ball Bombs to destroy this type of rock. - Talloric Alloy: Morph Ball Bombs will get rid of this. - Radion Stone: Concussive Missile blast. - Brinstone: Concussive Missile blast. - Cordite: Weak to Super Missile blasts. - Bendezium: Only Power Bombs will destroy this type of rock. Visual Aids: ------------ As should be obvious, you will spend the vast majority of the game in the Combat Visor. Your three other available Visors include the Scan Visor, Thermal Visor, and X-Ray Visor. Each is important to particular segments of the game. Check below for the major information you should know about the extra Visors. - Scan Visor: Press Left on the Control Pad to select this. When active, a small mag- nifer appears in the center of the Visor. Anything that can be scanned will appear as a recognizable symbol. Orange symbols account for miscellaneous data and a majority of Creature Data. Red symbols, on the other hand, are mission-critical: they either are boss data, Pirate Data, Chozo Lore, or in some other fashion necessary to the completion of your current objective. Once your reticule has locked on, hold the L Button to download information about it. - Thermal Visor: The Thermal Visor allows you to see in the infrared spectrum and track heat signatures. Anything that the Visor identifies as abnormal shows up as a bright spot, similar to heat signatures. You can see in the dark this way, track invisible enemies to a degree, and acquire alternate targets on some foes. You'll need this Visor to activate Power Conduits later in the game. - X-Ray Visor: Think the X-Ray Scope from Super Metroid, from the first-person pers- pective. You can see through walls, locate hidden passages, and track certain invisible enemies (the Shadow Pirates, for some reason, can only be seen with thermal imaging). The X-Ray Visor can also aid in alternate target acquisition. Combat System: -------------- The Combat system in Metroid Prime is fairly straightforward. When you're fighting, you'll normally use the Combat Visor. Later on, you'll be asked to call on the Thermal and X-Ray Visors to track heat and cloaked signatures, but the basic idea remains the same. Hold L to lock on to your target so you can always be facing it. If you tap B while locked on, you'll "strafe" around the enemy, allowing you to circle and dodge most attacks. This is made a bit easier once you have the Space Jump Boots, so you can double jump out of the way. Occasionally you'll face enemies that you can't lock on to (Eyons, cloaked enemies), so you'll have to use the R Button to manually aim at your target. It's *extremely* important to know your enemy's weaknesses. There are a lot of opponents that are weak to Ice, Fire, or Electricity. Know these weaknesses and then exploit them with your different Beam weapons. Knowing how to defeat an enemy quickly may often make the difference between life or death. As I mentioned earlier, you may sometimes have to track heat signatures (Shadow Pirates, Thardus, Prime) or spectral anomalies (Chozo Ghosts, Prime) to acquire target lock, so know what Visor you have to use in the right situations. Environmental Hazards: ---------------------- Tallon IV has hazardous evironmental sections aplenty. For starters, know where enemies are and how to eliminate them quickly so you can conserve energy and munitions. Lava and Phazon are two biggies in the game; try not to swim too much in the lava, and avoid all blue Phazon like the Plague until you get the Phazon Suit. There are certain enemies and hazards that will also adversely affect your progress in other ways besides simply harming you. Scatter Bombus will interfere with your Visor, turning it to static. In Magmoor, the steam vents will fog your Visor up, as will traveling through a waterfall. Until you have the Gravity Suit, movement through liquid is also hindered a great deal, as is your vision capability.. The last bit of advice for this section is to constantly be aware of your surroundings; often knowing what's around the bend will make a crucial difference in your ability to survive. ========================== 6. Intro to the Speed Run: ========================== Overview -------- This speed guide is broken down into various subsections encompassing major areas of the game, which in turn contain sections of the worlds you'll be visiting. The areas you'll be in are listed as you move from world to world. From time to time, I'll also make references about data that you'll be alerted to throughout the game. Oftentimes it will appear just as I describe, but if the Hint system is turned on, a few of these will only appear if the computer decides you're spending too much time in an area. It is actually possible to get through the game without ever having your computer alert you of things like the odd gravity patterns, or the location of the Research Core, and whatnot. Finally, as this is a speed guide, intended to assist you in clocking in times as low as possible, a lot of side trips will not be taken. One of the bigger ones is the Log Book - for the purposes of this guide, only the absolutely necessary scans will be included. Check our Normal Run Guide for all the creature and data scans inside the actual walkthrough. Item Numbering -------------- You'll notice that I numbered just about every item in the game during the course of the walkthrough. While this was originally designed for my record-keeping purposes, I found it quite handy to keep in there so it would be easier to keep track of one's item progress through the game. The numbering follows the format of just listing the number you should have after the pickup, i.e. MISSILE EXPANSION (250) or ENERGY TANK (14), and so forth. Hard Mode --------- This guide primarily runs you through the Normal Mode, but all boss strategies have a short blurb on the Hard Mode differences you shuld be aware of. The enemies in the areas you explore will remain the same, except they'll be twice as strong (so if you used one charged shot in Normal, you'll generally use two in Hard). Therefore, I didn't alter any of the main walkthrough sections. Also, don't be surprised if you see random commentary from me about how some foes will behave in Hard Mode, since there's quite a few that get nastier in Hard. =============== 7. The Orpheon: =============== This section will break down the first part of the game, which takes place on the Space Pirate Frigate. Space Pirate Frigate ==================== As soon as the intro cinema starts, you'll find yourself on Deck Alpha's docking bays. From your starting point, you'll see a blue forcefield in front of you. Lock on to and shoot each of the four orbs to deactivate it so you can advance. Next, activate the Scan Visor as you're running to quickly activate the next forcefield; deactivate the orbs as you did before. Now hang a left and run across the walkway to the blue door; shoot it open and head through. Scan the consoles as you go; you'll need to repressurize the airlocks before you can move on. The next room is the Emergency Evacuation Area. Head down the ramp and leap over the critters in here. Take out the injured Space Pirate on the floor and head through the next door. In the next hallway, you'll reach an impasse; use the Charge Beam to blast through the rubble and head deeper into the Frigate. The next hallway will show a short cinema of three Parasites escaping into a small tunnel. Ignore them and continue on through the next door, using the Scan Visor to activate the elevator which takes you down to Deck Beta. On Deck Beta, you'll have to use the Morph Ball to navigate some damaged tunnels. Once you reach Biotech Research Area 1, you'll find a couple of injured Space Pirates, but none pose too much of a threat. Shoot them only if they get in your way, otherwise just run on past them. Through the next door and around the bend lies a Defense Turret; peek out from around the corner and take it out with a Missile. Once you reach the Biohazard Containment (the room you reach that has a lot of computer terminals in it), strafe around the central tank to take out the next Defense Turret, and use the nearby elevator to go up one more level. Up here, contend with the three Space Pirates, then head on through the door. Quickly eliminate the Defense Turrets here, and take the elevator down to Deck Gamma. Kill another Pirate, and scan the consoles to activate the prompt for the Morph Ball. Morph into a ball to activate the door. Two more Defense Turrets are in the next room; destroy them and repeat the same Morph Ball sequence to unlock the next door, which leads into the Reactor Core. Parasite Queen Strategy ======================= [NORMAL MODE] Despite what you may think upon seeing this monster, the "Parasite Queen" is quite a pushover. This battle will get you comfortable with the strafing technique. First things first, aim up and scan the boss so you can identify her weak point, the mouth. During this battle, the only attack you'll have to dodge is a searing energy beam. Once you target the mouth, strafe around the room in a circle while constantly shooting your Power Beam. Your shots are quick enough to penetrate the breaks in the forcefield. Whenever you encounter the large gap in the forcefield, either send some Missiles or charged shots into the mouth to deal serious damage. This fight will be over after a few rounds. [HARD MODE] Not much is different in this battle, other than the fact that the beam ray does a bit more damage. The Parasite Queen takes slightly less damage, but the pattern still remains the same. Constantly strafe to avoid the more-frequent ray attack, and launch Missiles at the open forcefield until you run out; then resort to charged Beams. Once you've eliminated the Parasite Queen, the self-destruct will activate, and you'll have seven minutes to get out before the plays blows. Follow these directions and run as fast as humanly possible to clear this area in just over 3 minutes. The upper door is sealed, but the camera will automatically point you in the direction you need to go. Run through the cooridors and scan the console in front of you to deactivate a Defense Turret up ahead. As you reenter Biotech Research Area 1, some Space Pirates will be busy fighting off another large Parasite. Run past them and up the ramp that the resulting explosion creates, then leap and hop your way to the circular pipe in the distance, avoiding the hail of fire from the Pirates. Once in, morph into a ball to accelerate down the tunnels (do this for all the downward subvent- ilation shafts). Maneuver yourself to avoid the Parasite swarms, and continue on your way through all the shafts until you reach the Cargo Bay Access. Follow the giant crates and exit out the right-hand tunnel to work your way through to Biotech Research Area 2. Wait for the cinema with Meta Ridley to end, then use the Grappling Beam to swing across the pit in front of you. Make a run for the door and down the hallway to the Deck Alpha Elevator. Scan it, watch as the electrical surge destroys your suit upgrades, then ride the elevator up. At the top, wind your way through the twisting passages and sprint down the hallway to the end where you have to let the airlock repressurize. Wait the eternity for it to do so, then take off running some more to reach the docking bays, where you'll safely make it to your Gunship. Now watch the next cinema as Samus lands on Tallon IV. ================= 8. Ancient Ruins: ================= This section details the second major area of the game, that which takes place in Tallon Overworld and Chozo Ruins, culminating with the defeat of Flaahgra. Tallon Overworld ================ A short cinema will ensue as Samus speeds through the atmosphere of Tallon IV and lands on the surface of the world. This outer area is known as the Tallon Overworld, and you'll be pleased to know that your sequence-breaking of the game starts right here in the beginning. Save your game when you're prompted, and move yourself around a bit on top of your ship, so that you're standing directly on the edge of the starboard side turbine. Switch to your Scan Visor and make sure that the little portal for your ship is as far left as it possibly can go. Now look out and lock onto part of the Tallon fauna above the blue door way off in the distance. Prepare a Dash Jump manuever (this is detailed in the section, "Samus' Abilities" if you need a good reference. Make sure you lock on to the fauna, then leap out to the side, aiming particularly for the short ledge to your right. Just as you start the dash move, let go of L and, if done correct- ly, you should fly off and land atop a ledge. From here, just climb up and head over to the Alchove and claim the SPACE JUMP upgrade. From here on out, you'll be able to double jump, allowing you to reach a lot of places earlier. Now hop down from the ledge and take a short moment to save again at your Ship, then head through the blue door like normal. Run past the Beetles that pop out of the ground, and exit out to Tallon Canyon. Maneuver your way around here, avoiding more Beetles, until you reach the door at the end. Continue down this hallway to reach the Transport leading down to the Chozo Ruins. Chozo Ruins =========== From the Chozo Ruins entryway, Space Jump over the Beetles and head through the door to reach the Main Plaza. As you head down, more Beetle swarms will attack you, so take them out and head to the half-pipe in the middle. Look for the slight hole on the right-hand side, and look straight up. Start Space Jumping and you should be able to wedge yourself into an enclave where you'll nab the first MISSILE EXPANSION (005), before you even have the technical Launcher upgrade! Don't worry, your Missiles will still work fine. Head back down and through the door with the Missile Lock on it to reach the Ruined Shrine. Watch the cinema as the wall raises up, then leap up over the obstruction to claim the MORPH BALL upgrade. From your current location, Space Jump back across the gap to head back out to the Ruined Shrine, and start leaping up the platforms at the rear of the room, making your way to the bridge overhead. There's a lone War Wasp circling about; destroy it, then lock onto each of the two Hives and destroy them before proceeding. Continue on through the blue door into the Fountain Access. More Scarabs and blocked passages await you in this tunnel; make it easy and use the Morph Ball the entire time. The Ruined Fountain is darkened, making it tough to see where you're going. There are, however, a few Plazmites circling around. As long as you don't bother them, they'll generally leave you alone. From your start- ing point, Space Jump across the water to the blue door off to your left, and head through it to reach the Arboretum. Turn immediately left and shoot the Reaper Vine to make it retract into the wall, and start leaping your way to the ledges that wind around the center tree structure. Cross the bridge near the top, and head down the incline, rolling if you want to, to reach the door at the bottom. Head through and into the Gathering Hall area. You should be getting a message regarding a Save Station near you, but ignore it for now. Once in the Gathering Hall, cross along the lower right path (where the cluster of Blastcaps are) into the Watery Hall Access. As you round the corner, take aim and fire at the Shriekbats that divebomb you from the top of the ceiling. At the lowest point in the room, shoot a Missile at the left wall to break it and reveal a MISSILE EXPANSION (010). Once in the Watery Hall, you must locate and scan four runic symbols to activate a gate high above you. Jump to the ledge near the entry door and turn around. As you pan to the right, you should see the first rune. Hop back down and cross the platforms on the water until you reach a Blastcap cluster. Destroy them and find a second rune on the floor. Head to the back of the room where the third symbol lies on the wall. Finally, return to the entry point and navigate the ledges up and over to the large gate. Scan the wall near it to find the fourth rune, then turn and scan the gate itself to unlock it. Now Space Jump to the CHARGE BEAM upgrade sitting near the back, then utilize it to take out the Eyons that come to life and block your path out. Backtrack to the Gathering Hall and start ascending the plat- forms around the room until you reach a section with Blastcaps above you. Rotate your- self around and Space Jump out to the little platform,then Space Jump again to reach the top of a grate. Morph and roll off the edge and hang back to land in front of the door, then head through it into the Energy Core. Head left when you get into the room and go down the maze of hallways until you reach a Morph Ball tunnel. Roll on through this and the next one to reach the door leading to the Burn Dome - the location your computer indicates is the site of a very strong Hive presence. Incinerator Drone Strategy ========================== [NORMAL MODE] This battle starts off with the mechanoid shooting two jets of flame. Strafe side to side and stay in between the two jets. When it stops, a red orb will appear. Get in front of it and fire until the mechanoid malfunctions and shoots its flame straight up. The Barbed War Wasps in the hive above get pretty teed off that their home is being set aflame, and naturally come after you. Scan one as it emerges, then start making a point of taking them apart as they come out of the hive. Keep an eye on the Drone though; the flame jets are now tilted at severe angles that can make it tougher to dodge. The trick is to avoid the high jet, and jump the low jet. Keep your attention focused more on the Wasps, but check the Drone every five seconds or so; as soon as that red orb pops back into view, drop the Wasps like a bad habit and focus all firepower on the Incinerator Drone. It'll malfunction again, and the process will start over. After 4 rounds, the Drone will really go on the fritz and vaporize the entire Hive. The Drone will then in turn explode into tiny fragments, leaving the MORPH BALL BOMB upgrade in its wake. [HARD MODE] Not much difference, really (boss battles won't get tough until Thardus...). You'll of course, take more damage, the War Wasps are quicker and deadlier - but I didn't notice any particular change in their numbers (I can't really recall if they swarmed out one after another in Normal Mode). This battle is a piece of cake; just keep an eye on the Wasps and shoot them down to win here. Collect the Morph Ball Bomb and use one on the weak wall near the back, then roll to a MISSILE EXPANSION (015). Exit the Burn Dome by Bomb Jumping to the high tunnels, then head to the nearby Stone Toad off to the left. Morph, let it eat you, then set a Bomb to destroy it, and head into the adjoining room. Bomb Jump into the Morph Ball Slot and set a Bomb to activate it, then watch as the water drains from the room. Roll through the small tunnel into the large room. Quickly roll to the next slot and repeat to raise a set of platforms. Working against the clock, hop from platform to platform and head inside the alcove to reach the third Slot. Bomb Jump into it and activate it to raise a final series of ledges and unlock the door on the upper right side. Enter the door to make your way into the Furnace. Roll through the Morph Ball Tunnel and follow it to a second one, where you land in a room containing your first ENERGY TANK (01). Collect it and head back to the Gathering Hall. As you exit, Space Jump out to the little red orbs on the ledges, then Space Jump again to the top of that grating you were on top of earlier. This time, Bomb through the grating to reach a MISSILE EXPANSION (020), then drop all the way back down and use the nearby Save Station to save your progress thus far. Now backtrack through the Arboretum and start scanning for four runic symbols in this room to access a gate far above you. The first one is right on the tree near the wooden bridge, there's a second one down near the entrance, guarded by a patch of red Venom Weed. Scan it and start heading up through the passages in the walls using Bombs to get through. Watch out for some War Wasps on your way up, and you'll find the third rune on the wall during the ascent. Scale your way to the top; once on the wood- en bridge, crane out and around to locate the fourth rune on the tree. With all four scanned, the gate will roll out of the way, and you can bomb your way into the Sun- chamber Lobby. Avoid the Venom Weed and Reaper Vines and get to the door at the end; use the crates if you need a refill, then head on through the door into the massive Sunchamber to do battle. Flaahgra Strategy ================= [NORMAL MODE] The gargantuan mutant plant known as "Flaahgra" is the sole creature responsible for the high levels of toxins present in the Chozo Ruins. Like all plants, Flaahgra derives his power from photosynthesis, and his location in the Sunchamber provides him ample amounts of sunlight. To defeat this boss, you must disable the solar panels to rob Flaahgra of his power source, then use Morph Ball Bombs to destroy his weakened root system. Flaahgra may have very thick skin that is resistant to every attack you have, but his central nervous system in his roots is quite vulnerable. Any time Flaahgra's solar energy is cut off, he retracts his roots from the Tunnels, allowing you to roll inside to the Morph Ball Slot at the end and set Morph Ball Bombs. The resulting explosion to his vulnerable base deals hefty damage to Flaahgra (1/4 off his meter) and causes the beast to shrivel and collapse. However, it's not long before Flaahgra re- vives with the help of more solar panels. Pay attention to the reanimation cinema; look for which panels are activated, then look for the closest Morph Ball Tunnel in relation to the panels. You want to time this so that you're able to reach said tunnel within 6 seconds of disabling the panels. As you destroy the root systems, you also in turn destroy the tunnel, so you must pick and choose somewhat strategically. The trick in the battle comes in the form of Flaahgra's increasing resistance to your attempts to knock him out. He doesn't get very happy when you try to cut him off, and will bombard you with some pretty nasty attacks. To disable each panel, lock on to the red light and shoot it until it's knocked out of position. Flaahgra will always attempt to knock the solar panels that you disable back into a position that will benefit him, so you must dually concentrate on keeping Flaahgra woozy while circling around shooting the panals. You may not be able to harm him with your weapons, but rapid-firing the Power Beam and launching Missiles does a good job of keeping Flaahgra from counter- attacking. The strategy to use is to stun Flaahgra, strafe around while taking potshots until you reach a solar panel. Knock it out of commisssion and *immediately* lock back onto Flaahgra. Strafe around some more while keeping him dizzy until you reach another active panel. Knock it out, and repeat for as many panels have to be deactivated. Flaahgra's other attacks involve a poison breath attack (which can be easily avoided by strafing), a ramming move (he bends down and slams his head into you), and his thorn vine - he lays this down in random places around the room hoping for an unwary adversary to get caught. If you do happen to get stuck in it, repeatedly move the Control Stick around to free yourself (and do it fast - you rapidly lose energy when stuck). Repeat the battle for a total of four rounds. When you've delivered a fourth Morph Ball Bomb blast to Flaahgra's roots, the mutant keels over and dies once and for all. [HARD MODE] Flaahgra may be the first real boss that you may have to approach a bit differently. For starters, there are a few things different in the Hard version; including Flaahgra's resistance has been upped (making him harder to stun - Missiles are about the only thing that do the trick reliably), his downtime has decreased, and he is much more prone to knocking panels back into position, sometimes without you even knowing. His thorn vine attack is a bit more prevalant. Constantly switching lock-ons between Flaahgra and the panels is crucial; you must always keep him off balance when attempting any sort of attack on his power sources. Make sure he is reeling prior to and immed- iately following disabling a panel, and launch a few Missiles to keep him that way while you scramble to the next panel. Except for these little bits, the battle pretty much proceeds the same way. The battle still goes for four rounds, but during the last round, Flaahgra goes into a sort of "desperation" mode in which he commonly launches flurries of attacks at you (multiple rammings, repeated breath attacks, or combination attacks (as a particularly mean example, ramming you into his thorn vine). Bear these in mind, but you shouldn't have any real problems with this battle. Once Flaahgra has been put down, you'll be able to hop up and claim the VARIA SUIT upgrade to give you added defensive powers as well as survive extreme temperatures. Leave the Sunchamber and proceed through the Suntower Access until you reach a stack of crates - shoot them for energy refills. As you round the corner, you'll run into a new enemy called a Pulse Bombu; you can't damage it yet, so just Morph and roll on past. As you enter the Suntower, you'll have to make the leap all the way to the bottom. Ignore the enemies in this room for now and dash out into the Transport room, but don't use it. Head to the left through the door and follow the path through here until you reach the Vault. Circle around to the back and execute Bomb Jumps to reach the three Morph Ball Slots. The last one requires a Double Bomb Jump; once you've activated all three, a gate will rise, allowing you access to the hidden MISSILE EXPANSION (025). Continue heading out of this tunnel area to get back out to the Main Plaza, where you can score an ENERGY TANK (02) along the way. Drop down and race across the Plaza area to return to Tallon Overworld. Tallon Overworld ================ As you reenter the Overworld, head through Tallon Canyon, and Space Jump to the plat- forms on the upper level. Follow the Zoomer and Geemer around to a door leading into Transport Tunnel B. Run down here, dropping into the slight pit halfway down to grab the MISSILE EXPANSION (030), then hop back up and continue on into the Root Cave. Here, fall all the way down to the bottom, avoid the Beetles that pop up, and head into the door and down the hallway to reach the transport leading down to Magmoor Caverns. ================ 9. Fire 'n' Ice: ================ This short segment covers the short journey from Magmoor into Phendrana to pick up a few more Power Suit upgrades. Magmoor Caverns =============== As you emerge into Magmoor Caverns from Tallon Overworld, you'll be greeted by a not- so-nice Magmoor. Take the time to eliminate it with a couple of charged shots to the head, then roll yourself along the metallic track and take the door into Fiery Shores. Head through the flame jets that spout down from the ceiling, then stop when you come to the lava lake. Turn to your left and blast the crates there, then start heading up the short platforms, using Bombs to lift yourself up. At the top, roll along the very precarious catwalk perch network to reach the MISSILE EXPANSION (035) at the end, then drop down and head into Monitor Station. Arm yourself near the door as the Defense Turrets are itching to blow you away, and take them out systematically. When all three have been destroyed, head up the bridge and jump to the rock formation on the other side. Aim up until you locate a fourth Defense Turret, and blast it out of the sky. Head up the rock ledges, then Space Jump across the expanse to reach the metal catwalk, and head along the final catwalk into Transport Tunnel A. Here, use a Double Bomb Jump near the entrance (over the first metallic block) to boost yourself up to another area, the repeat a second Double Bomb Jump to grab the ENERGY TANK (03) hidden at the top. Once you've gotten the Tank, drop down and continue right to reach the Transport lead- ing to the frozen Phendrana Drifts. Phendrana Drifts ================ As you enter the icy world of Phendrana Drifts, you'll have to use your Missiles to blast through some ice structures. Beyond lies the Phendrana Shorelines. As you proceed to where the save station is, you'll come across a metal gate on a building. Blast the gate with a Missile and scan the panel at the very back to unlock a door above you. Go and to the right, past the Save Station and look for a series of ledges leading up and over. Hop up and across them to reach a door. Take the door and proceed through the access tunnel into Ice Ruins East, avoiding the Scatter Bombus along the way. As you enter Ice Ruins East, two nasty Baby Sheegoths will come out to play. These little creatures are not to be taken lightly, but if you're quick, you can Space Jump over or around them. Either kill them or dodge them, and head up the ledge to the right. Follow it to the left and you'll enter a door leading to the Plaza Walkway. Inside this long cave you'll find a bunch of Ice Burrowers, which are merely icy versions of the Magmoor Burrowers. Roll past them back out to Phendrana Shorelines, then head left to the door that leads to Ice Ruins West. Once there, run and Space Jump past two more Baby Shee- goths to reach a passage leading down and to the right. Go through the door to reach Phendrana Canyon. Out in this open area, drop down and Space Jump off the ledge to the ice slope in the distance. Ascend it and scan the console to align a set of platforms leading off into the distance. Hop over them quickly as they collapse under your weight, and you can reach the BOOST BALL upgrade at the end. Drop back down into the sloped canyon and use the new upgrade to boost yourself out of the half-pipe and back onto solid ground. Take the high road back to the door and exit out of here, retracing your steps back to Phendrana Shorelines. After the short sequence with Meta Ridley, drop back down and start heading back up the ledges as if you were going to Ice Ruins East. Stop about halfway up and look for the nearby floating platforms leading to the Chozo Ice Temple. Use the Space Jump to reach the ledges so you can cross to the Ice Temple. As you reach the others side and enter the door, morph and roll past all the Bombus in this short hallway. In the next room, you'll face off against a Baby Sheegoth, and the close quarters makes combat a bit tough. Strafe around the best you can to defeat it and move on. There are a few ledges at the end, so start climbing and pick off the enemies as you come across them. On your ascent, you'll start encountering some Ice Parasites, frosty versions of normal Parasites that have adapted to frigid temperatures. Move past them and keep going up the ledges. Once you reach the top, you'll find a gate blocking a door. Go back a little ways and start scanning the walls until you find the bust of a Chozo Shaman. (If you're facing the giant iced statue, it's the first one on your right.) Destroy the bust with a Missile so you can Bomb Jump into the Morph Ball slot behind it. Activate the slot with a Bomb to open the gate. Go inside and morph to get through the next section, which involves bombing stone columns out of your path. Once you've successfully cleared the path, head on into the Chapel of the Elders, where you'll have to fight another two-part mini-boss fight to claim the strange upgrade that just got pulled into the floor. Four Baby Sheegoths will attack from the corners of the room, but thankfully you'll only face two at a time. Lock on to one of them and start strafing around while pounding its shell with the Power Beam. When you destroy one, another one enters, so keep picking them off until you've killed the whole quartet, and get ready for the larger, meaner version... Sheegoth Strategy ================= [NORMAL MODE] A full grown Sheegoth bursts through the rear wall of the Chapel, and my bet is she's not too happy that you just killed her babies. You should prepare a little bit: the battle can be a bit tough at this stage of the game. First thing you should know is that the Sheegoth is invulnerable to your current Beam weapons. The ice crystals on her back will absorb energy, converting it into some other kind of energy, which the Sheegoth spits right back at you. It's not pretty... Start off by morphing into the Morph Ball and roll around to the Sheegoth's tail end. You'll want to stay near the back and set off Morph Ball Bombs one after another so as to damage the Sheegoth quickly. Make sure that you roll in a orderly fashion with the Sheegoth so that the mini-boss never has any chances to use any of her more devastating attacks (ramming, or the freezing attacks). Should you get frozen, Bomb yourself out of the ice trap as fast as you can, otherwise the resulting ramming attack will do some major damage. Somewhere between 10 and 20 (I lost count actually) Morph Ball Bomb det- onations will bring the mother Sheegoth down. [HARD MODE] Double up the damage from the last fight, and expect the Sheegoth to be harder to avoid. Combination attacks seem to work better in Hard Mode, so if you find yourself having trouble setting Morph Ball Bombs, use a couple of Missiles and alternate between the two attacks. It takes about 25 Bombs or 34 Missiles to defeat the Hard Mode version of this mini-boss. Now that the Sheegoth is dead, you can run and collect the powerful WAVE BEAM upgrade. You'll now be able to open purple beam-coded doors now that you have this weapon. With your handy new toy, backtrack out of the Chozo Ice Temple and start the trek back to Magmoor Caverns. Magmoor Caverns =============== Reenter Magmoor Caverns and head back out into Monitor Station. Eliminate the few enemies around you and then either drop straight down or head down the platforms; either way you want to get to the other entrance to this room (which is on your left as you enter this room). However you do it, head on through Monitor Tunnel into the massive Triclops Pit. There's a Missile Expansion in here, but it's far on the other side, and you must first cross the platforms filled with Puffers to get there. Take out the Puffers and reach solid ground. Pan around and look for the crates off to the left. This part gets really tricky, and only comes with practice, so bear with me. From the crates, face directly ahead, and stand on the very edge of the rock. Space Jump out and you should hit the first invisible platform. Keep leaping up so the ledge doesn't sink, and turn to your left 45 degrees to see the rock pillar. There's a short piece sticking out, Space Jump out and around this part to land on the second ledge. The third one is another 45 degrees to your left, so rotate and Space Jump out, then fire a Missile at the pillar in front of you, and Space Jump again to land and grab the MISSILE EXPANSION (040). Fall down and head back around to the starting area, looking for a hole in the wall that's glowing red. Head through this small area and use the Morph Ball to enter the tiny tunnel leading into the area under the metal grated floor. Here, roll your way around to the right until you reach another Morph Ball tunnel. Take it and head into the Storage Cavern to find a MISSILE EXPANSION (045) tucked near the back. Exit here and out of the Triclops area, and continue your trek into the Pit Tunnel. Roll through here to the other side, avoiding the Triclops, and exit out into the Lava Lake area. Space Jump around the platforms and Puffers to reach the other side, then bomb your way through the wall to reach another side of Lava Lake. This one is also stocked with Puffers and a couple of Magmoors. Travel along the plat- forms to reach solid ground, then fire two Missiles at the pillar nearest your location, and Space Jump to get the ARTIFACT OF NATURE from the broken pillar. Leave this room and head through the next door to reach Lake Tunnel and Burning Trail. Keep heading along the path to reach a vertical area. Ride the piston platforms up until you can Space Jump to a rocky outcropping. Head through the door to reach a Transport that leads back to the Sun Tower of Chozo Ruins. =========================== 10. Revisiting Chozo Ruins: =========================== This section of the game is your basic revisit to the Ruins site to gather some needed upgrades, namely the Ice Beam out of sequence to assist in facilitating later speed breaking. Chozo Ruins =========== You'll reenter Chozo Ruins in the Sun Tower. Proceed directly ahead and through the Morph Ball segments down into Transport Access North to claim another ENERGY TANK (04), then go through the door in front of you to claim the MISSILE LAUNCHER and another MISSILE EXPANSION (050) that you actually were supposed to get at the beginning of the game. Now, without crossing the bridge, turn right and Space Jump to the blocks leading to the door exiting Hive Totem (you try to cross the bridge normally, and the Hive Mecha fight will trigger - for the purposes of this speed run you're skipping the fight). Head on out through Totem Access into the Ruined Gallery. Deal with the couple War Wasps here, then drop down and fire a Missile at the cracked wall near the back to reveal a MISSILE EXPANSION (055), then head to the other side of the room, and Bomb Jump into a small passage that winds around to another MISSILE EXPANSION (060). Exit this room and continue on to the Ruined Nursery. Again, deal with some War Wasps, then use Bombs to work your way through the wall channel to claim another MISSILE EXPANSION (065). Eventually you'll work your way back to the Main Plaza; start ascending the platforms in the back heading through the Gathering Hall and to the Energy Core, near where you battled the Incinerator Drone. Once you reach the Energy Core, hop along the ledges to reach the door in the far right corner. You got your first Energy Tank here, but this time, position yourself near the Magnetic Rail track. More sequence- breaking awaits as you exploit a quirk in the design of this particular track rail. Position yourself so you're facing the track, then move a little ways to the left until you see a bit of the stone wall. Now press the Control Stick forward into the Track - the track should look like it's vibrating rapidly. While still holding the Control Stick forward, Space Jump up - at the peak, hold forward again, and you should land on a completely nonexistent "platform" (occasionally, your "track jump" will even propel you up the rail without Space Jumping). Hold R as you rotate to move yourself into a good position, then Space Jump again. At the peak of your second jump, morph into a ball to catch the lip of the tunnel, then execute a quick Boost to pop yourself in (this may take a couple of attempts, but it's easier to do than the Triple Bomb Jump). Now carefully Boost across the disappearing blocks and quickly Bomb Jump over the obstruction back to solid ground, where you can then safely continue on into the Furnace. As you enter, Beetles will pop out of the ground; ignore them and head to the left through the Morph Ball tunnel. From here, go into the Crossway and use the Boost Ball to roll yourself out of the half-pipe and head through the door at the other end, following the path into the Hall of the Elders. As you enter, the room will darken, and the next breed of mini-boss will come to attack you (fortunately here, you only have to fight one of them). Chozo Ghosts Strategy ===================== [NORMAL MODE] The Chozo Ghosts can be tough, no doubt, but with the right weaponry and quick reflexes, they're little more than annoying pushovers. The catch is they are only weak to the Power Beam, and they aren't always visible. In fact, at this point in the game, it can be rather tough seeing as you don't have the X-Ray Visor to efficiently track them. To defeat them easily, listen to the sound effects. The Ghosts will make sounds (kind of like a spooky whooshing sound) before they launch an attack. If you hear this, quickly look around and dodge any pulse attack that flies at you. Whenever you have the opportunity to lock onto a Ghost, shoot it repeatedly with charged Power Beam shots to reduce the amount of damage you have to do. Just be wary of their pulse attacks - if one hits you, you'll be rendered immobile for about four seconds while your Power Suit resets, an eternity during which you're vulnerable to further attack. The best method is just to tuck yourself into a corner and fire away whenever the opportunity presents itself. Do note that once you acquire the Super Missile, you'll be able to pound these into oblivion much faster. Also, once you have the X-Ray Visor, these recurring mini-bosses become but a nuisance. [HARD MODE] The Ghosts are far more powerful and they are quite a bit faster on the draw - you'll want to constantly scan around to see if one of them is loitering around you. If so, pepper it with some Power Beam shots to distract it, and fire a charged blast only if you have the time and room to charge one up. The Chozo Ghosts don't do a lot more damage, but in Hard, they tend to attack in tandem, meaning all three will launch attacks at you at the same time, and that can really put a drain on your resources. Just keep listening for that characteristic sound effect and you shouldn't have too many problems. After the Ghost has been put down, Space Jump back up to the small walkway where you came in from, and turn around facing the wall way from the Elder Statue. It's time for a bit of fancy Space Jumping as you look towards the giant reflector on the wall in front of you. Now look closer, and you'll see a small peg sticking out from part of it. Use the R button to settle your reticule over that peg, then release R and make a leap of faith. By Space Jumping with the correct timing, you will land on this little peg. Now be careful; you have to Space Jump again to the ledge above you, but there's a low ceiling that can impede progress. Pan around with your camera to see where the ceiling is, then Space Jump up to the ledge, and activate the Morph Ball slot. After the three colored ones turn on, go to the purple one and shoot it with the Wave Beam, then Bomb it. Now drop to the Chozo statue and morph into its open palm, and let it bowl you into a secret tunnel high above you. Scan the console to deactivate the forcefield, then continue on into the Reflecting Pool. Bomb the underwater drain slot, then use the Boost Ball in the half-pipe to launch yourself to the upper level (try to get eaten by a Stone Toad up top; it guarantees you'll land on the upper ledges). Now enter the western door to reach the Antechamber, where you'll acquire the potent ICE BEAM upgrade! Leave the Antechamber and Space Jump across the room to the other side where you can reach a Save Station. Go ahead and use it to save your progress up until now, then Bomb Jump into the Morph Ball tunnel, which leads to a Transport to Tallon Overworld. Tallon Overworld ================ As you head back into Tallon Overworld, you'll pass through the Overgrown Cavern, where there's a MISSILE EXPANSION (070) dead in your path amongst the Venom Weed. As you exit out, you'll see the wreckage of the Space Frigate you started this whole adventure on. Almost as quickly, a new breed of Space Pirates attack you - these Flying Pirates use aerial assaults to try and defeat you, but you can ground them first by freezing them with the Ice Beam. Follow up with a Missile to shatter them. Once the first two are taken care of, jump down into the water and make your way across to the other side. Two more Flying Pirates are sitting near the water, eating lunch or something...Ignore them and make a run for the door at the back. Follow the path through the following tunnel to return to the Landing Site. Ignore your Ship and roll into the passage behind it. Boost through the Tangle Weed to find yet another MISSILE EXPANSION (075), then return to Tallon Canyon and utilize the entrance to the Root Cave to return to Magmoor Caverns. Magmoor Caverns =============== From the transport, work your way back to Monitor Station, then climb the platforms to reach the entrance to Transport Tunnel A - yes, you're going back to the Phendrana Drifts. ========================== 11. Fire 'n' Ice, Part II: ========================== This section details Samus' excursion into the Research Labs in Phendrana Drifts, her battle with Thardus, and some ferrying back and forth between Magmoor and Phendrana to gather more items. Phendrana Drifts ================ As you reenter the icy Phendrana Drifts, you need to backtrack all the way to Ice Ruins West (using the same exact path you took earlier). Use the path taken to the Boost Ball if you have troubles. Once you reach Ice Ruins West, hop to the right and into the small structure then use the Space Jump to reach the higher ledges. Once at the top, shoot the Stalactite hanging from the ceiling down with a Missile, then use it as a platform to reach another set of rooftop areas. Head across the rooftops, shooting down the Ice Shriekbats as they fly towards you, then Space Jump across the gap and head to the Wave Beam door leading into the Ruined Courtyard. In here, hop along the solid ledges until you reach the first Spinner. Morph into it and activate it, then do the same for the second one farther along the path. Now jump up the ice ledges to the Morph Ball slot above you, activate it, and head back across the area to reach the Morph Ball tunnel leading to the ENERGY TANK (05), then head back across. Reactivate the slot, then start climbing up around the central tower. At the top, Space Jump across the gap and head into the Pirate Research Labs. A Shadow Pirate will immediately attack you; take it out with the Wave Beam and proceed on into the Research Entrance. Just inside, you'll be able to see a lone Defense Turret high in the ceiling. Take aim and destroy it; this way you won't have the thing blasting at you during the upcoming Space Pirate engagement. Move on a little ways more and a short cinema will take over where a Sentry Drone alerts a group of Pirates to your intrusion. Stay near the door and engage the Space Pirates from a safe distance to make it easier for you to hit them (Pirates often just go all out and attack melee-style, so you almost never have to worry about them lurking about behind any corners). Use charged Wave Beam shots from afar, and Missiles if they start getting too close. After you defeat all five, move on through the area, and head up the ramps leading to the upper level. Continue through the Hydra Lab Entryway (taking out the multiple Scatter Bombus along the way) into Research Lab Hydra. Scan the console nearby to deactivate the forcefield, then get ready for a brief Pirate attack. Eliminate them and head for the entrance to Observatory Access near the rear of this area. The entrance is in the ceiling, so jump up and right into a hail of fire from three Defense Turrets. Seek cover behind the crates for the first one, then use the walls to avoid the second and third ones. As you enter the Observatory, five more Space Pirates will attack you; take cover near the entrance and pick them off one by one. After they're eliminated, head across to the bank of consoles near the back and scan the central terminal to initialize the holo sequencer. Two Morph Ball Slots will appear; one is right on the platform to your left, and the other is to your right, a bit higher up on the next ledge. Activate each with a Bomb, then drop down to the floor and use each of the four Spinners to lock the panels into place. Once the last panel is online and active, the sequence will be complete, and you will see a massive three-dimensional rotating display above you of the surr- ounding solar system. Now work on leaping up the platforms lining the walls to reach the center one where the SUPER MISSILE sits. Grab it and head through the next door into the West Tower. Ride the elevator up out into the Control Tower, and eliminate the Flying Pirates as they attack from above. Use Super Missiles on them to kill them faster, then head down into the East Tower once they've been taken down. Ride the elevator down into Research Lab Aether, and head straight in front of you to find the first Metroid of the game. Move up close while charging up your Power Beam, and let it eat a Super Missile when it breaks out of containment. A Space Pirate will bust through the glass here; take point and kill him, then drop down into the main research lab. Eliminate the Pirates as you go along, and get to the lower level where you can shoot a stasis tube for another ENERGY TANK (06). Now head back up the ramp and Space Jump to the ledge above you, and roll along the narrow catwalk to the MISSILE EXPANSION (070). Leave Research Lab Aether through the door in the floor into Research Core Access. You'll immediately be attacked by an Ice Beetle in here; simply run past them and head into the Research Core. Quickly take aim at the Space Pirate hiding out on the other side of the room, then use the Ice Beam + Missile combo on the following two Flying Pirates. After they're gone, scan the consoles on this level to deactivate the first circuit control for the stasis tank, then start heading down the ramps. Near the bottom are two Defense Turrets; try and take them out from one of the upper levels. You'll find two more circuit switches on the two lowest levels; scan them to completely shut down the forcefield and claim the THERMAL VISOR upgrade. As soon as the cinema is done, don't waste any time with the Shadow Pirates and exit through the Ice Beam door at the bottom to reach the other side of the Phendrana Drifts. This first open area is called Frozen Pike. Go to the edge and Space Jump all the way out. You will most likely land at the bottom; in this case, climb the gnarled roots and Space Jump through the hole in the wall to reach a platform leading to a Wave Beam door. Go through the door to reach Frost Cave Access, where you'll roll through a long tunnel. At the end, a few Ice Beetles and Ice Scarabs will attack in some very close quarters, so deal with them as quickly as you can. The door at the end leads into Frost Cave, where you'll encounter a lone Hunter Metroid. Freeze it with the Ice Beam and shatter it with a Missile, then look at the ceiling and shoot down the stalactites you can see. Space Jump out and trek up the rock spires to reach a Wave Beam door on the left (there is a Save Station here if you really want to save) to reach Phendrana's Edge. Once inside, ignore the two Flying Pirates and drop to the bottom of the area. Underwater, you'll battle it out with some Jelzaps; wait until they open up to blast them with a charged shot. Find the underwater door leading into Hunter Cave, where you must target three more stalactites to use as platforms. There are a few Flickerbats zooming around that can make life difficult, but if you time your moves right, they won't bother you too much. Take the next door into Lake Tunnel, and follow it directly into the Gravity Chamber. Head out a little ways, drop down and wind your way around the staircase, then lock onto the orange symbol in the distance. Thread your way through the Aqua Reapers and wind your way around the path to reach the GRAVITY SUIT upgrade. From your perch, head to the right and up the ramp that leads out of the underwater section. Climb up the ledges to the upper door, then take on the Sentry Drone in the next hallway. As you reenter Hunter Cave, run along the right-hand wall, ignoring the Flying Pirates, and head back into Frozen Pike. Climb up the ledges leading around the room and navigate the short Morph Ball maze to reach the Wave Beam door at the very top of the room. Proceed past the Pulse Bombu and make note of the Energy Tank frozen in the ice, then roll out of the little hole into the room with the Transport, and head down to Magmoor Caverns. Magmoor Caverns =============== You have two items to get during this quick excursion, so get rolling out to Magmoor Workstation. For now, ignore the Flying Pirates and simply drop down and head to the back-left area, through the Wave Beam door, and into South Core Tunnel. Quickly shoot the Puddle Spore to flip it, then Space Jump across the lava and continue on through the next room until you reach the spacious Geothermal Core. Here, leap across the Spores and platforms in the middle of the room, then spy the rock to the right of the blue door. Hop on top, and face to the left. Look for the metallic box and Space Jump so you land on the little outcropping. Now rotate yourself so you're facing the disc platforms, and lock your view all the way down. From here, make a short hop to the rock spire directly in front of you, then Space Jump out and land on the first disc platform. Activate the Spinner to raise the first platform, then Space Jump to the second, and so forth until you reach and activate the third one. Now position yourself in front of the Magnetic Rail, and Space Jump directly up. You'll see that the rail curves slightly inward, so you can stand on part of it. Land in the middle and turn around so your back is to the wall. Now, lock your view as far up as it can go, hold back on the Control Stick, Space Jump up and crank forward on the Stick. It may take a few tries to get the timing right, but it essentially wedges you in place, and as is common with Metroid Prime's dynamics, getting wedged someplace often pushes you straight up; thus you'll be shoved up above the disc, and by holding forward, you'll accomplish the same task you would if you had the Spider Ball. Now Space Jump to the final disc and set a Bomb in the slot to trigger the ceiling to raise up. A white door is revealed, as well as a huge Spider Ball maze. Pay very careful attention here, as you'll once again be doing a bit of tricky maneuvering. First off, Space Jump so you land atop the pipe that sticks out of the wall. Move care- fully along it so you don't fall off, then lock your view down and to the left. You'll see a thin metallic lining around the circumference of the room; Space Jump and hold right on the Control Stick to land on this metal strip, then inch your way along it (continuing to hold L so you stay locked in place) until you can look up and see three Magnetic Rail cubes above you. Back up a tad until you can lock your view to the upper- right; you should see part of a bulb sticking out of the first Rail cube. Think back to the Ice Beam trick, and then use your Space Jump to go first towards the wall, then back off of it. Effectively simulating a type of "wall jump", Samus will actually move farther up and, if timed just right, land atop this bulb. Lock your view as you rotate around, then just Space Jump up the remaining two cubes and into the Ice Beam door to claim the PLASMA BEAM upgrade! Now you can toast enemies and open red doors. Head back into Geothermal Core and backtrack to Magmoor Workstation. Destroy the Flying Pirates, then look along the bottom for three lava channels. Run up to them and use the Wave Beam to activate the Power Conduits, and one-by-one, navigate the cooled channels to finally reach the ENERGY TANK (07) behind the purple gate. Now ascend the ledges at the back of the room to return to the Transport room. Take a moment to save your game using the Save Station in this room, then use the Transport to return to the Phendrana Drifts. Phendrana Drifts ================ Head directly ahead and Morph Boost through the Quarantine Tunnels to reach the Wave Beam door at the end. Head into the Quarantine Cave from the opposite side and quickly circle around so you can engage Thardus. Thardus Strategy ================ [NORMAL MODE] Thardus can prove to be tough until you learn that he has a rather easy flaw you can exploit to make this fight far easier, provided that you (a) have the Gravity Suit and (b) have the Plasma Beam. Thardus has quite a few attacks you'll want to know about or watch out for. The first one is his Ice Wave; you know this is coming when he throws his arms behind him. You can simply sidestep this one. His second one is to hurl rocks at you; let go of L to target the rocks and blast them with the Plasma Beam, then resume your lock on Thardus. His final and most lethal attack is to curl into a boulder and bullzoze you, but iron- ically enough, you'll be using this attack to kill him faster. For battle mechanics, Thardus has rock chunks covering his weak spots that encourage the use of the Thermal Visor. Switch to it and lock on to one of the orange points, then let loose with the charged Plasma Beam until it blows up. At this point, switch to the Combat Visor and do the same to the exposed Phazon chunks. If you see Thardus curl into a ball, morph yourself, and as he's almost upon you, set all three of your Bombs, then roll out of the way. The detonation will succeed in blasting another of his shields away, enabling you to damage him with Plasma all the more faster. The fight spices up after three chunks are down; Thardus creates a snow- storm that is pretty tough to see in - you can still track him using the Thermal Visor, though. After six have been destroyed, the blizzard will cease and Thardus will begin chunking rock after rock at you. As long as you don't let up on your Plasma attacks, though, Thardus will fall in roughly 2 or so minutes. [HARD MODE] Double up the resistance and damage you must inflict, and be prepared for Thardus to go hyperactive in using his attacks, and this is pretty much all you'll need to know. Since Thardus is so incredibly weak to the Plasma Beam, it's a simple matter of dod- ging his attacks and not letting up on yours. His boulder will do more damage if he hits you, and you'll often see upwards of 10+ boulders hurled at you. Other than that, you should still have no problems. In Thardus' wake lies the SPIDER BALL upgrade. Quickly grab it and attach to the Mag- netic Rail that goes around the circumference of the room. Take it to the door you came in from, this time heading behind the Transport to the Magnetic Rail track. You can use it this time, so head up it and return to Transport Access. Head back up the Spider Ball track and grab the ENERGY TANK (08) by using the Plasma Beam to melt the ice, then head into Frozen Pike and continue on until you reach Frost Cave. Here, stand on the very edge of the area, and look out a bit to your left. You should barely see a few pieces of rock sticking out. Carefully Space Jump while locking your view down so you can land on them, then L-Lock Space Jump again to your left to catch the ledges leading up to that crate. Now aim for the stalactite, shoot it down into the water, and drop down to collect the MISSILE EXPANSION (075) underneath the water, then continue back into Phendrana's Edge. Here, you're going to make some tricky use of the Space Jump to get some more early items, so pay attention closely to the directions. Normally, this section would require the Grappling Beam, but we prefer to think of the word "required" to mean "optional" in Metroid games. Anyway, get yourself to the root bridge located near the Wave Beam door in the center of the room. Look at it closely and stand on the part that sticks out the most from the actual bridge. Once on the edge, look out ahead of you to see another root section that branches ever so slightly (this one is to the right of the Wave Beam door below you, if you need a visual ref- erence). Space Jump out to this tree, and land on it. If you hit the wall, that's fine, since you'll slide down to the tree anyhow. If you landed on the tree just right, turn around and lock yourself onto the tree until you appear to be looking at a black hole in front of you. Lock your view and "walk" yourself up the tree you're on by moving the Control Stick very gently until you get to the top. Now look upwards and spin around until you see a ledge above you. Space Jump to this ledge, and start working your way up the remaining ledges in the room (the ledge you just left is where you will get the Artifact of Spirit, but you first need the Power Bomb to gain access to it). At the top where you'd normally swing from the Glider, you should look to the right-hand wall for two snowy ledges. Space Jump to one that Samus can aim at from up high, then Space Jump to the second one, and just like that, you've eliminated using the Grapple Beam for this part. Morph and roll into the Security Cave to claim an early POWER BOMB EXPANSION (1), then work your way back down the way you came up back to the previous ledge, use the Power Bomb on the wall, and open the door with the Plasma Beam to reach the ARTIFACT OF SPIRIT. Now backtrack to the Transport Room and take it back down to Magmoor Caverns. I recommend using the Save Station here again before heading into the next leg of the run. Magmoor Caverns =============== Head back to Magmoor Workstation, dispatch the Flying Pirates, and head across the massive room to the ledges in the distance. Take the door here into the access tunnel and Power Bomb the Bendezium away, then use the Transport to go down to the Phazon Mines... ======================== 12. Exploring The Mines: ======================== This section details a short but sweet run through the deadly Phazon Mines, starting from the middle of the area and working back out to Tallon Overworld. Needless to say, this is an extreme out-of-sequence trip. Phazon Mines ============ As you enter, you'll immediately be confronted with a Phazon-laced tunnel. As you would normally be traversing this area with the Phazon Suit, you'll take damage here, and lots of it, too. Quickly run through the tunnel and into the Phazon Processing Center. Fortunately, the Troopers and Turrets are mysteriously gone, and you'll only take on two normal Space Pirates at this point. Hop down the platforms and ledges to reach the middle deck, and head through the door to reach Level 2 of the Mines. Head on through the Maintenance Tunnel and use your Power Bomb to clear the Bendezium from your path, and exit the tunnel out into Elite Control. There's an Elite Pirate in this room, but, like the Thardus battle, you must move around to the other side (where you would normally enter) in order to trigger the fight. Do so, and ready your Super Missiles. Elite Pirate Strategy ===================== [NORMAL MODE] As a warning, you'll face two more of these later on, so just use the same strategy to get past them. This huge hulking mutated Space Pirate is actually a lot easier than he looks. The only things that make him a potential menace are the Plasma Artillery Cannons and his ability to absorb Beam weapons and use them to fuel aforementioned Cannons. When the fight starts, lock on, but don't fire. Constantly back up while you charge the Power Beam so that your fire doesn't get absorbed. After the Elite gets upset that you refuse to fuel his Artillery Cannons, he'll slam the ground and create a powerful Wave Quake. Space Jump over it while letting a Super Missile hit him square in the head. Repeat once more to bring the hulking giant down. [HARD MODE] In Hard Mode, the Elites are a bit tougher, but that is all. Just keep in mind that it will take 4 or 5 Super Missiles to bring the Hard Mode incarnations down. The Elites this time around will also spent a lot more time with their absorption weapon active, so you'll have to spend more time circling the room and keep your fingers at the ready to fire Super Missiles when they let their guard down. Once the Elite has been put down, you can start heading up the ramps in the rear of the room. Be careful, a trio of Ice Troopers guard the upstairs, so have your Ice Beam ready to counter them. Freeze them with a charged shot, then fire a Missile to shatter them, then head all the way up top and exit through the door in the ceiling to reach the Ventilation Shaft. Quickly roll down the tunnel and use your Power Bomb (provided you refilled it) to blow apart the grating near the back and shut off the poison gas vents. Once the gas is cleared, head out and grab the ENERGY TANK (09), then head on into Omega Research, where you'll have to deal with two pesky Wave Troopers on the top level. Take them out with charged Wave pulses, then stand near the edge and try to eliminate some of the Power Troopers standing guard (use Super Missiles to take them out more effectively). Then just leap to the bottom and make a mad dash for the door in the left-hand corner, and drop through it into the Dynamo Access. Move forward a bit, and another Elite Pirate will drop down to fight. Eliminate this one as you did the last one, then head on into the Central Dynamo. Arm the Wave Beam as you head down, as you'll immediately fight another mini-boss. Shadow Drone Strategy ===================== [NORMAL MODE] Taking a cue from their experimental Shadow Pirate breed, the Space Pirates have out- fitted a few Sentry Drones with cloaking grid generators. This new addition makes them far more formidible in combat. The Shadow Drone is invisible, and as such, cannot be scanned nor tracked (you can, with the X-Ray Visor, but this speed run route doesn't allow for that upgrade to be gotten yet). Therefore, hang out near the back and fire off charged Wave pulses by manually aiming whenever you see the Drone's cannons light up. The lights mean that it's firing at you, so you need to constantly be on the move so as not to get caught by it's hail of fire. Around 4-5 charged blasts should send it spiraling to the ground. [HARD MODE] Not much different, except the Drone takes more damage and attacks faster. Just keep nailing it before it nails you is really the best advice. Once the Drone has been eliminated, it'll set off a maze of electricity in the center of the room. At the center of this maze lies the Power Bomb upgrade, but you'll have to reach them first. Start off rolling through the open areas, and time your movements to go through the flickering sections. As you reach a pool of green liquid, roll into it and set a Bomb to create a splash that shorts out a few electric walls, effectively opening up new paths for you. Continue doing so until you finally reach the primary POWER BOMB (5) upgrade. The following animation will get you out of the maze, and the doors will be unlocked. Exit out of the Central Dynamo and head back through Omega Research, all the way back to Elite Control, where you first entered the Mines. Now, head through the opposite door and head through the Elite Access tunnel back out into Elevator A. Use the Spider Ball to ride up the Magnetic Rail track, not worrying too much about the Bombus here. Get up top and head into Ore Processing. Here's where the game may get a bit odd. Normally you'll encounter a few Troopers in this area, if you come the normal route. On different occasions I've fought Power Troopers, normal Pirates, and even found Metroids flying about in here. Deal with whatever you get stuck with if they're going to present a problem, and start working on a way to get up to the upper level of this room. Drop to the bottom, eliminate any more enemies, and head to the device at the rear of the room. Bomb Jump into the Slot, and set off a single Bomb. Head out and use the blue Magnetic Rail to reach a balcony and the next control panel. Set off two Bombs in the second one to align the middle section, then drop back down and set off three Bombs in the bottom one to complete the alignment sequence. Roll up the red Magnetic Rail to reach the third floor, then Space Jump over to the ledge on the other side. Use a Power Bomb to destroy the Bendezium, then morph into the control panel and set two Bombs to continue realigning the rail tracks. Bomb yourself out and now drop to the second floor, where you have to detonate three Bombs in the slot, then finally drop to the bottom floor and set a single Bomb in the slot to align the yellow Rail. Roll up it to reach Storage Depot B and grab the GRAPPLING BEAM. Exit out and use your new toy to swing across the room and into the Waste Disposal area. Enter the Morph Ball tunnel and use your Bombs to maneuver yourself around this passage. Navigating this successfully deposits you out by the Main Quarry, so just leap down, take out the few Space Pirates in here, and ascend the ledges and catwalks at the back. Watch out for the Mega Turrets if you didn't eliminate them already, and once you're on the upper level, use the Thermal Visor to find a Power Conduit, activate it with the Wave Beam, then use the Morph Ball to reach the control booth. Upon activating the crane, it'll swing and crash into a wall. Head out of the control booth and use the Magnetic Rail to roll to the crane; carefully drop off the track and Bomb Jump up to the MISSILE EXPANSION (080), then turn tail and run out through the actual main ent- rance of the Phazon Mines and use the Transport to get back to Tallon Overworld. Tallon Overworld ================ Once in here, return to the Great Tree Hall and start working your way up the ledges, destroying all the Bloodflowers and Seedlings. Head up to the Spinner device and activate it to clear the bars away, then head up and defeat some more native life, and get to the Ice Beam door in the distance. Here, follow this tunnel until you reach the Transport leading to Chozo Ruins. Chozo Ruins =========== Here, head straight ahead to reach the Reflecting Pool. Drop down and head through the Access chamber into the Hall of the Elders. Engage three Chozo Ghosts here, then when they have been defeated, make your way back up to the ledge with the colored Morph Ball slots. Use the Ice Beam to activate the white one and then let the Chozo statue roll you into a room containing an ENERGY TANK (10). Return to the Morph Ball slots and use the Plasma Beam to activate the red one. The Chozo statue will then bowl you into a room with the ARTIFACT OF WORLD. Once you've collected the Artifact, head out through the normal entrance and into the Crossway. Here, use the slopes of the half-pipe to boost yourself up to the Spider Ball tracks; use them and Bomb Jump into Morph Ball slots, then once both are activated, drop down and ride the lift to the MISSILE EXP- ANSION (085). Keep heading backwards into the Furnace region; eliminate the Chozo Ghosts in here, then use a Power Bomb on the far wall near the Spider Ball tracks. Your blast will reveal a half-pipe; boost up to the tracks, then maneuver yourself along the narrow walkways to reach the MISSILE EXPANSION (090) at the top. Drop down and return to the Hall of the Elders via the nearby Ice Beam door. If you're lucky, the Chozo Ghosts won't have respawned. If they have, you'll probably have to stick it out and fight them. Whatever happens, get back up top and into the Reflecting Pool. Head to the Save Station, save your game, and use the nearby Morph Ball tunnels to return to Tallon Overworld. =================== 13. Space Wreckage: =================== This section will detail Samus' return to Tallon Overworld for a few items, then her trip through the crashed Frigate on her way back to the Phazon Mines. Tallon Overworld ================ Head out through Transport Tunnel C out to the Frigate Crash Site. Some Flying Pirates will attack you here; eliminate them with the Plasma Beam, then drop down into the water. Head to the central root structure and Space Jump to the small alcove to pick up the MISSILE EXPANSION (095), then continue up the other side. Depending on some different circumstances, you'll either face more Flying Pirates over here, or you'll encounter a Beetle swarm. Ignore both and head for the door at the other end. Duck inside of it and traverse this Waterfall Cavern to reach the Landing Site back out by your ship. Bypass your ship and head for the tunnel behind it; using your Boost Ball to accelerate through the Tangle Weed and score another MISSILE EXPANSION (100). Now, head back through Waterfall Canyon to reach the Crashed Frigate. Take a dip in the water to reach the other side, or use the Grapple Beam if you can reach the Grapple Points and swing your way across the lake. Get to the other side, blow the crates from the door and head into the wreckage. Crashed Frigate =============== As you enter the main site of the wreck, you'll have to roll into the Morph Ball to access the subventilation shafts. As you make your way through the shafts (the same ones you used to escape, no less) you'll encounter some Tallon Crabs; just move on past them as they're pretty harmless. Soon, you'll find a room with two still-functioning Defense Turrets. Disregard the fact that they physically shouldn't be operational and concern yourself more with destroying them. The door at the bottom is powerless, so use the Thermal Visor to locate the Power Conduit over the door, then activate it with the Wave Beam (you'll be doing this a whole lot in this area). Beyond here lies the sub- merged Reactor Core (back where you fought the Parasite Queen), as well as a couple of Aqua Pirates. Target them and use charged Plasma Beams to get them out of your way. The door at the bottom of the Reactor Core requires you to activate four Power Conduits in the room. Switch your Thermal Visor on, and look just to the left of the door to find the first one. The second one is a little ways off the main walkway, and the last two are on the far wall, so approach the railing and look out and around to find them. Once all four are activated, go back and enter the door, then look around with the Thermal Visor to locate two Power Conduits to give the next door power. As you enter the Cargo Freight Lift to Deck Gamma, blast the broken grate away near the entrance with a charged shot to reach an ENERGY TANK (11), then use the Thermal Visor to locate the Power Conduit just to the right of the shattered grate. You now have to work your way up the lift shaft, as the elevator long since ceased to function. Beware - the vertical ascent is laced with debris and Aqua Reapers. Look above you to shoot them out of the way before hopping up the platforms. About midway up, switch to the Thermal Visor again to locate the second Power Conduit, then continue the ascent all the way to the top, where a dead Space Pirate will crash into the water. At the top, look on the wall to find the third Power Conduit, then head on through the now-active door into the upper levels of Biohazard Containment. As you enter the room, there are two active Defense Turrets on the other side of the containment tube. Slowly strafe to the left to get a good lock on while giving yourself cover, then take them out. Before proceeding further, switch to Thermal and activate the two Power Conduits up here. One is near where you came in, and the other is just by the broken elevator leading to the lower level. Belowdecks, you'll find two Aqua Drones swimming around; these act very much like Sentry Drones, so take them out with the Wave Beam. Before moving on, check around you with the Scan Visor to locate the Cordite block on the lower deck and launch a Super Missile at it to reveal the next MISSILE EXPANSION (105), then start looking for the third Power Conduit - it's on the far wall across from your position. Continue on through the Aqua Reaper-infested subtunnels into Biotech Research Area 1; destroy the Aqua Pirates that attack, then locate three more Power Conduits in the walls to advance (anyone else grow tired of this part?) The first one is right near the door, a second is opposite the door, just down a little ways, and the third is on the deck below you. Activate them, then head into the Elevator to Deck Beta. This broken shaft leads to a new area of Deck Beta you hadn't explored during the opening level. Descend the tunnel, avoiding the Aqua Sacs clinging to the walls. At the bottom of the shaft is the entrance to Hydro Access Tunnel, where you have to Bomb Jump over some obstacles. Don't get in a hurry though; the buoyancy has a nice effect on your Bomb Jumps. As you reach the second tall obstruction, you'll get to perform a underwater Double Bomb Jump. Your timing must be quite precise to succesfully pull this off. Start off by setting a single Bomb. As it explodes and pops you far up, watch and wait for your upwards momentum to slow, then immediately set the second Bomb. As you stop and fall back down, the second Bomb will detonate, sending you much higher. Repeat the sequence for setting the third Bomb, and as you start your descent again, the third Bomb will blow you skywards again. Hold left as you ascend off the third Bomb to roll onto the ledge holding the ENERGY TANK (12), then exit this tunnel and ascend the spiraling ramps to escape the Frigate wreckage and wind up back in Tallon Overworld. Tallon Overworld ================ Upon exiting the door into Great Tree Hall, a few Seedlings on the tree will waste no time in firing their projectiles at you, so take them out, then start Space Jumping up the platforms lining the tree. Near the top, you'll find that Spinner device from earlier. Since you already unlocked the gate, just head on through and start making your way up the platforms in the next area (last time you took the door to Chozo Ruins; don't do that this time). Use the Spider Ball to ascend the twisting Magnetic Rail, then use a Power Bomb to destroy the bendezium blocking access into the next chamber. In this half-pipe of a room, you need to use the Boost Ball to gain enough acceleration to land atop the oval structure in the center, then bomb yourself to the hidden MISSILE EXPANSION (110), then continue to boost yourself out of this Access tunnel, into the main Life Grove. Drop down and grab the X-RAY VISOR upgrade, then set a Power Bomb to blow the walls in this area out of the way. Jump into the pond near the back and Bomb the drain slot to activate a pillar. Stay underwater and use the Spinner at the base to raise up a bridge that contains the ARTIFACT OF CHOZO. Space Jump up to the Artifact, then start ascending the platforms along the walls to the exit at the top. Midway up, some Chozo Ghosts get a bit teed off that you're trying to steal their Artifact. Teach them the lesson they so badly need with the X-Ray Visor and Super Missile, then continue on your way out of the Life Grove back into the Great Tree Hall. Destroy the few Seedlings and work to the ledge of the highest Bloodflower. Destroy it and hop on up, then look out with the X-Ray Visor to spot an invisible ledge. Space Jump to it, then Space Jump again to the obscured ledge that leads to a MISSILE EXPANSION (115) behind the door. Then backtrack to the Ice Beam door and head on back to the Phazon Mines. ========================= 14. Revisiting The Mines: ========================= You're back here now, and this time, you'll proceed like you would have normally, with the minor exception of having the necessary upgrades to get all the cool stuff along the way. Enter the Main Quarry and dispense with the Space Pirates (you may encounter a few Shadows here), take out the Mega Turrets, and deactivate the forcefield at the far end. Head into Security Access A, and peek around the corner to alert two Defense Turrets to your location, then take them out with Missiles. After they're gone, use a Power Bomb on the far wall and head into the newly opened passage to the MISSILE EXPANSION (120), then head on out into Mine Security Access. As you get inside, switch to the Thermal Visor and start shooting stuff to trigger the Shadow Pirates. Waste them with charged Plasma Beam shots, and make your way through the complex until the cinema introduces the next enemy - the Beam Troopers. As usual, you'll face the Wave breed first, though since you're on your second trip, I believe you may face a couple Ice Troopers here as well (the game does get all weird in terms of enemy placement due to a lot of sequence breaking done thus far.) When you reach the top of the area, use a Power Bomb to blow away the grating in front of a computer panel, then scan the console to unlock a gate on the lower level, then backtrack down to grab the FLAMETHROWER upgrade, then return to the door in the ceiling at the top, and head on through. Inside Elite Research, take out any enemies if you run into them, and then set a Power Bomb off by the main tank in the center to trigger another boss battle. Phazon Elite Strategy ===================== [NORMAL MODE] This Elite is a bit stronger than the last ones; and as such has been classified as a different breed. His strength lies in his Wave Quake attack as he possesses no Plasma Artillery like the standard Elites. Try not to get hung up in the machinery around the room, and strafe around while launching Super Missiles at his head. Don't fire anything while Phazon Elite is holding out his palm, since anything Beam-based will be absorbed. This battle is what the normal Elite Pirates will be like on Hard, so if you want to take the time to familiarize yourself with advanced tactics, go ahead. Approximately 4 Super Missiles will put him out of his misery. [HARD MODE] This time around, the Phazon Elite is a bit less sluggish and makes up for his pathetic- ness the last time with intensified attacks. About 8 or 9 Super Missiles will bring this version down, but you'll spend a lot of time dodging the Wave Quakes and waiting out the beam-absorption phases before getting your chance to attack. Just keep hitting him when he's vulnerable and he'll fall. After you take care of him, grab the newly-revealed ARTIFACT OF WARRIOR, and start making your way up the platforms in the room. On the second level, you'll face off with two Wave Troopers - defeat them, climb up the second level to face a Power Trooper (and, I think, a Defense Turret). Once he's gone, use the Spinner to rotate the pulse cannon in the ceiling so it's facing the left-hand wall, then bomb yourself out and scan the firing controls to blast the wall away and reveal the MISSILE EXPANSION (125), then get back in the spinner, point the cannon at the wall in front of you, and scan the firing controls once more to blast the wall away, revealing the exit. Just inside lies Ore Processing, which usually has some Power Troopers, but due to how you've broken sequence, you may again encounter Metroids in here. Dispatch whatever enemies you find, and roll up the yellow Magnetic Rail all the way to the top, then simply drop down one level to return to Elevator A Access. Drop down the long shaft and return to Level 2 of the Mines. Exit the transport and into Elite Control Access. At the top is a grate spewing toxic gas. Manually aim at the explosive crate on the ledge and launch a Missile at it to blow it up, kill two Power Troopers that would've otherwise ambushed you, as well as reveal the hidden MISSILE EXPANSION (130), then head on into Elite Control. Activate the Thermal Visor as you'll be attacked by a lot of Shadow Pirates as you make your way through, and toast them with the Plasma Beam. As you make your way up, head back into the Ventilation Shaft, and back into Omega Research. More Shadow Pirates await, though you can skip them and drop back into the Dynamo Access. Head back into the Central Dynamo to run into some friendly Ice Troopers (there's a Save Station you may want to take advantage of here). Run past the Ice Troopers and use a Power Bomb to blow the Bendezium away from the other door, then head into Quarantine Access A. As you enter the door, and immediately Morph and roll to the right because there are four Mega Turrets just waiting to blow you to oblivion. As you head to the right, you can drop into a small tunnel that allows you to pass under the Turrets and pop up on the other side. As you exit, scan the console in front of you to silence the offending Turrets, and proceed into Metroid Quarantine A. In here, you'll find a rather nasty combination of captive Metroids and Space Pirates. Scan the console to deactivate the forcefield, and sit back and watch as the Pirates wig out as the wicked Metroids attack them en- masse. Just hang out at the top while the Metroids snack on the Space Pirates because a few of them will eventually head up to your location. Let them have it with charged Plasma Beams as they fly towards you, then continue on down into the Quarantine Area. Climb atop the Saturnines where you can use the X-Ray Visor to spy some invisible moving platforms, then nimbly hop to each one and have the Plasma Beam ready to eliminate the nearby Metroids. Now hop up the Saturnines and ledges, then use the X-Ray Visor to spot another invisible platform that you can use to reach a ledge with some Magnetic Rails. Space Jump to the ledge, then use Power Bombs on the rear wall to reveal a passage to another side of the room. Roll along the Magnetic Rail to yet another rocky ledge where you can use the X-Ray Visor once more to find a vertically moving invisible platform that leads straight up to another MISSILE EXPANSION (135). From your position, Space Jump to the thin metal walkway in front of you, then lock your view down so you ensure your safe landing on the ledge with the first set of Magnetic Rails. Ride them to the Ice Beam door and scan the console to activate the transport leading down to the third level of the Phazon Mines. Level 3 gets tougher, but if you're seriously speed running, you'll be getting through here with no troubles. The next room you come into is the Fungal Hall Access. There's a normal Space Pirate a little ways down; take it out and drop down to the bottom of the area, morphing along the way. You'll land and roll down a slight incline into a patch of searing Phazon, so quickly roll and grab the MISSILE EXPANSION (140) from under the Saturnine, then get out of the damaging radiation and head back up to reach Fungal Hall A. You'll deal with a whole family of Hunter Metroids here, so keep your distance (so as to avoid that siphon tentacle) while using the Ice Beam + Missile attack, then use the flying Glider to Grapple across to the far ledge. Set off a Power Bomb to reveal the entry to the Phazon Mining Tunnel, then roll down the narrow passages to the bottom. Once at the lowest point, quickly use the Boost Ball to rocket across the collapsing floor, or else risk a painful encounter with the Phazon lake below. Exit through the left (you can't reach the area to the right just yet) end of the Tunnel to reach Fungal Hall B, which is quite a change in pace. The environment here is totally dark, and you can barely see the Metroids floating around - switch to your Thermal Visor to make seeing a lot easier. Eliminate the Metroids, then head across the bottom section while using the X-Ray Visor to spot a hidden section in the floor. Use a Power Bomb to reveal the MISSILE EXPANSION (145), then return to the top Saturnines and grapple off to the left (using the Glider) to reach a Missile Station. Restock and exit out to the large Saturnine once more, then grapple straight ahead to reach another Saturnine. A helpful trick to land on this Saturnine is to swing until you're literally flying over it, then swinging back a little ways and letting go. Once on there, Space Jump to the next one and head on into a short area containing some invisible Pulse Bombus. Use the X-Ray Visor to track them as you jump from Saturnine to Saturnine, and once on the other side, head on into Metroid Quarantine B. Once you make it into the next Quarantine, you'll finally come face-to-face with the a room full of Plasma Troopers. These are honestly weaker than the Ice Troopers if you really lay into them - blast them with a charged Plasma Beam and they'll catch on fire, which is really funny to watch (especially if you knock them off a perch and into the Phazon...). Deal with them from afar, using your own Plasma Beam to toast them while dodging their powerful shots. Once they've been eliminated, use the spiraling Magnetic Rail to reach a small platform, then Space Jump to another ledge off to your left (if you're facing the back of the room where you can see the forcefield). Aim up and locate the Grapple Point, then jump at it until it glows blue. Latch onto it and swing over the Phazon pit to solid ground. Scan the console to deactivate the Quarantine force- field, and engage the Plasma Trooper that rushes out at you. Head inside and kill the Wave Troopers that try to snipe you, then destroy the Cordite tank to get another MISSILE EXPANSION (150), then head up the ramps to reach Elite Quarters Access. Deal with another Plasma Trooper in here, then use the Plasma Beam to melt the ice covering the lock device on the door. Head on in to the next room for the next boss encounter. Omega Pirate Strategy ===================== [NORMAL MODE] Offensively, the Omega Pirate has quite a few nasty attacks. The first is the Elite trademark Wave Quake. Space Jump over it to avoid it and make sure you stay far away enough so that he can't reach you, but close enough so that you're still looking up at him. The reason for this is that your position in relation to the Pirate triggers attacks 2 or 3. The second one is to punch the living hell out of you if you're fool enough to wander in his reach, and the third is to launch homing bombs from his Artill- ery Cannons if you get too far. These two attacks are positively devastating in Hard Mode, so it's imperative that you don't allow him to get either one off. The fourth attack is using Beam Troopers as combat aides, something you'll have the pleasure of dealing with soon enough. Start the battle by locking on to one of the four Phazon deposits on his armor and destroy each with a Super Missile. After all four have been eliminated, the Omega Pirate will go into his absorption phase. The first time around, only two Troopers (of the same variety) will attack; eliminate them and switch to the X-Ray Visor to search for the wounded Omega Pirate (it takes roughly five to seven seconds for him to mat- erialize over a Phazon patch). Once you locate him, quickly Boost over to his location, stop dead in front of the Phazon patch, single Bomb Jump and then set a Power Bomb. Time is imperative here; as quickly as you can, unmorph and press Left on the Control Pad to switch to the X-Ray Visor. If you did this correctly, the Omega Pirate will lose up to half of his health (!). Wait for the Omega Pirate to disappear and reappear over another Phazon patch and let him have it again with another Bomb Jump + Power Bomb combo to finish off the battle. If you unsuccessfully drain 50% of his life with each Power Bomb, you'll have to extend the battle by a round in order to kill the Omega Pirate with a final Super Missile, but otherwise this battle should be a cakewalk. If you do have to go into the second round, you'll most likely face off against a trio of varied Beam Troopers. Eliminate them like before and finish off the battle. [HARD MODE] The Omega Pirate takes a real beating in this go-round; eight Super Missiles (or 4 well-timed Power Bomb blasts) to the weakened form will be needed to bring the beast down, but it's easier said than done. First, have all 11 of the Energy Tanks just to be safe from the Troopers and all 155 Missiles so far - you'll be using a lot of Super Missiles here if you can't successfully pull of the Power Bomb tricks. Each of the Phazon deposits takes two Super Missiles to destroy, so eliminate them and get ready to take on the Troopers. Just like you did in the last fight, eliminate them as quickly as possible, then use the X-Ray Visor to locate the Omega Pirate and Power Bomb a quarter of his health away. Repeat for the second round, then you'll deal with more Beam Troopers AND a fully recharged Omega Pirate. Unless the Troopers are flaying you alive, it's often best to ignore them and let the sniveling cretins get wasted by the Omega Pirate's Quake Wave attack. Concen- trate on the Omega Pirate while constantly Space Jumping to avoid a good part of the Troopers' fire, then resort to two more Power Bombs and charged Plasma Beams/Super Missiles to clear up any remaining mess. This particular fight is tough, but with patience, you'll persevere. The last Super Missile proves too much for the Omega Pirate, and he stumbles forward a little bit before collapsing right on top of you. As you're struck by the massive Pirate, he dissolves into pure Phazon, which is somehow absorbed directly into your Suit, corrupting and changing its appearance. The end result of this high-level exposure is the PHAZON SUIT, a black and silver suit of coolness that further reduces the damage you receive, makes you immune to blue Phazon, and gives you a special weapon, the PHAZON BEAM, available only under certain environmental conditions (i.e. the final battle). You'll immediately put this Suit to use by heading back down through Metroid Quarantine B and Fungal Hall B back into the Phazon Mining Tunnel. As you enter, you'll see something glowing at the back, so drop into the Phazon-laced tunnel and start bombing the sandstone blocks out of your way to reach the bottom, where you can grab the ARTIFACT OF NEWBORN. Now return to Metroid Quarantine B, head through it and back into Elite Quarters. Head to the right-hand side of the cave and scan the panel to activate the lift; ride it up to the top level, then go on through the door at the back into Processing Center Access, where you'll find an ENERGY TANK (13) as a reward for defeating the Omega Pirate, then continue back into the Phazon Processing Center. As far as I know, you'll face the standard set of enemies this time around (the two Power Troopers, the Wave Trooper, the two Plasma Troopers, and the two Mega Turrets), so eliminate them and head up the plat- forms until you have to use the X-Ray Visor to get to the second level. Before leaping up, head to the far wall and Space Jump to the ledge, then set a Power Bomb to blow away the wall hiding the MISSILE EXPANSION (155), then continue your ascent. Roll along the left-hand spiraling Magnetic Rail, then take out the Power Trooper hiding up top. Head across the ledges here, activating the X-Ray Visor to keep track of them. At the top, ride the moving platform to solid ground and you can return to Magmoor Caverns. Magmoor Caverns =============== As you Power Bomb your way back out into Magmoor Workstation, quickly dash past all the Flying Pirates and head up the ledges at the back to return to the Transport room. Head to the rear and save your game, then head up to Phendrana Drifts. ======================= 15. The Scavenger Hunt: ======================= This section basically details Samus' last run through all the worlds, picking up all the items she bypassed the first time through. This is designed to be a quick run with no saving involved, so practice is recommended. Phendrana Drifts ================ From the transport room, head back into Quarantine Cave, ignoring the Sheegoth that now resides there. Look to your right and swing across the grapple points to reach a tunnel leading to the Quarantine Monitor where a handy MISSILE EXPANSION (160) is ready to be picked up. Leave here, and race back to the other side of the Drifts - Frozen Pike, to be specific. Head back into Frozen Pike and navigate your way as if you were heading back towards the Gravity Suit, stopping as you reach Frost Cave. Just inside, deal with the Hunter Metroid again, then grapple off the Glider to the ledges at the left. From here, shoot down the last stalactite, then leap down and head underwater to collect the MISSILE EXPANSION (165), then continue your trek back into the Gravity Chamber. Make your way to above the water and eliminate the Flying Pirates, then look above you and melt the ice formation with the Plasma Beam. As you do, use the revealed grapple point to swing to another MISSILE EXPANSION (170), then take the door to exit and head all the way back to Frozen Pike. As you make your ascent, head back into the Phendrana Labs to grab the last two items you need here. As you head through, you'll encounter Shadow Pirates as well as Metroids. Eliminate them and head back to the Control Tower. Take out the Flying Pirates again if you find them, then hop up to the entrance above the East Tower. Destroy the crates, then use Plasma to melt the ice on the window. Look out and fire a Missile at the tower in the distance to collapse it; as it falls, you need to get inside and roll to grab the ARTIFACT OF ELDER, then use the Morph Ball again to navigate some tight passages to exit. Now backtrack to Research Lab Hydra and use a Super Missile on the Cordite tank to reveal another MISSILE EXPANSION (175), then finally head through the Research Entrance, not stopping for anything as you leave and head back out into the Ruined Courtyard. If you absolutely must, kill the Flying Pirates; otherwise run screaming towards the door to get back to Ice Ruins West, and hop across the ledges near the door to reach the end, then use the Plasma Beam to melt through some ice and collect a POWER BOMB EXPANSION (6). Leave the West Ruins and you'll find yourself back in the Phendrana Shorelines. Leap to the bottom and start making your way back to the Chozo Ice Temple, stopping near the door. Head to the left and use a Super Missile on the Cordite wall decoration, then scan the revealed symbol to access a panel. Bomb Jump into the revealed tunnel and use the Spider Ball to reach the MISSILE EXPANSION (180), then drop out and head into the Ice Temple. Head up all the platforms to reach the door leading to the Chapel of the Elders, but use the Plasma Beam to melt the ice river on the large Chozo statue. As it melts, jump into its palm and morph to activate the unlocking sequence, then roll into the tunnel at the bottom to collect the ARTIFACT OF SUN. Leave the Temple, and return to Ice Ruins East via the door a little ways down. Again, ignore the Sheegoth here as you ascend the ledges lining the room. As you reach the halfway point, you can look to your left and see two Crystallites on a ledge. Head instead to your right and use the Magnetic Rail to grab the MISSILE EXPANSION (185), then roll out and head to the door at the end. Drop directly beneath it and use the Plasma Beam on the iced wall near here to claim another MISSILE EXPANSION (190), then run as fast as you can back to the door leading back out to Phendrana Shorelines. Return to the area near the Save Station and locate the pillar with another ice wall. Melt this for another MISSILE EXPANSION (195), then return to Magmoor Caverns. Magmoor Caverns =============== Head through Transport Tunnel A, and once back in Monitor Station, dispatch any off- ending Flying Pirates, then Space Jump to the ledge above you. Follow this catwalk to a Spinner that you'll use to raise a bridge, then Space Jump over to the rock face and take the door into Warrior Shrine to pick up the ARTIFACT OF STRENGTH, then immed- iately Power Bomb the small covering by the Chozo's feet to drop into a room containing another POWER BOMB EXPANSION (7). Head out of here and simply drop off the rock face, then turn around and head into Shore Tunnel. Power Bomb here to break the tunnel, then drop down and grab the ICE SPREADER upgrade. Now continue on through here into the large area with the Magmoor and sprint through the lava to save time, then continue on back into Tallon Overworld. Tallon Overworld ================ As you reenter the Root Cave, start ascending up the platforms on the sides. Once at the top (or at least as high as you can go), you'll have to grapple to the opposite side of the cave. Then use the X-Ray Visor to locate invisible platforms leading higher up. Stop at the fourth one up, and scan around to find another MISSILE EXPANSION (200) hidden in an alcove behind some vegetation. Space Jump up and grab it, then hop back to the invisible platforms. Ascend the platforms to the top to reach a door leading to Arbor Chamber, leading to yet another MISSILE EXPANSION (205). Return to the Landing Site, then head back to the Chozo Ruins using the nearby entrance through Tallon Canyon for the last of your upgrades. Chozo Ruins =========== As you arrive back in Chozo Ruins, head into the Main Plaza. Vaporize the Beetles (or Plated Beetle; it seems to be random) with the Plasma Beam, then head into the Ruined Shrine. By this point, Chozo Ghosts should be occupying this area, so quickly move to the half-pipe and Boost up the right-hand side of the structure and into the small Morph Ball tunnel to claim a MISSILE EXPANSION (210), then wait about five seconds (every time I've done this, two Ghosts have been waiting immediately outside the tunnel to pound me) before rolling out. Use your momentum to Boost up the opposite side of the tunnel, and waste no time riding the Magnetic Rail to the Wave Beam door in the dis- tance. Provided you don't get shot down, you can easily cut off about two minutes by skipping this battle. This tunnel leads into the Tower of Light. As you enter, you'll have to start climbing the ledges lining the walls. When you get to the top, you'll then have to start firing Missiles at the weakened portions of the walls. Take aim at each of the cracked areas and fire three Missiles apiece to destroy each part (3 Missiles + the 4 Sections + 3 Levels = 36 Missiles needed). Once each of the four sections have been broken, the Tower will rumble and collapse one level. Space Jump up to the next set of platforms, doing the same as before while avoiding the Plated Puffers that float out to attack. If one hits you, you'll almost always fall to the bottom, and it's tough making it back up. Try to collapse the Tower as quickly as possible so as to expedite your trip up. Collapse the three levels to reach the central structure, where you can Space Jump up to the WAVEBUSTER upgrade. From the top, take a long swan dive into the water below and head into the Meditation Chamber to pick up the ARTIFACT OF LIFEGIVER, then return to the Ruined Shrine, and quickly bomb the weak block on the left-hand side of the room to roll to the MISSILE EXPANSION (215), then get out as quickly as you can to avoid the Ghosts. Head back to the Main Plaza, ignoring the Plated Beetle/Beetle swarm, and head back Ignore the Plated Beetle this time and head back to the Hive Totem room, making sure to Space Jump your way to the door so you don't trigger the battle, and take the pass- age leading back to the Sun Tower Access. From this point, head into the Sun Tower, take out the War Wasps, and scan for the four runes to activate a Magnetic Rail track. Two are hidden behind Cordite structures on the wall; shatter them with Super Missiles. The last two are high on pillars in the room. Stand with your back to the Chozo Lore and scan up to get one, then head diagonally across the room and scan the pillar there for the fourth. With the obstruction removed, you can roll up the Magnetic Rail. Midway up, the track breaks and you'll have to Bomb Jump in between sections while avoiding Oculuses, but be careful of your Bombs - they can and will blow up portions of the rail track, and you'll have to wait for them to reform if this happens. Once up top, you'll just barely catch sight of a Chozo Ghost fly off, so follow it and you'll reenter the Sunchamber, where you battled Flaahgra earlier. Three Chozo Ghosts will attack as you enter; stay near the e