AM2R/Distribution Center

Reaching the Center
After leaving the Tower and returning to the entrance, you will find that the lava in the pit has sunk, and you can drop down to the section below. you'll need to roll through several narrow passageways. Even if you triggered the earthquake to reduce the lava, you won't be able to proceed unless you collected Power Bombs from the Geothermal Plant below the Tower. You will eventually reach a set of dense rocks which can only be cleared by the explosion from a Power Bomb.

After you get past the rocks, you'll move into room B, where you will discover that the lava didn't drop very far before it stopped. Hop over the pool of lava and proceed to room C. Dash to the right through the empty room to reach room D.  If you drop down the first pit, you will land in some water. Water seriously impedes your movement. Furthermore, if you drop to the bottom and try to proceed right, you will encounter a barrier that you are unable to pass. No weapon in your current arsenal will get you past it. Your only option is to head back to the entrance of this room, and run along the top to the right. You will eventually hit a set of bricks which dissolve and drop you down to the other side beyond the barrier. Note that until you obtain a weapon capable of destroying the barrier, passage back to the left is impossible.

Investigating the upper half of the Center
The Distribution Center is one of the largest sections in the game. As a result, this walkthrough breaks up its exploration between the upper portion and the lower portion. Until you obtain items found in the upper portion, your ability to explore the water logged lower portion is limited.

Goals
When you arrive in room A, you will descend down a long pit, and then travel a bit until you drop into a pool of water. Drop all the way down and continue to the right to room B. Room B is a large cavernous room that extends all along the left exterior of the center. The bottom portion that you enter into is flooded due to a damaged pipe. Run along the bottom until you find a set of platforms that you can use to jump on and climb up to the surface of the water. Just to the right of the surface is the door to room C. You can Space Jump throughout the region above the water, but you won't be able to access the door at the top.
 * Activate the Distribution Center

Enter room C to discover a new enemy which you will encounter throughout the center. Spinning blades patrol regions of a room at right angles. It's a good idea to clear them away before you proceed, as they can do a good amount of damage to Samus. Shoot them and pass through the narrow passages to reach the door to room D.

Room D introduces the second new threat. You'll see a few hovering robots that move mindless through the air. If they are struck in any fashion, they begin to overload. When they finally explode, they release a tremendous number of orbs of energy that radiate outward in a circle. If any of these orbs strike the same kind of enemy, it sends them into overload as well, and chain reactions will occur until all of these enemies have been destroyed. The sheer quantity of these orbs can threaten to do a great deal of harm to Samus unless she escapes the room or finds cover. There are two means of safely destroying these enemies, but you don't have access to either one yet.

To proceed through room D, climb up to the top, then head right and drop down to reach the next door. Be careful not to overload either of the enemies near the top. Head through the door to save your progress and continue on to the right. Room E is a vertical room that consists of both enemies introduce in rooms C and D. You can safely shoot the overloading enemies from below since you can take cover below the platforms. Head to the top and enter the door on the left to room F.

Room F can be a dangerous room. If you are careful, you can pass through the room without triggering any of the overloading enemies. However, if you do trigger one, you'll have to very quickly move through the room, bombing holes in the pipes which prevent you from passing to the left before the energy orbs reach you. Continue on to room G, and jump up the empty room to reach the door to room H.

Room H is a very large open room. In the center of the room is a statue with a perch near the top that is just big enough for the Morph Ball to fit in. Naturally, position Samus in the perch as the Morph Ball, and the Distribution Center will activate. Upon doing so, a large number of drones will fly up through the room, each carrying a power cell to some other part of the planet. While many will end up in the Center itself, others will appear throughout areas that you've previously visited. The orbs have two purposes. They can be used to unlock regions that were previously inaccessible. They can also be fired upon with a beam weapon to release a large quantity of enemy, which can short circuit several mechanical enemies and reduce them to ash.

The door in the upper right corner of room H will open once the Center has been activated. Head through this door to reach room I. Four overloading enemies will occupy the hallway. Unfortunately, you'll need to clear them out of the way in order to create the runway you need to build up Shinespark and blast through the barriers on the right side of the room. Do your best to remove them in such a way as to minimize your exposure to the energy that they release, and then run to the right to break through the barriers. Along the way, you may notice an item is hidden in this area. But if you bomb the wall to the left of the far right door, you will see a new type of tile. This tile indicates that the wall can only be destroyed by the Screw Attack. Remember this section for later. For now, head through the door to room J.
 * Clearing some Metroids

In room J, bomb the pipe and drop down into the small area below. Bomb the wall on the left to find a passage through the wall that brings you to the lower portion. When you exit the platform, you will land by one of the power cells distributed through the Center. If you shoot it with your weapon, it will explode. Shortly after, a drone will deliver another one in the same place. Concussive weapons don't harm the cells, so use bombs to blast through the pipe that the cell rests on. It will fall to the bottom of the room, and be magnetically attracted to a structure on the floor. Once attached, the disabled door to the left will reactivate, and you can open it to access room K.

Several mechanical enemies occupy room K, along with two Power Cells. At this time, it would be wise to shoot the cells with your weapon. The resulting explosion will short circuit all mechanical objects in the room and render them inoperable. Your weapon will be affected by the explosions as well, but the effect is only temporary. Once the threat has been eliminated, use a bomb on the right side of the Power Cell that returns, to knock it over to the left where it should attach to a structure and activate the door to room L.

Trying not to shoot and overload the enemies in room L, your objective is to bomb the pipe that a Power Cell is resting on, and help bring it to the bottom of the room. Bomb through any obstacles in your way until you reach a portion of the floor that dissolves as you stand on it, allowing the Power Cell to sink into the structure below, and activate the doors on either side. Head through the right door to reach room M.

In room M, you'll find a Zeta Metroid just waiting for you. In addition to the Metroid, several Power Cells will line the floor. These cells will be a liability throughout the fight. If you shoot any of them with a beam weapon, they are likely to jam your weapon for a while and leave you vulnerable to attack. But you're not the only one who can trigger the Power Cells; when the Zeta Metroid rakes its claws, it sends a wave of energy ahead that can also cause the cells to explode. You'll have to do your best to keep an offensive going with missiles and Super Missiles until the Zeta Metroid is destroyed. Then proceed to the right to room N.

When you first enter room N, you'll be confined to the lower portion of the room. On the right side is a square object with a circular center. As you approach it, the center opens, revealing a hole just big enough for the Morph Ball. Hop into the square, and you will be instantly shuttled from room N to room O. Hop out, and jump up to the top of room O, where you will find another square. Hop into that square to be instantly transported back to room N, at a slightly higher level. From here, make your way to the top. There are several dangerous enemies, but it's not advisable to shoot in here in order to avoid overloading one of the enemies. Climb as high as you can, and then drop down into the section that leads to the door to room P.

Room P contains five overloading enemies grouped closely together. You have three options. You can try to make your way past them without triggering them, or you can trigger them and deal with any damage you might take. A third choice however, would be to release the power cell from the chamber above, using bombs, knock it over to where the enemies are gathered, and trigger it to render them inert. Then bomb your way over to the right side of the room and on to room Q.

Across the way when you arrive in room Q is a red door. It a good idea to shoot this door open with a missile and step inside to find a save station. After you save your game, return to room Q, and drop down below. You'll find a another shuttle square that leads you to room X. For the purposes of this walkthrough, you will visit that room later, so ignore the square for now, and continue to the bottom. Shoot the door on the left to access room R.

Room R is a unique room, as it contains not one, not two, but five Alpha Metroids. Although Alpha Metroids are a relatively minor threat to Samus at this point in the game, five of them attacking simultaneously will still pose a bit of a challenge. It's difficult to lure them in different directions, so you'll simply have to select a location in the room to stand your ground and put up a fight. Constant firing of missiles up into their green underbelly is the best defense against their constant attack. Destroy all five of them before exiting the room through the only door available and returning to room Q. Climb back up to the top and through the door on the right to save your game again. This time, continue on to the right to reach room S.

Room S is an empty room which you should drop down to the bottom of. The door to the right is inactive, so shoot the door on the left to reach room T. When you enter the room, you will notice a Power Cell sitting on a ledge to the right. Your goal is to use bombs to direct that cell to the very bottom of the room. In order to do that, you will have to avoid some enemies, including an overloading enemy between two pipes near the middle of the room. Getting the cell to fall to the middle of the room is fairly easy. From there, you must bomb it so that it goes to the right, and down through the gap on the right side, where it should bounce back to the left and into the structure, which will unlock the door near the middle of the room.
 * Obtaining the Screw Attack

Pass through the newly activate door to reach room U. You will arrive in the upper section. If you bomb close to the door, you will see the tiles which indicate that the floor can only be broken with the Screw Attack. However, small columns of the floor will simply dissolve if you step or roll over them. This will drop you to a very dangerous section of the room literally filled with overloading enemies. Don't touch any of them, or if you do, run very quickly to the door in the lower right corner to reach room V before a shower of energy threatens to destroy Samus.

In room V, shoot up through the floor to create holes in the ground. Each time you do this, you will likely overload an enemy waiting above. Wait below for the energy to dissipate, and then continue on your way up to the top. Shoot the red door at the top with a missile to open it, and step inside to find a Chozo Statue holding an orb. Inside that orb will be the Screw Attack. Not only does the Screw Attack turn Samus into a weapon when she somersaults through the air, it enables her to break through certain walls and floors. It also enables her to safely destroy the overloading enemies without fear of them releasing energy.

Having obtained the Screw Attack, you can now very easily return to the bottom of room V by using the Screw Attack to crash through the floor to the door below. Back in room U, you can test the Screw Attack's ability to destroy the overloading enemies without triggering them to explode. Then use the Screw Attack to crash through the ceiling to reach the door which leads back to room T. Return to the top of room T to get back to room S, where the door to the right is still deactivated. Climb to the top of room S to get back to the save station and save your game.
 * Discover the transport chutes

Return to room Q on the left, and continue going left back to room P. Make your way safely back to the left to room M. Once back in room M, you will discover that if you begin to spin jump, most of the walls are destroyed by the Screw Attack, including the ceiling which blocks access to the door at the very top. This door leads to room Z, a special room on the map marked in purple.

Rooms marked in purple contain transportation chutes that don't just lead to another section of the map in the same area. They actually transport Samus to other areas. You can use these chutes to instantly transport Samus back to sections she has previously visited. While you are not required to do so, those players who wish to obtain a 100% item collection rate will wish to take full advantage of these chutes. Before you investigate the first chute, however, it's a good idea to run to the left and investigate room Y.

Room Y is a connection between room Z and room B, and you must pass through it from right to left first before you can turn it into a handy shortcut from room B back to room Z. The room contains several enemies and a Power Cell. There are some pipes that you can Screw Attack your way through. In order to unlock the door to room B, you must use bombs to send the Power Cell into the structure waiting on the left side of the room. Do this to reactivate the door and have quick access to room Z whenever you like.

Back in room Z, you should first investigate the chute on the far right side. The remaining chutes sends you to previous areas. The chute immediately to the left sends you to the. The chute further to the left sends you to the. Up above on a higher level, you will find a chute which sends you off to the left, back to.


 * Obtaining the Gravity Suit