Metroid Prime/Space Pirate Frigate

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Following the explanation as to why Samus is touring the space around Tallon IV, Samus descends onto the deck of a desolate and abandoned frigate.

The area serves as tutorial stage, designed to familiarize the player with the controls and the basics of gameplay in the Metroid world. Frequent messages pop up to explain what needs to be done, you should also take the liberty to mess around and explore. Many of the enemies here are easy to defeat.

Available Log Book entries

• Creatures - Parasite: These first appear in Emergency Evacuation Area (They are a one time only scan, but you cannot miss them; your last chance is in Main Ventilation Shaft Section C)

• Research - Small Energy: Dropped when various targets are killed.

• Research - Map Station: Located in the Map Facility, can be found later in the game.

• Creatures - Auto Defense Turret: First seen in Deck Beta Security Hall.

• Research - Small Missile Ammo: Usually dropped by Auto Defense Turrets.

• Space Pirate Data - Fall of Zebes: Located in Biohazard Containment.

• Research - Save Station: Located through a small door in the East wall of Reactor Core Entrance.

• Creatures - Parasite Queen: Located in Reactor Core.

Exterior Docking Hangar

Fire on the red switches

The way is immediately faced with a force field. Deactivate it by firing at the switches on its corners. The next section has another shield with six switches, however these are offline. Scan the nearby terminal to turn them on then fire.

Air Lock

The door cannot be opened until the air lock is repressurized. Scan the terminal and proceed to Deck Alpha Access Hall, then Emergency Evacuation Area.

Emergency Evacuation Area

Scan: Parasite

An area in shambles and partly on fire. The reason, a Parasite Queen, lies dead along with a number of Pirates. Parts of the room are on fire and all escape pods have been jettisoned. Several Parasites are in the room, however they can be killed with a single shot from the Power Beam. A partially eaten Space Pirate is found near the door to Deck Alpha Umbilical Hall. Killing this Pirate will often yield a Small Energy.

Deck Alpha Umbilical Hall

Blast through the rubble blocking your way with the Charge Beam and proceed to the Map Facility.

Map Facility

Scan: Map Station Using the Morph Ball, follow the Parasites to another section where you will find a Map Station. Scan it for the Research entry then step into it to download the map for the frigate.

Connection Elevator to Deck Beta

Scan the terminal to activate the elevator then step into the Hologram in order to proceed to Deck Beta Conduit Hall.

Deck Beta Conduit Hall

A malfunctioning energy conductor occasionally sends out arcs of electricity. Avoid them and proceed to Biotech Research Area 1, via Morph Ball through the rubble.

Biotech Research Area 1

There are two wounded Space Pirates in this room. Kill them and proceed to Deck Beta Security Hall.

Deck Beta Security Hall

Scan: Auto Defense Turret

An Auto Defense Turret is located around the corner in this room, scan it for its Log Book entry then destroy it with a Missile (two on Hard Mode/Hyper Mode) or the Charge Beam.

Destroying it often leaves Missile Ammunition that can be scanned for a Research entry.

Biohazard Containment

Scan: Space Pirate Log 09.992.3: Zebes Falls

The terminal with the Zebes Falls log

The first Space Pirate Log is located on terminals just outside of the door. If you neglect to scan it now, you will be unable to find it again.

A two-story room holding numerous monitors on the right and a dead Parasite Queen in a tube in the middle. Hermetically sealed lockers line the walls. You can scan them for extra info.

Blast the Auto Defense Turret or scan to tell it to cease-fire (scan will say: Perimeter Defense Turret >> Off), activate the elevator by scanning the terminal, and ascend. Kill four Pirates (one having impairment of shooting and the other unable to walk), and proceed to the Cargo Freight Lift to Deck Gamma via the Deck Beta Transit Hall.

Cargo Freight Lift to Deck Gamma

Right outside the door is an Auto Defense Turret, blast it to destroy it. Scan the terminal to activate the lift, then enter the hologram to descend. Once you reach the bottom, an unharmed Space Pirate jumps down in front of you and attacks.

To proceed to the Reactor Core Entrance, you must first activate the door lock by scanning its terminal, then enter the lock clamp in Morph Ball form. The door opens.

Reactor Core Entrance

Scan: Save Station

Blast the defense turrets in this room. Proceed left to the Save Station. Save, return to the Reactor Core Entrance, and unlock the door via Morph Ball. The hall to the Reactor Core is lined with more Pirate corpses than usual and green blood is splattered all over. Take the elevator down.

Reactor Core

Scan: Parasite Queen.

As you approach the reactor, a live Parasite Queen climbs down from the shaft, roars at you and climbs into the reactor.

Boss Battle: The Parasite Queen

The first boss of Metroid Prime

Advanced strategy

Rapidly firing your Missiles can be used to take out the Parasite Queen in a matter of seconds. This is done by pressing followed by followed by (on default settings) as fast as you can. Note that only three Missile can be active at a single time so use this strategy when you are as close to the Parasite Queen as possible.

Scan the Parasite Queen immediately and you will be able to aim for her weak point, the mouth. This creature will attack by firing streams of acid, however this only inflicts a small amount of damage. Her main defense is the two-layered reactor shield with only a small opening and stops all attacks. Occasionally, the shield will suddenly spin rapidly and block almost all incoming shots but single Power Beam blasts can still get through, or you can simply run round avoiding the incoming attacks which you can do by dashing as the shield quickly settles.

The Charge Beam and Missiles are the most effective weapons against the Parasite Queen. Just continually blast her mouth and she'll be defeated in no time at all. The queen will then fall into the reactor causing an overload, leaving you with seven minutes to escape before the frigate's destruction.

Escape

Connection Elevator to Deck Beta

There is an Auto Defense Turret at the top of the elevator. A monitor allows you to deactivate it to avoid trouble. Proceed to Deck Beta.

Biotech Research Area 1

Your passage of escape

You'll find another awakened Parasite Queen that is being attacked by two Pirates, but you won't need to battle this one. Wait until an explosion kills all three then continue on and climb the rubble leading to the second deck where three more Pirates await. After dispatching the first two, head to the final Pirate to deal with it. The ventilation cap behind the last Pirate explodes soon after you approach it, killing the Pirate and granting you a passage to escape from in the process.

Ventilation Shaft Pathway

This part of the frigate is very linear so there is no difficulty in simply following the path to your ship. Clearing the halls of the vast swarms of Parasites is not necessary and simply wastes time, so just run through them. Using the Morph Ball in tunnels that slope downward can be used to speed up your escape.

Path: Subventilation Shaft Section A, Subventilation Shaft Section B, Cargo Freight Lift to Deck Gamma, Main Ventilation Shaft Section A, Main Ventilation Shaft Section B (2 Turrets), Main Ventilation Shaft Section C, Main Ventilation Shaft Section D, Main Ventilation Shaft Section E, Main Ventilation Shaft Section F, Biotech Research Area 2.

Main Ventilation Shaft Section B

You will have to defeat the two Auto Defense Turrets in this room before you may proceed.

Main Ventilation Shaft Section C

This section is your final chance to scan Parasites if you have not already done so.

Main Ventilation Shaft Section E

There is a large metal cylinder pushing through this tunnel, as it begins moving back follow it until you reach Main Ventilation Shaft Section F.

Biotech Research Area 2

Upon entering the room, Samus sees Ridley, now revived as Meta Ridley, awaken and fly out of the ship. The ledge on the far side of the gap is too high so use the Grapple Beam to cross it. Proceed to the Connection Elevator to Deck Alpha.

Connection Elevator to Deck Alpha

Scan the terminal just outside the door to deactivate the room's turret then continue on until you find another terminal to activate the elevator. After you scan this, an explosion will blast Samus into the wall damaging most of her equipment.

Path: Deck Alpha Mech Shaft, Air Lock, Exterior Docking Hangar.

Air Lock

You'll have to wait until the room depressurizes before you can advance to the Gunship.

As you exit to the hangar, Samus sees Ridley making his escape and runs to her ship, pursuing him to the same planet the frigate is about to crash-land in: Tallon IV