Metroid Prime/Space Pirate Frigate

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GameCube, Wii

This 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. This doesn't mean the area is trivial though; there is a boss to fight, a long timed section to get through, and only one save point on the way.

Exporation

Samus, responding to a distress beacon, descends onto the deck of a desolate and abandoned frigate.

Exterior Docking Hangar

Fire on the red switches

First get used to moving around and firing your weapon. Force fields prevent you from falling off the platform. For a bit of extra target practice you might try shooting the asteroids flying overhead.

The way forward is blocked by a force field. Shoot the four red switches on its corners to deactivate it; this introduces you to the basics of L-targeting.

The next section has another force field with six switches, however these are offline. Follow the instructions on screen to switch to Scan mode and scan the nearby terminal to turn them on. The lower four switches are similar to the ones you've already done, but the upper two are too high to hit with L-targeting alone. Instructions appear to tell you how to target them if you haven't figured it out already.

Hop up the ledge; the game tells you how if it seems like you're having trouble. Follow the ramp to your first beam door. Shoot the door to unlock it, then approach and it will open, so go through. Follow the tunnel to another beam door and go through to the next room.

Air Lock

There is currently no atmosphere here and the far door cannot be opened until the air lock is repressurized. There is debris, including a couple of dead alien creatures, floating around so it appears that the artificial gravity is off as well.

Scan the terminal to fill the room with air and turn the gravity back on. Then proceed through the next door.

Deck Alpha Access Hall

There is some structural damage to this hallway and several small fires have broken out. Continue to the next room.

Emergency Evacuation Area

Log Book

Creatures: Parasite (Missable)

Research: Small Energy

The area is in shambles and partly on fire. Look around and do some scans to discover the reason; apparently there was a battle between Space Pirates and a large monster. Several Parasites are in the room feeding on Pirate corpses, however they can be killed with a single shot from the Power Beam. There are also crates of hazardous Phazon stacked against the walls. All escape pods have been jettisoned.

Go around the monster's corpse to find a Space Pirate still barely alive. It uses its last bit of strength to try to shoot you so finish it off; it will often yield a Small Energy. The door to the next room is just to the right of it.

Deck Alpha Umbilical Hall

Follow the directions on screen to blast through the rubble blocking your way with the Charge Beam and proceed to the other end.

Map Facility

Log Book

Research: Map Station

When you enter you see some parasites scurry into a ventilation tunnel on the right. There are no instructions on screen to tell you how to follow them, but later on you're told how to activate Morph Ball mode. You can get instructions from the Inventory section of the Log Book though.

Using the Morph Ball, follow the Parasites to find a Map Station. Scan it for the Research entry then step into it to download the map for the frigate. Scan the panels here for other information; the Pirates call the monster in the Evacuation Area a Parasite Queen and there seems to be a second one still at large. Go back and continue to the end of the hall.

Connection Elevator to Deck Beta

Scan the terminal to activate the elevator then step into the Hologram to be taken to a lower deck.

Deck Beta Conduit Hall

Rubble blocks the way but there is a narrow passage open; follow the directions on screen and switch to Morph Ball mode to get through. Avoid the arcs of electricity sent out by a malfunctioning energy conductor.

Biotech Research Area 1

There are two wounded Space Pirates in this room and they attack on sight. You get an on screen tip about strafing which will be useful to defeat them. Scan the walls for more information on what the Pirates were up to. They were injecting parasites with Phazon to increase their offensive capabilities. You can see two broken canisters at ground level confirming that the two of the monsters escaped control. There is a third monster in suspended animation in a third canister. Follow the balcony to the next room.

Deck Beta Security Hall

Log Book

Creatures: Auto Defense Turret

Research: Missile Ammunition

You now encounter the first real enemy in the game, an Auto Defense Turret. You can often, but not this time, deactivate these by scanning a nearby security panel. It's located around the corner in this room and, if you can, scan it for its Log Book entry then destroy it from a distance with a Missile (two on Hard Mode/Hyper Mode) or the Charge Beam before it wakes up and starts shooting. If you do get close enough to wake it up then retreat back behind corner. Timing your movements to avoid fire, strafe around the corner to get an L-target lock on the turret and strafe back. Strafe around the corner again but this time let a missile fly.

Destroying the turret often leaves Missile Ammunition, so scan it and pick it up to replace the missile(s) you fired. The turret was guarding the door to the next room.

Biohazard Containment

Log Book

Pirate Data: Fall of Zebes (Only chance)

The terminal with the "Fall of Zebes" log entry

This is a two-story room holding numerous monitors on the right and a dead Parasite Queen in a canister behind them. The monitor showing a red scan icon instead of the usual orange has the first Pirate Data log entry. Other monitors display the progress the Pirates were making in turning the parasites into weapons. Hermetically sealed lockers with specimens taken from Talon IV line the walls and you can scan them for extra info. One of the lockers has a Xenotropic life form which seems about to break out.

There is an Auto Defense Turret in the far corner but this time you can deactivate it by scanning a security panel. Scan the panel on the other side of the room to activate the elevator and ascend.

This next level has four Space Pirates, most are already injured, however there is one in perfect health that you will have to face. There are more lockers with specimens from Tallon IV. The door to the next room is at the end of the balcony.

Deck Beta Transit Hall

There is a schematic map with some tidbits of info on the right.

Cargo Freight Lift to Deck Gamma

An Auto Defense Turret activates and starts shooting as you enter the room; use the same strafing maneuvers as before to take it out before taking too much damage.

Scan the terminal to activate the lift, then enter the cab and step into the hologram to descend diagonally to the next deck. Once you reach the bottom, an unharmed Space Pirate jumps down in front of you and attacks. There is a parasite here if you missed the scan the first time.

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

Reactor Core Entrance

Log Book

Research: Save Station

There are turrets near the ceiling here but they don't activate until you actually enter the room, so blast them before going in.

Go through the door on the left to the Save Station. Get the scan, save and return, then unlock the door with the Morph Ball as before.

Reactor Core

Log Book

Creatures: Parasite Queen (Only chance)

The hall to the Reactor Core is lined with more Pirate corpses than usual and green blood is splattered all over. Step forward to be taken down to the lower level. A live Parasite Queen climbs down from the shaft, roars at you and climbs into the reactor.

Parasite Queen

Parasite Queen, the first boss of Metroid Prime

Scan the Parasite Queen immediately and you will be able to aim for her weak point, the mouth. The 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 which stops all attacks unless you fire through an opening on one side. At times the shield will spin rapidly and block almost all incoming shots but an occasional Power Beam blast may still get through.

Keep strafing to avoid the acid and keep in front of the gap in the shield. The Charge Beam and Missiles are the most effective weapons; just keep blasting her mouth and she should be defeated in no time at all.

Advanced strategy (WII): Rapidly firing your Missiles can 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.

When she's defeated the queen falls into the reactor causing an overload and leaving you with seven minutes to escape before the frigate's destruction. Quickly locate the exit using the map; it's not the same you you came in.

Escape

Deck Gamma Monitor Hall

Follow the steps up to the end of the passage.

Connection Elevator to Deck Beta

Activate the elevator and step into the hologram to be taken to deck Beta. Scan the security panel when you reach the top deactivate an Auto Defense Turret and avoid trouble. You may hear the sounds of battle in the next room but go in anyway.

Biotech Research Area 1

Your passage of escape

That third Parasite Queen from the last time you were here is now awake and fighting some Pirates. It's not really a problem for you though because an explosion kills all of them. Climb the rubble leading to the second deck where three more Pirates await. The way you came in when you were here before isn't accessible now, so you need to turn right at the top of the rubble. A large round tunnel is open to the right of door you took before (now blocked by rubble). Depending on how fast you get through the room, you may see the door to the tunnel blow open and kill the last Pirate.

Subventilation Shaft Section A

This is a large round tunnel and you can make good time by switching to Morph Ball mode. There are swarms of Parasites roaming around but clearing them isn't necessary and wastes time, so just run/roll through them. Shoot the large door at the end to open it.

Subventilation Shaft Section B

This is similar to Section A. The door at the end opens automatically.

Cargo Freight Lift to Deck Gamma

This is a short tunnel that the left cab went under the last time you were here. Again, the door opens for you.

Main Ventilation Shaft Section A

Similar to the previous ventilation shafts but the uphill slope means that you'll make better time on foot than in Morph Ball mode.

Main Ventilation Shaft Section B

Continue to a large cylindrical room and take out the turrets guarding it. Shoot the door on the far side to open it.

Main Ventilation Shaft Section C

This is downhill again so switch back to Morph Ball mode. There is another cylindrical room at the end but no turrets this time. This is your last chance to get a scan of a Parasite it you want one.

Main Ventilation Shaft Section D

Another uphill section so go on foot again.

Main Ventilation Shaft Section E

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

Biotech Research Area 2

Upon entering the room, you see Ridley, now revived as Meta Ridley, awaken and fly out of the ship. (If this is your first time playing a Metroid Game, Ridley is a recurring boss that first appeared in the original Metroid game and has appeared since in different variations and incarnations.) You learn more about how Ridley was brought back to life from Pirate Data scans later in the game.

The ledge on the far side of the gap is too high so follow the directions on screen to use the Grapple Beam. You need to get the second grapple point while since in the air from the first one, so you need to time when to let go and when to grapple again. Time when to let go the second time so you land on the ledge.

Connection Elevator to Deck Alpha

Scan the security panel at the corner to deactivate the room's turret, then continue on until you find another terminal to activate the elevator. As soon as you scan this, an explosion will blast you into the wall damaging most of your equipment. The only items that remain functional are the Power Beam, Power Suit, Combat Visor, and Scan Visor.

Step into the hologram to ride the elevator to Deck Alpha.

Deck Alpha Mech Shaft

This is a short passage but there are some confusing turns so keep an eye on the map.

Air Lock

The room depressurizes automatically when you go in, you then have to wait for the air to be evacuated so you can open the door out. There is a raging fire blocking the way back to deck Alpha in case you were thinking of trying to get back into the ship.

Exterior Docking Hangar

Follow the tunnel to the outer door and go through. As you exit, you see Ridley making its escape and you run to your ship and take off in hot pursuit. But you lose Ridley in a storm so you land on the planet (Tallon IV) to continue the search.