Be aware: the YouTube embeds featured on this article will naturally include footage of a few of the boss encounters inside Metroid Prime, together with the ultimate boss. If you happen to’ve by no means performed the sport, take this as your spoiler warning!
(Additionally, you have by no means performed Metroid Prime!? *tuts and shakes head for a number of minutes*)
The Metroid sequence is well-known for its unimaginable places, together with the likes of Norfair, Ataria, and Kraid’s Lair. When the sequence moved into the 3D realm with Retro Studios’ Metroid Prime, it launched a few of the franchise’s most iconic places, adored by followers to this very day.
With the sport celebrating its twentieth anniversary, we thought it might be enjoyable to have a look at each fundamental location in Metroid Prime and rank them from worst to greatest. We have all of them right here bar just a few minor places just like the Sunken Frigate. Make sure you vote on your favorite within the ballot on the backside of the web page and share your favorite reminiscences of the sport (and your ideas on our private rating) within the remark part.
However sufficient discuss, let’s set our visors to scan and take a look at each location within the masterpiece that’s Metroid Prime…
9: Magmoor Caverns
Urgh, Magmoor Caverns… maybe the one space inside Metroid Prime that we actively dislike.
It seems completely attractive, however the extreme drawback of taking harm everytime you contact the lava is an enormous ache within the bottom. There are additionally no boss encounters to talk of inside Magmoor Caverns; as an alternative, we simply get a boatload of Magmoor creatures wiggling about and taking pictures out a load of fireside. Though, having stated that, blasting a stalactite from the ceiling to land on their heads is fairly darn humorous. Plus, the music is fairly nice.
8: Artifact Temple
The Artifact Temple is among the smaller places featured in Metroid Prime, although it stands as one of the crucial essential, if not significantly memorable.
Visually, it’s a little bit of a cross between the naturalistic parts of Tallon Overworld with the structure present in Chozo Ruins. It’s right here that Samus faces off in opposition to the enduring Meta Ridley after gathering all 12 Chozo Artifacts, and it makes for one of many coolest boss encounters of your complete sport.
It’s a disgrace the realm as a complete was so small, as a result of we might have liked to spend extra time exploring it. Because it stands, it’s disappointingly constrained.
7: Glacier One (Phendrana Drifts)
Just like the Artifact Temple, Glacier One is extra of a location inside a location. Location-ception, if you’ll. [Nah, you’re alright, ta. – Ed]
It’s discovered inside Phendrana Drifts and acts as a analysis facility for the Area Pirates. Right here you come throughout the enduring Metroid enemies for the primary time, together with some actually brutal Area Pirate enemies.
It’s an awesome little location, nevertheless it comes fairly low on our checklist because of its dependence on motion over exploration; it’s basically one main combat after one other, with little room to breathe in between. Not precisely what Metroid is all about!
6: Tallon Overworld
Tallon Overworld is the primary “fundamental” space inside Metroid Prime, and as such, it’s naturally one of the crucial stunning, too, showcasing the GameCube’s wonderful visuals (on the time, a minimum of). It’s basically the gateway to the opposite places within the sport and serves as a very good tutorial space, introducing Samus to smaller, extra docile enemies.
Disappointingly, there are not any main boss encounters inside Tallon Overworld, until you depend the Plated Beetle, which to be trustworthy, is extra of a minor sub-boss. Factors deducted!
5: Influence Crater
Influence Crater is the ultimate fundamental space inside Metroid Prime, and it is one other comparatively small one, nevertheless it does home the unimaginable titular remaining boss, so it is a significantly memorable one for us. There’s a complete bunch of Phazon situated right here, the radioactive substance that performs a core function in your complete Prime trilogy, and its presence makes for some actually stunning views.
You may encounter a great deal of mutated Metroids referred to as ‘Fission Metroids’, too, and your abilities might be properly and actually put to the take a look at. It is a robust finish to a powerful sport.
4: Phazon Mines
Phazon Mines shares a lot of the identical visible model because the aforementioned Influence Crater, however naturally, it is a a lot bigger space, with three fundamental ranges to discover. It is filled with Area PIrates all through, together with Elite Pirates and Omega Pirates, making this space one of many hardest within the sport by fairly a margin.
When you’re right here, nevertheless, Samus can have powered as much as a substantial diploma, so it makes exploration each pleasant and difficult in equal measure.
3: Chozo Ruins
Chozo Ruins has a little bit of a desert theme happening, with numerous sand mendacity about and a complete bunch of large beetles. It’s a dense space, filled with secrets and techniques to find and tunnels to roll via because the ever-delightful morph ball.
The standout boss encounter of the Chozo Ruins is undoubtedly the fearsome Flaahgra, although the Hive Mecha proved to be extra irritating than enjoyable.
Talking of enjoyable, here is a enjoyable truth: the Chozo Ruins, particularly the principle plaza, was the primary main space to be constructed for the sport. It’s additionally the biggest, with a complete of 63 rooms. We like this one lots!
2: Area Pirate Frigate “Orpheon”
Because the opening location of Metroid Prime, the Area Pirate Frigate stays one of the crucial memorable areas of your complete trilogy.
Taking management of Samus after she leaps off her ship is solely revelatory, to not point out the beautiful morph ball controls. As a location, it’s teaming with visible narrative cues, from busted doorways to the rotting corpses of Area Pirates.
It doesn’t overstay its welcome both, ending on a excessive notice with a powerful boss encounter in opposition to the Parasite Queen and a race in opposition to the clock to flee because the Frigate falls to items. What an awesome first location.
1: Phendrana Drifts
Phendrana Drifts is the perfect location in Metroid Prime, definitely. It is uncommon that we might think about a snow-themed space to be our absolute favorite, however that is how good that is!
Very similar to the opening Area Frigate space, entering into Phendrana Drifts for the primary time is solely unforgettable. The music, the snow, the lighting; it’s simply stunning. It’s additionally house to some wonderful creatures and boss encounters, together with Sheegoth and Thardus, and a few actually standout morph ball puzzles.
We might fairly fortunately stay right here, to be trustworthy, if not for the truth that we’d most likely die inside just a few quick moments. There’s at all times a catch.