Observe: the YouTube embeds featured on this article will naturally comprise footage of among the boss encounters inside Metroid Prime, together with the ultimate boss. In the event you’ve by no means performed the sport, take this as your spoiler warning!
(Additionally, you’ve got by no means performed Metroid Prime!? *tuts and shakes head for a number of minutes*)
The Metroid collection is well-known for its unbelievable places, together with the likes of Norfair, Ataria, and Kraid’s Lair. When the collection moved into the 3D realm with Retro Studios’ Metroid Prime, it launched among 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 take a look at each foremost location in Metroid Prime and rank them from worst to finest. We have all of them right here bar a couple of minor places just like the Sunken Frigate. Be 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 speak, 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 appears to be like completely beautiful, however the extreme drawback of taking injury everytime you contact the lava is a large ache within the bottom. There are additionally no boss encounters to talk of inside Magmoor Caverns; as a substitute, we simply get a boatload of Magmoor creatures wiggling about and taking pictures out a load of fireside. Though, having mentioned 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 vital, if not significantly memorable.
Visually, it’s a little bit of a cross between the naturalistic components of Tallon Overworld with the structure present in Chozo Ruins. It’s right here that Samus faces off towards the enduring Meta Ridley after gathering all 12 Chozo Artifacts, and it makes for one of many coolest boss encounters of your entire recreation.
It’s a disgrace the realm as a complete was so small, as a result of we’d 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 House Pirates. Right here you come throughout the enduring Metroid enemies for the primary time, together with some really brutal House Pirate enemies.
It’s an amazing little location, nevertheless it comes fairly low on our checklist resulting from its dependence on motion over exploration; it’s primarily 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 “foremost” space inside Metroid Prime, and as such, it’s naturally one of the crucial stunning, too, showcasing the GameCube’s glorious visuals (on the time, no less than). It’s primarily the gateway to the opposite places within the recreation and serves as a superb tutorial space, introducing Samus to smaller, extra docile enemies.
Disappointingly, there aren’t any main boss encounters inside Tallon Overworld, until you rely the Plated Beetle, which to be trustworthy, is extra of a minor sub-boss. Factors deducted!
5: Impression Crater
Impression Crater is the ultimate foremost space inside Metroid Prime, and it is one other comparatively small one, nevertheless it does home the unbelievable titular last 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 entire Prime trilogy, and its presence makes for some really stunning views.
You may encounter a great deal of mutated Metroids referred to as ‘Fission Metroids’, too, and your expertise can be effectively and really put to the take a look at. It is a sturdy finish to an impressive recreation.
4: Phazon Mines
Phazon Mines shares a lot of the identical visible fashion because the aforementioned Impression Crater, however naturally, it is a a lot bigger space, with three foremost ranges to discover. It is filled with House PIrates all through, together with Elite Pirates and Omega Pirates, making this space one of many hardest within the recreation 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 pleasurable and difficult in equal measure.
3: Chozo Ruins
Chozo Ruins has a little bit of a desert theme occurring, with plenty of 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 by way of 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, this is a enjoyable reality: 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 quite a bit!
2: House Pirate Frigate “Orpheon”
Because the opening location of Metroid Prime, the House Pirate Frigate stays one of the crucial memorable areas of your entire 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 House Pirates.
It doesn’t overstay its welcome both, ending on a excessive notice with an impressive boss encounter towards the Parasite Queen and a race towards the clock to flee because the Frigate falls to items. What an amazing first location.
1: Phendrana Drifts
Phendrana Drifts is the very best location in Metroid Prime, undoubtedly. It is uncommon that we might contemplate a snow-themed space to be our absolute favorite, however that is how good that is!
Very similar to the opening House Frigate space, moving into Phendrana Drifts for the primary time is solely unforgettable. The music, the snow, the lighting; it’s simply stunning. It’s additionally residence to some glorious creatures and boss encounters, together with Sheegoth and Thardus, and a few really standout morph ball puzzles.
We might fairly fortunately dwell right here, to be trustworthy, if not for the truth that we’d most likely die inside a couple of quick moments. There’s at all times a catch.
