Metroid Prime

Metroid Prime signaled the return of Metroid after being dormant for 8 years since the release of Super Metroid (save for its featuring in the Super Smash Bros. series). When Prime was first announced, gamers were met with a wave of nostalgia, which was quickly tempered with trepidation, as Prime was set to be a 3D first-person adventure.

Luckily, those fears were quelled upon release, with Prime becoming critically acclaimed, and it became a fan favorite when gamers found that the core feel and essence of Metroid was intact.

It was later ported to the Wii in 2009, and a remastered version was released in 2023 for the Nintendo Switch.

Prototype Info Prerelease Info Version DifferencesIncluding fixed bugs and broken sequence breaks. Text DifferencesIncluding Pirate Data and Chozo Lore.

Unused Layers#

Many rooms have unused object layers that are never enabled for one reason or another.

To do: Get pictures/video of most of these.

Unused Text#

Chozo Lore#

An unused variation of the Chozo Lore Log Book entry "Binding" exists in the game's textual data in which the Cipher is broken and the Chozo Artifacts have been scattered across the planet by the Space Pirates.

Phazon Combo#

It seems that the Phazon Beam originally functioned a lot differently. In 500ec6a0.STRG, the string table file for the inventory screen, in a list of Samus's inventory items, there's a string that simply reads "Phazon Combo". Other evidence pointing to the existence of a Phazon Beam combo includes the presence of a Charge Beam sound effect for the Phazon Beam (see below) and that weapon vulnerability data for enemies and objects includes a slot for a fifth beam combo. The generic placeholder name suggests it was cut before being properly named.

An updated version of the inventory STRG file on the Metroid Prime 2 demo disc has this string named "PhazonBeamCombo".

Placeholder Scans#

To do: Get pictures/videos.

For some reason, Elite Quarters has a couple placeholder scans that have nothing to do with the object they're attached to. The first one is used by Omega Pirate himself; it's the scan that shows up if you scan his projectile attacks, which you can actually see in-game:

This is an Elite Space Pirate
Elite Space Pirate description 2
Elite Space Pirate description 3
Elite Space Pirate description 4

The second one is present on all of the Phazon healing nodules that appear while Omega Pirate is in one of the Phazon pools:

This is a Spank Weed
Spank Weed description 2
Spank Weed description 3
Spank Weed description 4

A third placeholder scan is present in Tower of Light, on the unused layer with Puddle Spores on it:

This is a Puddle Spore
Alpha Puddle Spore description 2
Alpha Puddle Spore description 3
Alpha Puddle Spore description 4

Internal Enemy Names#

A lot of enemies go by different names internally than what's actually shown in-game.

Some of them are the names of Super Metroid enemies; this is mostly explained by Shinesparkers' interview with senior artist Mike Sneath, who explains that the creature designs that were done in the first year of development were based on Super Metroid, before Nintendo decided to scrap everything and have Retro work on more original creatures. What seems likely is that some of the work that was done was kept, but the enemies were renamed. One of them even still has its original assets present on the disc.

Mike Sneath: The entire first years worth of characters I modelled for the game were cut. At first we were making all the enemies looking just like the old Metroid 2D enemies. Nintendo, later decided that they wanted the enemies to have a new look so we scrapped all of those creatures. These weren’t just models that were scrapped but these were enemies that had a full set of animations and some even had AI programmed. I’m actually very glad Nintendo made that call because I think the newer designs that Jones and Keller came up with was a big improvement over the original 2D designs.

Unused Scan Images#

A scan image of what seems to be a Shinesparking Samus. According to an interview with Retro Studios, the Speed Booster (and by extension the Shinespark) were planned to appear in Prime, but due to difficulty implementing them they were scrapped.

Similarly, scan images exist for the Spring Ball (as can be seen in the scan image collage in the concept art gallery). Samus would later acquire this ability in the Trilogy/Wii de Asobu version of the game alongside the Bomb upgrade.

A Ripper, an unused enemy.

A small fish critter. Several of these creatures can be found throughout the Phendrana region, notably in Phendrana Canyon, where three of them, barely visible, can be scanned without image underneath the ice ramp; and in Research Lab Hydra, where an unfrozen specimen can be found sitting on a table next to some explosive crates.

Unused Audio#

To do: Get the file/data location for the Suit Voice Clip.

Samus Monologue#

Present in the ISO is this narration that may have been meant to be originally meant to be used in the opening sequences to provide backstory. One likely reason for its exclusion is that Nintendo didn't want to have Samus truly speak to the player, instead remaining a silent protagonist.

The narration at the beginning of the Metroid Prime track in Super Smash Bros. Brawl is based on this.

Suit Voice#

Intense heat readings detected behind this door.

This message, which appears in text form in the final game, was apparently intended to be voiced as well. Interestingly, this voice clip is unfiltered unlike the others.

Phazon Charge Beam#

A Charge Beam sound effect for the Phazon Beam exists in an AGSC file labeled PhazonGun (c2c1b6fe.AGSC). In the final game, the Phazon Beam can't be charged; holding A simply rapid-fires it.

Unused Samus Grunts#

In the MiscSamus folder are three unused grunt noises for Samus. The first likely would have been used for jumping, while the other two would have been used when she lands from a certain distance. Like the opening monologue, these go unused in the final version, where she only grunts after landing from a long distance.

These voice clips are also present in the second Prime game, albeit also unused in that game as well.

Unused Textures/Models#

Early Phazon Suit#

An early, unused Phazon Suit design is present in Metroid1.pak, thanks to a couple PlayerActor objects in Exterior Docking Hangar using the wrong ANCS file. It's quite radically different from the final Phazon Suit design. According to Mike Sneath (Senior Artist), this is the reason why it was cut:

Yes you are right that is what was another version of the Phazon Suit which was done by another artist Gene Kohler. Gene made all the suits with the only exception being the black phazon suit. That suit you mentioned was cut because if I remember the Art Lead Todd Keller didn't feel the suit felt evil enough. That was the whole idea about liquid Phazon is that it transforms things into being aggressive and destructive and Todd wanted that to be reflected in how the suit look. That is all I can remember with regards to that suit you mentioned and I hope I got the story right on that as it was a long time ago but I believe that is why it got cut.

Unused Morph Ball Design#

An unused Morph Ball design is also present in TestAnim.pak as an unused material set on the Spider Morph Ball model. While it's not 100% concrete, it's very likely that this morph ball was meant to go with the unused Phazon Suit design.

Ripper#

A fully-textured model present in Phendrana Drift's files as well as the Phazon Mines. The Ripper was an enemy in Metroid and Super Metroid that could be frozen and then used as a platform. It's likely a leftover from early in development, when Retro based most of the enemy designs based on Super Metroid creatures; most of these were changed into more original creatures at some point, although many are still referred to internally by Super Metroid enemy names (such as Shriekbats being referred to as Metarees, and Magmoors being referred to as Magdolites). In the case of the Ripper, it was eventually replaced with the Glider, with the hook on the bottom being used as a grapple point. However, it was never removed from the Glider's ANCS file, which meant it accidentally got included on-disc; it also means it can easily be swapped back in-game by changing an object property on the Gliders!

Super Metroid#

This texture can be found in every Metroid* pak. It's technically used by an FRME file, although it never seems to appear in normal gameplay. Unknown what its purpose is or why it was removed.

References#