Nova Beam

The Nova Beam is a high-frequency beam obtained in the Pirate Homeworld's mining facility. The Nova Beam is designed to be used in combination with the X-Ray Visor: using the X-Ray Visor allows Samus Aran to see through Phazite and the Nova Beam allows Samus to shoot through it to the weak points concealed beneath. The Nova Beam plays a key role in the battle against Omega Ridley, as Samus Aran must use the Nova Beam to shoot through Omega Ridley's Phazite armor to damage his internal joints. It is the last beam Samus obtains in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.

Description
Some enemies are highly vulnerable to the combination of the X-Ray Visor and the Nova Beam. Enemies that use Phazite as armor, such as Metroid Hatchers, Space Pirate Commandos, and Berserker Knights, can be killed in one shot by locking onto the enemy with the X-Ray Visor and shooting the glowing spots with the Nova Beam. Phazon Metroids normally require several shots of either beam attacks or Ice Missiles to be destroyed, and Metroid Hatchers must have their tentacles ripped off, while using the X-Ray Visor and the Nova Beam together can possibly kill them in one shot. This method is also effective against Berserker Knights. During combat with Phazite armored Space Pirate Troopers the X-Ray Visor, when locked-on, will show a zoomed-in view of the enemy, highlighting its actual head. During this event, if the Nova Beam is fired at the highlighted area, it will instantly kill the enemy, hitting their head, or possibly their brain, through the armor. The high-frequency vibrations caused by the beam will cause lethal trauma to the brain. The Nova Beam uses the same technology as the mining systems found throughout the Pirate Mines, and it seems like the system's mining beams are advanced Nova Beams.

The Nova Beam can also unlock all Plasma Beam doors, since Samus uses the stacking beam system, integrating the Plasma beam into the Nova beam. The Nova Beam keeps all the attributes of the beams it replaces, including the Power Beam's fire rate and the Plasma Beam's ability to immolate enemies (the flames are green, though) and weld broken circuit boards. The arm cannon takes the same shape as it did for the Wave Beam and Light Beam, from Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2, respectively.

Trivia

 * In Hypermode difficulty, the method of combining the X-Ray Visor and Nova Beam to instantly kill Pirate Commandos no longer works. When players turn on the X-Ray Visor during a Commando battle, the screen will go into a static look, blinding players and stopping them from killing the Commandos instantly.
 * The shields holding back the Metroids in Metroid Processing on the Pirate Homeworld can be shattered by 'a high-frequency blast' according to scans, implicating that the Nova Beam is required to break them (if the player wants to open the cages to collect the Missile pickup inside), but the Nova Beam cannot be gained without Sequence Breaking at this point in the game, so the reason for this allusion is unknown.