Lava cavern

The "lava cavern" is a vast hub room and one of the first explored in Sector 3 / Pyrosphere. It appears in Metroid: Other M.

Description
This is a large room that is open to the superheated environment of the Pyrosphere, and connects to two indoor rooms. The area's volcano can be seen spewing lava in the background on the first visit; after the Goyagma is defeated, it is rendered inactive. The room is entered through a large glass tube, resembling those on Zebes (separating Chozodia and the Space Pirate Mother Ship, and Maridia from Brinstar); unlike those tubes, this one cannot be destroyed with a Power Bomb. It is soon split in half by the Vorash, and can only be crossed using a Grapple Point. The pipe is buttressed from installations within the lava.

Outdoors, the room is filled with lava, with a number of flat rock platforms usable for traversal. Numerous stalagmites and rock spires protrude from the lava as well, extending into the background. This room leads into a desert area, which loops around to the other side of the cavern, and another set of platforms with Magdollites standing in the way. Off to the side are four rock platforms of increasing height; on the highest one, Samus can access a series of Grapple Points taking her towards another door.

This room is referred to as a "multilevel room", "large lava-filled room" and "lava room" in Metroid: Other M Premiere Edition.

Role
Samus enters this room in search of the Mystery Creature. As she proceeds through the glass tube ahead of her, the Vorash can be seen jumping out of the lava in the distance. As she proceeds further, the Vorash will charge right out of the lava under the tube, and eat Samus if she does not SenseMove out of the way. Should she fail, she will die. She proceeds into the next room and returns to this one through the alternate exit.

Given that her Varia Suit has not been authorized yet, Samus is affected by the extreme heat of the area. As she traverses the platforms, the Vorash leaps out of the lava repeatedly and attempts to eat her, forcing her to SenseMove. At one point, she is required to jump and grab a high ledge. As she climbs, the Vorash leaps behind her, breaking some of the rock. Once she has reached a safe distance, Samus automatically runs into the next room.

Afterwards, Samus can pass through the room to reach other areas.

Connecting rooms
The room is entered from a short corridor connected to the long elevator shaft. It then leads (from the other end of the glass tube) into a two-level room with three Pow, which connects back into the cavern. From the exit on the other side of the lava cavern is a square, mechanical room where the Ice Beam is authorized (and where the Pyrosphere door glitch can be triggered).

A Navigation Booth connects to the northeast side of the room, and another door there leads into an L-shaped corridor connecting to the Floor Observation Room. A high ledge above the door to the mechanical room has a door into a small rocky corridor with pools of lava; this leads towards the Geothermal Power Plant.

Inhabitants

 * Vorash (first visit)
 * 2 Skrees (first visit)
 * 1 Heat Bull (first visit)
 * 6 Mellas
 * 4 Magdollites
 * 3 Pow

Items

 * Energy Part:In the second half of the cavern when outdoors. This is at the base of a protruding cliff. Samus must enter a secret tunnel in Morph Ball form and use a Bomb to destroy a grate. The part is behind it.
 * Missile Tank 1:Requires the Wave Beam. In the glass tube, Samus must shoot a sensor outside it. This will open a hatch in the floor, leading into a Morph Ball tunnel with the tank at the end.
 * Missile Tank 2:Requires Power Bombs. In the northeast area of the room, Samus must deploy a Power Bomb to destroy a group of stalagmites (indicated by a trio of Pow); this tank is in one of them.

Trivia

 * It is likely that the ringleaders of the BOTTLE SHIP used the tube in this room for observation and navigation of the surrounding area, given that humans cannot survive for long in superheated areas. How, or if they managed to safely pass through the superheated portion of the room, or others in the Pyrosphere, is unknown.
 * The scene where the Vorash launches itself vertically through the tube to eat Samus resembles the shark's position on the iconic Jaws film poster.
 * The chase sequence was first seen in the original E3 2009 trailer for the game.