Phendrana Drifts

The Phendrana Drifts are an area on Tallon IV, explored by Samus in Metroid Prime. It is the fourth area that Samus must explore in the game.

Geography
Located at the southwestern edge of the explorable Tallon IV areas, the Phendrana Drifts are snowy and icy, with some parts filled with water. Major geographical features are a canyon, a lake and several caves. The drifts are relatively isolated, and can only be accessed from the Magmoor Caverns. The area houses the ruins of Chozo villages, as well as an ice temple where Chozo statues can be found. On the opposite site of the drifts, a Space Pirate research facility can be found, housing Metroids as well as a Space Pirate contigent relatively small in comparison to those force in the Phazon Mines. The Space Pirates chose this location to built their base as Metroids have a vulnerability to cold, which would make them much easier to contain. This research proved fruitful for the Space Pirates, who managed to develop the Thermal Visor and Thardus, a fusion of materials found on Tallon IV and Phazon.

Inhabitants
Icy variations of other species, such as the Ice Shriekbat, Ice Burrower and Ice Beetle can be found in this region, as well as some more unique species, such as the Sheegoth, Pulse and Scatter Bombus and the Flickerbat are found throughout the region, creating a rather diverse range of inhabitants. Two bosses are found in the area, an adult Sheegoth, and Thardus.

On Samus' first visit, Meta Ridley can be observed flying above the Phendrana Shorelines.

Items
Six suit upgrades can be found in the drifts. The Boost Ball is found on the first visit. On the second visit, Samus obtains the Wave Beam after defeating the Sheegoth, the Super Missile and Thermal Visor in the Space Pirate research area and the Spider Ball after defeating Thardus. Later, the Gravity Suit can be tracked down here. Also found in the area are multiple Energy Tanks, Missile Expansions and Power Bomb Expansions, as well as three Chozo Artifacts, the Artifact of Spirit, the Artifact of Elder and the Artifact of Sun.

Notable Locations

 * Phendrana Canyon
 * Phendrana Shorelines
 * Research Lab Hydra
 * Research Lab Aether
 * Observatory
 * Frozen Pike
 * Gravity Chamber
 * Phendrana's Edge
 * Chapel of Elders

Sound
There are multiple themes that play through the area, incuding seperate themes for the Chapel of Elders and Phendrana Shoreline. A remix of the main theme appears in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, playing in the Bryyo Ice region.