PED Suit


 * This article is about the Phazon-utilising Suit given to Samus Aran by the Galactic Federation. For the technology that the suit uses, see Phazon Enhancement Device.

The Phazon Enhancement Device Suit is a Phazon Enhancement Device designed for Samus Aran. After Dark Samus corrupted her, Ghor, Rundas, and Gandrayda, their bodies began producing Phazon. The Galactic Federation rebuilt her suit with their PED technology so that she may safely harness Phazon. Phazon Units replace the usual Energy Units, and exposure to some forms of Phazon will restore her health.

The PED is similiar to the Fusion Suit in that it melds Samus's Power Suit with GF technology. Also the PED is described as a 'fusion' between GF and Chozo technology in its description.

Thanks to the PED Suit, Samus can enter Hyper Mode and use Phazon against opponents. However, this costs one energy tank. If Samus remains in Hypermode for too long, she will overload and enter Corrupt Hyper Mode, meaning that she must expel her excess Phazon, and if it fills up completely she will transform into another Dark Samus, which leads to an automatic game over. If she is able to safely sustain Hypermode for too long, the suit's safety mechanism will automatically shut Hypermode down. Each time Samus's corruption grows she is able to access a new ability. The initial ability Samus starts off with is the Hyper Beam, followed by the acquisition of the Hyper Ball, then the Hyper Missiles, then the Hyper Grapple.

The PED suit in general looks like a Federation Marine, with a similar blue-gray color scheme and armor plating in similar form to a Marine's armor. The red chestplate of the Varia Suit is retained, with some minor changes to its shape due to the addition of the PED device. The green lights on the chest are subdued. The distinctive shoulder pads of the Varia Suit are reduced in size and are somewhat different in design. Finally, the vivid orange color scheme of the Varia Suit is toned down, now a slightly dull gold.

The appearance of the PED Suit changes during the course of the game. It starts off with colors similar to her Varia Suit, but as her Phazon corruption level increases, the gold color scheme fades to dark blue (the red sections of her suit becoming more accentuated as a result), and glowing veins of Phazon appear in the joints of the armor plating, which get brighter and brighter as her corruption progresses. Her visor and the lights on her chestplate also turn blue and eventually an electric-blue line appears around the edges of the visor. Small amounts of Phazon energy can also be seen coursing through the veins. The suit also begins to turn from silver, gold and red to a dark blue colour, eventually resembling Dark Samus.The effects of the corruption to Samus' body are also reflected on her facial features, as seen in the slight reflection in her Scan Visor. At first, the corruption manifests as dark blue veins on the right side of her face, along the side her nose and around her eye. As the corruption progresses, the pupil of her right eye becomes opaque, electric blue in color (the other is unaffected). The color of her irises are accentuated, and the sclerae of both her eyes (the white part of the eyes) become black. Her skin also takes on a blue hue.

After the Planet Phaaze was destroyed, all Phazon disappeared from Samus' body; as a result, her suit reverted back to the original PED Suit, with no discoloration or other traces of Phazon corruption. After escaping Phaaze though the wormhole, Samus' suit appears to have discarded the PED upgrade, and is now in its usual Varia Suit configuration, as seen when Samus flew past the bridge of the G.F.S. Olympus.

The Metroid Prime Trilogy art booklet depicts a fourth corruption stage that changes the PED Suit's appearance to look strongly like Dark Samus, suggesting that a fourth stage was planned, but scrapped, or that this is artwork of Samus on Phaaze. This may also be an image of Samus if she succumbs to the Phazon while in Corrupted Hypermode, which leads to her transforming into something like Dark Samus in an alternative Game Over screen.

Trivia

 * This is the only suit upgrade acquired in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, as the Hazard Shield is technically not a suit.
 * This is the only suit that has color alterations throughout the game without requiring a newer suit upgrade, due to the expanding Phazon Corruption within Samus' body.
 * This is the only suit upgrade that does not increase Samus' base defense. However, it still contains a defensive mechanism, namely the Hyper Mode's Invulnerability.