Main Cavern

Main Cavern is a room in the Pirate Mines of the Space Pirate Homeworld. It appears in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and is where Samus obtains the Nova Beam.

Upper
The top part of the room curves round in a "U" shape, in the centre is a glass pane which looks down into a lower level. Suspended atop the room is the Mining Cannon, which utilises high-frequency Beams to cut through the layers of raw Phazon beneath the room. The Cannon alternates between phases of cutting and harvesting the Phazon. Phazon ore that has been cut away from the mass below is sucked up into the Cannon itself during the harvesting phase through a hatch in the floor by a tractor beam, and then distributed for production of armour and other items via four cylindrical pipes surrounding the Cannon. These glass tubes also support the platform housing the Nova Beam. At the top of the room, a lift on the far side of the room can be used via a terminal nearby. The X-Ray Visor is required to unlock the lift. This lift takes users to the lower section of the room. To the left of this lift is a door that can only be bypassed by a combination of the X-Ray Visor and the Nova Beam. At the back of the balcony area is a Door leading to Drill Shaft 1, and a Green Door at the far right side of the room leads to Phazon Mine Entry.

Lower
In the lower section of the Cavern, there are three hatches around the walls of the room that slide open for Space Pirates. Samus can not go past these hatches. Several pillars will rise up when the tractor beam is not in use. Conversley, small handrails will deploy during tractor beam phasing, which act as a precaution for any personnel to hold onto who may be in the cavern at this time, so they are not sucked into the Cannon themselves. The majority of the Cavern's floor is transparent, so the process of the Phazon harvesting can be seen below. The Beam may be overloaded for a period if any unusually large objects are drawn into it. If this occurs, a small array will be deployed. If one of the the four nodes on this array is destroyed, it will also shatter one of the glass pipes. If all of them are destroyed, the Cannon will detach from the ceiling.

Inhabitants
Note: All Pirates will respawn continuously.
 * Assault Pirate Troopers
 * Pirate Commandos

Connecting rooms

 * Drill Shaft 1
 * Drill Shaft 2
 * Phazon Mine Entry

Items

 * Nova Beam: Boss battle - Samus must destroy the pipes surrounding the Cannon by overloading it. This is done by seperating Pirates from handrails during the tractor phase so they are drawn in. Samus must then shoot an array which will shatter one of the pipes. She must destroy all four to remove the Cannon from the ceiling and collect the Nova Beam.