Area 3, originally known as Phase 4[1][2] (alternatively written as Phase Four[3]) and alternatively as Zone 3, is an area of SR388 in Metroid II: Return of Samus and its remake, Metroid: Samus Returns.
It is the fourth area Samus visits on her mission to exterminate all Metroids on SR388.
Description
After Samus defeats more Alpha Metroids and her first Gamma Metroids in Area 2, she is able to visit Area 3 after the purple liquid has drained.
In Return of Samus, Phase 4 consists of two parts. When heading right from the central path, the path splits. Heading down leads into an lush area with poisonous plants, vines, and restraining Metroid webs, including rooms such as the three tower corridors. Going up leads to a large sandy cave occupied by the third set of Chozo ruins. Phase 4 contains more robotic enemies than any other area of SR388, including several robots that are exclusively found in this area: Automs, Proboscums, a Shirk, and TPOs.
In Samus Returns, Area 3 has been expanded from the original and now has a big focus on Chozo robotics built for mining and tunneling deeper into SR388. The area features more Chozo ruins and has been turned into a mining industrial complex with working pistons visible in the background. Much like the original Phase 4, this area contains a large number of robotic enemies, and there are many Chozo mining robots out of order in the background. Area 3 is where Samus accidentally awakens the Diggernaut, which attacks her later during her mission.
The items obtained in Phase 4 in Return of Samus and Area 3 in Samus Returns are very different. In Return of Samus, Samus obtains the Space Jump, Spazer Laser Beam and Plasma Beam. In Samus Returns, she only obtains the Grapple Beam and Beam Burst Aeion ability.
In Return of Samus, Phase 4 has the unique distinction of being connected to three areas, rather than the standard two. Exterminating all the Metroids in Phase 4 will drain the purple liquid, clearing the tunnel to Phase 5. Once she defeats the Gamma Metroid there and causes another earthquake, she must backtrack to Phase 4 to proceed to Phase 6, and then backtrack again through Phase 4 to continue through to Phase 7. In Samus Returns, this backtracking is no longer necessary, since Phase 5 and Phase 6 were combined into Area 4, which is connected to Area 3 by only a single Elevator.
Creatures and robots
Return of Samus
- Autoad
- Autom
- Autrack
- Gravitt
- Halzyn
- Meboid
- Moheek
- Pincher Fly
- Proboscum
- Rock Icicle
- Seerook
- Shirk
- TPO
- Yumee
Samus Returns
- Animworm (non-hostile)
- Autrack
- Blob Thrower
- Chozo mech arm (non-hostile)
- Diggernaut (non-hostile)
- Gigadora
- Gravitt
- Gryncore
- Gullugg
- Gunzoo
- Halzyn
- Hornoad
- Moheek
- Mumbo
- Paraby
- Ramulken
- Robotsmall and Robotbig (non-hostile)
- Rock Icicle
- Taramarga
- Tsumuri
- Wallfire
Metroids fought
Return of Samus
Samus Returns
Items
Return of Samus
Samus Returns
- 1 Energy Tank
- 2 Aeion Tanks
- 11 Missile Tanks
- 4 Super Missile Tanks
- 3 Power Bomb Tanks
- Grapple Beam
- Beam Burst
Music
In Return of Samus, Met2 Caverns4 plays through most of Phase 4, while SR388 Underground plays inside the Chozo ruins.
In Samus Returns, Met2 Caverns3 plays in the upper tunnels and caverns surrounding the Chozo ruins. Met2 Caverns4 plays in the interior of the second Chozo building. The Area 3 theme, a remix of SR388 Underground, plays in the low catacombs. A remix of the Magmoor Caverns theme plays inside the superheated rooms. Boss Mae is heard exclusively in the room containing the inactive Diggernaut.
Ironically, despite Met2 Caverns4 and SR388 Underground both receiving remixes that play exclusively in Area 3, their respective locations have been switched in the remake.
Gallery
.png "Phase 4 map (preview).png (250 KB)")
.png "Metroid Samus Returns Aeion Ability Artifact Beam Burst (Area 3).png (2.4 MB)")
_Diggernaut_(Red_Grapple_Point).png "Metroid Samus Returns Chozo Digging Robot (Area 3) Diggernaut (Red Grapple Point).png (141 KB)")
References
- ^ Nintendo Power volume 37, pg. 49
- ^ In Nintendo Power volume 31, Phase 5 is the name of this area. For consistency, Wikitroid opts to use the later naming scheme of volume 37 and Super Game Boy Player's Guide.
- ^ Super Game Boy Player's Guide pg. 41
| Areas of SR388 | |
|---|---|
| Surface | Area 1 | Area 2 | Area 3 | Area 4 | Area 5 | Area 6 | Area 7 | Area 8 | |