Area 4

Area 4, previously known as Phase 5^[1] and Phase 6^[1] (alternatively written as Phases Five & Six^[2]), is a section of SR388. It is explored in Metroid II: Return of Samus and its remake, Metroid: Samus Returns.

Description[]

Phase 5 is the fifth explored area in Metroid II: Return of Samus, and is one of the smaller ones as well, featuring no powerups and only one Gamma Metroid. While exploring Phase 5, Samus must jump on narrow platforms (sometimes above purple liquid) while navigating her way through Octroll territory.

Phase 6 is the sixth explored area in Metroid II: Return of Samus. It is a medium-sized area that splits into two tunnels where Samus can use Flitts to jump across pools of purple liquid, with one tunnel leading left to an Alpha Metroid encounter and the other leading right to another Gamma.

In the remake Metroid: Samus Returns, the two areas are combined and expanded, and now take place in a series of caverns filled with crystals. Some of these crystals can even be seen walking around in the background. The Spazer Beam, Space Jump and Super Missiles are all acquired here. After the first Gamma Metroid is killed and Samus drains the purple liquid via a Chozo Seal she will come across a second Seal requiring the destruction of three more Metroids, somewhat similar to the later Area 6.

Ascending an elevator shortly after, Samus comes across a damaged Chozo Statue, with its power-up missing. She is soon accosted by the Diggernaut robot she encountered earlier in Area 3, which chases her through a series of mining caverns until she manages to trick it into believing she is dead. It leaves behind the Space Jump. Eventually she finds another Chozo Statue holding the Super Missile, opening up the path to her first Zeta Metroid.

Creatures and robots[]

Return of Samus[]

Phase 5[]

Phase 6[]

Samus Returns[]

Metroids fought[]

Return of Samus[]

Phase 5[]

1 Gamma Metroid

Phase 6[]

1 Alpha Metroid
1 Gamma Metroid

Samus Returns[]

Items[]

Samus Returns[]

Music[]

In Return of Samus, an ambient theme plays in Phase 5. Met2 Caverns4 plays in Phase 6, carried over directly from Phase 4.

In Samus Returns, the theme that plays in the first half of Area 4 (corresponding to Phase 5) is named Area 4 in the game's Sound Test; this may be a remix of the original ambient theme. The theme that plays in the second half of Area 4 (corresponding to Phase 6) is internally named Area4 5 Basic. A remix of the Magmoor Caverns theme plays inside all three superheated rooms.

Trivia[]

Area 4 is one of four areas in SR388 in Samus Returns to contain a destroyed Chozo Statue. The others are the Spider Ball statue in Area 1, which was destroyed by a cave-in, the Spring Ball statue in Area 2, which is destroyed by Arachnus shortly before it battles Samus, and the Power Bomb statue with its item stolen by the Diggernaut in Area 6.
- Another destroyed Chozo Statue containing the Ice Beam appears in Phase 9 in Return of Samus which is implied to have been destroyed by the Metroids (or even the Queen Metroid herself) as it contains the Ice Beam which Metroids are vulnerable to. As the Ice Beam is a standalone beam option obtained once in Area 1 in Samus Returns, this Chozo Statue does not exist in Samus Returns.
It is strongly implied that the Diggernaut was responsible for destroying the ruined Chozo Statue found here which is missing its Item Sphere. The chamber contains a large bore hold in the background which could have easily been made by the excavation robot. If true this would suggest that the Diggernaut destroyed the Statue and took the Space Jump to impede her progress. This is apparently supported by the Diggernaut spitting out the Item Sphere containing the Space Jump after Samus manages to escape, presumably believing her to be dead and unaware Samus had used her Morph Ball avoid its drilling arm. This is supported by its later theft of the Item Sphere containing the Power Bomb in Area 6, along with inhaling the Chozo Statue holding said item.
- If the Statue was destroyed by Diggernaut, then it would be the second Statue to have been destroyed by a boss in Metroid: Samus Returns, the first being the Spring Ball statue destroyed by Arachnus.