Experimental simulated desert area

“	This elevator is bound for Sector 3. A Level 4 warning is now in effect in Sector 3. An irregularity has been confirmed in the Geothermal Power Plant and the experimental simulated desert area. All staff members are asked to please evacuate immediately.	„
—Bottle Ship P.A. Announcer

Samus enters the Environmental Test Floor of the experimental simulated desert area.

Environmental Test Floor Gallery Mode art.

The experimental simulated desert area is a subsection of Sector 3 / Pyrosphere on the BOTTLE SHIP in Metroid: Other M. As its name implied, it is designed to emulate a desert area in contrast to the lava-filled portions of the Pyrosphere. It is similar to the desert portion of Sector 3 (PYR) on the Biologic Space Laboratories research station. Presumably, this area's purpose is the study of desert-dwelling bioforms to assess their suitability for the special-forces unit.

Samus's exploration

The experimental simulated desert area is accessed through a Navigation Booth connected to Blast Furnace Observation, after Samus kills the Vorash in that room. She passes through the area while en route to the Geothermal Power Plant, where Commander Adam Malkovich has directed her and the other 07th Platoon members to meet up.

The floors of the desert area are largely covered in sand, with indoor rooms often having multiple exhaust vents that release flames, similar to the flame jets in the Magmoor Caverns. In one room, one vent that constantly exhausts flames can be frozen and the cover opened to reveal a small crate containing a Missile Tank.

The only officially named rooms here are the Environmental Test Floor, most likely used to test the holographic generator, and the Desert Refinery. The latter contains an elevator shaft where the Rhedogian is fought yet again. The elevator leads down to a large room with another Missile Tank and a pool of lava. This leads to a series of lava-filled rooms and then the Geothermal Power Plant, marking the end of the desert area.

List of rooms

• "Sandfang hall"
• Environmental Test Floor
• "Mella stairwell"
• Desert Refinery
• "Curving catwalk"
• "Navigation Booth F"
• "Multi-step catwalk"
• "Sand Tower summit"
• "Desert cave"

Inhabitants

The area is populated by Mellas, Sovas, Dessgeegas, and Sandfangs in the sand environments, FG-1000, FG II-Graham, and Heat Bulls in the Refinery, and a Dragotix, Rhedogian, and Magdollite in the elevator sublevel.

Trivia

• The final room of the simulated desert area contains the infamous game-breaking glitch that completely halts progress.

Gallery

Samus runs through a small corridor, in which a Grapple Point allows her to cross the room without disturbing a Sandfang.

Environmental Test Floor

Desert Refinery

Samus battles the Rhedogian for a third time.

A mechanical corridor in the area.

The room with the game-breaking glitch.