Invisible platform

Metroid Quarantine A

Invisible platforms are encountered by Samus Aran on planets Tallon IV, Aether, and Dark Aether. The stone that comprises them is completely invisible to both the naked eye and to thermal imaging, although X-Ray Visor and Dark Visor technology will reveal it to be a porous, light-colored rock. They appear in various rooms in Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes.

In Metroid Prime

The rocks possess the unusual ability to levitate: Whatever force holds them aloft seems to be quite powerful, as they are capable of holding Samus's weight without shifting from their original positions to any noticeable degree. The rocks' properties of levitation serve Samus in reaching areas she could not normally reach. Generally, the X-Ray Visor is required to see and thus navigate the platforms, but it is possible to acquire the expansions without it by searching for areas where the rain seems to stop in midair, but is in fact bouncing off the rocks. This is only possible in the areas of Tallon Overworld, however, as the other platforms are sheltered. However, using the Ice Spreader on a platform will cause ice to solidfy around it, making it visible until the ice melts. However, this requires precise aim so that the Ice Spreader shot hits a platform, which is difficult since they are invisible.

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Great Tree Hall

Other floating platforms appear in the Phendrana Drifts, Magmoor Caverns and the Phazon Mines. All other stationary floating platforms Samus encounters have an apparent suspension thruster on their undersides and slowly sink under her weight. The ones in Phendrana Canyon are more temperamental and deactivate soon after she steps on them.

In Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

These platforms serve the same purpose in Echoes, except they are viewed with the Dark Visor. This is because the Dark Visor has the same role as Prime's X-Ray visor. The platforms appear in rooms such as the Dark Torvus Temple and the Unseen Way.

Trivia

• It is unknown how exactly the stone is able to seemingly defy gravity. It is possible that it possesses extremely pronounced diamagnetic properties, which would cause it to be repelled by Tallon IV's planetary magnetic field.

• However, it is also possible that the stone's properties stem from Phazon- a Tallonian entity known as Thardus consisted of "animated" stone bound together with Phazon energy. This would also explain why the stone is invisible- Thardus is able to conceal itself from the visible spectrum as well.

• An obstacle in the Magmoor Caverns, the rock spire, is composed of a similar rock.
• Much larger floating rocks can be observed around and below the Cradle and Impact Crater, including the gigantic rock containing the Artifact Temple, also in the Tallon Overworld. However, all these rocks are visible to the Combat and Thermal Visors as well as the X-Ray Visor.

• In Super Metroid, some rooms in Crateria feature what appear to be floating rock platforms, although these too are visible to the naked eye and appear to have a much rougher texture than the Tallonian variety.^{[citation needed]}