The Pirate Homeworld is a planet visited by Samus Aran in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Originally thought to be the birthplace of all of the existing Space Pirates, the Metroid Prime Trilogy art booklet stated that it is merely "one of the Space Pirate homeworlds."
Though the planet is effectively unnamed in the other versions of Corruption, the Japanese version, the Spanish version and unused text suggest that the planet is named Urtraghus by the Space Pirates and Planet SN-883 by the Galactic Federation.
Unofficial Map of the Pirate Homeworld: [1]
Features[]
The Pirate Homeworld is plagued by a steady stream of Acid Rain, harming any creature without protection in the form of a Hazard Shield. It is unique as it features a transit system, connecting areas for convenience to travelers on foot. The planet was the first target chosen by Dark Samus to impact a Leviathan onto after taking control of Phaaze with Aurora Unit 313. Space Pirate Data insinuates this occurred long before Bryyo and Elysia were impacted. Phazon corruption seen on the Homeworld is more advanced than the other planets, containing many immense Phazon growths on it’s surface. The Space Pirates' willing interactions with the Seed are likely to have contributed to the corruption as well. The Homeworld was also protected by a gigantic shield which Samus had to deactivate in order for the Galactic Federation's assault to commence. When the Leviathan was destroyed, the planet's corruption was stopped.
Areas[]
The planet includes the Command Center, a Research Facility, a Mining Site and the Pirate Homeworld Seed. In the Command Courtyard, there are three doors in one room that could not be opened. It is likely that these doors led to the Pirates' living quarters. Various large tunnels are present too, possibly giving the Pirate Cargo Drones access to the rest of the base. Samus navigated these tunnels by using her Gunship, in which she could fly quickly and undetected.
Notable rooms[]
Command
Research
Mines
Biology[]
While the planet's most abundant life-forms are Space Pirates, Phazon Metroids and a few other bioforms dwelled on the planet as well such as the Shriekbats and Scritters who thrived in the sheltered areas throughout the Space Pirate complexes despite the inhospitable weather conditions. A number of mechanical creatures also resided on the planet like the Puffer Mines which are cybernetically enhanced to survive the rough conditions.
A number of deceased wildlife can be found and scanned in various places where the Pirate experiments went wrong, such as in the Scrapvault where one example was woven into the room's structure.
The Bounty Hunter Gandrayda makes an appearance here in a boss battle. The Leviathan on the planet is guarded by Omega Ridley, an enhanced and revived version of Meta Ridley corrupted by Phazon.
Below is a full list of known inhabitants including the creatures, Pirates and mechanoids.
- Advanced Aerotrooper
- Armored Aerotrooper
- Assault Aerotrooper
- Berserker Knight
- Commando Pirate
- Crawlmine
- Crawltank
- Dark Samus
- Demolition Trooper
- Despair-Class Turret
- Dread-Class Turret (unseen)
- Federation Marine
- Gandrayda
- Hyper Grapple blocker
- "Jolly Roger" Drone (formerly Galactic Federation)
- Jumpmine
- Leviathan
- Liquid Phazon
- Massive tentacle
- Metroid Egg
- Metroid Hatcher
- Mining Cannon
- Nightbarb
- Omega Ridley
- Parasitic fungus
- PED Marine
- Phaazoid
- Phazon Grub
- Phazon Harvester Drone
- Phazon Metroid
- Pirate Aerotrooper
- Pirate Cargo Drone
- Pirate Commander
- Pirate Militia
- Pirate Surveillance Drone
- Pirate Wasp Mother
- Red Phaazoid
- Remorse-Class Turret
- Scarp (deceased)
- Scritter
- Seed platform
- Urtragian Shriekbat
- Space Pirate
- Tentacle
- Zapper
Bosses[]
Major Upgrades[]
Development notes[]
Retro Studios designers spent two months creating the Pirate Homeworld before they showed Kensuke Tanabe, who disliked it, on a Friday. After he and Risa Tabata played through the planet over the weekend, Tanabe called the designers in for a meeting the following Monday. On a whiteboard, he showed them a rearranged map of the Homeworld he had come up with, shifting connected rooms, item and boss locations and other such elements.[1]
Unused Logbook entries[]
Non-canon warning: This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo.
Planet Urtraghus
Galactic Federation Datafile UT-009.
(Planet Urtraghus)
Data moved to Logbook for review.
GFDF UT-009
Until recently, Urtraghus was listed as planet SN-883, an inconspicuous world far from the boundaries of Federation space. We now know that a large armed force of space pirates is stationed there. The pirates call this planet Urtraghus, meaning "Large Booty". First scans were blocked by sophisticated jamming technology. We are currently awaiting a report from GF agents who were deployed in this sector.
Onslaught
Space Pirate data decoded.
Entry: (Onslaught)
Data moved to Logbook for review.
Entry 07.289.5
The fury of our leader is great. Many disciples have experienced her wrath since Urtraghus fell. However, despite our defeat, her confidence is unbroken. Soon the next phase of her campaign shall take effect against the Federation.
The Aurora has performed the last calculations. Our leader is ready to strike. Soon, Phaaze will sow a large number of Phazon Seeds. They will feel hundreds of Federation worlds. This blow may be the end of Phaaze, but our leader is without worry. For hundreds of live Phazon worlds will replace it.
Urtraghus Lost
Space Pirate data decoded.
Entry: (Urtraghus Lost)
Data moved to Logbook for review.
Entry 07.004.8
The situation seems dire. The Federation and it’s rabid beast Aran have turned Urtraghus into a flaming field of debris. Our troops were driven out and there is no message from Mistress Gandrayda. We fear she shares the fate of her comrades... struck down by the hands of the hunter.
However, secure bliptrans transmissions reveal worse. The Federation has taken possession of the flagship of our leader. They have the Leviathan. With it’s power, they can open a wormhole at any point in space... even the origin of all Phazon. Our spies tell us that they are preparing for the invasion. And yet we will not fear, for the great leader is with us!
Non-canon warning: Non-canonical information ends here.
Trivia[]
- A possible reference to the name "Urtraghus" (惑星ウルトラガス) is found in the name of the Urtragian Shriekbat on the planet.[3]
- The art booklet that is included with the Metroid Prime Trilogy refers to the planet as being "one of the Space Pirate homeworlds". Planet Zebes is among these worlds; the Pirates who conquered it renamed themselves "Zebesians" as a declaration of being its rightful inhabitants and it subsequently became an important headquarters. Urtraghus may have undergone a similar hostile takeover, resulting in the Pirates viewing it as their homeworld. It remains unknown how many celestial bodies have been converted into worlds that befit the title of Pirate Homeworld as the true place of origin of the Space Pirates.
- The SkyTown Data entry "Loss" implies that this planet, and by extension the Unknown Solar System, is located in a different galaxy than the Federation Solar System.
- There is a glitch in the room Mine Lift that will prevent progress, forcing a restart of the game. There are two Spinners in the room which cause the lift in the room to drop. However, if one Spinner is activated and Samus leaves the room, the Spinners will be deactivated when she returns and the Mine Lift cannot be dropped. If this happens and the player saves, the game cannot be continued.
- A terminal in the room Metroid Processing states that "Metroid project "Dread" is nearing the final stages of completion" while the adjacent terminal says that the project failed. While in-game it refers to a Space Pirate attempt to convert Metroids into a power source for weapons, this scan was thought to refer to Metroid Dread; at the time, this was believed to have been a cancelled game for the Nintendo DS. This line caused much frustration and false hope among Metroid fans, but according to Retro Studios, the reference was not intentional. Dread was eventually developed into a game for the Nintendo Switch and released in 2021.
- In the Japanese version of the game, the scan terminal mentioning Metroid project "Dread" now mentions a Dread-Class Turret. The terminal that said the "Dread" project failed references the project without referring to it and still notes that it is not going successfully.
- The theme of the Pirate Homeworld later in the game is an arrangement of "Crateria - The Space Pirates Appear" in Super Metroid which was rearranged for the Zero Suit stealth sequence in Metroid: Zero Mission.
- The Pirate Homeworld has the most Energy Cells in the game: three in total.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ^ Kiwi Talkz. "#138 - Paul Tozour Interview (Metroid Prime 2 & 3, Boss Design, A.I., Leadership, Four Swords etc.)". YouTube. June 25, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022. (starts at 59:37)
- ^ http://tcrf.net/Metroid Prime_3:_Corruption
- ^ Metroid Prime 3: Corruption - See logbook entry Urtragian Shriekbat in the Pirate Homeworld creatures section.
Areas in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption | |
---|---|
(Base Sector Zero) | |
(Cliffside • Thorn Jungle • Fire • Ice • Seed) | |
(SkyTown • Eastern SkyTown • Seed) | |
(Command • Research • Mines • Seed) | |
Planets visited in the Metroid series |
---|
Other locations visited in the Metroid series |
Planets in the Metroid series |
---|
FS-176 |
Bilium | Oormine II | Tallon IV | Twin Tabula | Zebes |
Alimbic Cluster |
Alinos | Arcterra |
Dasha region |
Aether | Dark Aether |
Federation Solar System |
Bryyo | Elysia | Norion |
Unknown Solar System |
Pirate Homeworld
a.k.a. Planet SN-883 or Urtraghus ("large booty") |
Small star |
Phaaze |
SR388's solar system |
SR388 | "SR387" |
Sun |
Earth | Jupiter |
Bermuda System |
Excelcion | Talvania | Bion |
Extreme Galaxy |
Outlaw | Maru | Agricultural world | Jatsuk | Ocean world Graveyard planet | Galactic ruins |
Other Locations |
2466 URSA | Bes III | Devon III | Daiban | Demon Planet | Degrade Jamoru | Jasdam | Jigrad | K-2L | Kankei | Liberty Mondreus | Naishii | Nest | RX 338 | Solairon 12 | Tivus | Vho | ZDR |