Portal Terminal

The Portal Terminal is a room in the Agon Wastes. It appears in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes.

Description[]

It is the room with the second Portal that Samus uses, after the one in Hive Chamber B. However, before she can use it, she must defeat several Pirate Troopers that attack her, and then a Bomb Slot next to the portal terminal can be used. This can be used to power a Morph Ball lift. Samus must then Bomb three Talloric Alloy blocks to power the portal generation system and allow Samus to use it. Because her last trip through a Portal ended in Samus being attacked, she hesitates before slowly entering it and travelling through the interdimensional void.

There is also another Bomb Slot in a state of transdimensional flux near the door to the Transport Center, this can be lifted by using another Bomb Slot in Portal Site, the Dark Aether version of this room.

Connecting rooms[]

Inhabitants[]

Portal Terminal Black Fog — A Black fog appears in Portal Terminal

2 Pirate Troopers: "Morphology: Pirate Trooper
Starfaring brigand.
Aggressive, well-armed bioform trained for combat and conquest. Sworn enemy of Samus Aran."

2 Dark Pirate Troopers (they are possessed midway during the fight): "Morphology: Dark Pirate Trooper
Darkling-possessed Space Pirate.
Enhanced strength and stamina gained from addition of symbiote. Dislikes bright light."

War Wasps: "Morphology: War Wasp
Cunning aerial hunter.
Airborne insect equipped with a venemous stinger capable of shearing steel. Target can fire blasts of energy at foes."

2 Pillbugs: "Morphology: Pillbug
Cave-dwelling herbivore.
Vulnerable to concussion blasts: use them to stun and damage this enemy."

Scans[]

Luminoth Lore (Light of Aether): "The main Energy Controller was built in the Great Temple: three sub-controllers were built in the temples of Torvus, Agon, and Sanctuary. They collected the energy of Aether, then radiated it over the world to all who needed it. In time we came to call this precious energy the "Light of Aether." It brought an age of peace and prosperity to the Luminoth."

Portal to Dark World — Samus entering the Portal

Luminoth Lore Projector: "Object scan complete.
Luminoth Lore Projector is offline.
Power cannot be restored to unit."

Space Pirate Crate: "Object scan complete.
This is a Space Pirate Crate.
Space Pirates, strangely, dislike theft. The only way into their crates is through the use of force."

Bomb Slot: "Device: Bomb Slot
Powered system control unit.
Insert the Morph Ball into the slot, then detonate a Bomb.
This will transfer energy from the slot to the device connected to it."

Conveyor system: "Object scan complete.
Target is part of a conveyor system.
Conveyor system originally used to transport Kinetic Orbs. Provides access to upper section of room."

Tunnel block: "Structural analysis complete.
Object is composed of Talloric Alloy. Structural integrity has decayed considerably."

Solar lens: "Structural analysis complete.
Industrial solar lens, part of a system used to open a portal to Dark Aether."

Dynamo (offline): "Mechanical analysis complete.
Portal dynamo offline. Configure lens system to focus solar power on dynamo. This will energize the system."

Dynamo (online): "Mechanical analysis complete.
Solar dynamo online. Dimensional portal system energized."

Door system: "Object scan complete.
Automated door system online.
Door control governed by Bomb Slot. Control link seems to originate from Dark Aether, however."

Bomb Slot (dimensional): "Object scan complete.
Target is in a state of dimensional flux.
Unable to completely scan Bomb Slot target. 50% of its component atoms are in another dimension, or on the surface of Dark Aether."

Portal generation system (offline): "System analysis complete.
Console used to energize and open a portal to Dark Aether, currently offline.
Restore power to the system to enable portal creation."

Portal generation system: "System analysis complete.
Console used to energize and open a portal to Dark Aether, currently online.
Portal generation system initiated."

Dark Portal: "This portal is active.
Walk into the portal to transport to Dark Aether. Extreme caution recommended once transit is complete."

Development notes[]

Kynan Pearson built the blue room for the Portal Terminal, including the three solar lenses. He did not apply rotation. Todd Keller placed the "Sun"^{[note 1]} at 23.15 degrees in the room's skybox. When Keller finished, he rotated the room and lens contraption to line it up with the light rather than rotating the skybox to achieve the same effect. However, it made Tom Ivey's job scripting the room's puzzle later much more difficult. Pearson joked that on a calm night, "I can still hear him howling in agony when he wakes from a nightmare where he’s forced to relive the traumatic event over and over again."^[1]

In the E3 2004 trailer for Echoes, a black-colored Luminoth could be seen kneeling on the floor in the Portal Terminal. This represented an early skin of the Luminoth and not a Dark Luminoth. The context for its appearance in this room is unclear; as no living Luminoth apart from U-Mos are encountered in Echoes until the very end, it may represent a scrapped character. Other creatures seen between both the Demo and final versions of Echoes have similar colored textures. In the final, these colors are featured on the Dark Suit, an upgrade belonging to the Luminoth. There is a possibility that this scrapped Luminoth may have been wearing Dark Suit technology, with the final game hinting at such.

Trivia[]

Once the platforms are lowered, three War Wasps emerge from the ceiling. However, on the ceiling from where they emerge appears to be a Splinter Cocoon. Splinters are never encountered here.
In the Nintendo GameCube version of Echoes, only the third Solar Lens needs to be activated. This can easily be achieved using a Bomb Space Jump to reach the ledge containing the Pillbugs.^[2]. This issue was fixed in Metroid Prime Trilogy, where all three Solar Lens must be activated in order for the Portal to operate (though it is still possible to Bomb the lenses into position out of order).

Gallery[]

Notes[]

^ Aether has no sun. What Pearson was referring to is the Light of Aether.

References[]

^ Interview: Kynan Pearson. Shinesparkers. November 7, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
^ http://www.metroid2002.com/echoes/speed_tricks_portal_terminal.php

Aetherian Rooms in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Temple Grounds	Landing Site • Hive Access Tunnel • Hive Chamber A • Hive Tunnel • Command Chamber Hive Storage • Hive Chamber B • Hive Chamber C • Hive Save Station • Hive Transport Area Industrial Site • Agon Transport Access • Transport to Agon Wastes • Collapsed Tunnel Temple Assembly Site • Storage Cavern B • Temple Transport B • Dynamo Chamber Communication Area • Storage Cavern A • Trooper Security Station • GFMC Compound Fortress Transport Access • Transport to Sanctuary Fortress • Sacred Bridge • Sacred Path Temple Transport A • Windchamber Tunnel • Grand Windchamber • Windchamber Gateway Path of Eyes • Torvus Transport Access • Transport to Torvus Bog • Hall of Eyes Meeting Grounds • Temple Transport C • Path of Honor • Hall of Honored Dead Service Access Generator Room
Agon Wastes	Transport to Temple Grounds • Plaza Access • Mining Plaza • Agon Map Station Mining Station Access • Mining Station A • Sand Cache • Portal Access A Portal Terminal • Transport Center • Transport to Torvus Bog • Save Station A Temple Access • Agon Temple • Controller Access • Agon Energy Controller Sandcanyon • Mine Shaft • Mining Station B • Storage A Transit Station Central Station Access • Central Mining Station • Command Center Access • Command Center Security Station B • Biostorage Access • Biostorage Station • Storage B Security Station A • Bioenergy Production • Storage C • Ventilation Area B Save Station B/C • Sand Processing • Main Reactor • Storage D Ventilation Area A • Transport to Sanctuary Fortress
Torvus Bog	Transport to Temple Grounds • Temple Transport Access • Torvus Lagoon • Save Station A Portal Chamber • Path of Roots • Great Bridge • Torvus Map Station Abandoned Worksite • Forgotten Bridge • Plaza Access • Torvus Plaza Ruined Alcove • Grove Access • Torvus Grove • Meditation Vista Underground Tunnel • Temple Access • Torvus Temple • Controller Access Torvus Energy Controller • Transport to Agon Wastes • Underground Transport Hydrodynamo Station • Save Station B • Hydrodynamo Shaft • Main Hydrochamber Hydrochamber Storage • Catacombs Access • Catacombs • Gathering Access Gathering Hall • Training Access • Training Chamber • Fortress Transport Access Transport to Sanctuary Fortress • Transit Tunnel South • Transit Tunnel West Transit Tunnel East
Sanctuary Fortress	Transport to Temple Grounds • Temple Transport Access • Sanctuary Entrance Power Junction • Reactor Access • Reactor Core • Save Station A • Sanctuary Map Station Minigyro Chamber • Hall of Combat Mastery • Central Area Transport East Agon Transport Access • Transport to Agon Wastes • Transit Station • Main Research Central Area Transport West • Torvus Transport Access • Transport to Torvus Bog Dynamo Works • Dynamo Access • Main Gyro Chamber • Save Station B Temple Access • Sanctuary Temple • Controller Access • Sanctuary Energy Controller Workers Path • Dynamo Storage • Watch Station Access • Sentinel's Path Watch Station • Grand Abyss • Vault Checkpoint Station • Aerie Transport Station • Aerie Access • Aerie
Great Temple	Temple Transport A • Transport A Access • Temple Sanctuary • Controller Transport Main Energy Controller • Temple Transport B • Transport B Access • Temple Transport C Transport C Access
See also: List of rooms in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes.

[1] Aether has no sun. What Pearson was referring to is the Light of Aether.

[2] Interview: Kynan Pearson. Shinesparkers. November 7, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2021.

[3] ttp://www.metroid2002.com/echoes/speed_tricks_portal_terminal.php

[note 1]

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[2]