Sidehopper Station

Sidehopper Station
Outside area.
Game	Metroid Prime 2: Echoes Multiplayer
Notablefeatures	Kinetic Orb Cannons, Deathmatch exclusive Spider Ball Track area.
Internal name	01_SidehopperStation

Sidehopper Station is a multiplayer stage in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. It is one of four default stages readily available from the start.

Description

Four players on Sidehopper Station.

Sidehopper Station is a Space Pirate station in orbit around Tallon IV. It is shaped very similarly to a large Sidehopper, as seen in the selection menu. In the "legs" of the Sidehopper are Kinetic Orb Cannons that launch Samus Aran from one side to another.

There is also a roof area accessible from the upper lever lever of two tunnels that connect the main room to two sub-rooms which in turn, connect to the two "legs" of the station. Able to be seen from the "legs" of the station, there is a Spider Ball Track above the gap between the "legs". In the main room, on the upper level, there are two exits that lead to the track containing two Missiles. However these tunnels are only readily available in Deathmatch Mode. In Bounty Mode, these Morph Ball tunnels will be blocked by gates and the tunnels themselves become inaccessible for the entire match.

This stage has two Randomizers, one in each "leg" situated next to the inner Orb Cannons.

Statistics

• Super Missile: Can spawn in-between the outside Kinetic Orb Cannons' launch route (floating in large open space), the top of the station, or underneath the Grapple Point indoors.

Trivia

• This space station appears to be based on the Frigate Orpheon and orbits Tallon IV. A Sidehopper-like creature could be heard behind a locked door (and seen in a scan) on the Orpheon. The stage's name is more than likely a reference to the latter.
• Uniquely, this is the only stage in Echoes to change layout depending on Game Mode. In this case, two Morph Ball tunnels leading to a Spider Ball Track is only available in Deathmatch Mode. Gates that block off the tunnels will appear if playing in Bounty Mode.
  • If the Morph Ball tunnels become blocked by gates, no missiles will load on the Spider Ball Track (as viewed from outside). It can still be possible to ride the tracks from the outside as well as roll inside the closed tunnels, however.
• A Secret World can be found in this map.
• This is one of two levels that allow two Morph Balls fired out of Kinetic Orb Cannons to collide, killing both players and giving both of them a kill point, the other being Spires.
• At E3 2004, a demo of Metroid Prime Hunters was available to the press. The level included in the demo appears to have been based on the Sidehopper Station.

Gallery

Beta screenshot.

Metroid Prime Hunters, E3 2004 demo.

Central indoor area.

The impenetrable gates covering the Morph Ball tunnels.

Singleplayer glitch in Sidehopper Station. Using the Grapple Beam crashes the game.

Using Boost Ball during the Singleplayer glitch.

Top floor.

Room seen on the Mini-Map.

Top-view of the entire stage, the shape bearing a resemblance to a familiar creature.

References

Space Stations in the Metroid series
† denotes a destroyed station.
FS-176 system
Metroid | Sidehopper Station
Alimbic Cluster
Celestial Archives | Vesper Defense Outpost | Oubliette† | Head Shot | Outer Reach
Cosmos region A47
BOTTLE SHIP†
SR388's solar system
Biologic Space Laboratories research station†
Unknown location
Ceres Space Colony† | Junk Quixote | Medical Space Station | The Locker