Metroid: Planet Protector

Note from 2024: Mirror decided to make a remake of Planet Protector in 2024 with new ideas! I've left them both as separate pages for the sake of preservation, but you can check out the new version over here!
Metroid: Planet Protector is a game by Nintendo in collaboration with Power Paintbrush Productions. It was released on the Nintendo 3DS in early 2015.
==Story==
Some time in Galactic Year 2079 (when Metroid II and Super Metroid also took place), Samus Aran is sent on a mission to infiltrate a secret base constructed by the Space Pirates in an unknown planet.
As Samus discovers throughout her mission, the Space Pirates had been industrialising the once-natural planet in order to create their base. She later encounters Omega Kraid and Alpha Ridley, two battle-robots made by the Space Pirates.
Samus infiltrates the secret base and comes across Alpha Ridley, who had been remodelled into Ridley Mk II. After defeating him, she finds and defeats the Space Admiral, the leader of the Space Pirate faction, who sends the download for Alpha Ridley's final upgrade with his final breath.
As she travels back to her gunship to leave the planet, Samus again crosses paths with Alpha Ridley, who has transformed into his final form, Hyper Ridley. Samus defeats Hyper Ridley, who activates a disaster response system upon his destruction, forcing Samus to escape before the planet explodes.
==Gameplay==
Metroid: Planet Protector is a non-linear platformer much like the classic Metroid games. The player controls Samus on her exploration of the planet and must solve puzzles along the way. Several upgrades can be found in the planet - these upgrades can be turned on and off from the Pause Menu.
The player can press A to jump, and can do a somersault by jumping while running. Use Samus' beam with the B Button - the beam can be used to damage enemies. Pressing Down twice allows you to enter Morph Ball mode and gain access to narrow passageways. Hold down R to arm Missiles; Missles are more damaging than your beam, but come in limited supply. Other controls are listed in the Upgrades section below.
When an enemy is defeated, they drop Energy Capsules, which restore a small portion of Samus' Energy, as well as ammunition for Missiles, Super Missiles and Power Bombs. Samus will lose some of her Energy if attacked, and the player is forced to restart from their previous save if Samus reaches 0 Energy.
==Upgrades==
Listed in the order that the player is expected to obtain them in.
Name 	Obtained 	Notes
Power Beam 	Start of game 	Press B to fire. Press L+B to fire diagonally. Opens blue hatches.
Morph Ball 	Start of game 	Press Down twice to morph and gain access to narrow passageways.
Missile 	Found in Area 1	Press R+B to fire. Opens red hatches. Comes in limited supply - collecting a Missile Tank increases Missile Capacity by 5.
Charge Beam 	Found in Area 2	Press and hold B to charge your beam, release to fire. Somersault with a full charge for a "Charge Attack".
Bomb 	Found in Area 2	As a ball, press B to deploy.
Hi-Jump 	Found in Area 3	Increases jump height. Enables Morph Ball jumping capability.
Ice Beam 	Found in Area 3	Allows you to freeze enemies using your Beam. Frozen enemies cannot move, and you can stand on them safely. Can also be used to extinguish fires.
Speed Booster 	Found in Area 3	Run until the Speed Boost begins to break certain blocks and damage enemies.
Spazer Beam 	Found in Area 3	Allows you to shoot three beams at once.
Spider Ball 	Found in Area 1	As a ball, hold L to climb up surfaces.
Scan Visor 	Found in Area 4	Detailed information on objects that enter your field of vision is displayed on the Touch Screen.
Super Missile 	Found in Area 4	Arm with Select. Press R+B to fire. Opens green hatches. Comes in limited supply - collecting a Super Missile Tank increases Super Missile Capacity by 2.
Varia Suit 	Found in Area 4	Stops damage from acid and purple parasites. Slightly reduces damage taken in general.
Grapple Beam 	Found in Area 2	Press X to fire. Press L+X to fire diagonally. Can be used to cling onto and swing from Magnet Points.
Wave Beam 	Found in Area 2	Beams can penetrate walls.
Homing Missile	Found in Area 5	Hold down R to lock Missiles and Super Missiles onto enemies.
Plasma Beam 	Found in Area 5	Beams can pierce through multiple enemies.
Gravity Suit 	Found in Area 3	Stops lava damage. Allows normal movement in water. Slightly reduces damage taken in general.
Space Jump 	Found in Area 3	Allows you to continuously somersault in mid-air.
Power Bomb 	Found in Area 6	As a ball, press R+B to deploy. Opens yellow hatches. Comes in limited supply - collecting a Power Bomb Tank increases Power Bomb Capacity by 2.
Fire Beam 	Found in Area 7	Press Y to switch between Fire Beam and Ice Beam. Fire Beams are more powerful and can be used to melt ice crystals.
Thermal Suit 	Found in Area 7	Stops damage from extreme temperatures. Protects Samus from harsh winds. Slightly reduces damage taken in general.
Screw Attack 	Found in Area 7	Can damage enemies and break certain blocks while somersaulting.
==Areas==
Area 	Format 	Upgrades
Area 1	Consists of caves and some plantlife. 	Missile, Spider Ball
Area 2	A temple-based area with some lava. 	Charge Beam, Bomb, Grapple Beam, Wave Beam
Area 3	A watery area complete with a coral reef. 	Hi-Jump, Ice Beam, Speed Booster, Spazer Beam, Gravity Suit, Space Jump
Area 4	An acid-filled cavern with a number of industrial works. 	Scan Visor, Super Missile, Varia Suit
Area 5	A mechanical area with quite a lot of lava. 	Homing Missie, Plasma Beam
Area 6	A large temple with some mechanical sections. 	Power Bomb
Area 7	Several mechanical areas, as well as the windy surface of the planet.	Fire Beam, Thermal Suit, Screw Attack
==Bosses==
===Main Game===
Name 	Location 	Summary 	Reward
Animageemer 	Area 1 	A large robotic Geemer made by the Space Pirates. Animageemer attacks simply by walking left and right, but also shoots spike projectiles which, if you shoot them with your beam, turn into Energy Capsules and Missile Ammo. You can use your Beam or your Missiles to damage the boss (although the latter is advised). 	Energy Tank
Mechani-Metroid Alpha	Area 2 	A robot designed after an Alpha Metroid. The Mechani-Metroid Alpha tends to float around, attempting to ram into Samus. Shoot missiles into its weak point to deal damage. 	None
Kihuntress 	Area 3 	A Kihunter who has been genetically modified by the Space Pirates. Her battle is split into two phases - in the first, she flies overhead whilst shooting sludge and shockwaves. She can also perform a swooping attack. After taking enough damage, she loses her wings and will use similar patterns to before, albeit on the ground, until defeated. 	Unlocks access to the room where the Ice Beam is found
Serris 	Area 3 	A sea serpent who fights Samus in a fully submerged room. He swims around somewhat slowly, travelling through the tunnels in the walls. The more damage Serris takes, the faster he moves. Shots to his head deal more damage. 	Speed Booster
Mechani-Metroid Gamma	Area 3 	A robot designed after a Gamma Metroid. While similar in behaviour to the Mechani-Metroid Alpha, the Mechani-Metroid Gamma can shoot shockwaves from its horn and takes twice as many missiles to defeat. 	None
Satellite Spider Mech	Area 4, Area 7	This area-scanning robot is fought twice throughout the game. In the first fight, it shoots spiked balls from its cannon and can also launch reflective lasers at Samus. In the second fight, it can jump higher than before and exchanges its lasers for lock-on missiles. In both fights, the player has to use the ladder on the ceiling to be able to shoot its satellite with missiles. 	Unlocks access to a Super Missile Tank (first fight only)
Mini-Kraid 	Area 4 	A small robotic copy of Kraid. During the battle, he will simply walk left and right whilst shooting missiles at Samus. 	None
Omega Kraid 	Area 4 	A robotic copy of Kraid. The fight starts with Omega Kraid's arm emerging from the ground and shooting lasers at Samus. The sensor on the boss' hand tells you how you can attack it - if the sensor is blue, you have to use your Beam to deal damage, red signifies Missiles, and green signifies Super Missiles. After enough hits, the sensor becomes yellow, forcing the player to pull Omega Kraid above ground with the Grapple Beam - after this, he emerges fully from the ground and attacks with reflective lasers and missiles. To defeat Omega Kraid in this form, Samus must shoot his eye to open his mouth, which is his true weak point.	Unlocks the Pink Gate which blocks the way to Area 6
Mechani-Metroid Zeta 	Area 5 	A robot designed after a Zeta Metroid. It walks left and right whilst launching shockwaves and attacking with its flamethrower. Like the previous types of Mechani-Metroid, only Missiles which hit its weak point deal damage. 	None
Alpha Ridley 	Area 5 	A robotic copy of Ridley who appears out of nowhere after obtaining the Plasma Beam Upgrade. He has three different attack patterns, and tends to attack with swooping attacks, fireballs, reflective lasers and lock-on missiles. 	Unlocks the Blue Gate which blocks the way to Area 6
Mechani-Metroid Omega	Area 3 	A robot designed after an Omega Metroid. It behaves similarly to the Mechani-Metroid Zeta, but can now fire off four shockwaves in quick succession and use the now more powerful flamethrower for longer. It also takes several more missiles to destroy. 	None
Ridley Mk. II 	Area 6 	An attempt to remodel Alpha Ridley made by the Space Pirates. Despite having wings, he fights on the ground, using claw swipes, lasers and lock-on missiles. He can also shoot blue fireballs which bounce off the walls and ceilings, leaving flames where they strike.
After defeating Ridley Mk. II, the player is given 3 minutes to escape Area 6. 	None
Space Admiral 	Area 7 	A high-ranking Space Pirate who fights the player once they reach him in his hideout. At first, he has a group of Space Pirates attack Samus. When this fails, he tries to put matters into his own hands, behaving like a normal Space Pirate, albeit faster and with a lot more durability. 	Thermal Suit
Yakuza 	Area 7 	A spider-like creature who guards the Screw Attack Upgrade. Yakuza's battle is split into two phases. In the first phase, he moves around the room, suplexing Samus if she touches him, and shoots rings of blue fireballs. After enough hits, his legs fall off, and Yakuza will resort to using mid-air Screw Attacks whilst shooting garbage at Samus until you finally defeat him. 	Screw Attack
Hyper Ridley 	Area 7 	The completed version of Alpha Ridley, whose fight starts out like the first Alpha Ridley fight, although he has more attacks and can go onto the ground to fight like he did in the battle against Ridley Mk. II. After he takes enough damage, Hyper Ridley will enter his "Samus Mode", which resembles a cross between Samus' Power Suit and a robotic Space Pirate, allowing him to attack with plasma blasts, lock-on missiles and fiery time bombs until his inevitable defeat.
After defeating Hyper Ridley, the player is given 5 minutes to escape the planet before it explodes. 	None
==Difficulty==
There are four difficulties to choose from when starting up a game.
*Easy: Enemy attacks deal less damage, Missile Tanks, Super Missile Tanks and Power Bomb Tanks offer 5 units each, broken Save Stations are made usable, some Red, Green and Yellow Hatches are turned into Blue Hatches.
*Medium: Enemy attacks deal the usual damage, Missile Tanks offer 5 units, while Super Missile Tanks and Power Bomb Tanks offer 2 units each.
*Hard: Enemy attacks deal more damage, Missile Tanks, Super Missile Tanks and Power Bomb Tanks offer 2 units each, some Save Stations are broken or blocked off, a few Blue Hatches are turned into Red, Green or Yellow Hatches.
*Expert: Enemy attacks deal more damage, Missile Tanks offer 2 units, while Super Missile Tanks and Power Bomb Tanks only offer 1 unit each, Energy Tanks offer 50 units of Energy instead of 100, some Save Stations are broken or blocked off, numerous Blue Hatches are turned into Red, Green or Yellow Hatches, some Red Hatches are turned into Green or Yellow Hatches.
Note that Expert Difficulty can only be unlocked by completing a game with 100% of the collectibles.
==Multiplayer==
Metroid: Planet Protector offers an online multiplayer service that allows a total of twelve players to play together. The table below shows a list of available Minigames.
Name 	Synopsis
Murder Mystery 	The players play as differently coloured Space Pirates. One player had murdered an innocent human - that player may attack other players during periodic blackouts. Through logical deduction, the players who are not assigned to be the murderer may guess who the murderer is via touch screen - each player has three guesses. Also displayed on the touch screen is a map of the area and a display telling you which players are still alive. The first player to correctly guess who the murderer is wins. The murderer wins if nobody correctly guesses who the murderer is after 5 minutes.
Crystal Collect	The players play as differently coloured Metroids. Each player is at the end of a path where crystals come down - the players will pick up the crystals on contact. If you touch a snowflake, however, you'll be stunned and briefly unable to pick up crystals. Tap a snowflake to destroy it. Large snowflakes take two taps to be destroyed. The player who has to most crystals after two minutes wins.
Mecha Battle 	The players play as differently coloured Power Suit Mechs. The players have to run around the area (decided at random from one of six areas), collect upgrades and be the last one standing to win. Alternative gameplay puts the players in two teams, and makes it so the last team standing wins.
Gunship Flight 	The players play as differently coloured Gunships. The players have to dodge incoming asteroids using the Circle Pad as they fly to the end of the course. Collecting Energy Tanks will boost the speed at which you will fly - this boost is lost if you hit an asteroid.
Each player is given a distinctive colour, shown below...
*Player 1: Blue
*Player 2: Red
*Player 3: Green
*Player 4: Yellow
*Player 5: Purple
*Player 6: Orange
*Player 7: Cyan
*Player 8: Grey
*Player 9: Pink
*Player 10: Brown
*Player 11: White
*Player 12: Black
==References==
The following are references made to past Metroid games in Planet Protector.
*Metroid: Zero Mission: The game's controls are based on those of Zero Mission.
*Metroid II: Return of Samus: The Spider Ball upgrade originates from Metroid II.
*Metroid Fusion: Serris returns as a boss in this game.
*Metroid Prime: The Scan Visor upgrade originates from Metroid Prime.
*Metroid Prime 3: Corruption: The projectiles that Hyper Ridley shoots during the final phase of his battle resemble blue Phazon.
==Trivia==
*According to the game files and an interview with the developers, there were plans for a remake of Metroid 2: Return of Samus to be packaged as a side mode in this game. However, this plan was scrapped, as Metroid 2 would be given a full-scale standalone remake with Metroid: Samus Returns. Instead, the side mode was changed to a port of Metroid: Zero Mission.
**Several scrapped assets from the Metroid 2 remake are present in the final game, such as the inclusion of the Spider Ball. The Mecha-Metroids are widely believed to be made with recycled code from the Metroids in Metroid 2.
Category:Metroid (series)
Category:Metroid Games
Category:Nintendo 3DS Games
Category:Games
Category:Fan Games
Category:2016
Category:Power Paintbrush Productions
Category:Action Games
Category:Exploration Games
Category:Metroidvania Games