Space Pirate (Metroid Prime)

:This article is about the standard Space Pirates in Metroid Prime and Federation Force. For other uses, see Space Pirate (Disambiguation).
Space Pirates, also known as simply Pirates, are a standard variety of Space Pirate in Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime: Federation Force.
They essentially fill the same role as the later Pirate Troopers in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.
==Description==
===Metroid Prime===
The simple Space Pirates in Metroid Prime have green armor, purple skin, fiery eyes, and have a very reptilian appearance when compared to other Pirates. They are trained very well in weapon and melee combat. They are equipped with Galvanic Accelerator Cannons and forearm-mounted Scythes for close-range combat. In Metroid Prime Remastered, their Cannon wielding arms are adorned with additional spikes. They are very intelligent and spend most of their time in battle, hindering Galactic Federation forces. While they are found throughout Tallon IV, most of them abide in Glacier One of Phendrana Drifts and the Phazon Mines.
On the Frigate Orpheon, it is possible to scan dead and wounded Space Pirates. Flavor text is provided explaining their injuries in gruesome details. Wounded Space Pirates will still try to attack Samus Aran, but are much weaker than their brethren.
Different variants of Prime's Pirates exist, such as Shadow Pirates and Flying Pirates. A special group of Pirates known as Trooper Pirates appear and are only vulnerable to the same Beam technology from which their armorsuits are derived. They are only found in the Phazon Mines. Pirates are sometimes used as bait for Tallon Metroids in their Quarantines.
This type of Space Pirate also appears in Metroid Prime Pinball, which is a pinball adaptation of the first Metroid Prime game. However, these Space Pirates are armed with missiles rather than their standard Galvanic Accelerator Cannons. Space Pirate Panic is a minigame where Samus must defeat all the Space Pirates.
The same design of Space Pirate is used as the basis of the Space Pirate Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, which also references the Space Pirates' role in Echoes in its description.
===Metroid Prime: Federation Force===
Through the use of the amplification beam, the Space Pirates have artificially increased themselves to abnormal sizes, and standard Pirates are no exception in the Bermuda System. They are a common enemy in Federation Force and have a design that is similar to the Aether Pirate Troopers seen in Echoes, but with exaggerated proportions due to the game's super-deformed art style. Like the Space Pirates in Metroid Prime, each Pirate is armed with a cannon on their right hand and a retractable scythe on their left arm.
A stronger variant of the basic Pirate, known as the Elite Pirate, appears in later missions. They are present on Talvania during M10: Black Hole and M17: Infestation; Excelcion during M15: Mother Lode; Bion during M20: Insurrection (with a Collosun); and the Doomseye during M22: Convergence.
Unlike Metroid Prime, where each Space Pirate class was designed to appear unique and distinct, most Space Pirates in Federation Force are clearly members of the same species as normal Pirates and are very similar in appearance, including Flying Pirates and Troopers.
==Official data==
===Metroid Prime Logbook===
===Metroid Prime and Metroid Fusion: Prima's Official Strategy Guide===
;Space Pirate
:"These aren't anything like the injured Space Pirates you fought back on the Space Pirate Frigate. They're healthy and ready to take you down. Don't toy with them. Use your missiles and Charge Beam to quickly rip them apart. A good strategy is to hit the enemy with a charged shot, then quickly follow with a missile for a devastating one-two punch."
;Space Pirate
:Found In: Space Pirate Frigate, Tallon Overworld, Phendrana Drifts, Phazon Mines
:Recommended Weapon: Missile Launcher
:"Space Pirates are the aggressive race of aliens performing all the twisted experiments you see in Metroid Prime. From afar, they fire lethal cannons. Up close, they wield forearm-mounted scythes that are even more damaging. Although you can hurt them with any weapon, the Missile Launcher is the most effective. Shoot a couple missiles into their charging bodies."
===Metroid Prime: The Official Nintendo Player's Guide===
;SPACE PIRATES!
:"There are four Space Pirates and one Auto Defense Turret waiting for you in the Research Entrance, but you have to defeat only the pirates to open the door. Charge your Wave Beam and lock on to a pirate, then let him have it with a charged blast. While the pirate is still reeling, unleash a Missile--then turn your attention to the next foe in line. You can use a pair of Missiles to eliminate them, but the charged beam will also suck up power-ups as you run around the room."
===Metroid Prime Official Strategy Guide===
;SPACE PIRATE
:MORPHOLOGY
:"The Space Pirate is a sentient aggressor species that is well trained in weapon and melee combat. Space Pirates wield Galvanic Accelerator Cannons and forearm-mounted Scythes in combat. This species seeks to become the dominant force in the galaxy, and their technology may help them realize this goal. Ruthless and amoral, the Pirates care little for the cost of their ambition. Only the results matter, and they take these very seriously."
:COMBAT TIPS
:"While a few Space Pirates are faced in the introductory level of the game, these Space Pirates are not the same because they are completely uninjured (the Pirates in the initial part of the game are already badly damaged when Samus meets them). The Space Pirates are one of the more intelligent enemies in the game, and as such use cover, fire repeatedly at Samus, and strafe. The best way to deal with Space Pirates is the strafe, hide behind cover, and use powerful tracking weapons that are guaranteed to hit, such as Missiles."
===Metroid Prime Official Perfect Guide===
;SPACE PIRATE
:"These bipedal creatures are on their last legs aboard the Space Pirate Vessel; some are still mobile, but others lay on the ground half-dead. In either case, they will shoot lasers at you; strafe to avoid, and return fire. Note that scanning a Space Pirate will not create an entry in you Creature Log."
===Super Smash Bros. Brawl Trophy===
"An enemy of Samus. They land on Tallon IV and use the energy they find there--called Phazon--for brutal experiments on the planet's life-forms. Samus makes for Tallon IV to destroy the experiment facilities. In Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, the pirates go to Aether to find Phazon. A war is being waged there, and a race of dark beasts, the Ing, make research difficult."
GCN Metroid Prime
GCN Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
===Metroid Prime Remastered website===
;Space Pirates
:"This species seeks to become the dominant force in the galaxy and pursue technology to help them realize this goal. Ruthless and amoral, the Space Pirates care little for the cost of their ambition."
==Development notes==
Space Pirate vocalizations in Metroid Prime were designed by Clark Wen, who wanted to create a partial spoken language for them. It was initially based on Russian (which he had studied in college), then sounds of a friend's pitbull, and finally Yoruba. Wen had Akintunde Omitowoju record phrases in Yoruba that he then heavily processed, resulting in the sounds made by Space Pirates in Prime.Kiwi Talkz. "#112 - Clark Wen Interview (Metroid Prime, Sound Design, Kenji Yamamoto, Mixing, SFX, Game Audio )". YouTube. October 23, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2022. (starts at 13:11)
For Echoes, Android Jones had a much larger role in concepting characters, including the Space Pirates. Additionally, the overall game went in a darker visual direction compared to its predecessor.Shinesparkers. Interview: LeRoy Strauss. October 27, 2023. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
Concept artwork by Nick Kondo on his website included a Space Pirate closely resembling the standard pirate from Metroid Prime. Whether this artwork was created for Metroid Prime Hunters, another Metroid project, or in Kondo's own time is unclear.
In the Federation Force E3 Trailer and Treehouse pre-release footage, Pirates were called Base Troopers, and Elite Pirates were called Elite Base Troopers. This suggests that the game was originally going to continue the Echoes and Corruption trend of basic Space Pirates being designated as "Troopers".
==Trivia==
*An early model for the Space Pirates in Metroid Prime can still be seen in the final game, floating in space around the self-destructing Frigate Orpheon as Samus and Meta Ridley make their escape.
*The Galactic Federation Combat Sim used to train the Federation Force features simulated Bermuda System Pirates that are normal-sized, therefore appearing small from the perspective of a Mech pilot. This is presumably because the simulation was designed prior to the Galactic Federation's discovery of the enlarged Pirates on Talvania. This only occurs in the full version of Federation Force however, as the demo Metroid Prime: Blast Ball shows them about the size of a Mech, despite the Federation Force having not encountered the Bermuda System Pirates yet. This was likely an oversight by the developers to show the size of them in the full version of the game in actual gameplay during missions.
*The Bermuda System Elite Pirates are apparently unrelated to the Phazon-enhanced Elite Pirates encountered on Tallon IV. However, both types of Elite Pirates had their sizes increased through artificial means: Phazon for the Tallon IV Elite Pirates, and the amplification beam for the Bermuda System Elite Pirates.
==Gallery==
===Metroid Prime===
SpacePirate cropped.jpg|Artwork from Metroid Prime
File:Space Pirate Beta animation|Derek Bonikowski
Betapir14vg.png|An early Space Pirate design
Pre_Space_Pirate.jpg|Pre-release screenshot of Space Pirates from Metroid Prime.
Orpheon screenshot 1.png|A dying Space Pirate in the Emergency Evacuation Area
Phendrana Drifts Screenshot (93).png|A Space Pirate in Glacier One
Phendrana Drifts Screenshot (116).png|Space Pirates in Research Entrance
Phendrana Drifts Screenshot (131).png|A Space Pirate in Research Lab Hydra
Tallon Overworld Screenshot (61).png|Wounded Space Pirates at the Frigate Crash Site
Metroid quarantine a.jpg|A Space Pirate in Metroid Quarantine A
SamussmashesPirate.jpg|Metroid Prime Pinball artwork
Space Pirate Panic.jpg|Space Pirates in Space Pirate Panic
Mppinball 06 big.jpg|Space Pirates on the Phazon Mines table
AuyEY.jpg|Nick Kondo concept artwork
BrawlTrophy23.jpg|Super Smash Bros. Brawl trophy
Space Pirate Prime Remaster.png|Space Pirates in Research Entrance in Metroid Prime Remastered
Space Pirates Character Gallery Remastered.png||Metroid Prime Remastered Character Gallery model for Injured Space Pirates
Character Gallery - Space Pirate.png|Character Gallery model for regular pirates.
Biology - Remastered 20.png|Metroid Prime Remastered artwork
Metroid Prime Remastered NOE screenshot Space Pirate.jpg|Nintendo of Europe official screenshot.
Metroid Prime Remastered NOE screenshot Injured Space Pirate.jpg
====Prime Remastered Pirate scan images====
Pirate_arm_cannon_scanpic - Remastered.png|Logbook scan
Pirate_schematics_scanpic - Remastered.png|Logbook scan
Pirate_face_scanpic - Remastered.png|A scan of multiple wounded Space Pirates
Pirate_scanpic - Remastered.png|A scan of multiple wounded Space Pirates
Pirate organ scanpic - Remastered.png|A Space Pirate with removed internal organs
Pirate_Samus_size_comparison_scanpic - Remastered.png|A Space Pirate with a severed spinal cord
Pirate_injuries_scanpic - Remastered.png|A Space Pirate with a severed spinal cord
Pirate_stomach_and_intestine_scanpic - Remastered.png|A Space Pirate with abdominal lacerations
Pirate_vitruvian_scanpic - Remastered.png|A Space Pirate with severe lacerations
Pirate_legs_scanpic - Remastered.png|A Space Pirate with broken legs
Pirate joint scanpic - Remastered.png|A Space Pirate with broken legs
Pirate_body_scanpic - Remastered.png|A Space Pirate with cranial trauma
Pirate_head_scanpics - Remastered.png|A Space Pirate with cranial trauma
Pirate_chest_scanpic - Remastered.png|A Space Pirate with acidic burns
Pirate back scanpic - Remastered.png|A Space Pirate with acidic burns
====Prime Pirate scan images====
Pirate_arm_cannon_scanpic.png|Logbook scan
Pirate_schematics_scanpic.png|Logbook scan
Pirate_face_scanpic.png|A scan of multiple wounded Space Pirates
Pirate_scanpic.png|A scan of multiple wounded Space Pirates
Pirate organ scanpic.png|A Space Pirate with removed internal organs
Pirate_Samus_size_comparison_scanpic.png|A Space Pirate with a severed spinal cord
Pirate_injuries_scanpic.png|A Space Pirate with a severed spinal cord
Pirate_stomach_and_intestine_scanpic.png|A Space Pirate with abdominal lacerations
Pirate_vitruvian_scanpic.png|A Space Pirate with severe lacerations
Pirate_legs_scanpic.png|A Space Pirate with broken legs
Pirate joint scanpic.png|A Space Pirate with broken legs
Pirate_body_scanpic.png|A Space Pirate with cranial trauma
Pirate_head_scanpics.png|A Space Pirate with cranial trauma
Pirate_chest_scanpic.png|A Space Pirate with acidic burns
Pirate back scanpic.png|A Space Pirate with acidic burns
UnusedSpacePirateScan.png|Unused scan images seen in concept art.
===Federation Force===
Metroid Prime Federation Force EU render.png|Artwork of Pirates attacking the Federation Force
MPFF Pirates Website.png|The Pirates seen in the previous piece of artwork
File:Pirate Trooper Fed Force render 2.png|Pirate artwork
File:Fed Force Pirate head.png|Pirate mugshot
File:Space Pirate Fed Force artwork.png|Pirate render
File:Pirate Trooper MPFF credits.png|A Pirate during the credits
File:Pirate Trooper MPFF credits 2.png|A Pirate during the credits
File:Pirate Trooper MPFF credits 3.png|A Pirate during the credits
File:Pirate Trooper MPFF credits 4.png|A Pirate during the credits
MPFF Elite Pirate.jpg|An Elite Pirate in Federation Force
Fighting an Elite Pirate.jpg|An Elite Pirate during M17: Infestation
Pirates seek to corner the player.jpg|An Elite Pirate on the Doomseye
Regular, Elite, and Flying Pirates confronting the player.jpg|Regular, Elite and Flying Pirates on the Doomseye
==References==
Category:Space Pirates
Category:Pirate Classes
Category:Frigate Orpheon
Category:Tallon IV
Category:Tallon Overworld
Category:Phendrana Drifts
Category:Phazon Mines
Category:Bermuda System
Category:Excelcion
Category:Bion
Category:Talvania
Category:Doomseye
Category:Recurring Species
Category:Species
Category:Trophies