[Guide] Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

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[Guide] Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Complete Walkthrough)

Metroid is the last of the major Nintendo franchises, after Zelda and Mario, to make it to the Wii. After the series was rebooted with Metroid Prime for the GameCube, though, it's perhaps the franchise most suited to the platform; it doesn't take a genius to see the potential for a first-person adventure game using the motion-sensing systems built into the Wii's controllers.

Thankfully, the wait is over, and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is now on store shelves. This new Metroid adventure does indeed incorporate the full range of Wii controller functions, and will let you use the Wiimote to point and shoot as if you were really walking around on these alien worlds. The controls here are well-done, which is obviously important, but perhaps even more remarkable is the way the Metroid universe is finally brought to life with the inclusion of a stronger storyline and multiple characters you can interact with; no more wandering around sterile worlds filled with nothing but enemies, in other words.

You've got a lot of ground to cover before you finish the game, but Gamespot's Game Guide is here to help. The guide includes:

Complete Walkthrough

We'll take you step by step through every area of the game, from start to finish!


Item Lists

Want to know where to track down all those missile expansions and energy tanks? Check the guide; we've got full lists!


Walkthrough

Note that we're going to be playing through the game on Normal difficulty. In retrospect, we probably should've gone for Veteran difficulty, since Normal is a bit of a walk in the park, at least compared with the difficulty settings for the previous Metroid Prime games.

As with any Metroid game, you're going to have a lot of exploration to do in Corruption. We typically take the stance that it's best to find the suit expansions that are immediately available to you after you find a new weapon or tool, even if they're not precisely necessary at that exact moment. If you disagree and just want to get on with the game, feel free to skip our sections on collection runs and proceed through the walkthrough. You can always check our lists of powerups later on and go back to find what you've missed.


Prologue

You begin the game aboard Samus Aran's ship, which is in interstellar space. You need to find your way back to the fleet and dock with the command ship Olympus. In order to do so, you first have to reorient your ship, then enter your command code, and then use your thrusters. None of this is particularly difficult, so shake your Wiimote and get going.

When you land on the Olympus, you can start scanning everything around you, if you enjoy doing that kind of thing. There's tons of stuff to scan in Corruption, as there was in the previous two Metroid Prime games, but we're not going to detail every single thing in this guide; if you're looking to get a 100% complete logbook, then you might want to find a dedicated guide for that purpose. Typically scanning only unlocks art galleries. If you want to scan, hit the minus button on your Wiimote and move the cursor to the top of the screen. The other visor you have is the Command Visor, but that's currently not of much use to you.


Juggles

If you stand on the platform to the right of the soldiers here, you can start a shooting minigame. Two small targets will pop up from the ground; the objective is to shoot them into the air, then continue to shoot them before they can fall to the ground. It's difficult to do, but if you manage to get a string of over 10, you'll get a "Juggling Bonus", which will net you credit towards unlocking art galleries and such. If you manage to get up to 20, you'll get an extra credit.


The more things change….

Head into Docking Bay Access nearby. The platforms that will let you move on are malfunctioning; shoot the red targets on the wall with a fully-charged blast (hold down the A button to charge). Shooting both of them will reveal the path upward.

In Docking Bay 4, you'll be asked for an access code to get through the locked door. You can find it by accessing the terminal across from the door. It's 13576: enter that into the door to move on. You'll have to pass through a DNA scan before you're cleared for the command bridge. In the meantime, you'll get a first look at one of your fellow bounty hunters, a cyborg named Ghor.

Head up to the command bridge. Before you can meet with the commander, you'll have to find a save spot and save your game. It's located behind a nearby door; you'll need to destroy the boxes in front of it to find it. Don't forget to scan the health pick-ups!


The Briefing

Proceed into the briefing room. (You can't scan any of the bounty hunters through the doorway, so you'll have to wait until later to get those.) The briefing involves the story of a virus that had infected the organic supercomputers that the Galactic Federation uses to control its network, along with the vaccine that was administered to the computers. (Not to nitpick, but a vaccine is what you get before you catch a disease.) Before long, though, the briefing will be interrupted by a Space Pirate attack. You'll have to fight your way back to your ship.


Escape!

Get past Admiral Dane and return to Flag Bridge Access, where you'll encounter your first Space Pirates. Tag ‘em and bag ‘em. Head through the Port Observation Deck to the Xenoresearch Lab. (Protecting the troopers in their encounters with the Pirates apparently earns you some kind of reward, perhaps towards Logbook completion?)


In space, no one can hear you…ah, you know the rest.

Head through the Lab and into the hallway beyond. As you do, the hallway will be destroyed by a missile from outside, forcing the blast doors to close. Before it does, quickly scan the red target that appears before it.

With that done, return to the Lab, where more Pirates will appear. Kill them and retrieve the Energy Cell that they've stolen. After inserting it into the energy receptacle, Crawltanks and Crawlmines will appear. Blast a few of them until the grates on the ground get blown away, then drop down in ball form and roll out of the room.


Straight Ballin'

As you roll through the tubes of the ship, you'll obtain your first Energy Tank. When you land in the garbage recycling area, scan the panels to shunt yourself out into space. You'll soon wind up in Repair Bay A, where you can jump to the top of the area to find a Missile Launcher. Use that on the debris that blocks your access to the door controls and move on. Aeromines will attempt to block your path: simply shoot the unshielded one until they're all dead and move on. There's a minor boss fight through the large door here, so head to the left into the smaller door to save your game.


Boss Fight: Berserker Lord


Shoot these blue balls of energy back at the Berserker Lord.

The Berserker Lord, as you might expect, isn't all that difficult: he is only the first boss in the game, after all. In order to defeat him, first lock onto him, then start blasting away at the pink glowing spots on his shoulders. He'll attack you as you do so, periodically sweeping a blue laser along the ground, but you can easily jump over this.

After both pink shoulder spots are destroyed, the Berserker will become enraged. He has a couple of attacks here, but the one you're looking for will send blue balls floating through the air at you. Shoot these with your gun, and they'll impact him on the head. Repeat this process a couple of times, and the protective shell on the Lord's head will disintegrate. At this point, repeated shots to the weak spot on his head will finish him off.

Complete Walkthrough

Related: Complete Video Walkthrough