Metroid Prime Pinball General FAQ and Tips Written by Mikaa Version 0.95 *Copyright 2005 by Mikaa (aka Michael Robbins). This doccument is owned by Michael Robbins, and may not be reproduced, duplicated, sold, or distributed in any fashion or form without the blessing of the author (namely me). If you want to use this FAQ, simply e-mail me (see contact section below); odds are good I will allow you to use it, though I will only acknowlege e-mails that abide by the ground rules in the Contact section. *Intro This FAQ is designed to give gamers (namely you, the reader) insight into the DS title Metroid Prime Pinball from a series die-hard who threw a tantrum when the game was delayed a day in shipping. No, I'm not a fan-boy who praises every game (read my review for proof on that), but I feel I have enough experiance in the series to write a FAQ for this... interesting spin-off. *Sites allowed to host this FAQ (Note - see the Contact section on how to contact me; If you ask nicely and meet the requirements, I will probably allow you to host this FAQ) www.gamefaqs.com www.cheatcc.com *Version History v.0.95 - 11-08-2005 - Wow, a week since I updated - a record. ... Ok, enough sarcasm and stupidity. In any event, I haven't really unlocked anything, though I did have an e-mail with some usable data that I added. Lest I get around to playing MPP today, this will be all I do to change; I have yet to get to the Temple again for whatever reason, usually a nasty cheap shot. No, I'm not a nut who plays and plays until I get it. Well, I am, but not when it comes to Pinball. HOPEFULLY, by the end of the month, I will have something that will push the 1.0 line here. Sorry... EDIT - Wow, I added a new mystery. Like anyone cares what I write there anyway... v.0.93 - 11-01-2005 - Wow, these version updates are fun, eh? Almost updated as much as the PSP's firmware... OK, bad joke and in bad taste, but what could you expect from me? Don't answer that. Anyway, fixed a couple of errors, noted several points made in an e-mail (see Credits below), and continued working on the Enemies section. Oh, and for those who care, still trying to get to Impact Crater. Almost got to the Temple again, but it's kinda hard to do when the Omega smacks you right down the tube on your last ball... Expect a larger update to the Enemies section next update, and hope I get to the Impact Crater... Gah. v.0.90 - 10-31-2005 - Began work on the Enemies section, recieved a pair of e-mails after realizing the FAQ was posted, and began to think of how to tweak it tomorrow. v.0.85 - 10-30-2005 - Wrapped up the last few sections, made the Contact Section meet my satisfaction and needs, threw in the Dark Samus Rumor based on a thread I heard about, and started the credits section. Oh, and I submitted it to GameFAQs.com... v.0.7 - 10-29-2005 - Started working on the FAQ a day after I unlocked the Artifact Temple table, given that I had enough free time and material to write a workable FAQ. That, and I might get lucky and unlock the Impact Crater. Or not. But you probably could care less about me, so let's move on to the next item at hand... Table of Contents 1. Basics and Controls 2. Tables A. Pirate Frigate B. Tallon Overworld C. Phazon Mines D. Phendrana Drifts E. Artifact Temple F. Impact Crater (Coming Soon, after I unlock it) G. Magmoor Caverns 3. Music References 4. Enemies 5. Unlockables 6. Rumors and Mysteries 7. About the Author 8. Contact Information 9. Credits 10. Tips and Tricks 1. Basics and Controls In short, the game is basically a pinball game with a few traditional pinball game features tweaked to match the Metroid series. So, how does a pinball game relate the feel of a series where you search a planet, blow up massive bosses and scores of creatures, and save the universe? The same way you would adapt a pinball game for any other series: just make it look like it and add familair visuals. But the tables, and the game itself, for that matter, is more than what you would expect if a Star Wars movie was turned into a pinball game. Keep in mind that the entire game of Metroid Prime Pinball does keep the feel of both the Metroid series and pinball, while not turning away the fans of either one. As you might have guessed, the game is played in a series of tables based on levels from the Game Cube title Metroid Prime. More on the tables themselves can be found below, but a few notable features that all of them share may be viewed below. Note that if you have unlocked any tables yourself, odds are you don't need to read below for the basics. If you haven't, do read, as it will help you from guessing (unless you read the manual, but who does that these days with in-game walkthroughs for the game? Sorry, ranting...) ** Control Basics *Left Flipper - This is, you guessed it, the left ball flipper. Note that this includes the normal bottom flipper as well as any other left-sided flipper on a table. Also, like most pinball games, flipping the left flipper will rotate certain objects on the table to the left (namely the lights that grant you Bounty Multipliers). Below are the controls that activate the Left Flippers: - L Button - (D-Pad) Left *Right Flipper - Same features as the Left Flipper (from moving lights to flipping flippers), except that it relates to any flippers on the Right of the table. Controls for the Right Flipper are as follows, but you probably have already skipped down. Oh well, here ya go: - R Button - (D-Pad) Right - A Button *Touch Screen - Yes, the Touch Screen is used in the game, but in a very limited fashion: this is the table shaking option. For those who haven't played a pinball game before (all three of you), you can shake the table, causing your ball to adjust its path or achieve a different effect. Note that the table shakes in the direction you move your finger across the touch screen. *Pausing/Menu - This is acomplished by the Start Button, and outside of triggering menus and pausing, the only observation that should be made is that, for whatever reason, the music is muted when you pause, keeping you from enjoying the soundtrack. Oh well. - Start Button *Missiles - Yes, the series-staple Missiles made it into the game, but only in Combat Mode (see below). How these are used is dependent on what foes are on screen and if you are in a mini-game; if you are against a boss, you shoot out your fill of missiles to inflict damage; against waves of foes (namely Beetles or Shreekers), you will shoot your full compliment of missiles (up to four) in a wave. Note that in Multi-Mission Mode, you can not use Missiles until you obtain them in the Phazon Mines. In Single Mode, you have four from the start. - X Button *Bombs - Yes, these return, but their uses are... How to say this, Bombs largely work the same, what with pressing the button to lay one, with fast tapping laying all three (if you have enough to do so), they do work with a form of Bomb Jump, but in the grand scheme of things, Bomb Jumping is worthless. Also, Bombs are really only effective in a few cases, mostly agaisnt foes that need the player to use them to defeat them (namely Triclopses and Metroids). - B Button *Power Bombs - This isn't the same Power Bombs your big brother first used on the SNES; These have more simmilarity to a Smart Bomb, in that they kill virtually all foes on screen, and deal a chunk of damage to foes. These are near impossible to resupply, so use wisely. Kin to Missiles, you cannot use these until you unlock them (in this case, in Phendrana Drifts). - Y Button ** Notable Modes and Notes I should now note that the goal of the game, kin to Metroid Prime, is to collect twelve artifacts and go to the final boss. These artifacts can be aquired by completing missions, modes, killing bosses, and obtaining a Super Jackpot, among other means. Once you collect twelve, you begin to collect "Specials," which are kin to the Varia Suit/Screw Attack symbol, as well as the occasional Extra Ball. Worship the rare Extra Ball... Speaking of the holy Extra Ball, before you even THINK of beating the game in a day, you must practice not only keeping your balls alive (not intended as it sounds), but also getting to two million points as fast as possible without loosing any balls to get a free ball, as well as learning to time your bombs in the Random Prize Awarder on the table. Though I have not come close to finding out some of these scores, Jeffrey Lepine was kind enough to submit a list of points needed to obtain Extra Balls (do note that I have NOT confirmed all of these, but given the pattern of points needed as you read each Extra, I do consider this a valid list): 2 Million 5 Million 10 Million 50 Million The Random Prize Generator (yes, I made that one up) appears in most levels, usually in the form of a Spinner from Metroid Prime (the devices in MPP that you enter to activate, then reenter to activate a slot machine. Laying bombs stops the rotation, and awards you a prize, though luck is more involved than skill...). These can grant you Extra Balls, Forcefields (which protects you from falling off of the table), Item Refills, Points, and other, minor goodies. Combat Mode, which has been mentioned a few times already, is activated when you roll your ball in a circular path in a given table, and triggers a letter in the "SAMUS" to light up blue on the lower screen. Once completely lit, rolling your ball over the Metroid symbol, you revert to Samus in normal form, shooting your arm-cannon in rapid fire at any targets before you. The Left Flipper Controls rotates you Left, the Right Flipper Rotates you Right, and the X button fires missiles if you have them. This mode is key for a few mini-games, and helpful against a few bosses. ** Table Types There are a few types of tables, as discussed below. In each type, I will talk about what notable features are in them (such as Combat Ability, Mission (aka Modes), and bosses): * Adventure Tables (yes, I made this name up) These maps are where you collect artifacts through a variety of mini-games, sport no bosses, and are one of the two table types to have an area for Wall Jumping. Tables in this Category: - Pirate Frigate - Tallon Overworld * Arena Tables (yet again, I made this name up. Wee haw.) These are the boss levels, where you have to defeat a boss while avoiding the dangers inherent in the design of a level. These levels usually have some element that equals a one-hit kill, be it a cheap shot by a Triclopse, a blast from the Omega Pirate, or Meta Ridely's blast slaying that last ball just as you finished setting up your shot. Tables in this Category: - Phazon Mines - Phendrana Drifts - Artifact Temple * Multiplayer Table(s) (yes, that's an (s). Subject to updating) To my knowlege, there is only one map for Multiplaying, but being that it is so different from other maps, it gets its own category. Notable features are the ability to Wall Jump (though in a vastly different fashion from the normal method), obtain points instead of items from Random Prize Generator-like devices, and has NO mini-games what-so-ever that really are noteworthy. More on this level can be found later in this FAQ. Table(s) in this Category: - Magmoor Caverns 2. Tables Below I go in-depth on the various tables, including what foes you will find, what notable mini-games are present, and if there are any items or interesting points to note. Please observe that I will reserve comments on the music for a different section, as there is enough material on the references to make its own section. But you must have assumed that if you read the Table of Contents. But then, you didn't did you? I thought you didn't. Wh-er, moving on... Here is the formula I will use on the Table Section, for easy reference; don't hurt me! [Table Name] [Table Type - I will list the type here for easier reference] [Description - In-depth into the level design, as well as noting references to prior games in the Metroid Series] [Mini-games - I list what mini-games are there, but not how to best them or tips; that's later] [Enemies - What foes you will face in a given level] Note - for Mini-games, the first time I list them, I will go in-depth, and later listings will simply be a listing; seek prior areas for full descriptions. Now, to the descriptions, because I am a geek. Oh, wait, wrong phrase. Oh well, on with the game. A. Pirate Frigate Adventure Table Largely based on the Space Pirate labs from the first Metroid Prime, this table is one of the two featured in most of the early MPPinball promo shots. The lower screen has the standard two flippers, with a single right one on the upper-screen. The level has a very industrialized feel to it, though the only time you feel like you are actually on the frigate is when you Wall-Jump; otherwise, you might as well be on Tallon IV or Aether. Mini-Games: - Parasite Purge: Remember those annoying critters from the first Prime? A swarm of these pests have popped onto the table, and you must squash them by either rolling over them or leaving a bomb in their path. If you don't squash all of them fast enough within the default time-limit, more spawn, which can mean you loose out on both points and an artifact if you don't act fast enough. - Metroid Mania: If there are no 'troids on-screen when you start this, two Metroids float onto the table; if one was on the table already, one more comes to join it. Basically, you need to slay the two of these floating jelly bags by either bashing into them or bombing them. Note that they can latch onto you, and can inflict damage on you, even if you bomb free; fortunately, laying bombs in their path(s) can damage them if they are close enough. - Pirate Panic: Three Space Pirates drop down, and can be a royal pain if you are not careful. Their missiles do home in on you, and can knock you clear across the table without warning. Simply slam into them constantly or lay bombs and pray they jump on them to beat them. - Wall-Jump: Oddly, this is brought over from Metroid Prime 2. By timing the tappings of the L and R buttons, you literally Wall Jump as Samus did in MP2, complete with the Screw Attack. The first time through, you gain an Artifact (assuming you need it, I have not acomplished the first level of this game with twelve artifacts), the secont time nets you an Extra Ball, and I'll let you know what the third one gives when I get there... - Hurry Up: Ew. Remember those escape sequences in virtually every Metroid game? Here it is, and as annoying as ever. Worse than ever, though, in that they seem to happen random (as far as I have experianced), and how many points you get depends on how fast you send the ball through the right slot. I need not mention how frustrating this is, especially when you stare as the points drop like a rock as you bounce around the bumpers. - Phazon Multi-Ball: Tons of Red and Blue globs appear on the field, and two balls appear on the screen, a Blue ball and a Red ball. Each ball absorbs the blobs of the same color, and rebound HARD off of opposing colors. This mode ends when you loose one or both of the balls. - Clone Chaos (a name of my own design): Apparently, the Pirates have the ability to clone Samus and her armor, and have such a complex security system that allows Samus to manipulate all of the clones to her will. Smart fellas, them. Any way, this is the manditory Multi-Ball mode, and ends when you loose either two or all of your balls. - Phazon Plague (again, I made this one up): This rare game has you collecting the Red and Blue Phazon globs with your only ball, with the goal being to collect as many as possible. Note that you rebound off of ALL of them very hard, though, thankfully, a Forcefield is at the bottom all throughout the mini-game. - Shreeker Shootout: The only Combat Mode on this table, a TON of Shreekers have broken free, and you have to blast them to oblivion. NOT one of the easier games, given how fast the critters are and how easy it is to loose them in the mess of fliers. Yippie. Enemies: - Metroids - Parasites - Space Pirates - Puffers - Shreekers B. Tallon Overworld Adventure Table Heavily drawing on the Tallon IV design, this level is rampant with vegetation, rock paths, and the occasional mechanical infestation of metal beams or devices. Who could ask for anything more? Well, I could, but still... Mini-Games: - Burrower Bash: Essentially, this is the same as the Frigate's Parasite Purge, except that you have to roll over or next to the critters to draw them from the ground, then roll over them. - Metroid Mania - Wall-Jump: The only difference is that you start on a different side and have War Wasps instead of Puffers. Oh, and a beautiful background verses a star-filled backdrop... - Bettle Blowout (yes, I made that up): Kin to the Shreeker Shoutout, except MUCH easier. The Beetles charge at you after a few seconds in waves of two, increasing in numbers as the mini-game progresses. - Gunship Multiball: Same as Clone Multiball, except that instead of wondering how the Pirates could leave suit and lifeform cloning technology sitting around for Samus to find, we now wonder why Samus never used this resource before... - Hurry Up - Phazon Multi-Ball - Phazon Plague - Triclops Terror: Three of these "unique" foes from Prime appear on the screen, and you either bash into them, or lay a bomb for them to pick up and damage them. Note that they can, and will, cheaply dump you down between the flippers, and there is nothing you can do. Enemies: - Metroids - Beetles - Burrowers - War Wasps - Triclops C. Phazon Mines Arena Table Take a pinball table, mix in the graphical pallate for the Omega Pirate battle room, sprinkle some harmless Phazon in random places, and have two Left and two Right flippers, and you have this level. Oh, and respawning Space Pirates. Good luck not getting smacked by a missile. Mini-Games: - Missiles: Not really a mini-game, but in order to obtain the missiles for use in Multi-Mission, you have to smack the case twice to break it, then touch the item to collect. Not hard, but annoying with the Space Pirates leaping around. - Combat: Combat can be triggered here, but instead of a mini-game, you can plaster any Pirates on-screen, and lob any missiles you have at... - Omega Pirate: MUCH easier than his Cube counterpart, but, well... Duh. Anyway, more on him later on in the FAQ. Enemies: - Space Pirates - Omega Pirate D. Phendrana Drifts Arena Table Amusingly enough, the top-screen is almost a 2D top-down remake of Thardus's arena, while the lower screen is more like the Chozo Ruins part of the snowy lands. Note that the right-hand shaft with the flipper (somehow, that sounded wrong) is where you generate Power Bombs once you use them. Oh, and there is a pair of flippers on both left and right per screen. Oh, and the lower screen is home to a nest of Triclopses, who can (and will) throw you down to your doom... Mini-Games: - Power Bombs: Like the Missiles, not really a true mini-game, but you still need to smack it three times to grab it. Just don't waste them... - Thardus: Notably easier to best than Omega Pirate, the only real things to note is that a Power Bomb will knock him out of his rolling attack (makes you wonder about the Cube version...), and you can use his rolling attack to juggle your ball in the Randomizer in the upper left-hand corner of his arena. Enemies: - Triclops - Thardus E. Artifact Temple Arena Table Almost a mirror replica of the Artifact Temple in 2D form. As is usual with the Arena Tables, there are four flippers, two left, two right, two above, two below. Figure it out. Oh, and before I forget, this is the only table I know where loosing with lives left sends you to another table; your ball is sealed until completion of this level, which is done by knocking dozens of Chozo Ruin-styled balls into the towers. Did I mention that all the while Ridley is bombing you in regular intervals? Note that this is one of the nastiest levels in terms of difficulty, as some towers are hard to activate. Mini-Games: - Open the Portal: This whole level is a mini-game; as stated above, you need to knock the balls into the twelve towers while avoiding Ridley's bombing runs. Note that if you do loose a few balls, some do eventually respawn, though if you loose any before you recieve new ones, you are sent to a prior temple of your choice. Wee. Enemies: - Ridley F. ??? (I have heard this is the Impact Crater, yet I have not reached this yet. Hopefully I will soon so I can finalize this FAQ... (Presumably an Arena Table) (Description Coming Soon) Mini-Games: Enemies: G. Magmoor Caverns Multiplayer Table Such a dissapointment... Oh, er... ahem. This remake of the Magmoor Caverns is suprisingly plain, with a pair of pillars for Wall Jumping once the symbol for activation appears, a few random paths to move around, and the rest is generic. Yes, I'm actually bashing a table, but it might have to do with the fact that a multiplayer table is so blah... Mini-Games: - Metroid Commander (Do I need to tell you who made that up?): Once activated, this "mini-game" sends a pair of Metroids to harass whoever is in first place. In the Practice Mode (activated by pressing Start on the Wireless screen), activating this sics the floating bags of goo on YOU. Enemies: - Metroids 3. Music References Ah, the very section that I wanted to write this whole FAQ for in the first place. Here I will tell you where the various music tracks in the game originated from in the Prime series (I say "Prime Series," as at least one track is strait out of Prime 2.) Note: Odds are, I probably have missed a few tracks. See the contact section for how to contact me, and I will see about finding any I missed. Menus: Title Screen - Metroid Prime 2 "Press Start" Screen (YOU make sense of it) Multi-Mission Screen - Remix of Metroid Prime File Select Screen Single Mission Screen - Remix of Metroid Prime File Select Screen Wireless Missions Screen - Remix of Magmoor Theme (oddly enough, this is a FULL version, even though it's a menu theme...) Options Screen - Metroid Prime Elevator Theme Tables (Universal): Starting a New Mission - General Remix of the Samus Appears Theme Metroid Mania - Metroid Prime Phazon Mines Lower Theme (think the one with all the fungus and Metroids. You know the one) Hurry Up - A new version of the classic Escape Theme, assuing it is even remotely based on that one; this sounds almost completely new... Multi-Ball (in general) - Metroid Prime 2's Hunters Theme Phazon Plague - The new "Escape" theme is here again, and still is not as good as the old remixes. Probably the single worst song on here, yet it's only one out of... how many? Wall-Jump - Metroid Prime Hall of the Elders Theme High Score - Metroid Prime Mission Cleared Theme Pirate Frigate: Main Theme - Remix of Brinstar/Tallon IV Overworld Theme Parasite Purge - Edited Metroid Prime Hive Totem Boss Theme Pirate Panic - Metroid Prime 2 Pirate Theme (It's probably just me, but the theme seems to be based more on the remix found in Prime 2 than the original in Prime 1...) Shreeker Shoutout - Metroid Prime Mid-Boss Theme Tallon Overworld: Main Theme - Remix of Metroid Prime's Tallon IV Overworld theme Triclops Terror - Metroid Prime Mid-Boss Theme (the Alpha Beetle battle comes to mind...) Burrower Bash - Metroid Prime Hive Totem Theme Beetle Blowout - Metroid Prime Mid-Boss Theme (this one gets around, eh?) Phazon Mines: Main Theme - Metroid Prime Phazon Mine Theme (oddly enough, this is the theme heard long before you get to the Omega's area...) Omega Pirate - Metroid Prime Omega Pirate Theme (nice remix, by the way) Phendrana Drifts: Main Theme - Metroid Prime Phendrana Drifts First Theme (the first one you would hear normally) Thardus - Metroid Prime Thardus Theme Artifact Temple: Main Theme - Metroid Prime Artifact Temple Theme Meta Ridley - Yet another remix of the Super Metroid Boss Theme (the one known now as "Ridley's Theme...") Magmoor Caverns: Main Theme - Metroid Prime 2 "Hunters" Theme (why they used this instead of the wonderful Magmoor Caverns remix in the menu, I will NEVER know) 3A. Music and Remix Source List For those of you who like to know just what songs/remixes are in a given Metroid game, here is a list of the games and what songs were taken and worked and/or remixed for Metroid Prime Pinball. Metroid Prime: - File Select Screen Theme - Samus Appears Theme - Tallon Overworld Theme (itself a remix of the old Brinstar Theme) - Artifact Temple Theme - Magmoor Caverns Theme (itself a remix of the lower Norfar theme from Super Metroid) - Elevator Theme (itself a remix of the classic Item theme) - Mini-Boss Theme (Remember fighting the first Alpha Beetle? Here you go) - Hive Totem Theme (Probably one of my favorites from Prime, next to Magmoor's Theme) - Phazon Mines (Actually, they used at least two different tracks from the Mines: the theme you hear in the upper levels, and the theme found mostly wherever Metroids and Fungus were) - Phendrana Drifts (Only the first theme when you enter this area is heard) - Thardus Theme - Omega Pirate Theme - Meta Ridley Theme (as noted above, this is a remix of one of Super Metroid's Boss Themes, also referred to as "Ridley's Theme") - Complete Mission Theme (when you loose/get a high score, you hear this) Metroid Prime 2: Echoes - Title Screen Theme (One wonders about this... Maybe it should be under the Mystery and Rumors bit?) - Space Pirates Theme (I still say that the tracks sounds a bit too much like the stellar remix in Prime 2. Then again, this is not a bad thing...) - Hunters Theme (Believe it or not, but this is actually a remix of one of Super Metroid's Brinstar Themes. Get used to it, as well, as it seems to be a favorite of Nintendo's for its use in anything with more than one player) 4. Enemies Here you will find information on the various enemies you will encounter in your bouncing adventures across the pinball land of Metroid. Note that most of these listings give only general hints, as, in most cases, there really is not a whole lot you can do against these createns, being that you are a pinball and have as much control as your skill and luck will allow. (Note - Point Values for foes will appear once I try Expert Mode, as I wish to confirm whether or not the points change) (Note - Excluding bosses, it seems that virtually any foe can be damaged while in Combat Mode with the blaster. This does include (but is not limited to) Metroids and Space Pirates) Universal Foes: Metroids - If you don't know about these things, they are the flying bags of green/white and red that you see throughout the Metroid series. Created by the Chozo, they can (and will) suck the life out of any creature they find. - In MPP, Metroids either appear randomly from time to time or when you trigger a Mini-Game. To best them, either bash in to them or bomb them. Note that you can bomb them and damage them either by laying a bomb in their flight path, or by blasting yourself out of their grasp. Triclops - If you didn't cheat or skip the normal path in Prime and went the main way into Magmoor, you should remember these irritants. Basically, these are overgrown beetles with three claws that will catch you and hurl you in a direction, usually opposite of your goal. - In MPP, these are the bane of your exsistance. Triclopses can (and WILL) hurl you between the flippers, usually to your doom. They are damaged either by bashing into them or by laying a bomb right as they try to grab you, which seems to result in a one-hit kill. Space Pirates - The scum of the universe, and the bane of the Galactic Federation. Note that the Pirate designs of MPP mirror those found in the first Prime, not the redesigns from MP2, even though the music is that from MP2. - Instead of shooting lasers or other random shots, MPP's Pirates lob semi-homing missiles at Samus, usually knocking her clear across the board. They can be damaged by bombs and bashing, but tryint to bomb them can be tricky, as they tend to jump around a good bit. 5. Unlockables Probably the one section that will generate more e-mails than any other for a good while, this section will feature me explaining how you unlock/activate certain things. Before e-mailing me about this section, be absolutely sure to read the Contact Section below. Now then, to the unlockables that I have CONFIRMED: Single Mission Tables *Phazon Mines Common Theory: Beat the Omega and it becomes available How I did it: I beat the Omega to a pulp and found it later. I'm willing to bet this is pretty accurate. *Phendrana Drifts Common Theory: Beat Thardus and walk away with it. How I did it: I beat the rock man. Nuff said. *Artifact Temple Common Theory: I have no clue... How I did it: Got to the Temple, promptly got kicked out, died on Tallon Overworld, but I still got it. And now, the ones I have yet to confirm... *Impact Crater Common Theory: Beat it How I did it: Not yet, hope to find out soon... *Expert Mode Common Theory: Beat Impact Crater How I did it: Soon, I pray. Soon. 6. Rumors and Mysteries In every game, there are always rumors about something either hidden in the code, or some other, wierd glitch, or multiple characters to play as. Well, I figured I might post a few rumors, as well as some oddities in the game that I noticed. This is a just-for-fun section, so don't take these seriously, or just take them with a grain of salt... Rumor: Sound Test How to access: Beat "Expert Mode" Have I tried this: Nope - still going for the Impact Crater. Any Truth to it: Who can tell? I prefer to post unlockables only after I have found it myself, but somehow, I doubt this is in the code. I hope there IS a sound test, but don't hold your breath. Rumor: Dark Samus is playable How to access: Who knows? Have I tried this: Nope. Any Truth to it: Nada clue; I've just heard the usual rumors that have run through the mills ever since Prime 2 was released. Rumor: Extras when you have Metroid Zero Mission in the GBA slot How to access: Have Metroid Zero Mission in the GBA slot when you start up MPP. Have I tried this: Not yet, soon when I find a working cart. Any Truth to it: Not sure; I would have assumed that someone would have thought to try this, especially after Advance Wars DS and Feel the Magic. Then again, I don't know. I hope to try this soon, though. Mystery: Magmoor without Magmoor Theme What is the Mystery: The Magmoor Table plays the "Hunters" theme, not the Magmoor theme, which can be found on the Wireless screen. Why is this odd: A full version of the theme is in the code, yet not played on the level it is taken from. Why the designers did this: An error, maybe? I have no clue. Probably wanted to keep the tune up-beat and competative, I guess. Mystery: Metroid Prime 2 Title Music What is the Mystery: Instead of the remix of the original Metroid intro that was used in Prime 1, Prime Pinball's Title plays Prime 2's music. Why is this odd: Given that the majority of the game (sans the "Hunters" Theme) is designed based on Prime 1, not 2, and given how many of the first Prime's tracks are used, it is a bit strange. Why the designers did this: Error on their part? I really have no idea why this was done, other than maybe a few wires were crossed. Maybe it hints at secrets. Maybe it was a choice done back when the game was to be released in December, but changed when it was rushed for October. Who can tell? Mystery: Limited hidden goodies? What is the Mystery: After all the stuff hidden and unlockable in Metroid Prime 1 and 2 and Zero Mission, after all the things crammed into the Advance Wars DS cart, and all the things in Castlevania DS, why are there so few tables, few extra options, and no hidden games? Why this is odd: Look at Castlevania DS. Look at the DS Advance Wars. Both feature tons of hidden goodies, yet MPP has only a few tables, a hard mode, and that's about it thus far. No hints of even a hidden option to play Metroid or Metroid II (the latter would be VERY nice). Why the designers did this: Maybe it was the rush, maybe it was laziness. Unless someone finds something and I confirm it, I'll never know... Mystery: Chozo Ruins What is the Mystery: We have the Artifact Temple, but that's not true ruins, we even have Magmoor in multiplayer. But what ever happened to having a table to represent one of the largest areas in the game? heck, we could have had a second boss or two! Why this is odd: A whole chunk of Metroid Prime not even shown? Even Magmoor has a table! Why the designers did this: Your guess is as good as mine. Elements know why I didn't catch on to this sooner, but it is a valid question. 7. About the Author Not much to say; Mikaa is a 20 year old male living in Kentucky, USA, a fan of the DS, Metroid, Mega Man, GBA, and various other things. He has no life, works at Game Stop, and dreams of designing games for the DS. Like that will happen. To contact the author, see the Contact Section below. 8. Contact Information Before you even consider e-mailing me, there are a few rules that I must set to make sure no problems arise: - I will only read e-mails that meet these qualities: - Each e-mail MUST be written with correct English Grammar; I will NOT, I repeat, NOT read or acknowlege e-mails written in internet jabber. I do not have the time to translate these messages, and half the time these messages look like SPAM to me. Just know, you have been warned on this one. - The Subject Line MUST, I repeat, MUST say "Metroid Prime Pinball FAQ." I might look at "MPP FAQ," or "Metroid Pinball FAQ," but I will NOT look at anything else, as I will consider it SPAM. I recieve too much SPAM as it is, and will ignore anything not labled as I stated. - Know that it may be a day or so before I reply, if at all. I will reply faster if you meet the above e-mail qualities. - If you wish to tell me about things I have not unlocked yet (such as the Impact Crater or "Expert Mode," keep in mind that I will not add such sections to my FAQ until I unlock them, which hopefully will not take long. Do note that I will gladly accept grammatical corrections and name errors, and once I confirm said errors, I will fix them. - I DO acknowlege those that contribute to my FAQs, so be sure you provide a user name at the end of your message for me to reference you by. Otherwise, you might not get credit by name. Also, if you wish for your e-mail to NOT be posted, do let me know so I can make sure it is omitted. 9. Credits and Contributions This is the usual "Thanks to..." section, where I thank both things that aided this FAQ and the people that contributed. Anyway, here it is. Thanks to... - GameFAQs for hosting this. - Melissa at Game Stop for calling me when this came in, and holding a copy for me (yes, I work there, but I still thank her anyway) - Nintendo, for releasing this game in place of the delayed Metroid Prime Hunters, as well as the DS. - The programmers, who managed to record some seriously wonerful music scores on a DS cart. Who needs CD games again? And to those who contributed, Thanks to... - Jeffrey Lepine (points for Extra Balls, some pointers for some levels (which I will try ASAP), "Death Save" trick, and some extra info) [email protected] 10. Tips and Tricks This section is designed to offer interesting tips and hints to play, be it how to save balls or to unlock various items. Note that I will still limit posts to what I have unlocked or tried personally, being that I have had a bad past with bad info (before I worked on GameFAQs, mind you). And now, for those tips. Death Save - Contributed by Jeffrey Lepine Being that it was so well written, here it is: "This is when your ball is going down one of the outlanes and you bang it back through the flippers. This is surprisingly easy to do, especially without a tilt-sensor. - If you ball goes down the right outlane - Raise the right flipper - Just as the ball makes it to the right (fat part) of the flipper flick your finger diagonally up and left. - If done right, the ball should fly over to the left flipper and back into play. The same can be done from the left outlane with the directions and flippers reversed. There's no bonus for this other than not losing your ball." Nifty trick, though a bit tricky to pull off. OK, groan-worthy comments aside, I have managed to pull this off, though it is far from easy to do at times. Still, thanks for the trick!