Samus Aran (Prime)

"For someone who dislikes taking orders, this is the second time I've found myself having to do so."

Article by: Paul Watkins (watkinzez)
Pictured from: Metroid Prime
Created by: Nintendo
First appearance: 1986

Bio

This article is one of two Samus biographies. For more information, see the Samus Aran bio.

"The life of a single person should be lost in space and time, but among the stars there is one light that burns brighter than all others: the light of Samus Aran. Her battles extend beyond her life and etch themselves into history."

So says the prologue to the PAL version of Metroid Prime, Samus Aran's first foray into the third dimension. Samus had rarely been seen since her appearance in Super Metroid eight years before the release of Metroid Prime, only popping up in the Nintendo 64's Super Smash Bros. as a projectile- and air-based fighter. Rookie development house Retro Studios was trusted with the task of breathing life into the Metroid series and the character of Samus, and they did so soundly. Set immediately after the original Metroid, the game follows Samus as she chases the remains of the Space Pirate fleet to the dormant planet Tallon IV, which has been poisoned by the radioactive substance Phazon. Far more backstory is present in this game than in its predecessors, allowing the player to discover events from Samus's perspective and uncover more about her character. Her femininity is underscored in cut scenes, though not in a sexual manner, to highlight her independence and strength.

In 2004, Retro continued the Prime side story in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. Using a system reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past on the SNES, this game requires Samus to traverse between two parallel dimensions to help an alien race, the Luminoth, gain back their corrupted planet. Here, an extension of Samus acts as the lead antagonist; Dark Samus, feeding on the Phazon rife throughout the planet Aether, attempts to foil Samus throughout her campaign. In a break from custom in the Metroid series, a character, the Luminoth leader, speaks directly to Samus in this game.

Selected game appearances

NES

• Metroid (1986)

Game Boy

• Metroid II: Return of Samus (1991)

Super NES

• Super Metroid (1994)
• Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (1996)

Nintendo 64

• Super Smash Bros. (1999)

Game Boy Advance

• Metroid Fusion (2002)
• Metroid: Zero Mission (2004)

GameCube

• Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001)
• Metroid Prime (2002)
• Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (2004)

Wii

• Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (2007)
• Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008)
• Metroid: Other M (2010)

Wii U

• Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (2014)

Nintendo 3DS

• Metroid Prime: Federation Force (2016)

References

• Wikipedia - "Samus Aran"
• Wikipedia - "Metroid Prime"
• Metroid Prime instruction manual
• Metroid Prime 2: Echoes instruction manual