The tractor beam[1] is an effect of the Charge Beam in the Metroid Prime series, Metroid: Samus Returns, and Metroid Dread. It can be used to attract Energy Capsules and ammunition. At the end of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, the tractor beam plays its largest role in collecting Phazon bullets to fire back at Dark Samus. The tractor beam is also an ability of the Mechs in Metroid Prime: Federation Force, which can collect AUX ammo but not MODs.
In Metroid: Samus Returns and Metroid Dread, nearby pickups and Metroid DNA automatically fly towards Samus in a manner similar to the tractor beam, although the Charge Beam is not needed to activate this effect. However, if Samus uses her Charge Beam, pickups that are slightly farther away will be drawn towards her, demonstrating that the tractor beam is still an aspect of her Charge Beam.[2] Interestingly, Metroid DNA seems to be specifically attracted to Samus's Arm Cannon, which is used to inject it into Chozo Seals. In Dread, pickups will even follow Samus through doors.[3]
Official data[]
Prime tutorial[]
"The Charge Beam can be used to draw in pickups."
Echoes tutorial[]
"Press and hold A to draw in pickups."
Charge Beam Inventory[]
"The Charge Beam has a limited "tractor beam" capacity. Use it to pull small objects to you."
Notifications[]
"The Charge Beam can be used to draw in pickups."
* In Metroid Prime, the "tractor beam" is spelled with apostrophes ', but in the later two games, with quotation marks ".
Trivia[]
- In Metroid: Other M, Nightmare's Gravity Manipulator seems to have a sort of "tractor beam" as it attracts Samus' Beam shots when the device is active.
- In Metroid Prime, when Samus gains the Phazon Suit, several Energy Capsules and Missile Ammunition pickups hover over a Phazon pool. They cannot be gained by using the Charge Beam, and they do not disappear. This is likely a prompt to step into the Phazon and make use of the suit's protective properties. This also happens after beating some other bosses, including Thardus.
- Metroid Prime: The Official Nintendo Player's Guide refers to Metroid Prime's Snare Beam attack as a "green tractor beam".
- The Greed Corps in chapter 3 of Metroid EX use a tractor beam to attract a comet and freeze it with Samus' stolen Ice Beam.
References[]
- ^ Inventory data
- ^ Looygi Bros. "10 Cool Details in Metroid Dread (Part 2)" YouTube. December 11, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
- ^ Looygi Bros. "20 Cool Details in Metroid Dread" YouTube. November 26, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
Beams | |
---|---|
Armaments | Arm Cannon • Paralyzer |
Weapons | Power Beam • Wave Beam • Ice Beam • Plasma Beam • Grapple Beam Hyper Beam: (MD/MP3/SM) • Phazon Beam • Dark Beam • Light Beam Annihilator Beam • Nova Beam • Zero Laser |
Enhancements | Beam Burst • Charge Beam • Diffusion Beam • Long Beam • Phazon bullets • Spazer Beam • Tractor beam • Wide Beam • Omega Cannon (Dread) |
Affinity Weapons | Volt Driver • Battlehammer • Magmaul • Shock Coil • Judicator • Imperialist • Omega Cannon (Hunters) • Electro Lob |