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Grapple Beam

From Wikitroid, the Metroid wiki

The Grapple Beam was one of Samus Aran's many weapons. It is based on the Grappling Beam from Super Metroid. It can attach to special Grapple Points as well as Gliders (which spawned the sport of 'Glider riding'). Upgrades to the beam allow it to perform other functions such as lassoing and feeding/drawing energy.

Contents

[edit] In the Prime Series

The Grapple Beam was introduced in Metroid Prime, where it was primarily used to get across long distances. Samus was able to shoot while swinging on it in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, while Metroid Prime 3: Corruption uses it to pull barriers from doors and shields from Pirates (Grapple Lasso), and later on, siphon and feed energy to and from certain devices (Grapple Voltage), using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk.

In Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, there are four Grapple Beam-related powerups:

Somewhat notably, in all of the 3D Metroid games, the Grapple was no longer fired from the Arm Cannon like the Grappling Beam. Instead, a second firing piece, or a glove of sorts (in Prime 3) was used (both on her left hand). This is likely either to make it more real-looking, make more use of Samus' free hand, and/or to free up the Arm Cannon for shooting in the sequels (Prime disabled the cannon while swinging).

The Grapple Swing is the game's name for the traditional Grapple Beam power-up, except in Corruption, where it is a separate power up (due to the new upgradable "glove") that allows Samus to swing from Grapple Points.

Samus's gunship also gains a Ship Grapple power-up, that gives Samus the ability to transport various large objects with Ship Grapple Points by having her Gunship fly in and grapple them via the ship-mounted Grapple Beam.

[edit] Glitch

In Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, there is an interesting glitch involving the Grapple Beam. To perform the glitch, Samus must go to the Vault Attack Portal in the Ing Hive. The portal behind Samus must be active, and then Samus can grapple onto one of the points, but before leaving the ground, quickly move back into the portal. When Samus emerges from Dark Aether, she will be holding up her left arm with the blue aura and sound that usually accompanies the Grapple Beam, even though it is not grappling onto anything.

This glitch can also be performed on the multiplayer stage Crossfire Chaos. Samus must destroy the grating covering the dark water and fall in it. Just as she is about to die she must grapple onto the point above her. When she respawns, she will be holding her arm up again.

[edit] Trivia

[edit] Gallery


Beams
Power Beam | Long Beam | Wave Beam | Ice Beam | Plasma Beam
Charge Beam | Spazer Beam | Hyper Beam | Wide Beam
Phazon Beam | Dark Beam | Light Beam | Annihilator Beam
Volt Driver | Battlehammer | Magmaul | Shock Coil | Judicator | Imperialist
Omega Cannon | Nova Beam | Paralyzer