FAQ

In terms of chronology, Metroid Prime takes place between the very first Metroid (or Metroid: Zero Mission which is a remake) and the second, Metroid II: The Return of Samus. In Metroid/Metroid: Zero Mission, Samus infiltrated an underground base on planet Zebes to end the brutal attacks of a band of intergalactical criminals called Space Pirates. In Metroid: Prime, she picks up a signal from a Space Pirates frigate orbiting Zebes' neighbouring planet Tallon IV. The Pirate group on this frigate had left Zebes earlier to conduct their own experiments with a dangerous substance found on Tallon IV, Phazon.

Metroid Prime spawned a series of spin-offs from the original Metroid. Their chronological order in the saga is: Metroid (Zero Mission) - Metroid Prime - Metroid Prime: Hunters - Metroid Prime 2: Echoes - Metroid Prime 3: Corruption - Metroid 2: The Return of Samus - Super Metroid - Metroid: Other M - Metroid Fusion

Meta-Ridley is more or less a scientific reincarnation of Ridley, a pterodactyl-like creature with a high rank within the Space Pirates organisation. He was responsible for the death of Samus Aran's parents, and she defeated him in the original Metroid (or Metroid: Zero Mission). The Space Pirates have the tendency to keep resurrecting their important dead leaders, whether or not with artificial implants. Meta-Ridley has been enhanced with robotic parts and genetic modifications to enhance his combat capabilities.

The Chozo logs remain ambiguous as to when the disaster happened on Tallon IV, but in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, a Federation log confirms that it happened 50 years earlier.

Basically, the titular Metroid is a jellyfish-like lifeform, consisting of three nuclei with a dome-shaped substance around it. Below the body are some short horns which the Metroid uses to snatch and latch onto its prey. These Metroids are the first specimens encountered in the game, and are actually immature individuals. The Metroids normally go through a series of pupations and mutations before they reach adulthood, in which they finally appear more lizard-like. However, they cannot reach these adult stages on Tallon IV, because this only occurs when they are in their natural habitat on SR-388 (or a carefully simulated environment). The infant Metroids can still age into more elongated and red Hunter Metroids outside of SR-388, which are also seen in the game. These can also siphon energy from their prey from a distance through energy tentacles. The Fission Metroids, finally, are a subspecies that arose from the Phazon experimentations by the Space Pirates. These Metroids can split into two, which, due to the chaotic nature of Phazon, have a random vulnerability to certain types of radiation. This subspecies does not exist naturally.