Metroid Prime/Items

Suits

Power Suit

This is Samus' basic suit. Perhaps the most notable feature of this suit is the lack of the large shoulder ornaments present in all of her other suits. These shoulder ornaments have sometimes been hypothesized to be part of the Varia Suit's ability to survive extreme temperatures, perhaps being cooling units of some sort.

Varia Suit

An upgrade to the Power Suit, this upgrades the suit's shielding and allows Samus to survive in extreme temperatures. Collecting this also returns the large shoulder ornaments seen in other games.

Gravity Suit

Further reduces damage taken from enemies, and allows Samus to move in liquid environments unhindered. It makes Samus' jumps normal height and allows her to move at regular speed when submerged underwater. Modifications to the visor allow her to see properly underwater. It gives Samus' suit a purplish color.

Phazon Suit

Reduces damage taken from enemies even more, and renders Samus immune to damage from blue Phazon. This upgrade comes coupled with the Phazon Beam which can only be used on the last boss (Metroid prime) by standing in the pools of phazon spilled by it. Changes Samus' suit to a black and grey color.

Visors

Metroid Prime has four different visors, each of which can be switched between while playing.

Combat Visor

This is the default visor. The major things that this visor has that the others lack are a crude radar system that allows her to see where enemies are around her and a map of the room she is in. Samus has this visor from the start.

Scan Visor

Allows Samus to scan certain creatures and objects and get information on them. This is the only visor that Samus cannot fight in; pressing the attack button will cause her to revert back to the Combat Visor. Samus also has this visor from the start. The scan visor is often used solving puzzles, and it can be used to activate certain machines.

Thermal Visor

It allows Samus to see in the infra-red spectrum, letting her see enemies and power conduits that she cannot see in normal human vision. This is extremely useful on invisible enemies, or in areas of exceptionally poor light.

X-Ray Visor

It gives Samus the ability to see in the X-ray spectrum, allowing her to see otherwise invisible creatures and platforms. It should be noted that not all invisible enemies can be detected with this visor.

Weapons

Unlike Super Metroid, Metroid Prime does not allow the player to combine separate beams into one, due to the fact that each of the four main beams has a unique use. Also, each beam has a Charge Combo that can be acquired that utilizes Missiles to perform a more powerful attack.

Charge Beam

The charge beam is an add-on for all of Samus' primary beams; holding down the A button causes Samus to build up energy which is fired when the button is released, creating a much more powerful attack than would normally result. It also allows access to the various Charge Combos.

Power Beam

This is the default beam that Samus begins the game with. It has the highest rate of fire of all the beams. While notably weaker than any other weapon, it is the only beam which can damage certain enemies. Its Charge Combo, Super Missile, fires more powerful Missiles.

Wave Beam

This beam fires three blasts of electricity that can home in on enemies to a certain extent. Its charged shot usually stuns stronger enemies for a short period of time. It can also re-energize power conduits (required to open many doors) and open purple doors. Its Charge Combo, Wave Buster, automatically locks on to enemies but requires the largest number of Missiles to activate and continue using.

Ice Beam

This beam fires slow-moving blasts of ice that can freeze enemies. Its individual blasts are notably more powerful than the Wave Beam's, but its slow rate of fire makes it somewhat unwieldy. Frozen enemies can be shattered with a single Missile. It also opens white doors. The Ice Beam's Charge Combo, the Ice Spreader, spreads ice over a wide area where it hits and is somewhat limited against aerial and fast targets.

Plasma Beam

This is the most powerful beam in terms of raw offensive power. It fires blasts of intense heat, which either kill instantly or set enemies aflame until they die. It cannot home in on targets and it has a short range. It can also open red doors and melt thick ice. Its Charge Combo, Flamethrower, shoots a stream of flame, but uses Missiles quickly.

Phazon Beam

This beam can only be used during the final boss battle. When standing in pools of liquid Phazon, Samus can fire a powerful Phazon-based stream at Metroid Prime. Samus receives this item along with the Phazon Suit.

Missiles

A Metroid series mainstay, Missiles fire homing concussive blasts that cause more damage than most beam attacks. Missiles can break certain door locks and other obstacles. Each Missile expansion increases Samus' carrying capacity by five.

Morph Ball

The Morph Ball is another Metroid trademark. After finding this item Samus can roll into a ball and access narrow passages that she could not otherwise access. There are a number of upgrades Samus finds for the Morph Ball.

Bomb

Allows Samus to break certain objects, activate some devices, like Morph Ball Sockets, and damage enemies. The force from the bomb can also catapult her up a short distance in Morph Ball form. Samus has an infinite number of these, but can only use three every few seconds.

Boost Ball

Replacing Super Metroid's Speed Booster to a certain extent, this item allows Samus to build up energy and release it in Morph Ball form, resulting in a burst of speed that can, when applied correctly, allow her to travel up half-pipe structures and activate certain machines, such as Spinner devices.

Spider Ball

Metroid Prime is the second game to use this item (the first being Metroid II: Return of Samus); however, where Metroid II's spider ball allowed Samus to go up any wall, Prime's spider ball can only travel up designated magnetic rails.

Power Bomb

These are a more powerful version of Samus' normal Bombs. While she only gets a finite number of these and must replace them as she does with Missiles, Power Bombs have a much greater destructive ability and the ability to destroy bendezium.

Expansions

Energy Tank

Energy tanks increase Samus' shield energy (health) capacity by 100 units.

Missile Expansions

Missile Expansions increase Samus' missile capacity by five. The first missile expansion, which is acquired after the Hive Mecha fight, gives Samus the ability to use missiles. Samus lost this power during the evacuation sequence of the Space Pirate Frigate.

Power Bomb Expansions

Power Bomb Expansions allow for more Power Bombs to be used. Each expansion increase the capacity by an increment of one. Unlike Missile Expansions, the ability to use Power Bombs isn't gained by a Power Bomb Expansion but by the Power Bomb item.

Other items

Space Jump

The Space Jump is another returning item with a different purpose. As opposed to allowing Samus to jump infinitely, this item allows Samus to double-jump. Its function is closer to the missing High Jump Boots, present in all the 2-D Metroid games, than to the Space Jump appearing in the 2-D games.

Grapple Beam

Allows Samus to latch on to certain objects and swing on them as if the beam were a rope.

12 Artifacts

The Artifacts of Truth, Strength, Elder, Wild, Lifegiver, Warrior, Chozo, Nature, Sun, World, Spirit, and Newborn are spread throughout Tallon IV, and must be collected in order for Samus to gain entry to the final area.