Ruined Nursery

The Ruined Nursery is a room in the Chozo Ruins. It appears in Metroid Prime.

Description

This is a fairly large room consisting of the uneven stone common in the ruins, its most prominent feature being a Cyrlic tree whose branches reach through the ceiling. Two War Wasp Hives are found on the ceiling, and a Chozo Lore entry can be scanned on the wall opposite the Eyon Tunnel Door. A Save Station can be accessed from one of the high up ledges in the room.

A Morph Ball maze on the wall near the door to North Atrium contains a Missile Expansion.

This room contains a mirror that Samus Aran can use to look at herself in the GameCube and Wii versions. It is the only room with this feature that is not a Save Station.

Connecting rooms

• Eyon Tunnel (via Blue Door)
• Save Station 1 (via Blue Door)
• North Atrium (via Blue Door)

Inhabitants

• 2 Beetles
• 2 War Wasp Hives (contains War Wasps)

Items

Missile Expansion

A Morph Ball track is found around the left wall as seen from the North Atrium door; following it leads to the expansion. Sandstone blockages are found within in it: Bombs can be used to clear them.

Scans

Cyrlic tree

"Elevated toxicity levels found in tree bark. Tree scans indicate a poisoned water source within 4 meters of tree base."

Leaf

"Unusually high concentrations of poison identified in tree leaves."

Exodus (NTSC only)

"We Chozo are departing now, after so many years in peaceful seclusion here on Tallon IV. When we came, this place was a refuge for our spirits, a civilization built from native materials, bereft of the trappings of our technology. We were linked to the land here, kindred to the plants and animals, far away from the machines we had become so dependent on. And so we leave it now, pristine, a testament to the mortal forms we no longer need. We have drawn the veils of time and space aside, and are withdrawing beyond the illusion. But we will never forget this, the most sacred of our homes. And we will remain ever watchful."

Harmonization (PAL only)

"Many long years have passed since we Chozo first took root in this land. The passage of time has always been a source of fascination to us; it is the belief of many Chozo sages that the truths of the universe hide within the tumbling currents of time's flow. Even as we search for answers there, however, we find illumination in other, unexpected places. We know not how the ability has come to us, but recently many Chozo have begun to sense things beyond the realm of ordinary perception. Strange sights and inexplicable sensations flood our minds, filling us with visions. We take this growing ability to be a sign of our burgeoning harmonization with the infinite; perhaps, finally, the universe's secrets are becoming known to us."

Hanging

"An ornate wall hanging with a highly reflective surface. It does not appear important."

Sandstone

"Structural weakness detected in Sandstone block."

Block

"Structural integrity of metal is stable. No flaws detected."

Missile Expansion

"This object resides at the end of a high channel set into the wall."

Development notes

According to former Retro Studios tech lead Jack Mathews, the Ruined Nursery was one of the first rooms created in the development of Metroid Prime, and was originally used to test features of the game engine as it was being developed.^[1]

Gallery

Metroid Prime concept art

Nintendo.com render

Missile Expansion scan

Samus scans an ornate wall hanging.

Samus fires a Missile at one of the War Wasp Hives in the Nursery.

The Ruined Nursery in a 2001 pre-release version of Prime, as seen at Space World 2000.^[2]

References