Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. The latest entry in the Metroid Prime sub series of games. Released to worldwide acclaim, this game brought to the series new and riveting gameplay, characters, and story. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but it did introduce a new species to the universe, the Lamorn. These beings possessed high intelligence, wisdom, and technological prowess. Several higher ranking Lamorn also possessed a crystal embedded in their forehead which gave them psychic and telepathic abilities. For their brethren that were not born with such crystals, the Lamorn discovered how to create artificial ones that could be implanted.
Interestingly, there is little we know of the Lamorn except for what they did on Viewros. It’s even possible they are not from Viewros, but rather traveled to this planet and chose to cultivate it, and cultivate it they did. Shortly after arriving on the planet, the Lamorn planted their Memory Tree, the great tree that houses all of the knowledge and memories of their people. Then they launched the planet into an industrial revolution, quickly erecting massive structures and assembly lines to build such machines as Vi-O-La, the Master Teleporter, and Xelios, an Administration AI put in charge of Volt Forge’s manufacturing. However, Viewros was not prepared for this industrialization and resources quickly diminished. In their wisdom, the Lamorn chose to halt further innovation and search for new ways to cultivate the planet.
In doing so, they discovered Green Energy, a seemingly infinite fuel source that restored and strengthened the life of the planet’s various flora and fauna. However, one species did not prosper from the use of Green Energy: the Lamorn. Overexposure to the Green Energy reacted with their Psychic Crystals and corrupted the Lamorn, turning them into the hideous Grievers. Those that were not corrupted became hunted by the Grievers in a historical event known only as “The Great Tragedy”.
Many of the survivors, not wishing to harm their brethren, sought to cure them of this corruption. Unfortunately, they did not know that the source of the corruption was the Green Energy, the very substance they attempted to use to cure them. Rather than curing the Grievers, the Lamorn ended up making the mutations worse and soon only 13 Lamorn remained. Assembled at the top of Chrono Tower, the resting place of the Master Teleporter, the group decided that it was too late to save their brothers, but not too late to preserve their legacy. 12 of the Lamorn used the Master Teleporter to travel to various worlds to search for a Chosen One, who would return to Viewros and collect the fruit of the Memory Tree and plant it on another world where their legacy may continue. The last Lamorn, Chatoyant Vooloon, chose to stay in Chrono Tower to await the arrival of the Chosen One and set them on their path.
Now, question: Does this story sound familiar to you? To me, it is highly reminiscent of what we know of the Chozo in the Metroid Prime series. While most of the Chozo in the main Metroid continuity were driven to extinction by the Metroids, X-Parasites, and Raven Beak, in Metroid Prime we learn of a specific group of Chozo who lived on the planet Tallon IV and studied the mysterious substance known as Phazon, a seemingly infinite source of energy that enhanced those that came into contact with it but also corrupted them-hey wait a minute, that sounds like Green Energy.
To strengthen this case even more, we know that the Chozo were also highly intelligent, wise, and tech savvy creatures. They made Samus’s suit for Pete’s sake, similar to how the Lamorn made a special suit that allowed its wearer to operate Vi-O-La.
So where am I going with all this, you ask? Well, in a booklet Nintendo released on Nintendo Today, it was revealed that the Planet Viewros actually exists not in a different time period, not a different galaxy, but in a different dimension. A parallel world to our own. It’s very possible that the Lamorn are this dimension’s Chozo and Green Energy was their Phazon. Sylux, who did nothing the entire game but bathe in Green Energy, emerged with powers on par with Dark Samus. His Shock Coil now shoots a beam of pure Green Energy, his speed has been enhanced, he has learned teleportation, he can summon black holes, and has even gained interdimensional travel.
I bring all of this up to answer a question that has been nagging at my mind and several others that I have seen: “How do you make a game called ‘Metroid Prime’ without including the Metroid Prime?” Well my friends, if my theory is correct, Sylux is one step away from becoming an alternate Metroid Prime, all he needs is to fuse with a Metroid.
I believe that Metroid Prime 4 was narratively meant to be the start of a new Prime Trilogy, one that will explore and expand the history of the Lamorn. Remember, there were 13 survivors: one stayed on Viewros, another made it to Tanamaar where the Federation found the teleporter. That still leaves 11 more Lamorn to seek out and learn from.
Written by: Seth Barley
Header by: Irene