Metroid Fusion/Unused Text
This is a sub-page of Metroid Fusion.
The text of Metroid Fusion is internally stored using a custom character table. Fortunately, this table has been completely reversed in the Metroid Advance Game Editor (MAGE) text editor tool, allowing all of the game's text to be easily viewed.
Unused Event Objective Text
By pressing A on the map screen, unique text can be seen that says the current objective. This text is dynamic and changes many times throughout the game. The displayed text is tied to an internal event value that counts up and controls story progress. Some event objective text is impossible to see because the pause screen cannot be accessed during every event value.
Offset: 0x6DB2E2.
| Not displayed |
This is the objective text for event 30. Event 29 is defeated Serris and got Speed Booster. The event value jumps from 29 to 31 upon entering the Pump Control Unit in Sector 4 (AQA). Theoretically, this text can be seen if TAS-only strategies are used to get to and use a Navigation Room before entering the Pump Control Unit. That would display unused Navigation Room text discussed below and increment the event value to 30.
Offset: 0x6DCD92.
| They want to capture an SA-X? |
This is the objective text for event 97. Event 96 is defeated Neo-Ridley and got Screw Attack. The event value increments to 97 during Samus's talk with Adam about the Galatic Federation's plans to arrive and capture an SA-X. After this talk, Samus has a monologue about how the X must be destroyed before the Federation arrives. Once this monologue is cleared, the event value increments to 98 and control is given back to the player. This makes event 97's objective text impossible to see.
Offsets: 0x6DD206, 0x6DD222.
| Line 1 Line 2 |
This is the objective text for events 109 and 110. Event 108 is defeated the Omega Metroid. The event value increments to 109 when Samus enters her ship, ending the game in the process. Event 110 is not used. Events 111 and beyond will cause the objective text to begin referencing the German Navigation Room text.
Unused text for Navigation Room conversations.
Offsets: 0x6CED7E, 0x6CFC0C, 0x6D002A, 0x6D19EA, 0x6D2694, 0x6D35D8, 0x6D4514, 0x6D5230, 0x6D577A, 0x6D5EE8, 0x6D659E, 0x6D6C4E, 0x6DA554.
| Target eradicated. |
| Confirm mission objective? |
| Target eradicated. |
This text appears 13 times in the game. It was likely a placeholder message, as every event value that will display this message is during a point where no Navigation Rooms can be accessed. This text can be seen if TAS-only stratigies are used during specific parts of the game to reach a Navigation Room, shown in the video.
Using the debug menu, one possible event value to see this is event 39.
Offset: 0x6D26E0.
| Empty |
| Confirm mission objective? |
| Empty. |
This is the Navigation Room text for event 30. Event 29 is defeated Serris and got Speed Booster. Once Speed Booster is obtained, the only way back into a Navigation Room is to enter the Pump Control Unit and lower the water, which increments the event value. These two pieces of text are different; the second one uses a period.
Strangely, entering the Pump Control Unit increments the event value from 29 to 31. If the debug menu or TAS-only strategies are used to get back to a Navigation Room in event 29, the event value will increment to 30 and this text will be displayed, shown in the video. This also allows event 30's unused objective text to be seen. All this suggests that a Navigation Room was planned to be usable and optional or potentially required to progress at this state in the game.
Offset: 0x6D3F26.
| Confirm mission objective? |
| Demo use |
This text is the confirm mission objective text for event 43. This event is when an unknown Galatic Federation member contacts Adam and asks if Samus suspects anything. Progression-wise, this is after downloading Super Missile data and leaving Sector 3 (PYR), but before entering Sector 6 (NOC) for the first time. This event is only used for this conversation and increments afterward, so it cannot be seen in normal gameplay.
Offset: 0x6D7780.
| Diffusion Missiles: Not used. |
| Confirm mission objective? |
| Release security lock and proceed to Data Room. |
This is the Navigation Room text for event 82. Event 81 is defeated Nightmare and got Gravity Suit. The event value increments to 82 when the Level 4 Security Room is first entered, then the event value increments to 83 once security Level 4 is unlocked. This is obvious placeholder text never meant to be seen. Interestingly, the confirm mission objective text is a copy-paste from previous segments in the game that use the "enter sector, locate Security Room, use Data Room" format of progression. This same style of progression happens after acquiring Gravity Suit, with the critical difference being that Samus is not instructed to do this at a Navigation Room.
Offset: 0x6D96E2.
| Confirm mission objective? |
| Not used |
This is the confirm mission objective text for event 97. Event 96 is defeated Neo-Ridley and got Screw Attack. Event 97 is the first part of the final Navigation Room talk, before Samus's monologue. This is dummy text never meant to be seen.
This text can be seen by using the debug menu to set the event value to 96, using a Navigation Room, clearing the text, then setting the event value to 97 and using a Navigation Room again.
Offset: 0x6DA3D4.
| Confirm mission objective? |
| Lady, what are you doing!?To the Operations Room! |
This is the confirm mission objective text for event 98. Event 98 is the final part of the final Navigation Room talk, after Samus's monologue. Using a Navigation Room at this point increments the event value, which gives different dialogue when attempting to use a Navigation Room again. This text does not have any line breaks built into it, so when it is displayed in the game, it is instead formatted like this:
| Lady, what are you doing!?To t he Operations Room! |
This text can be seen by using the debug menu to set the event value to 98, using a Navigation Room, clearing the text, then setting the event value to 98 and using a Navigation Room again.
Offset: 0x6DA5A0.
| Not much time before the station impacts SR388. |
| Get out of there.[target] |
| Confirm mission objective? |
| Hurry, get out of there! |
This is the Navigation Room text for event 103, the event that starts the escape sequence at the end of the game. During the escape, Navigation Rooms are unusable, making this text unused. The [target] represents a command character used by the game that forces the map to target the current objective and mark it.
This text can be seen by using the debug menu to set the event value to 103 while already in a Navigation Room. Setting the event value to 103, then entering will make the Navigation Room unusable.
When this text is viewed in the game, the [target] command character does nothing, and no target gets displayed. Strangely, the escape sequence skips event 104. Entering the final room where the ship is increments the event value from 103 to 105. Viewing the text in the game does increment the event value to 104. All this suggests that Navigation Rooms were planned to be useable and optional or potentially required to open the way during the escape.
Offset: 0x6DA746.
| Confirm mission objective? |
| None |
This is the confirm mission objective text for event 109, the ending event. This event is used to display Adam's final words on how the ship was started.
Unused Message Text
Unused text for messages that pop up on the screen, like item text and save prompts.
Offset: 0x6B51E6.
| Ice effect added to beam. Use beam to freeze enemies. |
Text for acquiring Ice Beam! Ice Beam does not display text when it is obtained. It is only used against the Omega Metroid, who cannot be frozen like the text suggests. Ice Beam does have unused functionality to freeze enemies like Ice Missiles though.
In the game, the text displayed after absorbing a Core-X is dependent on the event value. By freeing a Core-X, then changing the event value via the debug menu, different text is displayed depending on the event. Invalid events will display the security level unlocked text. If a Core-X is freed, the event value is set to 107, then the Core-X is absorbed, the Ice Beam text will be displayed. This confirms that the text was planned to display when Ice Beam was obtained, but it was likely intentionally chosen to not display in the finale to not interrupt the moment.
Offset: 0x6B56C4.
| Uplink to Adam? Yes No |
Text asking if the player wants to connect to Adam. It is unknown where this text would have been used. The text outright calling the computer Adam may raise questions of where this was meant to be used in relation to the story, but Samus names names the computer Adam early on in the story. The Adam name is even said in the manual on page 19.
A few theories for where this could have been used:
- It may have been a way to connect to Adam from a Save Station, though the final game's progression is not built for something like this.
- It may have been a confirmation to use a Navigation Room after standing on the platform.
- It may have been a confirmation to connect to Adam after being asked to save at Samus' ship.
Offset: 0x6B56FA.
| Weapons system resupply complete. |
Text for using a Recharge Station that would only refill ammo. All Recharge Stations refill energy and ammo, making this text unused. There is a similar message for just refilling energy, but that can be seen by using a Recharge Station before downloading Missile data.
Offset: 0x6B5912.
| Enemy location abnormal. Check message frame position. |
A strange message that seems more like a debug message rather than something intended for normal gameplay.
