Metroid Dread

Metroid Dread
Also known as: Metroid 5 Developer: MercurySteam Publisher: Nintendo Platform: Nintendo Switch Released internationally: October 8, 2021 This game has unused graphics. This game has unused cinematics. This game has unused sounds. This game has unused text. This game has debugging material. This game has revisional differences. This game has a prerelease article

This page is rather stubbly and could use some expansion. Are you a bad enough dude to rescue this article?

Metroid Dread finally picks up where Fusion left off 19 years earlier.

To do: Document unused textures and config.ini options. Document remaining unused audio files. "v1.0.1" update. There seems to either be Samus Returns leftovers, or unused powerups in Romfs\textures\items and Romfs\textures\weapons. items has folders and textures for items that did not physically appear in Dread like High Jump Boots, Spiderball, Ice Beam, and a few others. weapons has an icebeam folder that has textures for uncharged and charged Ice Beam shots. Romfs\textures\maps\blocks also has Samus Returns leftovers and breakable block types that didn't appear in the game (Super Missile Block and Ice Missile Block textures are in there). "Middle golzuna" enemy has a death animation that goes unseen from normally encountering the enemy after the X are released. Internal name is Cazadora (Hunter), which is potentially where ZDR got its name. (see also) Internal names for enemies etc

Sub-Pages

Prerelease Info

Unused Textures/Models

To do: Add model renders

Teleportal (Pink)

This needs some investigation. Discuss ideas and findings on the talk page. Specifically: See if the Teleportal object potentially has a subtype to make it pink.

There are three textures left in the game that suggest that there was going to be a pink Teleportal. The textures are of a global map icon, a map icon, and an object texture. Interestingly, the symbol on the map icon and object texture do not match up: one of them is mirrored horizontally. There is no leftover unused text relating to the pink Teleportal. The textures can be found at Romfs\textures\gui\globalview.bctex, Romfs\textures\system\minimap\icons\icons.bctx, and Romfs\textures\actors\props\teleporter\teleporterdirection_bc.bctex.

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  Global Map Icon

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  Map Icon

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  Object Texture

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Automper

A robot, similar to other Chozo robot enemies seen in the game. It has several accompanying unused audio files.

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(Source: Bearborg)

Hybrid PV5

An unused enemy.

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(Source: Bearborg)

Shineon

A bulbous creature with tiny wings. It has an accompanying unused audio file for its wings buzzing too.

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(Source: Unknowni123)

Swifter

An unused enemy.

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(Source: Bearborg)

"Abberations"

There are background creatures in tubes in Dairon called "abberation_01" in the final game, but the game also has textures for an "abberation_02" and "abberation_03" that are never seen.

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  abberation_02

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  abberation_03

(Source: Unknowni123)

Corpius Mask

The boss Corpius has a model for an unused defensive mask. The names of unused audio files (i.e. "scorpius_breakmask" and "scorpius_regenerate") indicate that Samus would have somehow broken this mask during their encounter.

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(Source: Unknowni123)

Unused Text

The game's Japanese string table includes a series of entries that do not appear in other languages, informally describing the content of two of the game's major cutscenes. These may have been produced by Nintendo to give MercurySteam direction when creating the scenes.

String Name	Text	Translation
CAPTION_PROFESSOREVENT_PH_PAGE_01	プロフェッサーイベント	Professor Event
CAPTION_PROFESSOREVENT_PH_PAGE_02	サムス、壁画を発見。鳥人族の兵士が他の鳥人族を殺しているシーン。	Samus discovers a mural. A scene in which a Chozo soldier is killing another Chozo.
CAPTION_PROFESSOREVENT_PH_PAGE_03	兵士たちのリーダーは、サムスが冒頭であった鳥人族に似ている。	The leader of the soldiers resembles the Chozo that Samus met at the beginning.
CAPTION_PROFESSOREVENT_PH_PAGE_04	突然撃たれるサムス。身体がマヒしてしまう。	Samus is suddenly shot. Her body is paralyzed.
CAPTION_PROFESSOREVENT_PH_PAGE_05	E.M.M.I. が壁画を破壊しながら登場。サムスはつかまる。	An E.M.M.I. appears while destroying the mural painting. It grabs Samus.
CAPTION_PROFESSOREVENT_PH_PAGE_06	やられる瞬間、E.M.M.I. の動きが止まる。鳥人族が現れる。	At the moment it would kill her, the E.M.M.I. stops moving. A Chozo appears.
CAPTION_PROFESSOREVENT_PH_PAGE_07	鳥人族はクワイエットローブと自己紹介。	The Chozo introduces themself as Quiet Robe.
CAPTION_PROFESSOREVENT_PH_PAGE_08	サムスが戦った鳥人族の男はレイヴンビークで、戦士鳥人族の長と説明。	The Chozo that Samus fought was Raven Beak, described as the head of the warrior Chozo.
CAPTION_PROFESSOREVENT_PH_PAGE_09	レイヴンビークはサムスのメトロイドDNAの力で銀河を支配しようとしている。E.M.M.I. をハッキングして利用している。	Raven Beak is trying to dominate the galaxy with the power of Samus' Metroid DNA. The E.M.M.I. are being used by hacking them.
CAPTION_PROFESSOREVENT_PH_PAGE_10	クワイエットローブは、ブレニア上部の扉を開けたことをサムスに伝える。	Quiet Robe tells Samus that he has opened the door at the top of Burenia.
CAPTION_PROFESSOREVENT_PH_PAGE_11	鳥人兵士のロボットが突如現れ、クワイエットローブを殺害する。	A Chozo robot suddenly appears and kills Quiet Robe.
DIAG_ADAM_FINAL_PH_PAGE_01	最終フェイクアダムイベント	Final Fake Adam Event
DIAG_ADAM_FINAL_PH_PAGE_02	リフトはサムスをアクセスルームにつれていく。	The lift takes Samus to the access room.
DIAG_ADAM_FINAL_PH_PAGE_03	アダムは、サムスのメトロイドDNAが完全に覚醒し、サムスは本質的にメトロイドとなったこと、銀河の脅威になってしまったことを告げる。	Adam tells us that Samus's Metroid DNA has been fully awakened, and that Samus has become essentially Metroid, a threat to the galaxy.
DIAG_ADAM_FINAL_PH_PAGE_04	アダムは、その力をレイヴンビークのために使うよう命令する。	Adam orders that power to be used for Raven Beak.
DIAG_ADAM_FINAL_PH_PAGE_05	サムス、アクセスルームのモニターを破壊する。 ミッション冒頭に意識を失ってからこれまで話してきたアダムは本物ではなく、レイヴンビークだったのだ。	Samus destroys the access room monitor. The Adam that she's spoken to since she lost consciousness at the beginning of the mission wasn't the real thing, it was Raven Beak.
DIAG_ADAM_FINAL_PH_PAGE_06	アクセスルームはホログラムだった。消滅し、レイヴンビークが現れる。	The access room was a hologram. It disappears and Raven Beak appears.
DIAG_ADAM_FINAL_PH_PAGE_07	戦闘が始まる	The battle begins

(Source: Bearborg)

Raven Beak X's dialogue has unused subtitles.

String Name	Text
CAPTION_COMMANDERX_PAGE_01	Samuuuuus!
CAPTION_COMMANDERX_PAGE_02	Power is everything!

(Source: Bearborg)

Item acquisition text exists for the Hyper Beam, which is normally acquired in the cutscene after Raven Beak is defeated. Item acquisition text for the Metroid Suit does not exist.

String Name	Text
GUI_ITEM_ACQUIRED_HYPER_BEAM	Hyper Beam acquired.

Unused Sounds

Blah Blah Blah

A placeholder sound is present in the game's streaming audio folder. It consists of a male voice saying "blah blah blah".

String Name	Audio
blah_caption_test

(Source: Bearborg)

Automper

The corresponding sound files for the unused Automper enemy.

String Name	Audio
actors_automper_automper_activate
actors_automper_automper_attackend01
actors_automper_automper_attackinit01
actors_automper_automper_attackinitelectr01
actors_automper_automper_attackinitelectr02
actors_automper_automper_attackloop
actors_automper_automper_chargeinit
actors_automper_automper_electric01
actors_automper_automper_electric02
actors_automper_automper_electric03
actors_automper_automper_explosion

(Source: Bearborg)

Shineon

The corresponding sound file for the unused Shineon enemy.

String Name	Audio
actors_shineon_shineon_flyloop

(Source: Unknowni123)

Corpius Mask

The corresponding sound files for the aforementioned mask that Corpius would have worn

String Name	Audio
actors_scorpius_scorpius_breakmask01
actors_scorpius_scorpius_breakmask02
actors_scorpius_scorpius_hitmaskoc
actors_scorpius_scorpius_regeneratemask01
actors_scorpius_scorpius_regeneratemask02
actors_scorpius_scorpius_regeneratemask03

(Source: Unknowni123)

Raven Beak

There are five unused lines of dialogue, featuring Raven Beak giving the speech normally given by fake ADAM just before the boss fight, but in the Chozo language. Each line corresponds with a line spoken by ADAM in a real-world language (i.e. English) so they can be roughly translated this way, though there are some slight differences in syntax.

String Name	Audio	Translation
DIAG_ADAM_FINAL_PAGE_09		Continue to follow my instructions faithfully, as you have done until now. It's that simple.
DIAG_ADAM_FINAL_PAGE_10		I consider your performance here on ZDR to be highly satisfactory. To imagine you would even awaken your Metroid powers.
DIAG_ADAM_FINAL_PAGE_11		Yes, I was right to let you live during our first encounter. That glimpse you showed told me everything.
DIAG_ADAM_FINAL_PAGE_12		Submit and offer up your power. My plan is the only way to bring order to the galaxy.
DIAG_ADAM_FINAL_PAGE_13		Samus, fulfill your destiny. This is an order. Disobedience will not be tolerated.

(Source: Unknowni123)

There is one unused line of dialogue for Raven Beak X, along with corresponding subtitle text.

String Name	Audio	Text
CAPTION_COMMANDERX_PAGE_03		There is no power without sacrifice.

(Source: Unknowni123)

Unused Cutscenes

Transport Capsule

In Metroid Dread, all cutscenes that play when traveling between areas are prerendered videos. There are three different versions of each cutscene for Power, Varia, and Gravity suit (there are no Metroid Suit cutscenes), as well as different cutscenes for every method of transportation (Elevator up/down, Shuttle left/right, Teleportal, Transport Capsule). Interestingly, prerendered videos exist for using the Transport Capsule that connects Hanubia and Itorash with the Power Suit and Varia Suit, which are impossible to see without the use of the invincibility glitch that was patched in v1.0.3.

Revisional Differences

To do: Add videos and images. Document the apparently unused content that was added in v1.01 and then removed in v1.02 (1, 2). Nintendo Support patchnotes.

Sequence-Break Softlock

At the beginning of the game, there's an unintended sequence-break which allows players to skip the first E.M.M.I. (the damaged one which serves as a tutorial). v1.0.0 caused the player to become softlocked if they returned here after skipping this E.M.M.I. and progressing through the game. The room eventually becomes populated with normal enemies, and the E.M.M.I. gets removed from the scenario. The cutscenes that should play in this room do so as normal, but the E.M.M.I. disappears as soon as they finish. This causes the player to become unable to escape this room, since all the doors get locked until the E.M.M.I. (which has been removed from the game permanently) is destroyed.

v1.0.1 fixed this to keep the sequence-break but not update the room setup (i.e. add normal enemies) until after the E.M.M.I. is destroyed.

New Unused Audio

v1.0.1 added several new files that went unused, likely added unintentionally since they were removed in v1.0.2.

A line of ADAM dialogue, likely intended for use after the X are released:

A duplicate of the second line of Raven Beak's victory speech, but without his usual vocal effects applied:

Escape Sequence Crash

v1.0.0 had an issue which caused the game to crash during the escape sequence immediately following the battle with Raven Beak: If a map marker was placed on the Hyper Beam Door that leads to the end of the escape and the Gunship, destroying the door with the Hyper Beam would cause the game to crash with the "the software has closed because an error occurred" message. Further, in v1.0.0, destroying the Hyper Beam Door causes it to completely disappear from the map.

v1.0.1 fixed the crash and made the Hyper Beam Door remain on the map faded after it is destroyed.