What was so good about Phenandra Drifts?

[mehe]

Yeah just wondering..
I mean people have been having orgasms over that area but I never quite understood why. I find the underwater ship wreck a lot more better =/

[Gamer-e]

I thought Phazon Mines was cooler.

Perhaps people supposedly (because I've heard nothing of it until now) love the area so much because of the Research labs and the bitchin' theme for part of the area?

[Emperor Ing]

Mainly because that was when it seemed that the game finally started to open up and show off its unique flavor of Metroid game design.

After going through the claustrophobic beginning sections (Chozo Ruins, Magmoor), it felt like stepping into a wide open prairie with Phendrana right there.

[Apothem]

I agree with Emperor Ing, Phendrana is where the game truely takes shape, not just in size, but in scope. It's where you get the first good feel for the Space Pirates, in Reasearch Lab Aether, where you first encounter the series' titular enemy, the Metroids, and also where you fight (at least for me) the first challenging boss. The Chozo Ruins and Magmoor Caverns by comparison seem like an extended tutorial up to that point. And yes, I think both themes are bitchin.

[VGMStudios]

also the scenery and music are fantastic. as you enter the place for the first time you get s sense of a WOW factor going on.

VGM out...

[Jesse D]

Probably also because up to that point, we had never seen an ice area in a Metroid game (save for the simultaneously-released Fusion).

[Opium]

I like Phendrana, but I never really understood why some people went ga-ga over it. The snowing effects are cool, but the music/atmosphere were far less metroid-y than other areas.

[Gamer-e]

Erm, less Metroid-y? Could you explain? How did it not feel as much as an area nor as if it had a theme that'd be in a Metroid game than the other areas(')?

I know I worded that awkwardly, but I'm tired of trying and you get my point.

[Opium]

When I say 'metroidy', I think of areas that seem dark and foreboding, both in appearance but also from the music, too. Phendrana was very bright and the music was this fast jazzy piano that didn't really work for me (speaking of the music in the first part of Phendrana, of course.)

[Emperor Ing]

I would be perfectly happy with a little more jazz piano in Metroid.

[Dakota Bob]

Yeah just wondering..
I mean people have been having orgasms over that area but I never quite understood why. I find the underwater ship wreck a lot more better =/

They like it because it's.....awesome?

[darkhamsterlord]

I just like snow.

Yup, Phendrana is my favorite area in the game entirely because I like snow. I actually despise the Space Pirate Base, which makes up about half of the area, but I love Phendrana Drifts despite that, because snow is awesome.

The music is also pretty cool.

[Gamer-e]

Our opinions are inverted; I'm not too fond of the parts of that area that aren't Pirate facilities. That's not to say that I didn't like the mostly snowy parts, however.

[Angel of fire]

I really loved phendrana as well. Just the whole package was amazing! The music, the snow, it all fit. It also reminds me of that little extra place in MP3. That was like a breath of fresh air.

[Zero Flare]

I loved Phendrana, but again, I can't see why people are so crazy about it. I thought plenty of other areas in Prime were equally interesting, like Magmoor Caverns and even Tallon Overworld. I suppose the music really does help set the atmosphere... but I think the weather conditions in Phendrana made it stand out a little more, since snow hadn't really made an appearance in the previous games. And of course, that epic scene where Ridley's shadow crawls over the snowscape was bone-chilling. Very awesome indeed.