Metroid Prime 2: Unlimited Beams Authorized Wii

Metroid Prime 2: Unlimited Beams Authorized
Metroid Prime 2: Unlimited Beams Authorized
	File:Metroidprime2unlimitedbeamsauthorizedwii.jpg
General
Author	z_pucK
Type	Game Hacks
Version	1.0
License	Mixed
Last Updated	2020/04/10
Links
	Download
	Website

For GC and Wii.

In an alternate timeline…

Metroid Prime 2: Unlimited Beams Authorized is a mod for the game Metroid Prime 2: Echoes that removes the need for beam ammo. Players have an unlimited number of beam shots and the option to keep or remove the beam ammo bars from Samus' visor. Missiles, energy, and power bombs are still collected as normal.

Are you curious about how playing Metroid Prime 2 without beam ammo would be like? Look no further, Unlimited Beams Authorized mod provides that experience while still preserving much of the original game's elements. However, be warned, this mod may make it hard for you to go back to the original game once you've tried it.

Unlimited Beams Authorized Highlights

Gives Samus unlimited beam ammo.
Can remove Beam Ammo bars from HUD (user*choice at patching).
Hides Beam Ammo counter from HUD (the numbers).
Enemies and bosses no longer spawn beam ammo.
Crates no longer spawn beam ammo.
All other events no longer spawn beam ammo.
Charge beam combos still cost missiles (unchanged).
Enemies, bosses, and crates all still drop suit energy, missile ammo, and powerbombs as normal (largely unchanged, see exceptions below).

UBA Patcher Features

Mod compatibility for all 3 GCN regions: USA, EUR, and JPN.
Mod compatibility for USA Metroid Prime Trilogy.
Save-file compatibility between U.B.A. and original versions of MP2 and Trilogy (only for same-region, of course). No save file corruption whether you load Unlimited Beams Authorized or vanilla MP2/USA Trilogy.
Drag 'n drop patcher.
"Hardmode" secret playable mode. (No ammo spawns... but no unlimited ammo, either!)
No special requirements to patch. U.B.A. uses an unmodified Trilogy or MP2 .iso/.gcm.

Screenshots

How to use the Patcher Utility

. Extract “metroidprime2unlimitedbeamsauthorizedwii.7z” to a folder, and put your Metroid Prime 2 game inside the same folder, where the patcher utility is.
. Drag game onto “DRAG GAME ONTO HERE.bat”.
. Follow instructions on-screen. Patching will finish in under 10 minutes. Or, if you are patching Trilogy USA, then patching will take at least 10 minutes. If the patcher doesn’t display anything different on screen for at least 10 minutes, then try again.
. You can choose whether to “Keep” or to “Remove” the beam ammo bars from Samus’ visor during patching. For examples of both, please see the screenshots.
. The game will show up in your patcher utility folder, where your game is, usually with “Unlimited Beams Authorized” or “U.B.A.” in the title.

The patcher utility will accept most “trimmed” or “shrunken” games.

Attention: Patching “Trilogy” (Wii) requires at least 20GB of free hardrive space before patching.

Other side effects and (known) changes

Despite having unlimited ammo, the overall difficulty of the game is more or less the same.

A very limited number of enemies and boss attacks that would normally spawn beam ammo now drop nothing at all * a small price to pay for unlimited ammo. This typically affects swarm*type enemies, and for example may be noticeable on boss attacks like Chykka's spawns, or in the final boss battle. This effect largely goes unnoticed, however, as most everything else in the game still drops health and missiles and powerbombs as normal (enemies, crates, bosses after you kill them, and powerbomb*specific enemies).

Multiplayer now gives ALL players unlimited ammo when firing beams.

Known issues and changes

. Swarm enemies should be seen as a hazard typically, since they now usually do not drop any pickups (e.g. Hydlings, Chyklings, Ing Larva Swarm).
. Alpha Blogg, Grapple Guardian, Dark Samus 2, and Emperor Ing (whole fight) do not drop any pickups. Planned fix for some of this at a later update.
. On U.B.A. Hardmode1 and Hardmode2 modes, Chykka drops beam ammo at the end of the fight, but this impact is minimal since an ammo station is nearby. This has been fixed and will come at a later update.
. In-game text has not yet been changed, will patch at a later update.
. No compatibility for EUR-region version of Trilogy or JPN-region “Wii de Asobo” (New Play Control) version of MP2, yet.

Patcher utility name: “MP2-Unlimited Beams Authorized v1.0.7z”

FAQs

Q: Does this mod affect logbook scans?
A: No, item drops in MP2 don't give logbook scans, so they won't take away from your logbook%.

Q: Can you remove beam ammo expansions from completion%?
A: Changes the save file, likely causes corruption if you load Vanilla or UBA in between gameplays. So we left it out from even being an option.

Q: Remove beam ammo expansions be from the game?
A: Possible.

Q: Make beam ammo expansions give missiles/powerbombs/new upgrade/change their models?
A: Possible. Missiles and powerbombs are capped at the in-game values, meaning you'll never go over the total. However, you could get a missile tank or something early, which could make for an interesting route.

Q: What is hardmode?
A: Beam ammo does not spawn, but Samus is not given unlimited beam ammo either. You will only be able to refill your beam ammo at ammo stations or your gunship.

Q: How do I access Hardmode?
A: When the patcher prompts you whether to HIDE or KEEP beam ammo bars, press the "h" key instead to activate hardmode 1, which will remove ammo from spawning, but give Samus limited ammo.

If you want to access the hardest mode, press the "s" key instead and hardmode 2 will activate. Hardmode 2 is a "silent" mode where Samus won't know when she'll run out of ammo until she does. Hardmode 2 hides the beam ammo bars, in addition to the effects of hardmode 1.

Acknowledgements

Dybbles
- Initial mod proposal, game research, AR code hacking and asm injection, documentation, testing

z_pucK
- General research, documentation, patch creation, testing, writeups

Special Thanks to
- Metroid Prime Modding - Antidote, Aruki, Cirrus, and Pwootage for modding and guidance help
- Prime World Editor
- Retro Modding Wiki
- Paktool
- NODtool
- John Nathaniel - .bat help for patcher

Thanks to
- MetConst - kkzero, thedopefish - patcher help
- TJG Minty Meeo - getvalue, patcher help
- encounter - Trilogy AR codes

External Links

Romhacking - https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/5054/