According to programmer Zoid Kirsch, one of the design goals during Metroid Prime's development was to make sure the player immediately know if they are damaging enemies or not as objects and creatures are often only vulnerable to specific types of damage, and those types need an indicator.

The GameCube did not have shaders as they are known in modern-day consoles, rather it had a TEV (acronym for TExture enVironment unit) that could blend colors, and Kirsch realized the game needed a consistent design for the color blends. He worked with senior designers to pick particular yellow and red colors, whether hitting blocks, bosses, or enemies, to ensure that it was clear when the player was shooting in the right area to damage them. Whenever the player is not doing damage, Samus' shots are reflected off what she's shooting, creating a consistency that helps players understand clearly what's happening.