================================= ====Super Metroid Speed Guide==== ================================= by Tim :tim@megaman-network.com :http://metroid.retrofaction.com ====== Index: ====== 1. Introduction 2. History And Plot 3. Controller Setup 4. Gaming Basics 5. Intro To The Speed Run 6. The Colony Under Attack 7. Returning To Zebes 8. The Jungles of Brinstar 9. The Fires of Norfair 10. Exploring the Wrecked Ship 11. The Brinstar Scavenger Hunt 12. Watery Maridia 13. The Lower Depths of Norfair 14. The New Secret Base 15. Power Suit Upgrades 16. Samus' Abilities 17. Endings 18. Secrets And Tips 19. Legal ================ 1. Introduction: ================ Welcome to the official Metroid Online speed guide for Super Metroid, the amazing 16- bit adventure for the Super Nintendo. Super Metroid takes the sidescrolling platformer action of Metroid and Metroid II and raises the bar with this new installment. The information contained in this speed run document is primarily meant for one to play the game and complete all objectives within a relatively low clock time. Refer to the index above for a handy reference guide, and go to http://metroid.retrofaction.com/guides for assorted guides to all the other Metroid games. Happy gaming. ==================== 2. History And Plot: ==================== The Metroid series has taken place over five games. This one is, to be specific, the third one to be released, but takes place fourth in the actual timeline. Super Metroid occurs immediately following the events (perhaps a few days afterward) of Metroid II, as the game picks up with Samus delivering the Metroid hatchling to the scientists on Ceres. So far, the progression of the Metroid series looks like this (this includes the newest additions to the series, as well): - Metroid (1987 - Nintendo Entertainment System) "Stop the Space Pirates and preserve galactic peace!" - Metroid Prime (2002 - Nintendo Gamecube) "Destroy the evil beneath the surface of Tallon IV!" - Metroid II: Return of Samus (1991 - Nintendo Game Boy) "Exterminate all remaining Metroids!" - Super Metroid (1994 - Super Nintendo Entertainment System) "Destroy the Space Pirates and save the last Metroid!" - Metroid Fusion (2002 - Game Boy Advance) "Exterminate the X parasites and save the universe!" Here's the introduction to the game's story as told in the intro sequence: [The Narrator speaks] The last Metroid is in captivity. The galaxy is at peace... [Samus begins recounting events from her Log.] I first battled the Metroids on Planet Zebes. It was there that I foiled the plans of the Space Pirate Leader Mother Brain to use the creatures to attack galactic civili- zation... [Scene cuts to Samus battling Mother Brain, and emerging victorious. Samus then goes onto continue her Log.] I next fought the Metroids on their homeworld, SR388. I completely eradicated them except for a larva, which after hatching followed me like a confused child... [Scene cuts to Samus finding the larva Metroid. Samus then continues her Log.] I personally delivered it to the Galactic Research Station at Ceres so scientists could study its energy producing qualities... [Scene cuts to Samus handing off the larva. Samus continues her Log.] The scientists' findings were astounding! They discovered that the powers of the Metroid might be harnessed for the good of civilization! [Scene cuts to experiments and tests being performed on the Metroid larva. Samus cont- inues with the Log.] Satisfied that all was well, I left the station to seek a new bounty to hunt. But, I had hardly gone beyond the asteroid belt when I picked up a distress signal! Ceres station was under attack!!! [Samus' ship dives towards the station, thus beginning the game.] ==================== 3. Controller Setup: ==================== You have the option of customizing your controller in Super Metroid. What's listed below is the most easy to use setup, as it facilitates the most ease in dashing while still putting a good setup on the activity buttons. However, take this with a grain of salt - some people may prefer other combinations - this is merely a suggested method. You lose the "Angle Down" move, but it's rarely used anyway, and you can always use the Direc- tional buttons to compensate. - Control Pad: Move Samus around left or right. - Start: Pause and bring up Map Screen. - Select: Not used unless other function is designated to it. - L Button: Dash; hold to run and/or engage the Speed Boosters. - R Button: Angle Up - X Button: Item Select - Y Button: Fire Beam Cannon; hold to charge up. - B Button: Jump - A Button: Item Cancel ================= 4. Gaming Basics: ================= Metroid games have always been focused on exploration. You might call it the hallmark of the series. Within each Metroid game lies twisting tunnels and maze-like structures that all contribute to one heck of an experience. Super Metroid takes the classic 2D exploration that made Metroid and Metroid II so much fun, and made it so much bigger. In addition to the primary exploration concept, many Metroid games seem designed for speed breaking - finding alternate paths and quite ingenious methods of item acquisition (to my knowledge, Metroid Fusion is the only one left to be truly speed broken). To that end, the following speed run has been designed, tested, and re-tested over the years to provide endless entertainment from this Super Nintendo classic. General Tips: ------------- 1. Super Metroid kind of lets you off easy by not flooding you with vast hordes of enemies (anyone who remembers Tourian from the original game knows about tackling upwards of eight Metroids at a single time). Many enemies require different tactics to defeat, but for the purposes of speed runs, you'll most likely be ignoring the vast majority of them. However, always be wary of what's off-screen - you never know when some giant enemy is going to swoop in on you to attack, such as the larger varieties of Sidehoppers. 2. The game is full of nifty little items, a couple of which you won't ever use save for contributing to your 100% item rating, namely the X-Ray Scope. Know which items to keep active at the proper times to ensure quick maneuvering through the planet of Zebes. For example, it's a good idea to keep the Ice Beam turned off for about 95% of the game since it slows you down having to freeze enemies. 3. It's a really good idea to master the tricks listed in the section entitled "Samus' Abilities". While many of the later power-ups (like the Spring Ball) allow you to reach certain items, many of the said pick-ups can easily be gotten through the use of the speed tricks. 4. For the purposes of speed running the game, you will always want to have the Dash button held down. Whatever button you designate that function to is up to you (this guide recommends the L Button), but to successfully blow through the game quickly, dashing is imperative. Areas of Zebes: --------------- You'll travel through six different areas on Zebes during the course of the game. All of the areas interconnect through the use of elevator transports. Note that some areas cannot be reached until certain upgrades have been added to the Power Suit. - Crateria: Crateria encompasses the surface area of Zebes. The ruined Tourian base is located here, as well as the pathways to the Wrecked Ship and Brinstar. Your Ship is also located here, which you can use at any time to fully reload your energy and weapons. - Brinstar: Comprised of Upper, Middle, and Lower sectors, Brinstar is a massive sub- terranean network of tunnels and passageways. Climate areas ranging from subtropical jungle to arid desert are present here. A key Space Pirate base, guarded by the gargantuan Kraid, is located near the southeastern corner. - Norfair: The fiery mantle area of Zebes, Norfair is a massive area. Some of Zebes' toughest inhabitants reside in the lava world. The world of Norfair is subdivided into Upper and Lower regions; Ridley is believed to have taken up residence in the lowest regions of the core. - Wrecked Ship: Millenia ago, a research crew's ship crash-landed on Zebes. Since that time, ghosts have begun inhabiting the derelict vessel. Massive energy siphon readings are present here. - Maridia: Maridia comprises the watery environment of Zebes. While the vast majority of the area is aquatic, some regions to the north are dry shore-like areas. Maridia is nearly as large as Norfair, and is divided into Eastern and Western landscapes. - Tourian: The rebuilt base of the Space Pirates is located in an unknown area on Zebes. The Space Pirates continue their research here on the Metroids, and it is believed that the evil Mother Brain has been resurrected, the same as with Kraid and Ridley. Transportation: --------------- There are various means of transportation around Zebes. Traveling from world to world is accomplished through the use of Transport elevators, while moving from area to area is accomplished through passages or doors. Transports are recognizable by the glowing platforms in empty rooms. There are four main types of doors, but certain conditions can affect the use of them. Other than elevators and doors, there are tunnels you can access with the Morph Ball. Refer below to see a good list of the means you'll be using to move from place to place. - Beam Lock (Blue) - Requires a Bomb or normal Beam to open up. Beam Gates require that you fire a Beam weapon at the lock mechanism. - Missile Lock (Red) - Use 5 Missiles or a Super Missile to open these. - Super Missile Lock (Green) - A single Super Missile will open this. When encountering a Super Missile Gate, you must fire a Super Missile up at the green lock mechanism. - Power Bomb Lock (Orange) - Power Bombs are the only weapon that will activate these heavily-shielded doors. - Standard Lock - You must complete some objective or scan some type of console to unlock these doors. Once you've completed the objective, the door is unlocked and begins to flash. - Morph Ball Tunnel: Once the Morph Ball has been acquired, you can and will use these small passages to travel new places. Some tunnels are blocked, and the obstructions must be removed (usually through the use of Morph Ball Bombs or Power Bombs). Power-Up Stations: ------------------ - Map Station: Step up to the pad and link up with the console to download the map data for a particular area of Zebes. Once you've read the map data, explored areas will remain pink and unexplored areas show as blue. Keep in mind that there are many passages not shown on the whole map. - Save Station: Step up to the pad to save your game progress. - Missile Station: Step up to the pad to reload your Missile complement. - Energy Station: Step up to the pad to fully restore your Energy. Block Types: ------------ As you upgrade your items and progress, you'll find special blocks that require the use of your upgrades to bypass. What follows is a list of all the major blocks you'll encounter through the game. - Weakened block: These types of blocks can be destroyed with any type of force impact: Beams, Morph Ball Bombs, the Speed Booster... - Morph Ball Bomb blocks: They don't have any special symbol or anything, but only Morph Ball Bombs will destroy them. - Super Missile block: A Super Missile icon will appear on these blocks. Naturally, a Super Missile will destroy them. - Power Bomb block: The same as above, except you must use Power Bombs. - Grapple block: Use the Grappling Beam to swing from block to block. They are the little "X" blocks that sometimes line the ceiling. - Broken Grapple block: These are cracked versions of above; once you are attached, you have five seconds to get to another block before the broken one crumbles and drops you. - Boost block: Only the Speed Booster will eliminate these. To get past them, you must be running at full speed. Any variation of the Booster will work, whether it be running, speed jumping, or Hyper Boosting. - Collapsible block: These ones are real scourges; they disentegrate the moment you touch them. If you get caught in a column of them, it's a very difficult time trying to jump out. Environmental Hazards: ---------------------- The planet of Zebes is chock-full of hazards that are detrimental to your continued survival and/or progression. Check the list so you know what to expect and what to avoid. - Water: Water slows you down irregardless until you have the Gravity Suit. You move underwater very slowly, cannot use the Speed Booster, and can't lay Bombs to propel yourself up. - "Hot Rooms": These rooms rapidly drain your energy unless you have the Varia Suit. However, seeing as in this speed run you won't even visit Norfair until you have said Suit upgrade, you needn't worry about these. - Orange Lava: The first type of lava, encountered in upper and middle Norfair, this will harm you unless you have the Gravity Suit equipped. - Red Lava: Found in Tourian mostly, this will harm you no matter what you are wearing. - Acid: Found scattered everywhere, this substance eats your Power Suit and rapidly drains energy. ========================== 5. Intro To The Speed Run: ========================== Overview: --------- The Speed Guide itself is broken down by major area that you'll be heading through. At the beginning of each section, I've basically outlined your stats, what items you should have upon starting the area, such as upgrades, Missiles, etc, etc. and your optimal timestamp for completing the game in under 1:30. The remainder of this section just details more miscellaneous info one might want to know before starting the speed run. Item Numbering: --------------- You'll notice that I numbered just about every item in the game during the course of the walkthrough. While this was originally designed for my record-keeping purposes, I found it quite handy to keep in there so it would be easier to keep track of one's item progress through the game. As for item totals, you'll have 230 Missiles, 50 Super Missiles, 50 Power Bombs, 14 Energy Tanks, and 4 Reserve Tanks, plus all the major Power Suit upgrades to get the full 100%. Another addition is the item tallying that is placed next to each area's name section. Put in parentheses, this little blurb is to identify how many of each upgrade you should have by the time said area is completed. The tallying follows the order: Missiles, Super Missiles, Power Bombs, Energy Tanks, Reserve Tanks / Optimal Timestamp (i.e. the final one will read as ( 230 / 50 / 50 /14 / 4 / 01:20). =========================== 6. The Colony Under Attack: =========================== [Game Statistics: 000 / 00 / 00 / 00 / 0 / 00:01] Start the game and you'll watch the short cinema intro. Gameplay will begin as soon as Samus lands on the colony. As soon as you touch down on the elevator pad, drop down the right-hand side and fall to the bottom. Hold the Dash button as you make it through the corridors of the deserted colony. Through about five corridors, you'll reach the room containing the Metroid hatchling. However, before you can secure it, the fearsome Ridley appears from the shadows and confronts you. Ridley Strategy =============== You can't really beat him here; doing so in no way affects the storyline, so you can just run into him to get the battle over with faster (or fight him - he takes 100 hits to defeat). Just jump into his tail, once you get below 30 units, the battle will be over. Ridley grabs the hatchling and hightails out of the colony. You have one minute to escape the exploding colony. Start backtracking the way you came, being mindful of the tilting of the station as parts of it collapse and it spins out of orbit (a nice visual effect if you ask me). In one room, you'll deal with falling ceiling tiles (just speed on past them), and in two more you'll work around gas vents, but these still won't present too much of a threat. You should make it out with about 35 seconds still on the clock (thus stopping the game from tacking that second minute onto your timestamp). Hop on the elevator pad and press Up to trigger your escape. After the colony explodes, you'll fly back to the planet Zebes, where you first battled the Metroids. If you have played and completed the first adventure, what lies ahead in this first section will be *very* familiar to you... ====================== 7. Returning To Zebes: ====================== [Game Statistics: 005 / 00 / 00 / 01 / 0 / 00:05] As you land on the surface of Zebes, you'll exit your ship, and emerge on the upper surface of the planet. Immediately turn left and head through the blue door. Head to the pitfall and drop down through it to the blue door located in the flooring. Drop down to reach the Craterian Shaft (what you used to escape Tourian the first go-round), and hug the right-hand wall for a quick drop to reach the door at the bottom. Just inside, you'll find the remnants of Mother Brains's support system. Hop across the platforms in this dead area to reach an elevator pad leading down to Middle Brinstar. As you descend into Brinstar, you'll reach the area where you actually began the Metroid adventure. As in that game, head left over the tall obstruction to reach the MORPHING BALL upgrade, then head back to the right and wall jump up the narrow shaft to avoid having to shoot and roll through a passage. Continue heading right and down through the breakable blocks to reach the first set of MISSILES (005), then backtrack to the elevator pad and return to Crateria, where your arrival has awakened the local citizenry...and brought those infernal Space Pirates out of hiding. Quickly eliminate the Space Pirates in Old Tourian with your Power Beam, then return to the large Craterian Shaft. Start wall jumping up the right-hand side from platform to platform, stopping only to shoot any Space Pirates hindering your ascent. Once at the top, climb back to the top of the pitfall and roll past the Skrees into the small Morph Ball tunnel. Drop down past the Ripper and head through the door, where you should run past the enemies and use all five Missiles on the red-coded door to open it up. Once you do, head on through and shoot the ball the Chozo statue is holding to reveal the BOMBS upgrade. Unfortunately, the door locks immediately after you collect them... Silver Torizo Strategy ====================== It turns out an evil Torizo (evil cousin of the Chozo) was hiding behind that Chozo statuary. As it rises to its feet, quickly spin jump over its head so you land behind it, and empty your Missiles at the mini-boss as it walks across the room. Just keep peppering it with the Power Beam and shoot the Bombs that it throws to gain more Missile refills, which you can then use to bring this mini-boss down even faster. The door will then unlock once you've defeated it. Backtrack up to the room you came from with the Geemers and Skrees, and head to the left, this time bypassing that pitfall in the ground. Use the newly-acquired Bombs to blast through the rock and reveal a new door. Head through it and dash all the way past the Space Pirates (don't worry about taking damage; it takes longer to kill them any- way), and take the blue door at the bottom left. Continue dashing through the slanted rooms until you reach some Wavers. Spin jump over them to claim the first ENERGY TANK (01), then head into the elevator pad and descend down to a new area of Brinstar. =========================== 8. The Jungles of Brinstar: =========================== [Game Statistics: 015 / 05 / 00 / 02 / 0 / 00:11] Fall down this vertical tunnel, avoiding all enemies until you reach the bottom. Use your Missiles on the red door to the right, and speed through this next room, spin jumping over the creatures inside. Use Bombs to clear the obstruction away, and head through the next door into a large pinkish room. Spin jump up to the ledge above you and deal with some Sidehoppers as you make your way to the top. Once up there, open the red door, and refill using the Dispenser to your left. Inside, you'll fight three Kihunters. Once they've been eliminated (use Missiles for a quick kill), head up through the flashing door to the next mini-boss. Spore Spawn Strategy ==================== This giant plant will swing like a pendulum from the ceiling three times before opening its giant maw for you to attack. You should be able to knock off two Missiles to its core per round, but occasionally you can squeeze that third Missile in. The Spore Spawn will close its maw as soon as it's struck, so make your shots fast and accurate. The plant will swing faster and faster with each hit, so fast that the only way to avoid being hit is to stay morphed (this is actually the preferred position for the whole battle). It takes 10 Missile impacts to the Core to retire the giant plant. Collect the refills and head up the vertical section after the plant dies. Wall jump up the northern shaft, head through the door and fall on top of the second (vacant) pipe dispenser. You'll fall down a very long shaft where you can claim your first batch of SUPER MISSILES (05). Use two to exit the corridor you're in, and fight the bouncing creature. Fall down to claim more MISSILES (010) and bomb the lower floor to find the CHARGE BEAM. Head back up, bomb up through the little passage above you, and head into another part of the jungle. Dash through here, and wall jump up after the second pipe dispenser to find a vacant pipe leading to some MISSILES (015). Use your Charge Beam to take out the Sidehoppers and collect their refills. When you reach a blue gate, shoot it to make it rise and gain access to the next area. Here you must dash across a collapsing floor, then use a Super Missile on the green door and head into the giant Brinstar Pipe. In this gigantic vertical area, head down, and shoot the floor to reveal more of the path at the dead end. Hug the eastern wall and shoot down to preopen a door. Head through and spin jump through this section. In the next room, shoot the ceiling above you and wall jump up to a platform. Bomb the two blocks out of your way and you'll be able to find the SPAZER a bit early. Head back down and continue to the right. When you reach the elevator room, don't go down. Use a Super Missile on the block in the lower corner and prepare for a tricky jump. Stand on the one-block segment below the passage and do a split second dash and then spin jump. Hold the jump button down to increase your air time, and immediately as Samus touches the ledge, wall jump off and back to the right to land on the ledge (This eliminates the detour for the Hi Jump Boots by the way). Continue into Kraid's Lair and shoot the floor, bomb the wall and then shoot through the cracked section of flooring (while avoiding the Ki- hunters). Use Missiles on the Space Pirates and a Super Missile on the mini-Kraid. Collect their refills and head across a spike section to reach an eye door. Use three Missiles and head into the next room with your Beam fully charged to engage the mighty General Kraid. Kraid Strategy ============== Kraid looks mildly threatening, but is really a big pushover. After his introductory animation is finished, jump and fire a charged Spazer into his eyes, then switch to the Super Missiles. As he opens his mouth and roars, fire one off so it blasts him right in the jaw, and Kraid will get teed off and rise completely out of the ground. Wall jump off the left-hand wall to reach the platforms above you, and dodge his abdominal spikes and claw thrusts while firing three more charged shots and Super Missile impact combos to bring the beast to the ground. Optimal times for bringing him down range between 10-15 seconds. Collect the refills Kraid leaves behind, and head to the right into the adjoining room to claim the VARIA SUIT upgrade. With this, you can survive the extremes of Norfair, which is where you're headed next. Now head back out of Kraid's lair, stopping to open that flashing door. Kill the parasites with Bombs, and shoot the ceiling to reveal an ENERGY TANK (02). Now continue out of Kraid's area and take that elevator from earlier down to the fires of Norfair. ======================== 9. The Fires Of Norfair: ======================== [Game Statistics: 060 / 05 / 15 / 04 / 0 / 00:25] In this fiery environment, head to the very bottom and take the door on your left. Quickly kill the crawler in here and grab the ENERGY TANK (03), then shoot the door, but don't leave. Roll down the small tunnel and go in the door. Shoot the barrier to collect the HI JUMP BOOTS, then go out and up to find some more MISSILES (020). Exit this room and head back up; this time taking the first door on the right. Shoot the floor and take out the hoppers in your path. Take the door up top, and execute spin jumps over the tall barriers in this next room. After the second one, head all the way down into the lava and shoot the lowest block to reveal a hidden set of MISSILES (025), then go up and over to the green door. The next room is full of small columns, so hop over them (you can spin jump over three at a time) while avoiding the crawlers and dragons. Get to the end to find the huge bubble room. From here, head all the way to the right and shoot a path to the MISSILES (030), then head back up. Go to the blue door above the entrance to this room and save your game; your time right now should be about 14 minutes. Finish saving and head back out, destroying the two Wavers. Take a running leap off the ledge and hold the Jump button to get max hangtime. Spin jump towards the wall, and just as you brush against it, wall jump off again to clear the overhang, then again to get over the Cacatac. Head to the green door, go inside, shoot the ceiling, and head into the next room, dashing the whole time to reach the other side. Shoot the ceiling in front of the door to reach the next set of MISSILES (035), and head inside to find the SPEED BOOSTER. Head back left and dash with all your might to escape the rising lava. Once back in the bubble room, take the lower path and go inside the first red door you find. Hop across the platforms, use a Spazer to open the blue gate, and hop up to gain some more MISSILES (040), then take a running leap (the Speed Booster at this point increases your distance), and wall jump up to the room that contains the WAVE BEAM, thereby nabbing this precious item far earlier than ever intended. Now exit out this large room by falling in the middle of the spike pit and return to the bubble room. Fall down the left side of the wall and shoot through the metal flooring to reveal a crawlspace. Bomb through here and take the west door, then shoot again through the floor and use your Wave Beam to open the blue gate. Spin jump and dash through the following rooms until you reach a dead end with a green door on the bottom. Use a Super Missile on the door, and charge up the Wave Beam as you drop down through. Crocomire Strategy ================== The objective in this battle is to push Crocomire backwards into the acid, something he's not too willing to do. You might be tempted to use Super Missiles or Missiles here, but you have a limited stock of each, and actually, a charged Spazer/Wave is almost equivalent in power to a Super Missile blast, and has a much better chance of hitting Crocomire in the mouth. Aim for his snout to ensure that your shot goes in every time, and once you get him on the outcropping, one more hit will send him under. Crocomire is merely an annoyance in your way, so kill him as quickly as possible. As Crocomire is busy dying, head back to the left and take a running Speed Jump across the huge acid pit to the wall on the far right. Quickly wall jump up to reach another ENERGY TANK (04), then brave the acid and head left again. If you timed it just right, Crocomire's skeleton will be swimming around to challenge you again. Just wait through the time consuming death animation to finish, then get ready for a somewhat tricky maneuver. Go left and hop on the first rock column. Shoot the door off to the left, and listen for the sound effect. Now run back right, stop when your Booster has enough room to charge up, and then start running back to the left. As you reach the part with the pillars again, crouch to engage your Rocket Booster, then run back left a little ways and take a running spin leap over the pillars and try to land directly in front of the open door. Now execute a horizontal Rocket Boost to fly across the gap and land in front of a red door, where you can claim your first set of POWER BOMBS (05). Note: You can get these Power Bombs another way, if you can't quite nail the horizontal Boost move. Drop down into the large room, and take out the enemies in the pipe (heck, save if you want to attempt this over and over again). Stand by the door, run forward and quickly bound to the moving platform, then bound again while holding left on the Control Pad - sometimes you'll get lucky and land on the edge of the outcropping. Doing it this way involves some gamble of skill, but at least it's a semi-reliable way of doing what you're supposed to be doing. Once you have the Power Bombs, exit the room, take some refills from the enemies down below if you need them, and drop through the door in the floor. Fall down the long shaft all the way to the bottom, and go through the door. Set off a Power Bomb to clear the rocks, then Speed Boost and crouch for a Rocket Boost right as you hit the runway. Drop into the acid, stand slightly left of the runway and blast vertically. Hold right as you fall to land on a ledge holding some MISSILES (045), then fall back down, this time Speed Boosting off the runway to a ledge far across the room (jump as you hit the edge of the runway to fling yourself across the length of the room). Head inside the door to claim the GRAPPLING BEAM, then to save quite a bit of time, open the door you came in from. Dash through here and you should just barely engage your Speed Booster to fly back across the room and land back on the runway. Ta-da! Roll under the passage and go back up through the door. This time, on your ascent, head through the red door you see. Turn around and open the door, then wait for the acid to recede, and dash through to some MISSILES (050). Now start a new dash (once you get back to the other side) and your Speed Booster will kick in. Crouch as you hit the door, then as you exit, Rocket Boost vertically to get your- self to the ledge above, saving yourself a three or four minute trip around a grappling section. Head back up to the room prior to Crocomire, this time heading straight up. Take the door at the very top, and take the top route. Use the Grappling Beam to swing to some MISSILES (055), then use a Super Missile to open the gate. Head through the door to find yourself back in the main corridor of Norfair. Head up to the green door, open it and Speed Boost past the falling gates. Enter the next door, and proceed to spin jump across the lava pits, then go in the next room and head up through the plat- forming sections. At the top, shoot the floor, and morph into a ball to squeeze into the passage that leads to the ICE BEAM. As you head out, fall down, then wall jump back up and use your new beam to freeze the Poppers as you create an escape route. Take the new path back to your starting point and exit Norfair, then head back to Brinstar. For the remainder of this chapter, you'll be heading back to Crateria to save and re- stock at your Gunship. If you think your skills are good enough, you can forgo freezing the Rippers in the Brinstar Pipe and wall jump your way up. Midway up, stop and Power Bomb the orange door. Freeze the flying lightbulbs and work your way across the expansive grappling section to reach a room containing a pole puzzle. Receive the X-RAY SCOPE from the Chozo, and use it to find a passage to bomb your way out. Head back across and continue your climb. Now that you have the Hi Jump Boots, keep ascending the pipe and this time, freeze the next set of Rippers to give you a path up. Proceed through a dangerous room full of flying and crawling critters and those hungry mouths that eat you and won't let go. Make it out, shoot through the floor and fall all the way down. Enter the next room, freeze the Poppers and collect some more POWER BOMBS (10). Power Bomb the Chozo to reveal a path to some MISSILES (060), then head back and up. Near the top, you can use a Super Missile to open a green door. Kill the giant Sidehoppers, then Power Bomb the floor over the last chewing enemy. Instead of getting chomped, you'll fall through to a set of POWER BOMBS (15). Now head out of this room and take the elevator up. At the top, Power Bomb the door to head back into Crateria. Now it's a simple trip to the right to reach the Wrecked Ship, or head back left to save your game and restock (recommended). =============================== 10. Exploring The Wrecked Ship: =============================== [Game Statistics: 095 / 15 / 15 / 05 / 1 / 00:40] Save before heading to the Wrecked Ship, then head to the right. Open the green Super Missile door and head through the tunnel. Power Bomb the orange door open, then head on through. Quickly use the Grappling Beam in a smooth motion to swing across the gap, grabbing the set of MISSILES (065) as you do, and head through the blue door on the other side. Now, with your back against the door, start running towards the water; as you reach the very edge of the lightly-colored part, spin jump very lightly to send yourself into a low spin; this will help you clear the first two grappling parts. Now, grapple across a short section, and take another running spin jump as high as you can go to soar over the Ripper and land on another platform. Now just head to the green door, use a Super Missile on it, and head into the Wrecked Ship area. Enter and head down the twisting passageways. At the very bottom (don't Power Bomb the floor yet), bomb the west wall and follow the path to some MISSILES (075), then exit and Power Bomb the floor like normal to find the green door that leads to the lower depths of this phantom ship. Try and restock your Super Missiles by destroying the four or so enemies you find on your way down, as well. You only have 5, and a full com- plement really shortens your workload during the next battle. Head down and east, bombing through the eastern wall, then use three Missiles on the eye door. Switch to your beam and charge it up; bouncing flames will almost immediately begin circling the room when the Phantoon battle begins. Phantoon Strategy ================= Phantoon's a bit tricky, though with the right timing, he can fall fairly quickly. Start off by shooting his blue flames to gain any powerups you might need, then activate your Ice Beam. As he solidifies and circles around, fire off 2 charged beams to his eye, then on his third pass, nail him with a Super Missile. After he shrieks, stand in the center of the room, aim upwards, and rapid fire to clear most of his blue flame attacks away. He'll go through eight of these, then start over from his initial pattern all over again. Simply repeat 3 more times and you'll have him beaten. Once you've taken care of him, exit Phantoon's room and head back to the door you came down through. Power Bomb back through the floor and take the now-flashing door to gain some SUPER MISSILES (10), then leave this room, and bomb the east wall to find a room full of creatures. Head to the end, and set off a Power Bomb, then take the middle path that leads to more SUPER MISSILES (15). Now head all the way up, shooting through the ceiling near the top, and shoot the door. Go up and set off two Power Bombs to destroy the large Kihunters, then move left to right taking out everything in your path. When all enemies have been killed, shoot the far left door (but don't go through it), then head back to the right. Go through that flashing door and follow the path to some more MISSILES (080). Now exit and run back through the room, and unless you're low on energy, don't worry about the enemies. Exit out the door I told you not to go through earlier, and drop down. Cross this section, and as soon as you get past the small pit and back on the grass, start running. Charge your Speed Booster and crouch as you reach a ledge slightly above the ground. Position yourself to the right of it (just to the right actually), and Rocket Boost all the way up to the top. Shoot and hug the wall on your way down for more MISSILES (085), then roll west. Use a Super Missile on the odd block and roll down to another set of MISSILES (090), then go back up the way you came, and look for a weak block a little ways back to the east. Roll down through here and go through the blue door. Take out the enemies here and activate your Grappling Beam for the next section. Grapple across the ceiling tiles until you reach the standing Chozo. Morph into its palm and let the animation sequence go while the Chozo takes you through a secret path underground. After he drops you, bomb the floor, roll, set off a Power Bomb to clear a path, then head up and shoot the robots into the pits to create a clear path. Grab the MISSILES (095), and set off a Power Bomb to clear the Chozo and wall away. Now charge your Booster and crouch for a vertical Rocket Boost just before the wall. Head to the left and carefully jump over a false floor to gain your first RESERVE TANK (1), then drop back down. Speed Boost back to the left to clear more blocks, then head through the door and shoot the ball to uncover the GRAVITY SUIT upgrade. With this in hand, you can now travel through water and some lava. Exit out the next door; as you fall, curve back to the right and head back inside the Wrecked Ship. Go down one level to the flashing door, and maneuver through the watery section now that you can move in it. Head through the next section of dropping spike platforms and in the next room, ascend your way up to a red door. Use a combination of platform jumping and your Grapp- ling Beam to reach a much needed ENERGY TANK (05), then head back out the way you came. As you exit the main part of the Wrecked Ship, use the long runway to charge up your Booster, preopen the exit door, and execute a horizontal Rocket Boost out exactly the way you came in. Now just retrace your steps back to your Ship, stopping to save. The major item-gathering Scavenger Hunt follows this part, so you'll probably want to use this save point. ================================ 11. The Brinstar Scavenger Hunt: ================================ [Game Statistics: 140 / 30 / 30 / 09 / 2 / 00:49] From your ship, head back to the left into the caves of Crateria. Make your way back down to the Craterian Shaft, and fall all the way to the bottom. Head into Old Tourian and Bomb through the flooring of Mother Brain's old life support systems to find a set of MISSILES (100), then head back into the shaft. Work up a little ways until you find a short ledge sticking out of the wall on the right. Bomb through the wall and use a Power Bomb on the orange door. Equip the Ice Beam before heading in, then slowly run to the right, freezing the Poppers to create a straight runway, then charge your Speed Booster for a vertical Rocket Boost. A successful Boost will net you some SUPER MISSILES (20), then go west and use your Grappling Beam to cross back to safe land. On your way back up, take the first blue door on the left, and Power Bomb through the blocks to reach a door leading to more MISSILES (105), then leave this room and head back through the remainder of Crateria to reach the jungle areas of Brinstar. Once inside Brinstar, drop down and take take the first red door on the right of the vertical drop. Quickly jump up and Speed Boost past the falling gates, then enter the red door to claim a RESERVE TANK (2), then roll through the tunnel to get MISSILES (110), and Power Bomb your way to another hidden set of MISSILES (115). Exit the room, shoot the ceiling and take out the annoying Waver enemies to reward yourself with some SUPER MISSILES (25). Drop down, hop over the dispenser and bomb your way to another set of MISSILES (120), then exit this room completely, and continue falling down the shaft. Power Bomb the floor and fall all the way down this next vertical shaft and enter the room to the left. Ignore the parasites in here and continue on through. Now start run- ning and spin jump just as you see the ENERGY TANK (06) - if you wait one second too long, you'll fall through an invisible collapsible floor - and you can't get back up... Take the Energy Tank and head into the next room to collect a set of SUPER MISSILES (30). Now head back out and fall through that invisible hole. Make your way through the hazardous spike and parasite filled room, then get to a room where the friendly Etecoons await you. Wall jump up this vertical corridor, then at the top, take a running start and execute a mid-air morph jump to reach a small crevice with some POWER BOMBS (20). Set off a normal bomb as you leave to bounce you to the left-hand ledge and exit the room. Now head back to the large pink room as if you were going to the Spore Spawn. As you enter, go right and curve to the left. Use the Grappling Beam to cross to some MISSILES (125). Set off a Power Bomb to clear a wall away, then jump through the fake wall and engage in close combat with some huge Sidehoppers. Take them out with charged shots, and use a Super Missile on the odd block near the middle. Drop down for some POWER BOMBS (25), and use beams and bombs to trigger pipes to get you out. Fall through the floor and curve to the right. Run to the right as you land on a platform, then head up to an orange door. Power Bomb it open, and destroy more Sidehoppers inside. Turn and shoot the now flashing door, then wall jump up the large middle column, and use the Wave Beam to shoot the gate and open it. Just as quickly, wall jump your way back up. Enter the next door to gain an ENERGY TANK (07), then exit and wall jump back up the wall and exit the room. Head down to where you got the Charge Beam, and Power Bomb the pipe below the Chozo statue. Take this new passage and Speed Boost through the water and all enemies/obstacles to win another ENERGY TANK (08), then turn and head back out of this chamber. Now head like you're going to Kraid; when you reach the green jungle area again, use your Hi Jump Boots to reach an orange door far in the upper right area. Set off a Power Bomb to open it, engage some more huge Sidehoppers, and bomb through the wall. Collect the POWER BOMBS (30), and Power Bomb the next wall. You're now back (almost) where you started the game and collected the Morphing Ball. Head to the right and now enter that red door you avoided way back at the beginning. Destroy any enemies here, and set off a Power Bomb to clear some blocks away, then collect a set of MISSILES (130), and charge your Speed Booster. Position yourself just under the small opening, and Rocket Boost vertically to the top of a tunnel, and enter the door there. If you must, use your X- Ray Scope to locate the hidden bridge, then run across it and get the two sets of MISSILES (135, 140) in the next room. (The latter is found by bombing the left side of the pedestal the former sits on). Now exit the room, fall back down that long tunnel, bomb and Power Bomb your way back out of the block area, and shoot the ceiling area to locate the hidden ENERGY TANK (09). Now head back out of this whole area back into the jungle section. Head back through to the Brinstar Pipe, fall down it once again, and get to that glass tube that connects Brinstar to Maridia. Power Bomb it, head down, right, and use the Save Point, and get ready for the vast underwater world of Maridia. =================== 12. Watery Maridia: =================== [Game Statistics: 180 / 45 / 35 / 11 / 3 / 01:01] Leave the Save Room and head up back through the now smashed pipe. Continue your up- wards ascent and head through the door in the ceiling to reach the main areas of Mar- idia. Head to the right through the red door. Take out all the enemies, open the green gate, turn and open the blue door. Charge a Speed Booster, and crouch just before you reach the door. You'll have just enough time to reach the large plant sticking out of the ground near the west wall. Stop right over it and vertically Rocket Boost into some MISSILES (145). As soon as you grab them and the fanfare stops, drop back down and hold to the right to land on a ledge. Drop down a bit more to the blue door leading to the right. Head through it, wall jump up the walls and drop back down. Head through the hidden wall past the red Space Pirate and use a Super Missile to quickly open it. Keep on speed boosting; as you reach the edge, crouch and spin jump out. Just as you near the approximate middle, straighten out and finish up with a vertical Rocket Boost and claim the ENERGY TANK (10) hidden on the grapple block. Spin jump off of the block and wall jump back up the wall. Morph and detonate a Power Bomb at the top, then fall back down, grabbing the hidden set of MISSILES (150) as you fall. Exit back out into the room with the Pirates, and head to the right, exiting through the blue door in the upper right of the ceiling. Here, run all the way to the left and wall jump up. You should hit a small Geemer; as you do, morph and hold left to get wedged into a small passageway. Roll and set off a Power Bomb to boost yourself over the obstruction to claim the set of SUPER MISSILES (35), then roll back out. Hit the floor and start run- ning to the right again. Crouch as you speed past the second gap, then Rocket Boost diagonally to the right to land in front of the blue door at the very top. Go through the door and you'll find a path leading upwards. Head up the right-most one and through the door at the top. Immediately head to the right to another set of MISSILES (155), then head back left, up, and left again to find another door. Follow this path through the hidden wall, then dash spin jump up to a high ledge leading to a room with a seeming dead-end. Not so...drop through the floor of the pit to reach a set of SUPER MISSILES (40) and another set of MISSILES (160). Now return to the starting room just after the large Grappling section. Bomb the floor and head right, using a Super Missile on the green door. You'll wind up in another large room where you need to Power Bomb the floor area. Run to the right and charge the Speed Booster. Crouch as you near the end, and then Rocket Boost vertically at the short part where it looks like there's no ceiling. Blast through the Boost Blocks to claim the MISSILES (165), then spin jump over the false floor to the nearby set of SUPER MISSILES (45). Drop down through the false floor now and run back to the left, charging your Speed Booster. Stop and crouch right before the last vertical wall, and Rocket Boost vertically up to the highest ledge. Head right and up through the door to proceed to the next area. In this room, you'll deal with extremely harmless Mochtroids - the Space Pirates tried to clone the Metroids, but failed...badly. Just cut a path through the weak walls and use the Speed Booster to clear a path along the bottom to reach the next door. Beyond here awaits another mini-boss fight. Botwoon Strategy ================ Equip the Ice Beam before heading inside this room, and pop off charged shots whenever the sea serpent pokes his head out of a hole, or whenever you have a clear shot. You can only hurt his head, and he swims in and out of the tunnels with a fair amount of speed. Don't waste Missiles or Super Missiles, as the Ice Beam is more than handy enough for eliminating this mini-boss. It'll take approximately six or seven direct hits to kill him. After you've beaten Botwoon, head into the next room, and charge the Speed Booster to blast through the rock and sand areas. Just before you hit the door, crouch to charge up, then dash on through. Position yourself against the wall, and then Rocket Boost straight up, holding Right to land on the small ledge. Head through and you'll wind up in a very massive room filled with grapple blocks, Mochtroids, and quicksand. Take a running leap off the ledge and just start wall jumping your way up each of the vertical towers (grappling wastes far too much time). The first two are easy, but the third one might take a tad bit of practice to clear the overhang. Try spin-jumping a little ways below where you would normally wall jump, then try to get some extra hang time as you fly left to make it. At the top, Space Jump past the next few Mochtroids and use a Super Missile on the green door. Head inside and carefully jump across the fake set of spikes - you don't want to fall through yet - and head east to Power Bomb to another pack of MISSILES (170). Now go back to the first pit, drop down and use a Super Missile on the eye door. Open it, equip your Super Missiles and enter the room to initiate the Draygon battle. Draygon Strategy ================ Draygon is going to require some rather unorthodox tactics to bring down quickly. First off, shoot each of the four cannons in the room with Super Missiles to turn them into sparking electric traps. Then just putz around in the middle while the Evirs aimlessly swim around, and face to the left, angling your Cannon up. Wait 10 or so seconds and Draygon will fly onto the scene; quickly pop him with one or two Super Missiles, then turn and do the same as he comes on his return sweep. His belly should be a tinted orange by now. Run into the gray gunk he starts dropping, and let him pick you up. He'll do a couple of tail spikes on you, but you needn't worry too much. As he puts you into a dizzying spin, equip the Grappling Beam and latch onto one of the four electrical fields (depends on which way you're facing). As soon as your Grappling Beam attaches, just wait while the electric channel finishes Draygon off for you. Now just wait through his annoyingly long death animation... Head into the room he was guarding to the left and claim the SPACE JUMP! With the Space Jump equipped, you can literally fly through the air using repeated spin jumps. Use it to get out of Draygon's room, and backtrack across the huge room (Space Jump through it - the Mochtroids won't be able to harm you this way). Make your way back to the room just after Botwoon, and Speed Boost left to the door. Now head back to the right, spin leaping at the last second and mid-air morphing to roll into the narrow passage with the ENERGY TANK (11). Now roll out and sink into the quicksand below you. Take this path back west to that large room that you had been in prior to Botwoon, and take the lower path. Shoot the floor out and drop into the first quicksand pit you see. In this new room, you'll have to Space Jump up to some MISSILES (175) and roll over a collapsing section to the POWER BOMBS (35). Now fall through the quicksand section in this room (stay to the far right) and you'll drop into a room full of Evirs (the mini-Draygons). Space Jump to the left to a blue door and go inside. Use your Grappling Beam to crack a damaged block in the ceiling, then Space Jump up through the hole, over to a set of weak floors until you find a new blue door. Go inside, set off a Power Bomb and wait for the sand machine to cut you a path to the room where the SPRING BALL sits (morph and roll through the short maze). Collect this handy item and get back out. Space Jump across the Evir room, go in the door, and Power Bomb the ceiling away. Take this new path up to a large sandy room in Northern Maridia where you can Space Jump up to a flashing door. Go in and Space Jump up another large ascent, then go in the door and claim the PLASMA BEAM at the bottom. Use it to kill all the red Space Pirates so you can escape, then head back to the large sand room. Head back underwater and take the lower blue door - and go through the next flashing door. Use the Space Jump and Spring Ball to navigate through the Cacatac filled rooms (killing them gives you Super Missile refills), and get back to that small vertical section prior to the second large G rappling Room. Now, go to the bottom, open the door again, and Speed Boost through the sand once again. Head all the way back to that large room preceding the Botwoon fight and head to the bottom once more. Shoot the floor like before, only this time, take the western quicksand pit that will deposit you in a room where you'll have to use a rather tricky Spring Ball move to get you some MISSILES (180) and the RESERVE TANK (3). Once you do, however, sink into the quicksand at the bottom to get to another Evir room, and Space Jump to the left this time. Go through the next two doors, and roll through the hidden passage at the bottom. Head left to find a secret exit out of Maridia back into Brinstar. ================================ 13. The Lower Depths of Norfair: ================================ [Game Statistics: 220 / 50 / 45 / 13 / 4 / 01:10] It's back to Norfair now, but this time you'll be venturing much deeper into the area. But first, make a quick pitstop in Lower Brinstar for a bit. Go through the doors and use a Super Missile once more to gain access to Kraid's lair. Move through here until you get to the room with the Kihunters just above the final room. Use a Power Bomb against the far wall and a Spring Ball hop to gain you some more MISSILES (185), then backtrack and head back down to Norfair. Take the first door on the left and Speed Boost under the gates once more. Now Power Bomb through the floor and fall down. Destroy the enemies in this section and as you get to the blue door, very carefully hop through it. Hold back to the right as you pass through just to be sure. As the door closes, shoot the wall across from you to reveal a set of MISSILES (190), and Space Jump to them. After you get them, fall down the long shaft and take the east door. Speed Boost down this incline and blast through the rocks at the end. Now you're back before Crocomire's room, but take the east door and continue heading to the right. Recharge your Energy at the station, then grapple across the spike and lava pit to reach a room with a blue gate. Shoot it to reveal a secret entrance to the vertical room leading to Ridley's Lair. Set off a Power Bomb to open the door, then head into the lava. Get past the second monster head and start Space Jumping northwest. Avoid the fire from the monster head up there, and Space Jump up to the ugly dragon head. Enter the blue door and continue past the elevator to save your game. If you want, check your timestamp; anything below 1:12 is just fine. Now take the elevator down into the deepest depths of Norfair, where you'll face some of the toughest Zebesians yet. Space Jump to the left across a huge acid pit, and enter the door. Space Jump over the next pit, set off a Power Bomb to clear rubble from the Chozo, and morph into its palm to drain the acid from the room. Roll through the tiny hole at the bottom, use Power Bombs to clear more rock away, then ignore the enemies and get to the next door. Carefully Space Jump your way across the collapsible floor to the pack of MISSILES (195), then drop down through the floor. Run to the right, and just as the Torizo drops down, Space Jump into the air and lay a Power Bomb near the ceiling. Let the blast clear the blocks away, then Space Jump again to reach the last set of SUPER MISSILES (50). Drop back down to challenge the mini-boss. Golden Torizo Strategy ====================== This gold version is quite a bit tougher than the Silver one you defeated previously. For one thing, your heavy armament won't work - Missiles and Super Missiles just seem to bounce off. The Torizo however, is extremely vulnerable to your powerful Plasma Beam. Just dodge the major attacks while firing charged beams at its head and you'll take this one down in no time at all. After you have defeated the Torizo, head inside the room he was guarding to find the insanely powerful SCREW ATTACK! Yes, the Screw Attack - now Samus is a one-woman killing machine (she wasn't before??). Use this new item to blast through anything in your path. Start by blasting through the ceiling, then keep Space Jumping up to the door. The next room consists of Ripper IIs, but your new Screw Attack will take care of them quite nicely. At the end, shoot the green gate and continue your vertical ascent. At the top of the room with the gold Space Pirates, shoot the ceiling to reveal a door to a new room. Go inside, bomb the left wall and roll into a heart-shaped room to collect another set of MISSILES (200), then carefully Spring Ball back up to the platform and exit this room. The next room over is a massive room that will quickly fill with acid, so get past the long drop and immediately start Space Jumping up the left side of the wall to make a quick exit. You DON'T want to get trapped under the liquid here. Ignore the floor in the next room and proceed to the giant stone Ridley. Use a Super Missile to clear the monster from the wall, and head into the secret passage he was guarding, then Space Jump south and east to find an ENERGY TANK (12) to replenish your health. Head back and up to the previous room, and shoot through the floor. Head down through this new section, Screw Attacking the Kihunters. At the bottom, Power Bomb the floor, then roll and Power Bomb the orange door. Next, use the Spring Ball to bounce to the low passage and bomb it to find a new pipe, then Screw Attack the powerful hopping enemies in the next room over. Before you go down any more, bomb the far west wall to find more POWER BOMBS (40), then Power Bomb the center of the stone structure. Ride the lifts down, then open the green door, and face the last mini-boss of the game. Metal Pirates Strategy ====================== These guys are a major pain unless you can draw them out quickly. Unless you begin a counterattack, they'll just chuck claws at you. And they're invincible until they turn gold, so you'll have to get them there first. To do it rather quickly (this is a speed guide, after all), Screw Attack through one of them. Arm your Super Missiles and wait for your target to somersault over you. Then he'll turn gold and attempt a ninja kick move on you. Avoid this and pound your target with three-four Super Missiles. Collect his refills and repeat for the second one. Then once they're gone, shoot the flashing door and continue. The rest of this area is a smooth ride. If you need supplies, you can restock from the pipe dispensers, but make it quick. Then Space Jump across the next few sections to the eye door and use a Super Missile to open it. Open the new door, roll into a ball, arm your Power Bombs, then head in to slay the dragon. Ridley Strategy =============== (As if you really thought the Space Colony Battle was it...) As you fall, set off a Power Bomb. When that's done, set off another, and continue doing so until Ridley reveals himself. He's only cloaked in the background, so it's nice to deal some damage before the battle actually starts. Once he materializes, equip the Ice Beam (believe it or not; this actually deals far more damage than Super Missile or Missile attacks), and use the Screw Attack + Space Jump to get height or dodge Ridley while firing off barrages of charged shots at his head. Ridley's many attacks include tail whipping, pouncing on you, grabbing and dropping you, or spewing fireballs. As long as you're cooling him down with the Ice Beam, Ridley will remain relatively tame, as well as go down within a minute. Phew...that's over with. Head into the next room and bomb the lower right corner to replenish your health with another ENERGY TANK (13), then Space Jump out of the boss room. Now the real hunt for the hatchling begins, as you could see the shattered glass container inside Ridley's lair. Backtrack to the stone Ridley statue now, and this time, head up the rest of the structure. Avoid the rocks that fall, and at the very top, head west through the nice hidden passage. Follow this around until you reach the top, where you'll want to head east and pick up another set of MISSILES (205), then Power Bomb the wall behind it. Take the top route, then use your X-Ray Scope to find all the hidden passages you have to navigate. Successfully do so, and you'll drop into a room where you have to step on collapsing blocks to get to another set of POWER BOMBS (45). Now collapse the second pillar, exit the room, and go through that hidden wall again. This time, at the top of the chamber, head left. Make your way through the acid section here, and right before the vertical ascent, bomb a section of flooring to reveal a path to some more MISSILES (210), then head up while destroying the Kihunters using the Screw Attack. At the very top, you'll locate a hidden passage that deposits you near the bubble room in Upper Norfair. Head up the remainder of the passage and destroy the Cacatac and Waver at the top, then Space Jump to the green door. Destroy it, and collect the MISSILES (215), and set off a Power Bomb to make a pole rise to a hidden passage. Roll through and Space Jump to the RESERVE TANK (4) at the end, then shoot the block right to your east to reveal another set of MISSILES (220). Now it's time for a quick run back to Crateria for the last of the item pickups. Leave this section, and drop to the bottom of the bubble room. Power Bomb the floor and roll down. Take the west door and head across the pit, then Speed Boost through the blocks and enemies to find yourself back in the main Norfair tunnel. Head up into Brinstar, go back to Maridia and Space Jump up the vertical shaft there to return to the large Grapple Room. In this section, Space Jump along the ceiling until you locate a blue door in the ceiling. Take it, and continue Space Jumping up. There's a hidden path in the left wall; take it and you'll find yourself at a green gate. Use a Super Missile to gain access back to the very top area of Brinstar, and you can take the elevator back to Crateria. Simply head north and west back to your ship for a full recharge and the fifth and final savepoint of the game. Check your time - a good place to be is 1:10 or below. Now it's time to invade the last Zebesian stronghold - New Tourian! ======================== 14. The New Secret Base: ======================== [Game Statistics: 100 % / 230 / 50 / 50 / 14 / 4 / 01:20] Now for the game's final items. Starting at your ship, head left and charge a Speed Boost. Crouch, aim diagonally up, and Rocket Boost to a ledge far up. Go right and open the orange door, then charge another Speed Booster. Crouch just before you get to the door, then Rocket Boost horizontally to the final set of POWER BOMBS (50). Exit back out this acid-filled section, and as you reach the exit door, open it and begin charging another Speed Boost. Crouch as you reach the edge, drop down, and horizontally rocket yourself across to blast through some rocks and leave you colliding with a blue door. You can actually try using a speed jump and morph into a speed ball and blast through without wasting any energy, but it's slightly trickier. Do what works for you. Open the door, and go back east to around your ship. Repeat the last two Rocket Boosts, except this time, instead of ramming into the door, Samus will continue to fly at super speed through the next couple of rooms, depositing you in front of the blue door at the end. Head through, set a Power Bomb and dash to the final ENERGY TANK (14), then roll through the new passage that the Power Bomb created. Quickly jump up and use the Screw Attack to blast your way through the blocking walls, and head through the following door. Go inside and shoot the fake walls away. Use your X-Ray Scope to locate the collapsible blocks, then use a normal jump to position yourself dead center. On the way down, just after you clear the paths, set off a Power Bomb to clear the rest of the blocks, and quickly roll/jump left or right to gain another set of MISSILES (225), then spin jump to the opposite side to gain the final set of MISSILES (230). Now it's safe to fall down the rest of the way. Roll to the left to fall out of the little passage, and continue on down through the Space Pirates to reach the red door at the bottom. Speed Boost through this long cloudy room and take the door to find a rather neat statue of the four major bosses. Watch as each one's crystal explodes, until an earthquake starts and the whole structure collapses into the ground. You'll uncover a new passage and elevator that leads into New Tourian. From here on out, you'll want to activate your Ice Beam, since the next couple areas contain lots of Metroids. As you encounter each Metroid, freeze it with the Ice Beam, then launch a Super Missile at it. Each Metroid must be destroyed to continue, so destroy them while avoiding the Rinkas that fly at you from every direction until you reach a sandy area of New Tourian. Here, go to your status screen and take off your Varia and Gravity Suits, then proceed. Avoid the massive Sidehoppers and proceed past the crumbling Torizo. Then wait in the next room for a Sidehopper to appear. As it hops towards you, an insanely massive Metroid swoops in and eats it for dinner. Not nearly satisifed, the Metroid turns to you. You can try to run, but... the Metroid is far too fast, and quickly makes the kill...well, almost. (Without your suits, the Metroid will drain you faster.) After you're reduced to 01 units, a familiar screeching sound is heard...it's the hatchling! The baby Metroid, no longer tiny, flies off and leaves Samus behind. Head on and blast through the foliage to find a recharge station on the left; recharge Energy and Missiles, and PUT YOUR SUITS BACK ON! (Do I need to mention how many times I've gotten to Mother Brain absentmindedly forgettting to put them back on?) then continue heading to the right. Destroy the eye door with three Missiles, then take out the red door at the bottom. From here, you'll want to constantly be switching between Missiles, Super Missiles, and the Ice Beam. Use your beam to freeze the Rinkas, while you pelt the Zebetite barriers with Super Missiles (each one takes five successive hits). Get past the four barriers to find the evil mastermind behind it all, Mother Brain! Mother Brain Strategy ===================== Mother Brain is in her usual glass container, but she has a total of three phases this time around. Here's how to beat her quickly and rather effortlessly (this is really nothing but an event battle; unless you really suck, it's kind of hard to actually lose...) Phase 1: This part is similar to the very first Metroid game, except there's acid on the floors. Use your Ice Beam to freeze the Rinkas while you blast away with Missiles at Mother Brain's glass container. Approximately 10 Missiles will break it, another five will shatter it, and somewhere around 50 more will kill this form. Make sure you keep re-freezing those Rinkas before they thaw out, and aim diagonally while firing to make rapid firing a bit easier. Once the explosions start, back off and wait for the acid to drain, then switch to your subscreen and reactivate the Ice Beam. Phase 2: As soon as she screeches, start blasting away with charged shots to her head. Mother Brain has some nasty attacks during this phase, including a fire wave that drains two Energy Tanks (with your suits on!), but she won't use them until she's taken some nice damage. There are two other attacks to watch for: the first (and most often used) is a bomb that will spread fire across the floor, but it barely does damage to you. The second is to fire blue rings that spread out and do more damage. She has a third weapon that she uses should you be foolish and try to dodge the blue rings by jumping straight up - firing those beams the Space Pirates use. (Lesson: Spin jump over the blue rings.) After about 13 charged shots, she should start with the fire beam attack. It is really long, and can be avoided with the Screw Attack, but I'd recommend letting it hit you if you have more than 11 Energy Tanks around. From here on, it's more of an event battle, so once she hits you twice with the fire beam, remove your suits again, and start blasting back with Missiles. By the time you're drained to seven Energy Tanks, Mother Brain will start charging energy in her head for the devastating Hyper Beam attack. Before she executes it, collide with her to deal yourself some more damage, then watch as her ultimate attack drains six and a half Energy Tanks from you. If you took enough damage prior to this attack, Samus will stay grounded, and be unable to move. If you're really low on energy, Mother Brain will start charging another Brain Wave. Just as she unleashes it, the Metroid hatchling will fly and grab a hold of Mother Brain's head. (See why I wanted you to lower you Energy meter as much as possible?) Mother Brain will cry in pain as the Metroid sucks her dry, then another animated sequence will start. Wait for the hatchling to float to you and start refilling your energy, then Mother Brain will come back to life and attack the Metroid. The hatchling will sacrifice itself, but not before you gain the ultimate weapon and move on to the final phase. Phase 3: Absorbing Mother Brain's energy also gave you access to the very weapon she was using on you! In true Mega Man-ish fashion, use the new HYPER BEAM to wail away on Mother Brain (just angle up and fire constantly). She'll shriek with every hit and you'll toast the large mass of gray matter in but seconds. (Actually a bit longer, but it's still really quick). As soon as she starts glowing bright red and trots to the middle, head behind her and wait for her to explode. The countdown will soon start, so position yourself against the wall and wait for Phase 3 to end. After she's defeated, you begin the final section of Super Metroid. Follow the guide and make a quick getaway! You have a scant three minutes to haul out of Tourian and escape the exploding planet. It seems that the core is going to go critical, blowing up the whole planet. Below I've detailed a walkthrough back to the ship, along with some very handy shortcuts. If you want to make it to the ship in one piece, do not get side- tracked on the main path - taking the shortcuts is your best bet. - First Room - (2:59) - Shoot the columns and head to the door to get to the next room. - Second Room - (2:56) - Fall down the eastern side and fire straight down to nail a Space Pirate and open the door. - Third Room - (2:53) - Take the bottom path and Rocket Boost vertically near the end to the door. - Fourth Room - (2:44) - Head up and then wind back down, then follow a strategy similar to the large room in Lower Norfair of Space Jumping up the left side of the wall. At the very top, start running and charge your Speed Booster. - Fifth Room - (2:20) - You're now back in the Craterian shaft. Position yourself on the east or west walls and Rocket Boost straight up to the top of the room (cutting off nearly a minute of time!!), and head into Crateria. - Crateria (1:45) for the remainder of the journey, head up like you're going to your ship, but make a quick pit stop in the room where you got the Bombs, and help clear an escape route for the Etecoons and the Dachola, then head up to your ship like normal. Watch the planet blow apart and pat yourself on the back for a job well done. Now just watch through the credits for the ending and see what your time was. If you followed this guide to the letter, your time should be 1:20, with 1 or 2 minutes of slight variance. ======================== 15. Power Suit Upgrades: ======================== Beam Upgrades ------------- - Power Beam: Your standard "pea-shooter" type weapon; not very powerful, but it can rapid-fire. - Charge Beam: Found in Brinstar, you can charge energy up for a few seconds to shoot a more powerful shot. - Spazer: Found in Brinstar, this item allows you to shoot a three-way shot spread. Due to the unstable nature of this beam, it cannot be used in conjunction with the Plasma Beam. - Wave Beam: Found in Norfair, this item alone adds a wavey pattern to your shots, and allows you to shoot through certain walls. - Ice Beam: Found in Norfair, this beam allows you to freeze enemies, after which you can use them as steps. - Plasma Beam: Found in Maridia, this powerful beam cuts a path through literally any- thing it hits. Due to the unstable nature of this beam, it cannot be used in con- junction with the Spazer. - Hyper Beam: Acquired from Mother Brain, this can be used towards the end to fry any- thing in seconds. Using a special Game Genie code, you can start the game with it, and fry even bosses in seconds (Kraid, notably, goes down in two hits). Suit Upgrades ------------- - Varia Suit: Found after defeating Kraid, this item adds an orange overtone to your suit and allows you to endure extreme heat and cold. - Gravity Suit: Found in the Wrecked Ship, this allows you to move through water and some lava without hindrance. Boot Upgrades ------------- - Hi Jump Boots: Found in Norfair, these increase Samus' jumping height by 1.5. - Space Jump: Found in Maridia after beating Draygon, Samus can repeatedly jump in the air to stay airborne. - Speed Booster: Found in Norfair, these allow Samus to fly at blinding speeds when dashing. Misc. Upgrades -------------- - Morphing Ball: Found in Brinstar, this allows Samus to roll into a ball and fit into tiny and narrow passages. Samus also uses Bombs and Power Bombs from this form. - Spring Ball: Found in Maridia, this allows Samus to jump while in Morph Ball mode. - Bombs: Little mini packets of dynamite, Samus has an endless supply of these little suckers. Bomb through walls, kill enemies, or even master tricky Bomb Jumping. - Screw Attack: Found late in Norfair, this turns Samus' spin jumps into invincible power attacks. Almost nothing save for thick skinned bosses can withstand the destruc- tive power of this weapon. Misc. Items =========== - Missiles: Small high-powered weapons that can take out enemies with more ease, and can open red doors. - Super Missiles: Highly upgraded Missiles that can deal 5x more damage, and open green doors. - Power Bombs: Compact weapons of mass destruction, Power Bombs affect a wide radius and can open orange doors. - Grappling Beam: Found in Norfair, this allows Samus to swing from "X" marked blocks. - X-Ray Scope: Found in Brinstar, Samus can spot hidden passages or block types with this item. - Energy Tanks: Portable energy storage, allows Samus to carry up to 100 more units of energy. - Reserve Tanks: Emergency stores that kick in only if Samus runs out of energy (if set to AUTO mode). ===================== 16. Samus' Abilities: ===================== Samus has many abilities in the game that range far and beyond just her capacity to kill Metroids and other enemies. These little abilites are generally useful for getting places you're not supposed to go (at least, not without certain items), as well as a couple of odds and ends moves. Bomb Spread ----------- You must have the Charge Beam for this. Charge up and then morph into a ball, and Samus will lay five bombs that roll around. Useful if you're stuck and want to try random bombing. Charged Spin Jump ----------------- Requires the Charge Beam. Simply spin jump while charged, and Samus will, to an extent, mimic the Screw Attack. Extremely useful against Phantoon. Morph Jump ---------- This more or less simulates a Spring Ball effect if you're fast enough. By spin jumping and morphing in mid-air, you can get a couple of places faster and gain a few items early (like a set of Missiles and Power Bombs, to name a few). Wall Jump --------- one of the more tricky maneuevers is also the one most responsible for being able to sequence break this game. To execute this, Samus must spin jump towards a wall, then as she brushes against it, you have to tap the opposite directional button and then jump off, on a "one-two" count. You can wall jump as many times as your reflexes allow, or until you hit some obstacle that won't allow you to go any further. As you get better at the technique, you'll be able to perform this move using only one wall - something that is used frequently through the speed run. You learn this move from the Etecoons deep in Brinstar (you'll run into them during the Scavenger Hunt). Bomb Jumping ------------ With practice, this very difficult move becomes easier. The purpose of this is to propel Samus into the air using her Bombs, effectively simulatingthe Spring Ball. Set a bomb, then while you're in the air, set another. As you land, set another, and the successive explosions will bounce you higher and higher. With the right timing, Samus can actually bomb jump up the giant wall in Norfair's bubble room. Rocket Boost ------------ Now this one is cool - too bad it drains energy at an incredible rate... You have to have the Speed Booster to pull this off - once you are dashing at full speed, hit down on the control pad. Samus will flash, and you can then jump in any of six directions from the ground, or any of eight if you happen to be in the air. You can effectively double Speed Boost to gain more hang time - this particular variant is used when grabbing the Power Bombs - and it involves Boosting again from a charged Boost state. The Dachola teaches you this move if you happen to Speed Boost over a set of blocks that drops you into a long tunnel in the pink area of Brinstar. Speed Ball ---------- I haven't found too much of a use for this one yet, but I'll detail it anyway. The effect is Samus slamming into the ground while (a) still Speed Boosting, and (b) morphed into a ball. Done in the correct places, you can blast through sections of rock. The easiest method I've found for pulling this off goes like this. Charge your Speed Boos- ter, then Speed Jump. In a super combo, tap Down, Down and roll the Control Pad in the direction that you're traveling. Done correctly, Samus looks like a supersonic blue cannonball. You will pass through any enemy you come across while successfully exe- cuting a Speed Ball. Speed Jumping ------------- This one's simple. Just spin jump while Samus is fully charged with her Speed Booster and the acceleration will fling you far and wide. Beam Shields ------------ How this ability was uncovered, I don't know - but since it's in the game, I've got a place for it here. Basically by arming your Power Bombs, you can combine your Beams to make different Shielding effects. To activate each one, activate only your Charge Beam and one other Beam. Highlight the Power Bombs, then charge your Beam, and your selected Shield will occur. Here's the combinations you can get: Charge+Ice - Samus is protected by a rotating ice shield. Charge+Spazer - Huge beams fly away from Samus in four directions. Charge+Plasma - Four balls of plasma circle Samus and then fly off. Charge+Wave - Four little energy balls circle you and then fly off. Energy Crystal Charge --------------------- Given the requirements for this move, it's not really useful, but it's demo'd in the opening, and has some neat graphical effects. To perform it, you must be at 49 units of energy or lower, have 10+ Missiles, 10+ Super Missiles, and 11+ Power Bombs. To pull this off, select the Power Bombs, then morph. Hold L, R, and Down, then set off a Power Bomb. Shortly after the detonation wave, Samus will be engulfed with a blast during which you can see her under her suit while all her Tanks get recharged. =================== 17. Item Checklist: =================== Like all other Metroid games, there are 100 items in this game. Each one counts as a single percentage point in your tally totals, but to break it down: 46 Missile Tanks 14 Energy Tanks 10 Super Missile Tanks 10 Power Bomb Tanks 4 Reserve Tanks 5 Beam Upgrades 3 Ball Upgrades 3 Boot Upgrades 2 Suit Upgrades 1 Screw Attack 1 Grappling Beam 1 X-Ray Scope ============= 100 Items Your game-ending totals should be: 230 Missiles 50 Super Missiles 50 Power Bombs 14 Energy Tanks 4 Reserve Tanks All Upgrades (check your SAMUS screen) + Grapple/X-Ray Now, I really don't feel like tabulating item locations for everything here, since the speed guide is fairly easy to follow. Perhaps in the next site update, hmm? ============ 18. Endings: ============ Like the other Metroid games, your endings are based on how long it took you to complete the game. The ending itself stays the same no matter what your time, but how much of Samus is revealed is what your time depends on. Ending 1: If you beat the game in under 3 hours, Samus takes off her suit, stands in a skimpy bodysuit, lets her hair loose, then jumps back, fully armored once more. Ending 2: Over three hours and under 10, you see the same sequence of action, except Samus only removes her face mask. Awww... Ending 3: If you actually took over 10 hours to beat the game, Samus merely gives you a thumbs up and then fires at the screen. As for the ending, you see the Planet Zebes explode, and Samus fly away (you also see another spaceship if you rescued the Etecoons and the Dachola), then the words "THE OPERATION WAS COMPLETED SUCCESSFULLY. CLEAR TIME: (your ending time)" After that, the credits scroll to some rather cool music, and at the very end, you see the text "YOUR RATE FOR COLLECTING ITEMS:" (your percentage), and then "SEE YOU NEXT MISSION", set against the Samus logo. ===================== 19. Secrets And Tips: ===================== 1. Getting the Energy Tank near the Charge Beam without the Gravity Suit: This one I've never personally attempted, since it's right on your way to Maridia during the Scavenger Hunt, but...oh well. Travel through the watery area, and use that large platform above to charge your Speed Booster. Crouch, then Rocket Boost through the Boost Blocks to reach it. 2. Get to the Wrecked Ship minus the Grappling Beam: This one is more or less outlined in the Speed Guide above, with one more Rocket Boost added. Charge up in the room prior to the water pit (where the MISSILES are), then Rocket Boost through the room.0 3. Pick up 2 MISSILES and the RESERVE TANK in Norfair much earlier: This one by far is the trickiest one yet - even I can't do it with any kind of consistency, though I usually nail it on the third or fourth attempt. First, you have to have the Hi Jump Boots equipped. Check the guide; when in the bubble room, stand near the blue door above the entrance. Reset the enemies if you have to, then take out the two Wavers. Do a short spin jump approximately one inch above the blue door, then wall jump off and hold the jump button down while spinning back to the left. If you did it precisely, Samus will hit the very edge of the ledge above her, and you can then wall jump up to the next ledge where the Green door is. Of course, if you don't have any Super Missiles left, then this is quite useless - but the next section is quite tough if you don't have the Gravity Suit (since the lava both harms you and slows you down). 4. Get those 2 MISSILES in Crateria a tad easier. When you reach the room these two toughies are located in, remove all your Beams, then clear out only the top row of blocks. Bomb your way up to the top, then position yourself right between the two columns of pit blocks, and set off a Power Bomb to start the fall and clear the left and right columns on your way down. Just be sure to un-morph and grab one of them so you don't keep falling all the way down. ========== 20. Legal: ========== This guide must always be shown in full form with credit given to the author, and a link and credit must be given to Metroid Online (http://metroid.retrofaction.com/). All associated characters and games are copyright to Nintendo.