Items in the Metroid series

Encyclopedia : I : IT : ITE : Items in the Metroid series

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The items in the Metroid series are the driving force behind its gameplay. Descriptions of these items can be found below.

Power Suit

The Power Suit is the most basic item in the Metroid series. It was created for the protagonist, Samus Aran, by the mystic Chozo as a modification of their own seldom-used weaponry. It was created to be modular and adaptable.

Most of the recent Metroid games involve an introduction wherein Samus' suit is somehow damaged or she is grievously injured, resulting in the loss of all of the suit's latent abilities. In the earlier games, no such occurence was present; Samus simply no longer possessed any of her old weapons. Regardless, all that remains is the Power Beam, the life support system, the suit's ability to increase Samus' jump height, and its protective armor, which always starts out at its lowest strength. An exception to this is in ', because Samus keeps the Varia Suit, Morph Ball, and Charge Beam upgrades for the entire game, and never loses it, and ' in which Samus also keeps the Varia Suit as well as the Morph Ball, an empty Missile Launcher, Boost Ball, and Charge Beam.

In order to restore her suit, Samus usually must locate Chozo relics and temples that contain replicas of the original modules that give her abilities. Sometimes the corpses of defeated alien bosses yield equipment as well.

In Metroid Fusion, Samus' suit becomes infected with the X parasite and she becomes critically ill. She is saved when a scientist makes a vaccine using the DNA from a frozen Metroid cell culture and injects Samus with it to eradicate the virus. Samus' suit is integrated so well with her body that it cannot be removed while she is conscious: parts of it have to be surgically removed and are sent to the Biologic Space Laboratories for testing. Due to the removal, her suit appears radically different from those of previous games throughout Fusion. This new outfit, with the aid of the Metroid Vaccine, appears to grant Samus some extra mobility in the ability to grab edges. However, it also gives her a few Metroid morphological attributes, such as vulnerability to low temperatures, and the ability to absorb X parasites in their gelatinous form into her body, repairing damage to her suit. Samus regains abilities in Fusion either by downloading weapon data sent by the Galactic Federation, or by absorbing the DNA of larger Core-X parasites.

In Metroid Prime, elements of the story indicate that Samus built the Power Suit herself, using Chozo technology, and this conflicted with the more regularly accepted origin in which the Chozo create it for her. This continuity conflict is explained in , in which Samus' original (self made) suit is destroyed completely by the Space Pirates towards the end and she is forced to pass a test in a Chozo temple to obtain the more familiar Power Suit, which features the rounded shoulder guards when equipped with its higher augments.

Throughout the series, Samus obtains various upgrades to, or different versions of, her Power Suit. These include:

• Varia Suit
• Gravity Suit
• Phazon Suit (Metroid Prime only)
• Dark Suit (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes only)
• Light Suit (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes only)
• Fusion Suit (Metroid Fusion & Metroid Prime bonus only)
• Zero Suit (Metroid: Zero Mission only; will be playable Suit in Super Smash Bros. Brawl)

Varia Suit

The Varia Suit changes Samus' appearance, reduces damage, and provides other benefits that vary between games. The Varia Suit, although the second suit, is the one Samus is most often pictured in. It can also be noted that Varia was initially a mistranslation of the romanized BARIA. Much like the interchangability of s's and th's (resulting in the use of 'Zebes' and 'Zebeth'), a v was used over a b in what would appear to be a meaningless science fiction word. It was intended to be 'Barrier' due to the increased shielding power; the rest of the games have used Varia for continuity's sake. However, in English, the word 'Varia' can be seen as short for "various"/"variable", giving it the also correct new meaning that it is usable in more situations than the Power Suit alone. Although the Varia suit appears in the original Metroid (and the remake Metroid: Zero Mission in turn), its distinct look with the larger shoulder armor and orange colored additional armor pieces didn't appear until the second game, Metroid II: The Return of Samus. This difference in appearance is explained in Zero Mission. In the Super Smash Bros. game series, Samus appears in her Varia Suit as her standard costume.

Two things separate the default Power and Varia suits from each other - the bulky, round shoulder pieces and the ability to resist extreme temperatures. Whether these have anything to do with each other or not is not known. In the original Metroid, its retelling, Metroid: Zero Mission, and Metroid: Fusion, the Varia only changes the color of the Power Suit, and does not add the differently shaped augments. However, once Samus acquires her second Power Suit in Metroid: Zero Mission, the augmented portions of the Varia and Gravity Suits are seen.

Title	Damage reduction	Other benefits
Metroid	50%	None
Metroid II - Return of Samus	50%	Slight speed increase.
Super Metroid	50%	Stops damage from superheated rooms.
Metroid Fusion	10%	Stops damage from superheated and sub-zero rooms. Allows absorption of blue X parasites.
Metroid: Zero Mission	20%	Stops damage from superheated rooms and acid. Also stops damage from parasites (non-X parasites).
Metroid Prime	40%	Stops damage from superheated rooms.
Metroid Prime 2 - Echoes	N/A	The Varia Suit is the default armor in Echoes, and is never removed.

Gravity Suit

The Gravity Suit retains the same physical shape as the Varia Suit, but certain parts of the suit are colored blue or purple. The Gravity Suit features the same large globes on the shoulders. It provides an additional armor bonus (usually 25%), and allows Samus to travel through water unhindered, as if traveling on land. In Metroid Fusion, and Metroid: Zero Mission, it also completely nullifies damage from lava pits. In Super Metroid, it only nullifies damage from the light colored lava found in the upper reaches of Norfair. The only lava it does not protect against is the lava found in the deepest parts of Norfair and in Tourian. In Metroid Prime the Gravity Suit also upgrades Samus' visor, significantly improving vision underwater; however it does not prevent damage from lava. The suit is not available in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, but is replaced by the Gravity Boost. In Metroid: Zero Mission the gravity suit is obtained as an "unknown item" and can only be used after defeating the Chozo Shrine. The Gravity Suit is also an alternate constume in Super Smash Bros. Melee.

Phazon Suit

This suit is unique to Metroid Prime, and is attained when Samus' Power Suit is infected with a large amount of Phazon from the Omega Pirate. It provides yet another armor bonus, and allows Samus to resist and channel the effects of Blue Phazon (not the Orange Phazon in the Impact Crater). It is crucial in defeating the creature Metroid Prime. A faint aura can be seen around the suit in-game, this may reflect the powerful force shield upgrade or Phazon radiation. This suit allows Samus to go into hyper mode and use the Phazon Beam when standing in pools of Phazon during the final battle. During the ending sequence, Metroid Prime strips the suit from Samus, and if 100% of all items are collected, the hand of Dark Samus, who later appears in , reaches out of the bubbling remains of Metroid Prime. It seems that with Metroid Prime's last bit of strength, it copied Samus' Phazon Suit and a bit of her DNA to create this new powerful form.

Also worth noting is that if one plays a four-player all-Samus match in the game , player four gets a palette shift which very closely resembles the phazon suit, although the arm cannon is red.

Dark Suit

This upgrade is unique to Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. It increases Samus' shielding and provides partial protection from the harsh atmosphere of Dark Aether. It was created by the Luminoth in a hope of reducing the dark matter effects of the Ing. In appearance, the Dark Suit differs radically from the other upgrades to Samus' suits. Instead of the orbs, it has two fan-like portrusions from her shoulders. There seems to be less armor plating on her torso, as well. It is also a dark color, as opposed to the bright yellow, purple, orange, or reds of her previous suits.

Light Suit

This upgrade is also unique to Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. It is a fusion of Chozo and Luminoth battlesuit technology. It provides Samus complete protection from the acidic atmosphere and corrosive effects of the water on Dark Aether. The four orbs on the chest light up upon entering the Dark World; probably it is the source of the Light Suit's shield to the corrosive effects of Dark Aether. It also increases Samus' shielding so she is impervious to many enemies and allows her to travel on shafts of light as well. Upon obtaining this suit, the Grapple Beam is given a more compact size, but is still attached to Samus' left arm and suffers no differences in performance. The Gravity Boost, however, has been cut all together from the design of the Light Suit, but the suit still acts like it has the Boost attached. It is rumored, instead, that the Light Suit, much like the Grapple Beam, incorporates all of the "exterior technology" into a single, sleek form, as one can see small orbs on Samus' back during 3rd Person pictures.

Fusion Suit

This suit, unique to Metroid Fusion, is unintentionally created after Samus is infected by X Parasites. She is rushed to the Galactic Federation's headquarters to undergo emergency treatment; this includes removing large pieces of her infected Power Suit. Samus is only completely cured when she is injected with a serum made from DNA of the last Metroid. It should be noted that the new suit is not actually fused to Samus' body or created by the vaccine, as many fans believe (only the blue "growth" of the suit was actually created by the vaccine). The suit has an organic, almost feral look to it, indicative of the nature of the Metroids. The Metroid e-manga states that Samus' suit is linked to her genetic code, which explains why the gene-altering Metroid vaccine would produce a change.

Samus takes significantly more damage from enemies in Metroid Fusion than in other Metroid games. This may indicate that the Fusion Suit is weaker than the Power Suit, or perhaps the enemies are simply stronger due to infection by X Parasites. However, it can be upgraded to Varia and Gravity status just like the Power Suit. Samus' Metroid DNA also allows her to absorb X Parasites to recover energy and ammunition. Coupled with the Fusion Suit's ability to combine the Plasma and Wide Beams and her new Diffusion missiles, any defensive deficiency is more than made up for by increased arm cannon potential. An unfortunate side-effect of the Fusion Suit is that it inherits the Metroid's natural weakness to cold and thus cannot use the Ice Beam initially. However, by the end of Metroid Fusion, Samus attains her original power from the Core-X of the SA-X. With her new abilities fused together with her previous power contained by the SA-X, the Fusion Suit transforms into a new model unofficially dubbed the "Omega Suit." Colored in Samus' trademark orange, yellow, and red color scheme, it is the true evolution of the Power Suit and allows her the use of the Ice Beam once again.

The Fusion Suit can also be used in Metroid Prime. After completing the game once, a Game Boy Advance with a Metroid Fusion game inserted can be connected to the GameCube via a link cable. All changes are purely aesthetic, however, as the game plays exactly the same as before and it simply shows a difference in Samus's model during cinematic sequences and also the left arm and right hand can be seen during gameplay. The model can be seen in the Pause menu and there is some concept art in the unlockable galleries showing how Retro Studios was given very precise measurements for the suit. It should be noted that even though they were given measurements for the helmet and chestplate, those areas of the suit were left unchanged in shape (though the colors were always correct in each suit).

Zero Suit

First seen in Metroid: Zero Mission, then in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes and Metroid Prime: Hunters, this outfit was not to be named until the cross-genre fighting game Super Smash Bros. Brawl. This suit of light armor is blue and worn by Samus under her Power Suit. It is debatable whether the Zero Suit is also worn under the Fusion Suit, or if the much slimmer Fusion Suit's visible underlayer of armor is an altogether analogous replacement for the Zero Suit. The Zero Suit's light armor does not protect Samus' head. In addition, the Suit's right gauntlet contains a Thermo Imager similar to that of the Power Suit, and apparently downloaded the feature from its information banks. Samus carries an auxiliary pistol for use in the case of total failure of the Power Suit's functions. The shots from the pistol can only chip away at vulnerable structures, and do not generally have any effect on well protected objects and organisms. The pistol charges up while not firing, and is able to fire a single shot when fully charged that can stun most enemies and damage some others. The Zero Suit can also hold the energy of Samus' Energy Tanks, possibly in the pattern on its back. In Echoes and Hunters, the suit is only seen in the ending sequences.

Morph Ball

One of Samus' most recognizable upgrades is the Morph Ball. This upgrade lets Samus morph into an armored ball with a circumference of approximately 1 foot to 4 feet, depending on the game. At this size, she is able to roll into small spaces that can't be normally reached, and avoid some enemies with greater ease (since becoming smaller decreases the chance of getting hit). Like the Power Suit, the Morph Ball has upgrades associated with it as well. It is traditionally the first item, or at least one of the first items, obtained in any Metroid game.

In the first game in the series, it was called the Maru Mari (meaning "Round Ball"), and in Super Metroid, it was called the Morphing Ball. Since the simultaneous release of Metroid Fusion and Metroid Prime, it has been referred to as the "Morph Ball."

Despite the ability being one of Samus's most used, how the Morph Ball works exactly is one of the series's biggest mysteries. It is hinted in Metroid Prime that Samus is converted into pure energy and stored between two half sphere armor pieces. There is also a sketch of this is in Metroid Prime 2, where it suggests that the shoulderpads of the Dark Suit form the outer casing, considering the Morph Ball halves resemble the shoulderpads. It is also stated in Prime that the Morph Ball ability is one of the most desired abilities for the Space Pirates and Samus's other adversaries to reverse-engineer. However, all attempts at replicating the technology have been disastrous. One particular databank entry from the Space Pirates states that their Morph Ball prototypes twisted and mutilated four test subjects, after which the Science Team "wisely decided to move on." The rival hunter Sylux's "Lockjaw" alternate form is a prototype that applies the same basic technology of compression that the morph ball uses. It was created by the galactic federation and stolen by Sylux.

For Samus at least, the Morph Ball is one of her most trustworthy, effective, and often essential abilities. It can also be noted in the Prime Series that when Samus enters Morph Ball mode, she seems to spin herself around quickly, and stops suddenly when she exits the mode.

Morph Ball Bomb

Originally referred to simply as "Bomb," this upgrade allows Samus to lay small energy bombs on the ground. When they explode, they do not hurt Samus, but can damage enemies, and blow up objects and obstacles made out of Sandstone and Talloric Alloy, often revealing hidden passageways. They can even be used to activate switches, and propel Samus into the air (commonly known as a "bomb jump").

Bombs are not affected by gravity, and therefore, with the correct timing, the player can execute a double bomb jump, gaining twice the altitude. The difficulty of successfully triggering multiple bomb jumps varies from game to game, and the technique was removed entirely from Metroid Fusion. This was because multiple bomb jumps are often used as a means to sequence breaking.

In Super Metroid, the Charge Beam can be combined with the Bomb: by charging up and then changing into the Morphing Ball, a five-drop bomb will immediately be released. The five-drop bombs function similarly to the normal Bomb except that they fall and roll away from Samus under the normal effects of gravity. Also, the explosions of a five-drop bomb cannot be used to initiate a bomb jump.

Power Bomb

This upgrade allows Samus to lay a larger Bomb on the ground that, when detonated, releases a large concussive blast that can destroy such materials as Denzium and Bendezium. This upgrade has a limited supply and must be replenished. On a side note, Power Bombs may not be used to bomb jump. In Metroid Fusion, the Power Bomb features a suction wave after the explosion, which draws in any X Parasites that may have been released from the prior explosion. In Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, the Power Bomb detonates immediately; also, it is shown that they are powered by a generator.

Boost Ball

This upgrade allows Samus to charge up the Morph Ball to release bursts of speed, allowing her to climb half-pipes, cross bridges that collapse upon contact, and, in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, destroy small enemies. It is only featured in the Prime games.

Metroid Zero Mission has an ability similar to the Boost Ball, in which, after she acquires the Hi-Jump, she can Shinespark while in ball form.

Spider Ball

This upgrade allows Samus to cling to surfaces in order to grant her access to normally out-of-reach places. As it originally functions in Metroid II, it clings to any surface through a chemical sticking/suction method from which it derives its name.

In Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, it only clings to magnetic rails since the 3D structure of these games would normally allow the Spider Ball to reach virtually any area. It is often necessary for puzzles where Samus must strategically climb around the environment to get new items, such as missile expansions. If Samus is damaged while in ball form, the Spider Ball will temporarily lose its grip. In Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, the Boost Ball can be used to launch Samus perpendicularly from a rail, which is required in a number of puzzles.

In Metroid Prime: Hunters, the rival bounty hunter Spire can use a similar wall-climbing ability.

Spring Ball

This upgrade allows Samus to jump while in ball form, giving her access to several new areas and eliminating the need for the usual bomb jumping. In Super Metroid, it was found late in the adventure and was not necessary for completing the game.

In Metroid Fusion, it was acquired simultaneously with the Hi-Jump and was called the "Jumpball." In Metroid Zero Mission, it is no longer mentioned by name at all, as the Hi-Jump item includes both the high-jumping and ball-jumping capabilities.

Death Ball

First seen in the Metroid Prime 2: Echoes multiplayer game, this powerup surrounds the Morph Ball in a large energy barrier that inflicts a usually lethal amount of damage on anything that Samus touches, killing them. Also, in this form, Samus cannot boost or bomb, so hiding on a ledge protects you from the Death Ball.

In the non-continuity game Metroid Prime Pinball, this weapon is called the Force Ball. It covers Samus in a green aura and allows her to do much damage to Metroid Prime as well as other enemies when the Morph Ball collides with it. It is initially found on the Impact Crater table, and also appears on the other tables once the game is beaten.

A similar item, called the Death-Alt, appears in the multiplayer mode of Metroid Prime: Hunters. The item is only present in a few of the game's multiplayer levels, and is extremely well-hidden. When obtained, it forces the player into their and grants them the power to do lethal damage to other players merely by coming into contact with them. Like the Death Ball, the Death-Alt surrounds the Morph Ball and other hunter's alternate forms in a glowing orange aura.

Visors

The visor is Samus' window to the world. It has various modes which are useful in different situations. The only 2D visor upgrade is the X-Ray Visor from Super Metroid, and the rest only appear in Metroid Prime, and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, as these are the only games played in first person perspective. (Metroid Prime: Hunters features only the Scan and Combat visors, which you start out with.)

Combat Visor

The combat visor mode provides Samus with all the information she needs for battle and navigation by projecting a HUD (Heads-Up Display) on the inside of the helmet lens. This visor mode includes: a targeting reticle, 3D map, radar readout, energy reserves readout (showing Samus how much more damage she can take), an external threat assessment gauge (designed to warn Samus of environmental dangers such as radioactivity), missile reserves display, and selected visor and beam weapon information. This is available in both Prime games as well as Hunters (it is quite different in Hunters though, the 3d map is on the pause screen (Where it can be rotated by the touch screen), threat assessment gauge, and the radar has been moved to the lower Touch Screen).

Initially, the Combat Visor has rather poor visibility in aquatic environments. When the player obtains the Gravity Suit or the Gravity Booster in Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes respectively, underwater visibility is increased dramatically.

Scan Visor

This important visor lets Samus scan enemies and bosses, to discover their weak spots, and other features of the environment, such as trees or computers, etc., in order to uncover information in the form of logbooks and morphology. It can sometimes unlock doors, open portals and activate elevators, and is useful when solving puzzles and trying to find out where to go next. Samus collects important scans in her suit's logbook to be reviewed later. A useful feature is that the time in the game pauses while displaying information collected from the scan, although the actual process of scanning takes time. The Scan Visor is in all three Prime games, but it differs between them; in Prime and Prime: Hunters, the visor only shows a small box on a scannable object, whereas in Echoes the entire object is highlighted to show that it is scannable or scanned. This can be confusing, as not all of the highlighted object is scannable; however, it may be more useful than the original system, which could lead to confusion as to where a scannable object was. Specifically to Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, objects seen in the Scan Visor are color-coded. Red-colored objects are mission-critical; usually a switch or an object that can be scanned to the player's logbook. Blue objects are not mission-critical, and might not be downloaded to the logbook. Green objects have already been scanned. The Scan Visor in Metroid Prime Hunters can be selected by touching an icon on the Touch Screen, and takes time to activate. It can be deactivated instantly by hitting the same icon again.

Thermal Visor

The Thermal Visor allows Samus to track targets by their heat signatures: blues and blacks are indicative of cold temperatures, yellows and whites indicate sources of great heat. The Thermal Visor is most useful to Samus in low lighting and poor weather conditions. However, it can also be used to track some cloaked enemies (i.e. the Shadow Pirate) and find hidden power conduits that can be activated by the Wave Beam weapon. The thermal visor becomes "whitewashed" (filled with bright whites impairing vision) in places of extreme heat. The Thermal Visor is only available in Metroid Prime.

X-Ray Visor

The X-Ray Visor first appeared in Super Metroid (as the X-Ray Scope), where Samus could scan the area around herself to discover hidden passages or see what weapon was needed to destroy certain blocks. The X-Ray Visor made a comeback in Metroid Prime, where it allows Samus to see through many materials, see invisible platforms, see in the dark, and track spectral entities, but also reduces her view and makes everything somewhat confusing to look at, although it makes platforming in the dark much easier, as every platform is white against black. With it, Samus's skeleton is also visible through the arm cannon and, when using the grapple beam, her left arm. Many mechanoids can cause interference with the X-Ray Visor's normal operation. It will be used in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. As a side note, this visor also shows how Samus changes between beams, through hand signs in the Arm Cannon.

Dark Visor

The Dark Visor allows Samus to see interdimensionally between the Light and Dark worlds of Aether and makes it easier to see in the poisonous atmosphere of Dark Aether. It can also reveal interdimensional platforms and Seeker-Missile locks. It highlights all enemies, including interdimensional ones, in red, making them easier to see. The Dark Visor also allows Samus to lock-on to Ing when they are in their amorphous states. The Dark Visor is only available in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes.

Echo Visor

The Echo Visor resolves Samus's surroundings with echolocation and lets her see sound waves. This visor is used with the Annihilator Beam to interface with sonic gear, such as Echo Gates. The Echo Visor displays a black view which is intermittently illuminated by a sound Samus emits, which bounces off enemies, expansions, portals, and other objects. The sound is synchronized with the circular ping effect visible on the radar on the visor. It is only available in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes.

Hacker Visor

Available only in the Metroid Prime 2: Echoes multi-player game. This power up temporarily turns Samus's visor into a weapon. It resembles the Scan Visor, but flashes "Hacker Mode" on the screen. Any opponent scanned by the Hacker Visor experiences weapon failure, impared movement, and scrambled vision until their Power Suit has been rebooted. This is the same as the effect some creatures have on Samus during the story mode.

Command Visor

This visor allows Samus to summon her gunship for specific activities, such as destroying obstacles, lifting heavy objects, and also serving as a platform for her to jump on. It will make its first appearance in the upcoming .

Weapons

Power Beam

The Power Beam is Samus' main weapon.

Approximately 0.4 meters in length, the Power Beam is integrated into Samus' suit and, as was the rest of her suit, designed by the Chozo. Though usually the weakest of Samus' armaments, the semiautomatic weapon has a high rate of fire and limitless ammunition. When used in conjunction with the Charge Beam, the Power Beam can be energized to unleash a more powerful blast. In the early games, it is usually fired in small bursts.

In the beginning of almost every Metroid game (Metroid Prime: Hunters changed this), Samus is stripped of just about all items — however, she always retains her Power Beam. The weapon is rarely deflected, so it is frequently used when the weakness of an enemy is unknown. The Power Beam can open most standard doors (typically those marked "any beam"). In the story of Metroid Fusion, the Power Beam is redesigned by the Galactic Federation Military when Samus' suit becomes infected. This model is capable of combining the Plasma Beam with the Spazer (or Wide) Beam.

In Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt, the Power Beam is combined with an ammo system. When the ammo is depleted, the beam's rate of fire becomes slower. Samus can obtain more ammo through pickups scattered throughout the levels.

However in the full version of Hunters, the ammo is absent for the Power Beam. When the trigger is held, the Power Beam fires three shots in rapid succession, then begins to charge. Also, there is a noticeable difference from the other Prime games; as the rate of fire has significantly increased. The Power Beam in Hunters takes the role of a machine gun, due to the game's first-person shooter nature; it is possible to fire faster by timing the trigger presses to fire the three shots than by pressing the trigger repeatedly.

Charge Beam

The Charge Beam itself is not a weapon, but when coupled with other beam weapons, the Charge Beam becomes a force to be reckoned with. This device allows Samus to charge up her currently armed beam weapon, increasing its power and sometimes adding additional effects (burning, freezing, etc.). In Metroid Prime Hunters, almost all weapons can be charged, and if the hunters affinity weapon is charged (with the exception of the Imperalist, Shock Coil, and Battlehammer) a special ability is activated. Samus gets homing missles, Spire's Magmaul can set enemies afire, Kanden's Volt Driver moves slower, but gets good homing and the ability to disrupt the combat visor, and Noxus' Judicator lets out a fine mist in a hemisphere that freezes foes for a short time. In Hunters, the Power Beam gets slight homing when charged. In Metroid Prime and ' the Charge Beam can be combined with missile energy to use Charge Combos, and if an enemy drops an item that is too far away for Samus to reach, the Charge Beam has a small tractor beam effect to pull the faraway item towards her. (How far the tractor beam effect reaches depends on the beam that is equipped.) In ', the Charge Beam is able to use this effect to collect small Phazon particles in the air and fire a Phazon shot. This weapon was introduced in Super Metroid and has appeared in all subsequent Metroid titles. In 2D Metroid titles from Super Metroid onward, if you somersault with a full charge, you can form a Screw Attack-like move called the Charge Attack (sometimes called Psuedo Screw Attack), which can instantly kill very weak enemies, but cannot break through Screw Attack blocks or hit multiple enemies in one jump. In Super Metroid only, the Charge Beam can also be combined with the Morph Ball Bombs, by charging up and then changing into the Morph Ball, a Five-Drop Bomb will imediately be released. The Five-Drop Bombs function similarly to the normal Morph Ball Bomb, however unlike the normal bombs, they fall and roll away from Samus under the normal effects of gravity. The explosions of a Five-Drop Bomb cannot be used to initiate a Bomb Jump. It can be combined with the power bomb as well. Since Samus is able to unequip beams (super metroid only) she can equip charge beam with any other beam and then select the power bombs to release powerful special beam.

Spazer/Wide Beam

The Spazer only exists in Metroid II: The Return of Samus and Super Metroid. It allows Samus' Power Beam to split into three rays instead of one energy ball, allowing her Power Beam blasts to cover a larger area. A different version, called the Wide Beam, is available in Metroid Fusion. In this game, the effect is identical to that of the Spazer, except that the three shots fired are larger than those of the standard Spazer, becoming pink-ish energy rings instead of the simple beams. Also, if one beam is interrupted, the other two may continue, as opposed to Super Metroid's Spazer acting as one entire shot. In Metroid: Zero Mission, the Spazer is not directly acquired; instead, the Wave Beam and Plasma Beam each increase the width of a single shot by a small amount.

Long Beam

The Long Beam appears in the original Metroid and the remake . It allows Samus's beam to travel infinitely until it hits something. Without it, her beam shot disappears after traveling a rather short distance. In Metroid, the Long Beam works with both the Ice Beam and the Wave Beam. In other games, most shots will travel until they hit something, without the need for a powerup.

Ice Beam

The Ice Beam has always been included in all but 3 Metroid games and until recently has been one of the first and weakest weapons Samus gets in her journeys. In the 2D Metroid games, this weapon is an add-on which increases beam damage and can instantly freeze enemies, turning them into temporary platforms which can support Samus' weight. In the Metroid Prime series, the Ice Beam (replaced by the Dark Beam in Echoes and the Judicator in Hunters) has a slow rate of fire but does a large amount of damage and can leave enemies frozen and defenseless to other attacks. (In Hunters, only the hunter Noxus can ultilize the freezing effect, both as an NPC in Adventure mode and as a player in Multiplayer mode. Also, a charged shot in Hunters by Noxus becomes a short-range hemisphere of mist; otherwise, it fires multiple projectiles.) A frozen enemy that is hit with a Missile will shatter and instantly die, unless the enemy is a boss. Certain enemies won't freeze when hit by the Ice Beam, however - this mainly includes ice-based or very large enemies and bosses. This is the most effective way to kill many tough enemies in many Metroid games - particularly Metroids themselves, who are known in the original Metroid for being virtually invulnerable to all weaponry unless they are frozen and then shattered by five Missiles. Ironically in Metroid Fusion, the Ice Beam, usually among Samus' first as well as most standard armaments, becomes her unattainable bane as it is carried by the SA-X and used against her. Due to the new Metroid DNA within her blood, Samus inherits the Metroid's extreme vulnerability to cold. She is not only hurt by the Ice Beam to a great degree, but also unable to attain it as the new Fusion suit cannot implement it due to her handicap. Samus's new Ice Missiles, a powerful weapon which freezes but loses the standard missile damage, stands in for the Ice Beam, but can never replace its convenience fully. It is not until the very end of Fusion, against the final enemy that Samus is finally reunited with the Ice Beam when her power is restored in the form of the Omega Suit. Once one of her most humble weapons, its return is treated similarly to the Hyper Beam of Super Metroid and the Phazon Beam of Metroid Prime.

Wave Beam

The Wave Beam was introduced in the original Metroid. It has the ability to go through walls and is made up of pure electricity energy waves. The projectile turns back and forth in a path shaped like a sine wave, hence the name "Wave Beam". This odd trajectory actually makes it easier to hit enemies that would otherwise dodge other beam shots. In Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion it can be combined with other beams to produce varying effects. In Metroid Prime, the Wave Beam is electrical and cannot pass through walls. However, it can stun opponents with electricity, and its charged version has a limited homing effect. This beam is also used to activate power conduits and complete certain puzzles.

Plasma Beam

The Plasma Beam first appeared in Metroid II: The Return of Samus. It shoots a straight, thick beam capable of passing through multiple enemies, thus making it one of the most useful beams for combat. In Prime, the beam is changed into a molten cannon, and is very useful for melting ice and defeating ice-based enemies such as Sheegoths and is the most powerful of the four Beams. It can set enemies on fire or incinerate them completely. It also has a limited range and the second highest rate of fire of the beam weapons. In Metroid Fusion, this beam is eagerly welcomed by the player as it substantially increases Samus's chance of survival in a dire situation, due to its major damage upgrade. The Plasma Beam was replaced in Metroid Prime 2 Echoes with the Light Beam. In Metroid: Zero Mission the plasma beam is obtained as a mandatory "unknown item" and can only be used after defeating the Chozo Shrine.

Dark Beam

The Dark Beam only appears in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. It fires bursts of dark energy that are highly effective against most denizens of Light Aether including offworlders like the Space Pirates. The weapon was created by the Luminoth to overload Ing, but was proven ineffective compared to other weapons.

In a first for the Metroid series, the Dark Beam is one of three beam weapons to require ammunition. The weapon can be used to open purple-black dark doors and energize rift portals to Dark Aether. It also has the unfortunate property of de-activating light beacons and light crystals, enveloping them in a shroud of darkness that requires either a burst of the Light Beam or several shots of the Power Beam to remove. When fully charged, the beam fires an Entangler blast, ensnaring its victim in cold, shadowy tendrils for a short time, similar to the freezing effect of the ice beam. When the Entangler blast impacts on a surface, the Dark energy in the shot expands into a cloud that coalesces over the nearest target. Destroying containers and enemies with the Dark Beam will produce Light Beam ammunition. When out of ammunition, the Dark Beam can be charged to fire a regular blast, with the exception of multiplayer battles. The Dark Beam can fire a powerful missile combo, called the Darkburst at a cost of 5 Missiles and 30 Dark energy per shot, each of which creates a miniature black hole, that sucks nearby enemies in, utterly destroying smaller foes and causing massive damage to larger ones.

Light Beam

The Light Beam (also exclusive to Metroid Prime 2: Echoes) fires streams of light energy that are highly effective against most denizens of Dark Aether including the Ing, granting this beam a high rate of usage. Like the Dark Beam, the Light Beam requires ammunition. It can be used to open white doors, energize rift portals to Light Aether, and can supercharge light crystals and light beacons, and causes beacons to last longer, instantly killing any Ing upon contact. Then uncharged version has a relatively short range, but also pierces through enemies, like the Plasma Beam in the 2D games. When fully charged, the beam fires several small, but powerful bursts of energy called a Lightblast. The Lightblast converges in on a locked-on target, but can be used to attack several opponents by firing without the lock-on. The Light Beam has a similar effect to that of the Plasma Beam, capable of burning or incinerating creatures. Destroying enemies / containers with the Light Beam yields Dark Beam ammunition. When out of ammunition, the Light Beam can be charged to fire a smaller, weaker blast (that for some reason also has a longer range than the ordinary shot), with the exception of multiplayer battles. Like the Dark Beam, the Light Beam has a powerful missile combo attack. Called the Sunburst, each shot uses up 5 missiles and 30 Light Ammo. It moves very slowly, but explodes on impact with a brilliant light that is deadly to any dark creatures. It is interesting to note that the Sunburst can damage Hunter Ing even while they are intangible, something that no other weapon can do.

Annihilator Beam

A beam created by combining Light and Dark energy into a sort of sonic emission. Practically, it is very powerful, homes in on enemies (whether locked onto them or not), and fires much more quickly than the Light or Dark Beams. For some reason, all enemies are less damaged from the Annihilator Beam than the beam they are weak to (Light or Dark) possibly because they're also being damaged by the more ineffective beam. Because of this the Annihilator Beam turns out to be almost completely useless in combat. The charged version of the Annihilator Beam does not home targets. This beam weapon only appears in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, and consumes both Light and Dark ammunition when fired. It can be used to open grey doors, and to supercharge light beacons and light crystals with a combination of Light and Dark energy. The resulting force field not only destroys any foe within its radius but captivates those nearby, luring them towards the beacon and their destruction. Because the beam has both a light and dark nature, it can activate rift portals in both Aether and Dark Aether. The charged version of the Annihilator Beam is known as the Disruptor, costing 5 units each of Light and Dark ammo. The Disruptor offers no homing features, but offers a wide and powerful blast radius. Killing enemies and destroying containers with the Annihilator Beam yields both Light and Dark ammunition, and just like the other beams, when out of ammo it can be charged to fire a regular shot. It should be noted that since the Annihilator requires both Light and Dark ammunition to function, running out of just one of either type will result in a 'no-ammunition' state for the weapon, even if reserves of the other ammunition are plentiful. With enough light and dark ammo as well as missiles, the annhilator beam can combine the two beams to launch a wall of pure and lethal sonic energy at the speed of sound called a Sonicboom, which tears apart the atoms of any enemy unlucky enough to be caught in its screaming blast.

\"Ultimate\" Beams: Hyper Beam, Phazon Beam, and Omega Cannon

In Super Metroid, Samus acquires the Hyper Beam during the battle with Mother Brain. The Hyper Beam subsequently replaces all the other beams in Samus' inventory, and is immensely powerful. It can pass through walls and enemies, and destroys obstacles that are impenetrable by other beams. The projectile looks like the charged-up Plasma Beam, but it flashes different colors.

In Metroid Prime, the Phazon Beam (a hyper weapon) is used against the final boss, Metroid Prime. When the corrupted Phazon Suit comes into contact with liquid Phazon, it goes into "Hyper-Mode", supercharging Samus' Arm Cannon and allowing her to shoot a continuous stream of destructive energy. It automatically arcs towards enemies. The Phazon Beam is the only weapon that can damage the second form of Metroid Prime.

Unlike the Hyper Beam, which can be fired anytime, Samus Aran must step into a small pool of pure Phazon to use the Phazon Beam, which means it can only be used during the last boss fight.

In Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, Samus also uses a sort of Phazon Beam, although it is not an actual powerup. In the final boss fight with Dark Samus, she occasionally fires tiny balls of Phazon which must be absorbed with the Charge Beam. When three of these Phazon balls are absorbed, Samus can fire them back at Dark Samus to hurt her (Absorbing more than 3 does not increase the strength of the beam.). Any beam will work with this, so charged Phazon versions of the Power, Dark, Light, and Annihilator Beams exist (there is no difference other than minor graphical ones, however).

In Metroid Prime: Hunters, Samus acquires the Omega Cannon while fighting Gorea's 2nd Phase. It is the only weapon that can damage it. When fired, it unleashes a powerful, slow-moving blast of energy which erupts into a powerful explosion splitting into numerous blasts of energy upon contact with anything. This extremely powerful weapon is abhorred by the Alimbics due to its destructive nature. The Omega Cannon is also available in multiplayer Battle mode, on the Oubliette level. It only grants one usage, replacing all other weapons that utilize Universal Ammunition (All but missiles and Power Beam), which can instantly kill anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in the large radius of the blast, often including the user. If fired upon by this weapon, anyone who looks at this weapon exploding or is not behind a wall for cover will die. The Omega Cannon will not harm Samus when fired during the Gorea's 2nd Phase and is faster, does not split into other clusters and has unlimited ammo unlike multiplayer. However, it does replace most weapons, like normal.

Electro Lob

The Electro Lob has so far only appeared in the multiplayer levels Assault Cradle and Trooper Module of Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt. It shoots in an arc and can stun an opponent as well as interfere with their visor. After collecting two Electro Lob power-ups, they can be charged up and shot in a straight line by holding down the fire button. The Electro Lob's properties can be found in two weapons from Metroid Prime: Hunters: the parabolic arc of the Battlehammer and the visor-blurring effect when the charged Volt Driver is used with Kanden.

Missiles

An upgrade in all Metroid games, the missiles can unlock certain doors and hurt enemies the beams could not harm. In Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, missiles can also lock-on to foes.

In Metroid Prime: Hunters First Hunt, missiles do not have their own ammo, but instead use up 10 units of the Power Beam ammo. Additionally, if a second Missile item is collected, the Missile weapon can be charged up for greater effect. A fully charged Missile (in Hunters, this would be called the Super missile) attack costs 15 ammo.

In the full version of Metroid Prime Hunters the missiles and Power Beam do not share the same ammo, as the Power Beam is unlimited. Instead, missiles work similar to the other Prime games. Samus starts with five missiles and the player then can find missile expansions to increase her missile count, up to 95; each expansion raises it by ten missiles. In multiplayer, however, the player starts with a default 10 missiles, although they can carry more if they find missile packs to a maximum of 59. The missiles are Samus's affinity weapon in Hunters and, when fully charged, they will have a slight homing effect onto enemies. This effect only works with Samus, who also gets 5 missiles when she picks up an affinity sphere.

Super Missiles

In Super Metroid and Metroid: Zero Mission, there are Super Missiles, which are each as powerful as 5 normal missiles, and are required for certain doors. In Metroid Fusion, Super Missiles replace the standard missiles, and are three times as powerful.

In Metroid Prime, and its sequel, a Super Missile is produced by combining 5 regular missiles with the Power Beam (after acquiring the appropriate combo upgrade). In Metroid Prime 2, there is another upgrade called the Seeker Missile. Rather than empowering individual missiles, it allows Samus to simultaneously fire up to five missiles at up to five distinct targets, or to fire five missiles at the same target in one burst.

In the multiplayer of Metroid Prime 2, Super Missiles are also available as a bonus that lasts for a limited time, which only uses one missile.

Ice Missiles

In Metroid Fusion, Samus gains Ice Missiles, which replace (or combine with) the Super Missiles. The impact of these missiles has a freezing effect similar to the Ice Beam in other games. The first Ice Missile fired at most normal enemies freezes it but does no direct damage; however, frozen enemies can be destroyed with another Ice Missile regardless of how many beam shots or Missiles it can endure otherwise, or with a few shots of Samus's beam.

Diffusion Missiles

Another upgrade unique to Metroid Fusion as well as the first chargeable Missiles, these erupt into a much wider blast on impact when fully charged, freezing any creatures the can affect, as they replace (or combine with) the Super Missiles and Ice Missiles. This is very similar to the Ice Spreader Beam Combo featured in Metroid Prime.

Missile Combos

In both of the Metroid Prime games for Gamecube (But not Metroid Prime:Hunters), each beam can execute a Missile Combo. These attacks are very costly in ammunition, but prove to be the most devastating (not to mention impressive) attacks Samus has at her disposal. The Missile Combos must be found separately from the actual Beam weapon and are usually well hidden.

The Power Beam has a Super Missile, and is found in both games. It costs a modest five Missiles. It is mandatory to complete both games, as Prime has shields blocking your way that must be removed with Super Missiles and features Super Metroid's green doors, which require a Super Missile to open. The super missile acts like a normal missile, only 5 times as powerful. It is often required to defeat bosses efficiently.

The Wave Beam has the Wavebuster. This sharply resembles the gun from Ghostbusters and is probably the most powerful Beam combo in the first Metroid Prime. It also automatically tracks enemies regardless of whether the player is actually targeting them. It costs ten missiles to initiate and rapidly drains Samus's missiles at a rate of five missiles per second while in use. The wavebuster and the Shock Coil from Metroid Prime: Hunters are very similar in nature; both look like a trail of electricity locking onto a target.

The Ice Beam has the Ice Spreader. This projectile coats a large area in ice upon impact, freezing enemies and dealing considerable damage. It costs ten missiles.

The Plasma Beam has the Flamethrower. It is not very impressive nor very efficient, and it has a very short range, but it does a good job of setting enemies on fire, sapping their health. It costs ten missiles to initiate and drains five missiles every second; its costs are identical to those of the Wavebuster.

The Dark Beam has the Darkburst. A small black ball of compressed Dark energy launches out of Samus's Arm Cannon, after a short while it rapidly expands in a small explosion to look like a miniature black hole, sucking in the particles of an enemy and throwing them into the poisonous atmosphere of Dark Aether. It costs five Missiles and thirty Dark Ammunition.

The Light Beam has the Sunburst. Much like the Darkburst, a large white ball launches out of Samus's Arm Cannon, acting like a miniature sun, it fries any enemies in the area ending with a spectacular explosion of light energy. Its only setback is its slow travel time, making it ideal for stationary or slow-moving enemies only. It costs five Missiles and thirty Light Ammunition.

The Annihilator Beam has the Sonicboom. A wall of energy is fired at the speed of sound destroying everything in it's path. Upon contact with a wall or foe the speed and force of the wall of energy distorts the light in the local area to resemble a pane of warped broken glass. The immense amount of energy released by this attack instantly destroys the target and tears apart the particles of other enemies caught in the immediate blast radius. Amazingly destructive, it costs five missiles and thirty of both Dark and Light ammunition, making this the costliest, yet also the strongest, ability of the game.

Power Bomb Combos

These weapons make their only appearance in Super Metroid. To activate each, one must disable all beams in the subscreen, except for the Charge Beam and one other beam specific to the combo. Power Bombs must then be highlighted at the top of the screen as the secondary weapon. When each of the four primary beams are then charged, the combo effect is immediately triggered, and it comsumes one Power Bomb.

The Ice Beam causes the Ice Barrier to form. This weapon creates four rotating disks of cold energy that spin around Samus with a ratcheting noise. Creatures that come into contact with the Ice Barrier are treated as if having been shot with a charged Ice Beam, usually they are frozen solid.

The Wave Beam initiates the Wave Orbiter. Four pods of energy radically orbit Samus, swinging out across and out of the width of the screen in order to strike any enimies either on-screen or slightly off of it. After a few moments, the Wave Orbiters fly away and disappear.

The Spazer Beam initiates the Spazer Rain. Samus fires a great many Spazer shots upward, and a moment later, the shots fall back down around her in a wider pattern.

The Plasma Beam initiates the Plasma Crash. Three large plasma orbs spiral outward from Samus very quickly, and vanish off the screen.

Hunter Weapons

Six new beams are introduced in Metroid Prime: Hunters. When used by a particular character, each one becomes more powerful, and also takes on special "affinity" properties;

• Judicator: Basic beam with ricocheting effect, useful in tight corridors. This weapon has ice properties, and is comparable to the Ice Beam of other games. - Noxus' affinity: Freezes enemies with a blast of icy mist when charged. All other hunters merely fire three projectiles simultaneously.
• Magmaul: Grenade launcher of magma with ricochet and large blast radius. The Magmaul holds flame-related properties, similar to that of Metroid Prime's Plasma Beam. - Spire's affinity: Wider explosion area, sets enemies on fire when charged.
• Volt driver: Powerful and fast shot that sprays when charged. Has electrical properties, and draws more ammunition than other weapons. - Kanden's affinity: Disrupts vision when charged. The charged shots are slow, but have a homing ability and a large blast radius.
• Imperialist: Sniper Beam with zooming capability. A zoomed shot will do double damage, and since the base (unzoomed) damage is 50, a zoomed headshot does 200 damage, enough to OHKO any other player in multiplayer mode.- Trace's affinity: induces cloak when stationary. Cannot be charged.
• Shock coil: Short-range electricity caster, seeks nearest target. After a bit of being kept on the same target, it will start to deal exponentially more damage. Similar to the Wavebuster. Requires less ammunition than other affinity weapons, using up ammunition at a rate of about one per second. - Sylux's affinity: Drains health from enemy and restores Sylux's at the same time, exponential rate of change in health.
• Battlehammer: Powerful arcing mortar beam. Contrary to popular belief, only Weavel gets an explosive radius. - Weavel's affinity: Powerful explosions that knock enemies back, splash damage. Cannot be charged, holding down the fire button only causes auto-fire.

\"Murder Beam\" (Glitch)

The "Murder Beam" or the "SpaceTime Beam" are the player-given names for weapons that can be used in Super Metroid by exploiting a glitch. It allows the player to fire all beams at once, including both the Spazer and the Plasma Beam. It is known to cause other problems with the game, and it is the same as the Hyper Beam.

Expansions and Ammunition

There are many other expansions that can increase the Power Suit's abilities, as well as ammunition needed to operate these abilities. Using a glitch found in super metroid only, you can get unlimited missile, power bomb, super missile, energy tank, and reserve tank expansions.

Energy Tank

Samus begins each game with a maximum of 99 energy (in the original Metroid, she begins with 30 energy, but still has a maximum of 99). Each Energy Tank she collects in the game increases this limit by 100 units (in the Hard Mode of the Japanese version of Metroid Fusion and in Zero Mission, this amount is reduced to 50). Collecting an Energy Tank also completely refills Samus' energy to the new maximum capacity. Energy Tanks are distributed evenly throughout the Metroid games, but collecting them is not mandatory. In the original Metroid and Metroid Prime: Hunters, there are 7 energy tanks, Metroid II has 6, Metroid Fusion has 20, Zero Mission has 12, and Prime, Echoes and Super Metroid have 14. At the end of Super Metroid, Mother Brain fires an unavoidable beam that deals a player 300 damage, so in a way it IS mandatory for a player to have three energy tanks/subtanks in Super Metroid (99 base + 300 additional energy units) to survive Mother Brain's attack.

Reserve Tank

Super Metroid also has a different sort of Energy Tank, called a Reserve Tank. If Samus has any of these, extra energy above what her normal Energy Tanks can hold is stored in these. Like Energy Tanks, they can each hold 100 Energy, and there are 4 of them that can be found. The Reserve Tanks can be set to automatic, where they will give Samus all of the energy contained within them if her main reserves are drained, or they can be manually used at any time.

Missile Expansion

These pickups increase Samus' maximum missile-carrying capacity by five. In Metroid: Zero Mission's Hard Mode, picking up a Missile Expansion only gives Samus an extra two missiles, while in Metroid II: Return of Samus and Metroid Prime: Hunters, each Missile Expansion gives Samus ten additional missiles.

Power Bomb Expansion

Similar to the missile expansions in function, these pickups increase Samus' Power Bomb capacity. In Metroid: Zero Mission on both Easy and Medium difficulty obtaining the Power Bomb Expansion increases Samus' Power Bomb capacity by two; In Hard Mode it increases her capacity by only one. Expansions in Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes provide one additional bomb also, while in Super Metroid Samus' capacity is increased by five with each pickup.

Beam Ammo Expansion

A pickup unique to Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, Beam Ammo Expansions can increase Samus' maximum Light/Dark ammo capacity by fifty, up to a maximum of 250. The player begins with 50.

Universal Ammo Expansion

In Metroid Prime Hunters, it increases the maximum amount of universal ammo used for certain weapons. The player begins with 40 ammo, and each expansion increases Samus' arsenal by 30, up to a maximum of 400.

Movement Systems

There are also many items that increase and enhance movement and allow the Power Suit to reach otherwise inaccesible areas.

High Jump Boots

High Jump Boots (or Hi-Jump Boots) greatly increase the height of Samus' jumps, allowing her much easier access to certain areas of the games. These boots could be skipped by veteran gamers, as in the 2D Metroid games, Samus' innate, but difficult, wall-jumping ability coupled with bomb-jumping often allows her access to areas that the High Jump Boots appear to be required to access. In some games, the High Jump Boots also grant Samus the Spring Ball ability, allowing her to jump in Morph Ball form.

Note that in the original Metroid and Metroid II, Samus could not walljump. That ability was only granted in Super Metroid. The game teaches the player how to do this by using harmless creatures called Etecoons to demonstrate the technique. In the first two games, the High Jump Boots were not necessary but helped greatly.

In Metroid Fusion and Zero Mission, walljumping was possible from the beginning but never explained, in either the game or the instruction manual. It can be used in several places to attain power-ups otherwise accessed through the Space Jump.

In Metroid Prime: Hunters, Samus apparently starts with the High Jump Boots, as they are listed as equipment under the Logbook from the beginning, but never officially obtained.

Space Jump

This upgrade allows Samus to jump multiple times in the air. In the 2D Metroid games, the Space Jump allows Samus to somersault continuously in the air, while in the Metroid Prime series, the Space Jump simply allows Samus to perform a double jump. The Space Jump upgrade, like the High Jump Boots, can often be bypassed, as Samus' wall-jumping allows her access to almost all locations to which the Space Jump grants access. The Space Jump is necessary when Samus is required to ascend long tunnels without a proper wall to jump from or to cross a large horizontal gap. In Metroid: Zero Mission the space jump is collected as mandatory "unknown item." It becomes usable only after defeating the Chozo Shrine.

Screw Attack

The icon for this item is a lightning bolt symbol. With this acquired, Samus' spin jump becomes a ball of lightning that can destroy most enemies on contact. Samus is almost completely invincible to enemies while executing this attack. This iteration of the powerup only appears in the 2D Metroid games. It was thought for a long time that it would be impossible to implement the Screw Attack into the Prime series, due to the first-person view. In Metroid Prime 2: Echoes however, the Screw Attack makes a surprise appearance. It allows Samus to perform five extra jumps, in addition to her normal jump and space jump. When the player uses the Screw Attack in Echoes, the game will switch to a third-person view, allowing the player to aim his or her jumps slightly and land on a narrow platform. Samus can also use this to bounce off special magnetised walls. Regardless of the genre of the title, it is typically one of the final items obtained as it is quite a fearsome ability. In Metroid Fusion the SA-X uses the Screw Attack to great degree and just one hit of it often severely damages, if not outright kills Samus in the first half of the game. Even when Samus herself acquires it once more, it is still a highly dangerous move of the SA-X. The Screw Attack would appear to be one of Samus's trademark abilities as well, as evidenced by its inclusion in Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee.

A slightly modified version of this icon is used as a sort of symbolic Metroid series logo. It first appears in this manner in Super Metroid, and has been used as the aforementioned insignia in every subsequent title afterwards. The icon was used as Samus's callsign in Super Smash Bros. as well, and in the Prime games a similar icon denotes the new suit power-ups. This has not, of course, precluded it from also still being used to denote the Screw Attack in these games.

An item called the 'Screw Ball' appeared as a treasure in The Great Cave Offensive in Kirby Super Star. It looks exactly like the icon for the Screw Attack.

The Echoes variation of the Screw Attack will be returning in , as seen in a demo of the game. [1]

Speed Booster

This item allows Samus to increase the speed at which she dashes. After a brief warm up period while dashing, Samus begins to glow and leaves a trail of afterimages. This indicates that the Speed Booster is working to its full effect and that Samus is now at maximum dashing velocity, allowing her to destroy many enemies simply by running into them. If Samus stops dashing, she promptly loses the glow and must dash again to regain the effect. In addition, while at maximum speed, Samus can go into a crouch, storing the energy gathered from Boosting. The player can then press jump and a direction to launch Samus in a straight trajectory. This technique is referred to as "Shinesparking". Samus will continue on the trajectory until she hits an obstacle. Aside from Super Metroid, Shinesparking into a slope will restore the Speed Booster. In Super Metroid, this technique drains energy. In Metroid: Zero Mission, after getting the Hi-jump, Samus can roll into her Morph Ball form and Shinespark in it as well. Hitting a slope while Shinesparking in her Morph Ball allows Samus to roll at high speed while still in the Morph Ball.

Grappling Beam

The Grappling Beam is used in Super Metroid and the Metroid Prime games to attach onto and swing from magnetic points in the environment. In the Prime games, it is called the "Grapple Beam," similar to how the Morphing Ball was shortened to "Morph Ball."

Similar to a grappling hook, this ability is used to reach areas higher and farther than those normally accessible. In Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, the Grapple Beam can be latched onto some objects blocking the way, then thrown off, allowing access, and to latch on to enemies' shields to disarm them. This is the second time (besides Super Metroid) that the Grapple Beam could be used as an offensive tool as well as a movement upgrade.

Gravity Boost

The Gravity Boost upgrades the thrusters on Samus' suit, and takes the place of the Gravity Suit in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. A sort of propellor-driven jetpack, it removes many of the hinderances of water on Light Aether, allowing faster movement and clearer vision. It allows a third hover jump while underwater, causing Samus to become buoyant and gain a great deal of height.

Power Grip

The Power Grip is an item in Metroid: Zero Mission which allows Samus to grab onto ledges and pull herself up with a single hand. This allows access to areas that cannot be reached by jumping alone. When Samus loses her suit near the end of Zero Mission, she is still able to pull herself up ledges, using both hands. Samus is still able to fire her weapon while hanging from a ledge, with or without her suit.

In Metroid Fusion, Samus has the innate ability to scale ledges, and can also utilize vertical and horizontal ladders. Strangely, she uses both her left hand and her arm cannon to assist her in these tasks. In this game, she is able to fire weapons from ladders, but not ledges. But, she can charge a shot and shoot it over the ledge, damaging any enemies on the platform she is hanging on.

Other

Several other items exist in the Metroid series that have a wide variety of applications that enhance suit performance.

Crystal Flash

A secret technique that is found only in Super Metroid. When low on energy, Samus can expend 10 each of Missiles, Super Missiles, and Power Bombs while detonating an 11th Power Bomb to enter the Crystal Flash. Samus floats armorless in a fetal pose within an indestructible sphere of energy for a short period of time while the energy of the expended weapons refills a quantity of her Energy Tanks. Samus's armor then instantly reappears around her as the Crystal Flash shield vanishes.

Massive Damage/Double Damage

First seen in the Metroid Prime 2: Echoes multi-player game. While under the effects of this power up, Samus has a red aura and the damage inflicted by all weapons is doubled. In Metroid Prime Hunters, it is renamed the Double Damage. The aura also changes color to purple. Note: The two effects gained in the Metroid Prime 2: Echoes multi-player, one from a pickup, and the other from a random ability giving item, do not stack (i.e. if you get the Massive Damage from the random upgade and you then pickup the Double Damage, you will only do 200% of normal damage instead of 400%).

Invisibility/Cloak

First seen in the Metroid Prime 2: Echoes multi-player game. While under the effects of this power up, Samus appears translucent on the screen of the player that possesses it, and utterly invisible on the screens of all opponents. This is renamed the Cloak in Metroid Prime Hunters.

Invulnerability

First seen in the Metroid Prime 2: Echoes multi-player game. While under the effects of this power up, Samus appears completely silver, and suffers no damage from any form of attack.

Non-Power Suit Items

Vigilance Class Turret

First used in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. Samus can enter these heavy weapons ports of Space Pirate design and operate the stationary spherical heavy cannons. The Vigilance Class Turrets can damage many things that are unnaffected by any other weapon, sometimes even demolishing whole cliff faces that are blocking some hidden item. These turrets are also seen in multiplayer.

Cipher

Samus must acquire the 12 parts of this supposedly very powerful Chozo item during the course of Metroid Prime. The Chozo originally used the Cipher to imprison the Metroid Prime within the Impact Crater, and Samus must use the power again to enter the Crater in pursuit of it. Metroid Prime's Logbook treats the Artifact pieces as parts of the Power Suit upgrades.

Dark Temple Keys

These items of Luminoth manufacture operate the seals on the temples mirrored on Dark Aether, and Samus must eventually collect 18 different keys with each temple requiring a different number of specific keys to access. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes' Logbook treats the Dark Temple Keys as parts of the Power Suit upgrades, dividing their sections in the Logs up between the temples they belong to.

Galvanic Accelerator Cannon

The galvanic accelerator cannon (GAC) is a weapon used by the Space Pirates stationed on Tallon IV in the fourth game of the Metroid series, Metroid Prime.

Attached to the beings' right arm, the GACs are fired by raising their single finger into an alcove containing a trigger. They fire small, reddish bolts of energy capable of dealing minimal damage, but they fire very fast and have extremely low recoil.

After the events on Tallon IV, the Pirates abandoned GACs for QACs, Quantum Assault Cannons, seen throughout the rest of the series — prototypes of these can be found in Lab Hydra, and a few are seen in the first story, depicted in Metroid: Zero Mission.

See also

• Metroid series
• Nintendo
• Retro Studios
• Gunpei Yokoi

 

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