The Real Stuff Part 2

Week 4

Hi guys! Last week I talked about the location of the different items you can collect in the game. I mentioned briefly about Ceres Space Colony and the introduction of Super Metroid. In this blog, I will tell you why it's called Super Metroid. I will talk more about  the obstacles in the game, the different enemies in each area on Planet Zebes and some of the bosses. 

You may remember in my first blog that doors are a major obstacle in the game. Well, there are many different types of doors that Samus can go in through, but she can't go through every single door empty-handed! That's why in my last blog I talked about the different items/power-ups that she can acquire on her quest. Some of these items can be used to open doors. They are commonly known as hatches by Nintendo, and you will encounter many of them throughout the game.

Here are the different types of doors in the game:

1. Blue Doors - These doors can be opened by shooting beams or bombs at them. 

Blue Door

2. Red Doors - These doors can be opened by shooting 5 missiles at them.

A pair of red doors

3. Green Doors - These doors can be opened by 1 super missile.

Samus shooting a super missile at a green door

4. Yellow Doors - These doors can only be opened by power bombs.

Yellow door

5. Grey Doors - These doors will only open after you defeat certain enemies (or collect certain items) that are required to open them, for example, bosses or mini-bosses.

Grey Door; In order to open it again, Samus must defeat the Space Pirates in this room.

6. Gadora - This door appears at the entrance of a boss room. It takes 3 missiles/1 super missile to destroy it. When defeated, the door turns blue.

Samus firing a missile at a Gadora outside Kraid. Notice a corpse (member of the Galactic Federation)?

The different items shown to open doors

Among doors as the primary obstacle, there are many factors affecting Samus's journey including:
1. Lava (Norfair and Tourian) - Lava can cause damage to Samus's health. When wearing the Gravity Suit, it doesn't harm her, except for the super-heated lava.

Super-heated lava

Normal lava (1)

Normal lava (2)

2. Water (Crateria, Wrecked Ship, Brinstar, Norfair and Maridia) - Samus moves much slower in water with her normal suit. But when she acquires the Gravity Suit, she moves pretty much like Samus on land. Maridia is mostly aquatic, so the Gravity Suit is needed.

Samus running in water

3. Heat (Norfair) - Heat can also cause damage to Samus's health. Equip the Varia Suit, Samus will need it as you progress further.

One of the many super-heated rooms in Norfair

4. Barriers (Brinstar, Norfair and Tourian) - Sometimes, barriers can close in on Samus when she attempts to get through. The Speed Booster can overcome the problem. Some barriers have switches on them to shoot. These range in two different colors, blue and red, so shoot them in order to open them (pretty much like doors). Sometimes, the switch can be on the other side of Samus, so carry the Wave Beam (can shoot beams through walls).

Barrier (1) these open when you fire at them

Barrier (2); these close when you try to run through them

5. Conveyor belts (Wrecked Ship) - Conveyor belts can hinder Samus's movements. They can either slow her down or accelerate her.

Conveyor belt 

6. Eruptions (Norfair, Tourian and Crateria) - Eruptions can slow down Samus's moves and mainly occur when lava is rising.

7. Countdown - (Ceres Space Colony and Zebes) - Countdowns occur at the end of the game when Samus Aran defeats Mother Brain. An alarm sounds and a message on the screen says TIME BOMB SET! ESCAPE IMMEDIATELY! You are given a limited amount of time to try and escape. Enemies and obstacles can block your escape route, so be careful! In Ceres, you are given 1 minute to escape while on Zebes, you are given 3 minutes to get back to your gunship on the surface.

Countdown sequence in Ceres

Countdown sequence on Zebes

8. Save Stations (Everywhere) - During her journey, Samus can always stop at a room to save her progress. When you reload the game, you will continue your journey where you left off last time. You can also save your progress on Samus's gunship.

Save Station

9. Refill Rooms (Everywhere, I think) - Samus can go to a refill room to restore things. There are 2 things that Samus can replenish: (1) health, and (2) ammunition (missiles). Samus's gunship can also recharge her health, but not her missile supply.

Refill room

10. Map Room (Everywhere I think) - Navigation is an important factor in Super Metroid, because it is important that she can make her way down to Mother Brain in Tourian and rescue the hatchling. There are rooms in Zebes where you can acquire map data of the area that you are in. This gives Samus a better understanding of her location and what places to go next.

Typical Map Room in Super Metroid

11. Metroids (Metroids - Tourian, Mochtroids - Maridia) - Samus can encounter some enemies in the game which are difficult to defeat. Metroids are one of those enemies. They can latch onto Samus and can decrease her energy. In order to be defeated, they must be frozen with the Ice Beam and then killed with either missiles or super missiles.

A Metroid latching onto Samus

12. Glass Tube (connects Brinstar and Maridia) - You may have noticed a glass tube in Lower Brinstar when you are going to Norfair or battle Kraid. There is a glass tube in a section of Brinstar where it connects to Maridia. The glass tube is sealed, so it means you cannot explore the watery world. In order to destroy them, you need to use a Power Bomb. Once the glass tube breaks, you can explore the lower parts of Maridia.

Glass Tube unshattered

Glass Tube breaks with the Power Bomb (notice the shards of glass?)

13. Lifts (Everywhere except the Wrecked Ship) - Lifts provide a unique transport link for Samus in order to explore the different areas of Zebes. You can take the lift to a lower surface of Zebes or back up when you're finished. In order to reach the Wrecked Ship, you need to cross a large chasm of water. Alternatively, you could take the lift from Maridia to Crateria and exit that way to the other side of the vessel.

A lift in Crateria leading down to Brinstar

14. Chozo Statues (Everywhere) - Provide resources for Samus on her journey. Some may also be used to carry Samus to secret areas (while in Morph Ball mode). Most Chozo statues are found sitting down, while some remain standing.

Chozo Statue (1)

Chozo Statue (2)

Now, let's move onto the enemies:


I will show you a map of each area on Zebes and explain the main enemies as much as possible:



1. Crateria

2. Brinstar

3. Norfair

4. Maridia

5. Wrecked Ship

6. Tourian

Some of the enemies you would encounter in Super Metroid

Now we move onto the bosses:

All the bosses that Samus must battle in the game:
From left to right: Kraid, Draygon, Ridley, Phantoon, Giant Metroid and Mother Brain (with the exception of Spore Spawn and Botwoon)

Mini-bosses:
1. Torizo
Location: Crateria

A Chozo-like creature that Samus must take on after acquiring the Bomb. It can be defeated by aiming Beams, Missiles and Bombs at its abdomen. The Torizo can attack Samus by swiping at her with its hand, charge towards her, releasing bombs from its mouth and throwing lasers!

Torizo

2. Spore Spawn
Location: Brinstar

A gigantic plant that resides in a room in Northern Brinstar. It attacks by releasing spores from the ceiling downwards towards Samus and moving up and down repeatedly. After a period of time, it stops and opens its mouth to reveal its core. Shoot the core with missiles. As more damage is inflicted, it moves faster and is browner in colour. After defeating it, it rewards Samus the Super Missiles.

Spore Spawn

3. Botwoon
Location: Maridia

A serpent with the head of an alligator. Botwoon attacks by releasing spores in different directions from its mouth in one of the burrows that it hides in. Botwoon swims around the room randomly and moves in and out of burrows. It can appear in any burrow so be ready. As you damage it more, it moves faster and makes the moves unpredictable. Turns redder in colour too. Shoot it in the head.

Botwoon

4. Crocomire
Location: Norfair

A large reptile that attacks in a tug-of-war pattern. This monster has delicate skin and is red in colour and in texture. He has two pairs of four eyes on each side, eight eyes in total. To defeat him; shoot Crocomire with beams or missiles to push him back. Failure to do so will result of him moving towards Samus and pushing her into a wall of spikes at the back of the room. The objective: Push Crocomire into a pool of super-heated lava and you're done! Crocomire swims to the other side of the room where he reveals himself as a skeleton version of himself and then falls to the ground, leaving a pile of bones! Reacts aggressively towards Power Bombs, so be careful!

5. Golden Torizo
Location: Norfair (Ridley's Hideout)

A more advanced version of a Torizo, except that it is gold! Unlike its predecessor, it can deflect Super Missiles, shoot more lasers and avoid Missiles. It can also jump to a greater distance and higher, so don't underestimate it. Rewards you with the Screw Attack when defeated.

Bosses:
1. Kraid
Location: Brinstar (Kraid's Lair)

The ruler of Brinstar. An obese, giant lizard who takes up much of Brinstar. In fact, he is the largest being on Zebes. Kraid can attack by bumping into Samus and throwing its claws at her. It can also release rocks from its mouth and turns from green to dark brown when defeated. Reward: the Varia Suit, which is needed for Norfair. It has two phases: (1), when it is sitting down, and (2), when it stands up and Samus needs to jump on a platform in order to shoot Kraid. Can be killed with Charged Beams, Missiles and Super Missiles.

2. Draygon
Location: Maridia

A large crustacean monster that swoops up and down at Samus. It can also shoot a goo which prevents Samus from moving and uses her as bait. She can kick Samus using her tail and can inflict a lot of damage to her. There are two weaknesses: (1), her stomach and (2), electrocuting her with the Grapple Beam. There are four cannons in the room that fire at Samus. Shoot the cannons with Super Missiles to get sparks on them. Using the Grapple Beam, point it at the sparks, and when Draygon grabs you, shoot it at the sparks, and Draygon will be defeated almost instantly (around 8 seconds). The hard way is to shoot missiles, beams or super missiles at its stomach. It turns from yellow to crimson. Gives you access to the Space Jump.

Note: The Grapple Beam can also be used to kill enemies too.

Draygon

3. Phantoon
Location: Wrecked Ship
A ghostly entity that resides in the Wrecked Ship. Its head is shaped like a light bulb. Phantoon can attack Samus by moving across the screen and emitting blue flames from its mouth. It has the ability to turn itself invisible. When Phantoon re-appears, it will open its mouth to reveal an eye in it. Shoot the eye many times until it turns a reddish colour. Your reward: restores the power lost on the Wrecked Ship.

Phantoon

4. Ridley
Location: Ceres Space Colony and Norfair (Ridley's Hideout)
One of Samus's primary antagonists in the game. A dragon creature that has the ability to fly and is one of the commanders of the Space Pirates. He is responsible for the capture of the Metroid hatchling and the bloodbath of the scientists at Ceres. Ridley can shoot fireballs at Samus and attack her with his tail. Kill him with Missiles and Super Missiles. It can also lunge at Samus, so be ready. Reward: A hidden energy tank and the breaking of the capsule that stored the larva.

Ridley

He first appears in Ceres, where he was invisible while holding the canister that contained the tiny Metroid. He can attack by swooping in at her and shooting fireballs. If you hit it enough, the dragon will flee from the scene and the first countdown is engaged. Samus escapes Ceres, so does Ridley and the hatchling, who make their way to the new Zebes.

Ridley with the Metroid hatchling at Ceres

He makes a reappearance in Norfair, where he is more dangerous and more hostile. He has the same attack moves, except that they are unpredictable and harder to avoid. Try to kill him by using your powerful weapons first.

Samus battles Ridley for the last time.

5. Giant Metroid
Location: Ceres Space Colony (as a larva) and Tourian (over-grown)
It is referred to as "The Baby" by Nintendo. Starts as a small larva, gets captured by Ridley and then grows extraordinarily, that it makes it more ominous. It turns nasty first, but then recognizes her as her mother and helps her. Like Metroids, they can latch onto their prey and drain their life out of them. It has a unique power; the ability to transfer energy from one being to another. No Metroid can do that. Saved Samus from her final blow from Mother Brain, but unfortunately gets killed. Grants Samus her true gift; the Hyper Beam. That is why the game is called Super Metroid!!!

"The Baby" in its larval form

"The Baby" in its overgrown form

6. Mother Brain
Location: Tourian
A super diabolical computer android that is leader of the Space Pirates. In its first phase, it is seen resting in its unique holding capsule. In order for Samus to defeat it, she must get past through her obstacles; Zebetite barriers, cannons, and Rinkas. Shoot the glass container first with Missiles and Super Missiles and then hit it as many times as you like, providing that you avoid the Rinkas and the lava.

Mother Brain in its 1st form

In its second phase, it adopts a mechanical body and fills up the ceiling. Its attack moves are as follows: (1) shoots beams and lasers at her, (2) spits bombs out of its mouth and (3) releases a ray of ultraviolet energy from its eye which weaken Samus. Shoot Missiles, Charged Beams or Super Missiles at the robot monster. When your energy is low enough, it will cackle an evil laugh, and give her a final blow, but gets intercepted by "The Baby." After a period of time, it recovers from its idleness "The Baby" has given it and kills it.

Final phase; Samus just adopted the Hyper Beam and can shoot her with the Hyper Beam as many times as she wants. Attack moves are the same in the 2nd phase, except that they are executed in a faster rate. When she turns bright red, she will stomp towards her, lose its body and crumble to the ground. What's left now, is her head. In a few seconds, it will turn to dust and POOF! Mission accomplished! A countdown sequence activates and Samus has to evacuate Zebes as quickly as possible! She makes it eventually, as she watches the hostile planet get wiped off the Galactic Federation's Solar System!!!

Mother Brain in its 2nd form

That's it. It's pretty much everything for this blog on the Geography of Metroid. In the next and final blog, there will be a surprise. See you on the flip side!!!