Super Metroid is a 1994 action-adventure game first released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). Intelligent Systems partnered with Nintendo to develop the game and Nintendo published it. Super Metroid is the third game in the Metroid series and a direct sequel to 1991’s Metroid II: Return of Samus. The game is a single-player-only experience where the player controls the main character, bounty hunter Samus Aran.
Unless modern gamers are fortunate enough to have a Super Nintendo and a Super Metroid cartridge that still works, getting ahold of and playing an original version of the game is quite difficult. Fortunately, Nintendo has made it easy to play many of its classics on the Nintendo Switch. As long as players have access to a Nintendo Switch and have a Nintendo Switch Online account, they can play Super Metroid for free. Nintendo offers Super Metroid and dozens of other classic SNES games through the Super Nintendo Entertainment System™ pack, which is free for members.
Upon release, critics and fans alike were impressed with Metroid’s third installment. It received praise for just about everything it did, from the game’s atmosphere to graphics, music, and gameplay. Many publications over the years have called Super Metroid one of the greatest games ever made. Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night are the two games responsible for the “Metroidvania” video game sub-genre. Metroidvania refers to platformers and/or action-adventure games that feature guided non-linearity and utility-gated gameplay. When a game helps birth a whole new genre, players know it has to be good.
Today, Super Metroid is still highly regarded by gamers and critics. 96% of Google users who weighed in on the topic said that they liked Super Metroid. IGN rates it an incredibly high 9.5 out of 10 and calls it amazing. IGN’s featured Super Metroid review says, “There’s just no beating this game’s classic appeal.”
Super Metroid Premise
Super Metroid picks up where Metroid II: Return of Samus left off. The game begins with Samus bringing the last Metroid to the Ceres space colony. Once she hands over the Metroid larva, there’s no reason for her to stay on Ceres, so she leaves. There, scientists and specialists study the Metroid larva and discover that they could capitalize on the Metroid’s energy-producing abilities. Shortly after leaving Ceres, Samus receives a distress call from the colony, so she turns around and returns immediately. By the time she gets back, she finds the scientists working with the larva are all dead. The larva is nowhere to be found. Samus quickly discovers that the larva was taken by space pirate Ridley.
After escaping Ceres’ self-destruct sequence, Samus takes off after Ridley. Samus’ journey lands her on Zebes, a planet where the space pirates have built a new base. She has no choice but to explore the planet and the pirates’ base in search of the missing Metroid larva. Her journey takes her through several boss fights, four to be exact. One of the fights features a showdown between Samus and Ridley. After defeating all four bosses, Samus goes to Tourian at the center of the base. Once she enters Tourian, Samus faces off against several Metroids, though she’s not sure how they managed to reproduce there when she only knew of one larva’s existence.
Samus also comes face-to-face with the larva, which has grown into a massive monster since its time on the Ceres space colony. The massive Metroid engages in combat with Samus and nearly succeeds in killing her. It only stops because it recognizes her.
Most of the game takes place on Zebes. Super Metroid is a 2D side-scrolling action-adventure game that focuses on exploration and combat. Samus must explore Zebes in search of the lost Metroid larva. Like many games of this style, the mechanics are relatively simple. Samus can run, jump, crouch, and wall jump. Her weapons can fire in eight different directions. Samus can also “Moon Walk” which refers to her ability to charge or shoot weapons while walking backward. Players will earn level-ups that enhance Samus’ armor, weapons, and skills as they progress through the game.
Super Metroid Main Characters
©naswinger / Nintendo / Intelligent Systems – License
As one of the most recognizable SNES games ever made, Super Metroid features some iconic gaming heroes. Samus is one of the most recognizable protagonists of any gaming franchise, and for good reason. She isn’t the only character that brings the magic of Super Metroid to life, though.
- Samus Aran: Samus Aran is the main protagonist and playable character of the Metroid series. She’s also an intergalactic bounty hunter. In Super Metroid, Samus brings the last known Metroid larva to a space colony to be studied. Soon after she leaves the Metroid in the scientists’ capable hands, she receives a distress signal that forces her to return to Ceres. The scientists have been slaughtered and the Metroid is missing. Samus quickly discovers that the space pirate Ridley is behind this brutal attack and follows Ridley back to Zebes. Zebes is home to the Zebesian Space Pirates and it’s also where the first Metroid game takes place. Samus has to navigate Zebes, take on enemy boss battles, and face off against more Metroids to survive. Samus is considered a gaming industry trailblazer. Almost everyone believed that Samus was a male character, but beating the original game in under 5 hours reveals that Samus has been a woman all along. Samus walked so many more powerful and independent female video game characters could run.
- Ridley: Ridley is the main antagonist of the Metroid series and he’s Samus’ archnemesis. Ridley has also been referred to as Geoform 187 and The Cunning God of Death. Ridley is described as a draconic extraterrestrial and he is the leader of the Zebesian Space Pirates. His rivalry with Samus started years back, when he and the pirates raided her homeworld, resulting in the death of her parents. In Super Metroid, Ridley attacks the Ceres space colony after Samus drops off the last Metroid larva. He kills the scientists and steals the Metroid, taking it back to his home planet, Zebes. Ridley gets his name from Ridley Scott, the legendary director who brought the world Alien. Alien was a huge inspiration for the Metroid franchise, just like it was for the Alien Breed franchise.
- The Stolen Metroid: The Stolen Metroid is nothing more than a larva at the beginning of the game. Samus takes the larva to the Ceres space colony so scientists can research it. Unfortunately, Ridley quickly interferes, killing the scientists so he can steal the Metroid and take it to Zebes. The Metroid larva isn’t seen again until Samus finds and fights several Metroids during her journey. Samus isn’t sure how the Metroids are reproducing because there’s only one left. By the time she comes face-to-face with the Stolen Metroid, it’s no longer a larva. It’s grown into a massive monster that nearly kills her. Before it can deal a fatal blow, though, the Metroid recognizes her. Samus was there when the larva was born, so it imprinted onto her and recognized her as its mother. Later, when Samus fights the Mother Brain, the Metroid helps her win the fight.
- Mother Brain: Mother Brain is a prominent antagonist throughout the Metroid series and she is quite literally a massive brain in a jar. She is a biomechanical creature that controls Zebes and the Zebesian Space Pirates. When Ridley first appeared in Metroid, he was nothing more than Mother Brain’s subordinate. In Super Metroid, Mother Brain serves as the final boss fight. After Samus finds the Metroid larva, she confronts Mother Brain and nearly dies in the process (again…). The Metroid comes to Samus’ rescue, helping her fight Mother Brain. Samus and the Metroid ultimately destroy Mother Brain but at the cost of the Metroid’s life. Mother Brain’s death triggers Zebes to self-destruct and Samus must escape from the planet before it’s too late. Mother Brain and Ridley have both been killed by Samus and “resurrected” multiple times throughout the series. Destroying either of these characters isn’t a guarantee that they’re gone.
Metroid Titles in the Series
The original Metroid hit shelves in 1986 and it spawned one of the most recognizable franchises in the gaming industry. Metroid is so iconic that some of its most memorable characters have appeared in other franchises. Even today, gamers still get excited about Metroid. In fact, there is a new Metroid game in development right now.
- Metroid (1986)
- Metroid II: Return of Samus (1991)
- Super Metroid (1994)
- Metroid Fusion (2002)
- Metroid Prime (2002)
- Metroid: Zero Mission (2004)
- Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (2004)
- Metroid Prime Pinball (2005)
- Metroid Prime Hunters (2006)
- Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (2007)
- Metroid Prime: Trilogy (2009)
- Metroid: Other M (2010)
- Metroid Prime: Federation Force (2016)
- Metroid: Samus Returns (2017)
- Metroid Dread (2021)
- Metroid Prime Remastered (2023)
- Metroid Prime 4 – Metroid Prime 4 is currently in development. Right now, the expected release date is Summer 2024.
Other Appearances and Crossovers:
- The Super Smash Bros. franchise
- The Super Mario franchise
- The Kirby franchise
- Tetris (NES version)
- Tetris DS
- The Kid Icarus franchise
- Dead or Alive: Dimensions
- Wii U’s Nintendo Land
Super Metroid Cheats, Exploits, & Tricks
©naswinger / Nintendo / Intelligent Systems – License
Super Metroid came out during a period when many games included built-in cheats that made the game easier. These cheats often gave the player more money, more energy, more lives, or invincibility. Many cheats of the era were game-breaking. Sadly, Super Metroid didn’t follow this trend because it doesn’t have many usable cheats to take advantage of. While the game may not have authentic cheat codes, there are some glitches and exploits in the SNES game that players can take advantage of. It’s important to keep in mind that the game is old and has been ported to the Nintendo Switch for modern players. Some or all of the exploits that worked on the original game may not work now.
How to Achieve Multiple Endings
Super Metroid has three different endings players can get. Getting each ending is simple because it corresponds to how long it takes the player to complete the game.
- The Best Ending: Complete the game in under 3 hours
- The Second-Best Ending: Complete the game within 3:01-10:00
- The Easiest Ending: Beat the game in over 10 hours
Crystal Flash
The Crystal Flash refills the player’s Energy Tanks.
- Have 49 or less energy units
- Have 10 or more Missiles, 10 or more Super Missiles, and 11 or more Power Bombs
- Select the Power Bomb icon and morph
- Press and hold L, R, the shoot buttons, and down on the control pad
Samus’ Secret Attacks
Several guides mention Secret Attack glitches and exploits that can be used in Super Metroid, but IGN’s Super Metroid guide has the most detailed list of attacks, their requirements, and what they do. Let’s take a look at IGN’s recommendations:
| Secret Attack | Requirements | Attack Effect |
| Attack #1 | Charge Beam, Powerbombs, and any special beam type | The most obvious secret move is divided into a separate move for each beam type. Just go to your item screen and select the charge beam and one other beam then turn the others off. Then (in game) select the Powerbomb and fully charge your beam. A special shield will form and have different damage and movement properties depending on which beam type you use. |
| Attack #2 | Charge Beam, Morph Ball, and Morph Bombs/ opt. any special beam | You can drop 5 gravity-affected Morph Bombs at once by standing still, charging a full shot, then tapping down twice. They do normal damage but it’s useful for covering a medium-sized area. |
| Attack #3 | Charge Beam | The most obvious secret move is divided into a separate move for each beam type. Just go to your item screen and select the charge beam and one other beam then turn the others off. Then (in game) select the Powerbomb and fully charge your beam. A special shield will form and have different damage and movement properties depending on which beam type you use. |
| Attack #4 | Speed Shoes and massive amounts of health | If you press down while “dashing blue” you can store the kinetic energy for about 5 seconds. Then you can aim with the control pad(or classic controller stick) and press jump twice to rocket in that direction. This move kills just about anything and is necessary to get to certain secret areas however it drains more health the farther you fly. |
| Attack #5 | Grapple Beam | Certain enemies(like those grey spikey wallcrawlers early on) do very interesting things when hit by the Grappling Beam. Some enemies can be used as living Grapple Points and others can be killed only by it. Try it on everything. |
| Attack #6 | Perfect timing on the player’s part | Certain enemies(like those grey spikey wall crawlers early on) do very interesting things when hit by the Grappling Beam. Some enemies can be used as living Grapple Points and others can be killed only by it. Try it on everything. |
Special Shields & the Beam Shield
To use special shields, players need to have their charge beam on and then they need to select power bombs. This technique can generate several shield types:
- Ice Shield: To generate an ice shield, players need to turn on the ice beam, charge it, and hit down. This generates a shield made of four ice stars. When the shield hits something, it loses one star. Some enemies will require multiple stars before they freeze.
- Spazer Shield: To generate a spazer shield, players need to turn on the spazer, charge it, and hit down. This generates spazer beams shooting out around Samus for a brief period.
- Wave Shield: To generate a wave shield, players need to turn on the wave, charge it, and hit down. This creates a large “X” that will protect Samus for a short while.
- Beam Shield: The Beam Shield is one of the most powerful weapons when dealing with swarms of enemies. It takes a few steps to activate:
- Select the desired beam: Ice, Spazer, Wave, or Plasme
- Select the Power Bombs and then charge Samus’ beam. Hold the charge for a few seconds to generate a small explosion.
- The explosion will correspond to which beam the player chose and it will protect Samus for five seconds. Each beam type has a different effect on enemies.
Supercharged Icebeam or Spazer Beam
- Pause the game and open the Samus screen
- Turn all beam weapons off except the desired beam (ice beam for supercharged ice beam and spazer for supercharged spazer) and chargebeam.
- Select “powerbombs”
- Charge for 2 seconds
- If the player chooses the supercharged ice beam, Samus gets an ice shield
- If the player chooses the supercharged spazer beam, the spazer beam shoots across the map
Get Health Back Quickly
If Samus is extremely low on health, players can hold L + R and the fire button to fire a powerbomb. Let go at the right moment to refill Samus’ health gauge.
Super Metroid Cheats FAQs
How long does it take to 100% Super Metroid?
According to HowLongToBeat.com, Super Metroid’s main story takes about seven and a half hours. Main and side quests take about eight and a half hours and a 100% completion run will take about 9 hours. Super Metroid isn’t an exceptionally long game, but it’s good to keep in mind that the player will receive different endings depending on how long it takes them to finish the game. Beating Super Metroid in under 3 hours will award the player with the best ending.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©naswinger / Nintendo / Intelligent Systems.