Super Metroid

North American box art.

Super Metroid is a Metroidvania developed and published by Nintendo for the SNES on 1994-03-19. It is the third game in the Metroid series and takes place right after the events of Metroid II: Return of Samus. Samus leaves the last Metroid to a science research station only to discover space pirates have attacked the station and stolen the Metroid and are attempting to clone it to take over the galaxy. Samus must travel to the home world of the space pirates, Zebes, and stop them.

The first time I saw Super Metroid was from watching my brother and his friend (whom he was borrowing it from) playing an early stage of the game. I was very much impressed by it at the time. Several years later in the early 2000s I bought the game and ended up playing it through and beating it myself. I've never gotten good enough at it to see the best ending.

Status

I own this game and have beaten it, though I don't remember my time or completion amount.

Review

9	8	10	8	8

Best Version: SNES

— This section contains spoilers! —

Good

• The graphics and animation are all wonderfully designed.
• The ambiance of Kenji Yamamoto and Minako Hamano's soundtrack really adds to the feel of the game.
• The game engine is very solid. Player control is top-notch.
• The world has become much more realistic than the previous games. Norfair feels hot, the Brinstar feels alive, Maridia feels clammy, the Wrecked Ship feels desolate.
• The game offers a good challenge, with some areas becoming very difficult, but it never seems unfair.
• The little native lifeforms you meet that teach you the extra abilities of your suit are really cute. I also like that you can save them later in the game.

Bad

• While I like the Varia suit, I miss the suit change from the previous Metroid games. Metroid allowed a suitless run, and in Metroid II: Return of Samus, Samus' look changed when you got the Varia. Super Metroid has the Varia and Gravity suits, they merely change the color palette.
• Draygon is an annoying boss. He grabs you and then you sit there helpless as your energy is drained, and he's very difficult to avoid. I get that there is a puzzle element to beating him, but without ever having puzzle elements to bosses before in the series, it is unlikely to be considered.
• Again, the game rewards the player by having Samus take off more clothes the better she does, but this time there is only one suitless ending, which makes it less like an adult stripping game that the original.
• Samus has unfortunately been retconned to be blonde.

Ugly

• Nothing.

Media

Box Art

• 

  The original Japanese box art. Once again, Nintendo continues an unusual tradition of making the Japanese Metroid box art more adult than the USA. Samus appears to be running for her life away from the game's bosses. I prefer this art.

• 

  The North American box art keeps the running Samus, but Ridley looks more like a comic book character than a sinister villain, and Kraid is barely noticeable. This art was used in European regions as well.

Documentation

• 

  Manual, Japan (digital).

• 

  Manual, USA.

• Super Metroid - SNES - Nintendo Player's Guide.pdf

  Nintendo Player's Guide.

• Super Metroid - Player's Guide (German).pdf

  Player's guide (German).

• Super Metroid - SNES - Ad.jpg

  Advertisement.

Maps

• 

  Simple spoiler map.

• 

  Ceres Research Station.

• 

  Crateria

• 

  Brinstar

• 

  Norfair.

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  Wrecked Ship.

• 

  Maridia.

• 

  Tourian.

Graphics

• 

  Sprite sheet of Samus.

Screenshots

• 

  Meeting the final boss.

Fan Art

• 

  Fan art by Aaron Jasinski, "Echo of Samus."

• 

  Fan art by Marinko Milosevski.

• 

  Fan art by Moonshen.

• 

  Noob problems.

Videos

• youtube.com/watch?v=bs5Qja04v8U - How Super Metroid gets it right.
• youtube.com/watch?v=nn2MXwplMZA - The world design of Super Metroid.
• youtube.com/watch?v=ZRdsqvkpU9g - How Super Metroid creates dread.
• youtube.com/watch?v=dNL8rdn00IU - World record speed run progression.
• youtube.com/watch?v=yB317FOcU0Y - Longplay, 100%, best ending.

Titles

Language	Native	Transliteration	Translation
English	Super Metroid
Japanese	スーパーメトロイド	Supa Metoroido	Super Metroid

Links