Super Metroid's Frequently Asked Questions --- Section One: The Header, I guess --- -0.1 Intro- (Now easier to read!) Welcome to the GameFAQ's Super Metroid Message Board Frequently Asked Questions compilation (or GSMMBFAQ). As the name says, this page is a compilation of all the qustions asked on the Frequently Asked Question topic once found on GameFAQ's Super Metroid message board. I am Desincarnage, creator of the topic and main question answerer. If you see mistakes in the questions, I won't correct them cause that's exactly how the people on GameFAQs formulated them. If you see mistakes in the answers, however, make sure you let me know on GameFAQs' message board. I suck at intros >_> I would like to thank NotYou, Kejardon, Cloud Strife J, Biscuit Thief and all the others who formulated good answers while I was absent. I would also like to thank ShadowZero313 for his hard work. I really appreciate it guys, without your help, this FAQ wouldn't even be half of what it is now. Anyways, on to the FAQ. --- -0.2 Table of Contents- 0.1 Intro 0.2 Table of Contents --- 1.1 Gameplay Questions (About the game in general) 1.2 Sequence Breaking (About doing the game upside down) 1.3 Specific Runs (About weird ways to do the game) 1.4 Glitches (About the countless glitches of this game) 1.5 Other Questions (About various other interesting stuff) --- 2.1 Special Thanks Redone 2.2 Disclaimer 2.3 Outro --- Section Two: The Body --- I will make a list of all the questions so you can more easily find what you are looking for. Note that questions are roughly in the same order they were posted on the message board. -1.1 Gameplay Questions 1.1.1. Q: What is the Crystalflash and who do you preform it? 1.1.2. I'm stuck in the room with small monkeys/austrich! What do I have to do? 1.1.3. Can I go back and collect any more items in the game if I have saved in the last point point in Tourian before fighting the final boss? 1.1.4. Where is Kraid/How can I survive Norfair? *spoilers* 1.1.5. How do I escape Ridley's Lair/Lower Norfair? 1.1.6. Where is the Spring Ball? 1.1.7. How can I save the animals before the planet explodes at the end and what happens if I do? 1.1.8. Can you kill Ridley at Ceres Station? 1.1.9. Can I escape the bomb torizo pit before the door closes with the bombs? 1.1.10. So i just beat Wrecked Ship, got my G-suit, and headed straight down to Maridia. But all i got out of it was a lousy Map Station! What am i doing wrong? Please god some1 help me out my life DEPENDS on this!!! 1.1.11. What is the n00b bridge? 1.1.12. After I hit Phantoon, he shoots several waves of blue fireballs across the screen that I can't destroy or dodge, so I take a lot of damage. How do I avoid taking this damage? 1.1.13. I've heard I can save some animals at the end of the game once the planet blows up. Where are they, and how do I save them? Does this change the ending? 1.1.14. I'm stuck in this bridge in Brinstar that has some spikes in the ceiling and I can't pass it, and when I go back a metal-door is blocking the way, how do I go back or pass the bridge? 1.1.15. I just finished Norfair and I don't know where to go! 1.1.16. What room is that missile tank in Lower Norfair that has that glitch where you can't see it with the X-Ray Scope? 1.1.17. What's with the giant turtle in Maridia? 1.1.18. Is it possible to pass the n00b bridge w/o teh dash button? 1.1.19. Does the ice beam add strength to your overall beam? Like should I equip it for boss battles? 1.1.20. How do you turn into a ball in mid air then bomb jump without falling to the ground first then jumping back up? 1.1.21. Is it possible to get to Planet Zebes in 0:00? 1.1.22. How can I speed up Mother Brain lowering my health? I'm going for speed with all 14 tanks. 1.1.23. What are generally regarded as the hardest to get missile packs? And how about the most overlooked? 1.1.24. Is there a built-in map in this game, as in Zero Mission or Fusion? 1.1.25. How do I get to the main boss in Norfair? 1.1.26. Is there a way to start the game with the hyper beam (including game genies)? 1.1.27. Where is the sticky ball, that allows me to go into morph ball mode, and then stick to the walls rolling around? I hear its great in helping to find secret areas. 1.1.28. (Not regarding Metroid 3) Are you sure? The spider ball in Metroid Prime is nothing like what you said. What's the deal? 1.1.29. Where is the Grappling Beam. I've looked for it all over the place and still can't seem to find it. 1.1.30. Is it best to start with moonwalk mode on? 1.1.31. What's the fastest way to kill those Golden Space Pirates before Ridley? They take too long to kill! 1.1.32. I can't beat Ridley!! I have fought him many times. What am I doing wrong? Please help!! 1.1.33. I really suck at bomb jumping. Always have. Any good timing tricks? 1.1.34. Does the ice beam add strength to your overall beam? Like should I equip it for boss battles? 1.1.35. How do you do that fricking midair horizontal shinespark? I can pull off every other kind of shinespark except for a horizontal midair one. I can do horizontals on the ground, but whenever I try a midair one, it gives me a diagonal shinespark instead. 1.1.36. I fell down one of those sand-traps in maridia, and I'm stuck in room that doesn't seem to have an exit. the floor is mostly covered in sand (you can't fall through it though) except for the left and right corners of the room. above the left side of the room has a morph ball maze with a missile tank and the 4th reserve tank. I can't get to the items because there is a morph ball tunnel set high in the wall above a disapperaing floor. There are no obvious exits to from the room. How do I solve my dilemma? What Items am I supposed to have here? 1.1.37. How can i make samus turn into a ball so she could go through small holes? 1.1.38. Can I get out of lower Norfair after going past the room that fill with lava before the last save station before Ridley? 1.1.39. Q: What's the gold statue in Brinstar for? It looks like it has Ridley on the top. 1.1.40. Q: How much do the Varia and Gravity suits reduce damage? 1.1.41. Q: Will the Gravity Suit alone protect you from heat damage? 1.1.42. Q: Do power bombs work on mother brain just like they work on Ridley? --- 1.1.1. Q: What is the Crystalflash and who do you preform it? A: The Crystal Flash is a move that allows you to recover full health when you are in a critical state. To perform it, you must have less than 41 energy left, empty reserve tanks, at least 10 missiles, 10 super missiles and 11 power bombs. Select the power bombs, morph into a ball and hold L, R and Down, and then lay a Powerbomb. Hold fire as well, amd don't release them until you perform the move. There you go =P --- 1.1.2. Q: I'm stuck in the room with small monkeys/austrich! What do I have to do? A: Monkeys: These creatures are called Eteecoons. They're here to show you how to wall jump. To do so, you have to do a spin jump towards a wall, then, when you're next to it, press the opposite direction and then immediatly press jump again. It should perform another jump. Keep going on until you reach the top. Austrich: This creature is named the Dachola. It's here to show you how to use a super jump. You need to run at full speed(with the Speed Booster equipped) then duck. You should be flashing white. At this moment, you can press jump to fly directly upwards. You can do this verticaly, horizontaly and diagonaly. To do it diagonaly, you have to hold L or R before pressing jump. To do it horizontaly, you need to press forward and jump at the same time. --- 1.1.3. Q: Can I go back and collect any more items in the game if I have saved in the last point point in Tourian before fighting the final boss? A: Short/Legit Answer: No, once you save there, you are stuck permanently and cannot escape Tourian. Long Answer: It is possible if you wish to cheat using a few Gameshark codes which allow you to start anywhere you can save. --- 1.1.4. Q: Where is Kraid/How can I survive Norfair? A: Kraid's Lair is hidden behind some super missile blocks just above the elevator to Norfair. Look to the right and shoot these blocks with your Super Missiles. Kraid's Lair is inside the blue Monster's mouth. After you defeat Kraid, you gain access to the Varia Suit, which will halve your damage and protect you from the excessive heat of Norfair. --- 1.1.5. Q: How do I escape Ridley's Lair/Lower Norfair? A: You can push your luck and dive into the hot lava and go back out the way you came, which is much more difficult, or you can look for another exit in the top floor of the fireflea room to the left (it won't show up on your X-ray scope) to escape. --- 1.1.6. Q: Where is the Spring Ball? A: The Spring ball is in Maridia. You can get the Spring Ball once you have the grapple beam and preferably the space jump. Make your way to the right past the Falling Quicksand Rooms which you arrive at the bottom if you were to take the long-vertical transport tube up and down Maridia. You will arrive in a room with a single crumble-grapple block. Use your grapple beam on that block to latch on and wait for it to crumble. Up there is the pathway to the spring ball, and once you get into the room with the huge mace-like monster, drop a power bomb immediately so he can clear the way to the spring ball for you. --- 1.1.7. Q: How can I save the animals before the planet explodes at the end and what happens if I do? A: Go back towards the area where you fought the bomb torizo at the beginning of the game and then drop a power bomb in that room to free them. If you manage to escape, you'll see a small speak escape off the screen before Zebes explodes. --- 1.1.8. Q: Can you kill Ridley at Ceres Station? A: No. You can however, shoot him over and over again until he drops the Metroid and flies off with it to cause the Station to explode, or you can get below 30 health, and he'll still escape with the Metroid. Either way, he survives. --- 1.1.9. Q: Can I escape the bomb torizo pit before the door closes with the bombs? A: No. The door just closes way too soon. Ultima4701 tried doing it with his hacking skills and made it possible, but normally, or even with glitches, it is impossible. --- 1.1.10. Q: So i just beat Wrecked Ship, got my G-suit, and headed straight down to Maridia. But all i got out of it was a lousy Map Station! What am i doing wrong? Please god some1 help me out my life DEPENDS on this!!! A: Get your ass to Brinstar Depths pronto, go to the glass-tube room (2 rooms to the left of the Norfair Elevator/entrance to Kraid's Lair, and lay a POWER BOMB. the second you move after the bomb detonates, the whole tube will shatter, leaving you in the REAL Maridia. head down to save, or up to continue on. --- 1.1.11. Q: What is the n00b bridge? A: There's a room in Brinstar between the large pink room and the long red shaft that has a series of crumbling blocks that must be traversed. As long as you know there's a dash button and are physically able to press it, then this room shouldn't be a problem. --- 1.1.12. Q: After I hit Phantoon, he shoots several waves of blue fireballs across the screen that I can't destroy or dodge, so I take a lot of damage. How do I avoid taking this damage? A: A little-known trick is that charging up your Charge Beam and performing a Spin Jump will grant you powers similar to the Screw Attack for the duration of your spin. By charging your beam and doing a Spin Jump as Phantoon's fireballs pass over you, you'll avoid getting hit. --- 1.1.13. Q: I've heard I can save some animals at the end of the game once the planet blows up. Where are they, and how do I save them? Does this change the ending? A: You heard correct. You must find a way to get into the room where you first got the bombs from Fighting the Torizo in Crateria. You can blow open the right wall with your hyper beam to let them escape to the right. If you do indeed let them go, you'll notice a small speck going off from the planet before it explodes in space, nothing else happens, you still get your time and percentage at the end. --- 1.1.14. Q: I'm stuck in this bridge in Brinstar that has some spikes in the ceiling and I can't pass it, and when I go back a metal-door is blocking the way, how do I go back or pass the bridge? A: You can use the run button. The default is B. --- 1.1.15. Q: I just finished Norfair and I don't know where to go! A: If you're really sure you got everything you can get in Norfair, then it's time for you to go to the Wrecked Ship. To go there, you have to go back to your ship and go the the area to the right of it. --- 1.1.16. Q: What room is that missile tank in Lower Norfair that has that glitch where you can't see it with the X-Ray Scope? A: It's not really a glitch, the game has been set that way. There also are some similar places in Maridia. To get to the room you're talking about, you first need to find that non-heated room in Lower Norfair where there are head in the wall that shoots fireballs at you, as well as rocks rolling down the hills. Get to the top of that room and go left. Get to the top of that other room and head right. You should walk through the wall and end up in another room.(I don't know if it's entirely accurate, I haven't played in a while. Anyway, if you can't find the room, explore that area. I know it's at the top of a room and that it's through a right wall.) --- 1.1.17. Q: What's with the giant turtle in Maridia? A: Jump on the giant turtle, he will rocket you into the air. Jump up and grapple on a block and reach the energy tank. Also, fall down on the right side of the wall and Power Bomb, and you will reveal the most commonly missed missile tank! --- 1.1.18. Q: Is it possible to pass the n00b bridge w/o teh dash button? A: Also, for the n00b bridge, it is possible to get past it on PAL version only. Blocks crumble a tiny bit slower in the PAL version, thus making it possible to pass the n00b bridge in morph ball form. It is nothing but a matter of luck though. --- 1.1.19. Q: Does the ice beam add strength to your overall beam? Like should I equip it for boss battles? A: The Ice Beam adds a slight but noticeable amount of damage to your beam. This change can be observed better in the fight against Phantoon: If you shoot him with a charged Spazer/Wave shot or a Missile, he'll begin flying across the room. That's when you have the chance to hit him 3 times in a row. But if you shoot him with a charged Spazer/Wave/Ice or a Super Missile, he'll start spitting waves of blue fireballs. I do not have the exact values, but I do know that the Ice Beam adds a very slight amount of damage, yet it is enough to make Phantoon's pattern change. --- 1.1.20. Q: How do you turn into a ball in mid air then bomb jump without falling to the ground first then jumping back up? A: It's all about timing. You have to jump and turn into a ball as fast as you can. Then, you have to wait the right moment to drop a bomb while you are still going up. You'll then reach the peak of your jump and fall back. If you did it right, the explosion will send you back up a little bit. The distance of the bomb compared to the peak of your jump should be roughly equal to the distance of a bomb jump --- 1.1.21. Q: Is it possible to get to Planet Zebes in 0:00? A: The only way to reach Zebes with a 0:00 counter is to use a cheating device such as a Game Genie, Gameshark or Pro Action Replay. Note that I strongly discourage you from using such devices as they will not enhance your abilities. They'll just show you are a loser. --- 1.1.22. Q: How can I speed up Mother Brain lowering my health? I'm going for speed with all 14 tanks. A: If you want Mother Brain to lower your health faster, I suggest that, when Mother Brain's head is still on the ground, you repeatedly run right into it. Your energy will drop at an insane rate. Just stop when you have 3 tanks left and just don't get hit at all. You can keep more tanks if you know you can't fight her without being hit. Just be careful that your amount of energy does not drop under 3 full tanks. You could also keep between 8 and 10 tanks and remove the Varia when Mother Brain is about to fire her laser. --- 1.1.23. Q: What are generally regarded as the hardest to get missile packs? And how about the most overlooked? A: There's a ton. Two I find annoying or hard to find would be the one in Norfair with the tower of crumbling blocks and the one in Maridia in the wall with the turtle. A satisfied reader adds: "Mind if I point out another that I think is pretty difficult to find: The missile pack in the "second" large superheated room in Norfair (En route to the Speed Booster) - There's no on-map indicator, it's hidden at the bottom of an innocuous-looking lava pool, and it's in an early area where one might be reluctant to risk boiling alive in lava at such an early stage. That one was the pack that kept me at 99% for quite a few playthroughs, I only found it by dumb luck." --- 1.1.24. Q: Is there a built-in map in this game, as in Zero Mission or Fusion? A: Yes, there is. Just press the Start button and you'll see it. --- 1.1.25. Q: How do I get to the main boss in Norfair? A: To even be able to reach its area, you first need the Space Jump, which can be obtained from the main boss in Maridia. Then, go to Norfair. The access to Ridley's lair is a room filled with lava, with heads sticking out the walls that shoots blue fireballs at you. Space jump up to the platform and go down the elevator. Explore this new area and you should find the boss rather easily. --- 1.1.26. Q: Is there a way to start the game with the hyper beam (including game genies)? A: The only way to start with the Hyper Beam is to use cheat codes, which I won't provide here because there's already plenty of those on the net. --- 1.1.27. Q: Where is the sticky ball, that allows me to go into morph ball mode, and then stick to the walls rolling around? I hear its great in helping to find secret areas. A: There is no such thing as a sticky ball in Super Metroid. You're confusing with Metroid II: The Return of Samus on Game Boy, or with Metroid Prime. And this item is called the Spider Ball. --- 1.1.28. Q: (Not regarding Metroid 3) Are you sure? The spider ball in Metroid Prime is nothing like what you said. What's the deal? A: The Spider Ball in Metroid Prime has been altered to work in a 3d enviroment, kind of like the space jump. --- 1.1.29. Q: Where is the Grappling Beam? I've looked for it all over the place and still can't seem to find it. A: To get the Ice Beam you first must beat Crocomire: he's some kind of ugly red monster that you have to push back into some lava. But to get to him, you must first get either the Power Bombs OR the Wave Beam. I cannot tell you the path using the Wave Beam (can't play =P) so I'll tell you how to get there using the Power Bombs. From the Norfair elevator, drop down a little bit and enter the first door to your left. You'll have to run past closing gates: this is the way to the Ice Beam. Make sure you have the Speed Booster. As you run, you'll eventually get stopped by a hole you have dug into the ground because of your speed, just in front of the door. That's where you drop a Power Bomb. Enter the tunnel, kill the ennemies and enter the door. Drop down the small shaft (watch out for pirates) and open the door in the floor. Go right from here and you should reach a room with a Super Missile door in the floor. Open it and face Crocomire. After you have beat him, explore the area to his left and you'll get the Grappling beam =) -Dang! That is one long explanation for where to find the grapple beam! :) --- 1.1.30. Q: Is it best to start with moonwalk mode on? A: I suggest you don't. Being able to turn around while still charging is primordial against bosses if you run out of missiles and Super missiles. The moonwalk prevents you from doing that. --- 1.1.31. Q: What's the fastest way to kill those Golden Space Pirates before Ridley? They take too long to kill! A: Smokey said: "get between the two of them and make sure the screen isn't showing one of the golden pirates. Take one at a time. Wait for them to attack you, don't start shooting at them like crazy, wait until they throw the kick at you and become yellow. Dodge it with a simple jump, aim back and shoot some super missiles or charged plasma shots." --- 1.1.32. Q: I can't beat Ridley!! I have fought him many times. What am I doing wrong? Please help!! A: Just use the Screw Attack to avoid most of his attacks (except his tail) and keep pumping Super Missiles, Missiles and charged Plasma Beams into him. That should do the work. --- 1.1.33. Q: I really suck at bomb jumping. Always have. Any good timing tricks? A: NeoNamek said: "I have my good days and my bad days on bomb jumping. I can only do the vertical flavor, but the trick I use is to watch where I laid my previous bomb, and when Samus falls toward it, to place another bomb just above it. The hard part is getting started, especially if you don't have the High Jump Boots, because you have to change into ball form so quickly that you might not get a chance to set your first bomb before your jump peaks. And then, if you're like me and learned bomb jumping without the High Jump Boots, they will screw you over when you try to do bomb jumps with them." --- 1.1.34. Q: Does the ice beam add strength to your overall beam? Like should I equip it for boss battles? A: Aearis said: "A: It does, but only by a very small amount. The only time this would prove to be useful, is as aforementioned, during a boss fight." --- 1.1.35. Q: How do you do that fricking midair horizontal shinespark? I can pull off every other kind of shinespark except for a horizontal midair one. I can do horizontals on the ground, but whenever I try a midair one, it gives me a diagonal shinespark instead. A: smokeYxMCpot said: "it's actually quite simple. First off all, charge your speed booster at full speed and press 'down' to trigger the 'super jump' mode. Now do a normal spin jump, and while in mid-air, press 'up' (to activate the super jump position) now just press 'forward' and the 'jump' button." --- 1.1.36. Q: I fell down one of those sand-traps in maridia, and I'm stuck in room that doesn't seem to have an exit. the floor is mostly covered in sand (you can't fall through it though) except for the left and right corners of the room. above the left side of the room has a morph ball maze with a missile tank and the 4th reserve tank. I can't get to the items because there is a morph ball tunnel set high in the wall above a disapperaing floor. There are no obvious exits to from the room. How do I solve my dilemma? What Items am I supposed to have here? A: These are the Maridian alcoves. You can exit the rooms by falling through sand either at the far right or far left part of the quicksands, depending on which alcove you are in. The items there are usualy meant to be caught after you have found the Space Jump, but it is possible to get them without it. It requires you to walljump and morph into a ball as fast as possible so you are completly morphed at the peak of your jump. Hold right and you should go in the passage. Of course, it is much easier to perform with the Space Jump. Added later --> Now that I think about it, it would be a lot easier with the Spring Ball. But this feature also normaly requires the Space Jump, so... I explained it with the Space Jump because, honestly, I never found the Spring Ball to be that useful and, usualy, I completly forget about it. --- 1.1.37. Q: Stupid question: How can i make samus turn into a ball so she could go through small holes? A: Short answer: Once you have obtained the Morph Ball, simply tap down twice on the D-pad. Slightly longer answer: To obtain the Morph ball, head left from your ship, down the old Tourian Escape Shaft, right through the next room, down the elevator and to your left. Easy. =D --- 1.1.38. Q: Can I get out of lower Norfair after going past the room that fill with lava before the last save station before Ridley? A: BiscuitThief says: "Why yes, yes you can. From the save room, go up to the room where the two doors are. Go through the one on the right, then climb to the top of the room. Don't worry about the blue door, because the wall to the left of the door is fake. Simply follow this secret passage to exit Lower Norfair. Or you could try going backwards through the lava, but that's hella hard." --- 1.1.39. Q: What's the gold statue in Brinstar for? It looks like it has Ridley on the top. A: This statue is the key to opening the last area of the game. Everytime you beat a boss, the gem corresponding to it on the statue is shattered and part of it turns gray. When all the bosses have been defeated, every gem will be shattered and the statue will turn completly gray. It will then reveal the path to the last area of the game: Tourian. --- 1.1.40. Q: How much do the Varia and Gravity suits reduce damage? A: I'm not certain, but after a quick verification, it seems that the Varia cuts the damage in half, while the Gravity suit cuts the damage to a quarter. However, these reductions doesn't add up together, as the damage reduction of the Varia seems negated when the Gravity suit is active. Of course, exception to that is Mother Brain's Mind Laser. --- 1.1.41. Q: Will the Gravity Suit alone protect you from heat damage? A: Yes, the Gravity alone provides heat protection and negates all damage from regular lava. As it seems, the Gravity Suit makes the Varia completely obsolete, with the exception of Mother Brain's Mind Laser. --- 1.1.42. Q: Do power bombs work on mother brain just like they work on Ridley? A: Power Bombs don't do damage to Mother Brain, but they do stall some of her attacks. I know for a fact they stall the brain laser, and there might be some others. --- -1.2 Sequence Breaking 1.2.1. Is there a list of sequence breaks or a site devoted to sequence breaking for super metroid? m2k2 only has 2 speed runs (100% and NBMB), and samus.co.uk has hardly anything before zero mission... 1.2.2. How much time does mockballing to get the first super missiles save compared to fighting Spore Spawn? 1.2.3. I want to skip the ice beam to save time but I know 2 places that I need it. Going up the brown room in Brinstar, and freezing the metroids in Tourian. Are there ways to get around both of these so I can skip the ice beam? 1.2.4. Is there any way to get the hyper beam before mother brain? I have a game genie if it is required. 1.2.5. How do I get the Power Bombs before the ice beam? 1.2.6. How do I obtain the wave beam early? 1.2.7. How do I get the ice beam early? 1.2.8. How do I get the spring ball early? --- 1.2.1. Q: n00b question- is there a list of sequence breaks or a site devoted to sequence breaking for super metroid? m2k2 only has 2 speed runs (100% and NBMB), and samus.co.uk has hardly anything before zero mission... A: I can't give you a list of all the sequence breaking as it is too large and I got too little time, but I can tell you that with good Wall Jump or Bomb Jump skills, you can get almost anythin at any time you wish. Also, just ask Smokey or Agrias for a ZMV. That will solve any sequence breaking questions. --- 1.2.2. Q: How much time does mockballing to get the first super missiles save compared to fighting Spore Spawn? A: Skipping Spore Spawn, while I do not know the exact amount of time, can easily shave off up to 5 minutes to your time. --- 1.2.3. Q: I want to skip the ice beam to save time but I know 2 places that I need it. Going up the brown room in Brinstar, and freezing the metroids in Tourian. Are there ways to get around both of these so I can skip the ice beam? A: You could skip the ice beam by walljumping up the shaft and by killing the Metroids with 3 power bombs. But I wouldn't recommend it. It is much faster to ascend the shaft using the Ice Beam. It is also much faster to kill the Metroids by quickly freezing them and destroying them with a Super Missile. In overall, if you want a good idea of the tricks you can try to improve your time on a speed run, check out other smokey's and Ultima's speed runs. I don't know the URLs though... --- 1.2.4. Q: Is there any way to get the hyper beam before mother brain? I have a game genie if it is required. A: There is a way legitmately that Kejardon found to get the Hyper and fight Mother brain a second time with the Hyper Beam, but still, you can't go anywhere with it. I remember that good old glitch medley ZMV he recorded, it was hilarious ;) However, the only other way to get the hyper beam is as you say, with a game genie or PAR code. --- 1.2.5. Q: How do I get the Power Bombs before the ice beam? A: You can either: 1) Wall jump up the Brinstar shaft, which takes time OR 2) Obtain the wave beam early and then just open a gate in Norfair and obtain the pack before Crocomire. --- 1.2.6. Q: How do I obtain the wave beam early? A: Simply wall jump the wall before the door. But in order to do that, you will land on spikes and then have to wall jump up. --- 1.2.7. Q: How do I get the ice beam early? A: Mockball left through the closing gates. --- 1.2.8. Q: How do I get the spring ball early? A: In the room in Maridia, with the quick sand and the breakable grapple block, break the grapple block. With careful jumping, you are able to jump up into the hole created. You will now be in the large shaft. Wall jump up and try to avoid the flys, then just proceed like normal. If you can't avoid the flys, wall jump up and then lay a power bomb at the top. This trick doesn't really save any time, it's just cool. --- -1.3 Specific Runs 1.3.1. What's a NBMB? 1.3.2. What's PB #66? 1.3.3. What makes Powerbomb 66 easier to get on a PAL version of the game? 1.3.4. Beating the game in 39 Minutes?! How do you guys do it? 1.3.5. Regarding the NBMB Run: Of the 27% yet to be collected in this incredibly ingenious run, a) How much of it DIRECTLY requires the harming of a Boss or mini-boss (such as the Tank just to the left of Crocomire, or the Plasma Beam that requires you to beat Draygon), and b) How much of it INDIRECTLY requires an ITEM received from harming a boss (such as the missile tank in Maridia that requires a vertical shinespark, which is impossible in Maridia without the grav suit), and finally c) What percent is possible if one were to beat PHANTOON, and collect the GRAV SUIT, yet fight no other bosses/mini-bosses? Cuz it seems like the one thing stopping you from getting all the items in (b), is the lack of a grav suit, mainly in Wrecked Ship, Maridia, and LN. 1.3.6. My fastest speed run is currently 50 minutes. The only glitch I am really using is the mockball to skip Spore Spawn. How can I improve? 1.3.7. A while back there was talk about a reverse boss run. My question is, is it possible? I am pretty sure it would be possible to beat Ridley, but I can't seem to figure a way to get to Draygon without the gravity suit. 1.3.8. What is the optimal amount of missiles to get in order to be able to do a pure speed run? 1.3.9. How many people here get speed run times below 50 minutes, or 100% runs in the low hour range? Are there hundreds of people, or maybe just a few dozen really hard core guys that are always on this site? 1.3.10. Q: I saw that somebody asked if the game clock stops when you paused the game and the answer was yes, but does that include AFTER you press start but whille you can still move? 1.3.11. Q: What are some different ways I can run through the game? 1.3.12. Q: What's the absolute minimum number of missiles required to beat the game? --- 1.3.1. Q: What's a NBMB? A: NBMB stands for No boss/Mini-boss, which is a popular Super Metroid challenge. It consists of getting as many items as you can without defeating any bosses expect Ridley in the Space Station and the bomb Torizo. THIS RUN IS NOT MEANT TO BEAT THE GAME. It requires a large amount of skills and uses advanced techniques such as the Crystal Flash and the underwater wall-jump, as well as a few glitches. The highest percentage that can be achieve so far is 73% --- 1.3.2. Q: What's PB #66? A: The PB #66 stands for Power Bomb #66, which is the 66th item in the original order of the NBMB run. It's located in the sand alcoves in Maridia, in the right room that you have to fall through a sandfall to access. It is so dreaded because of the insane amount of luck and skill it requires to get: try to get it without the Gravity suit, you'll know why. --- 1.3.3. Q: What makes Powerbomb 66 easier to get on a PAL version of the game? A: On the PAL version of the game, the underwater walljump without the Gravity suit is about 1 frame higher than on NTSC. That frame alone is why it is so much easier to perform on PAL. --- 1.3.4. Q: Beating the game in 39 Minutes?! How do you guys do it? A: I don't know... But you can check Smokey's FAQ for useful tips on the pure speed run. Learn to Walljump and Sequence-break quickly is my best advice. --- 1.3.5. Q: Regarding the NBMB Run: Of the 27% yet to be collected in this incredibly ingenious run, a) How much of it DIRECTLY requires the harming of a Boss or mini-boss (such as the Tank just to the left of Crocomire, or the Plasma Beam that requires you to beat Draygon), and b) How much of it INDIRECTLY requires an ITEM received from harming a boss (such as the missile tank in Maridia that requires a vertical shinespark, which is impossible in Maridia without the grav suit), and finally c) What percent is possible if one were to beat PHANTOON, and collect the GRAV SUIT, yet fight no other bosses/mini-bosses? Cuz it seems like the one thing stopping you from getting all the items in (b), is the lack of a grav suit, mainly in Wrecked Ship, Maridia, and LN. A: -a) As far as I know, in the area to the left of Crocomire, there is a Power Bomb, a Missile and the Grappling beam(3). Then, there is an Energy tank and the Varia suit that requires you to beat Kraid(5). In the Wrecked Ship, you need to beat Phantoon to get two Super Missile upgrades, an Energy tank and the Gravity suit(9). In Maridia, there is an Energy tank, a Missile upgrade, the Plasma beam and the Space jump that are innaccessible until you kill both Botwoon and Draygon (13).Finally, there is the Energy tank right after Ridley(14). -b) no one knows, DOOODOOODOOO! -c), just take 100% and remove the items behind Crocomire, Kraid, Botwoon and Draygon. That makes a 90% run. --- 1.3.6. Q: My fastest speed run is currently 50 minutes. The only glitch I am really using is the mockball to skip Spore Spawn. How can I improve? A: Practice. You can't get enough practice. Try to improve your walljump, try to shinespark at the right places, try to kill bosses faster. Also, planifying the fastest route to kill all bosses and get to Mother Brain would allow you to optimize your time. --- 1.3.7. Q: A while back there was talk about a reverse boss run. My question is, is it possible? I am pretty sure it would be possible to beat Ridley, but I can't seem to figure a way to get to Draygon without the gravity suit. A: Kejardon said: "Reverse boss is fully possible. Lower Norfair is a royal pain, but with pre-planned crystal flashes and as much equipment as you can bring, you can make it. Picking up the Screw Attack via the Green Gate glitch will make it significantly easier.Climbing the mountain before Draygon is already well-known and infamous. You can use the frozen enemy glitch to reach Botwoon. You can mid-air morph through the energy tank path in the next room to skip the speed blocks. A few frozen mochtroids will get you to Draygon's front door.The real trick is getting out of Draygon's lair after you kill him. There are a variety of ways, though I haven't kept up on them much.The way I found (Incredibly hard): Do a crystal flash, then let him grab you. Quickly break out of his grasp. You'll have a one-shot super jump available, so you'll have to be careful not to set it off early on accident. Beat up Draygon till he's almost dead. Head to the far left of the room, then wait till he's about to swoop from the right. At the correct time and position, you can do a super jump up-right and kill Draygon, land on the exit, and have a blue suit. Use the blue suit in the next room to escape from the pit.Haven't tested this (and I may not remember it 100% correctly), but I heard that there's a somewhat easier way:Beat him up till he's almost dead, then let him grab you. When he's near the top- right, break out of his grasp (it's a set number of buttonpresses, I think it's 100 but I'm not sure) and land on the platform. Then, at the correct time and position, use a Wave SBA (charge up the beam with a powerbomb), then quickly crystal flash. You want to kill him with the Wave shot while in the Crystal flash. If you do it right, you'll get a one-shot super jump. Use it in the next room to escape from the pit." --- 1.3.8. Q: What is the optimal amount of missiles to get in order to be able to do a pure speed run? A: While I can't tell you the exact amount of upgrades you need, I can suggest you get only the items that are almost directly on your route; do not deviate just to get a Super Missle or a Power Bomb. Also, most speed runs are done with percantages that ranges between 30% and 40%. About 30-50 missiles, 10-15 super missiles and 5 powerbombs should be more than enough to quickly get rid of those bosses. Also, while it is debatable, I think getting the Plasma Beam will help you kill those bosses and annoying ennemies a lot faster, largely making up for the time you take to get it. --- 1.3.9. Q: How many people here get speed run times below 50 minutes, or 100% runs in the low hour range? Are there hundreds of people, or maybe just a few dozen really hard core guys that are always on this site? A: The majority of people here who do a speed run, get around the 1:30- 2:30 range for 100%, give or take. For example, take marshmallow's guide. It is the best guide for a 100%, assuming no glitches. Doing things like abusing Crystal Flashes, mockballing (especially for Ice Beam and Supers, along with first reserve), and the Kraid quick kill....etc. If you ask everyone their any% times however, it varies. Personally, I'm slow, so I get 1:20 for any%. And that's using glitches (in my defense, I did bother to get spazer and wave). Of course, there are people like Kejardon, who can glitch their way down to MB's chamber, and fly out the other side of the planet, and Red Scarlet, who can just move her thumbs fast enough to do cool stuff. Of course, it all depends on how much practice you have (and the quality of your computer, emulator people). --- 1.3.10. Q: I saw that somebody asked if the game clock stops when you paused the game and the answer was yes, but does that include AFTER you press start but whille you can still move? I guess what im asking is if i got very good at playing through as much of the game as possible while the game is entering the pause screen could I, in theory greatly reduce my time by playing while the game is entering the pause screen? A: No, the times would be *exactly* the same. --- 1.3.11. Q: What are some different ways I can run through the game? A: 100% run Pure speed % run 14/15% run No Beam run No Boss-Mini-Boss run And no glitch run are runs you can try. --- 1.3.12. Q: What's the absolute minimum number of missiles required to beat the game?....as a follow up whats the minimum percentage of items someone has ever gotten? i'm trying to beat the game with minimum %... i'm not trying for best time anymore A: 5 missiles is minimum, and 14% with heavy glitching for lowest completion. 15% doesn't require glitches, just being damn good. --- -1.4 Glitches 1.4.1. How do I perform the Green Gate Glitch? 1.4.2. How do I do the reset glitch? 1.4.3. What are the space/time beam and the murder beam? 1.4.4. How can I get out of Draygon's room without the Gravity Suit? 1.4.5. How do I perform the Mockball? 1.4.6. How do you use the murder beam to save time against Mother Brain? 1.4.7. What's this Green Chozo? 1.4.8. While reading the NBMB guide, I noticed that the author referred to using Crystal Flashes to help glitch the game. My question is, How exactly does this glitch the game?? 1.4.9. How do I perform the Murder Beam? 1.4.10. What colour is the murder beam surposed to go? 1.4.11. Okay, I have a question for ya. I have watched the 0:58 100% speedrun and there after Smokey gets across the room with the lone missile on a pedestal and water all around it, with grappling blocks in the ceiling (you know the room that you go through when going from crateria to wrecked ship) he starts to run. He runs through the door and then does one of those energy-consuming superflights (sorry if i don't know the "official" name, I'm new to the scene) across the entire "room" to the other door. I simply cannot get this to work. The problem isn't that I don't know how to perform the move, it's just that there isn't enough room to turbodash. Is this a specific trick, or does it have something to do with the fact that I am playing a European version? 1.4.12. I have Super Metroid for the console, and I'm trying to do the reset glitch. The thing is, Brickroad's version of the glitch doesn't work; it just freezes when I do it, and I do it exactly as he says to. I want to know where to do this because it won't work where you said to do it either, is this my cartridge or the way I'm doing it? 1.4.13. I remember that good old glitch medley ZMV he recorded, it was hilarious ;) Q: Where can I find this ZMV? :) 1.4.14. could i get an in depth explanation of the time/space beam.. things like.. if done too many times on the cart.. could it mess it up? How does the spark occur? 1.4.15. Do you think that Crocomires room was supposed to have more in it than just him... hence the crumbling blocks by the door.. the fact that you can do the space/time glitch in this (what seems to me) small room for this glitch.. or any other peculiarities? 1.4.16. I really suck at bomb jumping. Always have. Any good timing tricks? 1.4.17. How do you do the "travel through the ceiling" glitch? Something to do with freezing an enemy near the ceiling and standing on it...? 1.4.18. How do I get the blue suit? 1.4.19. What is 'Spike jumping'? / What is that trick I see people use to move very fast after sustaining damage from a creature, or spikes during their speed runs? 1.4.20. How do I perform these spike jumps? 1.4.21. I've heard about using the Crystal Flash to do a Super Jump. When you say Super Jump, do you mean Shine Spark? And how is it performed? 1.4.22. When complex graphics cause the game to slow down (such as when Kraid is coming out of the ground, or when murder beaming Mother Brain), does the internal clock also slow down, or is it seperate? 1.4.23. Q: How do you preform the glitch that allows you to jump insanely high by taking off the Grav. suit? 1.4.24. Q: How do you use the Murder Beam without a) the game freezing and b) the Reset Glitch happening again? 1.4.25. Q: Is the "mockball" hard to do/accomplish? --- 1.4.1. Q: How do I perform the Green Gate Glitch? A: The gate in question must have the green light on the left side. You must be on the right. Select your Super Missiles. Run towards the gate while holding either the aim diagonally up button or up and left at the same time, and a few tiles (two or three) before you hit the gate, TAP the jump button. As you hit the gate, fire a Super Missile, and the door should open. --- 1.4.2. Q: How do I do the reset glitch? A: If you are doing this on console, then just check Brickroad's Glitch FAQ. If you are doing this on emu, then follow these steps: Equip the Spazer and the Plasma beams by placing the cursor on the Speed booster and pressing left and [selection button] at the same time. I suggest you set both buttons on the same key, it'll make it easier. Then, when this is done, unequip the Wave beam or your game'll crash. Now, to perform it, you need to go in that big oustide room in Crateria, to the right of your ship and just before the entrance to the Wrecked ship. You need to be on the left side. Walk right into the water, then, when you reach the bottom, turn left, walk next to the little wall and fire at the breakable block that leads to a missile pack(if it's still there). Now that's you've done this, jump back up to the left door and fire a Super missle on it. the top of the creen should go all glitchy. Now, walk in the door and voilà! The missile pack on the pillar should be back, confirming that you've done the glitch right. --- 1.4.3. Q: What are the space/time beam and the murder beam? A: The space/time beam is named so because of the reset glitch, where you have to be at a certain place to go back in time, or something similar. It consists of charge,ice, spazer and plasma beams altogether. --- 1.4.4. Q: How can I get out of Draygon's room without the Gravity Suit? A: 1) You can use a Super Jump to kill Draygon right at the time he passes over the platform to the upper right. It requires mad timing and most likely the use of savestates to time it perfectly. When you do it right, you can use the blue suit glitch to get out of the eye-door room. 2) You can time a Crystal Flash on so Draygon catches you when you're doing it. This will give you a Super Jump you can use to get on the ledge. From there, you have to use a Wave beam Combo (see a Moves FAQ to know how to perform it) and do another Crystal Flash so that the Wave combo kills Draygon just as you're Crystal Flashing. It will give you another Super jump you can use to get out of the second room. 3) This method is basicaly the same as the above, except that you can let Draygon catch you and get you up to the ledge. You have to shake off his grasp just as you're above the ledge. This method can rack you a fair amount of damage. --- 1.4.5. Q: How do I perform the Mockball? A: Hold the dash button and head left or right (for the purpose of this answer, I will be assuming you're heading right). Pull off a spin jump, and hold jump through the whole process. Continue holding right. At the peak of your jump, press down. You do not need to hold right for now. Just before you hit the ground, press down again and roll your thumb to the right. If you did it correctly, you will morph as you hit the ground and maintain your speed. If you bounce, try again. --- 1.4.6. Q: How do you use the murder beam to save time against Mother Brain? A: To do the murder beam, simply charge your normal beam (I have Charge, Wave, Plasma, and Ice equipped before charging up), hit start, and then swap the Plasma with the Spazer. Then go over to the boot attachments (Speed Booster, etc) and hit left + A at the same time to try to equip all 5 beams at once. Once they are all equipped, shoot the charged murder beam at Mother Brain's motionless head (before the body starts coming out from the floor)." this will be like a slowmo MB fight. AFAIK, the murder beam is useful at this part for speed runs. It actually cuts off around 1 minute of the MB fight. (at the time when you get the Hyper beam, MB will simply die). --- 1.4.7. Q: What's this Green Chozo? A: The Green Chozo was supposedly located in a room to the right of Crocomires. Supposedly you were to mockball right, jump, hit the wall at a certain angle, and pass through the wall and enter a hidden room with a green chozo. Well, it's a hoax. --- 1.4.8. Q: While reading the NBMB guide, I noticed that the author referred to using Crystal Flashes to help glitch the game. My question is, How exactly does this glitch the game?? A: It would help if you mentionned what glitch you are talking about. Having some knowledge in NBMB, I'll assume it's the glitch to get Spore Spawn's Super Missiles. You're supposed to do a Crystal Flash while in that little tunnel that is normaly used as an exit out of the rooms after Spore Spawn. You could get in easily, if it wasn't for that Super Missile block placed at the right end of it. The glitch consists of doing a Crystal Flash in that tunnel. What will it do? Well, after the move is complete, the Crystal Flash programation reset Samus to a crouching position. It will result in Samus standing crouched in the tunnel, with her head in the ceiling. That makes you able to fire a Super Missile at that block, clearing the path and allowing you to get the Super Missile pack without killing Spore Spawn. --- 1.4.9. Q: How do I perform the Murder Beam? A: I'm not totaly certain about this one, but I'll try to answer to the best of my knowledge. You must first know that the Murder Beam can only be performed from the right. It must be shot to the left. Shooting it to the right will simply freeze the game. To perform it, you first need to charge your beam. After it's all charged up, press Start and equip ALL beams at once, including Ice, Spazer and Plasma. Once this feat is done, unpause and keep pressing the Fire button. Then, release it and it should work. Note that the murder beam is not really useful in many situations. I know it's used against Ridley and Mother Brain to save time, but do not try it on Spore Spawn: it will constantly it its shell, even if it hits the center when its open, and you won't be able to damage it afterwards. --- 1.4.10. Q: What colour is the murder beam surposed to go? A: It depends on where you're located. I can't really tell you what colors there are cause I don't know myself. But I can tell you that it won't shoot if you face right. You HAVE to fire it to the left, or else it will freeze. You HAVE to charge the beam before equipping all the beams at once. And, finally, you should know that the murder Beam is not a beam it itself. What it does is set a damage point to a fix location: Every ennemy that passes on this area with sustain damage. And it'll remain until you leave the screen. --- 1.4.11. Q: Okay, I have a question for ya. I have watched the 0:58 100% speedrun and there after Smokey gets across the room with the lone missile on a pedestal and water all around it, with grappling blocks in the ceiling (you know the room that you go through when going from crateria to wrecked ship) he starts to run. He runs through the door and then does one of those energy-consuming superflights (sorry if i don't know the "official" name, I'm new to the scene) across the entire "room" to the other door. I simply cannot get this to work. The problem isn't that I don't know how to perform the move, it's just that there isn't enough room to turbodash. Is this a specific trick, or does it have something to do with the fact that I am playing a European version? A: The answer is simple. There is a minor glitch that let's you reach top speed with less ground. You need to start walking a little bit before pressing the run button. It's sort of an head start. --- 1.4.12. Q: I have Super Metroid for the console, and I'm trying to do the reset glitch. The thing is, Brickroad's version of the glitch doesn't work; it just freezes when I do it, and I do it exactly as he says to. I want to know where to do this because it won't work where you said to do it either, is this my cartridge or the way I'm doing it? A: I hate to say that, but I can't really help you here because I have no experience whatsoever regarding the console version of the game. All I can say is to make sure you are at the bottom of the OLD TOURIAN ESCAPE SHAFT, the one you go to at the very begining of the game. Also, make sure you equip the Ice Beam and remove the Wave Beam. If this room doesn't work, I suggest you try it at the room just above that one. There is a small platform just over the door to the old Mother Brain room, you know, the platform that prevents you from falling all the way to the bottom of the shaft. Well, on that platform, place a bomb. A block will crumble and reveal a passage leading to a PowerBomb door (or at least that's what it was if you already opened it). Try to do the reset glitch in that room. If nothing works, well, I'm sorry but I can't do anything for you. --- 1.4.13. I remember that good old glitch medley ZMV he recorded, it was hilarious ;) Q: Where can I find this ZMV? :) A: Aye, that I do not know. I don't bookmark every single zmv link I see on this board. I just download it then delete it. You should ask Kejardon for that. He's the one who made the movie. --- 1.4.14. Q: could i get an in depth explanation of the time/space beam.. things like.. if done too many times on the cart.. could it mess it up? How does the spark occur? A: I don't know much about the game's mechanics so I can't really tell you much about the Space/time beam. All I know is that by using it, it fills a huge number of tiles in the room you are standing in with odd graphics. If the room isn't large enough to contain them all, the game crashes. That's why you need to do the reset glitch in big rooms. That's pretty much everything I know. --- 1.4.15. Q: Do you think that Crocomires room was supposed to have more in it than just him... hence the crumbling blocks by the door.. the fact that you can do the space/time glitch in this (what seems to me) small room for this glitch.. or any other peculiarities A: Kejardon said: "Crocamire shares one unique characteristic with only one other room. It's 8 x 1 screens. For some reason, that alone causes glitches in the rooms. The other room is to the right of the first save in Norfair, with speed blocks and leeches. As for getting past the boss statues, there is a way (in theory). You'd have to travel through 1/2 the planet while outside of the screen. I spent some time exploring from outside of the screen, but eventually I gave up; the contents off screen are too hard to predict and get around." --- 1.4.16. Q: I really suck at bomb jumping. Always have. Any good timing tricks? A: NeoNamek said: "I have my good days and my bad days on bomb jumping. I can only do the vertical flavor, but the trick I use is to watch where I laid my previous bomb, and when Samus falls toward it, to place another bomb just above it. The hard part is getting started, especially if you don't have the High Jump Boots, because you have to change into ball form so quickly that you might not get a chance to set your first bomb before your jump peaks. And then, if you're like me and learned bomb jumping without the High Jump Boots, they will screw you over when you try to do bomb jumps with them." --- 1.4.17. Q: How do you do the "travel through the ceiling" glitch? Something to do with freezing an enemy near the ceiling and standing on it...? A: Kejardon said: "Pick your version. :P Jump-through-ceiling glitch: This is most often done with a Mochtroid just before Botwoon. If a frozen enemy is positioned perfectly, you can use them to break through a 1-block ceiling. Freeze the enemy in the correct spot, then get as close to it as you can, facing it. Jump straight up, aim down, and right when Samus hits her head on the ceiling, press towards the frozen enemy. Samus should wind up crouching on the frozen enemy with her head in the roof. Simply jump again, and if it's in the right spot, Samus will go through the roof.Samus needs to stand 28 pixels above the ground on the frozen enemy with a 3 block gap between the ground and the roof. If there's a higher/lower passage you wish to break through, just adjust that by 16 pixels per block.The Mochtroid mentioned above is very easy to use, since you can easily get it in the perfect position to break through the roof. Simply roll into a ball, lure it all the way to the bottom right, then unmorph (crouching) and freeze it. It will be the perfect height for breaking through the above ceiling. If you have the X-Ray scope, there's an alternate method that's easier with most enemies. Preselect the X-Ray scope. Freeze the enemy in mid- air, so Samus will stand 19-25 pixels above the ground (assuming 3 blocks, again). Jump on it with the aim down - right trick. Once you're on it, morph into a ball and demorph (this allows you to use the X-Ray scope, a force-kneal will disable it). Turn the X-Ray scope on. Simultaneously turn and release the X-Ray scope button - this will force Samus into a standing state. If you're in the correct pixel range (19-25), Samus will be able to jump through the ceiling. There seems to be yet another way to do this, as well. I've only now gotten around to testing it. Again, get a frozen enemy, and jump on it, no special aim-down tricks. This time, you just need to crouch, 13 pixels above the ground (If you have the high jump boots, you can go anywhere from 11 to 13 pixels) (Again, for 3 blocks, adjust as necessary). When you're in the correct position, just jump. You can also combine this with the X-Ray force stand: Find a two-block high gap with a single block ceiling (Very rare; I first did this with the power-bomb statue in Lower Norfair). Get into it and crouch. Use the X-Ray force stand, then jump, press aim-down, then press forward. If done correctly, Samus should be 3 pixels lower, the perfect position to simply jump straight out the roof. While it uses fewer items, it still isn't really practical, seeing the utter lack of 2-block high gaps with a single block ceiling you'd want to break through. Perhaps if you misplaced a power bomb while leaving Lower Norfair and didn't have any more handy..." --- 1.4.18. Q: How do I get the blue suit? A: Goldendigitalmaster said: "A: When fighting draygon, fight it untill it's belly has turned dark red. Then go to to the left or right side of the screen and run to the other side and preserve your shine when you get it. Jump and diagonally super jump into the head of draygon. If you're lucky, you should wear a blue shine. The next time you speed boost or super jump, you'll lose the blue shine. When you get the blue suit, you also get one free shine to use whenever you want. After you've used it, it dissapears." Specifications: First of all, you have to use the Quick Charge glitch to even be able to charge a Super Jump. Second, pressing the run button cancels the glitch, as well a ducking and doing a straight jump or stopping over quicksand. Lastly, while the glitch is active, you have the full effects of Speed Boosting without actually running. That means you are almost invincible, can kill most ennemies on contact and can break speed blocks and bombables block by simply touching them. --- 1.4.19. Q: What is 'Spike jumping'? / What is that trick I see people use to move very fast after sustaining damage from a creature, or spikes during their speed runs? A: Aearis said: "Spike jumping is merely a simple manipulation of the game's physics. By taking advantage of the momentary high speed Samus achieves after taking damage, most noticably from spikes, Samus can send herself careening backwards at a good speed, and clear room-length distances quickly." --- 1.4.20. Q: How do I perform these spike jumps? A: Aearis said: "Performing them is tricky to learn, but easy and useful once you know how. First off, you can only move backwards during a spike jump, so common sense tells you to be facing the opposite direction you want to go. Now, for actually doing the jump. While HOLDING the jump button, immediately tap left or right (the opposite way Samus is facing) the moment Samus makes her "Uh!" sound from taking damage. Spike jumps can be done off of anything that moves her upon impact, such as creatures, ceiling/ground spikes, or falling debris during escape sequences. Spike jumping really shines when it comes to getting through "Crowded" rooms, such as the room to the left of where the three walljumping creatures teach Samus the walljump, or any other room that would take a lot of short jumps - and a lot of time to get through." --- 1.4.21. Q: I've heard about using the Crystal Flash to do a Super Jump. When you say Super Jump, do you mean Shine Spark? And how is it performed? A: As far as I know, you can only perform this feat while fighting Draygon. You have to make him grab you right when you are doing a Crystal Flash. Doing so will cancel the move in an unusual way, giving you a free Super Jump (I'm from the middle school, I won't use Shinespark =P) . Please don't ask me why it does that. I know nothing of the game's coding. Kej would be the one who could explain it but alas he seems pretty much absent nowadays. Kejardon adds: You can also do it with Mother Brain's final attack. Though it's tricky to pull it off correctly without simply getting killed. jman2050 recently figured out exactly why this glitch works: The crystal flash uses a byte to keep track of what frame of animation it's on. This same byte is also used to keep track of how much time you have until you can't super jump anymore. Simply because it isn't 0, the game thinks you can super jump. Because Draygon or Mother Brain break you out during the Crystal Flash, the byte isn't reset like it's supposed to be at the end. And since you didn't charge for a super jump, the game won't know to lower the byte each frame. --- 1.4.22. Q: When complex graphics cause the game to slow down (such as when Kraid is coming out of the ground, or when murder beaming Mother Brain), does the internal clock also slow down, or is it seperate? A: Kejardon says: "The internal clock... if you're talking about the game clock (the one that keeps track of your time and is shown at the end), it's slowed down at the same rate. If you're talking about the processor, no. And obviously, the sound keeps going at normal speed." --- 1.4.23. Q: How do you preform the glitch that allows you to jump insanely high by taking off the Grav. suit? A: Press the pause button, and just before the screen goes completly black, perform a spin jump. On the pause menu, go to your inventory and remove the Gravity Suit. Unpause, hold the jump button and watch yourself fly up. Note that this glitch can only be performed underwater or in regular lava (The one that doesn't damage you when you have both the Varia and Gravity Suit). --- 1.4.24. Q: How do you use the Murder Beam without a) the game freezing and b) the Reset Glitch happening again? A: Murder Beam: 1) You must have all beams 2) Face left 3) Charge the charge beam 4) Pause and go to the item menu 5) Turn on all beams except Plasma 6) Highlight the boot extension next to Plasma, so that pushing left will highlight Plasma 7) Push left and A at the same time. If none of your beams are grayed out and it says VAR next to Plasma, it worked. If it didn't work, go back to step 5. 8) Un-pause and hold the button to keep your beam charged 9) Release the button 10) Turn off either Spazer or Plasma before firing again, or the game will freeze --- 1.4.25. Q: Is the "mockball" hard to do/accomplish? I've played super metroid since i was a little kid but i never knew about this mockball until i went on gamefaqs.com. A: It can be frustrating, but, like most glitches, get easier with practice. Also, some people find it easier in different directions. A good place to brush up on your mockball skills is that room on the right of the bottom of the shaft when you first enter Brinstar. It's kinda bumpy, so it can help with slightly different heights. Remember to hold the jump button if you are practicing. --- -1.5 Other Questions 1.5.1. How do I make a ZMV work? 1.5.2. Who is the dead man in front of the door leader to Kraid's room? 1.5.3. Where is Mt.Doom? 1.5.4. Help! My game doesn't save the data! It always erases when I first start up my SNES. I just bought Super Metroid. 1.5.5. Why is the giant Metroid trying to kill Samus then comes in and saves her? 1.5.6. What are the differences between NTSC and PAL? 1.5.7. Can you see Samus naked in this game? 1.5.8. Can you give me the cheat code for ****? 1.5.9. Is this game worth 30$ at EBGames? 1.5.10. Why do no newbies(not NooBs) use this topic? 1.5.11. Why do people use FAQs their first play through. 1.5.12. Okay, I know what Mt. Doom, the noob tube, and the noob (n00b?) bridge are. What's the Guantlet? 1.5.13. Is there a numerical value that can be assigned to the damage dealt by each beam, missiles, and super missiles? And a corresponding numerical value for how much damage each boss can take? 1.5.14 Q: Is there any other way to do the Shinespark? --- 1.5.1. Q: How do I make a ZMV work? A: First, make sure that the main name of the file is named the same as the ROM. Ex: Metroid3.srm and Metroid3.zmv. Also make sure that both these files are in the same folder. Then, open your ROM with ZSNES and press ESC. Go into the MISC menu and chose MOVIE OPN. Finally, chose the number of the movie you want to play. The extension names corresponds to the number of the movie: .zmv is number 0, .zm1 is number 1, .zm2 is number 2 and so on. --- 1.5.2. Q: Who is the dead man in front of the door leader to Kraid's room? A: Basically, it's a little something the programmers put in to make people like us speculate and break our brains thinking about who the hell this guy might be. There are many speculations about his identity. Recently, I think it's been commonly accepted that he is Armstrong Houston from Nintendo Power's old Metroid comics, but some people even deny his existence. However, it is certain that it is another bounty hunter. If it's the case, then he must have been a really poor one, seeing he's obviously been killed by the Eye Door and taking into account that there is an energy/missle recharge room just above his head. His identity is not and probably never will be confirmed. --- 1.5.3. Q: Where is Mt.Doom? A:Okay, this one might actually be a little hard to explain. First of all, you must know that Mt.Doom can only be called such in a NMBM run, a No-Suit run or a reverse boss run. In other words, it's only when you don't have the Gravity suit. Mt.Doom is located in Maridia. It's in the big room with grappling block on the ceiling and balloon ennemies that explodes when you fire at them. To the far right of this room is a wall with a platform and a door atop. This wall is Mt.Doom. It's been called so because the only way to climb it without the Gravity suit and the Grappling beam is the freeze a crab (or more, accordingly to more recent methods) over and over again as you stand on it and it raises you little bit by little bit until you can spin-jump to the platform. It's a difficult feat to perform. --- 1.5.4. Q: Help! My game doesn't save the data! It always erases when I first start up my SNES. I just bought Super Metroid. A: Most likely it is your battery that needs replacing inside. Go to your local Radio Shack or specialized electronics stores (most likely camera and watch battery stores) or use ebay to get another battery. You'll need to know how to do a little soldering to do so.OR: You could play Super Metroid without saving for a challenge (just leave your SNES on at night, but this ticks off time on the game's internal clock so you most likely won't get the best ending since you need to beat the game under 3 hours for it). Although this can be frustrating if you've never played any metroid before, then I would suggest you replace the battery. OR: You could make a legal backup copy *cough*ROM*cough* since you are entitled to it. I don't know anyone that still dumps SNES cartridges to their PCs anymore, but such hardware may be still on the black market. I will not take any repsonsibility for your actions/consequences if you choose this option. --- 1.5.5. Q: Why is the giant Metroid trying to kill Samus then comes in and saves her? A: Because, according to the story in Metroid 2: The return of Samus, that Metroid found on SR-388 thinks that Samus is her mother. Now that Mother Brain captured it and exposed it to a large amount of Gamma rays, it has grown bigger and more agressive and thus attacked Samus without a second thought. Only when she was about to die did it realise who she was, so it backed off. Finally, it realised that Mother Brain had been using it for evil, so it came in and saved Samus. --- 1.5.6. Q: What are the differences between NTSC and PAL? A: Crumbling rocks disapear at a slower rate (you can get across the n00b bridge in morph ball without running if you're lucky). Also, When fighting Phantoon, you can morph into a ball and go into a corner in order to dodge his circles of fireballs.Additionaly, during the escape sequence, if you use the glitch to Shinespark through the shaft, it may either send you flying all the way to the ceiling or it may end right in the first platform. Finally, if you're doing a NBMB run, the Power Bomb #66 is a lot easier to get. --- 1.5.7. Q: Can you see Samus naked in this game? A: No you can't. Well, not entirely. If you beat the game in under three hours, you can see Samus in a bikini. Also, I think someone made a JUSTIN BAILEY hack for Super Metroid, which allows you to play as Samus in bikini. Finally, if you really want to see Samus naked, just go find some pr0n. =P --- 1.5.8. Q: Can you give me the cheat code for ****? A: No. There are enough cheat codes pages everywhere on the net. Just look a bit and you'll find tons. --- 1.5.9. Q: Is this game worth 30$ at EBGames? A: I can't really be accurate about that one. I hardly ever go to any video game store. Besides, I live in Canada, so the currency isn't the same. But if I have to give you an answer, I'd say you could get this game for cheaper if you buy it from an individual, using Ebay or anything else. But even at 30$, I think it's still a good price for a game of this quality. Anything over that would be a bit overpriced, but personaly, I'd still pay =P To put it simply, 30$ is okay =P --- 1.5.10. Q: Why do no newbies(not NooBs) use this topic? A: Most people (and especially non-hardcore gamers) are eager and impatient fools that despites searching for something, they want to have it right away. They see game forums as places to ask their questions and not as a source of information in itself. This attitude can be resumed by the following word: lazyness. --- 1.5.11. Q: Why do people use FAQs their first play through. A: The answer varies, there is a multitude of reasons. --- 1.5.12. Q: Okay, I know what Mt. Doom, the noob tube, and the noob (n00b?) bridge are. What's the Guantlet? A: The Gauntlet is the area to the left of your ship in Crateria. You wall/bomb jump up the left wall and lay a power bomb to reveal the door to the Gauntlet. -To further Biscuit's explanation, the gauntlet has the rising lava, and is the 2 corridors, counting the chozo room.-- Notyou --- 1.5.13. Q: Is there a numerical value that can be assigned to the damage dealt by each beam, missiles, and super missiles? And a corresponding numerical value for how much damage each boss can take? A: Kejardon says: "Each weapon has a specific damage value, but different enemies may take more or less damage from the weapon. For example, Ridley takes 2x normal damage from super missiles. This isn't very common though, so generally the values are fine. Note: Enemies normally take 2x the listed damage. 'Resistant' enemies simply take 1x. 0. Normal beam : 10 1. Wave beam : 25 2. Ice beam : 15 3. Ice/Wave beam : 30 4. Spazer beam : 20 5. Wave/Spazer beam : 35 6. Ice/Spazer beam : 30 7. Wave/Ice/Spazer beam : 50 8. Plasma beam : 75 9. Wave/Plasma beam / Speed Echoes : 125 / 2,048 10. Ice/Plasma beam : 100 11. Wave/Ice/Plasma beam : 150 12. Missiles : 50 13. Super Missiles : 150 14. Bombs / Space/Time Beam : 30 / 45 per 1/3 of second 15. Power Bombs : 100, can hit twice 16. Speed Running : 250 a frame 17. Super Jump : 75 a frame 18. Screw Attack : 1,000 a frame 19. ALL Charge beams / Hyper Beam / Special Beams / Murder Beam : 3x beam combo / 500 / 150 (45 for ice) / 100 20. Psuedo Screw Attack : 100" --- 1.5.14. Q: Is there any other way to do the Shinespark? I can't do it reliably, even with a controller than isn't old... A: No, there is not. The only way to reliably perform the Shinespark is to crouch while you run at boost speed, then do a non-spinning jump. You can also do it diagonaly by holding one of the two should buttons before jumping, and you can do it horizontaly by pressing forward just after jumping. Don't release forward when you crouch to charge the Shinespark, or else you will just stop. --- --- Section Three: The footer --- -2.1 Special Thanks Redone I would, again, like to thank everyone who helped keeping the topic up, would it be by answering the questions, asking them or simply bumping it. This includes but it not limited to Kejardon, Cloud Strife J, BiscuitThief, smokeYxMcpot, NotYou and ShadowZero313. Thanks guys. Alot. --- -2.2 Disclaimer Okay, this FAQ is a work of collectivity. So many people participated that I cannot give proper credit to everyone. Therefore, I want to mention that I do not demand credit for the FAQ itself. Even though I have answered most of the questions, a lot of them have been answered by others. And even if I correctly quoted some of them, I couldn't keep up with everything and quote everyone. So if you recognize one of your answers and notice that you aren't correctly quoted, please don't sue me and just swallow it up. It's not like you're going to lose money anyways. Also, I want to remind you that even if it is a work of collectivity, according that GameFAQ's regulation, you cannot take this work for yourself nor can you link directly to it. That'd be stealing. And stealing is bad. --- -2.3 Outro Please do not e-mail me about this FAQ. If you see errors, repeated questions or if you have a question that is not answered in the FAQ, please visit the "Questions here, please!" topic on GameFAQ's message boards. I (we?) will be happy to access to your request. ---Desincarnage---