Shinespark



A Shinespark is a move Samus can execute after getting the Speed Booster ability and has appeared in every game with it. It was originally taught to her by the Dachora on Zebes. Its name is more likely than not a reference to the Super Robot anime Getter Robo G, in which the eponymous mecha can perform an attack called the "Shinespark." The Shinespark is performed by activating the Speed Booster, crouching, and then jumping. When jumping, Samus can choose to aim the Shinespark in one of five directions; these directions are left, diagonal up-left, up, diagonal up-right, and right. The process must not be interrupted if the Shinespark is to be performed successfully. Once she has stored a charge by crouching, Samus may stand up and move around as usual with the exception of jumping normally, which will activate the Shinespark. This may be avoided by performing a Spin Jump, which does not activate the technique. While Samus cannot fire any beams while doing a Shinespark, a charged beam can be maintained during a Shinespark in Metroid: Zero Mission.

Samus can also Shinespark in mid-spin jump. In order to do this, she must store a Speed Booster charge as usual. After spin jumping into the air, she must look up, down, or fire a beam to stop the spin. Once she has stopped spinning, attempting to jump again will activate the Shinespark; again, the Shinespark can fly in any of the five previously mentioned directions.

If a Shinespark is performed horizontally against a slope in Metroid Fusion or Metroid: Zero Mission, Samus will begin to run along the slope at full speed (in Super Metroid this is not possible; Samus will simply continue flying by sliding across the slope). This feature debuted in Metroid Fusion and is key in performing multiple Shinesparks in a row.

Metroid: Zero Mission introduced the Ballspark, which is basically the same technique but performed in Morph Ball form. Once again, hitting a sloped edge while using the Ballspark will cause Samus to continue at high speeds until she collides with a flat surface. Pressing down once this has occurred will store a charge for another Ballspark.

A very complicated series of Shinesparks can be attempted in Metroid Fusion to see the Secret Message. It is one of the very few sequence breaks in that game. Another complex series of Shinesparks and Ballsparks can be used in Metroid: Zero Mission to obtain the Super Missiles much earlier than normal.

In Super Metroid, performing a Shinespark decreases Samus' energy very quickly, thereby rendering the Shinespark feature useless when Samus has only 29 energy left. If Samus runs low on energy in mid-Shinespark, she will act as if she had collided with a wall; this will also occur if she tries to activate another Shinespark before regaining any energy. Additionally, the end of a Shinespark in Super Metroid releases a shockwave perpendicular to Samus' trajectory a few seconds after she impacts something; this shockwave takes the form of "afterimages" of Samus. On contact, the shockwave deals damage comparable to that of the Shinespark itself, but it does not always affect enemies vulnerable to the Shinespark. Occasionally, the Shinespark tends to angle differently than normal, often to hit an unaware, nearby enemy. Metroid games after Super Metroid do not feature either of these aspects of the Shinespark.

The Samus Screen in Metroid: Other M shows the Shinespark listed underneath the Speed Booster as a secondary ability. The Shinespark is performed by building up a Speed Booster charge and then jumping in a direction.

The 59th issue of Nintendo Power, which contained previews for Super Metroid, referred to the Shinespark as the "Speed Booster Blast", because Nintendo had not yet given it an official name.

Metroid: Other M manual
"While speed boosting, press and release 2 to perform a powerful jump. If you aren't pressing +* in any direction when you release 2, you'll jump straight up. Press +* when you release 2 to jump in any direction."

Metroid: Other M Status screen data
"Controls: Press and hold 2 while speed boosting . Release + and 2 to jump vertically . Press + and release 2 to jump in a direction .

* + sign represents a Wii Remote D-Pad.

Trivia
*While the first game to feature the Shinespark is Super Metroid, Samus is able to fully utilize this ability in Zero Mission, which takes place before Super Metroid.
 * In Super Metroid, when Samus uses the Shinespark, her speed increases. This feature is not present in Metroid Fusion, nor Metroid: Zero Mission.Metroid_-_Zero_Mission_01.png
 * In Metroid: Other M, the Shinespark is different than the 2-D incarnations; in this game, it is more of a long jump than a continuous boost.
 * In Metroid: Other M, Nightmare is fought in a room which allows the use of the Shinespark. The ability can be used to damage it.
 * In Other M, Samus seems to be spinning constantly while propeeling herself forward while using the Shinespark, unlike in other games where she faces the same direction. This can be seen in the spiral trail the Shinespark leaves. Additionally, if she performs a vertical Shinespark but misses the target and hits her head on an object, then she will continue to rotate slowly before falling.