List of cameos and references in the Metroid series

This is a list of cameos within the Metroid Series itself. It should not be confused with Cameos in other, non-Metroid games.

Metroid

 * Air Holes are obvious references to Warp Pipes, from the Super Mario Bros. series.

Metroid (1986 manga)

 * Samus can be seen losing at a game of The Legend of Zelda on her Famicom Disk System while flying to Zebes.
 * Samus mistakes an Air Hole for a Warp Pipe, and Mario can be seen.

Metroid II: Return of Samus

 * Certain aspects of the game are similar to the film Aliens. Both involve the female protagonists of the series (Ellen Ripley/Samus Aran) traveling to the homeworld (LV-426/SR388) of a dangerous alien specimen (Xenomorphs/Metroids) to exterminate them. Both films also depict the female protagonist bonding with a last surviving child (a girl nicknamed Newt/the Baby), and a final battle with the queen of the alien species (Queen Alien/Queen Metroid). Both Alien 3 and Super Metroid also depict the deaths of both Newt and the Baby.

Super Metroid

 * The Shinespark is based on an attack of the same name from the mecha anime, Getter Robo G.
 * The Gadora enemy that first appears in this game has several similarities to the Medusa boss from Kid Icarus.
 * The Tatori, Jr. in Maridia resemble Buzzy Beetles from the Mario series.
 * Mini-Kraid attacks in a very similar manner to Bowser in Super Mario Bros. He also makes a cry similar to the Alien creature.
 * The Moon Walk, named after Michael Jackson's dance move of the same name, appears in this game as a technique.

Metroid Fusion

 * A Nintendo GameCube can be seen on the Geron Air System.
 * Certain aspects of the game are similar to the movie Alien Resurrection. For example, the respective female protagonists in Metroid Fusion and Alien Resurrection become a hybrid of themselves and the respective series' alien species. The formerly extinct titular specimens of both franchises are resurrected, and the escape sequence is strikingly similar to the ending of Aliens.

Metroid Prime

 * The Fusion Suit is an unlockable suit in this game, and Metroid is an unlockable bonus.
 * The Baby is on a (possibly unused) texture for a Space Pirate terminal.
 * In the Space Pirate Research Lab there is a Metroid named "Hunter Metroid ds", possibly a reference to Metroid Prime Hunters.
 * The Blastcaps that first appear in this game are similar to another species of mushroom known as "Blaxcaps", that appear in Pikmin during the final battle with the Emperor Bulblax. It is also possible that Blastcaps could be references to the Puffstool, a mushroom miniboss in Pikmin which appears in the Forest Navel.
 * Magmoors in this game bear a resemblance to Barba, a boss from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.

Metroid (2002 manga)

 * Mario, or a man that looks like him, can be seen on the left hand side of the panel where Samus learns that the Chozo have arrived. The character has a hat, gloves, overalls, round nose, boots, mustache, and wrench.
 * Federation Army Special Ops Battleship VIXIV IV is named after another vessel in the Sakamoto-produced Japanese Game Boy game, X, called "VIXIV" which departs from an overpopulated Earth in the year XXXX to investigate Tetamus 2.
 * Kreatz's race resembles Hylians from The Legend of Zelda.
 * Kreatz nicknames the Space Pirate P-1 "Mr. Crabs", a possible reference to a similarly named character in the television show SpongeBob Squarepants.

Metroid: Zero Mission

 * The Unknown Items were based on the Sacred Treasures from Kid Icarus, which used the Metroid engine. They were the Mirror Shield (Gravity Suit), Light Arrows (Plasma Beam), and Wings of Pegasus (Space Jump). All three were required to go to the last level of the game, and were not usable before that level.
 * Metroid is an unlockable bonus in the game.
 * Images from Metroid Fusion can be unlocked by connecting both games with a Nintendo GameCube Game Boy Advance Cable.
 * The statue holding the Power Bomb in Chozodia is based on Chac Mool.

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

 * The game's concept of light/dark duality, as well as the collection of Temple Keys is commonly compared to that of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. In fact, Retro Studios was assisted by the creators of A Link to the Past.
 * Both the Shredder and the Dark Shredder resemble Peahats from The Legend of Zelda series.

Metroid Prime Hunters

 * Spire appears to be based off an enemy from Raven Blade, a cancelled Retro Studios game. He also resembles the Goron from The Legend of Zelda series.

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

 * Metroid project 'Dread' is mentioned in a scan in the English versions of the game. The Japanese version instead mentions a Dread-Class Turret.
 * Mogenar's Hand of Ur attack resembles the Move attack in the Golden Sun series.
 * If the Ship Bumper Stickers are unlocked, then stickers will appear on Samus' Gunship depending on what save data the player has on their Wii.
 * Excite Truck - Orange X over monster truck.
 * Wii Sports - Wii Sports logo.
 * The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - Triforce emblem on Link's shield and in various parts of Hyrule.
 * WarioWare: Smooth Moves - Wario's eyes, nose and moustache, the typical WarioWare logo.
 * Wii Play - Wii Play logo.
 * Super Paper Mario - Paper Mario head.
 * Mario Party 8 - Star emblem.
 * Super Mario Galaxy - Mario "M" symbol.
 * Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Smash Ball symbol.

Metroid Prime Trilogy

 * The Ship Bumper Stickers return in this game, as well as other cameos from Prime, Echoes and Corruption.

Metroid: Other M

 * Among the unused stage models in the game is the first boss arena from Ninja Gaiden II, complete with textures for the helipad and helicopter, but no tower. It was used to test the realtime motion cutscene animations.
 * Concept art for the Skultera features a drawing with their mouths open, saying "Buy something will ya!" This is also a line from the first Zelda game.
 * The creatures known as Pow bear an almost identical resemblance to the fairies of the Legend of Zelda series.