Attract mode



The attract mode is a feature in most of the Metroid games. If the player remains idle on the Title Screen for long enough, a series of pre-recorded gameplay clips will play, before looping back to the Title Screen. The respective game's title theme will play during these clips, without any in-game sound effects related to the exact moment being presented. The attract mode is used to demonstrate the gameplay of the game, and "attract" players into pressing start. While most of the attract modes feature gameplay clips, the original Metroid instead displays Samus Aran's mission orders.

Metroid II: Return of Samus, Metroid: Other M and Metroid: Samus Returns do not have attract modes.

Metroid


If the Title Screen is left idle long enough, Samus's mission orders will be displayed. She is ordered to "defeat the Metroid of the Planet Zebeth and destroy the Mother Brain the mechanical life vein" by the "Galaxy Federal Police". This message was a poor translation by Nintendo localizers at the time; the correct terms are "Planet Zebes", "mechanical life form" and "Galactic Federation Police". After about nine seconds, the message will disappear, and the game's logo will return. This will repeat as long as the Title Screen is left idle.

A video demonstrating the NES version of the attract mode can be viewed here, with the original Japanese Famicom version here.

Super Metroid
Super Metroid is the first game in the series to feature what has become the traditional form of attract mode: short clips of gameplay, before looping back to the Title Screen. Some of the clips show hidden Special Actions in the game. Playback of the demo clips is slightly faster in the PAL version of the game.

The clips are as follows:

(Set 1)
 * Samus Shinesparking through a hidden cliffside in Crateria,
 * Samus swinging around on Grapple Points in "Mount Death", before launching herself on top of another pair of blocks,
 * Samus using the Turbo Bomb above the tall cliff next to her Gunship in Crateria,
 * Samus using the Plasma Beam Special Charge Beam Attack on a trio of Zeelas in the main shaft of Brinstar,
 * Samus performing the Crystal Flash on the same Craterian cliff.

(Set 2):
 * Samus exiting her Gunship during the Craterian thunderstorm and proceeding to the Blue Door on the left,
 * Samus opening a Pink Door in the old Brinstar room that formerly led to Kraid's Lair,
 * Samus jumping over a swooping Kihunter, before charging and firing a Charge Shot at another,
 * Samus Speed Boosting through the "Frog Speedway", breaking through Boost Block walls and Beetoms, before opening the door and running through it,
 * Samus grappling over a pool of lava, spikes and Yapping Maws in Norfair,
 * Samus demonstrating the Spin Jump Attack in pink Brinstar, and killing a Reo with it before firing at a Zeb.

(Set 3):
 * Samus firing at a Cacatac in red Brinstar, and then freezing and jumping over two Yapping Maws suspended in water.
 * Samus in a dimly lit corridor, killing a Fireflea and then aiming at another.
 * Samus opening a shutter and firing a charged shot at a Small Side Hopper,
 * Samus moving through lava filled with fire-spitting Namihes before emerging and running through Ridley's "Lair Entrance Statue",
 * Samus Screw Attacking through a swarm of Mellows in a Craterian cavern,
 * Samus falling down a long shaft in pink Brinstar and encountering the Dachora.

(Set 4):
 * Samus in the Wrecked Ship corridor outside Phantoon's room, running up to two inactive Work Robots and chasing away the Sbugs that have gathered on them,
 * Samus Shinesparking diagonally right upward in Crateria,
 * Samus outside Kraid's room, firing 2 Missiles at the Gadora,
 * Samus in a red Brinstar chamber with three Zeros that have molted from their skins,
 * Samus watches Kraid begin to emerge from the ground,
 * Samus watches the Golden Statue of Kraid "die".

A video demonstrating the game's attract mode can be viewed here, without Title Screen breaks or audio jumps here, and a comparison between the PAL and NTSC versions here.

Metroid Fusion
Before the Title Screen even appears, a cutscene is displayed of a Biologic Space Laboratories vessel flying through space alongside Samus's Gunship. She is seen inside, apparently fine. Suddenly, her Gunship veers off course and crashes into an asteroid belt. The Title Screen then appears.

If the Title Screen is left idle, clips are shown of Samus navigating a Morph Ball tunnel in Sector 2, climbing a ladder in Sector 5 and freezing a Ripper, killing Sciser-X in Sector 4, shooting Zombie researchers and the Gadora outside the Arachnus' room on the Main Deck, Wall Jumping up to reach Missile Tank 1 in Sector 1, and the Speed Booster course to reach Power Bomb Tank 5 in Sector 2.

A demonstration of the attract mode can be viewed here.

Metroid Prime
This game's attract mode focuses on a single clip at a time, before looping back to the title. The first clip is a portion of the introduction cutscene where Samus exits her Gunship and jumps onto the Frigate Orpheon. The next clip depicts Samus fighting against the Sheegoth and scanning it, followed by Samus engaging Space Pirates in the Research Core. After this, sequential footage is shown of Samus knocking a Mirror Array offline during the Flaahgra battle, engaging ground and Flying Pirates on the Control Tower, and the cutscene preceding the Thardus battle in which the beast rises.

In New Play Control! Metroid Prime, new clips include Samus fighting a Baby Sheegoth, navigating Transport Tunnel A with the new Spring Ball ability, fighting the first Elite Pirate, the half-pipe in Reflecting Pool and killing a Magmoor. These clips are shown in sequence with no breaks.

A demonstration of the attract mode in the original game can be viewed here, and the New Play Control! version here.

Metroid: Zero Mission
A cutscene with frantic music plays with a better translated version of the mission orders in the attract mode of the original Metroid. Samus is shown rushing to Zebes, with a shot of Mother Brain in her Control Capsule before the screen shoots out with static. After the title appears, two sets of gameplay clips will play.

The first includes Samus destroying Skrees and Geemers in Brinstar, ascending a Zeela-filled shaft in Kraid's Lair, using a zip line to escape pursuing Reos, killing an emerging Gamet before leaving the room, charging up a speed boost and then Shinesparking, moving through a corridor in Ridley's Lair with numerous Air Holes and obtaining Missile Tank 4, engaging a Baristute in Kraid's Lair, Space Jumping up to a Yellow Hatch in Chozodia and the Mua battle.

The second includes Samus ascending a shaft in blue Brinstar, freezing Rippers to ascend another shaft in Norfair and then freezing a Squeept, using a Morph Ball launcher in Kraid's Lair, clearing out a corridor of Tangle Vines and dropping into false lava, jumping into the hands of an upright Chozo Statue and using its Map feature, entering the area outside the Wrecked Ship, using the Ballspark to get through a room in Norfair, and fighting the King Worm in a rocky blue corridor.

A demonstration of the first attract mode can be viewed here, and the second here.

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Gameplay clips in this game are shown one by one. After the title appears, gameplay shown includes Samus destroying a Warrior Ing with the Light Beam while inside a Safe Zone, ascending the Sanctum Access room in the Sky Temple, utilizing the Spider Ball Tracks at the Sanctuary Entrance, combating Dark Pirate Commandoes in the Torvus Grove, the Alpha Blogg battle, and battling Splinters, while scanning one of them.

A demonstration of the attract mode can be viewed here.

Metroid Prime Pinball
If the game is left idle on the Title Screen, leaderboards will be displayed showing the top-scoring Pinball players in the world. as well as what are likely the high scores of Fuse Games personnel (one player, "CAI", may refer to Cai Remrod). Gameplay is shown of the Pirate Frigate table, with the word "Demo" flashing onscreen. Unlike most other games, this attract mode features sound effects. On the table, the Samus ball triggers the Wall Jump minigame.

The attract mode can be viewed in the first half of this video here.

Metroid Prime Hunters


When starting the game, a flashing yellow light will descend the top and bottom screen, illuminating elaborate markings before finally stopping, and faintly revealing Gorea's form for a moment. After this, a cutscene plays introducing the Bounty Hunters and their origins, with a mini cutscene for each: Sylux of Cylosis confronting two Federation Marines after killing one, Weavel of the Space Pirates evading pursuers on what appears to be a race course, Noxus of the Vhozon perched upon an ice stalactite, Trace of the Kriken Empire surrounded by his race, Spire of Mondreus rolling down a cliff, and Kanden, an Enoema Hunter escaping from A Sinister Laboratory where he was created. Finally, Samus is seen battling a Space Pirate in a desert-like area. This video plays before the Title Screen, but will replay if the game is left idle. It can be viewed in the Movies collection after completing the game once.

The attract mode can be viewed here.

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Clips played include Samus ascending with Wall Jump Surfaces in the Imperial Caverns, shooting ZipNMEBomber projectiles while using a Zipline Cable, the Bryyonian Labor Golem in the Falls of Fire jumping down and releasing Samus, the damaged structure in Ruined Shrine falling over and dropping a Grapple Point, Samus being launched in a Kinetic Orb Cannon and destroying a Space Pirate ATC in Hypermode. After this, the title sequence repeats.

A demonstration of this game's attract mode can be viewed here.

Metroid Prime Trilogy
Being that the Trilogy is a compilation, clips from all three games are shown. These clips are actually taken verbatim from the attract modes of the original games and placed together. However, some new clips are also shown, all from Corruption. These include Samus's Gunship destroying a Seed Shield Generator with Ship Missiles, the first Berserker Lord in Corruption throwing a Federation Marine's body, and Samus killing an Advanced Pirate Trooper in the Temple of Bryyo through Hypermode.

A demonstration can be found here.

Metroid Prime: Federation Force
Before the Title Screen appears, a short summary of the previous developments in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is displayed, with the backdrop of Excelcion. which gradually zooms in until it consumes the screen. The summary mentions that the destruction of Phaaze and the end of Phazon was a landmark victory by the Galactic Federation against the Space Pirates. In order to continue their efforts to rout out the Pirates, the Federation initiates Operation Golem, a military campaign to overcome the Pirates through superior technology. The Mech battle armor is created, and with it the elite squad known as the Federation Force. After this cutscene is complete, the actual Title Screen appears.