Charge Beam

The Charge Beam (チャージビーム) (occasionally referred to as the Charge Shot) is a more potent version of Samus Aran's normal beam. It first appeared in Super Metroid and has been in all games since (save for Metroid Prime Pinball).

Description
After acquiring the Charge Beam, Samus can focus energy into her Arm Cannon and later release it at any time. This process can be seen in Metroid: Other M. The resulting charged shot is many times more powerful than firing a normal beam (though the exact power varies between games) and is capable of damaging certain enemies that a standard beam cannot. In fact, some enemies can only be damaged by charged shots. The Charge Beam's appearance is reminiscent of the beam(s) currently in use and usually takes the form of a concentrated ball of energy.

Worthy of note is that in Metroid Fusion, after Samus regains Charge Beam capabilities, both the normal shot and the charged shot are actually made up of two smaller shots which form a crescent shape and do slightly more damage. Fusion is the only game where obtaining the Charge Beam actually alters the normal beam shots. Strength-wise, the Charge Beam's damage varies between games; it can be slightly weaker, equal or stronger than a standard Missile. Even so, there are still some things that only Missiles can damage, so obtaining the Charge Beam does not render Samus' Missiles completely useless. Also, the Charge Beam can be used as a backup weapon when Missile ammunition runs out during boss battles.

Metroid: Other M provides a Charge Beam enhancement in the form of Accel Charge pickups, increasing the rate at which the Charge Meter increases.

Also in Metroid: Other M, the Charge Beam is used during Overblast and Lethal Strike, dealing a heavy blow to the enemy. In addition, when SenseMove is performed, Samus can instantly charge her beam to maximum, resulting a possible counterattack. The Charge Beam is more important than in previous games, as it is often needed to trigger switches to progress. As Missiles can only be used in Search View in Other M, the Charge Beam is also needed when Samus needs to move around the area or face multiple enemies at once. Additionally, since Missiles can only be restored by Concentration, the Charge Beam becomes more important for preserving Missile ammunition or acting as a backup weapon when Samus cannot use Concentration due to battle circumstances.

The Diffusion Beam found in Metroid: Other M is a charged shot that explodes violently upon impact.

The Charge Beam plays a much larger role in Metroid: Samus Returns, where Charge Doors require a charged shot to open.

Prime Series
In the Prime trilogy, the Charge Beam is mostly the same as its 2-D counterpart. Charging the Beam in use increases its power and the size of the shot, but also makes the shot noticeably slower. Some enemies are able to dodge it because of this. When in use, the Charge Beam causes a graphical effect to affect the Arm Cannon which differs depending on the Beam (although this was removed in the Wii version of Metroid Prime). Samus starts out with the Charge Beam in Metroid Prime, but it is damaged and malfunctions along with Samus's Varia Suit, Morph Ball, Missile Launcher, and Grapple Beam due to an explosion and electrical surge during Samus's escape from the Frigate Orpheon. She regains it in the Watery Hall in the Chozo Ruins.

A factor in the Prime series are the well-hidden Charge Combo abilities, found as separate items. These special add-ons to the particular beams add many special effects and can be highly damaging.

In Metroid Prime 2: Echoes the Dark Beam, Light Beam, and Annihilator Beam have different effects compared to their normal shot. The Dark Beam's is called the Entangler and creates a compact blob of dark matter that, on contact with an enemy, entangles it with dark energy. The energy hardens to a physical crystal structure, preventing movement and making it vulnerable to a Missile, similar to the Ice Beam from Prime. The charged Light Beam is named the Lightblast and fires a volley of fast, mildly-homing spherical projectiles; when used close range it can be highly damaging, similar to a shotgun. Charging the Annihilator Beam causes the shot to stun some creatures such as Space Pirates and is appropriately named the Disruptor. Interestingly, it has a tendency to kill Dark Pirates in a single hit.

The Prime variants of the Charge Beam also have a "tractor beam" effect on pick-ups: as long as Samus holds the charge, it drags the pick-ups to her, allowing her to collect them from hard-to-reach areas. The Charge Beam also has the capability of gathering Phazon particles to fire a Phazon-concentrated shot, as seen in the final battle with Dark Samus in Echoes.

Also, the Charge Beam in the Prime trilogy is capable of destroying some objects which are said in scans to require 'explosive damage' to destroy (referring to Missiles). In addition, the Charge Beam can be fired in short bursts unlike the 2-D versions. This means that Samus is not completely vulnerable when charging. The damage with the minor shots is weaker than the full charge but stronger than the standard shots, and travel slightly faster than fully-charged shots.

Its appearance also varies between the Prime games, unlike the 2D games, where the only difference is the spark pattern. In Prime, the fully charged Power Beam looks like a ball, and is both yellow and purple. In Echoes, it again looks like a ball, but pulses when fully charged and is only shades of yellow. In Corruption, the Power Beam's fully charged shot has a blue tinge in addition to the yellow, and it is slightly more disk shaped than spherical.

Federation Marines in Metroid Prime: Federation Force carry weapons which have charging functions similar to the Charge Beam. The only differences are that it takes slightly longer to charge compared to Samus', and breakable objects cannot be destroyed unless the beam is fully charged.

Super Smash Bros. series
In the Super Smash Bros. series of games, the Charge Beam is Samus' standard B attack, known as Charge Shot. When performing the move, Samus drops to one knee as she charges a spherical blast of white/blue energy. If disrupted during the process, the charging stops. When charging is finished, the energy of the beam charge disappears and is replaced with sparks at the Arm Cannon barrel, that flash until Samus fires the blast. This is the only instance where Samus is able to keep her charge. If Samus performs her dodge while charging, progress on the charging is recorded, and she can continue. She cannot charge the beam while in midair; instead, she will simply fire a normal shot. If Kirby swallows Samus and copies her ability, he will possess the Charge Beam and her helmet, though amusingly not her arm cannon.

In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, the move can be customized. There are three variations:
 * Charge Shot - "An energy blast that shoots straight. Can be charged and stored for later."
 * Dense Charge Shot - "A Charge Shot with even more power, but at the expense of range and speed."
 * Melee Charge Shot - "A point-blank Charge Shot that isn't a projectile. Charging expands its range."

Techniques
Super Metroid has two hidden Charge Beam features. The first takes place when Samus holds a charge and enters the Morph Ball form, resulting in the Five-Bomb Drop. The second technique activates when Samus holds a charge while only one other beam (besides the Charge Beam) is equipped and while highlighting the Power Bomb. This allows her to unleash a Special Charge Beam Attack at the cost of Power Bombs. In Super Metroid, Metroid Fusion and Metroid: Zero Mission, Samus can perform the Spin Jump Attack by using a fully charged shot and a Spin Jump. It is eventually replaced by the Screw Attack, however.

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes has special enhancements for charging the Beams found on Aether. The Dark Beam produces an Entangler, the Light Beam creates the Lightblast, and the Annihilator Beam fires a Disruptor. When these beams deplete the Beam Ammo, they must charge to fire normal shots.

Metroid: Other M also has four related techniques. Firstly, the Five-Bomb Drop can be performed, resulting in a pentagon-shaped arrangement of bombs around Samus. Secondly, if the Charge Meter is filled or nearly filled while in Morph Ball form (similar to charging a Power Bomb in this game, although it can be done before these are authorized), then unmorphs, she will fire a charged shot instantly as she unmorphs. The Overblast and Lethal Strike can both be used with the Charge Beam to deal large amounts of close-range damage.

Super Metroid manual
"The charge item allows you to charge your beam and send out a super-powerful blast."

Metroid Fusion manual
"Charge up the normal beam's energy for a more powerful shot. Press and hold the B Button. Release when energy is built up."

Fusion website
"The Charge upgrade allows Samus to fire a more powerful Beam. The shots may be charged up for an even stronger blast."

Official Metroid Prime website
Weapon effect: Features limited tractor beam capacity.

Weapon range: 3 - 10 m

Weapon potential: Extreme

"Chozo Technology. The Charge Beam allows Samus Aran to increase the damage and effectiveness of the Arm Cannon. After building power for a brief moment, the Charge Beam is ready to deploy. The Charge Beam is an effective weapon on its own, but it is even more useful when used in tandem with the Missile Launcher. The Charge Beam also has a limited tractor beam capacity."

Metroid Zero Mission manual
"Obtaining this power-up allows Samus to charge beam energy into a single, powerful beam blast. Hold the B Button to charge and release to fire."

Zero Mission Samus Screen data
"Hold B to charge. Release to fire. Charge Attack: Jump with a full charge."

Metroid: Other M On-Screen Tutorial
CHARGE BEAM Press and hold 1 until fully charged and then release.

Metroid: Other M manual
"Press 1 to fire a beam. Press and hold 1 and release to fire a powerful Charge Beam."

Smash Tips
"This is devastating when fully charged. It can be unleashed instantly if you fire it while airborne."

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Official Game Guide
Damage 3~25%

"While grounded, Samus charges up her projectile attack. Hitting Left or Right gives you an evasive roll to continue charging from where you left off. You can also Shield to stop and store your charge. Pressing the button again releases the shot. When used in the air, Charge Shot fires from whatever level you’ve charged to."

Metroid: Samus Returns Samus Screen
"The Charge Beam gathers energy, which is then released all at once. This power can be used to open Charge Doors. Press and hold [Y] to charge, and then release [Y] to fire."

Metroid: Samus Returns Strategy Guide

 * The Armory (p. 11)
 * "The Charge Beam isn't so much a weapon as a weapon enhancer. After obtaining it, Samus is able to charge up and fire more powerful versions of all of her other beams (save for the Grapple Beam). Pretty handy!"

Trivia

 * In Metroid Zero Mission and Super Metroid, the Charge Beam can be skipped entirely, as it is not required to advance through the game. In the former, one merely has to defeat King Worm and leave the upgrade floating in the air. It never disappears, so it can be recovered at any time.
 * It is neither revealed nor explained how and why the King Worm possessed the Charge Beam. It is possible the King Worm unintentionally obtained it while digging through the tunnels of Brinstar.
 * Strangely, the charged Power Beam in Metroid Prime: Hunters has a limited homing capability, closing in on doors and enemies. It is mostly overlooked because it requires some distance for the homing effect to be noticeable. This is the only game in which the charged power beam does this. This homing feature may have been added since lock-on is not present in this game.
 * The Charge Beam is not referred to by name in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, but is instead referred to as a "charge module" to the Power Beam in the logbook.
 * The sound effect when charging the Charge Beam in Other M is the only recycled sound clip in the game from the Prime series.
 * In Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, the Nova Beam's charge shot actually travels much faster than the standard shot, unlike the other beams'. It also happens to be the fastest travelling weapon in the game.
 * The distortion effect that occurs when the Charge Beam is fired in Metroid Prime was created by Jack Mathews.
 * Acquiring the Charge Beam in Prime contains a debatable "sequence break" as it can be acquired before the bombs, however, the Hint System does not detect it until Super Missiles are obtained.