Super Metroid Players' Guide



The Super Metroid Players' Guide is the official PAL strategy guide for Super Metroid. The guide is approximately 70 pages long.

Description
The guide begins with a backstory for Metroid and Metroid II: Return of Samus and summarizing how Samus donated the baby she recovered from SR388 to the Space Science Academy on Ceres. A transcription of the backstory is featured below. It should be noted that some statements in this section have been retconned or are inaccurate:


 * The guide states that the Space Research Vessel Marina crew named the Metroids. The 2002 origin manga, which is considered canon, reveals that the Chozo created and named the Metroids. The Galactic Federation did not have a name for the creature, and were astonished that Samus knew what it was called.
 * Zebes is stated to be the home planet of the Space Pirates. Later media has clarified that they are not native to Zebes; the "Zebesian" Pirates took this name after invading the planet and driving out the Chozo population, in a similar manner to the European takeover of North America. The Pirates consider planets on which they have a significant presence, such as Urtraghus. The true origin point of the Space Pirates has yet to be discovered.
 * The Space Science Academy's report on the baby suggests that the Metroids were created for peaceful purposes. This is expanded upon in the 2002 manga and Metroid Fusion manual, which both reveal that the Metroids were engineered by the Chozo to wipe out an even greater threat: the X Parasite. The Chozo Memories in Metroid: Samus Returns suggest that the Chozo also needed the Metroids to eradicate the X in order to remove them as an obstacle to their Aeion mining operations.
 * It is stated that a group of Zebesians were waiting for Samus on Ceres alongside Ridley, and fled back to Zebes. Ingame, only Ridley appears on Ceres, and no Zebesians are encountered. The guide also mentions that Zebes was "rebuilt", implying that the entire planet was destroyed in Metroid. Metroid: Zero Mission retcons this by establishing that only the original Tourian was destroyed. Zebes is completely destroyed at the end of Super Metroid.
 * The Items & Locations section states that the items in the game were "carelessly left" by her adversaries, meaning the Space Pirates. In fact, many of the items are Chozo technology, and have not been disturbed by the Pirates.
 * The guide incorrectly states that the first Torizo is holding a Missile Tank. It is in fact holding a Bomb before it breaks out of its Chozo Statue form.
 * The guide frequently suggests the presence of adventurers on Zebes that have often met grisly ends at the hands of the Space Pirates.

The Life & Times of Samus Aran
Broken Peace
 * "The galaxy once enjoyed a period of peace and prosperity. Trade lines were open, the citizens were happy and the Galactic Federation kept a watchful eye over the planets.
 * This peace wasn't to last, though. A startling yet seemingly innocent discovery could yet threaten the very existence of the entire galaxy..."

Dawn of the Metroids
 * "On a routine survey mission of the plant SR388, the crew of a Galactic Federation vessel discovered a new airborne life form and gave it the name 'Metroid'. These creatures, which could engulf other living beings and drain their energy, proved to be both strong and prolific. A few seconds of Beta-Ray bombardment caused a single Metroid to become two Metroids; a few more seconds and there were four.
 * Several Metroid specimens were gathered so that the survey vessel crew could take them to Galactic Federation Headquarters for further examination This is where it all starts to go drastically wrong..."

Ambush!
 * "As the crew sped towards their HQ, they were ambushed by space pirates from the planet Zebes. The pirates stole the Metroids and took them to their home planet, where their leader, Mother Brain, created a terrible Metroid force..."

Wanted: One Bounty Hunter
 * "Samus Aran, famed bounty hunter, was commissioned by the Galactic Federation to eliminate the space pirates and the Metroids. This mission she carried out successfully, clearing the planet Zebes of the enemy.
 * A special corps team returnd to SR388 at the request of the Galactic Federation to clear the entire area of Metroids. Contact was lost shortly after they landed - they were never heard from again.
 * Once more, Samus returned to battle the Metroids, her mission to make the entire Metroid population extinct..."

Skirmish on SR388
 * "The Metroids on SR388 were more advanced than the creatures of Zebes. They were able to shed their skins and grow even stronger than before. Samus had her work cut out, since she needed to work her way below the surface an battle the aliens with all the might she could muster. The final battle was against the enormous Metroid Queen. Samus emerged victorious, and discovered a Metroid egg which hatched before her eyes into a Metroid lava. [sic] Rather than destroy the lava [sic], she took it with her to the Space Science Academy on the Galactic Federation Space Colony, where scientists could study the creature and understand its special organic structure..."

A New Discovery
 * "The Science Academy scientists found out that the energy-producing properties of the Metroid could benefit humankind. Their report suggested that the Metroids may have originally been created for peaceful purposes.
 * Finally, the secrets of the Metroids had been discovered, and a new era was on the horizon for mankind. Samus Aran's job was complete...

'''EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY!'''
 * "Suddenly, a call came through for Samus to return to the Space Science Academy. She rushed back, but too late - the whole building was in ruins and the Metroid lava [sic] was nowhere to be found. Out from the darkness came a group of Zebesian space pirates lead by Ridley, who had the Metroid lava [sic] in tow. The pirates fled back to a rebuilt Zebes, yet Samus followed them, resolving to finish them off and save the hatchling!


 * So begins Samus's latest and most challenging mission - Super Metroid''...

Playing the Game
This section explains the game's control scheme and how to use the Samus Data Screen, and what the game's Options allow the player to do.
 * "After inserting the Super Metroid cart and turning on your SNES, you'll be greeted by a title screen. From here, pressing either START or [A] will allow you to set up the game to your liking."

Items & Locations
This section explains the various terminals that Samus can use, such as Map Stations, Energy Charges and her Gunship, as well as "add-ons" (expansions) and power-ups. The guide refers to the Ice and Plasma Beams as "rays" (i.e. Ice Ray, Plasma Ray), the Spazer Beam as "Spazar" and the Speed Booster as the "Speed Boots". The Ice Beam is also referred to as the "freeze ray" on page 41.
 * "During her travels above, upon and within the world of Zebes, Samus will encounter many strange and hostile creatures and seemingly impassable obstacles. Fortunately, her adversaries have carelessly left many different items lying about which will help her in her quest (as long as she can find them...)"

In Game Screens/Special Techniques
This section details the game's Heads-Up Display, Map and Samus Screens, and how to save, copy or delete save data. There are five "special techniques", or forms of movement: running, jumping, Bombing, shooting and Grappling. This section discusses the Wall Jump and Spin Jump techniques, and alludes to the Turbo Bomb, Shinespark and Five-Bomb Drop Special Actions.

The aim of Super Metroid
This section gives a layout of the game's story and mechanics, explaining the player's freedom of movement and the Metroidvania elements of the game. It also mentions the four Space Pirate generals that inhabit each area, and how Samus will need to defeat them.

Planet Zebes
This section features a small, condensed drawing of a map of Zebes, featuring each area, as well as descriptions of the areas. There is no mention of the Ceres Space Colony, the first area of the game.


 * Zebes - A Visitors Guide:"Planet Zebes consists of six distinct sections, linked to one another via a network of lifts and passages. Each section contains an array of deadly creatures and come littered with traps and obstacles, heightening the risk to Samus Aran tenfold."

The walkthrough is divided by each of the six areas: Crateria, Brinstar, Norfair, Wrecked Ship, Maridia and Tourian, which are further split into five letter-coded sections. A "Know Your Nasties" page gives details on the enemies in Crateria, Brinstar and Norfair, and certain bosses. The guide frequently refers to generic enemies as "nasties".

Curiously, an image of the dead Torizo in Tourian is shown on page 44, where the Golden Torizo is discussed. Each of the four bosses depicted on the Golden Statues, as well as the first Torizo, each have a page dedicated to their respective boss fights. The guide ends abruptly when describing the battle against Mother Brain, without mentioning the baby's role in it, the countdown after her death, or the endings. The last page in the book is an advertisement for the Nintendo Hotline.