Countdown

A countdown in the game Metroid Prime.

Countdowns (also known as escape sequences) have long been the signature of the Metroid series. Often, after defeating the final boss, a Self-Destruct System will activate and Samus must evacuate the location in a certain time span before the place explodes and claims her life. Six minutes is a very frequent time limit, though four minutes have been known to appear as well. They either have the same music track titled Escape, albeit remixed each time, or Vs. Ridley is used (either slightly altered or untouched). Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime Hunters have had original music tracks, titled Frigate Orpheon Escape and Escape, for their countdowns.

To date, Metroid II: Return of Samus and its remake Metroid: Samus Returns are the only games in the series to not feature a Countdown. Instead, Samus peacefully leaves Area 8 with the baby carving out obstacles for her (and in the case of the latter game, fights Proteus Ridley near her ship). Samus Returns also features a similar albeit untimed chase sequence in which she runs from the drill arm of the Diggernaut in Area 4.

Countdowns in the series

Metroid

“	TIME BOMB SET GET OUT FAST! TIME 999	„
—On-screen text

“	ジゲンバクダン サドウ タダチニ ダッシュツ セヨ TIME 999	„
—Japanese on-screen text

In Metroid, upon defeating Mother Brain, Samus is given 999 time units, (3 units is one second, therefore the time limit would be 333 seconds, or about 5 1/2 minutes) to climb up a tall, tower-like room to escape from Tourian's Time Bomb.

No explosions occur in the shaft or Mother Brain's chamber. However, the lava will turn white and all Cannons will begin to flash.

Super Metroid

“	EMERGENCY SELF DESTRUCT SEQUENCE ACTIVATED EVACUATE COLONY IMMEDIATELY TIME 01'00''00	„
—First countdown

“	TIME BOMB SET! ESCAPE IMMEDIATELY! TIME 03'00''00	„
—Second countdown

Super Metroid has two countdowns, both escaping from locations to be destroyed, one at the beginning of the game and one at the end. In the beginning, Samus must evacuate Ceres Space Colony in less than one minute following her first battle with Ridley. At the end of the game, Samus has three minutes to escape from Zebes as the planet begins to explode after defeating the revived Mother Brain.

On Ceres, Samus will encounter falling debris in one hall. Explosions do not damage her, but she will flinch if she comes into contact with any. This does not occur in any other games. The explosions on Zebes are also capable of taking out Space Pirates.

In both instances, a variation of the Vs. Ridley theme will play with alarm sounds blaring in the background.

Ceres escape sequence

End sequence

Metroid Fusion

“	Emergency in Sector 3. Six minutes to Main Boiler explosion.	„
—First countdown

“	Fire alert. This sector will soon be locked down. Sixty seconds to isolation lockdown.	„
—Second countdown

“	Propulsion sequence activated. Destination: planet SR388.	„
—Third countdown

There are three countdowns in Metroid Fusion. The first countdown happens in Sector 3, where Samus must race to the Main Boiler Control room to stop the Biologic Space Laboratories research station from overheating and exploding in six minutes. Samus must also fight a Core-X Mimicking a scientist. This is the first ever countdown to have a boss of any kind, and is also the first countdown in the series to have the player have to actually avert the event it was counting down for rather than merely escape from it. Later, Samus must Space Jump to the top of a shaft with Metroids floating around her in under one minute. In the final sequence, Samus activates the ship's propulsion sequence and has three minutes to escape the research station whilst it hurtles toward SR388 while fighting an Omega Metroid. This is the first countdown to have a PA voice heard in the background counting down and announcing the event that the countdown was for rather than simply appearing in text.

In the first countdown of Sector 3, there are no explosions; the screen simply flashes red constantly. During the Restricted Lab escape, there are explosions. No explosions occur during the propulsion sequence (not counting the part where the Omega Metroid bursts out from behind the wall).

If the player pauses the game before the second countdown formally begins, the first phrase will loop. Similarly, the opening line for the first countdown will loop until after Samus contacts Adam.

There are three different themes used for the countdown sequences in this game. In the first countdown and to a certain extent the latter half of the third countdown while fighting the Omega Metroid, the theme used is Sector 3 Restore the Cooling Installation Timer Mission, the second theme was the frantic version of SA-X Appears (which also acts as the only instance of the theme being played where the SA-X neither pursues nor even notices Samus), and the first half of the third is a sped up version of Vs. Ridley from Super Metroid. It is to be noted that the third countdown was originally planned to be ten minutes long instead of three minutes long, but it was shortened by release. However, the sound files indicating the original length are nonetheless present in the game, although unable to be accessed even by artificially increasing the time limit.

Main Boiler

SA-X7.png

Restricted Lab

Ending countdown

Metroid Prime

“	Evacuate immediately. Evacuate immediately.	„

In Metroid Prime, Samus must escape the Space Pirate frigate Orpheon in seven minutes, before it explodes at the beginning of the game. Some vent caps will explode during the escape, opening new passages for Samus, and once Samus reaches the Exterior Docking Hangar, the frigate will begin to explode. Power surges during the destruction of the ship and evacuation were also responsible for Samus losing several of the functions of her power suit, including the Varia Suit.

"Evacuate immediately" is present in the Impact Crater sound effects package, suggesting a playable countdown was planned after the defeat of Metroid Prime as well. Although there is no playable countdown in the final game, a text message stating that the Impact Crater's integrity was compromised before demanding an immediate evacuation from the premises was nonetheless retained in the final version just before Samus exits from the portal of the doomed Artifact Temple. Jack Mathews stated in 2018 that he vaguely remembered an escape sequence idea, suggesting it may not have gone far in development.

Metroid: Zero Mission

“	Self-destruct mechanism activated! Evacuate immediately!	„
—Both countdowns

In Metroid: Zero Mission, similar to the original Metroid, Samus must escape from Tourian after defeating Mother Brain. This time, she must jump onto various crumbling platforms and travel through Crateria to board her Gunship. The time limit also varies depending on the difficulty mode; three minutes on Easy, two minutes on Normal, and one minute on Hard. Later, Samus must evacuate the Space Pirate Mothership in seven minutes on Easy, five minutes on Normal, or three minutes on Hard after defeating Mecha Ridley.

Unlike in Metroid, explosions do occur in the shaft and continue into Crateria, but they do not hinder Samus. Sirens also blare in the background while the screen flashes red. The explosions and flashing screen cease once Samus reaches the outer area with her Gunship. On the Mother Ship, no explosions occur and there are no sirens.

Escaping from Tourian after Mother Brain's defeat.

Countdown starts after Robot Ridley is defeated.

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

“	Planetary condition critical! Escape at once!	„

At the final sequence of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, after taking the last of Dark Aether's energy and defeating the Emperor Ing, Samus must return to Aether whilst Dark Aether crumbles from loss of energy, in 8 minutes. Along the way, Phazon blocks the exit as she battles her doppelganger for the third and final time.

No explosions occur at all, though (in cutscenes only) debris falls from the ceiling in the Sanctum and Sky Temple Gateway.

Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt

Regulator

Two of the training exercises in Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt include countdowns. Regulator has a very large 10 minute time-limit, while the Morph Ball mode ends at 55 seconds if the player does not collect the last module before then.

Obviously, no explosions happen because the timer is not counting down to an explosion.

Metroid Prime Hunters

“	Octolith taken! Octolith taken!	„

“	Security protocol initiated. Evacuate immediately!	„
—Countdowns after acquiring an Octolith

“	ENERGY OVERFLOW Quickly reach the energy overflow shutoff terminal!	„
—Fuel Stack countdown

The second Arcterra countdown.

In Metroid Prime Hunters, Samus must escape from each planet and space station after defeating one of the 2 types of bosses found in the Stronghold Voids and acquiring an Octolith. The time limit differs for each boss encounter, ranging from 8 minutes, 30 seconds, to 3 minutes. Also, when Samus enters the Fuel Stack for the first time during her second visit to the Vesper Defense Outpost, there is a malfunction with the power generator that threatens to destroy the entire station. Samus must get to the top of the room in one minute and fix the problem by scanning a computer in an alcove. This brings the total countdowns to nine, the second-most of any Metroid game to date.

No explosions occur during the countdowns triggered in the Stronghold Voids because the areas she escapes from are not self-destructing. When Samus returns to these areas, there are no signs of recent structural damage; it seems these countdowns refer to an unseen security system that solely targets the robber of the Octolith and terminates without damaging the surrounding environment. As Samus leaves the Stronghold Void, a voice will sound, "Octolith taken", twice. Explosions do occur in the previously mentioned Fuel Stack.

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

“	Attention all personnel. Meteor impact will occur in four minutes.	„
—First countdown

“	Engine override initiated. Deploying emergency escape pod. Slow sequence comencing, 5 minutes until engine shutdown.	„
—Second countdown

In Metroid Prime 3: Corruption Samus must get to the Control Tower before the Leviathan hits Norion in four minutes. Also, she must activate an escape pod in SkyTown to escape the Spire Pod carrying a bomb that is dropping on the Leviathan Seed Shield after she shuts off the pod's engines within five minutes. Neither countdown actually depicts a timer on-screen, as a voice (Aurora Unit 242 during the first and PA system during the second) tells Samus every minute, unlike the rest of the series.

While not exactly indicated on the HUD, a timer does show when on the Spire. After killing all the Space Pirates and opening the repair hatch below the escape pod, if Samus looks at the screen she used to shut down the engines, a countdown can be seen on the screen.

While not exactly a "countdown," there is also a time limit on the boss fight against Meta Ridley in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption; this, however, is measured in meters (representing the distance between Samus and the bottom of a shaft) rather than in actual time. If Samus does not defeat Meta Ridley before they reach the bottom of the shaft, she will be killed. The shaft is approximately 16,700 meters.

Other than the end of SkyTown's escape sequence, no explosions occur during any of the other events, although there are powerful tremors on Norion as the Leviathan approaches.

Meta Ridley

The Spire

Metroid: Other M

“	Self-destruction protocol activated. Please evacuate the facility immediately.	„

After the Metroid: Other M credits, the Galactic Federation ultimately plans to destroy the BOTTLE SHIP. Just a few days before they do so, Samus returns to retrieve Adam's helmet. As soon as it is in her grasp, a self-destruct protocol activates, giving her five minutes to get back to her ship. She escapes in her Zero Suit, utilizing the Paralyzer to defend herself against Super Zebesians as she runs to the gunship. This is the first time a suitless Samus is playable during a Countdown sequence.

Explosions occur multiple times, making popping sounds as they happen randomly. They are similar to those of Super Metroid in that they are still capable of killing Zebesians, but not harming Samus. However, if Samus comes into contact with flaming debris, she will be hurt.

Ending countdown.

Super Metroid countdown as depicted in Other M.

Metroid Prime Pinball

In Metroid Prime Pinball, timers appear during several of the Mini-Games, but are not necessarily counting down to destruction, rather, until the game expires.

Space Pirate Panic

Metroid Prime: Federation Force

Outmatching Hunters, Metroid Prime: Federation Force has the most countdown sequences out of any Metroid game.

• M03: Smokestack - After the Generator on Talvania is destroyed, the Federation Force has 45 seconds to escape the lower part of the power station before it floods with highly toxic gas.
• M06: Infiltration - Once the command computer for the Space Pirate weapons factory has been activated, the Marine must return to their Mech and hold off attacking Pirates until they can be extracted. The Force has a total of 8 minutes to escape. 
• M12: Last Stand - A Rohkor Beetle that is 400 meters away from an important Galactic Federation probe must be destroyed before it can get too close.
• M16: Slipstream - The Pirate Warship battle is timed. The Federation Force must destroy the ship in 10 minutes, before it crashes into the ancient skiff they are riding and destroys it.
• M17: Infestation - The mission is to set off the self-destruct sequence in the secret Metroid breeding facility and escape in 6:40.
• M18: Hightower - The Drill will take 10 minutes to breach the ground. The Force must defend the Drill until its job is complete.
• M22: Convergence - After the Master Brain is destroyed and the protection shield guarding the Doomseye is removed, the Federation begins an attack on the ship. This countdown is scripted. The ship's integrity drops below 50% before Samus assists the Federation Force and opens a path for them. On their way out, part of the ship is destroyed and the Force is sucked into space. Samus rescues them with her Gunship.

Super Smash Bros. series

Super Smash Bros. Melee

"What's the matter? All I said was that Komaytos look like little Metr-"

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Non-canon warning: This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo.

In the Adventure Mode of Super Smash Bros. Melee, the player must escape an exploding Zebes in 40 seconds after fighting Samus. The first time the player succeeds, they earn a Samus's Gunship trophy. If they fail, they lose one stock, and depending on whether how many stocks they have left, will either be shown a cutscene of Zebes exploding as if the player had successfully escaped, or simply be taken to the continue screen and then progress onward to the Dream Land level. Warning Siren plays in this segment.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

In Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary mode of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, there is a countdown during the escape from the Isle of Ancients. Several Subspace bombs are set to go off, and the characters must escape the facility (at this point there is no countdown; the screen automatically scrolls, killing the player if he/she falls behind). Once the player exits the chamber, the player must defeat Meta Ridley whilst on top of the Falcon Flyer in less than 2 minutes.

Non-canon warning: Non-canonical information ends here.

Other time-sensitive situations

Throughout the Metroid series there have also been timed situations that do not induce a Game Over if failed:

• Throughout the Prime series, some Bomb Slots connected to a mechanism will deactivate after some time has passed. This can be seen in rooms such as the Ruined Gallery in Prime. The amount of time remaining is noted via the speed of the beeping in the background.
• In the Stasis Bunker, Samus must scan two Scan Points within 20 seconds as shown onscreen.
• Samus's Bombs and Power Bombs have a small window before exploding; the length of which is dependant on the game (longest in Fusion).
• Although not a traditional countdown, some rooms may fill up with a harmful substance forcing a quick escape (such as Lava Lake). Whether or not touching said substance results in a game over varies from game to game.
• When fighting the Alpha Sandigger, it will be possessed and become the Bomb Guardian after a set period of time.
• Blast Ball has a 5 minute countdown (1 minute during Tiebreaker) at which point the game will end when Time runs out.
• Some switches may deactivate after a certain amount of time has passed.
• Federation Force missions have set times to complete for bonus points.

Trivia

• Some countdowns are likely inspired by similar escape sequences in the films Alien and Aliens, which gave much inspiration to the Metroid series. The escape sequence of Aliens is also similar to that of Metroid Fusion, where the female protagonist is stranded with no means of escape and a dangerous specimen cornering them, and at the last minute, the gunship flies in to save them. This countdown is also similar to the escape sequence in Alien Resurrection, where the protagonist must escape a research vessel before it crashes into the planet below.
• The Spire Dock countdown in Corruption is also similar to the countdown of the original Alien, in that the female protagonist willingly activates a self-destruct mechanism to accomplish an objective and goes to the escape pod, but is forced to make an unexpected detour before escaping.
• In Metroid Fusion, Metroid Prime Hunters and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, the countdowns in the Main Boiler, Fuel Stack and at Norion, respectively, are the only three countdowns in the Metroid series where Samus is not evacuating the explosion, but rather trying to prevent it.
• In Other M, when Samus first met MB (while she posed as Dr. Madeline Bergman), she had a hypothetical vision of weapons being fired at the BOTTLE SHIP, creating a much more violent explosion than what is depicted in-game. Interestingly, this "vision" is shown if Samus fails to escape in time.
• The countdown sirens in Other M and Melee are the same.