Crystal Flash

Official artwork of the Crystal Flash.

The Crystal Flash is a technique used in Super Metroid to regain health outside Energy Charge Units or the Starship.

According to the Super Metroid comic, when the Chozo adopt the young Samus Aran and bring her to Zebes after she is orphaned by the Space Pirate raid of K-2L, they infuse her with their blood, endow her with the Power Suit, and teach her one of their greatest technological achievements: the Crystal Flash technique embedded in the Power Suit, which can be used as a last-resort measure for healing. The technique creates a unique spherical cocoon of energy around a briefly suitless Samus, allowing her to absorb all of the energy of the Power Bomb, healing her completely if she is at critically low health. The Crystal Flash also fills up the Reserve Tanks.

It is performed by following these steps:

• Select Power Bombs.
• Samus must have 50 or less energy, empty Reserve Tanks, and at least ten Missiles, ten Super Missiles, and eleven Power Bombs (one to initiate the Crystal Flash, and ten more to consume alongside the Missiles).
• Samus must enter Morph Ball mode and detonate one Power Bomb.
• At the end of the Power Bomb's explosion: if the player is holding the aim up button + aim down button (default L and R) + down + fire button, Samus will initiate the Crystal Flash. This will result in Samus rising into the air in a ball of light, suitless, while her Energy Tanks are rapidly refilled.

Notes: The ammo supply will drop as the Crystal Flash is performed.

One should not perform this technique while in danger of being hit by an enemy, as Samus is not invincible during this technique, meaning that she will receive damage every frame that an enemy is in her hitbox for the duration of the Crystal Flash, greatly reducing her Energy recovery, or even killing her.

There is a glitch related to the Crystal Flash that allows Samus to access the Super Missile Tank that the Spore Spawn rewards from the wrong way. [1]

Official Data

Super Metroid Nintendo Player's Guide

CRYSTAL FLASH

"This top secret technique only works under certain conditions. You can refill the Energy in all of your Energy Tanks (not Reserve Tanks) by meeting these conditions. You must have 29 or fewer units of Energy remaining. Plus, you must have 10 or more Missiles, 10 or more Super Missiles, and 11 or more Power Bombs. Select the Power Bomb icon, Morph, press and hold the L, R, and Shot Buttons while holding Down on the Control Pad. Samus will constructively absorb the power of the detonation.
The Crystal Flash technique can be very useful if you are running low on Energy and aren't near an Energy Charge unit.
All of the conditions must be met in order for this top secret technique to work. It can really be a life saver!"

Trivia

• Samus is unable to perform the Crystal Flash technique in other games despite its importance.
• Zero Suit Samus's Final Smash in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Power Suit Samus, resembles the Crystal Flash, though it does not heal her in any way.
• The Crystal Flash appears in the game's attract mode.
• In the Super Metroid comic, Old Bird states that the Crystal Flash has a possibility to backfire, thus harming instead of healing.
• In Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Samus's dark doppelganger uses a technique that is reminiscent of the Crystal Flash: using the surrounding Phazon, she encapsulates herself in a glowing sphere of energy as she regenerates her health. Like Samus's own technique, it can be interrupted with attacks, but requires far more firepower to do so. It also raises Dark Samus to a greater height while healing her at a much slower rate.
• Metroid: Other M features a different energy restoration technique called Concentration that allows Samus to recharge a small amount of energy or all of her Missiles when she can concentrate (that is, when she is not being hit by enemies).

Gallery

Samus using the "Crystal Flash" technique in Super Metroid.

Super Metroid

Samus uses the Crystal Flash in the Super Metroid comic.

Zero Suit Samus' Power Suit Samus Final Smash, which is similar to the Crystal Flash.