Energy Meter

The Energy Meter in Metroid Prime.

The Energy Meter, also referred to as as the Energy Display, is a crucial feature of the Heads-Up Display in all Metroid games, serving as the series' health bar. It shows the amount of energy left in Samus Aran's Power Suit.

Details

Located in the top left of the screen in 2D Metroid games and Metroid: Other M, and at the top of the Visors in the Metroid Prime series, the Energy Meter displays the number of energy units that Samus has, while also displaying her Energy Tanks above or below this number.

The meter is represented by two digit numbers and the word "Energy" (although in the original Metroid, "EN" is displayed, and Metroid: Zero Mission only displays the numbers). The meter records up to 99 units per Tank. The Prime games and Other M feature an energy bar along with the number digits, which gradually shrinks and refills as Samus loses and regains energy. If her energy is drained completely, Samus will die or the Power Suit will be unable to protect her, leading to the Game Over screen. In 3-D games, if energy drops to a low level, the HUD will beep and flash a warning to Samus. To stay alive, Samus must keep the shielding of her Power Suit charged by obtaining Energy Capsules, using Energy Charge or Recharge Stations (or certain Save Stations), or entering her Gunship.

In addition to Samus, all Bounty Hunters introduced in Metroid Prime Hunters have their own Energy Meters in Multiplayer Mode. The meter in Multiplayer consists of up to two bars (the second of which is thinner) because no Hunter can have more than 199 energy. Samus's Energy Meter is located in the typical place at the top of the HUD in both Adventure and Multiplayer Mode, but for the other Hunters in Multiplayer, it is moved to the left of HUD. All Energy Meters are colored according to the main palette of the Hunter being played; for example, Samus' is green but Kanden's is yellow. When Weavel splits himself into the Halfturret, the stationary turret half gains its own energy counter on the bottom of his HUD, though it lacks a bar of its own.

In Metroid Prime: Federation Force, the Federation Marines have Energy Meters as well, albeit on the top-left of the HUD. Their Mech suits are not known to be able to expand the amount of energy they can have beyond 99.

Other health bars

Near the end of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, the Energy Meter is changed into a Phazon level, representing Samus' level of Phazon corruption. To avoid dying of Terminal Corruption, Samus is required to drain her energy into objects or by collecting Anti-Phazon Units.

The Spire Structure in Corruption has a health bar, which is drained as Space Pirate Assault Skiffs fire at it. Samus must ensure that the Spire is not destroyed before it reaches the point over the Elysia Seed, where it will drop the Theronian Bomb on the Leviathan Shield protecting the Seed.

Boss health bar

Certain bosses in 3-D games have energy meters as well. These usually rest underneath Samus's meter on the HUD and feature the boss' name. Samus's goal during boss fights is quite obviously to kill, defeat or destroy the creature or mechanism she is engaging by attacking it until its energy is depleted. Some bosses can replenish their health through various means or shield themselves from attack, forcing Samus to change her strategy or wait out the shielding period. The Dark Visor places the bar at the bottom of the Visor, and also increases the font of the boss' name. Metroid Prime Hunters colors the bar red when the enemy's health is critical.

In Other M, boss health bars must be "scanned" by locking onto them for a few seconds, which will gradually add the bar to the HUD in Search View. Letting go of the lock before the bar is filled will cancel the action.

Official data

Search View, Metroid: Other M.

Metroid II: Return of Samus manual

ENERGY

"The units of energy that Samus currently has. Each filled tank holds 100 units."

Metroid II: Return of Samus Virtual Console manual

Energy supply

"The amount of energy you have left. If you run out of energy, it's game over."

Super Metroid manual

ENERGY DISPLAY

"This displays Samus' remaining energy. When it falls to "0", the game is over."

ENERGY TANK DISPLAY

"This displays the number of energy tanks that Samus is carrying. The amount of energy contained in a single tank is 99 units."

Super Metroid Nintendo Player's Guide

ENERGY

"This number indicates the Energy level remaining in the last highlighted Tank."

ENERGY TANK

"Each Energy Tank holds 100 units of Energy. You can carry up to 14 Tanks."

Metroid Fusion manual

Super Metroid

ENERGY

"Amount of energy Samus possesses. If this reaches 0, the game is over."

ENERGY TANK

"Samus's energy supply. One tank contains 100 energy points."

Metroid Fusion: The Official Nintendo Player's Guide

ENERGY

"The energy indicator shows how much energy remains in reserve. If all energy is depleted, the mission will be aborted."

ENERGY TANKS

"Small boxes next to the energy indicator show how many Energy Tanks you have collected. Each one holds 100 reserve units."

Metroid Prime/Metroid Prime 2: Echoes manuals

ENERGY RESERVES

"The numeric display and horizontal gauge track the amount of energy in Samus's Energy Tank. The highlighted squares above the main energy gauge indicate Energy Tanks that Samus has in reserve."

Metroid Prime Trilogy manual

Metroid Prime/Metroid Prime 2: Echoes/Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

Reading the Energy Gauge

"The energy gauge shows the remaining energy of the life support system of Samus's suit. You can restore energy by obtaining items such as energy orbs or by using a Save Station or Samus's Gunship."

Energy Tank

"One of these completely fills the energy gauge. A square is added each time you obtain an Energy Tank."

Energy Gauge

"The number on the left is the current energy level. It goes down when you take damage, and when it reaches 0, one Energy Tank will be empty."

Multiplayer

Energy Gauge

"This gradually empties as you take damage. You lose a life when it reaches 0."

Metroid Prime and Metroid Fusion: Prima's Official Strategy Guide

Energy Reserves

"This bar and number indicate the amount of Energy that remains in the Power Suit. Energy powers the suit's shielding. Each time you take a hit, the attack drains a bit of Energy from the reserves. Should the Energy supply be completely drained, Samus will fall to the enemy's attack and be defeated.
Samus's Energy reserves can be restored by collecting power-ups that are dropped from defeated enemies, or by visiting Save Stations or her ship. Finding and collecting Energy Tanks, which are hidden throughout the game, increases her Energy capacity. These additional tanks are represented by squares above the white Energy line. A white tank is full, containing 100 Energy units, and gray tanks are empty. Energy collected throughout the game is placed in the bar first. When the bar is filled, one of the reserve tanks turns white, if available, and the bar is made available for refilling. Visiting a Save Station or your ship refills all of your tanks and bar."

Metroid Prime: The Official Nintendo Player's Guide

ENERGY METER

"Health is measured by the amount of energy in your Power Suit. If the meter reaches zero, your game is over."

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes: The Official Nintendo Player's Guide

ENERGY METER

"The blue bar and the number show how much energy is in your Energy Tank. Tanks are indicated by blue squares."

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption Premiere Edition

Energy Meter

"This meter shows how much shielding energy is available to the Varia Suit, indicated by the status bar and a number ranging 1-99. When the energy level drops below 1, the Varia Suit automatically accesses a new Energy Tank. If no surplus Energy Tanks are available, Samus dies."

Energy Tanks

"These blue boxes above the energy meter show how many Energy Tanks are available. Solid boxes represent full tanks and hollow boxes indicate empty tanks."

Metroid: Zero Mission manual

Energy

"This indicates how much energy Samus has remaining. If this number reaches zero, the game will end."

Energy Tanks

"These dots show how many Energy Tanks Samus has. Each one contains 100 energy units."

Metroid Prime Hunters manual

Remaining Energy

"Samus's current energy level. If the Energy Gauge reaches zero, the game is over."

Energy Gauge

"When Samus receives damage, the Energy Gauge of each tank drops."

Energy Gauge

"When your character receives damage, the gauge will be reduced. If the Energy Gauge reaches zero, your character is defeated. Your Energy Gauge can reach a maximum of 199 energy units."

Metroid Prime: Federation Force manual

Energy

"This decreases when your Mech takes damage."

Energy

"Your Mech's energy decreases when hit by the ball or an opponent's shots. Once depleted, the Mech will break down and require a short amount of time to repair itself."

Metroid: Other M manual

Energy (health) level

"If you run out of energy and your Energy Tanks are empty, your game will be over (see p. 18)."

Energy Tank count

"One tank contains 99 units of energy. You will acquire more Energy Tanks as you progress through the game (see p. 19)."

Metroid: Samus Returns manual

Samus's energy level (health)

"Decreases whenever Samus takes damage from attacks or hazardous liquid. [Tank symbol] represents how many Energy Tanks you have. Each one contains 100 units."

Metroid: Samus Returns Official Guide

HOW TO PLAY - BASICS - THE TOUCHSCREEN (p. 6)

ENERGY (HEALTH)

"The purple bars at the top of your bottom screen represent Samus' health. As you accumulate Energy Tanks, the number of bars increase. Keep in mind that Energy Points never exceed 99, but this number should not be read as your total health. When those 99 points drain, one of the Energy Tanks drains, and health jumps back to 99. When viewing your health, think of it as 99 plus the total number of purple bars that are still full. This gives you an idea of exactly how much health you have left. If all of your tanks are empty and your health hits zero, it's Game Over."

Gallery

Early version of the Super Metroid Energy Meter.

Early version of the Meter from Echoes.