The Spazer Beam, also referred to as the Spazer (スペイザー Supeizā) for short, is a beam Samus Aran occasionally obtains during her adventures. When shot, the beam splits into three lasers. This weapon originally appeared in Metroid II: Return of Samus as the Spazer Laser Beam[1] and returned in Super Metroid and Metroid: Samus Returns as the Spazer Beam.
The beam's mechanics differed between the games. In Super Metroid, if one beam hit a target, the other two would disappear as well and the target received the full damage of the three-beamed shot. However, in Metroid II and Samus Returns, the three were separate, and would not do this, exactly as the similar Wide Beam upgrade does. The crab depicted on the upgrade bears a strong resemblance to the Tallon Crab.
In Metroid: Samus Returns, a remake of Metroid II, the Spazer Beam can stack with other beams except for the Ice Beam and Grapple Beam. It is also required to destroy Gigadoras, a three-eyed door-blocking creature that can only be harmed with simultaneous shots to each of its eyes. Metroid: Samus Returns marks the first time that the Spazer Beam is compatible with and can be stacked with the Plasma Beam, and is its first appearance in a 3D game.
Official data[]
Metroid II: Return of Samus manual[]
- Spazer Laser Beam
- "A three way beam with an extremely wide focus is fired when this beam is discharged."
Metroid II: Return of Samus Virtual Console manual[]
- Spazer Laser Beam
- "This beam fires three blasts at once, making for a wide strike zone."
Nintendo Power Volume 31[]
- SPAZER LASER BEAM
- "You'll be able to send out three Beams at once when you Power-Up with this new cybernetic space weapon."
Super Game Boy Player's Guide[]
- THE SPAZER BEAM
- "This beam weapon lets Samus fire three deadly beams in one shot. Combined with the Wave Beam and the Ice Beam, the Spazer gives Samus an arsenal that can defeat almost any opponent."
Super Metroid manual[]
- SPAZER
- "The Spazer Beam is a three beam attack allowing you to hit objects in a wider range."
Super Metroid Nintendo Player's Guide[]
- SPAZER
- "This beam attachment increases the width, and therefore the overall destructive power, of Samus's beam."
- SPAZER
- "Located in Brinstar. Creates a wider shot pattern. It's like getting three shots for the price of one. It will be a welcome addition to your arsenal."
Super Metroid Players' Guide[]
- Spazer (page 9)
- "An invaluable asset against the tougher baddies, the Spazer triples the power of your shots.
- Location: Brinstar"
Super Metroid GamePro Strategy Guide[]
- Spazer
- "This item gives Samus's weapon three beams."
Official Metroid: Samus Returns website[]
SPAZER BEAM "Unleashes a pronged attack."
Metroid Samus Returns Samus Screen[]
The high-output Spazer Beam fires three beams at once.
Metroid: Samus Returns Official Guide[]
- THE ARMORY - BEAMS (p. 11)
- SPAZER BEAM
- "What's better than one beam that shoots through walls? How about three simultaneous beams? That's right! The Spazer Beam increases the number of beams you fire from your standard Power Beam. Instead of one simple beam, you fire three like an energy-based fork! A welcome upgrade for any Metroid-hunting bounty hunter."
- WALKTHROUGH - AREA 4 (p. 116)
- WHAT IS A SPAZER BEAM?
- "The Spazer Beam changes the Wave Beam so it fires three shots at a time instead of one. Your beams still go through walls and solid objects, but now your shots are more powerful and have an increased spread, so it's much easier to hit your targets. The best news is that the Spazer Beam can destroy Gigadora-covered doors. Whenever you see those purple, three-eyed creatures covering a door, fire your Spazer Beam at their eyes three times and collect whatever goodies are hidden behind them."
Development notes[]
In a trailer for Fusion at E3 2002, Samus appears to use the Spazer Beam. (link here, seen at 31 seconds in). Previously unreleased artwork featured in the Metroid Prime Trilogy art booklet shows the Spazer Beam item with its classic appearance. This implies it may have been planned or considered for inclusion in Metroid Prime but was later scrapped.
Similar beams[]
The Spazer Beam, Plasma Beam, and Wave Beam all penetrate through walls in Metroid II, but this trait would eventually become exclusive to the Wave Beam in later 2-D games.
The Wave Beam in Metroid Prime and Metroid: Other M is also composed of three shots much like the Spazer Beam, although the number of shots does not affect its damage output.
The Spazer Beam is replaced by the Wide Beam in Metroid Fusion and Metroid Dread, and the Diffusion Beam in Metroid: Other M. Compared to its prior appearance in Fusion, the Wide Beam's shots in Dread strongly resemble the Spazer Beam.
When used by Bounty Hunters other than Noxus, the Judicator's charged shot splits into three beams much like the Spazer Beam. However, it differs from the Spazer in that the three shots travel in different directions and ricochet off surfaces.
Trivia[]
- In Metroid II: Return of Samus, the word "laser" in the beam's title seems to suggest that the Spazer is a laser weapon.
- In Super Metroid, due to memory limitations in the SNES cartridge, the Spazer is incompatible with the Plasma Beam. If both are simultaneously selected with a variety of other factors, the game glitches with results such as the Murder Beam, Spacetime Beam, and the Chainsaw Beam. This limitation is gone in Metroid: Samus Returns, but the Spazer Beam cannot be stacked with the standalone Ice and Grapple Beams.
- The SA-X uses a special version of the Spazer Beam combined with the Plasma and Ice Beams.
- Collecting the Spazer Beam in Samus Returns without collecting the Wave Beam via cheats causes both a stack of both beams regardless. This does not add the Wave Beam to the inventory.
- The Spazer Beam is one of three items from Super Metroid to not return in Metroid: Other M, the others being the X-Ray Scope and the High Jump Boots.
- In Super Metroid, while it is intended that the High Jump Boots be acquired first to obtain the Spazer Beam, a Wall Jump or Bomb Jump can be used to reach it early.
- The word "Spazer" may be a portmanteau of "Split Lazer" or "Spread Lazer," as the Spazer splits into three upon being shot.
Audio[]
| Sound | Game |
|---|---|
| Metroid II: Return of Samus | |
| Super Metroid | |
| Metroid: Samus Returns |
Gallery[]
_Spazer_Beam_(Arm_Cannon_Beam_Upgrade).png "Metroid Samus Returns Chozo Statue (Area 4) Spazer Beam (Arm Cannon Beam Upgrade).png (2.95 MB)")
Notes and References[]
- ^ (1991) Metroid II: Return of Samus - Instruction Booklet, DMG-ME-USA-2. Nintendo of America, Inc., p. 22
| Beams | |
|---|---|
| Armaments | Arm Cannon • Paralyzer |
| Weapons | Power Beam • Wave Beam • Ice Beam • Plasma Beam • Grapple Beam Hyper Beam: (MD/MP3/SM) • Phazon Beam • Dark Beam • Light Beam Annihilator Beam • Nova Beam • Zero Laser |
| Enhancements | Beam Burst • Charge Beam • Diffusion Beam • Long Beam • Phazon bullets • Spazer Beam • Tractor beam • Wide Beam • Omega Cannon (Dread) |
| Affinity Weapons | Volt Driver • Battlehammer • Magmaul • Shock Coil • Judicator • Imperialist • Omega Cannon (Hunters) • Electro Lob |
| Unused Items | |
|---|---|
| Metroid Prime | Spazer Beam • Screw Attack • Speed Booster |
| Metroid Prime Hunters | Power Bomb |
| Metroid Prime 2: Echoes | Thermal Visor • X-Ray Visor • Wave Beam • Wavebuster Ice Beam • Gravity Suit • Ice Spreader • Plasma Beam Flamethrower • Absorb Attack • Dark and Light Shields |
| Metroid Prime 3: Corruption | Ship Grapple Expansion |
| Super Metroid | Long Beam |
| Metroid Fusion | Grappling Beam • Spazer Beam |