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- This article is about the area of SR388. For other uses, see Surface (Disambiguation).
The Surface of SR388 is the starting area of Metroid II: Return of Samus and its remake, Metroid: Samus Returns. It is later revisited in the opening events of Metroid Fusion.
In the Nintendo Power guides for Metroid II, this area was originally known as Phase 1[1][2] (alternatively written as Phase One[3]).
Description[]
This is the area where Samus Aran lands her Gunship and prepares her Metroid extermination mission by defeating her first Alpha Metroid. She later returns to the landing site after defeating all other Metroids save for a hatchling believing her to be its mother. Samus can Space Jump, Spider Ball or use a Power Bomb to get to the top of the landing site, but if she continues she will be stopped by the outer atmosphere. After returning to her Gunship, the entrance to the caverns and further areas are blocked off by debris.
Metroid II: Return of Samus[]
Phase 1 contains no items, only consisting of a Save Point, a single Metroid larva that molts into Alpha Metroid before her eyes, and a Big Energy Ball and Missile Battery to restore Samus's energy and Missile Ammo after the battle with it. The tunnel leading to the Alpha Metroid has small pools of an unidentified liquid that hinders Samus's movement if she steps in it, while the local Hornoads freely hop in and out of these puddles.
After the Queen Metroid is defeated, Samus returns to the Surface with the baby, an Infant Metroid she decided to spare. There are no enemies on the way to Phase 1, and Samus leaves the planet with the baby unhindered.
Metroid: Samus Returns[]
In Metroid: Samus Returns the Surface has been reimagined and now houses some plants and mushrooms as well as various relics left behind by the Chozo.
This is where the Morph Ball and Charge Beam are acquired, as well as the Scan Pulse Aeion Ability Artifact. As Samus continues through the Surface, tutorials for using the Missiles, Free Aim and Melee Counter are displayed on-screen. The Surface replaces the Big Energy Ball and Missile Battery with an Ammo and Energy Recharge Station, and a Teleport Station is added.
The Surface is also where the first Chozo Seal and Alpha Metroid are found. Prior to the Alpha battle, there is a cutscene of a Metroid larva draining a Hornoad of its energy; when Samus encounters the larva, it molts into an Alpha before her eyes, like the encounter in the original game. The Hornoad's corpse can still be found in the background after being drained, along with the deceased members of the Galactic Federation Special Squadron covered in Metroid webs.
As Samus leaves the Queen Metroid's hive, there are plentiful of enemies in the route towards the Surface, the latter of which is in the middle of a major storm with a tornado clearly visible in the background. As Samus and the baby are about to board her Gunship, they are confronted by her arch-nemesis Proteus Ridley, who intends to steal the baby. Samus duels him in a grueling and difficult battle where she is nearly killed if not for the baby's unexpected assistance. After Ridley is defeated, Samus and the baby leave SR388, leading to the events of Super Metroid.
Later in a post-credits cutscene, a Hornoad is seen gnawing on Proteus Ridley's abandoned mechanical claw and being infected by an X Parasite.
Creatures[]
Return of Samus[]
Samus Returns[]
Metroids fought[]
Both games[]
- 1 Alpha Metroid (first seen as a Metroid larva)
Items []
Samus Returns[]
- 1 Energy Tank
- 1 Aeion Tank
- 8 Missile Tanks
- 3 Super Missile Tanks
- 1 Power Bomb Tank
- Morph Ball
- Charge Beam
- Scan Pulse
Music[]
In Return of Samus, the classic Surface theme is the only song that plays in Phase 1 for most of the game. After the baby hatches, it is replaced by Met2 Metroid Hatching.
In Samus Returns, M2 Surface Arr plays when Samus first arrives on SR388. In the lower right tunnels, it is replaced by Surface 1 once the Scan Pulse is acquired. Surface 2 plays when Samus and the baby return to the stormy surface; this is a remix of Planet Zebes - Arrival on Crateria from Super Metroid, which incidentally also played during a storm on the surface of a planet (in this case, Crateria on Zebes).
Trivia[]
- Upon her return to the Gunship in both Return of Samus and Samus Returns, Samus cannot re-enter the entrance tunnel to the rest of the caverns as there is a wall blocking it off.
- In the remake, Samus can still reach the other side of the wall using Teleport Stations. However, the wall blocks off access to the landing site from the right, meaning she can still only return to her ship from the left side.
- In an earlier version of Super Metroid, Crateria was referred to as the "Surface" on the map.[4]
Gallery[]
_Alpha_Metroid_-_Freshly_Molted_(Cutscene).png "Metroid Samus Returns Metroid (Stage 4) Alpha Metroid - Freshly Molted (Cutscene).png (148 KB)")
_Alpha_Metroid_VS_Samus_(Cutscene).png "Metroid Samus Returns Metroid (Stage 4) Alpha Metroid VS Samus (Cutscene).png (2.04 MB)")
.png "Metroid Samus Returns Proteus Ridley Rescue Baby - Samus Hitches a Ride (Transition Cutscene 1).png (1.34 MB)")
.png "Metroid Samus Returns Proteus Ridley Rescue Baby -The Tail Whip Rodeo Wild Tail Ride (Transition Cutscene 1).png (1.5 MB)")
References[]
- ^ Nintendo Power volume 31, pg. 55
- ^ Nintendo Power volume 37, pg. 47
- ^ Super Game Boy Player's Guide pg. 39
- ^ Kottpower. "Super Metroid Beta Footage (1993-1994)". YouTube. August 25, 2017. Retrieved May 21, 2022. (starts at 1:03)
| Areas of SR388 | |
|---|---|
| Surface | Area 1 | Area 2 | Area 3 | Area 4 | Area 5 | Area 6 | Area 7 | Area 8 | |