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Guides and strategies

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Secrets and tips

Many secrets dwell within the game - take a look in this section to read up on the game's hidden techniques available to Samus and other oddities.

The Shinespark

The Speed Booster can be used to perform spectacular almost never-ending jumps in different directions. Each jump can help you reach areas not normally accessible. To perform the basic vertical Shinespark, dash until the Speed Booster kicks in. Once it does, press down and Samus will halt her run while continuing to flash. Position yourself where you want to jump and press A to jump straight up incredibly fast.

You'll keep flying up until Samus strikes something but you'll lose energy at the same time so be careful. You can also perform a horizontal Shinespark jump, just press A and left or right at the same time while Samus is flashing to fly left or right. If you hold the Angle Up button (R) while Samus is flashing and press A, she'll soar up diagonally - this move helps out quite a bit to reach higher platforms and ledges normally far out of range.

The Wall Jump

Unknown to beginner players, Samus can kick off walls and propel herself higher while performing a standard somersault jump to allow her to effectively climb up walls. To perform it, jump at a wall making sure Samus is executing a somersault. When she hits the wall, quickly press the D-Pad in the opposite direction and then A. If timed right, Samus will jump off the wall and launch herself higher. With practice, you'll be able to use this to reach areas not normally accessible until you find the Grappling Beam or Space Jump.

Bomb Jump

With practice, you can use the Bomb power-up to propel Samus as high as you want while in Morphing Ball mode. Activate the Morphing Ball, then lay bombs to propel Samus up. If you plant bombs at the right time while Samus jumps up into the air, you'll be able to continually jump higher.

Multi-bomb spread

Little critters getting you down? If you find yourself surrounded by the smaller of Zebes' inhabitants, power up the Charge Beam and activate the Morphing Ball. Five bombs will promptly burst from Samus and cover the ground around her.

Plasma Bomb

To use this special attack, make sure that the Plasma Beam and the Charge Beam are only selected with all other beams switched off. Select a Power Bomb, then charge up the Charge Beam. Once you charge it up, four green energy balls will rapidly spin out away from Samus and around the screen - a great trick for striking any enemies in view. Keep in mind that you'll use up a Power Bomb when using this attack.

Ice Bomb

Select the Ice Beam and the Charge Beam, then select a Power Bomb and charge up your weapon to create four ice crystals that continuously rotate around Samus until they strike a foe, freezing or destroying the target.

Wave Bomb

Select the Wave Beam and the Charge Beam, select a Power Bomb and charge your weapon to create four purple energy balls that soar out around Samus in diagonal directions. If you move around the beams will follow you and continue to fly about for a short while.

Spazer Bomb

Select the Spazer Beam and the Charge Beam, then charge up your weapon with a Power Bomb selected. A large six-beamed attack will cascade around Samus before flying straight up, a good trick for taking out enemies above.

Energy Restoration (Crystal Flash)

To use this special trick, you must have at least 10 Missiles, 10 Super Missiles and 11 Power Bombs. Your Reserve Tanks must be empty and you'll need to have your health under 50 points (with all other Energy Tanks empty).

Once you're ready, select a Power Bomb and activate the Morphing Ball. Hold down the L and R buttons, along with Down on the D-Pad. With these three buttons held down, press the fire button and hold it down as well. Keep all four buttons held until Samus becomes surrounded by a ball of energy. Her health will be completely restored, draining some of your weapon ammo in the process.

Notes:

If you have the L or R buttons mapped to jump, you'll need to switch off the Spring Ball first (if you have it) via the Samus status screen. Then, as you start to hold the buttons in Morphing Ball form, hold L and R first, then hold Down on the D-Pad to force Samus back into Morphing Ball form. Press and hold the fire button and the Crystal Flash should engage.
If you have the L or R buttons mapped to fire, enter Morphing Ball form and press and hold Down on the D-Pad along with the shoulder button that isn't mapped to fire. Then press and hold the shoulder button mapped to fire and keep them all held down to engage the Crystal Flash.
If you leave the game running idle on the title screen for a short time, the game will show a demonstration of this special move as well as the four Power Bomb combo weapon attacks.

Save the Etecoons and Dachora

You've no doubt discovered the Etecoons and Dachora - the trio of Etecoons demonstrate Samus' ability to jump up walls (see above), while the Dachora demonstrates the Speed Booster's Shinespark ability (check Chapters 6 and 10 of the walkthrough for more). Naturally, when Zebes blows at the climax of the game nothing on the surface survives, including these friendlies.

On your flight back to your ship before the planet blows, if you head back down to the room formerly containing the Morphing Ball's Bomb power-up you'll find the group trapped inside. Blast the solid wall on the right of the room open with your Hyper Beam to give them a chance to escape. You'll later see them streaking away from the supernova just in time.

Reader tips:

Thanks to Eric Puls for the following:

Try to score a number of Super Missiles in Kraid's mouth to finish him quickly. This won't be easy, but it is possible (and can be done before he rises from the ground, but is very hard).

Thanks to Dark for the following:

In the large green room in Norfair with the floating red Ripper, you can reach the green door up on the left before getting the Grappling Beam by freezing the Ripper with the Ice Beam. That way you can get all the goodies beyond the green door early on.

If you use the wall jump trick to get the Wave Beam before facing Crocomire, you can use the Wave Beam together with the Spazer to easily whack Crocomire's mouth, pushing him back miles and easily into the lava.

As an alternate Phantoon strategy, if you stand at the right corner of the room, you can easily just blast away at his blue flames and grab the energy and weapon refills they drop. If Phantoon appears above, just aim up and keep firing. When he appears at the top and fires the circular-moving flames, just activate the Morph Ball and roll across to the left corner, then back again each time he fires the flames to easily dodge them.

When you get the Plasma Beam turn off the Ice Beam so that most enemies explode with just one hit.

When fighting Mother Brain, whenever you get hit you'll be invincible for a few seconds, so you can jump down in front of the glass container and pump Mother Brain full of normal missiles (super missiles won't work from here). You'll get hit again, but in the time you're invincible you can let loose plenty of damage.

It's a good idea to go via the power recharge station above and to the right of Crocomire's room when you're heading down to fight Ridley.