Secrets and tips

Metroid is brimming with secrets and tips to discover. Check out some interesting points about the game you might not have known about.

Reader tips:

Thanks to Guitarzan for the following:

In the area where you find your first Ice Beam, climbing back up to the ledge where you can't make it with a normal jump can be done without using the reappearing block to propel you up. If you use the bomb jump trick (drop a bomb, stand up and then jump while in mid-air from the bomb blast), you'll easily clear the ledge without having to use the reappearing block.

Thanks to Chuck Cochems for the following:

If you're playing for a fast time it's a good idea to go for Ridley first before Kraid and don't bother finding the Wave Beam, the 50 missiles you'll get from Ridley will help against Kraid. Also another note, if you're playing the Famicom Disk System version of the game, Ridley's fireballs will alternate between short and long bouncing patterns, but in the US version (most likely PAL too) they'll randomly change between short and long bounces.

Here's a few tips for taking on Ridley:

• With the Varia and Wave Beam, if you jump down into the lava below Ridley and jump up and down while firing the Wave Beam you'll eventually take him down (just make sure you've got heaps of energy tanks).
• When the fireballs bounce over a long distance, just fire a few missiles each time Ridley lands, if you run out use your beam weapon.
• Another trick is to Screw Attack into Ridley each time he jumps, but quickly fly back to the right when you hit Ridley. This trick works if you're low on missiles.
• If you have the Ice Beam, when the fireballs bounce around in an almost direct vertical pattern, freeze them all before laying into Ridley, while the fireballs are frozen he won't spit out any more.

One of the fastest ways to beat Kraid is to freeze his three spike missiles after they launch away from his body, then fill him with missiles before they unfreeze. Keep this up while dodging the flying bombs to take him down pretty quickly. Fake Kraid can also be beaten with one Screw Attack.

A good trick when fighting Mother Brain is to freeze the bubbles that fly around (only three ever appear at one time), this will give you around 7 seconds to rip into Mother Brain.

Strangely if you make it out of the final elevator too fast the game will think you cheated and gives you the worst ending for the game. If you make it to the top of the shaft too fast wait around 100 timer units before hopping onto the elevator.

Thanks to Christian for the following:

For a faster completion time it's better to go after Ridley first and then take care of Kraid second. If you manage to jump right over Ridley and stay behind him you'll be able to tear away with the Wave Beam without the threat of taking heavy damage from his fireballs.

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