Chapter 9: A Journey to the Center of Zebes

An old foe awaits Samus in the bowels of Zebes.

Once you're done with Draygon, go through the door on the left of his chamber to find the Space Jump. We'll now head back through the rest of Maridia finding all the remaining items. Head back up to the huge corridor filled with spikes and Mochtroids. It'll be easy to get back to the left side with the Space Jump, once you reach the shaft leading down, go through the door halfway down on the left wall. Proceed through the next huge room with all the blue Cacatacs, head through the door at the far side of the room and descend the shaft there.

Go left to eventually find yourself back in the first large cavern you entered not long after entering Maridia. Before heading on, you can go up to find the Plasma Beam. Once you've found it, go over to the door containing the huge vertical pipe and jump in. Once you land down below, you can head right to eventually find the Spring Ball. Once you've got it, you can head back to the large underwater shaft on the far left to find Energy Tank no. 2 (Maridia) and missile no. 8 (Maridia).

You can also now head back up to the room with the vertical pipe to find missiles no. 6 and 7 (Maridia), Reserve Tank no. 1 (Maridia) and Power Bomb no. 1 (Maridia), you'll find them all below the sandpits at the bottom of the room. Once you've found everything it'll be time to head back to Norfair to track down the only remaining main boss, Ridley.

Once you've made it to Norfair, get ready to go deeper down than you've been so far. Go down to the bottom of the shaft and into the Save room on the right. Save your game, then head through the door on the right and run through the next corridor. In the next fiery room, go right, then drop through the door in the floor of the large green cavern. Descend the shaft, then head through the door on the right. Run through the next corridor, then descend the next shaft you'll find.

At the bottom you'll reach a yellow door, blow it open with a Power Bomb, then head through to find a heated room almost completely filled with lava. Don't worry, this lava can't penetrate the Gravity Suit, so dive on in. Freeze the heads in the walls that spit fire, on the left side of the room use the Space Jump to reach the platform at the top. Walk past the giant Ridley head in the foreground and head through the door there. You'll now find yourself in a room with another main elevator leading down. Save your game in the room on the left before heading down.

Another special Chozo Statue hides in this corner.

Riding down the elevator will take you down to Ridley's Lair. You can almost feel the heat here, even the background will be shimmering. Once you land, head left through the lava-filled corridor, just watch out for the flames erupting from the small blocks. Once you reach the end, head through the door to find a large room, again filled with lava.

Space Jump over to the top left corner and lay a Power Bomb to reveal a Chozo Statue with nothing in its hands. Stand on the hand and activate the Morphing Ball to lower the lava. Drop down through the small hole in the floor to find another corridor. Use a Power Bomb to break open a small tunnel below, then head right through the corridor. In the next room you'll fight the Golden Torizo (Chozo Statue) mini-boss, but first you'll be able to reach missile no. 12 (Norfair). Drop down into the room to face the statue. Refer to the bosses guide to give the first statue you fought a companion.

Once the statue's gone, go through the flashing door to find the Screw Attack. Once you've got it head back into the statue's room to find Super Missile no. 1 (Norfair). Travel through the next few shafts and corridors, just watch out for the heads in the walls and the yellow Zebesians (destroy them with the Screw Attack). Before you enter the massive room that fills with lava, you'll be able to grab missile no. 13 (Norfair).

Once you get it, make sure you don't fall down to the bottom of the shaft outside the missile's room, otherwise you'll have to go back around via the Chozo Statue's room again. When you enter a huge room and drop down to the ground far below, quickly begin using the Space Jump to fly up to the top right hand corner, as the entire room will be filling with deadly lava. In the next room, past the right door you'll be able to reach some items, but we'll get them on the way out of Norfair. Shoot the two small blocks in this room and drop through the hidden holes below to find a long shaft leading down. Below is a Save room, just watch out for the red Keyhunters. At the bottom of the shaft, use a Power Bomb to break open a small tunnel, then head through and to the right to find a door in the floor.

Wait for these goons to turn yellow before firing missiles.

Blow it open with a Power Bomb and drop through. In the next room, the small alcove in the left wall contains a hidden passage, activate the Morphing Ball and jump into the alcove. Bomb open the wall to find a tunnel leading left. Go through to find a long corridor filled with statues and large blue and red Sidehopper-type enemies. At the far left of the corridor you can find Power Bomb no. 2 (Norfair).

Blow open the statue at the end of the corridor (the one without a head) and drop down into the tunnel below. Stand on the purple elevators to descend this shaft, then head through the door at the bottom to confront two grey hostiles in the next corridor (aka Ridley's Guards). Refer to the bosses guide to finish them off.

Head through the door on the left of the corridor once you've beaten the guards to find another long corridor filled with lava. Blast the enemies coming out of the pipes to recover health and missiles, as you'll be needing as many Super Missiles as possible to use against Ridley. The next corridor will have Multiviolas crawling around platforms, they usually drop Power Bombs. As the end of the corridor you'll find the boss guard door, blow it open and head in to face Ridley one last time. Refer to the bosses guide to finish him off once and for all.

Next Chapter: The Final Confrontation

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