Metroid: Difference between revisions

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[[File:Full_Metend.gif|frame|''Samus Aran is not having a good day.'']]

 

'''''Metroid''''' is the story of [[Bounty Hunter]] Samus Aran, who, armed with modular cybernetic [[Powered Armor]] from an [[Sufficiently Advanced Aliens|ancient civilization]], repeatedly crosses paths with a species of energy-absorbing animals known as "Metroids", usually foiling the attempts of a band of Space Pirates to exploit the creatures as a weapon.

The ''Metroid'' franchise is somewhat unusual among [[Platform Game|platformers]], especially Nintendo produced ones, for the substantial continuity which exists between the games. The first (NES) game was released in 1986 and deals with Samus's assault on the Space Pirate base on Zebes. After defeating the Mother Brain, Samus is dispatched in the ([[Game Boy]]) sequel, ''The Return of Samus'' (1991), to hunt down evolved Metroids on their home world. The end of this game segues directly into (Super Nintendo) ''Super Metroid'' (1994), where the final larval Metroid is stolen by space pirates who return it to a rebuilt base on Zebes.

 

 

At the same time, Nintendo had made the controversial decision to move the series into 3D on the GameCube, with an American studio known as [[Retro Studios]] at the helm. The gamble paid off, and ''Metroid Prime'' emerged as an unusual FPS-adventure, [[Anachronic Order|set between the first and second games]], which met with great critical acclaim. In addition, [[Retro Studios]] ended up being purchased by Nintendo, making it Nintendo's second American first-party developer after Nintendo Software Technology Corporation.

 

A live-action feature film based on the franchise was optioned after ''Metroid Prime'' was successful, [[What Could Have Been|but appears to have lapsed]].

 

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* [[Samus Is a Girl]]: Again, obviously.

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== A-F ==

* [[Abnormal Ammo]]: Samus has been shot at with explosive stingers, [[Fire, Ice, Lightning|lava grenades, super cooled plasma, high density neutrinos]] [[Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking|and contaminated water]].

* [[Arm Cannon]]: Might even qualify as a [[Hand Cannon]].

* [[Artificial Stupidity]]: Despite the fact that the SA-X is the most powerful enemy in all of ''Metroid Fusion'', and despite the X's ability to copy any organic body part, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M98esMR3Q-g it] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JL03zssV5o apparently] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QnBpf88pRI lacks] a brain.

* [[Asteroid Thicket]]: Used in ''Super Metroid'' and ''Metroid Fusion'', where something crashes into an asteroid in each. The asteroids look like they're only a few hundred feet across, and tightly packed.

* [[As You Wish]]: How Samus discovers the identity of her AI CO in ''Metroid Fusion''.

* [[Damn You, Muscle Memory!]]: Most gamers familiar with platformers go from left to right out of habit, but the original ''Metroid'' forces you to go ''left'' in the first area to get the Morph Ball and continue... which is [[Fridge Brilliance]], as ''Metroid'' was one of the first games featuring a sprawling open ended world. Making players go left was a way to make players realize that this wasn't just some sort of sci-fi ''Mario''/''Pitfall''/whatever game.

** Perhaps in homage to this, the path to the right is blocked off entirely at the start of ''Super Metroid'' (until you get the speed booster and/or power bombs) and for the entirety of ''Metroid Fusion'', as the only path out of the docking bay is to the left.

* [[Death Is Cheap]]: Ridley has died six times in the course of eight games, and twice more outside of canon. He's probably going to die again in ''Metroid: Other M''. And yet he keeps coming back EVERY. FREAKING. TIME.

** In ''Metroid: Other M'', she almost lampshades this when she's extremely distressed that no matter how many times she puts him down, he just keeps coming back. Considering he killed her parents, she is entitled to be a little upset.

** More specifically, Ridley was destroyed in the first ''Metroid'', then rebuilt as Meta-Ridley to be blasted in ''[[Metroid Prime]]'', then rebuilt again in ''Metroid Prime 3: Corruption'', {{spoiler|then infected with Phazon}}, and then finally destroyed for good in ''Super Metroid''. Then {{spoiler|a clone of his appeared to torment Samus in ''Metroid: Other M'', and said clone}} was frozen, then {{spoiler|copied by X-Parasites to finally appear in ''Metroid Fusion''}}. Ridley very well may be gone for good, but he's the most recurring boss in the entire series, the most recurring character outside of Samus herself, and the most emotionally jarring. He even appears as a boss in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' {{spoiler|FOUR TIMES. Once as Ridley, once as Meta-Ridley, and then again for each form in the Great Maze}}.

* [[Defeat Equals Explosion]]: Most bosses in the series will explode. This is somewhat problematic for recurring bosses such as Ridley, who has managed to come back from complete annihilation several times throughout the series.

* [[Depth Perplexion]]: Justified. Samus can shoot through walls, but only if she has the Wave Beam, which explicitly has the ability to penetrate solid matter.

* [[Destructible Projectiles]]: In various games of the series (''[[Super Metroid]]'' in particular), certain projectiles can be destroyed for health or Missile refills [[Boss Arena Recovery|during boss battles]].

* [[Down the Drain]]: Maridia, the crashed frigate, Torvus, Sector 4 - AQA.

* [[The Dragon]]: Ridley is a high-ranking member of the Space Pirates under Mother Brain, and is typically the second-to-last boss fought in every game. He also takes the trope to its literal extreme.

* [[Dumb Muscle]]: The original Japanese strategy guide was also a manga; Samus was depicted as a trigger-happy [[The Ditz|ditz]] with far more strength than smarts.

* [[Dummied Out]]: Two very interesting things were removed at some point from ''Metroid: Zero Mission''. One was the ability to turn suit upgrades on and off from the pause menu, as in ''Super Metroid''; fans are still wondering why this much-missed feature was taken out (cheat codes can turn it back on). The second was... [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKvTYQSc_VA&feature=related Crocomire]! This ''Super Metroid'' boss was found in the ROM, with a full set of sprites and some movement code, but nothing else. It's possible to hack him into various rooms.

* [[Fungus Humongous]]: Found in a few corridors of Crateria in ''Super Metroid'', yet noticeably absent in Brinstar. Also, the Phazon-irradiated mushrooms in [[Metroid Prime|the Phazon Mines]].

** Mushrooms also appear near the entrance to Tourian in ''Metroid: Zero Mission'', which is in a section of Brinstar close to ''Super Metroid'''s "green" zone, but otherwise still rocky.

 

== G-L ==

* [[In-Series Nickname]]: To space pirates, Samus is [[The Hunter]].

* [[In Case of Boss Fight Break Glass]]: ...well, how else are you going to [[Attack Its Weak Point|Attack Mother Brain's Brain]]?

* [[Insectoid Aliens]]: The "[http://metroid.wikia.com/wiki/Ki-Hunter Ki-Hunter]" pirates of ''Super Metroid'', ''Metroid Fusion'' and ''[[Metroid: Other M]]''.

** The main Space Pirate species as well, particularly in the ''Metroid Prime'' series, but still obvious in the main games. Metroids have some insectoid features as well, especially in their "natural" life cycle.

* [[Load-Bearing Boss]]: At least one in every game which will inevitably result in the destruction of a nearby planet (if not the planet under Samus' feet).

** ...except ''Metroid II''. At least, during the course of the game...

* [[Lowered Monster Difficulty]]: The titular creatures are the scourge of the universe in ''Metroid'' and ''Super Metroid'', needing to be frozen and pelted with missiles to kill. Through the ''Metroid Prime'' series, they become progressively less of an actual threat. In ''Metroid Prime 2'', they can be beaten with enough firepower from any of your weapons, and in ''Metroid Prime 3'', you eventually get the ability to kill them in one shot. [[Paranoia Fuel|Until then though...]]

** Possibly [[Justified Trope|justified;]] the Metroids in the ''Metroid Prime'' games are a different strain (Tallon Metroids) that have been horribly mutated by massive, repeated exposure to Phazon. The SR388 and Zebes strains, on the other hand, are only vulnerable to cold until late in their life cycle.

 

== M-T ==

* [[Minus World]]: In the NES original and Game Boy sequel.

* [[Mistaken for Granite]]: The first Chozo Statue in ''Super Metroid'' seems inanimate until you take the powerup it holds and try to leave, at which point the exit seals and it attacks you.

* [[Multiple Endings]]: The Segmented Endings subtrope, whether based on completion time or [[100% Completion|percentage]].

* [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero]]: Samus' Metroid extermination campaign caused an explosion in the population of the X Parasites, which the Metroids had been designed to kill. Oops.

* [[No-Holds-Barred Beatdown]]: Samus to Mother Brain during the mother of all [[Mama Bear]] moments at the end of ''Super Metroid''. After what Mother Brain did, she completely deserved it.

* [[Noob Bridge]]: The [[Trope Namer]] is a crumbling bridge encountered early in Brinstar in ''Super Metroid'', and the first place in the game that would require any player (of less than insanely good skill) to use the run button. The run button, however, is not part of a standard control scheme even within the Metroid series. Many newbies get stuck there, unaware of the otherwise obvious solution.

* [[No Transhumanism Allowed]]: One of the rare and surprising aversions: not only are cybernetics commonplace and carry no notable social stigma, Samus herself is a [[Half-Human Hybrid|transgenic lifeform]], with her adoptive Chozo caretakers having grafted their species' DNA onto her own to increase her adaptability to the harsh environment of [[Death World|Planet Zebes]]. Further, by the end of ''Metroid Fusion'', Samus is also {{spoiler|part Metroid}}, and that's not even getting INTO her brushes with [[Metroid Prime|Phazon]]...

** Not to mention, {{spoiler|Adam (and many other political and scientific figures) regularly underwent [[Brain Uploading]]}}.

* [[Power Crystal]]: The ''[[Lensman]]''-like hand crystal on the back of her left hand. Originally just a visual effect, ''Metroid: Zero Mission'' made it integral to use of the Power Grip, and ''Metroid Prime 3: Corruption'' has it as the source of the Grapple Beam.

* [[Powered Armor]]: Samus' suit.

* [[Puzzle Boss]]: Many, including Crocomire.

* [[Puzzle Pan]]: All 3D games, but ''Metroid Prime 2: Echoes'' especially. Sometimes accompanied by weather patterns or fauna movements to smack where you need to go over your head.

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