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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.
The series lay dormant for years, skipping the Nintendo 64 entirely. The last 2D game, and the "latest" title in the continuity, ''Metroid Fusion'' (Game Boy Advance) was finally released in 2002, wherein the Metroid homeworld has been overrun by a shape-shifting parasite which the Metroids kept in check. The series took a turn towards [[Survival Horror]] with this game; both a lab orbiting the Metroid homeworld and Samus herself fall to the new threat, so a severely-weakened Samus is [[Lego Genetics|infused with Metroid DNA]] to save her life and sent in to investigate. A sequel, tentatively titled ''Dread'', has been stuck in [[Development Hell]] for the past ten years, and is intended to follow on from the end of ''Fusion''.
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.
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* [[Always Chaotic Evil|Always Lawful Evil]]: The Space Pirates. Justified, as it's claimed any space pirates who question The Way Things Are are executed, sometimes on the spot. Any space pirate who expressed non-evil thoughts wouldn't have a very long life expectancy.
** According to some scans in the ''Prime'' series and some out-of-game info, not all of them are very happy with evil being the law, and certain POWs were incredibly easy to interrogate. Other scans seem to paint them more as [[Lawful Stupid]], with common troops not being nearly as malicious or cunning as Science Team.
* [[Ambidextrous Sprite]]: Averted in all 2-D games after the first; Samus has different sprites for all directions. In fact, this may only be played straight by the NES version; in commercials for the Famicom game, she has unique sprites for facing left and right.
* [[Androcles' Lion]]: A major plot element in the series. In Metroid II, Samus is tasked with exterminating the Metroid species, but stops at killing a newborn. In Super Metroid, the baby is kidnapped, and Samus goes to get it back. {{spoiler|Samus is eventually reunited with the Metroid, who is now gigantic after being nursed by the Space Pirates. It starts to swallow her, but recognizes her as its surrogate mother, and lets her pass. At the final fight with Mother Brain, the baby sacrifices itself to heal Samus and give her the hyper beam.}} This episode is the major thematic introduction for Metroid: Other M.
** In Super Metroid, Samus saves some Etecoons and Dachora during the escape sequence. At the escape sequence in Fusion, the same animals help control the gunship to escape the space station.
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** And in ''Prime''. While trying to escape the ship at the beginning of the game before self destruction, the ship violently rocks to the side, and a small explosion hits her from behind, causing her to slam against the wall, which causes malfunctions with most of her equipment.
** And again in ''Other M''. Samus has her full arsenal, but is working with the military in this one and needs authorization to use parts of it.
* [[Beauty Is Never Tarnished]]:
** In ''Fusion'', Samus has to have her suit surgically removed, and there is absolutely no scarring. There also appears to be no visible changes caused by the infusion of Metroid DNA (or Chozo DNA, for that matter).
** Averted in ''[[Metroid Prime|Corruption]]''. Samus's phazon corruption causes visible breakdowns on her face, and she vomits a couple times.
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* [[Brain Uploading]]: {{spoiler|Adam Malkovich}} in ''Metroid Fusion''.
* [[Breath Weapon]]: Ridley, as he's a Space Dragon. Also Kraid and {{spoiler|[[One-Winged Angel]]-Mother Brain in ''Super Metroid''}}. In the ''[[Metroid Prime|Prime]]'' series, Sheegoths, the Parasite Queen, and {{spoiler|the titular Metroid Prime}}.
* [[Broken Bridge]]: Sometimes intentional, to [http://www.metroid2002.com at least try to] prevent [[Sequence Breaking]].
* [[Building Swing]]: Grapple Beam.
* [[Canon Foreigner]]: Captain Nemo in the old Metroid Manga/Strategy Guide, and moveset wise, the Zero Laser from ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]. Brawl'' and the "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opkOtApoqqI#38s Chozo Blood Rights]" ability from ''[[Marvel Ultimate Alliance]]'' (she was [[Dummied Out]] from the latter game, [[What Could Have Been|however]]).
* [[Canon Immigrant]]: Old Bird, one of Samus's Chozo mentors/adoptive parents, appears in the [[Regional Bonus|Japanese version only]] endings of ''Metroid Fusion'' (which you can [[Old Save Bonus|thankfully unlock]] in any version of ''Zero Mission''), and makes a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo appearance in ''Metroid Zero Mission'' in one of Samus's flashbacks. Old Bird first appeared in the Nintendo Power Super Metroid comic and was later imported to the manga (along with Chairman Keaton and Chief Hardy). Some speculate that the second Chozo in the engraving at the end of the game may be the other Chozo mentor, Gray Voice.
** While the character was first named and given a backstory in ''Fusion'', Adam Malkovich's actual appearance wasn't revealed until the manga. This design is then used in ''[[Metroid: Other M|Other M]]''.
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* [[Convection, Schmonvection]]: Averted, in a rare video game example. Without her Varia Suit, Samus can't even get near lava without being burned, and walking into superheated rooms will cause her to take continuous, non-trivial damage. Most Metroid games make the lava dangerous to touch even when the Varia Suit provides resistance to convection; only more powerful armors like the Gravity Suit allow her to walk in lava without getting hurt. In ''Fusion,'' she gains a vulnerability to extreme ''cold'' as well, as a side-effect of the Metroids DNA she was injected with.
** And in ''Other M'', her commander sends Samus into a lava area without letting her use the Varia upgrade. Fans did not take that well.
** It should be noted that the only two games to play [[Convection, Schmonvection]] straight are the original Metroid (hey, it was 1986...) and Metroid II: Return of Samus, in which most players couldn't even tell it *was* lava until they explored a section of Metroid Fusion built to simulate the game... ...or [[All There in the Manual|saw a picture in Metroid II's manual]].
* [[Cool Starship]]: Samus' gunship, natch. The loaner ship she gets from the Federation after totaling her own in ''Fusion's'' opening may count as well.
* [[Copy and Paste Environments]]: One of the reasons that the original is [[Nintendo Hard|hard as hell]], [[Surprise Difficulty|especially for people who played the sequels]]; this was, however, crucial in making a fairly large world without running out of cart space.
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* [[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 ''Fusion'', as the only path out of the docking bay is to the left.
* [[Darker and Edgier]]: While ''[[Metroid]]'' itself is already kind of the [[Darker and Edgier]] alternative to Nintendo's other franchises, the earliest version of ''Metroid Fusion'' (then just called "Metroid IV") was... [http://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/08/metroid-iv-fusion-gba-proto-beta/ very unusual.] It sported a "bladed" logo, a number that looked like it was torn from a claw, a darker color scheme, and a new suit that made Samus look hyper-muscled.
* [[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 ''Other M.'' And yet, he keeps coming back EVERY. FREAKING. TIME.
** In 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 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 Other M, and said clone}} was frozen, then {{spoiler|copied by X-Parasites to finally appear in 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.
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* [[Doomed Hometown]]: Samus lives through ''two'' of these, first on K-2L and then on Zebes.
* [[Doppelganger Spin]]
* [[Do Well, But Not Perfect]]: {{spoiler|[[Final Boss|Mecha Ridley in ''Zero Mission'']] is coded to be much harder to defeat if [[Hundred-Percent Completion|all the upgrades have been collected]]; if you can go without a few missiles or that last energy tank for the first playthrough, the battle will be [[Anticlimax Boss|remarkably brief]]}}.
* [[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 ''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.
** In turn, ''Super Metroid's'' ROM includes some interesting objects that were never used, most notably a "reflector" which would bounce any beam or missile off at a 90-degree angle. A form of this was used by two pirates in Ridley's Lair who act as a miniboss.
* [[Dungeon Bypass]]: The Shinespark.
* [[Early Installment Weirdness]]: By the truckload. The 1986 design for Samus Aran gave "his" suit a large red barrel chest, tubes under both arms, a more "ray gun" barrel on the cannon, a red glove, and red boots. In addition, the artwork for enemies in the NES version of the game differed considerably from the Famicom version. In both, Kraid was a stout, yellow lizard with long green hair. Ridley, however, resembled a cute baby dragon in the Famicom art, and a bizarre horse-mouthed creature with five eyes (three down the forehead) in the NES art.)
** And that's just for artwork. The gameplay lacks many of the refinements found in the latter ones (maps, shooting kneeled/[[Denial of Diagonal Attack|diagonally]]), and put it straight into [[Nintendo Hard]] territory.
** As for Samus' trademark Varia Suit upgrade, in the original ''Metroid'' it's simply a [[Palette Swap|color swap]] of her original suit. The Varia Suit didn't gain its trademark shoulder pads until ''Metroid II'', where the change in costume had to be conveyed with a proper sprite change because of the Game Boy's graphical limitations.
* [[Earthshattering Kaboom]]: Lots. See also: Zebes at the end of ''Super Metroid'', Dark Aether at the end of ''Echoes,'' Phaaze at the end of ''Corruption,'' and SR388 at the end of ''Metroid Fusion''.
* [[Elaborate Underground Base]]: Arguably, every game features at least one ([[Die Hard on an X|or ARE one]]), though Tourian (both versions) is probably the most classic example.
* [[Eldritch Abomination]]: Phaaze is a [[Genius Loci|living, sentinet planet]] intent on infecting as much of the galaxy as possible with Phazon, Gorea is a starborn monster capable of assimilating anything and everything thrown at it, and Phantoon is a bizarre [[Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot|alien parasite ghost]] that can fuck with local space-time and looks a fair bit like something out of the Lovecraft playbook.
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* [[Episode Zero the Beginning]]: ''Zero Mission''
* [[Eternal Engine]]: Tourian, and most of Fusion.
* [[Even Evil Has Standards]]: Subverted in the manga. Ridley at first seems to avoid trying to kill Samus, but was instead lowering her guard. [[Complete Monster|She's 3 years old]] [[Up to Eleven|at the time.]]
* [[Everything's Better with Spinning]]: Screw Attack.
* [[Evil Is Visceral]]: Mother Brain and the Aurora Units are [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|big brains in jars]] that do not look very pretty. Starting from the first game, the Metroids themselves have visible blood vessels of some sort. In the second game, they were given an insectoid life cycle. In the third game, one of them grows really big, letting you see even more organic bits inside of the body.
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** The Metroids as well. "Metroid" is revealed to be Chozodian for "ultimate warrior". In the early games, Metroids were near-invincible, and by far the most dangerous non-boss enemies around.
** And the [[Space Pirates]] are... Well, pirates. [[In Space]].
* [[Excessive Steam Syndrome]]: In the intro level for ''Super Metroid'', Samus needs to escape a space station, while avoiding gushes of steam coming out from practically everywhere. Getting hit by the steam doesn't cost you energy, but you lose precious time to escape.
* [[Expanded Universe]]: Many characters and stories such as Chairman Keaton, Chief Hardy, Old Bird, Adam Malkovich, and Armstrong Houston made their first appearances and/or are fleshed out in the Japanese manga and the Nintendo Power ''Super Metroid'' comic.
* [[Exposition Fairy]]: Adam in ''Fusion''.
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* [[The Federation]] -- The Galactic Federation.
* [[Fly At the Camera Ending]]: In ''Super Metroid'' and ''Zero Mission''.
* [[Force Field Door]]: A staple of the games. Doors that open simply by being shot are handwaved as being set up to keep out unwanted wildlife. Certain fluff scans suggest they don't always succeed.
* [[Foreboding Architecture]]
* [[Foregone Conclusion]]: Judging from the dialogue in ''Fusion'', Adam Malkovich will {{spoiler|sacrifice himself}} in ''Other M''. {{spoiler|Also, Ridley reappears in that game -- and, of course, dies, allowing its remains to get frozen.}}
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* [[Freeze-Frame Bonus]]: Two in ''Super Metroid''.
** The more well-known one involves a small blip flying away from Zebes's ruins at the end of the game, indicating that some creatures you rescued have safely made it off the planet.
** The other is far less significant but still awesome nonetheless: During your escape from Ceres at the beginning of the game, one of the doors will actually explode behind you, leaving behind an impassible hunk of glowing hot metal. This one is a lot more likely to go unnoticed, due to all the other explosions and random chaos on screen (not to mention that your escape is timed.) It's also the only instance of a door exploding '''in the entire game.'''
* [[Freeze Ray]]: A vital tool of the series, both for its creative uses, and for stopping the titular threat.
* [[From a Single Cell]]: X-Parasites, if not absorbed, will simply reform into another body.
** Also from ''Fusion'', the Federation had preserved a Metroid cell culture from the Metroid Hatchling. A vaccine made from these Metroid cells was used to cure Samus when she was infected by an X in the game's intro.
* [[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's "green" zone, but otherwise still rocky.
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** And, of course, {{spoiler|the Baby Metroid in ''Super Metroid''}}.
* [[He Was Right There All Along]]: Acid Worm, Ridley in Zero Mission, Torizo...
** Ridley is an interesting case. He was not even near the planet when Kraid was defeated, only just landing on it when Samus reaches his hideout. In Super Metroid, he plays this pretty much straight, for both encounters.
* [[Hoist by His Own Petard]]: Mother Brain attempts to finish off Samus with the Hyper Beam at the end of Super Metroid. Before dying, the infant Metroid steals it from her and gives it to Samus...
** Also the Space Pirates in the remake portion of Zero Mission. Turns out the reason Tourian is empty is because the Metroids they were producing got loose and killed them all.
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* [[I Am Not Shazam]]: People who refer to Samus as "Metroid".
** In-universe, however, it's ironically fitting, considering that she has Metroid DNA in her as of ''Fusion''. Also, ''Metroid'' is apparently the Chozo word for "Ulitmate Warrior" (or something along those lines). Which is [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|pretty much what Samus is]].
* [[An Ice Person]]: Samus, considering all the ice power-ups. She gets this affinity turned around on her in ''Metroid Fusion''; because she has Metroid DNA, cold becomes her greatest weakness. The organism in her old suit, the SA-X, uses her old ice beam to devastating effect whenever she bumps into Samus.
* [[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'', ''Fusion'', and ''[[Metroid: Other M|Other M]]''.
** The main Space Pirate species as well, particularly in the ''Prime'' series but still obvious in the main games. Metroids have some insectoid features as well, especially in their "natural" life cycle.
* [[In-Series Nickname]]: To space pirates, Samus is [[The Hunter]].
* [[Interquel]]: All of the games released after ''Fusion,'' though their exact placement in the timeline varies.
* [[Interspecies Adoption]]: Samus was raised by the Chozo, who also taught her everything she knows as a bounty hunter.
* [[Irish Names]]: Both "Samus" and "Aran" are generally Irish in origin. Samus being a female variant of James and Aran being a group of islands near the West coast of Ireland.
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* [[Late to the Party]]: ''Fusion''.
* [[Latex Space Suit]]: Zero Suit Samus.
* [[Lava Is Boiling Kool-Aid]]: In the original Metroid, lava was a red palette swap of acid.
** While later games make lava a [[Convection, Schmonvection|''lot more realistic'']], Samus is still able to dive in it. This is justified by her suit most likely being more dense. In addition, the lava-proof Gravity Suit is a device whose primary function is to treat [[Water Is Air|liquid as air]], so by the time she's completely protected against lava, she should have no problem at all submerging in it.
* [[Left Hanging]]: Some people are a bit annoyed at the lack of a sequel to ''Fusion'', in no small part because the ending to that game addressed but didn't resolve a little factoid: {{spoiler|Samus just ''blew the shit'' out of a Federation-owned scientific laboratory, taking a planet with it. Sure, Samus was getting rid of the repli-Metroids and the X all in one go, but certain elements of the Fed ''wanted'' to keep both of those around so ''they'' could use 'em as weapons... meaning that Samus is, in all likelihood, ''an outlaw now''.}} And then they spend the next near-decade making ''prequels''. Is it a little too much to ask for a game ''about'' this, Nintendo?
* [[Lego Genetics]]: Samus is a human being genetically enhanced by Chozo blood. By ''Fusion'', she's also part-Metroid.
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** Even [[Lampshaded]] in-game when the Space Pirates tried to copy the Morph Ball technology, and ending up breaking every bone in the test subjects' bodies.
** The ''Prime'' series depicts her as being turned into energy when in ball form. How she sees is not explained.
* [[Shark Tunnel]]: These are a common feature in the newer games, starting with the tunnel between Brinstar and Maridia in ''Super Metroid'', and including the underwater tunnel in Sector 4 in ''Fusion,'' the skywalk between Chozodia and the Pirate Mothership in ''Zero Mission,'' and the skywalk from Magmoor to Phazon Mines in ''Prime.'' All of them can be shattered with power bombs to allow free travel between the two areas.
* [[He's Back|She's Back]]: In ''Zero Mission''. After {{spoiler|getting shot down and losing your Power Suit}}? Running and hiding from just about everything. After {{spoiler|the Chozo Trial boss fight}}? The Hunter, who sends waves of terror throughout the Space Pirate legions, is reborn, more powerful than ever.
** Hell, the ''first'' thing you do when you get your suit back is clear a small group of Pirates in one shot with your shiny new Plasma Beam. Revenge is sweet >:3
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* [[Space Marines]]: In Prime. Space Army in [[Metroid: Other M|Other M]]. Both are [[Badass Army|Badass]], just not as badass as Samus.
** Samus herself had once been a Space Marine when she was serving under Commander Adam Malkovitch.
* [[Speed Run]]: Super Metroid and the following sequels have their maps designed so that you can solve them in a fraction of the expected solving time by using special techniques like wall jumping, bomb jumping, mock ball, etc. to get key items ahead of time.
* [[Sprint Shoes]]: Speed Booster.
* [[Starfish Aliens]]: The main ones are X Parasites, the Ing, and Metroids, but others tend to pop up.
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* [[Sub Boss]]: ''Return of Samus'' is the only game that doesn't have at least one.
** The tougher Metroids in that one could qualify.
* [[Suddenly Voiced]]: In ''[[Super Smash Bros.|Brawl]]'', Samus finally spoke her taunts. However, they sounded rather... [[Fetish Fuel|odd]]. In ''Other M'', she speaks for the first time in her own series.
* [[Superweapon Surprise]]: Don't mess with Chozo statues... just, don't: ''"Those who defile [our statues] shall know our wrath, unfettered and raw."''
** In addition to that: do you know what you get when the peaceful, spiritual race bird race actually trains someone to fight, and gives them the technology to do so? You get ''[[Badass|Samus]] [[One-Man Army|Aran]].''
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* [[The Undead]]: Coverns (Three skulls stuck together), Phantoon (Huge malevolent spirit allied with the Pirates), Chozo Ghosts, Dark Marines, and Skeleton Crocomire.
* [[Underground Level]]: The setting of a good majority of ''Super Metroid''.
** All of the action in ''Metroid II'' takes place in the caverns of SR388. The only part of the surface the player sees is the immediate area around Samus' ship, and the hills behind it at the end of the game.
*** The first Metroid is entirely underground as well. Most of the games have significant amounts of this.
* [[Unexpected Gameplay Change]]: Stealth after Samus loses her suit in ''Zero Mission''.
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** In what may be the most over-the-top instance of this trope in the series, ''Corruption'' {{spoiler|ends on a '''''sentient planet'''''.}}
** And to finish things off, ''Other M'' {{spoiler|brings a cloned Metroid Queen back for a showdown in a secure room aboard the Bottle Ship.}}
* [[Victor Gains Loser's Powers]]:
** Samus in ''[[Metroid]] Fusion'' had all [[Power Copying|her abilities copied by X]]. After killing X-infected bosses (which tend to be able to produce similar attacks), she can absorb the X-parasite to regain that power.
** ''[[Metroid Prime]] 2'' does something similar, where, after losing most of her starting abilities to a mob of Ing, she has to regain them in one-on-one boss battles where they're used against her.
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* [[Your Princess Is in Another Castle]]: You've defeated [[Big Bad|Mother Brain]] and escaped Zebes in ''Zero Mission''... the game is over, right? Though, you never did find out what those mysterious power-ups were for... {{spoiler|Your ship gets shot down and you must [[Unexpected Gameplay Change|sneak through the Space Pirate mothership to get your suit back.]]}}
* [[Zeerust]]: It's not really apparent in-game, given the low graphical capabilities of the console and the general lack of technology aside from Samus' suit, the doors, and the elevators, but the artwork of Samus for the original NES game makes it very apparent that ''Metroid'' was made in [[The Eighties]]. It has a rather boxier look than later portrayals, for one thing. Later games aged much better in this regard: even the immediate sequel to the first game, which was released only a few years later, features an artwork design for Samus that still looks pretty good even after twenty years.
* [[Zip Mode]]: Samus' Speed Boost could be considered this if having to trek along a long straight path; she will travel fast enough to kill all normal enemies in the way.
* [[Zombie Apocalypse]]: The BSL station succumbs to one courtesy of the X Parasites. It's a small taste of what could have happened to the entire galaxy had they got off the station.
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