3. Archives
3.1. Powerups (2)
MISSILE TANK
Location: Various
First Appearance: Metroid (1986), as the Missile Box.
Effect: Increases your maximum Missile capacity by 5.
Use: Hey, it's more Missiles! 'Nuff said.
Comments: As a little trivia note, the only pickup in the game you're forced to
get is in Sector 3, during Mission 5. Guess what it is? There are 48 Missile
Tanks in the game, as a side note.
Usefulness Rating: 8, because some of them aren't worth the trouble they take
to get.
MORPH BALL
Location: Main Deck, during Mission 1. Recovered from a Core-X after defeating
Arachnus-X.
First Appearance: Metroid (1986), as the Round Ball.
Effect: Lets Samus roll up into a little ball by tapping down on the D-pad
twice.
Use: Rolling throught narrow passages, evading enemy attacks, and laying Bombs
and Power Bombs.
Comments: THE Metroid powerup! Classic!
Usefulness Rating: 10, there's never a mission where you don't have to use it.
OMEGA SUIT
Location: Main Deck, during the Omega Metroid battle. Also recovered from the
Core-X formerly known as SA-X.
First Appearance: Metroid Fusion (2002)
Effect: Makes your suit mimic the colors of Samus' old armor, and lets you
withstand Omega Metroid's swipe attack.
Use: Uhh...unless you're careless and actually get HIT by Omega Metroid's swipe
attack, it doesn't have one.
Comments: It may LOOK like the Power Suit, but it's NOT the Power Suit. It's
the inner layer of the suit mimicking the outer layer, the orange-red armor...
Usefulness Rating: 1, at least it looks cool.
PLASMA BEAM
Location: Sector 2, during Mission 13. Recovered from an Eye-X after beating
Vettori-X.
First Appearance: Metroid II (1991)
Effect: Lets your beam travel right through enemies, and gives it a minty-fresh
green color. Also doubles your beam's power.
Use: Kicking the living piss out of enemies, and that's about it...it isn't
required anywhere.
Comments: I love this beam, 'cause it packs so much 'tude, yo! =P
Usefulness Rating: 8, because it SHOULD be necessary somewhere.
POWER BOMBS
Location: Sector 5, during Mission 10. Downloaded in a Data Room.
First Appearance: Super Metroid (1994)
Effect: Lets Samus lay Power Bombs by holding R and pressing B while in Morph
Ball form.
Use: Endowing mass destruction upon enemies, sweeping the screen for any hidden
passages, and making an extremely loud hissing noise.
Comments: AAAH! My ears! Oh, it's just a Power Bomb...anyway, these things
effectively replace the X-Ray Scope from Super Metroid. Bummer.
Usefulness Rating: 9, the only thing limiting these babies is the fact that
they aren't expendable like your standard Bombs.
POWER BOMB TANK
Location: Various
First Appearance: Super Metroid (1994)
Effect: Increases your max Power Bomb capacity by 2.
Use: Eh, not much, considering that you'll never need more than your starting
10 Power Bombs.
Comments: Who needs 74 Power Bombs?
Usefulness Rating: 2, for the reasons outlined above...
SCREW ATTACK
Location: Sector 1, during Mission 16. Recovered from a Core-X after defeating
Ridley-X.
First Appearance: Metroid (1986), as the Spin Attack.
Effect: Lets Samus destroy any enemy in one hit simply by spin jumping into it.
Use: On top of making mincemeat out of enemies, it can also break through Screw
Attack blocks.
Comments: Booya! Screw Attack ro><orz! Not much else to say here...
Usefulness Rating: 10, as it's helpful AND necessary. A rare combination. It's
a shame you get it so late in the game.
SPACE JUMP
Location: Main Deck, during Mission 12. Recovered from a Core-X after defeating
Arachni-X.
First Appearance: Metroid II (1991)
Effect: Lets you spin jump infinitely in midair!
Use: Jumping up long vertical shafts.
Comments: There is a special technique for Space Jumping; rapidly tapping the A
button will get you nowhere. You can only 'bob' up while Samus is going down,
so the most efficient way to Space Jump is to press A when Samus reaches the
apex of her jump, as she is beginning to come down. You should be able to
master it in no time at all. :)
Usefulness Rating: 6, because it isn't worth dick on offense, unless you use
the Pseudo Screw Attack (see Special Moves.)
SPEED BOOSTER
Location: Sector 4, during Mission 4. Recovered from a Core-X after defeating
Serris-X.
First Appearance: Super Metroid (1994), as the Speed Boots.
Effect: Running uninterrupted in one direction for about four seconds will
cause Samus to turn pink and move at double speed.
Use: Breaking Speed Booster blocks, using the Shinespark (see Special Moves),
ramming enemies (fun.)
Comments: Is it just me, or is this powerup just plain fun to use? One o' my
favorites.
Usefulness Rating: 10, you need it A LOT.
SUPER MISSILES
Location: Sector 3, during Mission 5. Downloaded in a Data Room.
First Appearance: Super Metroid (1994)
Effect: Triples your Missile power!
Use: Destroying a purple pillar in Sector 6. That's it.
Comments: It's a shame you have these for such a short time...two missions, to
be exact.
Usefulness Rating: 4, because you need them in one puzzle. ONE PUZZLE. And you
only have them for two missions. Still, those two missions are a breeze with
them...
VARIA SUIT
Location: Sector 6, during Mission 6. Recovered from a Core-X after defeating
Mega-X.
First Appearance: Metroid (1986), as the Varia.
Effect: Reduces damage inflicted from enemies by 5%, and allows Samus to enter
extreme temperatures without being affected.
Use: It makes your suit look ugly, and lets you go through Sector 5 without
being damaged (assuming, of course, you don't get hit by enemies, heh. =)
Comments: Eww...mustard yellow...I despise the Varia Suit. Too bad you have it
for 8 missions of the game...
Usefulness Factor: 5, as with the Gravity Suit, why include a defense increase
if it's only 5%? Of course, the Gravity Suit actually looks COOL...
WAVE BEAM
Location: Sector 6, during Mission 15. Recovered from an Eye-X after defeating
B.O.X.
First appearance: Metroid (1986)
Effect: Doubles your beam's power for the fourth time (thus making the Wave
Beam sixteen times more powerful than the starting peashooter.) Aside from
that, the shots are absolutely huge and can travel through walls.
Use: Getting one Missile Tank in Sector 6, and accessing the Restricted Zone.
But only one forced puzzle. WHADDYA KNOW, ANOTHER ONE-HIT WONDER.
Comments: As with the Diffusion Missiles, I can think of plenty of scenarios
where the Wave Beam could be used in a puzzle. Too bad it's used in ONE, or TWO
if you feel like grabbing the Missile Tank.
Usefulness Rating: 6, it may pack a serious punch, but you ALMOST NEVER NEED
IT.
WIDE BEAM
Location: Sector 3, during Mission 8. Recovered from an Eye-X after defeating
Human-X.
First Appearance: Metroid II (1991), as the Spazer Beam.
Effect: It make you fire three shots instead of one, thus doubling your beam
power (the Charge Beam is 1 and a half shots.)
Use: NOTHING, except beating the snot out of enemies. BLASPHEMY!
Comments: What IS the point of putting a forced, yet unnecessary item in a
game? I just don't get it...
Usefulness Rating: 3, 'cause you never need it. At least it's a handy weapon...
|