Metroid has always been one of Nintendo's most beloved series. Spanning as far back as the original Nintendo Entertainment System, Samus Aran's adventures in space have been captivating audiences and challenging players since the early years of home consoles.
One of the many reasons fans have taken such a liking to Samus is the amazing range of weapons, tools, and upgrades at her disposal. The legendary bounty hunter has amassed an impressive arsenal of power-ups in the many decades since her first battle with the villainous Metroid species. Here are our favorites of the bunch.
10 Charge Beam
Samus' signature Arm Cannon has received a good number of updates and alterations over the years. The Metroid-hunting hero has a wide variety of tricks up her sleeve (or rather, attached to the massive blaster on the end of said sleeve). And while all of Samus' skills have their place in history, few of these upgrades are as iconic or useful as the Charge Beam.
The Charge Beam, as its name implies, upgrades The Arm Cannon's standard shot with a chargeable one, allowing for greater damage dealt to enemies and environmental hazards. The charge also allows for the opening of certain doors and gateways in some games, adding to its utility.
9 Wave Beam
One of the more useful upgrades to Samus' Arm Cannon is the Wave Beam. In 2D Metroid titles, this altered your shot so that your beams passed through walls and other obstacles. Not only did this give you a strategic advantage against enemies, but it also allowed for clever and unexpected solutions to certain puzzles throughout the series.
8 Morph Ball
The Morph Ball is one of Samus' most unique abilities by far, allowing her to contort her body into the shape of a small, rolling ball. This allows for passage through tight corridors, pipes, and other challenging areas.
Upgrading this ability even further with Samus' various Morph Bombs just adds to her maneuverability and traversal skills. Small bombs allow Samus to bounce in the air when still in ball form, while Power Bombs deploy huge explosions that are usually capable of wiping out everything on screen.
7 Super Missiles
Aside from Samus' standard shots, she's also capable of firing off a limited amount of missiles. These projectiles hit a bit harder and are capable of harming certain enemies and armor that even the Charge Beam cannot affect, though you are required to track down ammo to replenish them.
In most Metroid games, you're also able to acquire an upgrade to Samus' missiles known as the Super Missile. These large and forceful weapons are usually one of the most powerful tools available. Faster and more destructive than her other missiles, this explosive ammo is also capable of unlocking certain doors that are otherwise inaccessible.
6 Grapple Beam
The Grapple Beam may not have the most utility in combat, but its reliability while exploring cannot be overstated. The beam will attach itself to certain surfaces, allowing you to swing or pull yourself to areas and objects that were previously unreachable. You can use the Grapple Beam to latch onto some enemies as well, allowing Samus to hang from flying aliens or even drain the life force of foes in later games.
5 Ice Beam
Samus' Ice Beam is a devastating weapon. This Arm Cannon upgrade unleashes a devastating blast of ice that will freeze most enemies. Many foes who have been frozen can then be shattered with Samus' useful missiles, with later games replacing the beam upgrade with Ice Missiles. Since extreme temperatures are a known weakness of Metroids, the titular villains of a series that can be fairly challenging, it's no wonder Samus keeps these types of weapons around.
On top of their offensive usefulness, these upgrades also allow Samus to stand on frozen enemies, greatly increasing your mobility. An ammo upgrade with so much potential in both combat and exploration is bound to be one of the most essential parts of Samus' arsenal for playing through almost any Metroid game.
4 Space Jump
While another Nintendo mascot may be affectionately referred to as Jumpman, Samus can safely lay claim to one of the greatest double jump abilities in any video game. Unlocked later in most Metroid games, the Space Jump is activated by pressing either the left or right directional buttons and jump button, making Samus perform a spinning flip in the respective direction. Pressing the jump button again at the right moment of her descent will make her leap again, maintaining your airborne status for as long as you can keep it up.
It's hard to overstate just how much Samus' Space Jump adds to her mobility in most Metroid games. Most areas are instantly accessible once the ability is acquired – at least, after you master it. Timing Samus' jumps can be tricky, but once you've got it down, you'll be spinning through the air across entire rooms.
3 Screw Attack
Imagine taking the incredible Space Jump ability and making it dangerous. That's essentially the idea behind the Screw Attack, one of Samus' most iconic abilities. The Screw Attack turns the Space Jump into an attack, allowing you to plow through nearly anything threatening you, along with many destructible walls and blockades.
Clearing out entire rooms by simply jumping wildly around them is always a blast. Metroid wouldn't be the same without it.
2 Speed Booster
In most games, the sprint mechanic is a bit of an afterthought. In the Metroid series, however, unlocking the ability to use Samus' Speed Booster can change the entire experience. Samus powers up the rockets on her back to propel her forward, letting you charge through enemies, obstacles, and even some walls.
Along with the joy of simply ramming your way through areas, the Speed Booster also grants Samus the Shinespark ability. This special move is activated by pressing the down button during a Speed Boost run, storing your momentum and making Samus shine. Jump and press any directional button, and Samus will charge wildly in that direction, shattering even more obstacles and clearing your path.
1 Hyper Beam
The Hyper Beam has only appeared in a handful of Metroid games, and in a few different forms. What's consistent across each of its appearances is that it's Samus' ultimate weapon – a unique and incredibly powerful beam that you're only granted access late in the game.
Originally appearing in Super Metroid as a massive, rainbow-colored beam, the attack was actually the harnessed energy of Mother Brain herself, which should paint a clear picture of its sheer power.
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