History Videogame / Metroid

[[quoteright:200:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Full_Metend.gif]]
[[caption-width-right:200:''See you next mission.'']]
[[quoteright:200:~~VideoGame ActionAdventure~~]]

->''The last metroid is in captivity.''
->''The galaxy is at peace.''

'''''Metroid''''' is a series of games known for having cramped yet open ended environments, the precursor to the {{Metroidvania}} genre. They star the armored BountyHunter Samus Aran, who is out to exterminate energy leeches called Metroids and annihilate the Space Pirates that plague the galaxy and killed her family.

The ''Metroid'' franchise is somewhat unusual among {{Platform| Game}}ers, especially Nintendo ones, for its substantial continuity. The first (NES) game, released in 1986, deals with Samus's assault on the Space Pirate base on Zebes, where she first encountered the Metroids. After defeating the Space Pirates' leader, Mother Brain, Samus is dispatched in the (GameBoy) sequel, ''Metroid II: Return of Samus'' (1991), to hunt down the 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 take it to a rebuilt base on Zebes.
The series lay dormant for years, skipping the Nintendo 64 entirely (Samus only appeared on the console in [[SuperSmashBros Super Smash Bros]]). The "latest" title in the continuity, ''Metroid Fusion'' (Game Boy Advance) was released in 2002, wherein the Metroid home world has been overrun by shape-shifting parasites the Metroids had kept in check. The series took a turn towards SurvivalHorror with this game. A sequel, tentatively titled ''Dread'', has been stuck in DevelopmentHell 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 American RetroStudios at the helm. The gamble paid off, and ''Metroid Prime'' emerged as an unusual FPS-adventure, [[AnachronicOrder set between the first and second games]], and got much critical acclaim. In addition, Retro ended up being purchased by Nintendo, making it their second American first-party developer after Nintendo Software Technology Corporation.

The first game was [[VideoGameRemake remade]] for the Game Boy Advance a year later as ''Zero Mission''. The 3D installments have become a franchise in their own right, with ''Metroid Prime 2: Echoes'' ([=GameCube=]), and ''Metroid Prime Hunters'' (Nintendo DS) continuing the in-between storyline, which was finally finished in 2007 with ''Metroid Prime 3: Corruption'' (Wii). Tropes belonging exclusively to this sub-series [[VideoGame/MetroidPrime belong here]].

The latest game, ''[[VideoGame/MetroidOtherM Other M]]'' (Wii), was released at the end of August 2010, and combines elements from both series. It was worked on by the unusual combination of the in-house team responsible for the ''Metroid'' series and none other than [[VideoGame/DeadOrAlive Team]] [[VideoGame/NinjaGaiden Ninja]]. [[http://wii.ign.com/dor/objects/14354733/metroid-other-m/videos/metroid_trl_e3_otherm_060209.html Trailer can be seen here.]] It [[{{Interquel}} takes place between]] ''Super Metroid'' and ''Metroid Fusion'', making it the only game since ''Fusion'' to take place after ''Super''.

Across the entire franchise, a number of characteristic elements have persisted, such as the continuous string of upgrades which Samus acquires over the course of the game, most notably the "Morph Ball" (or "Maru Mari," one of several translation oddities), which allows Samus to roll into the shape of a small ball, for better maneuverability in areas where this shape is more convenient.

Being the codifier, this is one of the two best known series of the {{Metroidvania}} genre--action adventure games with an emphasis on exploring a continuous non-linear world and finding powerups to advance. Technologically, the original ''Metroid'' is noteworthy as one of the first multi-way scrolling platformers. Its North American release was also the first game to use a password system to save progress. The Japanese release of ''Metroid'' for Nintendo's disc-based system allowed the players to save their progress on the disc, the cartridge-based US system lacked this ability, so presented a 24-character password which encoded the state of the game, allowing the player to resume his or her progress later.

The ending of the original ''Metroid'' is a TomatoSurprise: if the player did sufficiently well, they are then treated to a [[ItWasHisSled (then) stunning revelation:]] Samus Aran's armor is removed, revealing the bounty hunter as [[SamusIsAGirl a shapely (by 8-bit standards) woman]]. This reveal is also in most of the other games, although no longer a surprise. Those who ReadTheFreakingManual would see that Samus is openly referred to as a female by ''Metroid II''.

Though Samus herself has never appeared on television (except in commercials), Mother Brain was featured as the BigBad of the Nintendo-themed animated series ''[[WesternAnimation/CaptainNTheGameMaster Captain N: The Game Master]]''. (Reportedly, the production staff actually ''didn't know about Samus''); the comic book adaptation introduced her as the SixthRanger[=/=]TheLancer. A live-action feature film based on the franchise was optioned after ''Metroid Prime'' was successful, [[WhatCouldHaveBeen but appears to have lapsed]].

'''Spinoffs include:'''
* ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime''
* ''VideoGame/MetroidOtherM''

[[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/crowner.php/BestEpisode/Metroid Vote on the best game here!]]\\
[[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/crowner.php/BiggestComplaint/Metroid Also possesses a crowner page for debating what did and didn't work.]]
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!!This series is the TropeNamer for:

* {{Metroidvania}} along with the ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' series, obviously.
* SamusIsAGirl
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!!The Metroid series provides examples of (not including [[VideoGame/MetroidPrime Prime]] or [[VideoGame/MetroidOtherM Other M]] specific tropes):
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%% DO NOT PUT METROID PRIME SERIES OR OTHER M TROPES HERE. THEY HAVE THEIR OWN PAGES
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* AbandonedLaboratory: Common to the series, sometimes not so abandoned. Metroid Fusion takes place in a space station made of these.
* AbnormalAmmo: Samus has been shot at with explosive stingers, [[FireIceLightning lava grenades, super cooled plasma, high density neutrinos]], [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and contaminated water]].
** Samus herself has fired plasma, super-cooled plasma, ice, lava grenades, electromagnetic blasts, standard electrical blasts, concentrated light energy, concentrated dark energy, matter/antimatter, sonic booms, ''miniature black holes'', and various other things out of her own beam cannon. And that doesn't account for projectile weapons - missiles, super missiles, ice missiles...
* ActionGirl: One of the earliest video game examples, and ''easily'' one of the most well-known.
* AdvancingBossOfDoom: Crocomire in ''Super Metroid''.
* AerithAndBob: Several enemies have weird names like "Desgeega" or "Holtz", or portmanteau names like "Crocomire" and "Sidehopper". A seahorse-like enemy in Norfair that spits fire at you? "Dragon".
** Speaking of dragons, one must not forget Ridley, the giant Space Dragon/Pirate Commander, who's an example of this trope as he has the completely normal human name of Ridley despite being a [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot Dragon Space Pirate Alien]]. What are the other alien's names? Kraid, Phantoon...
* AfterBossRecovery: Many bosses and mini bosses drop tons of health and ammo refills when you beat them.
** Justified in Fusion as all the bosses and enemies are made of X parasites that Samus absorbs to recover health, so it makes sense that the bigger bosses have more potent X for her to eat.
* AirVentPassageway: Applies to all kinds of ducts/tunnels, with the Morph Ball. Subverted in ''Zero Mission,'' when after [[spoiler:losing her armor]], Samus must crawl through said tunnels, and she's far from the only creature who can use them.
* AllThereInTheManual: The games are easy to understand plotwise on their own, but there's quite a bit of canonical backstory for both ''Zero Mission'' and ''Fusion'', as well as the entire franchise on the whole, to be found in the manuals and the [[http://www.metroid-database.com/manga/listing.php?vid=19 two-volume]] [[http://www.metroid-database.com/manga/listing.php?vid=13 manga]].
* AmbidextrousSprite: 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. Interestingly, some differentiated left/right sprites are in the ROM of the original game, but are [[DummiedOut unused]].
* AmazonianBeauty: Over six feet tall, clad head to toe in armour, and the biggest bad ass in Nintendo's arsenal. Why don't we see more like her?
* AnachronicOrder: The chronology is officially ''Metroid''/''Zero Mission'', the ''Prime'' series, ''Metroid II'', ''Super Metroid'', ''Other M'', and ''Fusion''.
* ArmCannon
* ApocalypticLog: The {{romhack}} Super Metroid Eris but there are plenty enough in the series proper.
* ArtificialBrilliance: In ''Fusion'' the cold X will initially chase after you because the Metroid vaccine made you vulnerable to cold and you lose a huge chunk of health from absorbing them. Immediately after getting the Varia Suit they'll still chase after you, but at that point you can absorb them for health. After absorbing a few they'll start to run away from you because chasing you would just help you.
* AsteroidThicket: Used in ''Super'' and ''Fusion'', where something crashes into an asteroid in each. The asteroids look like they're only a few hundred feet across, and tightly packed.
* AttackOfThe50FootWhatever: Kraid in ''Super Metroid'' and ''Zero Mission'', Metroid Prime, the Adult Sheegoth, Flaaghra, Thardus, Chykka, Quadraxis, Mogenar...
* {{Backtracking}}: Obtain previously inaccessible power-ups, curb-stomp previously lethal opponents with your new upgrades, and discover brand new shortcuts and secrets -- all by the magic of backtracking through every area of the game at least twice. It is so integral to this series that fans will frequently complain if the developers remove the ability to backtrack, such as in MetroidFusion and MetroidOtherM. Even those at least give full access to the game world once Samus is fully upgraded.
* BagOfSpilling: Samus never manages to keep her fully powered-up suit between games, though more recent entries at least let her hang onto the Varia upgrade. Usually.
** The Long Beam has only been an actual powerup in the original game and its remake; every other game gives Samus its effects even if she visibly loses all her other powerups. ''Metroid II'' also starts her off with about 30 missiles, since they're needed to even damage the Metroids she's hunting.
** Played with in ''Metroid Fusion''. Samus kept all of the weapon upgrades to her power armor. Unfortunately, her power armor was infected with a parasite which is now using all of those weapon upgrades to try to kill her.
** 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.
*** ''Prime 3'' has Samus simply start off without any of her items from the previous adventure, but she does retain a few of her power ups such as the Space Jump Boots, Morph Ball with its bombs, and her Charge Beam. WordOfGod states that they scrapped the idea of Samus having her powers in the start and then losing them right after since it was getting too predictable and boring.
** 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.
* BeautyIsNeverTarnished:
** 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).
*** The Chozo and/or Metroid DNA could have bestowed Samus with a degree of healing factor. Most of the surgery seems to have revolved around removing parts of the suit rather than mending the body as well.
** Averted in ''[[MetroidPrime Corruption]]''. Samus's phazon corruption causes visible breakdowns on her face, and she vomits a couple times.
* BeePeople: The Space Pirates in the manga comics will follow anyone with enough strength or charisma. In a bit of a subversion, their species can't produce "queens", so they look to other species to lead them. On their own, they're TooDumbToLive.
** Almost literal with Kihunters, one race of Space Pirates that originate from a different galaxy. They're physically bee-like in addition to living in hives and having a "king" that commands the rest.
* BerserkButton: If Samus is pointing her arm cannon at you and you just happen to be a member of a race of intergalactic bloodthirsty aliens, ''don't beg for mercy.''
** What's that? You just killed someone [[MamaBear Samus cares for?]] We'll miss you. She won't.
* BigBad: Mother Brain in Metroid and Super Metroid.
** [[ImplacableMan The]] [[EvilCounterpart SA-X]] from ''Metroid Fusion''.
* BigBoosHaunt: The Chozo Ruins (Prime) and the Wrecked Ship (Super).
* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:The baby Metroid]] in ''Super'' just before the BigBad lands the killing blow on Samus.
* BittersweetEnding: Almost every game since Super has one. The exceptions are Zero Mission and Hunters.
* BodyHorror: The X Parasites in the main series; Phazon in ''Prime.'' Metroids themselves might count, given their habit of turning their victims into desiccated gray husks that turn to powder when touched. In ''Prime'' as well, a vague reference to Space Pirate attempts to replicate the Morph Ball that went horribly, horribly wrong.
** Special mention goes to ''Prime 3,'' where you can actually see the effects of Phazon corruption on Samus. Those eyes could curdle milk.
** Don't forget ''Prime 2'' which featured the Ing, a transdimensional species of dark-matter aliens that can possess and mutate other beings.
* BookEnds: ''Super Metroid'' opens and closes with escapes from structures that are about to blow up.
** Metroid and Super Metroid both take place on Planet Zebes. Samus ventures into the planet, defeats Ridley, Kraid, and Mother Brain, and escapes before the planet blows up. In Super Metroid, the end to the original trilogy, Samus ventures into the planet again, kills Ridley, Kraid, Phantoon [[spoiler: (not)]], Draygon, and Mother Brain, and escapes before the planet (the escape shaft from the original game is part of the route) blows up. ''Fusion'' provides two. The end to the original trilogy had [[spoiler:the super metroid heals and gives you a weapon to defeat the final boss, saving your life. In ''Fusion'', the Metroid's DNA cures Samus of the X-Parasite infection (saving her life), and makes her able to absorb the X to heal her and replenish her supplies (giving her the weapon to eradicate the X).]] Also the ending, in which the SA-X, [[spoiler:saves your life, heals you, and gives you the weapon to eradicate the Omega Metroid.]]
** Also in ''Fusion'', [[spoiler: both the very first boss (Arachnus) and very last boss (Omega Metroid) are from ''Metroid 2''.]]
* BossArenaRecovery
* BreathWeapon: Ridley, as he's a Space Dragon. Also Kraid and [[spoiler:OneWingedAngel-Mother Brain in ''Super Metroid'']]. In the ''[[MetroidPrime Prime]]'' series, Sheegoths, the Parasite Queen, and [[spoiler:the titular Metroid Prime]].
* BrokenBridge: Sometimes intentional to, [[http://www.metroid2002.com at least try to]], prevent SequenceBreaking.
** Even after ''seventeen years'', [[SerialEscalation people are still discovering new tricks]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMuXUvnk6Hg like this.]] (See 14:55 in the video)
* TheCavalry: Two times, one in Super Metroid and another in Fusion. In Super, [[spoiler:Samus was losing in a CurbStompBattle with a OneWingedAngel Mother Brain, after taking a blow from her ultimate attack. Before the job can be finished, the huge Baby Metroid zooms in, drains her energy, and then gives it to Samus, restoring her to full health and granting her the [[EleventhHourSuperpower Hyper Beam.]] Then, it dies [[HeroicSacrifice while shielding Samus from Mother Brain's attacks.]] Cue Samus curbstomping Mother Brain.]]
** And then in Fusion, [[spoiler:Samus had beaten SA-X, plotted the B.S.L. Station on a collision course with SR-388, and was on her way to her ship to escape. But when she gets to the docking bays, the place is a mess, her ship is missing, and there is a huge shedded skin on the floor. Suddenly, an Omega Metroid comes in and screeches at Samus. With one claw swipe, Samus is knocked down to one HP and immobilized. Before the Metroid could kill her, the SA-X appears and blasts its chest with the Ice Beam, but it is defeated by it. However, Samus absorbs its Core-X, which restored her Ice Beam ability, and proceeded to blast the Metroid to dust.]]
* CanonForeigner: Captain Nemo in the old Metroid Manga[=/=]Strategy Guide, and moveset wise, the Zero Laser from ''SuperSmashBros. Brawl'' and the "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opkOtApoqqI#38s Chozo Blood Rights]]" ability from ''[[MarvelUltimateAlliance Marvel: Ultimate Alliance]]'' (she was DummiedOut from the latter game, [[WhatCouldHaveBeen however]]).
* CatastrophicCountdown
** ''Super Metroid'' plays it straight, twice. When Ridley escapes the space colony in the beginning, an announcement claims that the colony's self-destruct has been activated, urging immediate evacuation. Naturally, the whole place starts shaking, steaming, blowing up, and even rocking back and forth quite impressively. Later at the end of the game, the entire planet starts exploding and flooding with acid, because a "Time Bomb has been activated".
** ''[[MetroidOtherM Other M]]''. An AI voice announces over an intercom that a self-destruct sequence will detonate in about five or so minutes. For some reason, your escape becomes riddled with burning debris and wreckage.
** The first game is a bit of an interesting case. While the NES original averts it entirely ("TIME BOMB SET GET OUT FAST!", plus a countdown, that's it), ''Zero Mission'' retcons in a straight example (the "time bomb" causes explosions and flames well before going off) and an aversion (the Pirate Mothership).
* ChainReactionDestruction: Many bosses and planetary bodies exhibit that behavior.
* ChargedAttack: Charge Beam, the beam combos, the Shinespark.
** ChargeMeter
* ChekhovsGunman: [[spoiler:The Etecoons and Dachoras in ''Fusion''.]]
* ChekhovsSkill: Every power-up becomes useful to go to unreachable areas/items.
* ChestMonster: Torizo in ''Super Metroid'' mimics a Chozo Statue early on, and reappears late in the game. One of the X-Cores in ''Metroid Fusion'' also impersonates a Chozo Statue (most likely a Torizo, considering hosts need to be organic), and another Core X impersonates one named Nettori while giving it power over vegetation and the Plasma Beam.
* ClassicCheatCode By ''Accident'': The famous '''[[AC:JUSTIN BAILEY]]''' code is just a side-effect of the password calculation system and is but one of many codes that bestow Samus with a leotard. The far less famous '''[[AC:NARPAS SWORD]]''' ('''[[FunWithAcronyms N]]'''[[FunWithAcronyms ot]] '''[[FunWithAcronyms A]]''' '''[[FunWithAcronyms R]]'''[[FunWithAcronyms eal]] or North American Release Password) actually ''is'' a special, unique password, however.
** '''[[AC:[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3UyVylP7AI ENGAGE RIDLEY MOTHER FUCKER]]]]'''
*** Sadly, the above code has now become a system-killer in the 3DS port.
* ClimaxBoss: Nightmare in ''Fusion''. [[spoiler: Especially after playing ''Other M''.]]
* ColonyDrop: BSL, at the end of ''Fusion.''
* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: Doors are colored depending on what weapon the player needs to shoot them with to open. ''Return of Samus'' and ''Fusion'' are the exceptions.
** In ''Fusion'' the doors '''are''' color-coded, but by security-clearance. Samus needs to find the override controls for each security level to unlock them. [[spoiler:This becomes a plot point, as unlocking the controls also allows the X-parasites to spread further through the station.]]
* ComicBookAdaptation: There are ''tons of them''. Two of which are tongue-in-cheek semi-guide books, one is a Nintendo Power comic, one is loosely based upon the first Metroid Prime, a prequel manga and a manga based on pre-[=MP2=]. Let's not even get started with Samus and Joey series...
* CompletionMeter: More recent games have a percent counter that rises as you collect items.
* ContinuingIsPainful: In ''Metroid (NES)'', every time you get killed or use a password to continue where you left off, you spawn with '''only 30 Energy'''.
** A [[http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/1186/ patch]] for the ROM not only adds the saving system, but also saves your health (no grinding to regain your health after loading!) and offers a (although minimalist) map screen!
* ContinuityNod: The remixed music in the latest installments, plus pieces of the original Brinstar and Tourian in ''Super Metroid''. Possibly also parts of Kraid and Ridley's lairs, although Kraid's "Lair" (especially the piece in question) is very far from where it ought to be.
** Something of a Call Forward: The temple that you must sneak through at the end of Metroid Zero Mission? It's part of Maridia from Super Metroid, before presumably sinking into the lake. The Pirate Mothership, however, while in the same spot as Super Metroid's Wrecked Ship, is a [[WordOfGod completely different craft.]]
* ConvectionSchmonvection: 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 ConvectionSchmonvection 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 [[AllThereInTheManual saw a picture in Metroid II's manual]].
* CoolStarship: Samus' gunship, natch. The loaner ship she gets from the Federation after totaling her own in ''Fusion's'' opening may count as well.
* CopyAndPasteEnvironments: One of the reasons that the original is [[NintendoHard hard as hell]], [[SurpriseDifficulty especially for people who played the sequels]]; this was, however, crucial in making a fairly large world without running out of cart space.
** The upshot is that many of the secret area entrances are copy-and-pasted as well, so finding one can make it easier to find others in the same area.
* CowboyCop: In the manga, Samus herself, as well as her partners Mauk and Kreatz.
* CriticalAnnoyance: ''[[MostAnnoyingSound Dua-dua-dua-dua-dua-dua]]'' -- few things are better motivation to search for energy.
* CriticalExistenceFailure: As long as that suit has ''just one point of energy'', she'll be okay.
* CrosshairAware: Space Pirates have an annoying tendency to twitch themselves just out of your firing path during the UnexpectedGameplayChange stealth sequence in ''Zero Mission.''
* CuteBruiser: Samus' pet, Pyonchi, is a rabbit-squirrel from her home planet, who has been known to beat the crap out of schoolyard bullies, complete with a sign saying "Play nice."
* [[CutenessProximity Roundness Proximity]]: Samus had this often in one of the gag mangas.
* CyberneticsEatYourSoul: For the most part averted, as most characters get along just fine with their cybernetically-enhanced PoweredArmor.
** Ghor is a special case. Though he's only 6% organic, he's a very nice guy. When he interfaces with computers or his battle armor, though, he becomes aggressive and bloodthirsty.
* DamnYouMuscleMemory: 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 FridgeBrilliance, 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.
* DarkerAndEdgier: While ''Metroid'' itself is already kind of the DarkerAndEdgier 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.
* DeathIsCheap: Ridley has died six times in the course of nine games (not counting remakes), and twice more outside of canon. 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 and the last time she saw him was after literally ripping him to pieces as leaving his remains on an exploding planet, she is entitled to be a little upset.
** Ridley was destroyed in the first Metroid, then rebuilt as Meta-Ridley to be blasted in ''MetroidPrime'', then rebuilt again in Corruption, [[spoiler:then corrupted by Phazon]], and 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 ''SuperSmashBros'' [[spoiler:FOUR TIMES. As Ridley, as Meta-Ridley, and then again for each form in the Great Maze]].
* DefeatEqualsExplosion: 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.
* DepthPerplexion: Justified. Samus can shoot through walls, but only if she has the Wave Beam, which explicitly has the ability to penetrate solid matter.
* {{Determinator}}: Nothing will stop Samus Aran.
** And nothing will stop Ridley from trying to take her down. Not even his own "[[JokerImmunity deaths]]." Well, except for his remains being on an exploding planet. Even when [[spoiler: he's cloned, he gets to go after Samus twice before the clone dies.]]
** [[spoiler:Same with Crocomire, who comes after Samus even after ALL HIS SKIN HAS BURNED OFF. That's right. He tries to attack you as a SKELETON. [[HilarityEnsues And fails miserably.]]]]
** [[spoiler: Chronologically, Phantoon goes after Samus two games in a row.]]
** The Space Pirates, although they get their space-faring asses handed to them all too often, never give up their goal of galactic domination. Their penchant for finding Phlebotinum and SealedEvilInACan lying around might support this.
* DestructibleProjectiles: In various games of the series (SuperMetroid in particular), certain projectiles can be destroyed for health or Missile refills [[BossArenaRecovery during boss battles]].
* DestructiveSavior: It seems Samus cannot escape the cold hand of destruction, whether it be a large base or the entire planet. So far, her "kill count" includes Dark Aether, Phaaze, Zebes, and [=SR388=], the third of which wasn't even her fault. Granted, the others were of her own doing, Phaaze because it kept popping out Phazon Leviathans to infect other planets, Dark Aether because it was just ''evil'', and [=SR388=] so she could wipe out the X Parasites, but still. Not even space stations are safe, since the Biologic Space Labs orbital station dies with [=SR388=]. And Samus' first order of business on Tallon IV? Blow up the Space Frigate.
** Heartwarmingly averted with Tallon IV and Aether. You can scan the planets via satellite in Prime 3, and learn that both are recovering from the events of the first two games. The Luminoth are rebuilding their civilization and Tallon IV's native life is thriving again.
** DoomMagnet: In addition, very few characters with personal connections to Samus ever survive. [[StayingAlive Ridley]] [[JokerImmunity doesn't]] [[WeCanRebuildHim count]].
*** [[spoiler: He's canonically dead now, though. And his clone.]]
** Guess what happens to the Bottle Ship at the end of the PlayableEpilogue of ''MetroidOtherM''? The music is even the same as during the escape sequence in ''Super Metroid''.
** Also, Ceres Space Colony. It wasn't her fault, but it still did collide with an asteroid and blow up right when she left it. And then there's Samus' own ship in the ''Fusion'' prologue, but again, not her fault. She lost consciousness and the ship also collided with an asteroid.
* DiabolusExMachina: The extended story of ''Zero Mission'' is kicked off by [[spoiler:Samus being shot down by Space Pirates while leaving the planet, destroying her ship and suit.]]
* [[DieHardOnAnX Die Hard On An Entire Planet:]] Except when it is on a space station, complete with [[AirVentPassageway air vent escapes]] and everything!
* DisneyDeath: [[spoiler:Anthony Higgs acomplished this]] in Metroid: Other M with [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3arI6eIPXhM&feature=player_detailpage#t=284s some clever enemy manipulation.]]
** Ridley goes through many, with some people unaware that Super Metroid is his canonical final death, with the Ridley in the later two games being a clone. Also, there is a Disney Death that was set up (though probably unintentionaly) in Super Metroid that took hold in Other M: [[spoiler: Phantoon.]]
* DoomedByCanon: See ForegoneConclusion.
* DoomedHometown: Samus lives through ''two'' of these, first on [=K-2L=] and then on Zebes.
* DoppelgangerSpin
* DoWellButNotPerfect: [[spoiler:[[FinalBoss Mecha Ridley in ''Zero Mission'']] is coded to be much harder to defeat if [[HundredPercentCompletion 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 remarkably brief]].
* DownTheDrain: Maridia, the crashed frigate, Torvus, Sector 4 - AQA.
* TheDragon: 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.
* DumbMuscle: The original Japanese strategy guide was also a manga; Samus was depicted as a trigger-happy [[TheDitz ditz]] with far more strength than smarts.
* DummiedOut: 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.
** The first Metroid game on the NES had unique sprites for Samus that would have avoided the AmbidextrousSprite trope, but those got replaced with the current sprite the game uses currently.
* DungeonBypass: The Shinespark.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: 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/[[DenialOfDiagonalAttack diagonally]]), and put it straight into NintendoHard territory.
** As for Samus' trademark Varia Suit upgrade, in the original ''Metroid'' it's simply a [[PaletteSwap 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.
* EarthShatteringKaboom: 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''.
* ElaborateUndergroundBase: Arguably, every game features at least one ([[DieHardOnAnX or ARE one]]), though Tourian (both versions) is probably the most classic example.
* EldritchAbomination: Phaaze is a [[GeniusLoci 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 [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot alien parasite ghost]] that can fuck with local space-time and looks a fair bit like something out of the Lovecraft playbook.
* EleventhHourSuperpower: Beginning with ''Super'', most {{Final Boss}}es have a weapon used only against them.
* EmergencyWeapon: The stun pistol in ''Zero Mission''.
* EmergentGameplay: The open-ended nature of the games, especially the earlier ones, lent themselves very effectively to SequenceBreaking, SpeedRunning, low percent completions, and more.
* EndGameRankingScreen: The series grades those who complete the game by their times and how many power-ups they have collected. ''Zero Mission'' has a special note by having different pieces of artwork shown for completing the game with less than 15% of the power-ups collected.
* EpisodeZeroTheBeginning: ''Zero Mission''
* EquipmentBasedProgression
* EternalEngine: Tourian, and most of Fusion.
* EverythingsBetterWithSpinning: Screw Attack.
* EvilIsVisceral: Mother Brain and the Aurora Units are [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin big brains in jars]] that do not look very pretty. [[SubvertedTrope The latter aren't evil on their own though]]. 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.
** Same goes for Dark Samus in the ''Prime'' series: the more beat-up she gets, the more glowy Phazon innards start showing. And then the same thing starts happening to Samus herself in ''Corruption.'' The leviathan insides are visceral too.
* EvilTwin: SA-X. Dark Samus in Prime 2 and Prime 3.
* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: "Choujin-zoku" roughly translates to "bird race". The Chozo are, y'know...
** There's actually more. "Choujin" is "bird people," which is roughly what the Chozo are. However, "choujin" for "bird people" is phonetically the same as "choujin" for "superhuman."
** 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 SpacePirates are... Well, pirates. InSpace.
** Samus' powers aren't safe from this either. The [[SprintShoes Speed Booster]] boosts your speed. The Missile Launcher launches Missiles. The Scan Visor scans things, the Thermal Visor sees heat, the X-Ray Visor sees X-Rays. The Command Visor sends commands.
* ExpandedUniverse: 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.
* {{Faceship}}: Samus Aran's Gunship has the design of her helmet built on it.
* FakeSkill: And not just in SequenceBreaking form either. Glitching Kraid in SuperMetroid for instance, is not a sequence break, but certainly counts.
* FanService: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O69x87ahasA Your reward for finishing the game with 100% completion in most games.]]
** Also, Samus' death scenes in Super Metroid, Metroid Fusion, and Zero Mission in particular show her armor blowing off, leaving her in a skimpy outfit before the screen fades to white.
* TheFederation -- The Galactic Federation.
* FlyAtTheCameraEnding: In ''Super Metroid'' and ''Zero Mission''.
* ForceFieldDoor: 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.
* ForebodingArchitecture
* ForegoneConclusion: 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.]]
** Other M also explains why [[spoiler:Ridley fell apart so easily when you encounter the body in the freezer in Metroid Fusion and the X parasite escapes its body. The last we see Ridley in Other M, it is a dried, gray husk after having its life sucked out of it by the Queen Metroid.]]
* ForMassiveDamage: The traditional way to kill Metroids has been to [[LiterallyShatteredLives freeze them with the Ice Beam and then shatter them with a rocket]].
* FreezeFrameBonus: 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.'''
* FreezeRay: A vital tool of the series, both for its creative uses, and for stopping the titular threat.
* FromASingleCell: 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.
* FungusHumongous: found in a few corridors of Crateria in Super Metroid, yet noticeably absent in Brinstar. Also, the Phazon-irradiated mushrooms in [[MetroidPrime 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.
* GameChanger: ''Metroid: Zero Mission'': Samus destroys Mother Brain and blows up the Space Pirate's base on Zebes, just as she did in the original game. [[spoiler: Then pirate ships ambush her starship and send her crashing back down to the surface, now without a suit, weaponless, and with little hope of escape.]]
* GameMod: Super Metroid has several. Of the complete overhauls of the game, amongst the best are probably Super Metroid Redesign, Golden Dawn, Super Metroid Dependence, Super Metroid Limit, and Metroid Legacy. Other good ones include One Room, T-Metroid, Magma, and Reverse. Of these hacks, Metroid Legacy is by far the easiest, being only negligibly more difficult than the original game (there are a couple of segments that require the use of "glitches" like the mockball and the wall jump, but by and large there is very little trickery required to complete it). Golden Dawn is somewhat more difficult, but still not that difficult. Most of the others are at the very least NintendoHard and often descend gleefully into PlatformHell territory. Redesign, for example, has a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iIYJAtVrv8 segment]] where you are required to go into the toxic regions of Norfair ''without'' the Varia Suit, and must progress rapidly and kill enemies in order to survive. (There is a way to get the Varia Suit before this with SequenceBreaking, but the sequence break is probably even more difficult). Worth special mention is [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Super Metroid Impossible]], a "slight" overhaul of the original game that, thanks to the withholding of crucial items and strategic placement of obstacles, brings it up to KaizoMarioWorld levels of difficulty. It is also worth noting that, while most of these hacks are roughly equal in size to the original game, Redesign is absolutely gigantic, being maybe three times the size of the original game. Redesign is also unique among Super Metroid hacks for significantly altering the original game's physics, which makes playing it a significantly different experience from playing any other Metroid game.
* GeniusBruiser: Samus and Ridley in addition to being twenty different flavors of bad ass. The character page has more.
* GhostShip: Literally, with the Wrecked Ship from ''Super'', with the ghost-boss Phantoon, the GFS Valhalla from ''Prime 3'', and the Bottle Ship from ''[[MetroidOtherM Other M]]'' to a lesser extent. [[spoiler: Though this one is played more straight in the epilogue, when it gets taken over by Phantoon himself.]]
* GoForTheEye: Frequently.
* GottaKillEmAll: An ever-present counter in ''Metroid II'' shows how many Metroids are left to kill. This becomes more disconcerting as the Metroids start to mutate, resulting in a mini-boss encounter with each one. (The 50th and final Metroid is, of course, the dreaded Queen.) Ironically, the game concludes with Samus adopting a Metroid hatchling; rather than snuff out the hated race once and for all ("[[{{Recap/DoctorWhoS12E4GenesisOfTheDaleks}} Have I the right?"]]), Samus takes it under her wing and begins a peaceful climb back to the surface.
* GrapplingHookPistol: Grapple Beam.
* GratuitousJapanese: Maru Mari means something akin to "rolling into a ball". It's the only item in the original Metroid to keep its Japanese name in some translated releases.
* GuideDangIt: HundredPercentCompletion is HARD.
** ''Prime 3'' is the only game in the series to really cut you a break on this. At a certain point in the game, you can launch exploration probes to the various planets you visit. These probes will report back every collectible you have yet to pick up. There are still a handful of items that reside on a derelict ship that you absolutely need to find yourself but otherwise, it is within reason for everyone who plays the game to get 100% without consulting a third party source.
* HailfirePeaks: Practically every zone in Fusion is "X meets EternalEngine". The original and Super had a lot of "UndergroundLevel meets X".
* HalfHumanHybrid: Samus is a [[TouchedByVorlons genetically augmented human]] with Chozo DNA, and then later receives an anti-X "vaccine" made from Metroid cells, which allows her to eat the X as if she were a metroid.
* HappilyAdopted: Samus considers the Chozo her "real" family as much as anything, and they certainly don't skimp on their love for her.
** Fans who'd grown to associate Samus with this trope were understandably peeved when in ''Other M'' Samus refers to Adam as "the only father figure she'd ever known".
* HardLevelsEasyBosses: ''Zero Mission'' has this on Normal. The final boss gets significantly more challenging if [[spoiler:you've got 100% completion]], but by that point, you're so armed to the teeth anyways, it barely matters.
* HasTwoMommies: In the manga, Samus' two primary caretakers are Old Bird and Gray Voice, two presumably male Chozo elders. However, in the games, her younger self's depiction of her "parents" includes a third Chozo never shown in the manga. This may be Platinum Chest.
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: [[spoiler:Samus nearly succumbs to this in the third chapter of the manga. On the planet of Jigrad, she saves a group of slaves from the Space Pirates. When confronted by Samus, the last remaining Space Pirate pleads with her to show mercy. Driven by her memories of her homeworld K-2L being mercilessly razed by the Space Pirates, Samus is about to murder the last Space Pirate in cold blood when the sound of a small girl crying snaps her out of her rage. Shortly thereafter, the small child thanks Samus for saving her, and Samus tells her that she saved her as well from becoming just as much of a merciless killer as the Space Pirates.]]
** [[spoiler:In ''Metroid II'', Samus is charged with the task of eradicating the Metroids once and for all. After destroying the Metroid Queen, Samus finds a newly hatched Metroid. Despite knowing that Metroid is a Chozo word for "ultimate warrior", she still can't bring herself to kill a child.]]
* HeartContainer: Energy Tanks.
* HeelRealization: [[spoiler:The baby Metroid in ''Super'']] has one just before it drains all of Samus' energy when it recognizes who she is.
* HeroicMime: In ''Prime 3,'' the first voice-acted game in the series, she has no voice acting beyond her usual grunts, on the grounds that Samus talking would be "too creepy." In ''Fusion,'' she's a veritable chatterbox, but it's mostly internal monologue. She also does some narration in ''Super''.
** Now she'll be talking in ''Other M,'' which, combined with the fact that she had verbal taunts in ''Brawl,'' seems to suggest she's going the "talking hero" route.
* HeroicSacrifice: Samus almost attempts one in ''Fusion'' [[spoiler:by detonating the self-destruct charges on BS-L to destroy the X-Parasites aboard; herself included. The AI Adam, however, informs her that doing that would be stupid, as it would not destroy the X on Planet [=SR388=], and only serve to destroy the X's greatest obstacle: Samus. A different plan is then created, which destroys all the X in both locations and allows Samus time enough to escape the station.]]
** In OtherM, [[spoiler:Adam Malkovich]], [[spoiler:The Metroid]] in ''Super Metroid''.
** Both of Samus' parents sacrifice themselves as well. Her mother does to save Samus, and her father sacrifices himself blowing up the Space Pirates vessel, along with most of their force. Ridley later taunts Samus by revealing that without a ship, he consumed the bodies of the dead humans to stay alive. Including [[KickTheDog her mother]].
* HeWasRightThereAllAlong: 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.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: 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.
* HopelessBossFight: First fight against Ridley in ''Super''; you can sort of win, as he fumbles the hatchling if you hit him enough times, but he still takes off with it after.
** Not to mention the ''Super Metroid'' FinalBoss, which can only be won [[spoiler:AFTER the Baby Metroid's Heroic Sacrifice]] -- and yes, it's possible to fumble it and LOSE during this fight. And SA-X before ''Metroid Fusion'''s finale. And the Giant Metroid in Super Metroid.
* TheHorde - The Space Pirate Confederation
* HubLevel: The Main Deck in ''Fusion'' and the Temple grounds in ''MetroidPrime 2: Echoes''.
* IAmNotShazam: 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 "Ultimate Warrior" (or something along those lines). Which is [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin pretty much what Samus is]].
* AnIcePerson: 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.
* ImMelting: A particularly brutal and graphic example occurs in Super Metroid, when the mini-boss Crocomire is pushed into a pit of acid. After bobbing up and down a bit trying to get out, it screams at a very high pitch and flesh starts peeling off in gooey streaks until only the skeleton remains.
* InCaseOfBossFightBreakGlass: ... well, how else are you going to [[AttackItsWeakPoint Attack Mother Brain's Brain]]?
* InsectoidAliens: The "[[http://metroid.wikia.com/wiki/Ki-Hunter Ki-Hunter]]" pirates of ''Super Metroid'', ''Fusion'', and ''[[MetroidOtherM Other M]]''. The main space pirates seemed to be too but Prime revealed them to be reptilians in insectoid armor. Zero Mission pirate are not reptilian but still revealed what their [[ExtraEyes heads look like under the helmet.]] The latter design was prominent in Prime 3.
* InSeriesNickname: To space pirates, Samus is TheHunter.
* {{Interquel}}: All of the games released after ''Fusion,'' though their exact placement in the timeline varies.
* InterspeciesAdoption: Samus was raised by the Chozo, who also taught her everything she knows as a bounty hunter.
* IrishNames: 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.
* ItsPersonal: Just read the manga and you'll see that Samus has quite the bone to pick with the Space Pirates, Ridley, and Mother Brain.
* JokerImmunity: Ridley will not stay dead, even if a planet is blown up under his feet.
** [[spoiler: Actually, he will if he was weakened enough. ''Super Metroid'' is his canon death. The next two games in the continuity feature a clone of him, but that clone was killed off after the second game, ''Fusion''.]]
* JustFollowingOrders: Inverted; Samus, a bounty hunter, usually gets orders to the effect of "investigate X" and does everything else under her own steam.
** Taken a step further in ''Fusion'', where disobeying orders is actually part of the plot.
* KillItWithIce: The titular monsters, annoying as hell before you get some weapons effective against them. Though not as much with some of their later forms, the games rarely throw those at you
* LastOfHisKind: ''Super Metroid'' features the last Metroid. Samus herself might even count, given that, although human, she's carrying the DNA of the practically-to-totally extinct Chozo race.
* LateArrivalSpoiler: The ending of ''Super Metroid'' is spoiled in the opening cutscene of ''[[MetroidOtherM Other M]]''. Then again, it's one of the most iconic games in the series, so odds are a new arrival looking up Metroid info has already stumbled across it on a message board or something anyway.
* LatexSpaceSuit: Zero Suit Samus.
* LavaIsBoilingKoolAid: In the original Metroid, lava was a red palette swap of acid.
** While later games make lava a [[ConvectionSchmonvection ''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 [[WaterIsAir liquid as air]], so by the time she's completely protected against lava, she should have no problem at all submerging in it.
* LeftHanging: 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 decade making ''prequels''. Is it a little too much to ask for a game ''about'' this, Nintendo?
* LegoGenetics: Samus is a human being genetically enhanced by Chozo blood. By ''Fusion'', she's also part-Metroid.
* {{Leitmotif}}: Ridley, ever since ''Super'', has his own boss music, a remix of his/Draygon's/Torizo's/the escape theme from Super.
** The SA-X also has its own distinctive theme music.
*** Samus herself, of course, has [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvGrd8jnCdM&feature=related Appearance]].
** The Brinstar Theme has become rather iconic in its own right, despite not necessarily being the main theme of the game.
** [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SguK44fzVLI Morph Ball Acquired!]]
* LethalLavaLand: Present in some form in every Metroid game.
* LeParkour: Samus can do it in every game except Prime, and that may count too because she still has awesome [[CutscenePowerToTheMax cutscene moves.]]
* LivingGasbag: Many of the organisms float this way, including the [=titular=] Metroids.
* LoadBearingBoss: 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...
** The original: Mother Brain. The remake adds Mecha-Ridley.
** ''Prime'': Parasite Queen and Metroid Prime.
** ''Prime 2'': Emperor Ing
** ''Prime 3'': Meta Ridley [[spoiler: and Aurora Unit 313]].
** ''Super'': Mother Brain
** ''Other M'': [[spoiler: Phantoon]]
** ''Fusion'': SA-X
* LoweredMonsterDifficulty: 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 ''Prime'' series, they become progressively less of an actual threat. In ''Prime 2'', they can be beaten with enough firepower from any of your weapons, and in ''Prime 3'', you eventually get the ability to kill them in one shot. [[ParanoiaFuel Until then, though...]]
** Possibly [[JustifiedTrope justified;]] the Metroids in the ''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.
* MalevolentArchitecture
* MeaningfulName: To paraphrase TheOtherWiki, Samus is the female variant of the name Seamus, which is celtic for James and means "One who supplants." Her last name, Aran, is the name of an island. One who supplants an island, ''or'' One who conquers isolated territory by force.
** Perhaps also, one who ''is'' an island, in a metaphorical sense -- one who is isolated, existing and subsisting as an entity unto herself. Samus does pretty much always operate alone, without any outside aid or companionship (except for in ''Other M'' and briefly in the beginning of ''Corruption'').
* MechanisticAlienCulture: The Space Pirates.
* MesACrowd: [[spoiler: The SA-X in ''Fusion''. Since the X parasites multiply asexually, by the time you finally see SA-X die, there are still ''[[OhCrap ten Samus copies running around the space station!]]'' One of the rare cases where this ''isn't'' good for the "me" in question.]]
** Most likely this was intended as ParanoiaFuel, as you never see more than one SA-X at any given time and [[spoiler:You can explore the base all you want and you will never see another SA-X.]]
* MetamorphosisMonster: While on their home planet at least, the Metroids go from floating parasitic jellyfish to beetlelike creatures to giant armored lizards. In an interesting twist, the first stage is not only the most well-known and arguably most dangerous, but while nearly every game has a variant of the jellyfish stage, the later stages have only appeared in a handful of games.
* {{Metroidvania}}: Pretty much [[TropeMaker started]] and [[TropeCodifier codified]] the genre.
* MinusWorld: In the NES original and Game Boy sequel.
* MultipleEndings: The Segmented Endings subtrope, whether based on completion time or [[HundredPercentCompletion percentage]].
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Samus' Metroid extermination campaign caused an explosion in the population of the X Parasites, which the Metroids had been designed to kill. Oops.
* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: Ridley started as a dragon space pirate, and adds more to this title in the Prime games, culminating in him being a [[UpToEleven mutant zombie cyborg dragon space pirate]].
** In ''Super'', there are two gray Space Pirates that fight by using martial arts, which were called "Ninja Pirates" by fans.
* NintendoHard: The original game (given the trope is named after the NES having abusively difficult games, not surprising). Geting 100% without a [[GuideDangIt guide]] is hard, doing that while beating it in under [[SpeedRun 2 hours]] is even harder.
** The other games are easier due to gameplay refinements. But if this is you first time playing any particular game, be you a veteran or a newcomer, you WILL die at least 20 times. Now try and get 100% under 2 hours without dying on hard mode!
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Samus to Mother Brain during the mother of all MamaBear moments at the end of ''Super Metroid''. After what Mother Brain did, she completely deserved it.
* NoobBridge: The TropeNamer 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.
* NoTranshumanismAllowed: One of the rare and surprising aversions: not only are cybernetics commonplace and carry no notable social stigma, Samus herself is a [[HalfHumanHybrid transgenic lifeform]], with her adoptive Chozo caretakers having grafted their species' DNA onto her own to increase her adaptability to the harsh environment of [[DeathWorld 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 [[MetroidPrime Phazon]]...
** Not to mention, [[spoiler:Adam (and many other political and scientific figures) regularly underwent BrainUploading]].
* OminousLatinChanting: Lower Norfair... [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome and it's awesome.]]
* OneHitPolykill: The plasma beam works this way.
* [[OneManArmy One Woman Army]]: The Galactic Federation staged an all-out attack on the Space Pirate base on Zebes. [[OneRiotOneRanger When that didn't work, they sent Samus.]]
* OpeningTheSandbox: ''Fusion'' is the most linear game in the series yet, and thus has very few opportunities to let you backtrack to earlier sectors on your own until the endgame.
* OptionalStealth: In ''Zero Mission'', when you reach the Zero Suit sequence, you have the option of using complete stealth if you have the right skills. Being spotted only affects the background music for the rest of the sequence (you can't kill enemies, only briefly stun them).
* PaletteSwap
* PersonalSpaceInvader: The titular Metroids, many other creatures to lesser degrees.
* PinballSpinoff: Metroid Prime Pinball.
* ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything: Arguably the Space Pirates, who often are found in lairs breeding bioweapons but rarely found actually committing piracy.
** Justified in that Samus is usually sent in to pirate lairs post-piracy. You can see the pirates in action in the opening sequence of Super Metroid, when Ridley pirates the last metroid from the research station. [[AddedAlliterativeAppeal Presumably, pangalactic police prevent protracted piratical processes,]] only summoning up their favourite bounty hunter to go in and blow up the place when they track down the actual lair -- which would probably be largely immune to a head-on raid by federation forces.
** The Pirates did quite a bit of pirating in ''Prime 3: Corruption,'' in which they hijacked an entire Federation battleship (GFS ''Valhalla''), murdered its crew, and stole its onboard Aurora Unit. Later, they tried to pull the same trick against the GFS ''Olympus.'' They didn't count on The Hunter being aboard...
* PlugNPlayTechnology: Samus' suit is described to be "modular", which means it can also identify other technologies and adapt them into itself. The suit is able to form new abilities just by absorbing "data" acquired from rooms and the DNA of the X parasites in Fusion.
** Subverted in ''Zero Mission'', where you find a few upgrades incompatible with your suit. [[spoiler:You need the Fully-Powered Suit to use them.]]
* PointOfNoReturn: Once you've saved at the second save point in Tourian in ''Super Metroid'', you can never go back. [[GuideDangIt You're never told this]].
** In Metroid Fusion, once you go up to the main deck to alter the station's trajectory, every possible route back to the various sectors is sealed off. Your only option left is to finish the game. Except in NewGamePlus, which does not seal off the sectors until the final evacuation countdown.
* PosthumousCharacter: Adam Malkovich is technically this, although ''Fusion'' puts an odd spin on it. ''Other M'', which takes place before ''Fusion'', shows him before his death.
* PowerCrystal: The ''Literature/{{Lensman}}''-like hand crystal on the back of her left hand. Originally just a visual effect, ''Zero Mission'' made it integral to use of the Power Grip, and the first Prime game made it the source of the Grapple lasso.
* PoweredArmor: Samus' suit.
* PuzzleBoss: Many, including Crocomire.
* PuzzlePan
* RaisedByNatives: Samus.
* RasputinianDeath: Crocomire in ''Super Metroid''.
* RecurringBoss: SA-X in Fusion, though it's not really a boss until near the end of the game. Ridley may be a better example, considering he appears in almost every game, twice in ''Super'' and ''Corruption.'' Also, [[spoiler:The final boss of Metroid Prime, comes back as Dark Samus for the second and third games of the trilogy]].
* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: In the manga, Samus' pet Ponchi appears to be about half squirrel, half rabbit, and ''all'' adorable. Also, the Etecoons [[hottip:*:(monkey-koala hybrids)]] and the Dachoras [[hottip:*:ostrich-style creatures]] in ''Super'' and ''Fusion''. Maybe the "little birdie" of Other M as well.
* RoarBeforeBeating: Some of the bosses do this.
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: In Super Metroid.
** Revenge on the space pirates could be seen as one of Samus' main motivations, especially against [[ArchEnemy Ridley]], who personally killed her mother right in front of her when she was four years old.
** The last bits of Metroid: Zero Mission [[spoiler:The defeat of Mother Brain is spoiled by space pirates shooting you down. And your suit is lost. Then you get a better one which is followed by the annihilation of every Space Pirate on the Mothership.]]
* RunDontWalk: ''Super'' has a run button, which is even the basis for the infamous [[http://metroid.wikia.com/wiki/A_Bridge_Too_Far "n00b bridge"]].
* SandIsWater: In Maridia, when the Gravity Suit is acquired, water no longer renders Samus sluggish. However, flowing sand pits underwater still slow her down.
* SavageSetpiece: Multiple non-hostile indigenous creatures will turn into this if you attack them.
* SavePoint: The second type is a common sight in the series starting with the second game; the first game used passwords instead. With the exception of Chozodia save points in ''Zero Mission'' and Samus's [[CoolStarship gunship]], they never refill health. The Save Stations in the ''Prime'' series, however, save and heal.
* SceneryGorn: Old Tourian in ''Super'' and post-Mother Brain ''Zero Mission'', [[spoiler:Sector 5 (ARC)]] in ''Metroid Fusion''.
* SchematizedProp: Many of the more recent games have taken up this trope, most notably using a Power Suit schematic as the item/weapon status screen (''Zero Mission'', ''Prime'', ''Prime 3'', ''Super'', ''Fusion''; the schematized suit was also seen in the instruction manual for ''Metroid II'').
* ScifiWritersHaveNoSenseOfScale: Very few of Samus's weapons have numbers behind them, but those that do are absurdly powerful -- like "fully automatic nuclear explosion launcher" powerful.
* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: In the 3rd chapter of the manga, Samus - a newly recruited Galactic Federation Police Officer - and two fellow officers Mauk and Kreatz, are sent to planet of Jigrad on a recon mission to monitor the Space Pirates' activities there. Finding the Pirates are using human children as slave labor, Samus jumps in and massacres the Pirates before they can execute a child for being "unfit" for labor instead of reporting the find and waiting for orders. She and her team are later scolded by [[DaChief Chief Hardy]], but Samus is praised by the Jigradian people for her help.
* SeaMonster: The boss Serris is a sea serpent with SuperSpeed. Before Serris, there was ''Super'' miniboss Botwoon, who was a serpent like Serris who sped up as he took damage, and could spit acid spread-shots. Also Draygon, the boss of Maridia.
* SequelHook: ''Fusion'' sure seemed to leave one hell of a sequel hook, what with [[spoiler:Samus having ''illegally blown up a Federation outpost'' and become something way other than human. Sure, Samus had her reasons, but all the implications in-game are that the Fed will be ''pissed as shit'' with her now.]]
** A sequel on the DS with 2-D gameplay, Metroid Dread, was supposed to have been shown at {{E3}} 2006, but was mysteriously dropped. Potentially hinted at again in Corruption, however.
* SequenceBreaking: the Metroid fandom coined this term from their extensive experience with this trope.
* ShapeShifterBaggage: Samus herself with the morph ball but the shape shifting is not actually the worst thing about it(the issue of vision is) nor is it the most glaring example, that goes to the X parasites. They not only multiply impossibly fast but they can take on new, often large, forms nearly instantly.
* SharkTunnel: These are a common feature, starting with the tunnel between Brinstar and Maridia in ''Super Metroid'', to 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.
* [[HesBack She's Back]]: In ''Zero Mission''. [[spoiler:Getting shot down and losing your Power Suit]]? Running and hiding from just about everything? [[spoiler:A Chozo Trial boss fight]], then The Hunter, who sends waves of terror throughout the Space Pirate legions, is reborn, more powerful than ever.
* ShiftingSandLand: Sector 3 - PYR.
** There's also the Agon Wastes in ''Echoes'' and the Experimental Simulated Desert in ''Other M''.
* ShoutOut: Several to the ''Franchise/{{Alien}}'' franchise. Ridley is named after director Ridley Scott, and the opening shot of ''Prime'' is almost identical to that of the first film. Even the title logos have similarities (ALIEN - メトロイド).
** A non-enemy creature in ''Super Metroid'' has a turtle like shell that flies around while spinning. Likely a nod to {{Gamera}}. Or possibly Bowser. Its offspring look strikingly similar to [[SuperMarioBros Buzzy Beetles]].
** A blink-and-you'll-miss-it example is the name of the planet that houses one Federation shipyard, where the GFS Olympus and Samus' gunship (the one used in ''Prime 2''; she goes through gunships like other people go through tissues) were built: [[{{Film/Alien 3}} Aliehs III]].
** And then there's the fact that, as of ''Super Metroid'', Samus can [[GetterRobo SHIIIIINESPAAAAAAAARK]]!
** Houston from the ''Super Metroid'' Comic in ''Nintendo Power'' seems to refer to Captain Dallas from the first ''Film/{{Alien}}'' film.
** In-universe example: [[spoiler:The final boss fight of Fusion. You get reduced to 1HP in a single swing (no matter your remaining health prior to this), and then someone shows up to save your hide. That creature gets killed, Samus gets a new upgrade (including a new beam), and you beat the unholy tar out of whatever you were fighting. There are some discrepancies, but the similarities to ''Super Metroid'' are obvious.]]
** The original Famicom Disk System version of the first game's Escape theme and subsequent arrangements in future games don't have it, but the NES version features a slight expansion that includes [[RecurringRiff a recurring six-note melody]] from the ''KidIcarus'' soundtrack.
** [[MichaelJackson Moonwalking]] in Super Metroid.
** Outside the actual series, in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, one of Zero Suit Samus' air-attacks is the Inazuma Kick from the Gunbuster-series.
** In the Wanpakku manga[=/=]strategy guide for the original game, there's a sequence where Samus comes across a door for the first time, but doesn't know how to open it. She tries saying "OpenSesame!", followed by "Bamble, bomble, bambopp!" and "Pastel, popple, poppinpa!". (Neither of them worked.) The latter two phrases are incantations from MagicalGirl shows (specifically ''Anime/MagicalAngelCreamyMami'' and ''Anime/MagicalIdolPastelYumi'', respectfully).
* SlippySlideyIceWorld: Sector 5 - ARC. There's also the Cryosphere in ''Other M'' and the Phendrana Drifts in ''Prime''.
* SoleSurvivor: Samus, twice over: first when the K-2L colony was slaughtered by the Space Pirates, and again when the Space Pirates, under Mother Brain's direction, invaded Zebes and killed the remaining Chozo. Well, on Zebes, anyway. And then there's the last remaining Metroid from ''Metroid II''.
** The only Space Pirate who actually survived ''Super Metroid'' [[spoiler: without being cloned or remade was Phantoon.]]
* SomethingCompletelyDifferent: ''Metroid Prime Pinball'' qualifies.
* SomethingOnlyTheyWouldSay: How Samus discovers the identity of her AI CO in ''Metroid Fusion''.
** Many fans realized what the mysterious trailer for ''Other M'' was as soon as Adam said "Any objections, lady?" Prior to this, it was intentionally unclear what the game in question was.
* SpacePirates: The primary antagonists for most of the series; only three games didn't have them as the main attackers, and in two of the three, they made cameo appearances anyways.
* SpaceMarines: In Prime. Space Army in [[MetroidOtherM Other M]]. Both are [[BadassArmy okay]], just not as good as Samus.
** Samus herself had once been a Space Marine when she was serving under Commander Adam Malkovitch.
* SpeedRun: 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.
* SprintShoes: Speed Booster.
* StarFishAliens: The main ones are X Parasites, the Ing, and Metroids, but others tend to pop up.
* StatuesqueStunner: Samus.
* StealthBasedMission: Infiltrating the Space Pirate Mother Ship [[spoiler:without your suit]] in ''Zero Mission''.
* SteamVentObstacle: 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.
* SubBoss: ''Return of Samus'' is the only game that doesn't have at least one, if tougher Metroids don't qualify.
* SuddenlyVoiced: In ''[[SuperSmashBros Brawl]]'', Samus finally spoke her taunts. However, they sounded rather... [[FetishFuel odd]]. In ''Other M'', she speaks for the first time in her own series.
* SuicidalOverconfidence: The first few free-floating X Parasites encountered in ''Fusion'' will attempt to infect Samus again, not knowing she's now part-Metroid and can eat them on contact. They learn to avoid her quickly, but it takes another lesson for the cold X Parasites after Samus regains the Varia suit.
* SuperweaponSurprise: 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 ''[[OneManArmy Samus Aran]].''
*** And there used to be many more just like her (albeit Chozo). Samus is referred to as the first "Chozo" in many generations to choose the path of the warrior.
* SurvivalHorror: ''Metroid Fusion'' will never be confused with ''SilentHill2'', but the claustrophobic environment, the strictly linear gameplay, the profusion of locked doors, and the relentless pursuit by an invincible enemy give the two games an uncanny resemblance.
* SuspiciousVideogameGenerosity: If there is a save station -- and possibly recharge room -- next to a huge room, expect a boss to be nearby...
* SwissArmyWeapon: Samus' cannon shoots various beams, including power, ice, plasma, and wave, and also missiles. The whole power suit kind of qualifies.
* SympathyForTheDevil: As the series goes on, you realize the Metroids aren't so bad -- this culminates with Samus becoming part-Metroid in ''Fusion.''
** In Other M, [[spoiler:MB when you know her past and the reason of her rampage.]]
* TechnoWreckage: The Wrecked Ship in Super Metroid.
* TempleOfDoom: Chozodia.
* ThemeMusicPowerUp: This occurs in every Metroid, but perhaps the most gratifying moment is in ''Zero Mission'' when, after running for your life from Space Pirates with nothing but your [[EmergencyWeapon Emergency Pistol]] and defeating the Chozo Ghost, Samus' unknown items transform into the Plasma Beam, Gravity Suit, and Space Jump. At this point, you can finally kill the Space Pirates... with ease.
* [[TheFederation The Galactic Federation]]
* TomatoSurprise: SamusIsAGirl: [[TropeNamer Duh.]]
* TookALevelInBadass: In ''Super Metroid'', Samus' surrogate Metroid child returns. [[spoiler:It's gone from tiny to around four times as big as Samus. It later holds off Mother Brain.]]
** In most games, the Ice Beam is a useful weapon, but not that powerful. In Metroid Fusion, Samus develops a weakness to cold and loses the Ice Beam. It becomes a weapon of pure murder when used against her, and [[spoiler:it's the last weapon she gets in the game.]]
* TraumaInducedAmnesia: [[spoiler:Happens to Samus in the manga. The trauma of watching her homeworld being destroyed and watching her parents die is essentially forgotten until Ridley forces Samus to remember what happened in their first encounter many years later. After remembering the event, Samus suffers a horrendous {{Heroic BSOD}} and begs her comrades to kill her.]]
* TurtlePower -- The oft-forgotten and turtle-like [[http://metroid.wikia.com/wiki/Tatori Tatori]] and Tatori, Jr. creatures in Maridia are non-hostile toward Samus; Tatori even lets Samus stand on top of it to access an [[HeartContainer Energy Tank]] and a Missile Expansion.
* TheUndead: Coverns (Three skulls stuck together), Phantoon (Huge malevolent spirit allied with the Pirates), Chozo Ghosts, Dark Troopers, and Skeleton Crocomire.
* UndergroundLevel: 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.
* UnexpectedGameplayChange: Stealth after Samus loses her suit in ''Zero Mission''.
* UniqueEnemy: Used frequently beginning with the 16-bit installments, especially Super Metroid.
* UrbanLegendOfZelda: Many minor ones, but here are some of the most major:
** The belief that the infamous [[ClassicCheatCode Justin Bailey]] code had an actual meaning, instead of being just a random result of password calculations.
** Replica Justin Bailey codes in ''Metroid II'' and ''Super Metroid''. This eventually resulted in fan-made {{Game Mod}}s in honor of the fruitless searching.
* TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon: The FinalBoss is always in an impressive location:
** The original puts Samus in [[spoiler:Mother Brain's subterranean lair, where you fight the Metroids for the first time.]]
** ''Metroid II'' has [[spoiler:the nest of the Metroid Queen.]]
** ''Super Metroid'' takes us [[spoiler:even deeper into planet Zebes, to fight Mother Brain again.]]
** ''Fusion'' ends things [[spoiler:WhereItAllBegan: the final boss is faced in the docking bay.]]
** ''Prime'' ends in [[spoiler:an impact crater from a Phazon meteor.]]
** ''Zero Mission'' has Samus infiltrate [[spoiler:the pirate mothership.]]
** ''Echoes'' finishes up in [[spoiler:the collapsing, Phazon-filled gateway of the Sky Temple -- the holy structure of the Ing.]]
** ''Hunters'' gives us [[spoiler:the [[TailorMadePrison Oubliette]], a ship constructed for one purpose: to house an EldritchAbomination.]]
** 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. At the end of the epilogue, Phantoon is fought in a giant, wide open room with glass Phantoon attacks from.]]
* VictorGainsLosersPowers:
** Samus in ''Metroid Fusion'' had all [[PowerCopying 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.
** ''MetroidPrime 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.
** The Phazon Suit from the Omega Pirate in the first Prime. ''Metroid Prime 3'' has Samus gain the Ice Missiles, Plasma Beam, Grapple Voltage, and all the Phazon upgrades this way.
* VideoGameRemake: ''Zero Mission''.
** A dedicated fan is remaking Metroid 2, but with an engine similar to that found in Fusion and Zero Mission. Curiously enough, is named [[http://metroid2remake.blogspot.com.br/ Another Metroid 2 Remake]]. So was there a first one?
* VillainBasedFranchise: ''Fusion'' more or less {{Invert|edTrope}}s this, giving Samus herself Metroid-DNA.
* WallJump: Starting with ''Super Metroid'', Samus quickly became one of the most notable employers of this technique. It also is the primary tool of sequence breakers.
** ''Prime 2'' was the first game that explicitly informed the player that this was one of Samus' abilities; in all previous games, it was a secret, and admittedly optional, technique.
* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: Averted in Metroid II. Samus couldn't bring herself to kill a child, even if said child was a parasitic monster and a potential threat to the galaxy. It certainly helped matters that she felt an attachment to the creature.
* WolverinePublicity: The Varia Suit is used in almost all of the series' covers and promotional images, even though it's typically only the middle of three suits.
* WombLevel: The innards of the Leviathans in ''Prime 3'', though that's more of a case of 'Womb Boss Chamber'. Phaaze is a living planet, too, though only a few parts of what we see of Phaaze is definitely organic.
** The Impact Crater in ''Prime'' and a couple of the rooms in Red Brinstar in ''Super'' also qualify.
* YouDontLookLikeYou: Samus suffered this problem until about ''Metroid Zero Mission.'' She was usually a blonde -- except when her hair was brown, green, or [[DarkSkinnedRedhead Dark Skinned Purple]] -- and her various facial features and overall style of rendering fluctuated. However, once ''Zero Mission/Prime 2'' hit, her appearance seemed to standardize. ''Fusion'' could be explained by her having surgery.
** Her armor also changed drastically between Metroid 1 and 2, and all flashbacks to the first game depict the redesigned armor. It got a further redesign in MetroidOtherM, which is also depicted in flashbacks to Metroid 2 and SuperMetroid.
* YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle: You've defeated [[BigBad 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 [[UnexpectedGameplayChange 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 TheEighties. 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.
* ZipMode: 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.
* ZombieApocalypse: 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.
----
-->''See you next mission''
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* {{Foreshadowing}}: Towards the end of Fusion, [[spoiler:The Adam AI]] mocks Samus her constant idolization of Adam and how she never once questioned his orders, even when it put her life in danger. Guess what one of the main criticisms of ''Other M'' is.

* AnachronicOrder: The chronology is offically ''Metroid''/''Zero Mission'', the ''Prime'' series, ''Metroid II'', ''Super Metroid'', ''Other M'', and ''Fusion''.