History VideoGame / SuperMetroid

* UncommonTime: Mother Brain and Ridley's boss themes are both in 7/4.

* HighVoltageDeath: This is the "easy" way to defeat Phantoom in Super Metroid, Samus touches current while Phantoom is touching her; and then gain VictoryByEndurance while both are electrified.

* BeamSpam: The Spazer Beam, which isn't short for "Spam Laser", but should be.

* BeamSpam: The Spazer Beam, which is either short for "Spam Laser" or should be.

* BewareMyStingerTail: This is the first game where Ridley demonstrated his deadly, serrated tail with a spaded stinger. It actually does more damage to you than anything else Ridley can hit you with.

* NoobBridge: The TropeNamer is the infamous collapsing bridge in Brinstar, where the game requires a mechanic that has never come up before (dashing) to cross a bridge.

** this ends up being extremely important in metroid fusion, as the animals return in that game and [[spoiler: team up with adam to save samus from almost certain death.]]

* SpecialAttack: These abilities are not mentioned anywhere in the manual and, unlike the Wall Jump or Shinespark, aren't taught during the course of gameplay, either.

*** This technique IS demonstrated if you view the game's AttractMode.

Nostalgic fans of this game can still enjoy this game (and the original NES game, "Metroid") by purchasing it through a Wii and its Virtual Console shop. For gameplay, a Classic Controller is needed.

[[quoteright:256:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/supermetroidtitlescreen_6409.png]]

* EleventhHourSuperpower: In the final battle against Mother Brain [[spoiler: Thanks to the Metroid's sacrifice.]]

* LastOfItsKind: "The Baby" is the last Metroid (at least until the Space Pirates capture it.) [[spoiler:And until ''Fusion''...)]]

* FreezeFrameBonus: Just before Zebes blows up, if you chose to save the green "animals", you will see a tiny speck of light leaving Zebes before the planet blows.

''Super Metroid'' was the third game in the ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'' series and the antepenultimate game in the timeline (taking place before ''VideoGame/MetroidOtherM'' and immediately following the events of ''VideoGame/{{Metroid 2}}''). It was released for the SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem in 1994 and later released on the VirtualConsole a few times in the 2000's.

* AbilityRequiredToProceed: You need various abilities and equipment to proceed, as par for the course of a {{Metroidvania}}-style game, but there's one point where it's combined with SomeDexterityRequired: if you wind up in the section where the Etecoons teach you the WallJump, you ''must'' become at least familiar with the ability to escape. This isn't ''too'' difficult, but it's notably one of the few places where good control and execution is ''necessary'' to advance.

* BewareMyStingerTail: This is the first game where Ridley demonstrated his deadly, serrated tail with a spaded stinger.

* DownTheDrain: Maridia is completely submerged. Though, unlike the ones [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda from that other series]], it avoids being ThatOneLevel.

** Unlike many of the games, Samus's ArmCannon retains each and every upgrade she gets. So by the end of the game, the Charge Beam, Spazer, Wave Beam, Ice Beam, and Plasma Beam combine into one single, powerful weapon.

** In Tourian, you will enter a room filled with grayed-out enemies that crumble to dust if touched or shot. In the very next room, you become trapped with invulnerable enemies. In the next second, you find out what happened to the others.
** Shortly after the above, [[spoiler:after the "Super" Metroid finishes feeding on the enemies, it then attacks Samus. There is nothing she can do to prevent this, and it will drain every last unit of energy from her--except one. Then, it will back off, hovering, and whimpering.]]

* HeroicSecondWind: Samus manages to get one during the final battle after a...

* InterspeciesFriendship: Samus can befriend creatures who teach her to WallJump and use the speed booster. They survive [[EarthShatteringKaboom through the ending]], and show up again in ''VideoGame/MetroidFusion''.

* NoobBridge: The TropeNamer is the infamous collapsing bridge in Brinstar, where the game requires a mechanic that has never come up before (running) to cross a bridge.

** When first landing on Zebes, you will backtrack the last part of the game, where you fought Mother Brain and escaped the time bomb.

** The Shinespark will rocket you in a single direction until you hit something.

* OminousLatinChanting: Well as close as the SNES sound chip could do;

* QuicksandSucks: Fortunately the power suit protects Samus from drowning.

** The first being Samus's wall jump mechanic. When mastered, [[GameBreaker it allows her to rapidly scale vertical walls and visit game sections early without the necessary upgrades.]]
** The [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYtjVlq-uNo "mock ball"]] (aka, the "mach ball") trick allows Samus to move at running speed while in Morphball form, allowing her to reach certain areas without needing the Speed Booster. There are numerous walkthroughs and speedruns on youtube that [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRzGoAdNbYs show how]] both tricks can be done.

* ShockAndAwe: Samus can shoot open the turrets mounted on Draygon's boss room and then allow herself to be grabbed so that she can electrocute him by latching on to the exposed wiring with he grapple beam.

* ShouldersOfDoom / GiantPoofySleeves: This was the first game to feature the Varia suit in its iconic form, in that it combines both the shape from ''Metroid II'' and the colour scheme from the first game.

** Spin Jump Attack, which allows Samus to hurt enemies if she spin jumps while the Charge Beam is fully stocked.
** Five-Bomb Drop, which does ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin if Samus morphs into a ball while the Charge Beam is held, then released.
** Crystal Flash, which allows Samus to recharge her energy in a pinch. Also counts as a LimitBreak, since it can only done under very specific conditions and only with 50 units of health remaining.
** Each beam has a special maneuver which usually creates some sort of SphereOfPower or effect that surrounds her and damages enemies. They're all done the same way, but each has a different effect. Also doubles as a {{Mutually Exclusive Powerup|s}}, because the other beams must be turned off for the specifically chosen one to work.

** Acquiring the Charge Beam allows Samus to damage weak enemies by jumping into them while the beam is charged.
** Running into most enemies while using the Speed Booster in any capacity will kill them.

* VideogameCaringPotential: If you choose to, you can rescue Dachuna and the Etecoons during the final destruct sequence. (''Fusion'' reveals that this is canon, even if you choose not to.)

* {{Zeerust}}: The Wrecked Ship is similar to something one would find in old sci-fi movies--especially the design of he walking bipedal robots.

* UnexpectedlyRealisticGameplay: Shortly after defeating Crocomire, the player runs into a platform which ramps upward, a long pit and blocks that can only be broken by speed boost. Did you know you could use SuperSpeed to create a long jump? Well, you do now!

* AlwaysABiggerFish: In Tourian, Samus runs across a room where several invulnerable enemies lay in wait for her--only to be promptly attacked and sucked dry by a Metroid.
* AmericanKirbyIsHardcore: Inverted. While the Western SNES box arts all used the same (somewhat cartoonish) image of Samus blasting Ridley, the Japanese Famicom box art featured a much more dramatic image of Ridley and Kraid towering over Samus, who's falling backwards over a cliff and desperately charging a shot.

* ShouldersOfDoom: This was the first game to feature the Varia suit in its iconic form (carrying the shape over from ''Metroid II'' and retaining the colour scheme from the first game).

* DownTheDrain: Maridia is completely submerged. Though, unlike the ones [[TheLegendOfZelda from that other series]], it avoids being ThatOneLevel.

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