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AlexMax
04-11-2002, 04:51 PM
As some of you know, Super Metriod is a very open ended game with a foruc on exploration and the sort of gameplay that says 'Well, you can't go here without going here, here and here first".

And as you also know, Super Metroid also give you a time at the end of your mission showing how many items you collected (percent) and how fast you beat it.

However, due to the open-ended-ness of the game structure, and the aspects of the items given you, it is now considered a challenge to try and beat the game in record time. It's plausible. It's possible. The record so far is around 1 hour 10 min with 100% items, far less with less than 100%. People record their runs with ZSNES and Super Metroid so other people can see their mind blowing escapade.

So, this thread was created to have two purposes.

First of all, what is your record time (and with what percentage of items) for Super Metriod?

Second of all, what are some shortcuts in the game that you can find?

Shortcuts usually require 3 tricky skills, in order of trickiness.

1. The ultra jump: This can only be done after you get the speed booster. First of all, speed bost down a lond straightaway. Wait until Samus turns blue. Next, crouch in the middle of your dash. Now by pressing left or right, you can horizontal hyper jump , by jumping and quickly pressing R or L you can diagonal ultra jump, and jumping or pressing up does a vertical ultra jump. It takes energy for every moment you're in the air, and if you don't have enough, it disengages. However, some AWESOME stunts can be performed with it.

2. The wall jump. This is demonstrated in a part of brainstar by some funny looking creatures, and is actually quite difficult. First of all, your jump MUST be a spining jump, otherwise, you won't be able to do it. Now, you have to spin jump into the wall, barely tap it, hjt jump twice while changing directions on the D-pad. This is a very crude description of it, and

3. The bomb jump. Not even I have pulled one of these off. Theoretically, you can place bombs and be able to go as high as you want vertically by bouncing off your own explosions. Very tricky and requires learned and percicse timing. Only needed in very few, if any places, in a speed run, and a very fast time can be gotten without it

As for my time, it's somewhere around 3 hours, 40 minutes, but that was before I perfected the wall jump.

As for my shortcuts... (Note that none of these require an ULTRA jump, so if you see something that describes jumping from a speed boost, assume a running jump (with the extra momentum of the boost).

* You can get the spazer beam before the jump boots by wall jumping the passage you normally need the high jump boots to get up. One should get you partway in the secret, another will get you all the way up.

* Right after defeating the crocomire, you don't need the grappling beam to get the energy tank. Just use your speed booster and jump when you get to the edge of the lava. When you are coming down, wall jump up the ledge that the tank is on, and it's yours. After that, you should have enough energy to jump into the lava and hop back to shore.

* When you defeat the Corcomire and head right, you can get your first power bombs by starting in the room to the left of the Crocomire. Drop down the the lower floor of the lair, and shoot the bugs that are coming out of the hole. Now goi all the way to the right (not through the door), and dash left, jumping around the bug hole. When you get to the apex of your jump (if you timed it right on the ground) you can wall jump up that tiny cliff that the red door is standing on and go in and claim your first set of power bombs.

* There is a room somewhere in Nofair that is a long vertical shaft that connects to a room to the right through two different enterences. I think go through it on the path from the bubbly green room in Nofair to the Speed Boost. The room to the right (which is the room I will be describing from now on), when viewed from the bottom is a barron stretch of land, with a view of a bed of spikes off to the right. Enter this room through the upper enterence. Jump across the platforms and open the gate. Now, start at the very left edge of the platform, dash right, and jump at the very last possible second. When you hit the opposite wall, wall jump up the cliff face to get to the door and get your well deserved wave beam. Now with this, you can get to the Crocomire without having to go back up to the top of Nofair by finding a blue one way door near the green bubble room, concealed by two levels of breakable bricks, and hitting the blue gate.

Note that you don't NEED the speed boost to get the wave beam, but it makes it a lot less painful.

* This is my crown jewel. You won't normally do this if you are going for a major speed run, but if you ever find yourself in Criteria in the screen with your ship and you have the speed booster, try this. Break all the bricks in the stage with a speed boost, and start all the way at the green door at the right hand side of the stage. Now, speed boost, and jump right before you get to your ship. You should go up over your ship, and onto a rockface on the other side. Now, this part is kinda tricky...You should have the power bombs by now, so if you do, lay in a crevace while in a ball, and immediatly after you lay is, go normal and try and climb further up the rockface. The super bombs should reveal a passage in the flat section of rock that was above you. Now go in the passage and you can get a energy tank and two sets of missles if you know what you are doing. (Use a super bomb to break the huge bricks) It is possible to open this place up WITHOUT super bombs, but it very hard to even open it, and even harder to go through the section beyond.

Daarkseid
04-11-2002, 05:03 PM
Most of the tricks you mentioned were ones I came up with independantly when I was obsessively playing Super Metroid to get the best item percentage and time. My best score has come to 100% items in 1 hour and 50 minutes.

I may get the Super Metroid rom now and playing it on ZSNES with my gamepad to see how well I can copy my feat with the slightly flaky control pad.

vegeta1215
04-11-2002, 05:21 PM
My best time is like 4 hours something, but with only 75% :( It was my first time through, and I didn't know that I shouldn't have saved in Tourian. So now that saved game is pretty much for when I wanna see the ending since I can't go back and get any items (Damn silver doors!)

I'll probably play through it again soon, maybe this summer, but I don't wanna rush. I just wanna get 100% and enjoy the game.

MottZilla
04-11-2002, 05:26 PM
I don't usually care about getting 100% items. Just fast times. My record, I don't know. It's been so long.

jman2050
04-11-2002, 07:18 PM
My fastest was about 3:30 with 100% items. Oh, and AlexMax, there is actually a way to get the power bombs way earlier than you specified:

- Once you reach the long red vertical section in Brinstar for the first time (you know, the one where you usually have to go all the way down, to the right to get the spazer/go to Norfair). You'll notice a ledge above you that you can't get too because the high jump boots are required. Well, with the wall jump you can jump off the side of the ledge and move your way up. Then you'll reach the narrow part of the vertical section, with four of those flying bug things. This part is tricky. First, use super missiles to destroy all the bug things (trust me, it will make the following a whole lot easier). Now, wall jump up until you reach the area whre you have to shoot the block in the middle to get through. Shoot that area and then fall onto the ledge again. Now quickly wall jump yoour way again and time your last jump so that you will end up in the opening. Then wall jump off the side of the ledge. All this before the block regenerates itself. Now continue to the right (which will be hard without the varia suit or extra energy tanks) and then follow the usual steps to get the power bomb in that area.

Pretty neat, huh :D .

MasterSwordUltima
04-11-2002, 08:02 PM
When doing the super jump or whatever, all's you do is start running so Samus is blue, then stop, and press the jump button. But did you know, that if you hold down the left or right button right after you press the jump button, she'll charge in that direction? Helped me a lotta times!

jman2050
04-11-2002, 08:04 PM
better yet, by pressing the diagonal buttons, she can jump in those directions too, giving you more versatility.

Dart Zaidyer
04-11-2002, 09:02 PM
I'm a walljump MASTER, and recently I figured out the Bomb Jump. And Ultra Jumps can be used in unlikely places.

-For the Bomb Jump, you have to time it just right. Jump in the air, roll into a ball, lay a bomb, and use the rest of your momentum to make sure you land on the explosion. I can do this even without Hi Jump boots, y'know.
Anyway, as the first bomb is exploding, lay another one in it's place. Continue to lay new bombs as you're propelled by the exploding ones and you'll eventually gain altitude.

-In Crateria, on your way to Wrecked Ship, swing by your starship and Ultra Jump all the way up to the upper right corner of the area. You should land on a long, thin platform with an orange door at the end. Go inside, grab the goodies, and then open the door to leave. THEN, Speed Booster your way out and you should go sonic blue before you run off the platform. Quickly duck, then fall to the platform below, and then Ultra Jump left. This will clear a direct path to the secret in the cliff on the other side.
Additionally, when you've done that, open the door, then turn around re-energize yourself at the starship. Do the process again, and you'll fly straight through the door and into long corridor, blasting through blocks and enemies real quick. =)

Daarkseid
04-11-2002, 09:08 PM
I mastered both the bomb jump and the wall jump. I had to, to get the time I've gotten, although the bomb jump is not as useful as the wall jump(there are so many items you can get ahead of schedule using the wall jump).

Mak-X
04-11-2002, 11:05 PM
It's been so long since I played Super Metroid last when I bought it used from Funcoland. Before then I had rented and beaten the game. I think I've gotten between 3-4 hours because the best ending I've gotten is where some of Samus' suit is taken off and she's wearing a mask/helmet. I usually beat the game with 75% I think. I've never tried to get everything in the game. I could never get that missle tank in the first part of the water area where its stuck in a wall and you can use the super jump.

I have a video tape from Nintendo Power called "10 Greatest Video Game Endings" that has a bunch of endings from SNES games, including Super Metroid. It's neat to watch because it starts from the last save point, goes to the fight with Mother Brain, the escape, and then the best ending with Samus taking off her armor (there are no credits though).

The ending theme to Super Metroid is really good.


The wall jump drove me nuts! It's hard to do at first. When you find the area with the little creatures that teach you it, your stuck unless you reset or die. The wall jump took good timing and coordination with the controller. I would keep falling down over and over.

The Silent Assassin
04-11-2002, 11:32 PM
How about we do this for Nesticle and Zelda 1? I'd like that...