Metroid (universe)

Metroid (universe)
Developer(s)	Nintendo Intelligent Systems Retro Studios Team Ninja Next Level Games MercurySteam
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Designer(s)	Gunpei Yokoi Yoshio Sakamoto Makoto Kano Hiroji Kiyotake
Genre(s)	Platformer Adventure First-Person Shooter Metroidvania
Console/platform of origin	Nintendo Entertainment System (Famicom Disk System)
First installment	Metroid (1986)
Latest installment	Metroid Prime Remastered (2023)
Article on Metroid Wiki	Metroid (universe)

The Metroid universe (メトロイド, Metroid) refers to the Super Smash Bros. series' collection of characters, stages, and properties that hail from Nintendo's long-running series of science-fiction action-adventure games. Conceived and inspired by Western media, the Metroid series has garnered a notable following outside of Japan, with a large number of titles having also been developed by Western studios. The series has had twelve official games released thus far, with most of them being near-universally praised by critics and players alike. This series, along with Castlevania, were the progenitors of a subgenre of exploration-based adventure games known as "Metroidvania". The series also has a compilation (Metroid Prime: Trilogy) and two enhanced remakes (Zero Mission and Samus Returns). The main series revolves around the space-faring bounty-hunting exploits of a woman named Samus Aran trying to stop the terrors brought about by the parasitic Space Pirates and their monstrous commander, Ridley, while the Prime subseries revolves around Samus stopping the sentient mutagen substance Phazon and its avatar Dark Samus.

Franchise description

After the incredible success of Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda for the Famicom / NES, Nintendo wished to branch out and create a game with fast-paced action like the former, but with intricate exploration like the latter. Nintendo Research and Development 1 division led by Yoshio Sakamoto with producer Gunpei Yokoi were tasked with making this game a reality. The team took inspiration from Ridley Scott's 1979 sci-fi horror film Alien for both aesthetics and structure. Like The Legend of Zelda before it, the team wanted to hide permanent upgrades around the labyrinthine levels and encouraged backtracking to find new secrets with recently acquired upgrades. This game eventually released in August, 1986 as Metroid, the name being a portmanteau of "Metro" and "Android."

The game tasked bounty hunter Samus Aran with a lone mission to hunt down and kill all Metroids on planet Zebes, and taking down anyone and anything that gets in the way of the mission. While initially starting out with little more than basic weapons, Samus eventually finds a multitude of upgrades that will help find and take down any adversary. The game received praised for its inventive gameplay structure and its atmosphere, reveling in the sense of isolation and fear of what comes next. Metroid was also one of the first games to contain multiple endings, which were awarded based on how fast the game was completed; this had a hand in popularizing the concept of the "speedrun". Finally, Metroid was one of the first video games to feature a female protagonist - and this was initially presented to the gaming public as a concealed secret, even using masculine pronouns when referring to Samus in promotional material and the instruction manual, until the game was beaten in a fast-enough time. Despite this praise, the game only sold modestly in Japan, starting a trend of the franchise never performing well in that region. However, the 1987 North American release sold much better, and the game was overall considered a success. Also, in retrospect, this seminal entry has not aged particularly well, including a total lack of help over where to go and clunky feeling combat, especially compared to modern standards. Though most of these complaints are offset by its historical and cultural significance.

A sequel was then put into productions for Game Boy, which this time released in North America first in August 26, 1991 as Metroid II: Return of Samus. While very similar to the previous entry in terms of gameplay, his sequel did something that very few Nintendo series attempted to do during this time frame: directly continue the story from the previous game. Samus is now tasked with exterminating the last known population of metroids on planet SR388, including the Queen metroid and all of her eggs. However, Samus hesitated and refused to kill the last remaining metroid egg, and later handed the baby over to the Galactic Federation. Despite its important narrative influence on the series, the game was considered a step down from its predecessor, mostly due to being much more linear and was overall an easier experience. This caused sales to drop significantly, and put the series in a precarious position.

Samus fighting her archnemesis, Ridley, as depicted in the opening movie of Melee (based on Super Metroid).

Another sequel was planned immediately after development wrapped, this time for the Super Famicom/SNES. Many members of the team that were not involved in the Game Boy entry, including Yoshio Sakamoto, returned for this entry, which would release in 1994 as Super Metroid. Immediately after the events of Return of Samus, the Galactic Federation is ambushed by Ridley and the Space pirates who steal the baby metroid and flee to planet Zebes. Samus gives chase and hunts down the Space pirates in an effort to get the baby back. With vastly refined combat, exploration mechanics, world design, and dialogue-free storytelling, the game garnered universal acclaim and is often labeled by official publications as not only one of the best games on the SNES, but also one of the best video games ever made. The greatest irony is that the American and PAL versions of Super Metroid sold well as a result of aggressive marketing by Nintendo that was spurred on by the game's poor sales in Japan. Analysts proclaim that the Japanese release of Super Metroid was poorly timed, not only because of more commercially successful games being released at the time like Donkey Kong Country, but because of the launches of the next-generation systems Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn. This was a major contributing factor to what became a now-legendary eight-year hiatus for the series, which remained dormant despite Samus' appearance in Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo 64, and Nintendo mentioning the possibility of an N64 installment which had never came to fruition.

The franchise would continue its presence in the Super Smash Bros. series as Samus reprised her role in Melee, but no new core entry appeared to be on the horizon. This hiatus was broken in 2002 with two brand new entries released that year. The first was Metroid Fusion for the Game Boy Advance, which continued the story after Super Metroid. The Galactic Federation realizes that metroids were natural predators to the X Parasite, which have begun invading all parts of the galaxy. Around this time, Samus gets infected by and X Parasite and nearly dies. The only way she was saved was to surgically remove her power suit and graft metroid DNA into her, which gave her the side effect of being able to consume X Parasite. Her new task is to hunt down any X Parasite before they destroy all life in the galaxy. The game was praised for its presentation and more in-depth story that ties in all previous entries, though was criticized for being more linear than any previous entry with many blatant efforts of handholding.

The second release was Metroid Prime for Nintendo GameCube, the series' inaugural transition into the third dimension as a first-person shooter. Set between Metroid and Metroid II, Samus discovers that the Space Pirates were experimenting with a dangerous substance known as Phazon, and must both learn how to harness and properly wield it, as well as defeat any creature corrupted by it. This entry was highly controversial prior to release. Not only was it being developed by a then-unknown company in the United States, the Texas-based Retro Studios, but its presentation with a first-person perspective led to accusations of being a complete departure from the Metroid fabric for the worse. The released product ultimately allayed these concerns, as Metroid Prime garnered extremely enthusiastic acclaim from critics and fans for managing the task of faithfully transplanting the classic formula into three dimensions and using the first-person viewpoint to its advantage and became one of the GameCube's best-selling titles as a result, securing the franchise's place as a Nintendo staple for the foreseeable future.

Samus's Zero Suit, worn beneath her Power Suit, was introduced in Zero Mission and replaced previous depictions of unsuited Samus. Trophy of Power Suit Samus from Brawl.

Throughout the 2000s, the Metroid franchise settled into a more regular release schedule following Prime and Fusion. On the console front, Metroid Prime would receive two direct sequels. the first was Metroid Prime 2: Echoes in 2004 for GameCube, which sees Samus fight a Phazon corrupted version of herself known as Dark Samus, as well as restore the balance of light and dark energy among several planets. This game was well received, but ultimately seen as not a major step up to the formula. The second was Metroid Prime 3: Corruption in 2007 for Nintendo Wii, which sees Samus corrupted by Phazon, and thus having to team up with other bounty hunters to defeat the returning Dark Samus and keep the Phazon under control. While the story was seen as nothing special, the brand new pointer controls were seen as revolutionary for a streamlined way to aim and shoot. The first two games games were then remastered in 2009 for Wii in Japan under the "New Play Controls" line, and these entries were then released internationally as a collection for Wii as Metroid Prime: Trilogy, with major changes being updated textures and all games sharing the pointer controls setup. Physical copies of this game are now considered rare and valuable due to their limited run.

On the handheld front, Metroid: Zero Mission released for the Game Boy Advance in February 2004. This is a full remake of the original Metroid with enhanced presentation, some gameplay improvements, and a new epilogue that would better tie this entry into the rest of the series. This entry was also the proper introduction of the Zero Suit, which would become an iconic design for Samus. In 2005, the series debuted on the Nintendo DS with Metroid Prime Pinball. While not a canon entry to the series, the game loosely retells the story of Metroid Prime in the form of a pinball game, with Samus as the ball. Then in 2006, also for the Nintendo DS, the game Metroid Prime Hunters. Set between Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2 the game sees Samus team up with other bounty hunters to defeat the Space Pirates. The game is essentially a first person shooter on the Nintendo DS. While praise was given for its ambition and excellent display of what the Nintendo DS is capable of, criticism was given to not all of its ideas landing.

Following the Wii compilation's original release, Retro Studios would shift its focus to revitalizing another dormant Nintendo franchise in Donkey Kong Country, leaving them preoccupied for the time being. After the conclusion of the Prime trilogy, the original visionaries like Yoshio Sakamoto would return for a console entry for the first time since Super Metroid. Sakamoto would collaborate with Team Ninja with full creative freedom to make the Metroid game he always wanted to make. This game would release as Metroid: Other M in August 2010 for the Wii Taking place between Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion, the game saw Samus team up with old friend from the Galactic Federation to figure out the cause of a distress signal, and in turn discover the horrific experiments on the ship that sent the signal that the Federation was partially responsible for and is trying to cover up. Its new third-person action-adventure gameplay aspects were generally well-received; however, some reviewers criticized its strikingly linear approach to level design, approach to characterization of Samus, the voice acting and dialogue (with the English dub directed by the non-English-speaking Yoshio Sakamoto), and the game's methods of telling a cutscene-heavy story, with these aforementioned elements causing a high degree of fan controversy and backlash. This, combined with the game's poor sales outside of Japan, dealt a critical blow to the series' success streak and marked the beginning of a second hiatus for the franchise.

After being represented exclusively in cameos and crossovers throughout the 2010s, Metroid would suddenly return at E3 2015, with a new game in the series was announced for the Nintendo 3DS, Metroid Prime: Federation Force. Developed by Next Level Games as a multiplayer based spinoff of the Metroid series, released in 2016. The game is a cooperative first-person shooter, where the player assumes the role of a faceless Galactic Federation Marine and featuring gameplay elements similar to that of Metroid Prime Hunters. The game also featured a side mode called "Blast Ball" in which two teams of four Federation troops blast a large soccer ball to the other team's goal. Much like Other M before it, the game was met with a highly polarized reception, though Federation Force was lambasted for its change in graphical style, heavily reduced focus on Samus, focus on combat over exploration, and its overall departure from the series' general tone. Further criticism was aimed at the fact that the first Metroid game announced after the franchise's five-year hiatus was a spin-off title and not a core entry in either the 2D series or the Prime series, particularly for the franchise's 30th anniversary. This was essentially the wrong game at the wrong time. On release, Federation Force sold poorly and was generally met with lukewarm reviews, now being considered "dead on arrival" to critics and fans.

With the series once again in a rocky position, Nintendo surprised everyone with two new installments announced at E3 2017 - Metroid Prime 4 for the Nintendo Switch, and Metroid: Samus Returns for the Nintendo 3DS. The latter of the two is an enhanced remake of Metroid II: Return of Samus developed by MercurySteam, who previously handled the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow games. Samus Returns would release in September of that year and the reveal of these two games marked the true end of the main series' hiatus and, together with a new sub-line of Metroid amiibo, signaled the return of Metroid as one of Nintendo's flagship franchises.

While Samus Returns saw incredibly positive reception from fans and critics for bringing the series back to its roots despite lukewarm sales (which can be partly attributed to the waning lifespan of the 3DS), information on Metroid Prime 4 was hazy at best. Shortly after the game's teaser announcement, it was confirmed that longtime developer Retro Studios would not be returning for the new entry. Instead, it would be handled by an unspecified new development team. Roughly two years later, even after the series saw an increase in representation in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, it was announced in January 2019 that the game's development would be restarted from scratch. Shinya Takahashi cited development struggles under the new team to meet the quality standards of the previous Metroid Prime titles and the expectations of series fans. As a result, series producer Kensuke Tanabe would restart the game's development, but with none other than the original developer of the Metroid Prime series - Retro Studios.

Meanwhile, producer Yoshio Sakamoto would continue working with MercurySteam to develop a new 2D entry into the series. This would manifest in 2021 as Metroid Dread for the Nintendo Switch, a project 15 years in the making and the first proper continuation of the Metroid storyline since Fusion. This game sees Samus travel to planet ZDR, only to be attacked and left stranded by a somehow living Chozo. Trying to find a way off the planet and investigate what this Chozo wants, Samus will learn long forgotten parts of galactic history, as well as her own past and heritage. The game was universally praised for being the culmination of the 2D Metroid formula with excellent controls, level design, and a good balance of exposition and environmental storytelling. This caused the game to sell over 3 million copies and become the best selling single release in the series, breaking its curse of each entry having relatively low sales.

A remaster of the first Metroid Prime game would release in early 2023, featuring a large graphical overhaul along with a more modern control scheme. Release to rave reviews, Prime Remastered would ensure the series' continued presence from there on. The game is also an indication of what directions Metroid Prime 4 will take, though nothing about the game would materialize until June 2024, where first look at gameplay would finally be shown off in a Nintendo Direct. It is currently scheduled for a 2025 release.

Overall, the Metroid series is often held up as one of Nintendo's greatest classic franchises and maintains a dedicated fanbase, particularly in the West. Super Metroid and the Metroid Prime trilogy in particular have garnered significant praise from fans and reviewers. Samus herself, while not achieving the same level of recognition or even marketability as Mario or Link, is widely praised as one of Nintendo's most iconic characters and a groundbreaking example of proactive female protagonists in gaming.

In Super Smash Bros.

Despite there being no Metroid title on the Nintendo 64, the Metroid franchise is represented as one of several "standard universes" found in the first Super Smash Bros. installment. In total, there is one character and one stage representing the series, both which focus on the original Metroid and the more recent Super Metroid. This game makes Samus's first and only appearance on the Nintendo 64, and she was one of the four characters originally conceived for the pitch of Super Smash Bros. as a Nintendo all-stars crossover game, the other three being Mario, Donkey Kong, and Fox McCloud.

Fighter

• 
  Samus (Starter): An intergalactic bounty hunter in a technologically advanced and flexible Power Suit, Samus Aran is a bona fide warrior who was orphaned from a Space Pirate attack at a young age. She was harbored by the benevolent Chozo race at a young age and infused with their heritage and technology, and she now allies with the Galactic Federation as ostensibly a one-woman army against the menace of the Space Pirates and their attempts to use the life-stealing Metroids to conquer the universe. In Smash 64, Samus appears as a starting roster. Her neutral special is the Charge Shot, a chargeable ball of energy that Samus shoots out of her arm cannon. Her up special is the Screw Attack first appearing in the original Metroid. Finally, her down special is her Bomb from the original Metroid, in which she turns into the Morph Ball and lay a bomb that will explode either upon contact after a set amount of time.

Stage

• 
  Planet Zebes (Starter): This stage is designed to resemble the general environment and hazards of the caverns of the titular planet that Metroid and Super Metroid take place in. It is a big platform with three platforms above it, and one on the right moving vertically. The stage features an ocean of acid that periodically rises up and submerges the lower portion of the stage. Touching the acid will damage a character and send them flying upward. Due to the rising acid, however, it is impossible under normal conditions to be KO'd by falling below the main platform.

Music

• 8: Planet Zebes Stage: A remix of the Brinstar music from the original Metroid for NES. It is heard on Planet Zebes.
• 18: Samus Wins: The victory theme of Samus is an orchestration of the music heard when Samus finds a new item or power-up in general Metroid games.

In Super Smash Bros. Melee

Much like the original Smash 64, there was no new Metroid game released before Melee, so the majority of Metroid representation is still from the original Metroid and Super Metroid. This game features much more Metroid content than Smash 64, including one returning character, two new stages, and a handful of trophies. This game also introduces the first Metroid item.

Fighter

• 
  Samus (Starter): Samus returns as a starter character, and as the only Metroid character, likely because of the nature of Metroid games and how they do not tend to feature notable supporting characters. As with all returning characters, Samus gained a new side special, being her Missile attack from Super Metroid. She points her arm cannon in front of her, and shoots either a Homing Missile or a Super Missile depending on how the control stick is tapped. Samus is considered to be one of the two most buffed characters from Smash 64.

Stages

• 
  Planet Zebes: Brinstar (Starter): This stage is the spiritual successor to the original Planet Zebes stage, and it features a nearly identical layout; aside from the visuals, the only real difference to this stage is that parts of the stage can be damaged by attacking them, and destroying these can cause the elevated platforms to rise upwards to steep angles and the big lower platform to break apart into two. A large brain-like creature appears in the background, shaking whenever the lava comes up to it.
• 
  Planet Zebes: Brinstar Depths (Unlockable): This stage appears to be loosely based on Kraid's encounter in Super Metroid. A difficult stage to keep on top of, this is essentially a giant, craggy, circular mass of rock that floats above lava. The lava on the bottom of the screen does not damage the player like other Metroid stages, as it is merely a background effect symbolizing the blast line. The stage is routinely rotated by the gigantic alien monster Kraid in the background. It is impossible to grab onto any ledge in this stage.

Item

• Screw Attack: An upgrade that Samus has been able to obtain ever since the original Metroid. It allows Samus to somersault into enemies in the air, killing many instantly. In Melee, a character can pick up this item and perform the same action once they jump, similar to Samus's own up special. The character can also hurl it at an opponent and the opponent will automatically jump up, whirling.

Music

• 7: Brinstar: A medley of three classic tunes from the original Metroid. The first part of the medley is a techno remix of the first "Brinstar" area music. It is then followed by the short "game start" tune one hears whenever resuming a game file. Finally, a remix of the title screen plays before looping back into the first track. This is heard on the Brinstar stage, and acts as one of Samus's credits themes. It is Song 7 in the Sound Test.
• 8: Brinstar Depths: A synth, techno remix of area music heard later on in the original Metroid, where Samus is particularly close to her encounter with Kraid. A bridge section consists of the short tune played in item rooms in the original Metroid. This is heard in the stage Brinstar Depths, and acts as one of Samus's credits themes. It is Song 8 in the Sound Test.
• Samus's Victory: The victory theme of Samus is an orchestration of the jingle heard when Samus finds a new item or power-up in the Metroid games. It is Song 41 in the Sound Test.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

A fairly decent amount of content from the Metroid franchise appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Fighters

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• Samus/Zero Suit Samus (Starter): Unique to Brawl, Samus can transform into Zero Suit Samus. Unlike other transformations, the player can switch between the two via Final Smash rather than their down special (or in Samus' case, also by a series of taunts). While only Samus is shown on the character selection screen, the player can start the match as Zero Suit Samus by holding down a certain button depending on the controller when selecting Samus.

• 
  Samus: Shown in trailers as a returning character for Brawl, Samus Aran has been visually touched up to look like her more detailed incarnation in the final sequence of Metroid: Zero Mission, but otherwise plays similar to her Melee incarnation. Her Final Smash, the Zero Laser, is a huge beam that literally blows off her own armor to become a pile of throwable Power Suit Pieces and renders her as a new playable character, Zero Suit Samus.
• 
  Zero Suit Samus: The suitless version of Samus from Metroid: Zero Mission is playable via Samus' Final Smash. She fights acrobatically and carries a projectile attack in the form of her handheld Paralyzer gun, which she also uses as the basis for her Plasma Whip and Plasma Wire special attacks - both of which can be used for tether recovery. Zero Suit Samus' Final Smash involves a huge, blinding ball of light forming around her, returning her to her status with the Power Suit.

On the final character select screen (after all characters are unlocked), Samus shares the fourth column with fellow Famicom/NES-originated characters Ice Climbers, R.O.B., and Pit.

Bosses

• 
  Ridley: Samus's arch enemy Ridley makes an appearance in the Subspace Emissary as a boss that Samus and Pikachu encounter in a facility on the Island of Ancients shortly after Samus regains her Power Suit. It would seem he is working for the Subspace Army, but no information really exists on his storyline importance.
• 
  Meta Ridley: Later in the game, when a slew of characters are escaping from the self-destructing Subspace Bomb Factory on Captain Falcon's Falcon Flyer, a rebuilt Ridley in his "Meta" form as seen in Metroid Prime appears. While he is canonically just a modified Ridley, the fight plays out nothing like the previous Ridley fight. It is worth noting that Metroid is the only represented franchise to feature more than one boss fight.

Stages

• 
  Melee Stages: Brinstar (Starter): One of the few stages to return from the previous game, it is mostly unchanged from Melee.
• 
  Norfair (Starter): A new stage set in the fiery depths of Zebes, this stage, like previous Metroid stages, features rising lava. In addition to this, lava can come from the sides of the screens too, as well as in an enormous wave from the background that forces players to fight to stay inside a temporary safe zone to avoid damage.
• 
  Frigate Orpheon (Starter): Set in the opening area of the first Metroid Prime, which contains the Parasite Queen, this stage has an interesting twist. When the warning siren sounds, the stage flips, and what was once above the players becomes the new platforms to fight on.

Item

• Screw Attack: The Screw Attack item returns in Brawl. However, the item is now placed on the user's body when equipped rather than holding it. This means it cannot be thrown at other players.

Assist Trophy

• Metroid: A Metroid latches its body on a character's head and starts draining their health, increasing the character's damage percentage in the process.

Music

Original Tracks

• Main Theme (Metroid) - A rock styled remix of the Brinstar theme from the first Metroid title. Aside from the vocals at the beginning of the track, this is taken almost directly from Metroid Prime Pinball, with the insertion of some extra instruments and the addition of the original Brinstar NES-like remix. It is used on the Norfair stage.
• Ending (Metroid) - An orchestrated version of the credits theme used in both the original Metroid and its remake, Metroid Zero Mission. It is used on the Norfair stage. This song is also played during both Samus and Zero Suit Samus' Classic Mode credits.
• Norfair - A quirky remix of the lesser-known Norfair theme from the original Metroid game. It is the theme of the Norfair stage.
• Theme of Samus Aran, Space Warrior - An orchestration of the credits theme of the SNES hit, Super Metroid. It is used on the Norfair stage.
• Vs. Ridley - A remix of Ridley's theme that is featured in several Metroid games and originated in Super Metroid. It is used on the Frigate Orpheon stage.
• Opening/Menu (Metroid Prime) - A medley of two tracks from Metroid Prime - the title screen and the credits theme (which itself was an extension of the menu theme). With the exception of the vocals at the beginning, the title screen theme is taken directly from the game, while the credits theme is arranged. It is the theme of the Frigate Orpheon stage.
• Sector 1 - An orchestrated version of the background music of the first mission in Sector 1 in Metroid Fusion. It is used on the Frigate Orpheon stage.

Returning Tracks

• Brinstar (Melee) - Taken directly from Melee. It is used on the Brinstar stage.
• Brinstar Depths (Melee) - Taken directly from Melee. It is used on the Brinstar stage.

Source Tracks

• Vs. Parasite Queen - Taken directly from Metroid Prime, this was the track that played when Samus fought the Parasite Queen during the opening section of the game. It is used on the Frigate Orpheon stage.
• Vs. Meta Ridley - Taken directly from Metroid Prime, this was the background music that played during the fight against Meta Ridley. This same, unaltered track was also used in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. It is used on the Frigate Orpheon stage.
• Multiplayer (Metroid Prime 2) - A track taken directly from the multiplayer mode of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, which itself was a techno remix of the Brinstar background music from Super Metroid. It is used on the Frigate Orpheon stage.

Victory Theme

• Victory! Metroid Series - The "get item" fanfare featured in every single Metroid game to date except for Metroid: Other M.

Masterpiece

• Super Metroid

In Super Smash Bros. 4

The Metroid series is one of the better represented series in Smash 4. Not only do all characters from Brawl return with updated designs and most secondary content (the Screw Attack item, the Metroid Assist Trophy, the Ridley boss, most stages, and music), but it includes a wealth of new content, including two new Assist Trophies, a new stage, and two new music arrangements. Much of the new content derives from Metroid: Other M, which was released between the releases of Brawl and Smash 4 in 2010.

Fighters

• 
  Samus (Starter): A galactic bounty hunter who fights to eradicate the Metroid threat. Samus Aran was confirmed to return during the E3 2013 Nintendo Direct. This is the first Smash Bros. title where her orange Varia Suit is no longer based on its design in Super Metroid. It now reflects its design in Metroid: Other M, though it includes details not in the source material, such as perforated metal and black vents between the seams. Her Grapple Beam has been significantly improved as a grab and tether, and the speed of a fully powered Charge Shot has been increased. Due to limitations of the Nintendo 3DS hardware, Samus can no longer transform into Zero Suit Samus by any means. She has two new alternate costumes for 8-Player Smash: one is based on the Light Suit from Metroid Prime and the other is based on her rival from the Prime saga, Dark Samus.
• 
  Zero Suit Samus (Starter): Space Warrior Samus Aran as she appears in the eponymous Zero Suit from Metroid: Zero Mission. She was confirmed to return during the dedicated April 2014 Smash Bros. Direct. Like Fox and Marth, Zero Suit Samus has a composite design that combines elements from several titles, including Zero Mission, Metroid Fusion, and Metroid: Other M. Uniquely to Smash, Samus is equipped with a pair of Jet Boots that emphasize buffs made to her kick-based attacks and jumps. Like the Grapple Beam, the Plasma Wire of her Paralyzer has been significantly improved as a tether. No longer bound to her Varia Suit, Zero Suit Samus summons her Gunship and fires powerful beams for her Final Smash.

Stages

for Nintendo 3DS

• 
  Brinstar (Starter): Staged in a cavernous area on Planet Zebes, the setting of the original Metroid and Super Metroid. Acid rises and falls at the bottom of stage and burns players on contact. What resembles a massive egg sac wiggles in the distance, and a Chozo statue is in the immediate background. The acid is more vibrant than it was in Brawl, likely to stand out more on the 3DS's screen. It is one of the possible stages to appear in Level 2 of All-Star Mode as a home stage for Samus. Its Ω form is a spacious floating platform like Final Destination.

for Wii U

• 
  Norfair (Starter): Staged in a magma-filled cavern deep within Planet Zebes. Like Brinstar, the volatile magma sea rises and falls, often covering the lowermost platforms. Rushing waves of magma periodically engulf the stage's platforms and can only be avoided by entering the protective safe zones. The magma glows more intensely than it did in Brawl. Norfair is large enough to accommodate 8-Player Smash, but the magma does not rise. It is one of the possible stages to appear in Level 6 of All-Star Mode as a home stage for Samus. Its Ω form is a spacious floating platform like Final Destination.
• 
  Pyrosphere (Starter): A spacious arena within the lava-filled sector of the Bottle Ship, the setting of Metroid: Other M. The primary platform is Pyrosphere's Geothermal Power Plant. Secondary floating platforms flank the Power Plant, making the stage similar to Pokémon Stadium 2. The main gimmick of the stage is that Ridley resides here as a stage boss. Otherwise, Joulions and FG II-Graham units appear as enemies that will attack nearby opponents. Zeros also appear but are harmless. They can be picked up and tossed at opponents. Pyrosphere is large enough to accommodate 8-Player Smash, but Ridley does not appear and the background lava is removed. It is one of the possible stages to appear in Level 2 of All-Star Mode as a home stage for Zero Suit Samus. Its Ω form is a spacious floating platform like Final Destination.

Item

• Screw Attack (status): A badge from the original Metroid. When equipped, the player's first and second jumps are replaced with energized, rotating jumps that damage opponents on contact. It is an iconic item in the Metroid series and serves as the series icon in Smash.

Assist Trophies

Bold italics denote an Assist Trophy new to the Smash Bros. series.

• Metroid: The eponymous jellyfish-like parasite of the Metroid series. It hovers around the stage before attaching to a nearby opponent's head, inhibiting their motion and increasing their damage percentage. It does not attack the summoner. It also appears as an enemy in Smash Run and Smash Tour.
• Mother Brain: One of the main antagonists of the Metroid series. She is an enormous, disembodied brain with one unblinking eye. In Smash, she is restricted to her Control Capsule and attacks opponents with her Laser Brain Attack from Super Metroid. Though sessile, a swarm of Rinkas hover around her and cause damage on contact. Opponents can attack her to stall her attacks and make her disappear prematurely. She does not attack the summoner.
• Dark Samus: An antagonist from the Metroid Prime titles in the guise of Samus. She fires rapid-fire beams and large spheres of Phazon from her arm cannon to attack opponents. She does not attack the summoner.

Enemies

Enemies that appear in both Smash Run in the 3DS version and Smash Tour in the Wii U version.

• Metroid: The eponymous jellyfish-like parasite of the Metroid series. In Smash Run, it hovers around the stage before attaching to a nearby opponent's head, inhibiting their motion and increasing their damage percentage. It is most weak to ice-based attacks, an attribute carried over from the Metroid games. In Smash Tour, it steals stats from the first player it makes contact with on the board and grants the stats to whichever player bumps into it next. It also appears as an Assist Trophy.

Smash Run enemies

Enemies exclusive to the 3DS version. They appear in Smash Run.

• Geemer: An insectile creature from the original Metroid that scuttles on floors, walls, and ceilings. Its body is covered in spikes that cause damage to opponents on contact. It is most vulnerable to projectile attacks. It resembles its appearance in Super Metroid. A similar being appears in the Wii U version inside Master Fortress.
• Kihunter: A vespine creature from Super Metroid. It slashes at opponents with scythe-like claws and spits acid that temporarily stuns opponents. Its design comes from Metroid: Other M. Its larval form, Zero, appears on the Pyrosphere stage in the Wii U version.
• Reo: A cicada-like creature from Super Metroid. It hovers and swoops down at opponents in a "U" shaped trajectory, damaging opponents with its giant claws. Its design comes from Other M.

Mii Costume

Outfit

• Samus's Armor (DLC): The outfit is based on Samus Aran's Power Suit from Other M. The costume was released as downloadable content on July 31, 2015. An official Mii based on Samus's likeness can be downloaded via QR code on the official site.

Headgear

• Samus's Helmet

Music

Original Tracks

Arrangements and remixes unique to SSB4.

• Title (Metroid): An arrangement of "Title" from the original Metroid. It plays on Pyrosphere. It is featured on Disc 2 of A Smashing Soundtrack.
• Escape: an arrangement of "Escape" from the original Metroid. It plays on Pyrosphere.

Returning Tracks

Arrangements and remixes from previous Smash titles.

• Brinstar: An arrangement of "Brinstar Area" from the original Metroid. It plays on Brinstar and Norfair. It is featured on Disc 1 of A Smashing Soundtrack.
• Brinstar Depths: An arrangement of "Kraid's Lair" from Metroid. It plays on Brinstar and Norfair.
• Main Theme (Metroid): An arrangement of "Brinstar Area" from Metroid featuring opening narration by Jay Ward. It plays on Norfair.
• Norfair: A remix of "Norfair" from Metroid. It plays on Norfair.
• Ending (Metroid): An arrangement of "Ending" from Metroid. It plays on Norfair.
• Theme of Samus Aran, Space Warrior: An arrangement incorporating "Theme of Super Metroid" and "Theme of Samus Aran, Galactic Warrior" from Super Metroid. It plays on Norfair.
• Vs. Ridley: An arrangement of "Big Boss Confrontation 1" from Super Metroid. It plays on Pyrosphere.
• Sector 1: A remix of "Sector 1" from Metroid Fusion. It plays on Pyrosphere.

Source Tracks

Compositions and arrangements directly sourced from the Metroid series with no alterations.

• Vs. Parasite Queen: from Metroid Prime. It plays on Pyrosphere.
• Vs. Meta Ridley: from Metroid Prime. It plays on Pyrosphere.
• Multiplater (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes): Though sourced from Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, the piece itself is a remix of "Brinstar Overgrown with Vegetation Area" from Super Metroid. It plays on Pyrosphere.
• Psycho Bits: from Metroid Prime Hunters. It plays on Pyrosphere.
• Lockdown Battle Theme: from Metroid: Other M. It plays on Pyrosphere.
• The Burning Lava Fish: from Other M. It plays on Norfair.
• Nemesis Ridley: from Other M. It plays on Pyrosphere.

Victory Theme

• Victory! Metroid Series: An orchestrated flourish of the fanfare played when Samus obtains a power-up or an addition to her Power Suit in the original Metroid. This same flourish plays when she defeats Kraid or Ridley as well. It is sourced from Brawl.

Masterpieces

• Metroid
• Super Metroid

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

The Metroid series has undergone one of the most substantial expansions of the "perfect-attendance" franchises. Along with the two Smash 4 veterans returning with updated movesets, two newcomers were introduced: one being a unique fighter and the other an Echo Fighter. The series's presence has also gone from being heavily skewed towards Other M to a more generous representation from across the franchise, including the Metroid Prime titles, even incorporating elements from the more recent installments on Nintendo 3DS. Many Spirits and several new music tracks both sourced and remixed round off the rest of the representation of the entire Metroid franchise. This is the first title to have unlockable Metroid fighters.

Fighters

• 04.
  
  Samus (Starter): The legendary bounty hunter returns as a starter fighter. Her appearance and moveset are largely unchanged from Smash 4, being based on her Varia Suit from Other M, with a key difference being that Samus can now charge her Charge Shot in midair. Otherwise she has been heavily buffed to rely on a more patient and threatening playstyle.
• 29.
  
  Zero Suit Samus (Unlockable): The suitless incarnation of the legendary bounty hunter returns as a unlockable fighter after being a starter in Brawl and Smash 4. Much like her power-suited counterpart, her design and moveset are derived from her previous appearance with a few changes, the most notable of which is a new Final Smash that has her temporarily don the Varia Suit and fire the Zero Laser from the top of her gunship. Otherwise, she has received a myriad of buffs and nerfs to rebalance her toolkit and not exploit certain techniques.

• 65.
  
  Ridley (Unlockable): Samus's longtime archrival and the Cunning God of Death makes his highly-anticipated playable debut as an unlockable newcomer in Ultimate. One of the largest playable characters, Ridley's design is largely inspired by his Super Metroid appearance, with some realistic details loosely similar to his Other M appearance. His moveset is animalistic in nature, relying on brutal offense to deliver massive damage, particularly from his wings and tail. He can jump multiple times in the air, and two of his alternate costumes feature Meta Ridley's cybernetic enhancements.

• 04^ε.
  
  Dark Samus (Unlockable): Samus's Phazon-powered doppelgänger and chief antagonist of the Metroid Prime series makes her playable debut as an unlockable Echo Fighter. Her design is based on Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and some notable differences from her base character include floatier movement and jumps, attacking one-handedly, slightly faster rolls, a slightly smaller forward smash, and Phazon-inspired visuals for her attacks and taunts.

Stages

All Metroid stages except for Planet Zebes and Pyrosphere return from previous Smash games. Pyrosphere was removed most likely due to Ridley's playable status, and Planet Zebes was likely cut due to being rendered obsolete by Brinstar.

• 
  
  Brinstar (Starter): Returns as a retro stage.

• 
  
  Brinstar Depths (Starter): Returns as a retro stage after a 17-year absence, now with some grippable ledges.

• 
  
  Norfair (Starter): Returns as a retro stage.

• 
  
  Frigate Orpheon (Starter): Returns as a retro stage after being absent from Smash 4.

Items

• Screw Attack (status): Returns from the previous game as a wearable item.

Assist Trophies

All past Assist Trophies return except for Dark Samus, due to her becoming a fighter.

• Metroid: Returns mostly unchanged from Brawl and Smash 4; it floats around the stage and latches on to an opponent to deal damage. Can now be KO'd and is especially vulnerable to ice attacks.
• Mother Brain: Returning unchanged from Smash 4; she momentarily pesters opponents with Rinkas from all angles before unleashing a giant laser beam.

Mii Costume

Outfit

• Samus's Armor

Headgear

• Samus's Helmet

Music

Original Tracks

Arrangements and remixes unique to Ultimate.

• Brinstar Depths: A new, violin-based arrangement of "Kraid's Chamber" from Metroid.
• Vs. Ridley: A new arrangement of "Big Boss Confrontation BGM (Ridley, Draygon)" from Super Metroid, with some elements of "Theme of Samus Aran" sprinkled in as well. Incidentally, this arrangement was done by the same composer as the Brawl rendition of the song.
• Vs. Parasite Queen: An arrangement of "Vs. Parasite Queen" from Metroid Prime, replacing the original sourced theme from previous Smash games.

Returning Tracks

Arrangements and remixes from previous Smash titles.

• Brinstar (64): A remix of "Brinstar" from Metroid. Returns from Smash 64.
• Brinstar (Melee): A medley of tracks from Metroid, including "Brinstar", "Samus Appears", and "Title". Returns from Melee.
• Brinstar Depths (Melee): A remix of "Kraid's Chamber" and "Silence" from Metroid. Returns from Melee.
• Brinstar (Brawl): A remix of the theme from the Pirate Frigate Table in Metroid Prime: Pinball, which itself is a remix of "Brinstar" from Metroid, featuring narration from Jay Ward in the beginning. Returns from Brawl.
• Norfair: A remix of "Norfair Area" from Metroid. Returns from Brawl.
• Ending - Metroid: A remix of "Ending" from Metroid. Returns from Brawl.
• Vs. Ridley (Brawl): A remix of "Big Boss Confrontation BGM (Ridley, Draygon)" from Super Metroid. Returns from Brawl.
• Theme of Samus Aran, Space Warrior: A remix of "Ending" from Super Metroid. Returns from Brawl
• Sector 1: A remix of "Sector 1 (SRX)" from Metroid Fusion. Returns from Brawl.
• Opening/Menu - Metroid Prime: A remix of "Metroid Prime Theme" and "Metroid Prime Credits" from Metroid Prime. Returns from Brawl.
• Title Theme - Metroid: A remix of "Title" from Metroid. Returns from Smash for Wii U.
• Escape: A remix of "Escape" from Metroid. Returns from Smash for Wii U.

Source Tracks

Compositions and arrangements directly sourced from the Metroid series with no alterations.

• Vs. Meta Ridley: The theme played when fighting Meta Ridley, sourced from Metroid Prime.
• Multiplayer - Metroid Prime 2: Echoes: The default music of multiplayer matches, sourced from Metroid Prime 2: Echoes.
• Psycho Bits: The theme played when fighting the Psycho Bit enemy, sourced from Metroid Prime Hunters.
• Lockdown Battle Theme: The miniboss theme, sourced from Metroid: Other M.
• The Burning Lava Fish: The theme played when fighting Vorash, sourced from Metroid: Other M.
• Nemesis Ridley: The theme played when fighting Ridley, sourced from Metroid: Other M.
• Main Theme - Metroid Prime: Federation Force: The title theme, sourced from Metroid Prime: Federation Force.
• Magmoor Caverns - Metroid: Samus Returns: The theme played in areas of extreme heat in the 3DS game, which itself is a remix of the Magmoor Caverns theme from Metroid Prime, which itself is a remix of the Lower Norfair theme from Super Metroid, sourced from Metroid: Samus Returns.
• Boss Battle 4 - Metroid: Samus Returns: The theme that plays when fighting a Zeta Metroid, sourced from Metroid: Samus Returns.
• End Results - Metroid: Samus Returns: The theme played on the end screen, sourced from Metroid: Samus Returns.

Victory Themes

• Victory! Metroid Series: An orchestrated flourish of "Item Acquisition Fanfare" from Metroid. Unchanged from Brawl and Smash 4. Used by Samus and Zero Suit Samus.
• Victory! Metroid Villains: An intense and aggressive remix of "Item Acquisition Fanfare" from Metroid. Used by Ridley and Dark Samus.

Media with elements appearing in the Super Smash Bros. series

The Metroid universe has media represented throughout the Super Smash Bros. series with a total of 14 games and media. The latest game represented in this universe is Metroid Dread, released on October 8, 2021.

Metroid

Main article: Metroid

• Playable characters:
  • Main character and Bounty Hunter Samus Aran is playable in all five Super Smash Bros. games. Her Screw Attack, Missile, Morph Ball, and Bombs originate from this game. One of her alternate costumes, though ostensibly based upon the Gravity Suit's sprite in Super Metroid, more closely resembles the Varia Suit in this game.
  • Ridley, a boss introduced in this game, appears throughout the Super Smash Bros. series before finally becoming playable in Ultimate. His smaller size and his fireballs' wave pattern are also from this game. One of his alternate costumes resembles his in-game sprite.
  • Zero Suit Samus's red alternate costume in Brawl is based on her leotard from the end of this game.
  • Samus's helmet and armor appears as costumes for Mii Gunners in Smash 4 and Ultimate.
• Assist Trophies:
  • The main enemies from this game, Metroids, appear as Assist Trophies starting in Brawl.
  • The final boss, Mother Brain, appears as an Assist Trophy starting in Smash 4. She is accompanied by Rinkas, another enemy from the game.
• Stages:
  • Planet Zebes is a stage in Super Smash Bros.
  • Sub-areas of Zebes, Brinstar and Brinstar Depths, are stages introduced in Melee.
  • The Brinstar Escape Shaft is based upon the series's escape sequences, introduced in this game.
  • Norfair is introduced as a stage in Brawl.
• Stage elements:
  • The Waver, a background element of Planet Zebes, originates as an enemy from this game.
  • The Chozo Statue, a trophy and background element of Brinstar, originates from this game.
  • Kraid, a Brinstar Depths stage element, originates as a boss from this game.
• Items:
  • The Screw Attack, which first appeared in this game, appears as an item starting in Melee.
• Boss:
  • Ridley appears as a boss in the Subspace Emissary.
• Enemies:
  • Geemer appears as an enemy in Smash Run, and Dark versions of Geemers appear in the Master Fortress.
  • Reo appears as an enemy in Smash Run.
• Trophies:
  • Chozo Statue, Ridley, Kraid, and Metroid appear as trophies.
  • Samus Unmasked is based upon one of the possible endings of Metroid, in which Samus takes off her helmet but leaves her suit on.
  • Samus wearing the Varia Suit appears as a trophy in Brawl and Smash for 3DS.
  • Samus wearing the Power Suit appears as a trophy in Brawl.
  • Geemer and Reo appear as trophies.
  • The Morph Ball appears as a trophy.
• Stickers:
  • Stickers of Energy Tank, Ridley, and Samus are based on artwork from this game.
  • A Chozo Statue, Kraid, the Morph Ball, a Metroid (as two stickers) and Mother Brain appear as stickers in Brawl.
• Spirits:
  • Geemer, Chozo Statue, Kraid, Metroid, and Mother Brain appear as spirits.
• Music:
  • "Brinstar (64)": A remix of "Brinstar" from this game.
  • "Brinstar (Melee)": An arrangement of "Brinstar", "Samus Appears", and "Title" from this game.
  • "Brinstar Depths (Melee)": An arrangement of "Kraid's Chamber" and "Silence" from this game.
  • "Brinstar (Brawl)": An arrangement of "Brinstar" from this game, featuring opening narration from Jay Ward.
  • "Norfair": A remix of "Norfair Area" from this game.
  • "Ending - Metroid": A remix of "Ending" from this game.
  • "Title Theme - Metroid": An arrangement of "Title" from this game.
  • "Escape": An arrangement of "Escape" and "Brinstar" from this game.
  • "Famicom Medley" (for 3DS / Wii U): Contains a section of "Brinstar".
  • "Brinstar Depths": A violin-based arrangement of "Kraid's Chamber" from this game.
  • "Victory! Metroid Series": A remix of "Item Acquisition Fanfare" from this game.
  • "Victory! Metroid Villains": A remix of "Item Acquisition Fanfare" from this game.
• Misc:
  • Ridley appears on Melee's opening.
  • Metroid is available as a masterpiece in Smash for Wii U.

Metroid II: Return of Samus

• Playable characters:
  • The design of the Varia Suit, Samus's default costume, originates from this game.
  • The Gunship originates in this game, and is used in Zero Suit Samus's Final Smash in Smash 4, known as Gunship, as well as appearing in Zero Suit Samus and Ridley's Final Smashes in Ultimate. It also appears as Zero Suit Samus's on-screen appearance in Smash 4.
• Trophies:
  • The Gunship appears as a trophy in Melee, Brawl, and Smash for Wii U.
  • The Queen Metroid, which appears as a trophy in Smash for Wii U, originates as a boss from this game.
• Stickers:
  • The sticker of the Chozo Statue is based on artwork from this game.
  • The Gunship appears as three stickers in Brawl.
• Spirits:
  • The Chozo Statue appears as a Spirit using its artwork for this game.
  • The Gunship and Queen Metroid appear as spirits.

Super Metroid

Main article: Super Metroid

• Playable characters:
  • Samus's design in Smash 64, Melee, and Brawl is based primarily on her appearance from this game. One of her alternate costumes is ostensibly based on the Gravity Suit's in-game sprite, while another alternate costume more closely resembles the artwork of the Gravity Suit. Samus emerges from a Super Metroid-style Save Station when entering battle. Her dash attack animation is based on the Shinespark, and her Super Missile originates from this game.
  • Zero Suit Samus's black alternate costume in Brawl is based on her outfit from the end of this game.
  • Ridley's design in Ultimate is primarily based on his appearance from this game. One of his alternate costumes resembles artwork for this game.
• Stages:
  • The Brinstar Escape Shaft is modeled remarkably after Super, particularly resembling the platform-filled shaft Samus had to escape through in Super and the original Metroid, going from a cave-inspired scenery to a mechanical elevator room. The room at the top of the shaft seems to be based directly upon a room in Crateria.
• Stage elements:
  • Ridley and the Waver's appearances in the background of Planet Zebes are based directly on their sprites from this game.
  • A Chozo Statue that stands up and walks around in the background of the Brinstar stage is based on the Torizo enemies from this game.
  • Kraid takes his appearance from this game in Melee.
  • Zeros appear on Pyrosphere.
• Items:
  • The Screw Attack's design in Melee is based on its in-game sprite from this game.
  • The Power Bomb and Shinespark appear as powers in Smash Run.
• Boss
  • Ridley's design as a boss in the Subspace Emissary is based on his appearance from this game.
• Enemies:
  • Kihunters, which first appeared in this game, appear as enemies in Smash Run.
• Trophies:
  • Ridley's trophy is based on his appearance from this game.
  • The Metroid trophy contains a reflection of the Ceres Space Colony on its membrane.
  • Samus in the Gravity Suit, which first appeared in this game, appears as a trophy in Brawl and Smash for 3DS.
  • The Kihunter appears as a trophy in Smash for 3DS.
  • Phantoon, a Zebesian, and a Zero appear as trophies in Smash for Wii U.
• Stickers:
  • The sticker of the Space Pirate is based on artwork from this game.
  • Samus in the Gravity Suit and a Zebesian (identified as "Zebes Inhabitant") appear as stickers in Brawl.
• Spirits:
  • Spirits of Kraid and the Gunship are based on artwork from this game.
  • The Gravity Suit, Mother Brain's second form, a Zebesian, and Phantoon appear as spirits.
• Music:
  • "Theme of Samus Aran, Space Warrior": An arrangement of "Ending" from this game.
  • "Vs. Ridley (Brawl)": An arrangement of "Big Boss Confrontation BGM (Ridley, Draygon)" from this game.
  • "Vs. Meta Ridley": A track is taken directly from Metroid Prime, where it plays while fighting Meta Ridley. The track itself is a remix of the Vs. Ridley theme.
  • "Multiplayer - Metroid Prime 2: Echoes": A remix of the Upper Brinstar theme which is directly taken from Metroid Prime 2: Echoes.
  • "Nemesis Ridley": A remix of the Vs. Ridley theme which is directly taken from Metroid: Other M.
  • "Vs. Ridley": An arrangement of "Big Boss Confrontation BGM (Ridley, Draygon)" and "Theme of Samus" from this game.
  • "Magmoor Caverns - Metroid: Samus Returns": A remix of the Lower Norfair theme from this game which is directly taken from Metroid: Samus Returns.
• Misc:
  • A clip of the Melee introduction features Samus and Ridley fighting in a 3-D re-enactment of their fight on Ceres at the beginning of Super Metroid, with Ridley holding the baby in his talons.
  • Super Metroid is available as a masterpiece in Brawl and Smash for Wii U.

Metroid Fusion

• Playable characters:
  • One of Samus's alternate costumes introduced in Brawl is a palette swap based on the Fusion Suit.
  • One of Zero Suit Samus's alternate costumes is the blue Casual Outfit she wears underneath her Fusion Suit.
  • One of Ridley's alternate costumes is a palette swap resembling Neo Ridley.
• Trophies:
  • Samus in the Fusion Suit appears as a trophy in Brawl.
  • Nightmare, who originates as a boss from this game, appears as a trophy in Smash for Wii U.
• Stickers:
  • Stickers of Samus, her Starship, and a Zebes Inhabitant are based on artwork from this game.
• Spirits:
  • Nightmare, the Fusion Suit, and X Parasite appear as a spirits.
• Music:
  • "Sector 1": A remix of "Sector 1 (SRX)" from this game.

Metroid Prime

• Playable characters:
  • According to Sakurai, one of Samus's alternate costumes is ostensibly based upon the Gravity Suit from Metroid Prime. However, it should be noted that this alternate costume is also present in previous Smash games that predate Prime.
  • Ridley has a Meta Ridley costume.
• Stages:
  • The first location the player visits in the game, Frigate Orpheon, is a stage in Brawl. The Parasite Queen, a boss from the game, appears as a background character.
• Bosses
  • Meta Ridley appears as a boss in the Subspace Emissary.
  • On the Pyrosphere stage, the Ridley clone's powered-up form is referred to as "Meta Ridley" in the Super Smash Bros. for Wii U 50-Fact Extravaganza video.
• Trophies:
  • The design of the Space Pirate and Power Suit trophies are based on their appearances in this game.
  • Sheegoth, Parasite Queen, Metroid Prime (Core), and Metroid Prime (Exo), which originate as bosses from this game, appear as trophies in Brawl.
• Spirits:
  • The Phazon Suit and the Parasite Queen appear as spirits.
  • The Gravity Suit appears as a Spirit using its artwork for this game.
  • Meta Ridley appears as a fighter spirit.
• Music:
  • "Opening/Menu - Metroid Prime": A medley of "Metroid Prime Theme" and "Metroid Prime Credits", with unused opening narration.
  • "Vs. Parasite Queen": The theme played when fighting a Parasite Queen, sourced from this game.
  • "Vs. Meta Ridley": The theme played while fighting Meta Ridley, sourced from this game.
  • "Vs. Parasite Queen": A new arrangement of the Parasite Queen battle theme from this game.

Metroid: Zero Mission

• Playable characters:
  • Zero Suit Samus originates from this game. She is able to crawl and walljump, and her moveset revolves around the Paralyzer, just like in her playable portion of Zero Mission.
  • One of Zero Suit Samus's alternate costumes is the orange Casual Outfit she wears in certain endings.
  • One of Ridley's alternate costumes is a palette swap resembling promotional artwork of Ridley for Zero Mission. Another costume is a palette swap resembling Mecha Ridley.
• Stage elements:
  • Large column-like Chozo statues in the background of Norfair are based upon a statue seen in the Crateria Chozo Ruins in this game.
• Items:
  • The Screw Attack's design in Brawl onward is based on its in-game sprite from this game.
• Assist Trophies:
  • The Mother Brain Assist Trophy is primarily modeled after her design in this game.
• Stickers:
  • Stickers of Gravity Suit Samus, Kraid, Metroid, Mother Brain, Ridley, Running Zero Suit Samus, and Zero Suit Samus are based on artwork from this game.
• Spirits:
  • Mecha Ridley appears as a spirit.
  • A Geemer and Mother Brain appear as Spirits using their artwork for this game.
  • Ridley's Fighter Spirit uses his artwork for this game.

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

• Playable characters:
  • One of Samus's alternate costumes introduced in Brawl is a palette swap based on the Dark Suit.
  • One of Samus's alternate costumes in SSB4 is a palette swap based on the Light Suit. Another alternate costume exclusive to SSB4 is a palette swap based on Dark Samus.
  • Dark Samus, who first appeared in this game, is a playable character in Ultimate.
• Assist Trophies:
  • Dark Samus appears as an Assist Trophy in Smash 4.
• Trophies:
  • Luminoth appears as a trophy in Brawl.
  • Dark Samus appears as a trophy in Brawl and Smash 4, using her original Echoes design in Brawl.
  • Samus in the Dark Suit appears as a trophy in Brawl and Smash for Wii U.
• Stickers:
  • Stickers of Dark Samus, Dark Suit Samus, Federation Trooper, Gunship, Luminoth, Samus, and Warrior Ing are based on artwork from this game.
• Spirits:
  • The Dark Suit and Light Suit appear as spirits.
• Music:
  • "Multiplayer - Metroid Prime 2: Echoes": The "Hunters" multiplayer theme, sourced from this game.

Metroid Prime Pinball

• Music:
  • "Brinstar (Brawl)": While based on "Brinstar" from Metroid, this is more specifically an extended version of the remix heard on the Pirate Frigate pinball table in this game.

Metroid Prime Hunters

• Trophies:
  • All bounty hunters from this game (Kanden, Spire, Weavel, Noxus, Trace, and Sylux) appear as trophies in Brawl.
• Stickers:
  • Kanden, Sylux, Starship, and Weavel appear as stickers in Brawl.
• Spirits:
  • Trace and Kanden appear as spirits.
• Music:
  • "Psycho Bits": The Psycho Bit battle theme, sourced from this game.

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

• Playable characters:
  • Dark Samus's design in Ultimate comes from this game.
• Assist Trophies
  • Dark Samus's design and attacks as an Assist Trophy are based on her boss fight.
• Spirits:
  • Gandrayda and Omega Ridley appear as spirits.

Metroid: Other M

• Playable characters:
  • Samus and Zero Suit Samus's designs in SSB4 and Ultimate are based upon their appearances from this game.
  • Ridley's design in Ultimate incorporates some details and embellishments from his clone in this game.
• Stages:
  • The Pyrosphere appears as a stage.
• Stage elements:
  • The Ridley clone is a boss that appears in Pyrosphere.
  • FG II-Grahams and Joulions appear as enemies on the Pyrosphere stage. Zeros also appear as enemies, using their design from this game.
• Enemies:
  • Reo, Kihunter, and Geemer enemies in Smash Run are based on their designs from this game.
• Trophies:
  • The Samus (Gravity Suit) trophy is based on the Gravity Feature from this game.
  • The Queen Metroid, Zebesian, Phantoon, and Nightmare trophies are based on their appearances in this game.
  • FG II-Graham, Joulion, Adam Malkovich, Little Birdie, King Kihunter, Mystery Creature, Vorash, Melissa Bergman (MB), RB176 Ferrocrusher, and Madeline Bergman are from this game.
• Spirits:
  • Adam Malkovich, Little Birdie, and Young Samus appear as spirits.
  • Nightmare appears as a Spirit using its artwork for this game.
  • Zero Suit Samus's fighter spirit uses her artwork from this game.
• Music:
  • "Lockdown Battle Theme": The miniboss theme, sourced from this game.
  • "The Burning Lava Fish": The theme that plays when fighting Vorash, sourced from this game.
  • "Nemesis Ridley": Ridley's theme, sourced from this game.

Metroid Prime: Federation Force

• Spirits:
  • The Mech appears as a spirit.
• Music:
  • "Main Theme - Metroid Prime: Federation Force": The title screen theme, sourced from this game.

Metroid: Samus Returns

• Playable characters:
  • Zero Suit Samus's design in Ultimate is seemingly influenced by the character design changes she received in Samus Returns, with a lighter and more matte texture for the suit (otherwise nearly identical to the Other M suit in both games) and a more muscular frame.
• Spirits:
  • Diggernaut appears as a spirit.
  • A Metroid appears as a spirit using its artwork for this game.
  • Samus's fighter spirit uses her artwork for this game.
• Music:
  • "Magmoor Caverns - Metroid: Samus Returns": The lava caves theme, sourced from this game.
  • "Boss Battle 4 - Metroid: Samus Returns": The Zeta Metroid battle theme, sourced from this game.
  • "End Results - Metroid: Samus Returns": The theme that plays while displaying the clear time, sourced from this game.

Metroid Dread

• Spirits:
  • Samus (Metroid Dread), E.M.M.I., and Chozo Soldier appear as spirits.

Trivia

• Metroid was the first franchise in Smash history to have female characters represented in any form as Samus debuted as a fighter in the original game.
• Metroid and Xenoblade Chronicles are the only universes with more than one playable character to have more female than male playable characters.
  • It is also the only universe to have a female villain, not counting Wendy due to being an alternate costume for Bowser Jr.
• Metroid is one of four universes to have more than one playable character who has often served as an antagonist, the others being the Mario, Donkey Kong, and Kirby universes.
• Of the Nintendo-created universes, Metroid is the only one to have a character (being Dark Samus) created by a wholly-owned Nintendo subsidiary (being Retro Studios).
• Every playable Metroid character, with the exception of Zero Suit Samus in Brawl, utilizes some form of laser for their Final Smash.
• Metroid is the only veteran franchise in Ultimate to introduce multiple new fighters in the base game.

External links

• Metroid Wiki