Samus's Gunship in the opening to Super Smash Bros. Melee, along with the Great Fox and Blue Falcon.
Not to be confused with the Subspace Gunship or Gunship (Final Smash).

The Gunship (スターシップ, Starship) is Samus Aran's spacecraft that appears throughout the Metroid series, first appearing in Metroid II: Return of Samus. Her trusty starship is there when Samus needs to ride around the galaxy. She uses it as a resting place to regain health and ammunition; it also functions as a save point for players to save game data. The front of it also appears to be based on the design of the front of her helmet.

In Super Smash Bros. Melee

 
The Starship trophy in Melee.

The ship appears as a trophy.

Trophy description

Samus' Starship
This compact ship is used by Samus as her base of operations. Of course, Samus can't fly it into the catacombs of every planet she visits, so she leaves it on the surface as her sanctuary. Samus can recharge her Power Suit inside the ship, so it tends to be the only safe and secure spot on inhospitable alien terrain.
 : Metroid II: Return of Samus

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Samus's gunship appears as a trophy and as three stickers in Brawl. It is also seen in Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary.

Role in the Subspace Emissary

 
The Gunship in The Subspace Emissary.

After the Halberd is torn asunder, Samus' starship emerges, along with the Falcon Flyer, Falco's Arwing and Olimar's Hocotate Ship. Engaging the Subspace Gunship, Samus and the other pilots kept the huge ship busy while Kirby destroyed it with the Dragoon. Samus then followed Kirby's Dragoon into Subspace.

Trophy description

 
The Gunship trophy from Brawl.
Gunship
The ship that Samus pilots. Entering the gunship allows Samus to restore energy and save. Samus has been on numerous voyages in the gunship, but after being attacked by an X parasite in Metroid Fusion, she crashes into an asteroid belt and destroys the craft. After that, the Galactic Federation provides her with a new starship.
  • Super Metroid (Super Nintendo)
  • Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (Nintendo Gamecube)

Stickers

Stickers
Name Game Effect Characters
Gunship Metroid Prime 2: Echoes Explosive+005  Attack +5 All characters 
Starship Metroid Fusion AttackWeapon+009  Attack +9 Samus Zero Suit Samus  
Starship Metroid Prime Hunters SpecialLaunchPower+022  +22 All characters 
 
Gunship
(Metroid Prime 2: Echoes)
 
Starship
(Metroid Fusion)
 
Starship
(Metroid Prime Hunters)

In Super Smash Bros. 4

Main article: Gunship (Final Smash)
 
The challenge unlock image

Samus's gunship appears as part of Zero Suit Samus's new Final Smash, where she uses the ship's weapons to fire at other players from the foreground. It is also featured as part of her on-screen appearance.

Trophy description

In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, the gunship also returns as a trophy (separate from the one that depicts the Final Smash). It is a challenge reward, earned by clearing the true Solo All-Star Mode as Zero Suit Samus without recovering any health between rounds.

 
The Gunship trophy in for Wii U.
Gunship
  The one partner Samus can rely on in almost all of her missions. In the wide unknown of outer space, she can always return to the Gunship for a safe haven. It allows her to replenish all of her energy and ammunition and even serves as a resting spot for the player. It sounds just like a save point, doesn't it?
  The one partner Samus can rely on in almost all of her missions. In the wide unknown of outer space, she can always return to the Gunship for save haven. It allows her to replenish all of her energy and ammunition, and even serves as a resting spot for the player. In other words...it's a save point.
 : Super Metroid (04/1994)
 : Metroid: Other M (08/2010)

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

The Gunship appears in both Zero Suit Samus and Ridley's Final Smashes. Zero Suit Samus now stands on the Gunship in the background and dons her Power Suit to aim and fire a shot reminiscent of the Zero Laser. Ridley's Final Smash sees him throwing an opponent against the Gunship and unleashing a plasma attack that blows the ship up. The ship is then seen crashing in the background.