Metroid: Zero Mission
Metroid: Zero Mission

Map Legend & Icons

Decipher the Metroid: Zero Mission map legend and icons. Navigate Zebes efficiently and track your progress for 100% item completion.

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Map Legend & Icons

The in-game map is an invaluable tool for navigating Zebes, tracking your progress, and identifying areas of interest. Understanding its legend and various icons is crucial for efficient exploration and 100% item completion. Access the map at any time by pressing the Select button.

Map Colors & Room Status

  • Blue Room: This signifies a room you have already visited and fully explored. All accessible areas within this room have been revealed on your map.
  • Green Room: A green room indicates a visited area where there are still hidden passages, destructible blocks, or undiscovered items. Pay close attention to these rooms; they often conceal Missile Tanks, Energy Tanks, or other crucial upgrades. Use your Scan Visor (once acquired) or systematically shoot every block to uncover secrets.
  • Red Room: These are rooms you have entered but not fully explored. Similar to green rooms, red rooms suggest hidden pathways or items. The distinction between red and green is often subtle, but generally, red implies a more significant portion of the room remains unseen or inaccessible without specific upgrades.
  • Gray/Uncolored Room: These are areas you have not yet visited. Your goal is to turn all rooms blue, indicating complete exploration.

Key Icons and Their Meanings

These icons appear within rooms on your map, guiding you to important locations and items:

Save Stations
  • "S" Icon (Blue): This marks a Save Station. Always save your game when passing one, especially before entering a new, potentially dangerous area or after collecting a significant upgrade. Saving frequently prevents loss of progress.
Energy & Missile Stations
  • "E" Icon (Green): Denotes an Energy Recharge Station. Step onto the platform to fully restore Samus's energy. These are vital for survival, particularly after boss battles or intense combat sequences.
  • "M" Icon (Yellow): Indicates a Missile Recharge Station. Stand on this platform to refill your Missile supply. Missiles are critical for opening red doors, defeating certain enemies, and damaging bosses.
Item Locations

When you acquire a Map Data item, it will reveal the locations of all major upgrades in the current area. These appear as distinct icons:

  • Energy Tank (Orange Cross Symbol): This icon marks the location of an Energy Tank, which increases Samus's maximum health. Prioritize collecting these to improve your survivability.
  • Missile Tank (Red Missile Symbol): This icon points to a Missile Tank, increasing your maximum Missile capacity by 5. Essential for progression and combat.
  • Super Missile Tank (Purple Missile Symbol): Similar to Missile Tanks, but these upgrade your Super Missile capacity. Super Missiles are more powerful and required for specific purple doors.
  • Power Bomb Tank (Green Bomb Symbol): This icon indicates a Power Bomb Tank, which increases your Power Bomb capacity. Power Bombs are devastating area-of-effect weapons used to destroy special blocks and clear rooms of enemies.
Door Types

Doors are represented by colored lines on the map, indicating their type and how to open them:

  • Gray/White Door: A standard door. These open automatically when you approach them.
  • Blue Door: These doors require a single shot from your Power Beam to open.
  • Red Door: These doors are locked and require one Missile to open.
  • Green Door: These doors are locked and require one Super Missile to open.
  • Yellow Door: These doors are locked and require a Power Bomb to open.
  • Pink/Purple Door (Chozo Statue): These are special doors that typically lead to Chozo Statues, which provide major suit upgrades or abilities. They often open after defeating a boss or acquiring a specific item.
Special Locations
  • Elevator (Up/Down Arrow): Marks an elevator that connects different sectors of Zebes. These are crucial for navigating between major areas like Crateria, Brinstar, Norfair, and Tourian.
  • Teleporter (Swirling Vortex): These devices allow for instant travel between specific, pre-determined locations once activated. They are often found in later areas of the game and significantly cut down on backtracking.
  • Chozo Statue (Statue Icon): These statues often hold crucial upgrades or provide hints about your next objective. Interacting with them is usually mandatory for progression.
  • Boss Lair (Skull Icon): This icon typically appears in the room leading to or containing a major boss battle. Prepare for a tough fight when you see this!