Speedrunning Strategies

Speedrunning Strategies (NES/GBA)

Welcome to the speedrunning section for the original Metroid! This guide focuses on optimizing your playthrough for the fastest possible completion time on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and its Game Boy Advance (GBA) port (which is largely identical in terms of mechanics relevant to speedrunning). We'll primarily focus on an "Any%" route, aiming to reach the end credits as quickly as possible, often utilizing sequence breaks and advanced maneuvers. Mastering these strategies requires practice, but the rewards are a truly exhilarating Metroid experience.

Essential Techniques for Speedrunners

Unlike later Metroid titles, the original Metroid relies heavily on precise movement, bomb mechanics, and exploiting the game's sometimes quirky collision detection. Forget Shinesparking or Mockball; here, it's all about bomb jumps and door glitches.

• Bomb Jumps: This is the cornerstone of Metroid speedrunning. Lay a bomb, then jump just as it explodes to propel Samus upwards. For advanced techniques, you can lay a second bomb mid-air after the first explosion to gain even more height. Mastering multi-bomb jumps is crucial for sequence breaks and bypassing obstacles. Practice in safe areas, especially in Brinstar.
• Door Glitches (Door Jumps): A critical sequence break. By carefully positioning Samus and jumping into a door frame, it's possible to "clip" through the door without opening it or even without the required weapon (e.g., Missile for red doors). This saves valuable time and allows access to areas much earlier than intended. The exact pixel perfect positioning and timing vary per door.
• Fast Door Transitions: When entering a new room, hold the direction Samus is facing to immediately start moving upon loading, saving a fraction of a second.
• Damage Boosting: Intentionally taking damage from enemies or environmental hazards to pass through them or gain invincibility frames, allowing Samus to bypass obstacles or enemies without stopping to fight. This is particularly useful for navigating through enemy-dense corridors.
• Enemy Manipulation: Understanding enemy spawn patterns and movement to either avoid them entirely or position them for damage boosting.
• Missile Management: Missiles are a finite resource and crucial for bosses and red doors. Knowing exactly which doors to open and which bosses require missiles is key to not running out.

Any% Route Walkthrough (NES/GBA)

This route prioritizes critical upgrades and skips non-essential items to shave off precious seconds. Familiarity with the game's layout and enemy patterns is highly recommended. The goal is to acquire the Varia Suit, Ice Beam, and Wave Beam, then proceed to Tourian to defeat Mother Brain.

Brinstar (Early Game)

1. Landing Site: Head left from the starting point.
2. First Room Left: Continue left. You'll encounter a few enemies.
3. Morph Ball Acquisition: In the room with the first elevator down, proceed left to find the Morph Ball upgrade. This is essential.
4. Bomb Acquisition: From the Morph Ball room, head right, then down the elevator. Go left through the next room to find the Bombs upgrade. This is arguably the most important early item.
5. First Missile Tank: Immediately after acquiring Bombs, use them to open a path downwards. In the next room, you can find a Missile Tank (5 missiles). This is a common first missile pickup.
6. Energy Tank (Optional but Recommended): From the Bomb room, head right and down. There's an Energy Tank in this area. While optional for Any%, it provides a crucial buffer for later sections.
7. Door Glitch to Norfair (Brinstar Elevator): This is a major sequence break. From the elevator leading to Norfair, perform a precise Door Glitch to bypass the need for the Varia Suit to enter Norfair without taking heavy damage. This requires precise bomb placement and jumping.

Norfair (Early Access)

8. Norfair Entrance: Once you've glitched into Norfair, the heat will rapidly drain your energy. Your immediate goal is the Varia Suit.
9. Varia Suit Acquisition: Navigate through Norfair, taking damage as needed. The Varia Suit is located relatively early in Norfair, usually to the right and down from the main elevator shaft. This is a critical item as it negates heat damage and halves all other damage.
10. Hi-Jump Boots (Optional): The Hi-Jump Boots are in Norfair. While useful, skilled You can often skip them entirely by relying on advanced bomb jumps. For beginners, acquiring them is safer.
11. Ice Beam Acquisition: The Ice Beam is located deep within Norfair. This is a mandatory item as it's required to freeze Metroids in Tourian. Prioritize getting this after the Varia Suit.
12. Kraid's Lair (Optional): Kraid's Lair is accessible from Norfair. Defeating Kraid yields an Energy Tank, but he is not required for Any% and takes time. Speedrunners typically skip Kraid.

Kraid's Lair (If Not Skipped)

If you choose to fight Kraid for the Energy Tank or practice, here's a brief strategy:

• Location: Kraid's Lair is in the lower-right section of Norfair.
• Strategy: Kraid is a large, stationary boss. He shoots projectiles and smaller enemies. Hit him in the head with missiles. The Ice Beam can freeze his projectiles, making it easier to land hits.
• Reward: An Energy Tank (100 HP).

Ridley's Lair & Wave Beam

13. Ridley's Lair Access: From the main Brinstar area (near the starting point), head right and down to access Ridley's Lair. This area also has heat damage, but the Varia Suit will protect you.
14. Wave Beam Acquisition: The Wave Beam is located within Ridley's Lair. This beam upgrade allows your shots to pass through walls and enemies, making it incredibly powerful for clearing rooms and damaging bosses. It's highly recommended for Any%.

Ridley's Lair (If Not Skipped)

Similar to Kraid, Ridley is an optional boss for Any%, but defeating him yields an Energy Tank. Speedrunners often skip him.

• Location: Ridley's Lair is in the lower-right section of Brinstar.
• Strategy: Ridley flies around and shoots fireballs. Hit him in the head with missiles. The Wave Beam makes hitting him much easier as shots pass through his body.
• Reward: An Energy Tank (100 HP).

Tourian & Final Boss

15. Tourian Access: Once you have the Varia Suit, Ice Beam, and preferably the Wave Beam, head to the central Brinstar area. The entrance to Tourian is guarded by two statues that require you to have defeated Kraid and Ridley to open. However, speedrunners use a specific Door Glitch to bypass this requirement. This involves precise bomb placement and jumping near the statue doors.
16. Metroid Encounters: Tourian is filled with Metroids. The Ice Beam is mandatory here. Freeze each Metroid with the Ice Beam, then destroy it with five missiles. Conserve missiles where possible.
17. Mother Brain: Confront Mother Brain. This final boss battle has two phases:
    • Phase 1 (Turrets): Destroy the three turrets in the room. The Wave Beam makes this much faster as it can hit multiple turrets at once.
    • Phase 2 (Mother Brain): Once the turrets are down, Mother Brain's brain will be exposed. Hit it with missiles. She will periodically shoot rings of fire. Stay mobile and keep firing.
18. Escape: After defeating Mother Brain, a self-destruct sequence will initiate. Escape Tourian and Zebes as quickly as possible. The timer stops when Samus reaches her ship.

Item Acquisition Summary (Any% Focus)

This table summarizes the key items and their importance for an Any% speedrun.

Common Pitfalls and Tips

• Running out of Missiles: This is a common run-killer. Plan your missile usage carefully. Only open red doors that are absolutely necessary for progression.
• Getting Lost: The original Metroid has no in-game map. Familiarity with the world layout is paramount. Practice exploring to learn the fastest routes.
• Damage Management: While damage boosting is useful, avoid unnecessary hits. Energy Tanks provide a buffer, but dying means restarting from your last save (or the beginning if no save).
• Bomb Jump Consistency: Mastering multi-bomb jumps takes time. Practice until you can consistently perform them under pressure.
• Door Glitch Precision: Door glitches are pixel-perfect and frame-perfect. Watch videos of top runners and practice the specific setups for each critical door.
• Enemy RNG: Enemy spawns can be somewhat random. Learn how to react to different enemy placements, either by avoiding, damage boosting, or quickly dispatching them.
• NES vs. GBA: While largely similar, minor differences in enemy AI or collision detection might exist. Be aware of which version you are speedrunning.

Speedrunning Metroid (NES/GBA) is a challenging but rewarding experience that pushes your understanding of the game's mechanics to the limit. Good luck, and happy hunting!