Progression in the Metroid games is judged in a few different ways. A player gets better as they play the game, but Samus also invariably gets more and more loaded up with broken abilities as the game progresses, adding powerful options to her arsenal.
Some of these abilities are offensive, some are just for traversal, but all the abilities and power-ups below are the best ones Samus finds in the Metroid Prime franchise so far. Hopefully some of the awesome abilities below make it back for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, but for now, players will just have to reminisce.
Morph Ball Bomb
Timed Hops
Metroid Prime
- Released
- November 17, 2002
- Developer(s)
- Retro Studios, Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Franchise
- Metroid
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter, Metroidvania
- How Long To Beat
- 14 Hours
It’s simple and it’s somewhat weak, but Samus’ Morph Ball Bombs are a fun ability that she gets access to early and is key to many of the puzzles and battles she comes across during the three Metroid Prime games.
One of the coolest parts of the bombs is the timed explosions Samus can use to hop up higher and higher, with the chance for players with great control and timing to access secret areas and do cool, Metroid-styled parkour around the alien worlds Samus investigates.
Charge Beam
Looks Cool, Feels Cool
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
- Released
- November 15, 2004
- Developer(s)
- Retro Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Franchise
- Metroid
- Platform(s)
- GameCube, Wii, Nintendo Wii U
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter, Metroidvania
- How Long To Beat
- 17 Hours
The charge beam is a classic Metroid ability and the Metroid Prime games make good use of the Charge Beam and how it interacts with the various weapon systems Samus has access to. In the first game, the charged versions of her four main elemental energy weapons create powerful blasts that do what the simple shot does only better.
In the second game, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, a slightly different path is taken, with the charged shot changing the behavior of the type of ammunition Samus is using. And in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, the charge shot loses a bit of variety but still is necessary for timing certain attacks and downing some powerful foes.
Power Bomb
Become Death
While the Power Bomb may not be the most complicated ability to use, it still looks awesome and makes a huge impact in the Metroid Prime games. Samus detonates what looks like a nuclear bomb from her Morph Ball form, getting Metroids off her if not defeating them outright and having interesting interactions like being able to remove the Omega Pirate’s armor if used at the start of the battle.
It also does a lot of damage to Dark Samus in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes during their first battle, though the dark wannabe becomes invulnerable to it in later battles.
Wavebuster
Zap ‘Em Good
While only being featured in the first Metroid Prime, this ability really made an impact on Metroid Prime players. By charging up the wave beam, and using the missile button, Samus launches into a sustained stream of electric, enemy-seeking mayhem that’s useful in so many different places in the game.
The Wavebuster also continues to fire while eating away rocket ammo, meaning Samus only had to hold onto the stream to do continuous massive damage to Meta Ridley, Space Pirates or Metroid Prime itself. An awesome ability that will hopefully come back in some form soon.
Grapple Beam/Lasso
Me, Tarzan
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
- Released
- August 27, 2007
- Developer(s)
- Retro Studios, Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Franchise
- Metroid
- Platform(s)
- Wii
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter, Metroidvania
- How Long To Beat
- 14 Hours
In the first two Metroid Prime games, the Grapple Beam is just a cool way for Samus to get around the alien worlds she investigates. It mostly exists as a gatekeeping tool, as Samus cannot access certain areas until she obtains it, but it is oh so fun to use.
It's in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption that the Grapple Beam shines, as it becomes a secondary weapon to Samus, incorporating the Nintendo Wii’s controls to lasso targets and rip off armor and other parts of enemies' bodies. More upgrades to the lasso allow the player to inject Phazon or absorb energy from her targets, adding to the immersion.
Hyper Mode
Risk, Reward
In the first Metroid Prime, Hyper Mode was only available at the very end of the game, while battling Metroid Prime and standing in a pool of pure Phazon energy. It's awesome, but a short-lived ability.
It's in Metroid Prime 3: Corruptionthat Hyper Mode becomes a core mechanic, as many of Samus’ more powerful techniques can only be used if the player sacrifices an energy tank to access Hyper Mode and blast enemies and bosses with her Phazon Beams. It’s a cool dynamic and fun to use.
Super/Hyper Missile
Metroid Go Boom
Powerful, useful and so satisfying to land right on an enemy's weak point, the Super Missile from Metroid 1 and 2, and its cousin the Hyper Missile from Metroid Prime 3, are one of the best abilities Samus gets access to in the games.
Charging up a beam attack is one thing, but charging up a beam to then add a missile attack on top of it and blast enemies away is one of the best parts of the Metroid Prime series. This powerful ability is the key to winning multiple boss encounters.
Plasma Beam
Burning Down The House
While more potent in Metroid Prime than in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, every Metroid Prime player loves to add this ability to their arsenal. The plasma beam adds a strong, rapid-fire option to Samus’ kit to blast through enemies much faster than her regular beam attack.
In Metroid Prime, this beam must be switched to, but is rarely ever switched off after it's found as it's so strong it makes the other beams only usable if necessary to get through a door or attack a specific enemy. In Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, beams stack combining all of their attributes so Samus does not need to switch, but in either game, the Plasma beam rules.
Boost Ball
Gotta Go Fast
Samus does her best Sonic the Hedgehog impression with this ability, as in all three Metroid Prime installments, she is able to store energy and then release it and speed along the ground in her Morph Ball mode.
The ability leads to fun applications and platforming, as Samus looks for half pipes to gain momentum to reach new areas, uses the stored boost to jump from spider tracks and even bowl down robots in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Many players use the boost ball to make backtracking easier as well, as they can speed through different rooms while looking for new areas and secrets.
Screw Attack
One of Samus’ Signature Moves
Every fan of Samus and Metroid will bring up the screw attack when talking about Samus’ best abilities. Samus becomes a spinning ball of pain and flies through the air and across earlier uncrossable chasms with this new ability.
While in earlier games, the screw attack is used to gain height for Samus, Metroid Prime opts to make it more of a horizontal technique, not including areas where Samus can use the screw attack to wall jump up to new heights. It looks awesome, makes Samus invincible for a while and is fun to use.