This was one of the most popular features of the old gravelstudios.com. I've edited it slightly for this blog entry.
Metroid is pretty much my favorite video game ever. But up until now, I've never been able to find the kind of walkthrough for Metroid that I really wanted, so I decided to make it myself. For the time being, I've decided that I don't need to include things like enemy lists, item lists, maps, passwords, etc. There are lots of other places on the net where you can find that information. The purpose of this article is to take you through Metroid, step by step, from beginning to end, with LOTS of screenshots. If you've never played through Metroid before, then everything you need to know to beat the game is here. If you have beaten Metroid, then hopefully this walkthrough will serve as a nice trip down memory lane.
The term ‘non-linear’ is thrown around a lot when people talk about video games. Metroid was one of the first truly non-linear games. You can get most of the items in any order you want. You can explore the game in almost any way you want. Because of this, Metroid has great replay value, and I’ve beaten Metroid more times than any other game I’ve played.
This non-linearity also makes Metroid a rather difficult game to make a walkthrough for. I feel a little awkward saying you should play the game in a certain order, when I myself never play the game in the same order. So think of this document as more of a guide, to be deviated from at your whim.
I’ve decided the best way to approach this game is to cover each area individually in this order: Brinstar, Norfair, Kraid’s Hideout, Ridley’s Hideout, Tourian. This is basically the order that you would normally explore each area anyway, and it is possible to gather all of the items in each area before moving on to the next.
In case you aren’t planning to follow this walkthrough very closely, here are a few tips to help you get through the game easily:
1. The ending you get is based on how long it takes you to finish the game. Because of this, there are lots of things in Metroid that are designed to suck up your time. Try to avoid these things. If you do get stuck, pause the game and press up and A on controller 2. This ‘instant death code’ works in a lot of NES games. You’ll get your password and go back to the beginning of the area you’re in.
2. Metroid is FULL of glitches, and many can be used to your advantage. I’ll gradually cover how throughout the walkthrough where appropriate, but if you’re inventive, you’ll probably figure some out on your own.
3. Bomb everywhere. This game is full of secret passages, and the only way to find most of them is by bombing.
4. You NEED the ice beam to beat the game. Do not enter Tourian without the ice beam, or you will not live long.
OK. Are we ready? Let’s play some Metroid…
Or, you can skip ahead to Norfair, Kraid's Hideout, Ridley's Hideout, or Tourian.
Click here to read the Metroid instruction manual.
Copyright 2012 Peter Hopkins