Upgrade

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An upgrade, or a Power Item in the original Metroid, is any advancement in technology or ability of Samus. Upgrades are present in every Metroid game thus far. They are necessary to complete every game (with minor exceptions). Although most upgrades are weapons, such as the Ice Beam, there are several other upgrades that enhance Samus's abilities. Most upgrades notably build on the Chozo-built Power Suit, since the Power Suit's versatility allows for easy upgrades.

Upgrades allow Samus to progress, increase offensive or defensive capabilities, or both.

Suit Upgrades

Power Suit

Main article: Power Suit

Featured in every single Metroid game to date. It is her basic suit built by the Chozo. It was built with the Chozo's highly advanced technology, allowing it to be augmented and function much more effectively than its basic form. It offers protection from the infinite vacuum of space, and can protect from falls of any height. It has basic armor covering all of Samus' vital areas and offers little protection against enemy damage.

Varia Suit

Main article: Varia Suit

Also featured in every Metroid game, the Varia is the gold standard for armor in the Metroid universe. This suit provides additional protect that the Power Suit does not, including heat resistance. In some games, it offers a percentage of damage is reduced when wearing it. The Varia Suit also looks much different and is the standard from which all later suits are derived, including much larger shoulder spheres, more pronounced knee spikes, and includes the armor plate over the chest that makes it so recognizable by Metroid zealots.

Gravity Suit

Main article: Gravity Suit

Featured in Metroid: Zero Mission, Metroid Prime, Super Metroid, Metroid Fusion, and Metroid: Other M, the Gravity Suit adds added protection that varies by game and negates the effects of hindered movement in liquid environments. It also clears the fog on the Combat Visor that's present in Prime and reduces damage . In Zero Mission and Super Metroid, the Gravity Suit also protects Samus against damage caused by lava or magma present in Norfair reduces damage taken by 50% and 25%, respectively. In Other M, it's referred to as the Gravity Feature and eliminates the effect of gravitational fields cause by Nightmare and present in Sector 2 as well as reducing damage taken by a whopping 75%. The suit appears just like the Varia Suit, except with a blue color scheme. In Other M, however, it appears as a purplish aura around Samus only present when a gravitational field is present, or when Samus is a liquid or vacuum environment.

Phazon Suit

Main article: Phazon Suit

Only in Prime, the Phazon Suit is the only suit acquired in the Prime subseries, sans the PED Suit, that isn't in item form. Samus gains this upgrade when she defeats the Omega Pirate in the Phazon Mines and it collapses on top of her, infusing her Gravity Suit with the "unique Phazon" that was present in the Omega Pirate. The suit is physically the same as the Varia and Gravity suits, but with a jet black and red color scheme. In the Upgrades section of the Prime pause menu, it also shows Samus having a light-bending field around her. Along with 50% damage reduction, the suit also protects Samus against damage caused by Phazon and allows her to fire the Phazon Beam in the battle against Metroid Prime.

Dark Suit

Main article: Dark Suit

Present in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, the Dark Suit is a suit of armor which was worn by A-Kul (AKA the "Champion of Aether") during the Luminoth's war with the Ing. It reduces the caustic effects of Dark Aether's atmospheric damage by 80%. It doesn't resist the effects of dark energy-based weaponry used against Samus. After A-Kul was defeated by the Ing in the Sky Temple Gateway, the Ing stole her armor and placed it in the protection of Amorbis in the Dark Agon Temple. After being defeated by Samus, she gains the suit. Physically, the suit looks much more mechanical than the Varia Suit. The suit has what looks to be circuit board like lines on the suit. It also has a space for the Gravity Boost and Grapple Beam, both of which are acquired later on in the game. It is Samus' primary suit throughout the entire game, as she uses it against all future boss battles, save for the Emperor Ing and the final battle with Dark Samus in the Sky Temple Gateway.

Light Suit

Main article: Light Suit

The Light Suit is only available in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. This suit is acquired after Samus restores the Light of Aether to the Agon, Torvus, and Sanctuary Temples in the light dimension of Aether. The Light Suit is the perfect marriage of the Chozo's and Luminoth's advanced technologies. Is is a much more streamlined suit with more speherical should spheres and humongous semi-circular knee spikes, all white a white and black color scheme. It has tiny holes all over it that allow for light to be emitted from it. The suit also can utilize the Light-Based Teleportation System that allows Samus to travel instantly between the Great Temple and the three subtemples on Aether. There are teleportation systems in variety of places on Aether and Dark Aether. The Light Suit fully resists the corrosive atmosphere of Dark Aether by 100%, but dark energy based attacks can still hurt her. It also resists the effects of the Ingstorm.

Fusion Suit

Main article: Fusion Suit

The Fusion Suit, available only in Metroid Fusion, is a result of the removal of parts of Samus' Power Suit that are infected with the X-Parasite and Vaccine "Metroid". It is the primary suit used in Fusion and has all original functionality of the Power Suit. Because it is less bulky, due to the removal of infected parts, Samus can climb onto ledges without the Power Grip. Due to Metroid DNA being in the suit, it inherits the Metroid's natural weakness to cold, which doesn't allow the suit to use the Ice Beam. Also, the Charge Beam also fires differently.

PED Suit

Main article: PED Suit

The PED Suit was given to Samus in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption by the doctors and scientists on Norion after the Space Pirates, led by Dark Samus, attacked the Galactic Federation base stationed there. After Samus, Rundas, Ghor, and Gandrayda were knocked out by Dark Samus and corrupted, Samus awakes one month later in a Galactic Federation infirmary, she was outfitted with the suit by the Galactic Federation scientists while they were repairing her damaged Varia Suit. The PED Suit takes advantage of the Hunters' ability to self-generate Phazon and give them immense offensive capabilities. The Suit injects one of Samus' Energy Tanks and actives Hypermode. After 15 seconds of being in Hypermode, Samus will going into corrupted mode, in which Hypermode cannot be cancelled and she must exhaust all the Phazon of the current energy tank to avoid total corruption. Although, it does have a safety feature that makes Hypermode go inactive after 25 seconds to help alleviate the risk of total corruption. When Samus walks in a pool of Phazon, it replenishes her energy. The PED Suit appears like the Varia Suit, but with many pieces missing and replaces with Galactic Federation technology. The Arm Cannon also gain the ability to fire the Hyper Beam whilst in Hypermode.

Hazard Shield

Main article: Hazard Shield

The Hazard Shield is a piece of Space Pirate technology that protects the wearer from the environmental hazards. Samus gains this unit later on in the game and can be used to walk through the Acid Rain on the Pirate Homeworld, as well as the Fuel Gel on Bryyo. It adds hexagonal-shaped shields on Samus' shoulders and chest. When Samus is in a hazard that shield protects her from, the Shield glows orange and shimmers. In Morph Ball mode, this is also apparent.

Zero Suit

Main article: Zero Suit

The Zero Suit is a skin-tight singlet that Samus wear underneath her Power Suit. It is connected to her central nervous system, allowing her to activate and deactivate part, or whole, suit she has over it. The suit is affected by her mental state, when in distress, she loses her ability to control whether or not the suit is active, this apparent in her encounter with Ridley in Metroid: Other M. The Suit is blue-hued and has high heels that still allow Samus to be as nimble as in the Power Suit.

Arm Cannon Upgrades

Beams

Power Beam

Samus' standard beam, the Power Beam, has a very high rate of fire and low damage. It has inexhaustible ammunition due to the nanotechnology built into the Arm Cannon by the Chozo.

Charge Beam

Allows Samus to charge up her currently active beam to up to 10x the damage of one shot. It is accompanied by a visual cue that let's the player know it's fully charged. It can be used with all beams, minus the Phazon Beam, including the Paralyzer. In the Primes, a sustained fully charged shot can act like a tractor beam, attracting power-ups into Samus.

Wave Beam

The Wave Beam travels through walls, transparent, and translucent objects. It is much more powerful than the Power Beam and, in Metroid Prime, it shoots electrical energy and can be used to open Purple Doors on Tallon IV, as well as energize Power Conduits, homes in on enemies, overloads electrical enemies, and defeat Wave Troopers. In Metroid Fusion, it allows the Arm Cannon to fire two types of beams to fire simultaneously.

Ice Beam

The Ice Beam is a very integral weapon in the entire Metroid series. It makes killing Metroids easier by freezing them and shooting a missile. It fires a blast of ice and can freeze most enemies when charged or will slow them down.

Plasma Beam

The Plasma Beam fires very powerful waves of energy that can travel through anything, walls, glass, and even enemies, allowing to hit multiple targets. It is Samus' most powerful conventional weapon in every appearance. In the Prime series, it fires molten energy that can set most enemies on fire, and even disintegrate some enemies. In Corruption, it can also be used more intricately to weld broken circuits to restore power to devices.

Grapple Beam

Not necessarily an offensive weapon, although it can be used as such in Super Metroid, the Grapple Beam fires a rope-like beam of energy that Samus can use to swing and propel herself to ledges too far or high to jump. Only certain points are viable attachment points for the Grapple Beam. In Echoes, the Grapple Beam was stolen by the Ing when Samus followed Dark Samus through a Portal into Dark Aether and given to a Dark Grenchler that resides in the Crypt. Upon defeat, it drops the Grapple Beam and can be retaken into Samus' arsenal.

Diffusion Beam

Only in Metroid: Other M, it makes charged Arm Cannon shots diffuse upon hitting a target to hit multiple enemies. It is compatible with all other beams Samus acquires in the game.

Long Beam

The Long Beam makes Samus' beam shots stretch all the way across the screen in the 2D games. It doesn't add any power or any other effect, it just extends the distance the shots go.

Wide Beam

Only in Metroid Fusion, the Wide Beam adds a no power to each individual shot, but it does fire multiple shots that make it easier to hit enemies. There is no other useful make of this beam.

Spazer Beam

Also widens Samus' beam shots and doesn't add any firepower. Although, in Other M, the Diffusion Beam functions the same as the Spazer Beam. It is replaced by other beams in every game that it's in.

Dark Beam

The Dark Beam is one of many items originally wielded by A-Kul during the Luminoth-Ing War. After failing to become useful to the Luminoth, they abandoned the Dark Beam expansion to focus on other ventures. It fires a rather large, spiral-shaped ball of dark energy. It is very useful against light enemies. The charged version is called the Entangler and can freeze enemies solid, similar to the Ice Beam. It can also nullify Light Beacons and Light Crystals. It can also activate Portals to Dark Aether, activate Lift Crystals, and overload light-based shield such as those on the Ingsmashers.

Light Beam

The Light Beam was also wielded by A-Kul and was proven to be very effective against the Ing. Samus find this in the hands of Ing. It fires a stream of white-hot light energy and can set enemies on fire. The charged version is the Lightblast and fires like a shotgun, as one big blast. However, if locked on, all the shots will home in on the enemy. It can energize Lift Crystals, Light Beacons, and Light Crystals temporarly. It can also overload dark-based shields on enemies and activate Portals to Aether.

Annihilator Beam

The most powerful weapon wielded by A-Kul, it fires light and dark energy at the same time. It has a rate of fire comparable to the Power Beam and can home into enemies without even locking on them. Quadraxis guards this item, as it is incredibly prized by the Ing, and it uses it against Samus in their battle in the Hive Temple. It can supercharge Crystals and Beacons that allure Ing to come into it's destructive field and kill them instnatly. The charged shot is the Disruptor. When paired with the Echo Visor, it can also override Echo Key Beam Systems. It can also energize Light and Dark Portals. Lastly, it can also overload shiels of light or dark polarity.

Nova Beam

Space Pirate technology, the Nova Beam fires high-frequency shots that can pierce Blue Phazite Armor as well as Metroid membranes and strike their nuclei, resulting in instant death. It's slightly more powerful than the Plasma Beam.

Phazon Beam

Only officially named the Phazon Beam in Metroid Prime during the final boss fight when standing in a pool of liquid Phazon. The Arm Cannon becomes covered in Phazon veins and shoots out what appears to be eletrical rays of energy to damage enemies. It is vastly more powerful than any other weapon Samus possesses and can kill any enemy much faster and more efficiently.

Hyper Beam

In Super Metroid, when the Baby dies above Samus, it collapses on her and gives her the Hyper Beam that allows Samus to kill Mother Brain. It fires a rainbow-hued stream of energy that is immensely powerful. It is the only weapon capable of killing Mother Brain. In Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, when Samus enter Hyper Mode, she fires a very powerful beam that can kill any enemy faster and overload enemies with Phazon energy to damage them. It also can be charged in Corruption to fires and continuous stream of Phazon bullets for a few seconds until the charge wears off.

Affinity Weapons

Battlehammer

The weapon of choice by Weavel, it fires green shots of energy that arc downward and causes a small explosion upon impact. It's fueled by the Universal Ammo.

Imperialist

The weapon of choice by Trace, it is a sniper rifle the fires a highly accurate shot from a long distance. It is the only Affinity Weapon that cannot be charged. The firing rate is slow, but the damage is incredibly high. It's fueled by the Universal Ammo.

Judicator

The weapon of choice by Noxus, it fires purple shots of sub-zero plasma that freeze anything in its path. It's fueled by the Universal Ammo.

Magmaul

The weapon of choice by Spire, it fires a grenade of magma that can bounce off walls and floors and explodes a few seconds later with explosive force. It's fueled by the Universal Ammo.

Shock Coil

The weapon of choice by Sylux, it fires blue shots of energy effective at close range. If locked on for a few seconds before firing, the damage increases. Only Sylux can use it to its full potential, using it to restore his own health. It's fueled by the Universal Ammo.

Volt Driver

The weapon of choice by Kanden, it fires yellow spheres of energy straight ahead. It's slow, but deal more damage when compared to similar weapons. It's fueled by the Universal Ammo.

Omega Cannon

An extremely powerful weapon Samus used against Gorea in Metroid Prime Hunters. It is located in the Oubliette. It was apparently developed by the Alimbics before they were wiped out by Gorea before Samus arrived.

Other

Paralyzer

Samus' pistol she uses for offense when in the Zero suit. It doesn't have an real power. Even when fully charged, the shot only stuns enemies, allowing Samus to escape and/or hide.

Charge Combos

Super Missile

The Super Missile has appeared in most all Metroid games, it is an upgraded version of the Missile and is much more powerful. First appearing in Super Metroid, it is as powerful as five regular missiles and can dislodge small enemies from the ceilings and walls in Super Metroid. In Metroid Prime, it is powerful enough to destroy objects made out of Cordite. The can also destroy Green blast doors in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. In Zero Mission, they returned to the way they operated in Super Metroid an they are not required to complete the game if the player uses Secret Passages. In Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, the Super Missile is replaced by the Hyper Missile.

Darkburst

The Dark Burst is the charge combo for the Dark Beam. It fires a small, medium-speed, projectile at enemies. Upon contact with an enemy or the ground/wall, it opens a rift into a dark dimension (NOT Dark Aether and pulls enemies into the rift. It is especially useful for killing a swarm of small enemies such as Sanbats, Nightbarbs, Hydlings, and especially help during the Chykka battle when it releases its Chykkling offspring to replenish light ammo to use against Dark Chykka. It causes extra damage to light enemies. It can't pull in larger enemies, but does severely damage them.

Sunburst

The Suburst is the charge combo for the Light Beam. It fires a small, very slow, rainbow=colored projectile at enemies. It carries the property of the Light Beam to incinerate enemies in it's path. Upon contact, it explodes in an extremely bright, rainbow explosion that can kill any enemy in its blast radius. It doesn't kill larger, more powerful, enemies, but it does severely damage them.

Wavebuster

The Wavebuster is the charge combo for the Wave Beam. Appearing only in Metroid Prime. It fires a constant stream of electrical energy that automatically locks onto enemies without the effort of the user. It costs 5 missiles per second after firing to damage enemies constantly. It also is especially helpful to defeat Wave Troopers, Meta-Ridley, and the exoskeleton of Metroid Prime when it's in it's purple form that's weak to the Wave Beam. In the non-Trilogy NTSC version of the game, it can also paralyze enemies until they are dead, a feature removed in the Trilogy and never present in the PAL version.

Ice Spreader

The Ice Spreader is the charge combo for the Ice Beam. It fires a large homing missile made of ice that, when hitting a surface, covers a very large area in a thick sheet of ice that freezes most enemies in the area. It does have limitations, though, it costs 10 missiles, despite only being as powerful as the Super Missile. Also, when fired at an aerial enemy, the ice damage is contained to that one enemy, so it can't be used to take out multiple Flying Pirates or any other airborne enemy. It is also the only conventional weapon in Samus' arsenal that can freeze Metroid Prime's exoskeleton solid when it's in its white form, subject to the Ice Beam.

Flamethrower

The Flamethrower is the charge combo of the Plasma Beam. As the name implies, it fires a continuous stream of fire that can set enemies on first and kill most small enemies in a few seconds or even instantly. It can be used to set Metroid Prime on fire during its red phase.

Sonic Boom

The Sonic Boom is the charge combo for the Annihilator Beam. It fires a single wall of force that travels at the speed of sound, 1236 km/h or 768 MPH, and hits its target almost instantaneously. It causes massive damage and can kill most enemies in a single shot. When hit, the force explodes and causes a reality-warping appearence to the affected area and causes a loud crack of sound (similar to the sonic boom caused when a supersonic aircraft break the sound barrier). Is it extremely effective against agile foes, as its speed overtakes them and they cannot escape before it hits.

Visor Systems

Combat Visor

Main article: Combat Visor

The Combat Visor the main visor used in all the Prime games, it shows Samus' environment in front of her, as well has a mini map, energy counter, missile counter, 3-dimensional radar to find enemies, environmental hazard warning meter, current visor selected, and current beam selected. It is Samus' most used Visor.

Scan Visor

Main article: Scan Visor

Also in all the Primes, as well as Other M, the Scan Visor allows Samus to scan enemies and objects in her view to gain information on how to defeat enemies, hints on how to solve puzzles, and read Lore left behind by the civilization(s) that once lived on the planet she is on.

Thermal Visor

Main article: Thermal Visor

The Space Pirates experimented with thermal vision technology and found it extremely useful in the energy production by Phazon. When activated, it shows the heat signatures of anything in Samus' view. Enemies can be easily tracked using it, but it cannot see into other timespaces and some enemies can avoid it. The Thermal Visor is useful in cooler environments, as enemy heat signatures are more contrasted, but can overloaded by hot climates, brightly lit areas, explosions, and extreme radiation.

X-Ray Visor

Main article: X-Ray Visor

The X-Ray Visor emits x-rays that allow Samus to see though almost anything in her environments. It allows Samus to track nearly every creature accurately. It can be overloaded in areas of intense Phazon radiation. It also has the ability to look through Phazite armor, but not the red variety. Also, it can be used to accurately locate a Phazon Metroid's or Metroid Hatcher's nuclei which, when combined withe Nova Beam, allows for a one-hit kill, rather than a fierce battle.

X-Ray Scope

Main article: X-Ray Scope

An alternate form the X-Ray Visor, the Scope allows Samus to see the composition of objects to see how to destroy them. It also allows Samus to see through objects that are fake.

Dark Visor

Main article: Dark Visor

Obtained in Dark Torvus Bog, the Dark Visor was stolen by the Ing after they killed A-Kul during The Last Crusade. It lets Samus see inter-dimensional objects. Similar in function to the Thermal Visor and X-Ray Visor, it allows Samus to track enemies to a T, even when they warp to other dimensions to escape predators, when Ing are in their amorphous state. It also allows Samus to see Inter-dimensional Locks on Aether. It can be overloaded by immense amounts of dark energy or Phazon radiation.

Echo Visor

Main article: Echo Visor

The Echo Visor is one of A-Kul's original tools she carried during her days and was also used by the Luminoth to help their blind population see. It sends out sonic pulses that make the HUD appear in a monochromatic color scheme. Any objects in Samus' vista sends reverberations back to her, allowing her to navigate spaces while wearing it. When Samus shoots an enemy, it sends out orange pulses, letting her know that she did, in fact, make contact with the enemy. When paired with the Annihilator Beam, it can also be used to override Echo Key Beam Systems.

Command Visor

Main article: Command Visor

The Command Visor is only present in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. It allows Samus to remotely control her Gunship remotely, giving it a much more interactive role than before. It can be used to make the ship land, shoot missiles, and pick up massive objects. It is integral in assembling the Theronian Bomb on Elysia to destroy the Leviathan's shield.

See Also

• Suit Expansion
• Category:Upgrades