How to Play

Basic Controls

Move

Press Left and Right on the Directional Pad to move in the corresponding direction. During a jump, press Left or Right on the Directional Pad to steer Samus in midair.

Jump

Press the A Button to Jump. Tap the button for short jumps; press and hold it for longer jumps.

Curl Up

Press Down on the Directional Pad to curl Samus into a ball (requires Power Item: Maru Mari).

Aiming

By default, Samus aims her weapon in the direction she’s facing. Press Up on the Directional Pad to aim Samus’s active weapon upward.

Fire

Press the B Button to fire Samus’s active weapon. Press the B Button while in ball form to set a bomb (requires Power Item: Bomb).

Switch Weapon

Use the Select Button to switch between Samus’s beam weapon and missiles (requires Power Item: Missile Rocket).

Advanced Moves

Spinning Jump

Jump while moving to perform a spinning jump. The extra momentum allows Samus to jump farther, but also makes it harder to make midair adjustments.

Screw Attack

Once you collect the Screw Attack, Samus’s spinning jumps automatically deal damage to enemies caught in her path (requires Power Item: Screw Attack).

Bomb Bounce

Samus can’t jump while she’s curled up, but you can use bombs to bounce her into the air. This technique is essential for accessing many of the secret passages hidden throughout Planet Zebes.

Bomb Climb

Some obstacles can’t be overcome with a single bomb bounce. In these cases, use multiple bombs to perform a series of bounces. Proper placement is essential (and difficult!), but with the right timing, Samus can effectively climb up through narrow passages.

Screen Display

The status of Samus’s power suit is displayed in the screen’s upper-left corner. Early in the game, only Samus’s energy reserve is shown.

As you collect specific Power Items, this readout expands to display the number of Energy Tanks you’ve collected, the energy remaining in the current tank, and the number of missiles Samus is currently carrying.

Advancing the Game

Your primary objective is to destroy Mother Brain, but there’s a lot to do before you’re ready (or able) to confront this powerful organism. In the simplest terms, you must:

• Find and collect Power Items to improve Samus’s abilities. Many Power Items are optional, but several of these items must be collected before you can access essential areas.
• Find and defeat two Mini-Bosses. Kraid’s hideout is hidden below a corridor below Brinstar; Ridley’s hideout is located below Norfair. You must conquer both of these powerful creatures before you can reach Mother Brain.
• Find and defeat Mother Brain. Your primary objective is located in Tourian, the fortress’s central base.

Of course, searching for Power Items and key enemies involves a great deal of exploration. Navigating this maze-like fortress can be a daunting task—most rooms contain a mix of hostile creatures and environmental hazards, and some of the game’s most important areas are hidden beyond secret passages or seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Luckily, each Power Item you collect helps make exploration faster, easier, and safer.