The aquatic Maridia appears exclusively in Super Metroid. Traversal is severely hindered by large bodies of water until Samus obtains the Gravity Suit. Entrance to Maridia can be accomplished in a very dramatic and memorable way by Power Bombing a large glass tunnel used to bypass an underwater area of Brinstar.
Space Pirate technology and deadly quicksand permeate subsections of Maridia.
Featured Boss: Draygon
Draygon is a fully grown Evir, an armored crustacean with a sensitive stomach. Despite their monstrous appearance, Draygon, Kraid, Ridley, and Phantoon are positioned as high-ranking members within Mother Brain’s Space Pirate organization.
The battle with Draygon is notable for featuring a very cool alternate win condition. The path to Draygon’s lair and large parts of Maridia overall are outfitted with Grapple Points. This is a subtle way of ensuring the Grappling Beam is on players’ minds when facing the area’s primary boss. Wall Cannons attack Samus from either side of Draygon’s lair, but destroying them leaves behind a sparking electrical outlet. If Samus grapples one of these outlets after being grabbed by Draygon, the electricity surges through her suit, rapidly damaging it. Assuming she doesn’t die first, the boss is defeated without having to waste a single missile.
While that Easter egg was intentional, there’s another exploit called the Blue Suit Glitch, which uses Draygon’s mucus to charge a Shinespark. Hitting Draygon with a properly timed hyper jump puts Samus in a permanently Speed Boosted state. This allows her to Shinespark in virtually any room in the game, including many where a Shinespark would not otherwise be possible.
