Metroid/Gameplay

Controls

 * and : Press left or right to command Samus to face and run in either direction.
 * : Press down while standing to enter the ball form after Samus has collected the Maru Mari power up. Also used to direct elevators to lower.
 * : Press up to direct Samus to aim her gun at the ceiling. Press up while in ball form to return to standing form.  Also used to direct elevators to rise.
 * : Press B to fire a weapon. Normally this will be the current beam weapon.  After pressing Select to toggle missile mode, B will fire a missile if Samus has any missile ammunition.  While in ball form, B will deposit a time bomb if Samus has collected the Bomb power-up.
 * : Press A to jump. Hold the A button down to jump higher.  You can hold left or right in conjunction with A to jump in either direction.  If a direction and A are held long enough, Samus will somersault as she jumps.
 * : Press Start to pause the game. Also used to begin a new game from the title screen.
 * : Press Select to toggle Samus' missile mode. If she has collected at least one supply of missiles, Samus will change color to indicate that she is in missile mode.  Press Select once more to turn middle mode off and return Samus to her regular beam.

Samus Aran
Samus Aran is the heroine of the Metroid video game series. She is a bounty hunter armed with a cybernetic power suit with a number of advanced technologies built into it. She hunts aliens called the "Space Pirates" and energy-draining alien parasites called "Metroids", while attempting to complete missions given by the Galactic Federation. At the time of Metroid's release, her gender was intended to be part of a surprise ending, as Nintendo figured most players would assume that Samus was male. Samus is considered one of the earliest and most significant female protagonists in the history of video games.

Samus' main distinguishing feature is her Power Suit, a modular suit of armor created for her by an alien race called the Chozo. The Power Suit's main purpose is to protect her from adverse environments and enemy fire. The suit can be upgraded to various other forms for added protection, and receive various power-ups which augment her abilities, including Space Jump boots, energy tanks, the Screw Attack, and numerous modifications to her weapons.

Little is known of Samus' past, yet details of her beginnings can be gathered from various sources, including the instruction manual of Metroid Prime, and the Metroid e-manga. Her biography in Super Smash Bros. Melee states that she was orphaned during a Space Pirate raid on her homeworld of K-2L. It also states that she was subsequently rescued by the bird-like Chozo race and infused with "Chozo blood". Information in Metroid: Zero Mission and Metroid Prime strongly suggests that she was raised on the planet Zebes by the Chozo, who referred to her as "the Hatchling", and that she became their most prized warrior.

The official Metroid e-manga details the events of Samus' childhood on the planetary colony of K-2L and depicts the Space Pirate attack which resulted in the deaths of all the colonists, including Samus' parents, Lott and Virginia. The 3 year-old Samus miraculously survived and was found by the Chozo, who took the orphaned girl back to their home planet of Zebes where she would be raised. The subsequent volume of the e-manga portrays Samus' upbringing on Zebes, and her training with the Chozo there. In order to survive against the harsh environment of Zebes, the Chozo infused Samus with their DNA, providing her with enhanced physical abilities. As she grew older, the Chozo elders donned Samus in her Power Suit which they developed and trained her as a warrior, eventually sending the hunter out to fulfill their legacy and become protector of the galaxy.

In Metroid, Samus is sent by the Galactic Federation to stop the Space Pirates' production of Metroids after the Federation's own attempts had failed.

Starting a game
Follow the "Nintendo Entertainment System" instructions for any non-Japanese region release. Follow the "Famicom Disk System" instructions for all Japanese region releases.

Nintendo Entertainment System

 * 1) On the title screen, press  to advance to the start screen.  Leave the title screen on to read a short intro story.
 * 2) Use  to choose either "Start" or "Continue".  You can enter either mode with .  If you choose Start, the game begins.  If you choose Continue, the Password screen appears.
 * 3) Use the control pad to move the cursor and select letters and numbers.  Press  to register the letter or number.  You can backspace the register position by pressing.
 * 4) When you finish the password, press  and the game will begin.  If you make a mistake in selecting the password, when you press, the warning "ERROR!  TRY AGAIN!" will appear below the password.

Famicom Disk System

 * 1) On the title screen, press  to advance to the file select screen.  Leave the title screen on to read a short intro story.
 * 2) On the file select screen, use  to choose between the three save files, and the two lower options.  The first option ("namae touroku", or name register) allows you to register a new name in an unused slot.  The second option, "KILL MODE", allows you to erase a save slot.
 * 3) To begin a new game, choose the first option, where you will be allowed to provide a name to any unused save slot.  Press  to switch between each available save file, and the last option ("touroku owaru", or register finish).
 * 4) To enter a new name, use the control pad to move the cursor and select letters and numbers.  Press  to register the letter or number.  You can backspace the register position by pressing .  Enter a new name for an unused file, and choose the last option to return to the file select screen.
 * 5) To continue a game, use  to choose the existing save file that you would like to continue, and press.