Metroid II: Return of Samus / beam weapons and Morph Ball upgrades

Metroid II beam weapons and Morph Ball upgrades

Compare the four beam pickups and the movement tools used on SR388.

Edition covered

Original monochrome Game Boy adventure. Metroid: Samus Returns on Nintendo 3DS is a separate remake with different maps, combat and upgrades.

4 items · one picture per entry · open a picture for full size.

beam weapons and Morph Ball upgrades

Explode in Morph Ball form

Route use: Break weak blocks.

Cling to walls and ceilings

Route use: Explore vertical surfaces.

Jump in Morph Ball form

Route use: Clear low-ceiling obstacles.

Damaging spin jump

Route use: Destroy many ordinary enemies while jumping.

Choose the active beam. Ice, Wave, Spazer and Plasma are alternatives in this game.
Expand Morph Ball movement. Bombs open weak blocks, Spider Ball clings to surfaces and Spring Ball lets Samus jump while curled up.
Use jumping upgrades deliberately. High Jump Boots improve jump height, while Space Jump permits repeated spin jumps.
Do not confuse beam strength with Metroid damage. Evolved Metroids are primarily missile targets.

Beam comparison
Beam	Effect	Useful distinction
Ice Beam	Freezes ordinary enemies	Needed for larval Metroids late in the game
Wave Beam	Oscillating shot pattern	Covers a broad firing area
Spazer Beam	Fires a wider spread	More vertical coverage
Plasma Beam	Piercing beam attack	Strong against ordinary enemies

References

Guide references
Reference	Website
Original Nintendo instruction booklet	www.thegameisafootarcade.com
Equipment reference	metroid.retropixel.net
Metroid forms	metroid.retropixel.net
Ending times	metroid.retropixel.net