Zaborn_1997
patreon
Chapter 551: Super Metroid
🕑 Added 2025-07-31 02:35:38 +0000 UTCSaturday, 22 December 1994
Raku Ichijou stood eagerly in line at the bustling ZAGE U Store, awaiting the highly anticipated release of Super Metroid, the newest title from ZAGE. The excitement in the air was electric, especially for Raku, a devoted Metroid fan who had followed the series since its first released on ZEPS 1 What truly captivated him was Samus Aran — the fearless bounty hunter who had become his ultimate gaming icon. Her strength, independence, and relentless determination inspired him deeply for him. She is so badass fighting aliens alone by herself And sure, she also happened to be a hot blonde clad in sleek power armor — but Raku insisted that had absolutely nothing to do with his admiration. Totally irrelevant. Completely coincidental.
Raku grinned to himself. "Samus... I missed you so much," he murmured, grinning like a maniac. Then he froze — he’d said it out loud. The guy behind him chuckled, patted his shoulder, and gave a thumbs-up. "I understand, brother." Raku’s face turned bright red. "N-No! It’s not like that!"
He clammed up instantly, mentally scolding himself — "Damn, what a mistake!" Embarrassed, he kept his head down and stayed silent for the rest of the wait. Thankfully, the line moved quickly, and a short while later, he finally got his hands on the game and bolted home with a mix of triumph and relief.
As soon as he burst through the door, Raku threw his arms in the air and shouted, "Today is Metroid Day, and nobody can say otherwise!" With uncontainable excitement, he tore open the box of Super Metroid. Inside, as expected, were four familiar items:
The game cartridge
The game manual
A ZEPS 2 Wow flyer — listing all current ZAGE games for ZEPS 2
And a black-and-silver Zabo-man coin.
Raku eagerly slid the Super Metroid cartridge into his ZEPS 2 console, his hands trembling with excitement. He sat cross-legged in front of his CRT TV, gripping the familiar controller as if bracing for liftoff. The screen flickered, hummed to life, and then flashed the iconic ZAGE logo in a burst of light and sound. Moments later, the haunting music and shimmering logo of Super Metroid filled the room. A wide grin spread across his face as he pressed the start button with purpose. "Here we go," he whispered.
The opening cutscene played, drenched in eerie music and dark space visuals. Samus narrated via on-screen text, recounting her harrowing battles against the Space Pirates and her past encounters with the Metroids. This time, she was dispatched to the Ceres Space Colony in response to a mysterious distress signal. Upon arrival, she discovered the research lab in shambles — and to her horror, the baby Metroid she had entrusted to scientists was gone. Suddenly, a shadow loomed — Ridley appeared, clutching the baby and ready for battle.
After a brief but fierce battle, Ridley retreated, triggering the station's self-destruct countdown. With only seconds to spare, Samus raced back to her ship and launched just in time, flames erupting behind her as the facility exploded. She then set a direct course for Planet Zebes, the place where her journey once began.
Raku leaned forward on the edge of his seat, eyes wide. "Hey! This is a stage from Metroid 1!" he exclaimed. As Samus emerged from her ship, he moved her left and immediately discovered the Morph Ball upgrade — just like in the original game. The nostalgic touch filled him with joy. "Nice! They brought it back!" he said, grinning. With renewed excitement, he continued deeper into the world of Zebes, eager to see what surprises lay ahead.
The atmosphere was absolutely incredible — tense, immersive, and haunting in all the right ways. The music matched each area flawlessly, from eerie subterranean echoes to pulse-pounding boss themes. The gameplay felt tighter, faster, and more fluid than ever — easily the most refined Metroid experience to date. Every stage was rich with detail and thoughtful design, packed with cleverly hidden secrets, creatively placed enemies that were both a nuisance and a thrill to outwit, and that signature backtracking formula that rewarded observant and persistent players. Locked doors and unreachable ledges from earlier zones transformed into exciting return trips once the right power-ups were acquired, turning the entire map into a dynamic playground of exploration and triumph.
Raku even laughed when he spotted Zabo-man — the legendary ZAGE mascot — making his usual cameo. This time, he flew by on his silver jetpack, paused near Samus in background, and said: “You are very cool.” Classic Zabo-man.
Raku kept playing, completely absorbed by the action and atmosphere. Midway through a tense corridor, he gasped in disbelief. "No way! I can stack missiles now?!" he shouted, eyes widening with excitement.
He soon discovered that beam and missile upgrades in Super Metroid weren't just power-ups — they were tools for customization. By combining them in creative ways, Samus could unleash entirely new and devastating beam forms. Some exciting combinations Raku found included:
Charge + Ice + Wave → A piercing, freezing charge beam that could freeze enemies in place and pass through walls.
Charge + Plasma → High-damage, armor-piercing shots perfect for tougher enemies and bosses.
Wave + Spazer → A triple spread beam that could penetrate obstacles, making it ideal for navigating complex enemy layouts and tight spaces.
Each combination not only looked visually impressive but also gave Raku exciting new tactical options, turning every encounter into a chance to experiment and adapt. The customization added a whole new layer of depth to the gameplay, making each fight feel fresh and strategic. Raku marveled at the possibilities, his imagination racing as he considered countless other configurations. "Maybe next time I'll go full Plasma build," he mused, eyes sparkling. He grinned wide — with so many builds available, each run could feel completely different. Fueled by this sense of discovery, Raku kept blasting through the game, facing boss after boss with renewed vigor and curiosity.
First up was Kraid, a towering, scaly green alien who hurled spikes and claws with ferocious strength. The only way to damage him was to time your shots precisely when his gaping mouth opened. Then came Phantoon, a spectral menace who flickered in and out of visibility like a haunted mirage. He could only be hit when his single, eerie eye appeared — and even then, landing a shot on the elusive boss was maddeningly difficult.
Eventually, Raku reached the final boss — none other than Mother Brain herself. But this time, the battle was far more intense than he remembered in metroid 1. After the familiar opening exchange, the music changed, and Mother Brain began to transform. Her glass chamber shattered, and she emerged in a grotesque, towering, monstrous new form, pulsating with menace and fury.
Lasers filled the room, acid dripped from her mechanical maw, and her attacks became brutally relentless. Raku's palms were slick with sweat as he navigated the chaos, carefully timing his shots, dodging fire blasts, and clutching desperately at every energy refill he could find. The battle tested every skill he'd honed throughout the game. But after an exhausting, edge-of-your-seat showdown, he finally landed the final charge beam shot. Mother Brain let out a mechanical shriek and collapsed in an explosion of light and ash.
BOOM!
The screen shook as another self-destruct sequence began — classic Metroid. He had just three minutes to escape. Raku tensed, flying through tight corridors, dodging hazards and alien enemies with razor-sharp reflexes.
He made it out — just barely.
Then, the ending scene played.
Raku leaned in, excited. Metroid endings were always a treat — mysterious, satisfying, and sometimes even surprising. The screen slowly faded in to reveal Samus Aran standing tall. This time, in a moment of quiet triumph, she removed her helmet, letting her long blonde hair fall free over her shoulders. With a confident thumbs-up, she gave a knowing smirk, and then a line of text appeared on screen.
"You are cool... wait, I can say that, right?"
She blinked — and with a shimmering pulse of light, her full power armor materialized once more, locking into place with a mechanical hum. Without missing a beat, she raised her arm cannon and fired a dazzling energy blast straight at the screen, ending the sequence with a bold, triumphant flash.
Raku exhaled, leaning back.
"Sigh… it seems I didn’t get the best ending." Definitely the best one is Samus Aran in a bikini or her Zero Suit. He glanced at his save time: 5 hours and 34 minutes. Under six hours. Not bad, but he knew he could do better. "There are definitely other endings!"
He quickly grabbed the game manual. On the final page, he spotted it:
U < 3H 3H – 10H 10H+
Raku instantly understood.
"I see… to get the best ending, I need to beat it under three hours!" He grinned, adrenaline already returning. "Samus Aran… I’m coming back!" He couldn’t help but grin, imagining Samus in her alternate outfit — not just because that outfit is skimpy one he totally wasn’t thinking about, of course!
to be continue
