Guide: Where To Find All The Upgrades In Metroid: Samus Returns

Like any Metroid game before it, Metroid: Samus Returns is full of secrets, passages and loot for the famous bounty hunter to find. Your progression through the game is tied to finding these items as you'll invariably encounter doors, passageways and environmental hazard that necessitate the locating of these gadgets. 

To that end, we here at Nintendo Life felt it might be helpful to give you, dear reader, a little leg up on gathering these items, should exploring the wilds of SR388 wear on you. Read on to find those lost bits you're looking for.

Surface Area

1. Morph Ball - The Morph Ball can be found immediately following the tutorial. You'll happen upon your first red-barrier door. Shoot it with a missile to open it, then walk inside, shoot the orb in the Chozo statue's hand, then jump into the orb to claim  your prize.

2. Charge Beam - Just after defeating your first metroid, in the next room you'll find an ammo refill and a ledge up above. Jump up to the ledge and open the door with a missile to find another Chozo statue, this time carrying the charge beam.

3. Scan Pulse - Scan Pulse is your first Aeion ability, and you'll find it through the course of your exploration. You'll reach an area where a brief cutscene plays showing you the snake-like structure in the room holding a blue energy ball in its jaws. Roll into your morph ball, to collect the blue energy, which will result in the structure swallowing you up and granting you the scan pulse ability.

Area 1

1. Bomb - No fancy tools are required to get the bombs, as it's still early going. Head to area marked on the map above, use a missile to open the door and collect the bomb.

2. Ice Beam - As before, locate this area on the map above, use a missile to open the door and collect the Ice Beam.

3. Spider Ball - On your way to the Ice Beam, there was an area where going upward was just out of your reach. Equip your Ice Beam and freeze the enemies here, turning them into platforms. Use this to make your way up to a morph ball tunnel to open up a door. Open the door, then go back the way you came and go through it and drop to the bottom of the room to find the Spider Ball.

Area 2

1. Lightning Armour - Just before this area on the map is a door that must be opened with the charge beam. Note that you'll need the Spider Ball in order to reach this area. Once you've claimed the Lightning Armour, you'll be able to run through the red plants that drain Samus of her health without taking any damage.

2. Spring Ball - The Spring Ball is held by Arachnus. Defeat it to claim the ability to jump without bombs in Morph Ball mode.

3. Varia Suit - As you approach this point on the map you'll find a door leading to an area too hot to proceed through with a path in the ceiling above. Use your Spider Ball to bomb the ceiling and climb through the path to find another door. Go through that door and proceed through the room to find the Varia Suit.

4. Wave Beam - With the Varia Suit enabling you to get through the hotter environments on the map,  you'll now be able to collect the Wave Beam. Make your way through the room you previously couldn't enter after getting the Varia Suit, then get to the point on the map above. You'll encounter a Gamma Metroid before getting there; kill it, then head to the spot on the map to find a hallway. Use your Scan Pulse to reveal a weak point in the wall, then destroy it with a missile. Follow the path opened by it to find a door that will lead to the Wave Beam.

5. High Jump Boots - With the Wave Beam acquired, you can now open even more doors, meaning you're able to make your way over to one of Samus's most useful upgrades, the High Jump Boots. Make your way over to the spot on the map above by opening up a Wave Beam door situated above where you'll eventually grab the item. Once you reach the point marked on the map, all that remains is to open the door, walk in and claim your shiny new shoes.

That does it for this installation. Still stuck? Never fear, We've got you covered with detailed information on where to find the rest of your gear, from Screw Attacks to Space Jumps in the next installation. Stay tuned!