“Metroid 2: Return of Samus” No Bombs Game FAQ

[awaiting some awesome ASCII title art]

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0. Contents
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- 0.	Contents
- I.	Legal
- II. 	Introduction
- III. 	Moves
- IV.	The Idea of Grids
- V. 	Getting Started
- VI. 	Metroids
- VII.	Items
- VIII. Uncollectables
- IX. 	Closing
- X. 	Links
- XI. 	Contact

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I. Legal
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Thought it’d be best to put this up front. 

This is copyright 2004 by LeCoureur103. As of now, it only has permission to be on samus.co.uk. If you put it on your site, I will eat your children. Seriously.

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II. Introduction
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In Metroid 2, the Bombs are the very first item that you are supposed to pick up. Seems like it would be pretty impossible to skip the very first item in the game, doesn’t it? After all, in no other Metroid game has the first “required” item been skipped, much less a no-Bombs game achieved!

Despite all this, it is actually possible to complete Metroid 2 without even picking up the Bombs. Any situation that necessitates bomb use can be circumvented, often in several unique ways. On top of that, probably 90% (that’s an estimate - Metroid 2 neglected to provide a percentage counter) of the non-essential items can be picked up as well! 

I’m going to write all this with the assumption that you, the reader, are an experienced Metroid 2 player. Otherwise, you should probably avoid this and complete the game a few times. Continue at your own risk.

DISCLAIMER: A no-Bombs game requires some tactics that some “purists” might not like, i.e. use of glitches and “secret worlds”. If you don’t take kindly to such things, then just don’t read this... but then you’re missing out on some good fun.

DISCLAIMER (ALSO): Metroid 2 is notorious for not having any reference points; this discourages many players from ever enjoying the game. In this FAQ, it might not be clear just *where* I'm talking about (it probably doesn't help that I didn't write a straight-up walkthrough, but instead just listed out everything and let you sort through it yourself). If this is the case with you, re-read the section while playing the game and see if that helps. Or, check the map on GameFAQs and see if you can’t find what you’re looking for - or check out the maps in this FAQ! At last resort, just e-mail me (see section XI - Contact) and I’ll try to sort you out.

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III. Moves
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In your quest to complete a no-Bombs game, you’ll need to use some advanced techniques to bypass obstacles. Some of these are necessary, others are useful but not required, and still others are just strange.

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The Flash Jump

When you are hit by an enemy, you will be knocked away, and Samus will flash for a short time. 	During this time of flashing, you are inexplicably able to jump again. Just press the A button, 	and up you go. With the flash jump, you can basically get double height on your jumps, even 	without the Space Jump item. If I had to guess, I’d say this is probably a glitch. 

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The Unmorph Jump

Like the flash jump, this is probably another glitch. When you unmorph (from Morphball form, 	duh), you get a free jump. So if you rolled off the edge of a cliff, you could unmorph and jump 	right back up. Be careful, though - there is only a short time to use this jump. If you had the Bombs, you could lay one and do an unmorph-jump after the explosion for double height. But you don’t have the Bombs.

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The Select Trick

Metroid 2 was found, long ago, to contain expansive “secret worlds”; these are simply areas that 	the game’s programmers did not intend for the player to enter. In Metroid Prime, “secret worlds” were manifested as endless voids that the player could reach by jumping through cracks in the 3-dimensional structure of the game. Metroid 2, not being 3-dimensional, requires a little bit extra  to escape the intended play area. This “extra” is known as the “select trick”.

The select trick is fiendishly simple. All you have to do is move back and forth (or fall) while quickly mashing on the select button of  your preferred gaming interface, be this Gameboy or emulator. The result is that something in the game’s engine will overload (or something - I have no idea, really) and a row of blocks will be removed or added to the game. Often, the result is a hole that you can roll through to enter the unintended areas of the game. This technique will be employed quite extensively throughout the no-Bombs game.

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Rolling

If you don’t have the Varia Suit, it is faster to roll along the ground than to run (if you do have the Varia, you run at the same speed you roll). Useful in a speed run, if you’re into that sort of thing... but no application in a no-Bombs game.

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Slow Jump

This is a strange one. You might’ve found that if you tap forward and then jump, you’ll do a vertical spin-jump; that is you’ll be spinning, capable of Space Jumping and Screw Attacking, while just moving straight up and down. Well, it turns out that if you hold UP while doing one of these vertical spin-jumps, you’ll move very slowly: up slowly, hover for a moment, and then fall	slowly. You can alternate between normal speed and slow speed, as well. If you hold up while moving left or right in a spin-jump, nothing will happen. A slow jump only works in this specific case. I have not found any sort of use for it, but it’s cool nonetheless.

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The Instant Restart

Sort of like a suicide pill for doomed astronauts... While you're traipsing around the Secret Worlds, you're bound to end up stuck in some wall. When that happens, press A, B, Select, and Start at the same time. The game will instantly restart, allowing you to continue from where you last saved without the inconvenience of turning the game off, then back on, then waiting as the little "Nintendo" scrolls down the screen. The instant restart works only on an actual Gameboy, as far as I know. I haven't played on an emulator, so I wouldn't really know.

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IV. The Idea of Grids
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The no-Bombs game forces us to go AROUND many obstacles, instead of THROUGH them. In most cases, this involves moving around in "secret worlds", or the off-limits areas of the game. So, I feel that a dissertation on secret worlds is in order. Take the time to read all of this, and you’ll have a better grasp of what’s happening when you’re beating Metroid 2 without the Bombs, or just screwing around in general.

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“What is a grid?“

The game map of Metroid 2 is layed out in what I like to call “grids”. From my various 	experiments, I am fairly confident that I have discovered just exactly how everything works. This is a tad complicated, so just bear with me. 

In the game, there are several distinct areas, which are as follows:

	1. Caverns - these are the large, high-ceilinged areas inside the ruins. 

	2. White Tunnel - this category includes the main tunnel (where acid is), the outsides of 			the planet, and a few other tunnels and caverns

	3. Inside Ruins - these areas contain the Chozo statues and lots of items.

	4. Endgame - contains the “Omega Zone”, the escape tunnels, some of the Queen’s 			ruin, and some other stuff.

	5. Metroid Tunnels - tunnels that contain Metroids. Often branching. Found in the first, 		second, and third ruins, and probably somewhere else as well.

	(There might be another area or two, but it doesn’t really matter, as we won’t be using 		them to any effect. Also, I might have fudged up just which grids contain what - but 			don’t worry about that.)

The programmers contained each of these areas is in its own “grid” - except for #3 ("Inside Ruins"), which has TWO grids - one for the insides of the first and second ruins, and one for the insides of the third and fourth ruins.

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“How big is a grid?”

A grid is, roomwise, 16 x 16, which repeats infinitely in all directions (a “room” is 16 x 16 blocks). That is, instead of moving to a screen 1 above you, could drop 15 screens and end up where you want. Drop another 1, and you’re right back where you started. In the "infinite" way of things, you could drop 16, 32, 48, 64, or any multiple of 16 and end up in the same spot you started (assuming no other screens are in the way).

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 “How are grids connected?”

This is a tricky subject, mostly because I’m not entirely sure. Sometimes I think I’ve got it figured out, but then I’ll stumble onto something that shouldn’t be there; then I have to re-think it. But, here’s the general idea:

In general, you’ve entered a new grid if the screen fades to black, the music changes, or the “tileset” changes. For instance, when you go from a cavern into a building, you have quite obviously changed grids: the music is different, there is a new tileset, and the screen faded to black. Simple. Yet, this doesn’t always apply.

You sometimes switch between grids without even realizing it. A good example is the small cave 	at the top of the second cavern (there is a Metroid and an energy refill). When you move from the cavern to the cave, nothing changed; the music is the same, the tileset is the same, and the screen simply scrolled over. Yet, you are in an entirely new grid. 

How do we know this? Let’s say you were in the cavern just outside of the cave. You use the select trick somewhere and end up in the void. Let’s say you moved around the outside of the cavern, still in the void, up to where the cave should be. You’ll find that nothing is there! On top of that, you can even go inside the building of that cavern, enter the void, and find the cave in that grid! Why didn’t the programmers just stick the cave in the same grid as the cavern? *shrugs* Fortunately, the fact that it is in a different grid is very beneficial, as it allows us to enter the “shadow” of the cavern.

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“What is a shadow?”

A “shadow” is when an area has an improper tileset. That’s all. A better question is “What causes shadows to appear?”

Not 100% sure, but I’d wager that an area gets “shadowed” if you enter it without the use of a fade-to-black (which indicates a change in tileset). Okay, I apologize, that’s terribly vague. Here’s an example that might help to flesh out what that means. 

Let’s return to the example in C, with the cave and second cavern. Now, the cave lies in a separate grid from the cavern; specifically, the same grid that contains the insides of buildings 1 and 2. So, you can go into the second building and use the void to get to the cave. If you were to do so (and you will while playing the no-Bombs game), you would find that the cave has retained the "building" tileset. You normally enter this cave from the large cavern (a grid change without 	a tileset  change), but you've now entered directly, so you're in a shadow. If you go to the cavern now, a tileset change will not occur, and the cavern is now "shadowing" the inside of the building  - as a result, the cavern is now very funky with missing blocks and crazy textures. 
	
This is why "shadows" are useful: blocks often end up missing or replaced with a block that can be moved through. The downside, however, is that sometimes blocks appear from nowhere, thwarting your attempts to do whatever it is you want to do. You have to take the good with the bad, though - that's life.

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"What is the void?"

In grid theory, there are two distinct portions to a grid: the playing area, and the void.

	1. The playing area is where you are intended to stay. It is completely closed off, and 		where you spend the entire game. Without the select trick, you would not be able 			to leave the playing area.

	2. The void is the empty space OUTSIDE of the playing area. Every screen in the void 			looks exactly the same; if you went left by one room, you would appear on the 				right side of an identical room. 
	
	In voids, the same "room" is repeated over and over. However, different grids use 	different room setups for the void.
			
	1. Caverns - the standard void "room" is just a completely empty space - 				nothing to stand on anywhere, so you can only move around with the Space 				Jump.

	2. White Tunnel - the void "room" is a solid jumble of blocks. From what I've 				seen, the particular "look" of the room depends on where you are. If you cause a 			hole to appear underneath your ship on the outside of the planet, the room will 			be made up of random pieces of the ship; I've also seen a form of the void that 			is made up of pieces of the Queen Metroid. As far as I know, there isn't a way 				to move around in this void to any great effect.

	3. Inside Ruins 1/2 - the void here is made of several horizontal platforms. 				These platforms are made up of pieces of Chozo statues. Movement in this void 				is quite easy, and will be used often in the no-Bombs game.

	4. Inside Ruins 3/4 - the void here is an empty space, except for a single ledge 			at the very top. Again, the ledge is made of Chozo statues. This void is best 				navigated with the Space Jump, though you can do without.

	5. Endgame - the standard "room" of the this void contains a large chunk of 				land on the left, and the rest is empty space. Can be moved around in, but you 				probably won't in a no-Bombs game.
			
	6. Metroid Tunnels - the "room" in this void is a solid jumble of blocks as well. 			Completely useless, unfortunately.

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"Why were grids used? Why not just lump the game map together in one gigantic space?"

Not being an official video game programmer, I can only guess that the grids were used to save space. It would be a VERY large space if the game map was one solid area, so they broke it up into smaller, space-saving parts.

Another theory (a radical one that I just came up with) is that the programmers might have INTENDED for players to escape the playing area and use the void to move around. Why would I think this? For one, the select trick, which has been called "the most blatantly overlooked glitch ever", remained in the game. How could they miss something like that on accident? Also, some voids are extremely user-friendly - "Inside 1/2", for instance, appears as several horizontal ledges that can easily jumped on. If the programmers didn't want you in at least 1 or 2 of the voids, why didn't they make ALL of the voids completely unusable (like the White Tunnel void)? Very curious, indeed...

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 "Should use of grids be allowed for low% games, speed runs, etc?"

A touchy subject. Many would say "Certainly not - that would be cheating. The programmers didn't mean for you screw around with secret worlds like that."
 
I see a couple of things wrong with that argument. 
		
	1. The programmers might actually have meant for you to use the grids. See my rant 			above for the details.

	2. If you were to say that use of glitches de-legitimatizes speed runs (or whatever 		else), you’d also have to nullify basically every other record of every other Metroid 		game. Super Metroid players use a ridiculous amount of glitches to achieve low	times, 		such as the Blue Suit, Mockball, and Murder Beam - yet AgriasOaks' and 	Smokey’s 		hour/sub-hour runs have been hailed as masterpieces. In Metroid Prime, Retro removed the 		use of “dash jumps” with the Scan Visor in all  versions subsequent to the NTSC version - 	does this mean that since they didn’t MEAN for it to be there, 	Radix’ world-record 1:37 		100% run, which used the “dash jump” quite often, should be discounted? I’m sure a few of 	you are saying “Exactly. They cheated.” But I’m sure the majority of you Metroid 			players accept those glitch-riddled runs as superb - perhaps even BECAUSE of the 			ingenuity used in all of those glitches!

So, that’s my say in the matter. Grids should be welcomed with open arms.

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"So... what do these 'grids' look like?"

You're in luck. I happen to have created text maps of grids "Inside 1/2" and "Inside 3/4". These are the most-used grids for a no-Bombs game, so the maps will probably be pretty helpful.

"Notepad" does not support underlining, so I can't show the ceilings or floors of rooms...

1. "Inside 1/2" 					Key
							
 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 	   	X - "void" room
|r|X X X|A r|X X X X X X X X X X    		r - regular room
|r|r|X|r|X X X X|m r m r|X X X X		m - missile expansion
|r|r|X|r|X X|S r|X X X|r|X X X X		a - alpha metroid
|r|r|r|? X X X|r r r e r|X X X X 		g - gamma metroid
|r|? ? ?|B r r R|X X X|r m m r|X		z - zeta metroid
|r|s r r r r r s|i r r R|X X X X		sb - spring ball
|v r r r|X X X X X X X X X X X X     		h - high jump boots
 X X X|r|X|R a r|X|m|X X X X X X   		b - bombs
|m|X X|r|X X X|r|X X X X X X X X   		e - energy tank
|R m R a|X X X|r|X X X X X X X X   		w - wave beam
 X X X X|W r r r r r|X X X X X X   		v - varia suit
 X X X X X X X X X|r r|X X X X X   	 	s - save
|SBr r|X X|r m r r r|r|X X X X X  		i - Ice Beam
 X X X X X|R m|e r h R|X X X X X 		CAPITAL LETTERS - known exit (select trick)
 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X   		o - “original” Metroid
						? - uncharted, unreachable

Points of Interest: - the large chunk in the top-right is the first "inside" (with Bombs, Ice 		 Beam, etc.)
		 - the large chunk on the bottom-middle is the High Jump area
		 - the Spring Ball is on the lower left (in bold, with an exit)
		 - the underwater area of ruin 2 is on the middle-left (with the Varia and an 		 		 Alpha)
		 - the long hallway with 2 saves is to the left of the Ice Beam
		 - the 2 rooms straight up from the Bombs is the cave at the top of the second 		 		 ruin, with the Alpha Metroid and the energy refill (looks like "aR")
		 - the single "m" below the Ice Beam is the missile expansion in ruin 2 that is 		 	 accessed by a ball-tunnel from the cavern... for some reason, this gets 		 		 its own room altogether
		 - all of those vertical shafts in the top-left are pieces of the Queen's ruin... 		 stay away from them, unless you're looking to get warped into another grid 		 		 entirely 

2. "Inside 3/4"						Key

 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X		X - "void" room    
 X|r o r r o|X|a|g|X X X X X X X		r - regular room
 X|r r r|X X X X X X|r m|X X X X		m - missile expansion
 X|r r|X X X X X X X|r c|X X X X		a - alpha metroid
 X X|r r o|X X X X X|z r|X X X X		g - gamma metroid
 X X X X X X X X X X|r r|X X X X		z - zeta metroid
 X X X X|s M|X X X X|p r|X X X X		e - energy tank
 X|j|X X|r|e|X X X X|spr|X X X X		w - wave beam
 X|r|X X|r m|X X X X|w r|X X X X		s - save
 X|SPr r r|g|X X X X|i r|X X X X		i - ice beam		
 X X X X X|r|X X|r|X|r r|X X X X		CAPITAL LETTERS - known exit (select trick)
|P r r r g r m r R|X|S r|X X X X		o - "original" metroid
|e R a r r r r r|X X X|R|X X X X		c - screw attack
 X X X X X X X X X X X|r|X X X X 		p - plasma beam
 X|i|X|r|X X X X X X X X X X X X                sp - spazer
 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X		j - space jump

Points of Interest: 	- the tall chunk on the right side is the tower in ruin 4, with all 4 					beams and the Zeta
		 	- the single "g" on the top is  the Gamma at the top of the right wall in 			ruin 4... the screen scrolls upward, and there's an energy refill (this 			warps to you to "cavern" grid)
		 	- the single "a" at the top is the cave with the Alpha Metroid, right by 			the Spider Ball... why they put this room way out here is anyone's guess 			(also warp to "cavern")
		 	- the 5x1 area in the top left is the long hallway by the Queen Metroid 				that has 2 "normal" Metroids in it (seems to be a one-way warp to another 			grid)
		 	- the 3x1 area below the 5x1 is the room directly before the Queen (warp)
		 	- the 2x1 below the 3x1 is the room with the baby Metroid egg... 					specifically, it is the room when you roll along the bottom... when you 			walk across the top part (after you beat the Queen), you're in another 			room entirely; another GRID entirely, actually
		 	- the 3x1 below the 2x1 is the area with a single "normal" Metroid and 			some destroyable blocks; right after the Metroid counter jumps from 1 to 			9
		 	- the chunk on the left is the area with the Spazer and Plasma Beam, as 			well as a couple of Gamma Metroids
			- below the Plasma Beam is a long hallway... this is the hall with an 			Alpha and an Energy Tank at the end
		 	- the single "e" between the two “m”s is where an Energy Tank is blocked 				by a bomb-able block (uncollectable)

The “cavern” and “endgame” grids can also be mapped fairly easily, and I might get around to them eventually.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------At first glance, all of this talk about “grids” and “voids” is undoubtedly very confusing to you. The best way to understand is to experiment on your own, and try out the various things I talk about in the FAQ - then you’ll know what’s happening.

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V. Getting Started
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Every Metroid game has a basic sequence: you explore for a bit, find obstacles that you can't get around, stumble upon a new item, and then bypass that obstacle. After that, it's pretty much rinse-and-repeat.

The first item you're supposed to pick up in Metroid 2 is the Bombs upgrade, but we're not getting that, so I figure it'd be best if I began by telling you how to get around that first obstacle.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------At the beginning of the game, you wander into the tunnels of the planet, eliminate an Alpha Metroid, the acid drops, and you proceed to the first ruins area of the game. It is in those ruins that you pick up your Bombs. After the Bombs, your next (actually) necessary items are the Ice Beam and Spider Ball. So, since we're not getting the Bombs, your next goal should be to get exactly those.

The block I mentioned in the above paragraph is inside the very first building in the ruins. It is in a hidden passage in the wall that leads to an Energy Tank and a vertical shaft. Hard to miss, really. To bypass it, we're not actually going THROUGH the building... Instead, we're going OVER the building.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Just outside of the building, a strange creature is flying in a little circle. What you need to do is jump at the creature when it is at the highest point of its path. You will be knocked upwards, so do a flash jump to reach the lower part of the roof. From where you land, go as far right as you can. You should notice that there are more creatures up here: they shoot up off the ground, then float back down like a leaf. Jump at the creature closest to the right wall (by a bomb-able block) and do another flash jump up to the highest part of the roof. 

The hard part is over (if that can be called hard). On the top of the building, just run to the right some more. Eventually, you will drop off the roof and land on the little stone bridge over the water. You're now free to collect the Spider Ball from its cave, as well as the Ice Beam by entering the building from the back.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ahh, but we're not done just yet. What you would normally do now is kill the Metroid by the Spider Ball cave, then head back out to the main tunnel, detouring to kill the three Metroids in the tunnels. Problem is, we can't get to those three Metroids just yet. As a result, the acid will not disappear from the main tunnel, and we can't continue to the second ruins. So, we're going to skip ahead to the second ruins with some trickery. To do so, you have two options.

	1. This is the more difficult one, so you should probably skip this and try the other. 		But if you're brave (or stubborn), go ahead and try it. The only reason I include it is 		because it’s the first method I discovered... it’s here mostly for nostalgia purposes.

	After collecting the Spider Ball and Ice Beam, go back to the save point in the front 	side of the building (just use the Spider Ball to climb over the building in reverse). 	Your goal is to open a hole next to the save spot that will deposit you in the second 		ruins. Diagram time:

                    	       _ roll _
                _ _ S _ X _ _ |

	The "S" denotes the save point. As you can see, there are four blocks to the right of it, 	then the raised area. To open the hole, roll back and forth along the raised area 	(“roll”)while performing the select trick. A hole will appear either on top of the save 	spot, next to it, or two spaces to the right of it. You need a specific hole; namely, the 	one two spaces to the right of the save spot (marked with an "X" on the diagram). When 	you get the hole you want, STEP through it. Don't go in while in ball form.

	You will fall through a couple of empty screens, then will emerge in the ceiling of the 	second	ruins. Since you went through the correct hole (didn't you?), you will have 	landed directly on top of the column of destroyable blocks that is in the ceiling of 	every cavern area. If you had been in ball form, you would have just bounced up and been 	trapped in the narrow passage forever. As you were in standing position, you are merely 	stuck in the column, still standing! As such, you can jump, aim down, and shoot away the 	blocks. You must be very quick to do this, though; press A, down, then B in a split 	second, or Samus will just bump her head and nothing will happen. Once you've shot away 	all the blocks, you'll drop down into the second cavern!

	2. There are two long vertical shafts inside the building of the first ruins. One leads 	to the Bombs, the other to the Ice Beam. Where you want to go is to the very bottom of 	the Ice Beam's shaft. Here, you need to perform the select trick while rolling back and 	forth. A hole will appear by the doorway, so drop through it to enter the empty space of 	this particular grid.

	From here, you're free to re-enter the playing area pretty much wherever you want. A good 	choice would be 5 screens to the left, and 1 down. This puts you right on top of a 	Metroid inside the building of the second ruins (the one mentioned in section V-F). You 	can check the map of this grid for other ideas.

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Well, we've made it to the second ruins area. Ahh, but we're STILL not done yet! Your Metroid counter has been abused, left with three Metroids un-dead. To remedy this, you'll need to check out the strategy for killing them, which you'll find in section V. 

When that's done, you're back on track and you can complete the game as normal. Well... not exactly NORMAL, since you don't have the Bombs! Just go on killing Metroids as told in section VI, and collecting items as described in section VII. Happy hunting!

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VI. Metroids
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This section will detail how exactly to go about eliminating the Metroid menace. Some of them require no extra effort, while others will have you going to ridiculous lengths for a single Metroid. 

If the title is surrounded with asterisks, that means a special no-Bombs solution is required. This notation just makes it easy for all parties involved.

The number in parentheses denotes the number of Metroids that will be discussed in a particular section.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Phase 1
 
1. The First Metroid (1)

Why are you reading this? You kill the first Metroid before you're even supposed to get the Bombs!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Phase 2

2. Above the Spider Ball (1)

This is another no-brainer. Just use the Spider Ball to climb the wall up to the Metroid, or Space Jump if you want. Whatever works best for you.

3. *In the First Set of Caves* (3)

Ahh, our first big challenge. As you may know, accessing those first caves requires using the Bombs on some blocks. But we don't have bombs, do we? Finding a solution to these three Metroids was actually the last thing I had to figure out to complete the no-Bombs game, so you can bet it's pretty tricky.

To bypass those blocks, you'll need to warp to the room that looks like “aR” on the map. The best place to start is from the underwater area of ruin 2. The “aR” room is the cave at the top of the second cavern, with an Alpha and an energy refill.

Once you’ve landed, move to the right, back into the cavern. You will find that the cavern’s textures are entirely incorrect; the tileset was not changed because you moved between grids without the use of a “fade-to-black”, which signifies a change of textures. Don’t be afraid, though; this distortion is what allows to get to our Metroids.

Drop down and enter the tunnels on the left side of the cavern; you might need to jump over some holes in a few places. When you enter the vertical shaft, you’ll find it in the same distorted state. From the doorway, find the first hole down the right wall. Roll through it. You appear in 	the “Creepy Tunnels” and will land on some spikes, so bounce up to the small ledge to the left. Roll to the screen on the left.

When you roll through, you’ll actually come out inside the tunnels that contain the three Metroids - but, as you should by now expect, they’re totally wacky. I’ll let you figure out where the Metroids are in relation to you, as that’s part of the fun. Or you could look at the diagram. 	

When you’ve destroyed them, you need to escape the tunnels. If you try to go out the front, you’ll 	find that the normally destructible sand blocks are now indestructible blocks (that allow you to save your game if you stand on them O_o ). So, we can’t go out the front. You might have noticed that there are a lot of random holes in these tunnels... yep, we’re going through one. Check out the diagram:

		     indestructible blocks __
                                             |y
		                       ______|_______metroid
                                      |
                      metroid_________|________metroid___x

Yes, it’s a horrific diagram, but it serves its purpose.  The “y” is where you appeared in the tunnels at the beginning. The “metroids” are self-explanatory, and the “x” is where your exit is. It’s a hole near the ground at the very end of the bottom-right tunnel. When you roll through, you’ll pop out back in the tunnels of the second ruins. From here, you’re free to continue on your way.

I realize that all of that is long and difficult, but it’s the only solution I was able to find. If a shorter, easier method surfaces, I’ll be sure to put it here.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Phase 3

4. At the Top of the Second Cavern (1)

This one is no problem. Spider Ball up the wall if you want, or use a series of flash jumps from the roof of the main building. These flash jumps will be off of those little creatures that just float slowly back and forth. Take caution, though: this will take a good chunk of your health.

5. In the Tunnels of the Second Ruins (4)

No Bombs required for these guys. All you have to do is go into the caves and kill them. 

6. *The Alpha Metroid Inside the Second Building* (1)

To get to this guy, you're supposed to use a bomb to get inside the building. But, again, that is not an option.

Basically, we’re warping to him. The best place to start is at the exit near the Ice Beam, then 5 screens left and 1 down. Check the map if that doesn’t make sense.

After you kill him, there’s still the matter of escaping from this area. You can’t get out through the back because of the bomb-able block in the floor, and you can’t get out the front because you’ll run into that very same block back in the cavern area. Our only option is to use the select trick to open a hole in the hallway. However, it must be a specific hole - it must cut through the 	white part of the doorway so that there is still one row of white blocks to the left of the hole. (If 	you don’t use this specific hole, you’ll end up in some wacky places.) A diagram might help:

B  B  B  W  H  W  W

That’s how the floor will look... sort of. “B” is normal blocks, “W” is white blocks, and “H” is the hole.

Drop through the hole, and you’re back in the void. You’re free to re-enter the playing area wherever you want; a good choice would be 1 screen down and 3 right. This puts you in the underwater area of ruin 2, right next to the Alpha Metroid.

7. In the Entrance to the Second Ruins (1)

It’s possible, nay, likely, that you didn’t enter the second ruins area from the front, in which case you’ll need to backtrack to the entrance. A single Alpha Metroid is waiting for you. 

8. In the Underwater Area (1)

By the little epithet above, you should already know what I’m talking about. If not, then go to the left side of the building in the second ruins, drop through the hole in the walkway, and follow the path to the right until you reach the Metroid. No Bombs? No problem!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Phase 4

9. The Six in the Creepy Tunnels (6)

The Creepy Tunnels (not their official name, silly) are the area just outside of the third ruins. They are mainly vertical, and there are six Metroids hiding around them. I’m going to trust that you are able to find them on your own. There are no instances in which Bombs are “required” for any of them, so have fun.

10. On the Far Right of the Third Cavern (1)

Drop down the far right side of the third cavern, blast the sand blocks, drop down the vertical tunnel, kill the stupid thing, and have a merry Christmas. Or Hanukkah. Or Kwanzaa. Or... I’ll stop now.

11. The Gamma in the Vertical Room Inside the Building (1)

Can’t think of any reason why this needs a detailed walkthrough.

12. The Gamma by the Plasma Beam (1)

Ditto.

13. *The Alpha Near the Energy Tank Inside the Third Building* (1)

Reaching the Metroid isn't so much a problem as escaping is (isn't that always the case?). At the end of the room before the Metroid, a block in the wall prevents you from continuing; you probably always bombed the block. You can actually just jump up and shoot it way. 

As an alternative, you can warp to the Metroid. Because of how this particular grid is set up, the room with the Energy Tank is directly below the room with the Plasma Beam. Using the select trick while in the Plasma Beam room will open a hole that leads right to the Energy Tank. So simple, it’s ridiculous (and a huge time-saver!). From here, just go to the right and murder the Metroid. 

Now for the escape. The block/wall combo mentioned two paragraphs ago isn't destroyable from this side, so we need an alternate escape route. Go back to the room with the Energy Tank, then check out the following diagram:

	 ____________________
	|     _____E_|   |   |
	|         |      |   |
	|_____         |   __|
	|___|_x_ _|_y__|__/__|

The room with the Energy Tank is set up, more or less (probably less) like this. The “E” is the Energy Tank, the “x” is where you are rolling back and forth, and the “y” is where the hole should open. Expect trouble, though: from my experience, this is one of the tougher holes to open. 

You’re back in the void now. Check the map of the grid for your choice of re-entry; myself, I would choose 2 rooms left, 4 up, and 2 right. This puts you in the Spazer room, from which you are free to go wherever you choose.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Phase 5

14. The Lonely Gamma (1)

After the Metroid Counter hits “zero” for the umpteenth time, the acid in the main tunnel allows you access to a very lonely Gamma at the end of his very own tunnel. Poor guy. Better put him out of his misery.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Phase 6

15. They’re Quite a Pair (2)

After the lonely Gamma is taken care of, head back to the third ruins area; but this time, drop down the previously acid-filled passage and reach the split in the path. One leads to a Gamma, the other to an Alpha. The upper path has a Missile refill, and the left path has an energy refill; choose whichever is more beneficial to your current state.
	
16. In the Entrance to the Fourth Ruins (1)

You’re cruising along, feeling fine, when you suddenly barrel into a Gamma just outside of the fourth ruins area. You need to complete your mission, and one little Gamma isn’t going to stop you!

17. Zeta on the Right Wall of the Fourth Cavern (1)

There he is, down a tunnel that's right above the entryway to the fourth cavern.

18. Gamma at the Top of the Right Wall (1)

Getting to this guy requires that the screen scrolls upwards. Hopefully, that helps you identify where this is.

19. Zeta on the Far Left (1)

On the left side of the huge building is a huge vertical drop with several tunnels branching off. The Zeta is in the very lowest tunnel, just above the pool of water. 

20. Gamma on the Far Left (1)

Same as the Zeta above, just higher up the side of the building.

21. Gamma at the Very Top (1)

Up and right from the roof of the building is a tunnel. This bugger is waiting inside.

22. *Zeta Inside the Building* (1)

Uh-oh. Looks like trouble. This particular entrance to the building is blocked off by a bomb-able block. To bypass it, you’ll need to warp into the building. To do so, just use the map in the “Grids” section of the FAQ; find an exit, then work your way around to the room with the Zeta.

You can’t just leave when he’s dead; the exit is blocked by, incidentally, the very same block that prevented your entering. So, roll along the floor of the Zeta’s area while jamming on the select button. The left wall should disappear; hop through and go [somewhere] to continue the game.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Phase 7

23. The Alpha... (1)

After the fourth ruins are clear, you have access to these two in a series of tunnels that connects to the main tunnel. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Phase 8

24. ... and the Omega (1)

You fight the Alpha, the acid raises, you circle back around, and you fight the Omega.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Phase 9

25. The Omega Zone (3) 

The “Omega Zone” is what I call the series of tunnels where 3 Omega Metroids are lurking, always lurking. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Phase 10

26. Blast from the Past (8)

So close, yet so far... When you’ve penetrated the depths of the Queen’s ruin, the Metroid counter jumps up, in light of the 8 Metroids that have just hatched. Make sure you have the Ice Beam when the time comes.

27. The Queen Metroid (1)

You knew it was coming, didn’t you? Yep... As you don’t have the Bombs, you’ll have to fight this abomination the good old-fashioned way, with Missiles. She takes 150 hits to go down, so be sure to come with a few Missile packs extra, in case you miss. If you fire like a madman, it’s 	actually possible to take her down in 40 seconds flat - quite a change from the HOUR that some players have logged trying to beat her. *shakes head*
	
=================================================================================================
VII. Items
=================================================================================================

This section (obviously) tells you how to go about collecting the various items scattered around SR-388. Again, asterisks denote items that require special no-Bombs solutions.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Beams

1. *Ice Beam*

I told you how to get this in "Getting Started"! You read that, didn't you? 

2. *Wave Beam*

This beam is inside the building of the second ruins, at the end of a secret passage with a bomb-able block, no less! So, just warp into the Wave Beam room from somewhere else in the grid. A good place is from the underwater Metroid of the second ruins area - a hole can be opened right where the Metroid is. After you land, the Wave Beam is one screen to your right, or maybe two.

3. Spazer

Inside the building of the third ruins. This requires no extra effort.

4. Plasma Beam

 In very close proximity to the Spazer. Thus, you should probably not even go out of your way to collect the Spazer, since you’ll probably lose it in less than a minute anyway!

TIP: As an alternative to picking these up from their normal places, you might consider collecting them from the “Gun Tower” in the fourth ruins area - especially in the case of the Wave Beam, which is pretty annoying to collect.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Missile Expansions

There are 22 missile expansions in Metroid 2. If you don’t have Bombs, most of them require at least a little bit of extra effort. Heck, there isn’t even a way to collect some of them! So if you can’t find the missile you want in this section, check section VIII (Uncollectables). I've put the missiles in a rough sort of chronological order, so if it's not clear where the missile is, look at the missiles around it to at least get a feel for the phase that the missile is located in.

1. *In the Room with the Bombs* (1)

You might have not thought it would be possible to swipe the Missile pack from the very room with the Bombs, but it IS! It’s a pretty tricky thing, so pay attention.

Go to the cave at the top of the second cavern, the cave with the Alpha Metroid and Energy refill. Roll along the lowest floor area while performing the select trick, and a hole should open near the left side. Now, this hole must be special: it must hurt you as you roll into it. I don’t know what triggers this particular hole to open, but I’m pretty sure it needs to be as far to the left as possible. If it’s not the correct hole, you’ll end up somewhere you don’t want to be. But if it IS the correct hole, you’ll fall through several vertical shafts that cause you harm. (You’re probably wondering what these shafts are - they are shadows of the void of this grid, this particular shadow being of the “tunnel” tileset, since that’s what the cave had.) Eventually, you’ll fall through the ceiling of none other than the room with the Bombs! Not only that, but you’ll see that it’s still in the “tunnel” tileset, so what would normally be a bomb-able block has been replaced with a shoot-able patch of stuff. Shoot it and collect the missile!

Ahh, but we must now escape. You might have seen that the “tunnel” equivalent of a doorway is an impenetrable wall of stone. To bypass it, roll along the area where the missile is/was (the space four blocks long and 1 high) while jamming on the select button. Eventually, the edge of the screen will be removed and you can jump through. From here, work your way up to where the save spot is. You’ll see that it’s no longer a save spot at all, but a jumble of rocks. For further means of escape, consult Method A of getting to the second ruins in “Getting Started”. (Or, you can shoot out the harmful material from under the save spot, roll back and forth, and do the select trick to remove the left wall of the area. The resulting passage places you in the first cavern.)

2. The Three in the First Building (3)

These are the three in the hallway that connects to the second vertical shaft in the first building - near the Ice Beam. No special means are necessary to collect any of these. 

3. The Two at the Top of the First Building (2) 

At the top of the second shaft is a hallway that leads left. There are two Missile packs in 	said hallway. There’s no problem collecting them, except that you can’t exit to the left because of the bomb-able block. Just backtrack out.

4. *In the Underwater Area* (2)

Though it says two Missiles are here, only one of them actually needs a special method. 

	a. When you first enter the underwater area, there’s a Missile pack nestled up 				in the corner. Spider Ball, or High Jump.

	b. The second Missile pack is in a secret passage in the ceiling of the long, 				horizontal underwater room. There are four bomb-able blocks in your way. To 				get rid of them, you must use the select trick four times, removing one 				block at a time. Diagram:

		
		M 4 3 2 1

	You enter the passage from the right. "1" indicates the first block to remove, 				"2" the second, and so forth. "M" is the Missile. When you get the Missile, 				there's no problem escaping.

5. *In the Ceiling of the Second Cavern* (1)

As with all tunnels in the ceilings of giant caverns, this one is blocked off by bomb-able blocks. The solution is to warp into the cavern from the “inside building” grid, thereby giving the cavern a tileset in which there aren’t any blocks at all! This requires entering the void, then going to the “aR” room. When you get to the cavern, just use the Spider Ball to move along the ceiling, over to the missile.

6. *Behind the High Jump* (2)

There is a Missile on either half of the room behind the High Jump. The one on the left is collected without any trouble (except getting in and out of this "inside" area, but that is explained numerous times elsewhere in the FAQ). But the other is surrounded by a wall, and a bomb-able block from the other side. So to get it, we’re going to knock down the wall! Diagram:
		 _____________
		|       |e_|  |
		|    r  x__   |
		|___|m|_|_m|__|

The room with the missile looks roughly like this. The “m”s are the two Missile packs (the one on the right is the one I’m talking about), the “e” is the Energy Tank, “r” is where you’re rolling back and forth, and “x” is where the wall be removed. You can hop through, score the missile (and Energy Tank, if you haven’t yet), and hop back out. Pretty brilliant.

7. Two in the Second Building (2)

No problem getting these Missiles, which are in the hallway above the Energy Tank. Except getting in. Which is described elsewhere. And really isn't much of a problem to begin with.

8. In the Single Room that Attaches to the Outside of the Second Cavern (1)

Wow, crazy title... and it’s probably not specific enough anyway. The second building is 	shaped like this:

		    ___sb___
		 __|hj	   m|__
		|______________|

The “hj” is the passage leading to the High Jump and a bunch of other stuff. The “sb” is 	the passage to the Spring Ball, and “m” is the passage leading to this missile. Use the Spider Ball to get it.

9. *Above the Gamma in the Third Building* (1)

You know, with the destructible sand blocks at the bottom? Sure you do. Well, the asterisks around the title are sort of misleading. See, normally, you’d probably use the Spider Ball to climb up to the shoot-able block, then you’d bomb it. Instead, you must now jump up from one of the floating blocks, shoot the shoot-able block (redundant much?), and jump through again. Not so much a “special” solution, as a solution that you’d probably normally ignore.

10. In the Corridor Near the Plasma Beam (1)

Doesn’t get much easier than this.

11. Hidden in the Sand Blocks Near the Savepoint (1)

Yep.

12. Underwater in the Fourth Cavern (1)

Accessed through a Metroid shell that is covering a hole.

13. At the Top of the Right Wall, Near the Gamma (1)

There’s a block covering the missile, but you can shoot it away.

14. *In the Ceiling of the Fourth Cavern* (1)

Those darned ceiling-passages are always blocked by... blocks.  The solution is to warp into the cavern from the “inside”, giving it a new tileset and removing those pesky blocks. Specifically, you’re aiming for the “g” at the top of the “Inside 3/4” map; this puts you in the cavern, with the tileset you need to get to the missile.

That’s the last of the Missiles, for a possible 230 maximum.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Suit Upgrades (Spring Ball and Varia Suit are Uncollectable)

1. Bombs

Go away.		

2. Spider Ball

I told you how to get this in “Getting Started”.

3. *High Jump*

Really, the only problem in collecting the High Jump is getting inside the building. Just 	warp in, using the map in the “Grid” section. It’s actually possible to go from the Ice 	Beam to the High Jump in less than a minute by warping, so give it a try!

4. Space Jump

When you get to the third ruins, you’ll have no trouble collecting this useful item.

5. *Screw Attack*

This lies in the depths of the fourth ruins area, and it requires some pretty tricky moves 	to reach and escape with. So pay attention!

Getting there is a cakewalk: just warp to the room with the Screw Attack. As always, check the grid map for details. When you collect it, the bar on the bottom of the screen will say "Save...", which is sort of humorous, but you still gain the Screw Attack. 

Now that you’ve got it, you need to escape. It’s pretty strange, so just bear with me. Roll 	along the floor while doing the select trick. A hole will open not on the standard right side of the screen, but on the left. Jump over the statue and drop through. You're now in the bottom part of the room, below the statue.  Now, roll back and forth doing the select trick again. A hole will open on the left, more or less in the same column as the previous hole. Drop. 

I don't know technically where you are, but that doesn't matter. All that matters is that I 	know how to get back to a salvageable place from which you can continue the game.

Physically, you are in an area roughly 3 blocks tall and 1 wide. The only way you can go is up. So, SPACE JUMP up through the top. You're now in a void. While moving up, direct yourself 6 or 7 blocks to the right. After a couple screens upward, you will shoot up into the area of the fourth cavern that has the Energy Tank (there's a one-way Metroid shell covering it). Get the Tank if you need to, then jump up through the shell. Bam, you’re done.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Energy Tanks

1. Inside the First Building (1)

All that this necessitates is that you enter the building from the back.

2. *Inside the Second Building* (1)

The Energy Tank is surrounded on one side by a solid wall, and on the other side some bomb-able blocks. What you're going to do is remove the wall via the select trick. Diagram:

		 _____________
		|       |e_|  |
		|    r  x__   |
		|___|m|_|_m|__|

Roll back and forth at "r", remove the wall at "x", and get the Tank at "e". 

3. *Deep Inside the Third Building* (1)

Getting to it is not a problem (a. jump, shoot the block, and Spider through; b. drop down from the Plasma Beam room). The problem is escaping, so I choose now to regurgitate another diagram:

 	 ____________________
	|     _____E_|   |   |
	|         |      |   |
	|_____         |   __|
	|___|_x_ _|_y__|__/__|

Score the Tank at "E", roll back and forth while mashing the select button at "x", and drop through the hole at "y". From where you land, re-enter the playing area wherever you choose; check the grid map.

4. *The Two at the Top of the Fourth Ruins* (2)

One of these is in the very highest ceiling, in a hidden tunnel along with a Missile tank. 	The other is on the roof of the high building, below a one-way Metroid shell. The method for collecting both Tanks is so similar that I’m lumping the two of them together.

The premise here is to warp into the “cavern” grid from another grid, giving it a tileset 	that eliminates some of the blocks in your way. This means warping to the “g” at the top of the “Inside 3/4” grid, which you’ve undoubtedly done before. When you get to the cavern, there’s a funky tileset. So, climb to the roof of the gigantic building.

When you run left, you’ll see that some of the blocks surrounding the Metroid shell have been removed, and the Energy Tank is just floating in mid-air. Space jump to it, or roll to it then unmorph-jump back out.

Now, go to the very left wall. Space jump up to the very highest ledge you can reach, then climb the wall with the Spider Ball. You’ll see that the bomb-able blocks the typically block ceiling-tunnels are no longer there. You’re free to nab the Energy Tank, and the Missile if you need it.

=================================================================================================
VIII. Uncollectables
=================================================================================================

Even with all the innovative techniques discovered and described in this FAQ, there are just some items that can’t be collected. It’s pretty frustrating, really.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Suit Upgrades

1. Spring Ball

Nope, can’t get the Spring Ball. Most of the other “Uncollectables” might be collectable 	with some crazy new ideas of which no one has thought; but the Spring Ball is, by no stretch of the imagination, collectable. The creature that guards this item can only be harmed with Bombs. Without Bombs, you’re not getting the Spring Ball. Period.

2. Varia Suit

The Varia is surrounded by bomb-able blocks. I have almost managed to collect it by using the select trick to remove some of the blocks, but couldn’t quite remove enough of them. Alternatively, it might be possible to get it by warping into this grid from another grid in which the bomb-able blocks would be shoot-able. And even if you got it, you’d have a heckuva time getting back out of the room. A challenge for the intrepid!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Missiles

1. In the Room on the Right Side of the Third Cavern (1)

You *can* collect the Missile, but I have no idea how you would go about escaping.

2. In the Black Room of the Fourth Ruins (1)

You can actually collect this Missile, but you can't escape, because one of the blocks  regenerates when you go off-screen. I tried to use the select trick to open an escape hole, 	but nothing happened. Any ideas?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Energy Tanks

1. On the Right Side of the Third Cavern (1)

You know, you could probably actually get this... but escape? That's a laugh! But who cares? You can get the other five Energy Tanks, so there's no reason to collect this anyway!

=================================================================================================
IX. Closing
=================================================================================================

That’s that. If you’ve followed the FAQ reasonably closely, you should have completed Metroid 2 without picking up the Bombs. You should be proud, as such a thing was probably not dreamed of by the game’s creators. Now, time for a sexy party!

=================================================================================================
X. Links
=================================================================================================

	- http://m2sw.zophar.net/index.html - A great site that first taught me about “secret 	worlds”, including the select trick and the locations of various entry points. The site 	has some awesome patches for the ROM, like the "shoot-able blocks" patch.

	- www.samus.co.uk - An awesome site that covers all of the Metroid games. You can find 	this FAQ here.

	- www.gamefaqs.com - Everyone and their mom knows about GameFaqs. It is(hopefully) 	hosting my FAQ.


=================================================================================================
XI. Contact
=================================================================================================

Questions? Comments? Angry rants? Drop me a line at LeCoureur103@aol.com. Use the subject “Metroid 2”, or I’ll probably delete your mail along with all the Viagra spam I get.

- End of Document -