Justin Bailey

Justin Bailey
Samus after using the JUSTIN BAILEY password.
Featured in	Metroid Metroid II: Return of Samus Super Metroid Metroid Fusion Metroid: Zero Mission Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U
Properties	Usage of Arm Cannon, Boots, Varia Suit, Morph Ball and Screw Attack functions outside of the Power Suit.

Justin Bailey is a term used to refer to the leotard that Samus Aran wore during special endings of Metroid, Metroid II: Return of Samus, Super Metroid, Metroid Fusion, and Metroid: Zero Mission. It may have first been referenced in Nintendo Power #29.

Password

"What's the matter? All I said was that Komaytos look like little Metr-"

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Non-canon warning: This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo.

The name "Justin Bailey" came from a famous password (JUSTIN BAILEY ------ ------) that, when used, would give the player nearly all the power-ups in the game (minus the Ice Beam and one Energy Tank) and allowed Samus to use them in only a pink one-piece swimsuit rather than her Power Suit. However, it is purely a cosmetic resprite as Samus has the same abilities and takes the same amount of damage from enemies that she would if she were wearing her suit.

The password started Samus armorless in Norfair with five Energy Tanks, 255 Missiles, the Varia Suit, the Hi-Jump Boots, Screw Attack, and the Wave Beam. Kraid and Ridley would be defeated and the path to Tourian would be opened. However, she must still find the Ice Beam as the password does not give it and the beam is required to defeat the Metroids in Tourian.

There are many theories regarding the password. For example, Justin Bailey was originally thought to be one of the creators of the game, but no such name appears in the game credits. It was also often said that the Justin Bailey code was a reference to an English or Australian term for a bathing suit. Bathing suits were, according to this rumor, referred to as "bailies," so "Justin Bailey" would more accurately be rendered as "Just In (a) Bailey", which is what Samus appears to wear when the code is used. However, Samus' outfit with this code is a leotard, not a bathing suit, and "bailey" is not actually slang for "bathing suit" anywhere in the world.

It was also rumored that the password violated Metroid 's normal checksum verification, which would suggest that JUSTIN BAILEY was deliberately coded into the game. The Metroid Database has attempted to debunk this myth using password generators:

“	...the JUSTIN BAILEY password is a total fluke. If you play around with Metroid's password system (something you can do with the Metroid Password Generator program, found in Fan Apps), you can come up with other names and words that work as passwords. The "Justin Bailey" code is one which was found early on and happened to work pretty well, so it became widely reported.	„

Metroid Fusion art.

Many players previously thought this code was the only way to play as an armorless Samus, but every password actually contains a flag indicating whether the player will be using armorless Samus or not. For example, the code "000000 000020 000000 000020" makes the player play as armorless Samus without having collected a single item and starting in Brinstar.

Non-canon warning: Non-canonical information ends here.

Description

Due to the removal of passwords in later games, armorless Samus was no longer a bonus feature, though she did continue to appear armorless in the best endings of subsequent games, and in the Game Overs for Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion in which her suit cracked and exploded, revealing Samus wearing her bikini.

Samus wears a bikini only if the game is completed in the very shortest amount of time. (These time limits have varied from under one hour to under two hours to under three hours, depending on the game.) In the original Metroid, each ending sequence but two (the "worst" of them) was notable for revealing that Samus, underneath her Power Suit, is actually a woman. (Not only was her gender hidden by the suit, but in both the American manual and press releases Samus was referred to as male. This was not an issue in Japan, as Japanese third-person pronouns are generally not gendered.) However, for several games after, the bikini continued to appear as traditional fastest-completion ending sequence attire, even though it is well-established that Samus is female. The persistent appearances of the skimpy bikini are likely intended as 'rewards' for beating the games quickly as Samus is considered to be attractive (something that is stated in the manga). The bikini was later replaced by the less revealing Zero Suit. Despite the introduction of the Zero Suit, the bikini made one final appearance in Zero Mission, where it is worn in endings earned by collecting 100% of the items or less than 15% of the items.

The appearance of the bikini has varied throughout its appearances. Metroid featured a pink leotard that was the playable suit as well as a two piece pink bikini that was not playable. Metroid II: Return of Samus featured a tank top and underwear whose color, like most of Metroid II, was unknown. Super Metroid featured a black sport bra and underwear, with matching boots. Metroid Fusion also featured the same type of bra as Super Metroid, but colored blue and featuring shorts. Despite the introduction of the Zero Suit, however, Metroid: Zero Mission also featured a bikini in the vein of Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion, though colored orange.

Zero Suit Samus' palette swaps in Super Smash Bros. Brawl may be references to her bikinis in Fusion, Metroid and Super Metroid.

The Justin Bailey also appears in WarioWare: Twisted! and WarioWare: Touched!, in the respective microgames based on the original Metroid. On rare occasions, Samus will appear in her Justin Bailey suit.

After ten years of absence, the outfits from Fusion (blue) and Zero Mission (orange) were revealed in a Miiverse post on August 19, 2014 to be included in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U as alternate costumes for Zero Suit Samus. Apparently, these were last minute additions.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U Miiverse post (August 19, 2014)

"Pic of the day. Looking at the number of days we have left for development, it would be an impossible task to create this… That's what I told my staff. But thanks to the determination of her female designer, these Zero Suit outfits got completed in time. From the ending of Metroid: Zero Mission, here's Samus in shorts!"

"Here's a look at the 3DS version. You can use the same outfit variations in both the 3DS and Wii U versions."

Trivia

• The Metroid e-Manga depicts Samus in a light pink jumpsuit, as well as with a brown-like shade of blond hair. This could quite possibly be a reference to the bailey in Metroid.
  • It may have also been referenced with the pink palette swap of Zero Suit Samus in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
• The Justin Bailey from Metroid II appears in the Super Metroid manga.
• In Metroid, the value in memory address 69B3 toggles the suit mode. A value of 1 makes Samus appear in bikini.
• In the independent video game parody film Press Start, when Sam (based on Samus) is captured, her spacesuit is removed by a henchman (played by director Ed Glaser) who is wearing a "Justin" nametag and addressed as "Mr. Bailey".
• The multi-platform game Catherine features a man at the Stray Sheep bar named Justin Bailey.
• Jody Summer's outfit in the F-Zero series resembles the original Justin Bailey suit.

Appearances

• Metroid
• Metroid II: Return of Samus
• Super Metroid
• Super Metroid (Manga)
• Metroid Fusion
• Metroid: Zero Mission
• WarioWare: Twisted!
• WarioWare: Touched!
• NES Remix 2
• Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U

Gallery

Japanese artwork for Metroid that alluded to Samus' true identity, the earliest known such artwork.

Samus wearing the bikini in Metroid.

Sprite in Power Suit mode.

Sprite in Varia Suit mode.

The bikini in Metroid II: Return of Samus.

Samus in her Super Metroid bikini.

The Game Over for Super Metroid (click to see animation).

Metroid Fusion

The bikini featured in the game over for Metroid Fusion.

Metroid: Zero Mission

A possible reference to the bikini in Metroid, from the e-Manga.