List of cut content in the Metroid series

This article is written from the Real Life point of view

This page lists content within the Metroid series that did not make it into the final version of the game it was intended for.

Metroid

• A Fake Ridley was scrapped.
• Unused sprites exist showing Samus running to the left and the right, showing both sides of her body in detail. In the final game she only has one sprite facing in the same direction.

Super Metroid

Image taken from the History Timeline of the Zero Mission Metroid.jp. Note the differences in the HUD and in Kraid's and Draygon's statues.

• Three unused creatures named Stoke, Bang and Reflec were scrapped for unknown reasons. They can be accessed via hacking the SNES ROM using the game editor, SMILE (Super Metroid Integrated Level Editor).
• One room exists in Norfair, but was made inaccessible prior to the game's final release. The room, once again, can be accessed via SMILE. Upon using the Test feature, the room itself seems to be in Ridley's Lair, but the door cannot be accessed but can open, falling down the hole will either bring you to the top of the room or go through the door, revealing that it goes to the room with the Golden Pirates in the room before the elevator in Lower Norfair, however the player will get stuck and can't pause the game, resulting in restarting the game.
• During the game over sequence, Samus was briefly nude, with a voice by Minako Hamano, though these elements were reconsidered due to American sensitivity to nudity and the voice sounding too sexual.
• An unused options menu is accessible through a Game Genie code.

Metroid Fusion

2000 video

In an early trailer of Metroid Fusion, the original design of the B.S.L. Research Station looks quite similar to the G.F.S Olympus' design.

• The game possessed Game Boy Color-like graphics which were not well received.
• The Fusion Suit appeared to have a black color scheme similar to the Phazon Suit, as well as an Echoes and Corruption-style visor. It also possessed an antenna on the right shoulder, and the Arm Cannon was moved to the left hand, with an alternate arm cannon on the other, with three hooks on it. This was a Grappling Beam that homed in on enemies.
• Samus is also seen using a type of technology that allows her to walk on walls similar to the Spider Ball, as well as the Screw Attack in conjunction with the Space Jump. This gameplay element is similar to the Super Mario Galaxy pair of games, and may have been referenced in Metroid: Other M, as there are parts of the Cryosphere with zero gravity that can cause Samus to walk on the ceiling.

Prerelease video 1

• The game had a different title screen that resembled the final, although was not placed in a space background.
• A different health bar is shown on the top left corner of the screen along with a health counter, with up to 100 health per Energy Tank.
• A "Heart Monitor" is present beside the minimap, which may have been to warn Samus of the presence of X.
• The X themselves are colored purple and their sprites appear to have been reused from the Boyon from Super Metroid.
• Samus can be seen running from several Skrees, which do not appear in the final game. Their graphics also appear to have been reused from Super Metroid.
• The doors on the station are all silver and open automatically, much like that on Ceres.
• Sidehoppers were originally colored red (considering they were seen in Sector 3, it is possible that this was to help it adapt to its surroundings).
• Uninfected Wavers in the background could enter the foreground when infected and mutated by X Parasites, much like the Hornoads in the final version.
• Samus can be seen in a room that does not appear in the final game (though can be accessed by hacking), using a Power Bomb to destroy differently colored Zombie Researchers. Worthy of note is that unlike the final game, the explosion does not suck in X.
• Samus can be seen killing several Hornoads with what may be the Spazer Beam or an early Plasma Beam.
• The Yameba were colored yellow and purple rather than blue and green.
• When exiting Samus' gunship, a message saying "STAR SHIP" will appear. This does not happen in the final game.
• The Ladders, Geron Air Systems, and Blast Shields have different sprites.
• The Missiles have different sound effects.
• Samus can be seen Wall Jumping in an unknown location.
• In the final scene, the ladders again possess different sprites, and Samus can be seen in a location that may be the Main Deck, either after Ridley's chamber or on the way to Arachnus. Several small, round glowing objects can be seen in different places.
• The code contains an unused sprite of the Yard's shell from Super Metroid.

Prerelease video 2

• The Speed Booster has a different sound effect.
• Elevator shafts have different sprites.
• Navigation Rooms resemble Recharge Stations and feature the touch sensitive platform in Save Stations.
• A large Data Room can be seen, though the final game features smaller ones.
• Samus can be seen fighting Arachnus in a much larger arena than the final game, taking place presumably in Sector 1.
• The SA-X is present, and its sprites appear to be directly based on the Super Metroid Varia Suit sprite art.
• The SA-X's Ice Beam resembles the Spazer, and makes a different sound when it freezes Samus.
• Rather than the Justin Bailey suit, Samus is wearing a blue dress with red shoes when she dies.

Unused data

• An unused platform sprite appears multiple times in the object list.

Scrapped enemies

Skrees (which were shown in trailers) and Geegas exist as enemies in the game's data, behaving much like their non-X counterparts. Worthy of note is that the Skree's main attack no longer killed them. They would quickly burrow out of the ground from under Samus and launch back up to the ceiling, to repeat the attack. Geegas also spawned from the ground, though this may be due to a lack of Air Holes in the game. Sprites were also found for a type of hive and a green, gaseous entity. A new hack in 2016 has reprogrammed these creatures back into the game, as mostly functioning enemies.[1] [2]

Metroid Prime

• The title theme was different for the original selling.
• Phendrana Drifts had a different theme than the original.
• The opening cutscene's music had changed to a more classic Metroid-sounding melody than before.
• Rippers were intended to appear, but were replaced by Gliders. Their model remains present in the game's data, and can be restored into the game via hacking.
• An enemy similar to a Kihunter was scrapped.
• Kraid was scrapped as a boss in an unknown area of the Phazon Mines due to time constraints.
• An animation of a large creature was present on the website for Derek Bonikowski, and in concept art by Greg Luzniak. The file name of the video referred to it as "IceBoss".
• The game was first shown as a 3rd person shooter. The HUD and Samus's Arm Cannon looked different.
• The Parasite Queen was originally to be fought in a more open arena, where it would crawl on walls and floors.
• An unused monologue by Jennifer Hale as Samus narrating the events of Metroid was to be heard during the intro. Most of the dialogue was curiously reused in Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the song Opening/Menu (Metroid Prime).
• Artwork released in the Metroid Prime Trilogy art booklet shows different beam formations, the classic beam symbols (a creature holding a ball with the first letter of the beam's name) would be used instead of capsules containing energy, another type of Charge Meter and the Spazer Beam was also shown.
• Samus Aran's Gunship was originally known as the "Stealth strike corvette" rather than the Hunter-class name used ingame.
• A suit with a purple and greenish color scheme has been found in the game's data, later confirmed to be an unused version of the Phazon Suit.
• Metroid Prime and Metroid Fusion: Prima's Official Strategy Guide contains a lot of artwork that is not present in the game's gallery. Some of it consists of species not seen in the game, such as a green Shriekbat that may have been intended to be a Skree, a mechanical Puddle Spore, a green Sentry Drone, an X-ray of a lizard-like creature, and a red Shriekbat.
• Thardus was originally meant to be in a "large lava pit arena" in the Magmoor Caverns before it was changed to the Phendrana Drifts Quarantine Cave due to time constraints.
• Concept artwork of Samus depicts her Varia Suit in its appearance in later Prime games, suggesting that it may have been a scrapped design that was later revisited.
• Phazon's origin was explained in an unused image as being the physical energy of the Metroids Samus killed on her Zero Mission.

ULF 23 unused scan.jpg

Chomper Fish in the Phendrana Drifts have an unused scan image.

A scan image of a honeycomb-like object is present in a collection of scan panels in concept art. What it corresponds to, if anything is unknown.

The original origin of Phazon.

Samus expressions

There are a number of unused animations for Samus making various facial expressions in the HUD. The purpose of these animations and whether they were intended to be seen is unknown.

Looking to the left.

Looking to the right.

Angry. In cutscenes where Samus interacts with enemies, she has a similar expression on her face (unless she is wearing the Fusion Suit).

Smiling. The disproportion is likely the result of a lack of bones in the mouth area, since the focus when Samus' face is visible is mostly on her eyes.

Smirking.

Squinting.

Surprised.

Metroid: Zero Mission

• The code contains a left out Crocomire sprite, which can still be accessed by hacking the ROM, though it has no death sequence and is seemingly unfinished.
• Two debug features are also present within the code. It was originally intended that the ability to toggle items on and off would return from Super Metroid. The second is where Red Blast Shields were vulnerable to five Missiles rather than one in the final game as in previous games.
• The game's art style was originally a cartoony version similar to the original Metroid.

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

Early screenshot showing the Dark and Light Beams in Samus' possession during the first Dark Samus fight.

• A trailer from E3 2003 features Samus in her Prime style of Varia Suit being attacked by a cloaked Pirate Trooper in a scene unused in the game.[3]
• The Metroid 1.5 design document shows many of Retro Studios' early ideas.
• The Bonus Disc has an alternate version of Record of Samus.
• Scan data and a model for an Mk III Shield exist in the Bonus Disc data.
• Dark, Light and Annihilator Bombs were intended Charge Combos for Power Bombs.
• The Elite Quarters theme, a never-before-heard music track, and a darker, slower version of Vs. Meta Ridley were scrapped.
• The appearance of the Disruptor was changed in the final version, and it was initially called Sonic Boom, which became the name of the Annihilator Beam's Charge Combo.
• An attack with the Boost Ball where Samus would jump twice in the air, morph and charge at enemies (similar to Sonic the Hedgehog) was scrapped.
• A "Morph Ball Racing" mode is mentioned in unused text in the game's data.
• Most of the soldiers of GFMC Task Force Herakles had very different names, and all had Logbook entries, while in the final game many of the bodies are unidentifiable. Some of these beta names were references to the names of Retro Studios employees.

E3 2004 trailer

• A multiplayer stage with lava was depicted, with a strange pillar coming out of the lava.
• A Pirate Trooper, when frozen, would not be surrounded in a purple sheen and Entangler particles; rather, a shell of ice like in Metroid Prime. The Pirate would also be frozen to the floor, with the ice on the floor remaining after death.
• Samus' model from Prime was to be reused in Echoes.
• In the fight at Mining Station A, the Pirate Commandos there would first be possessed by Ing rather than the Portal Terminal in the final game.
• The Missile Launcher's configuration was to be the same as Prime in that four sections split from the nozzle of the Arm Cannon.
• A black Luminoth was seen in the Portal Terminal.
• Samus is briefly depicted, while tracking an Ing, with a purplish hand on her Arm Cannon, possibly indicating she was to obtain the Gravity Suit.
• Samus would have had the Dark and Light Beams during the first Dark Samus battle.

Metroid Prime Hunters

• Interviews stated that the game was going to have segments where Samus could fly her gunship, but this did not happen due to pacing issues.[4]
• As evidenced by its file name "PowerBomb_Model", the Trocra was originally intended to be a Power Bomb, although this was scrapped for unknown reasons.
• Sylux[5], Trace[6], Noxus[7], Weavel[8] and the Guardians[9] all have unused introduction music.
• A sickly-colored Ithrak was scrapped.
• Certain animations had much more precision to them than what is seen in the final game.

1/5

Prerelease videos

Samus collects a Missile Expansion, as seen in one of the prerelease videos of Metroid Prime Hunters.

• Prerelease videos shows Samus in the single-player game with the Morph Ball's boost meter turned sideways.
• Similar videos also showed Samus collecting a Missile Expansion by performing a Bomb Jump in the Frost Labyrinth, though it was replaced with a Shield Key in the final version.

Unused data

• Unused soundtrack exists in the game's data, such as entrance themes for Sylux, Trace, Noxus, Weavel and the Guardians; and a menu theme.
• Unused text mentions a "stealth-class spacecraft".

Unused text

WARNING: hostiles detected.OCTOLITHS are likely to be heavily guarded. proceed with caution.

WARNING:long-range sensors detect warp signatures of stealth-class spacecraft approaching the ALIMBIC sector.

WARNING:subspace intercepts suggest the presence of bounty hunters in ALIMBIC territory.

GUNSHIP TRANSMISSIONwarp signatures of at least four bounty hunter vessels confirmed.

GUNSHIP TRANSMISSIONanalysis of telepathic transmission from TETRA GALAXY complete. unable to validate any source of ULTIMATE POWER.

GUNSHIP TRANSMISSIONorigin of telepathic message identified as prisoner GOREA. threat analysis: strategic lure for an unwitting liberator.

GUNSHIP TRANSMISSIONGOREA must not escape. all measures necessary to contain this threat are authorized.

top screenvarious hostile forces in pursuit of $ULTIMATE POWER.$ $EXTREME CAUTION$ is advised.

SCAN FIRST TO PICK UP

GUNSHIP TRANSMISSIONWARNING! unidentified vessel detected in docking bay alpha seven. $EXTREME CAUTION$ is advised.

FORCE FIELD CANNOT BE DEACTIVATED WITH THAT WEAPON

SAVE STATIONwould you like to save your progress?

GUNSHIP TRANSMISSIONsevere timefield disruption detected in the vicinity of the $ALIMBIC CLUSTER.$

GUNSHIP TRANSMISSIONsensors detect the proximity of an ALIMBIC ARTIFACT.

E3 2004 demo

• An early form of the Stasis Bunker is the only map playable in the E3 2004 multiplayer demo of Hunters as "MAP - 01". The same room is also appeared in Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt and the final version, and is named as "e3level" in the game's code, which was originated from the E3 demo.
• On screens that prompt the player to "Touch here to return to the title screen" and "Touch here to start", unknown planets are shown.
• The "Player Log-on" screen looks similar to the Inventory screen in Metroid Prime.
• The bottom of the top screen shows messages during the match, such as "Warning : Energy Low", "Player 1 was killed by Player 3", "You eliminated Player 3", and "You were decimated by Player 1".

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

• Rundas was first known as "Rundus" and his voice was different than the final version of the game.
• In the original trailer, the Meta Ridley fight was shown to have more Energy Tanks during E3 but was deducted in the final version. It also shows the Hunters in peril while being corrupted after being fired upon by Dark Samus; however, this scene was scrapped for unknown reasons.
• Storyboards show that the Game Over was going to be in the vein of Super Metroid, Metroid Fusion and Metroid: Zero Mission, in which Samus' suit explodes/dissipates.
• Artwork released with the Metroid Prime Trilogy art booklet shows a fourth corruption stage, that heavily resembles Dark Samus.
• Artwork also shows Samus with a damaged suit, missing her helmet and one of her Varia Suit's shoulder pads.
• A leaked prototype of Corruption, dated from March 2, 2006, was developed to run on GameCube SDK units with additional RAM. Oddly, the game's introduction can be played with a GameCube controller. The prototype includes several debug options.

Metroid: Other M

File:Samus hair MOM.png

Developer screenshot showing a young Samus with black hair.

• D-Rockets was said to have been working on a cutscene for two months before it was eventually cut.
• The Queen Metroid does not have her signature head-lunge attack from Metroid II: Return of Samus. Concept art for her seems to indicate that it was once planned.
• In an early trailer for Metroid: Other M shown during E3 2009, Samus is seen fighting a Zebesian with no cybernetic enhancements, though these are never seen in game.
• In the same trailer, Samus is seen having a total Missile count of 105, though in game the most Missiles Samus can have is 80.
• Concept art seems to depict the Dragotix with a tongue as well as a smaller offspring; though neither are ever seen ingame, artwork of MB also has unused designs of her hairclip.
• A demo version of Other M featured in the 2010 editions of Game Developers Conference and Nintendo Media Summit has a different font in the game's subtitles, unlike those found in the final version.
• There is quite a lot of unused dialogue in the game's data. Some of it features the characters uttering "What the hell" and "Damn it!", so it is obvious why some was cut.