_____________________________________

______________________________________
| Secrets FAQ |
| Metroid: Zero Mission |
| Version: 1.1 |
| By: The Duff Man |
| Email: [email protected] |
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Earn all the endings, unlock a secret mode and more...
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+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| __ _ __ |
| ____ ___ ___ / /__________ (_)___/ / |
| / __ `__ \/ _ \/ __/ ___/ __ \/ / __ / |
| / / / / / / __/ /_/ / / /_/ / / /_/ / |
| /_/ /_/ /_/\___/\__/_/ \____/_/\__,_/ |
| _ _ |
| ____ ___ _________ ____ ___ (_)_________(_)___ ____ |
| /_ / / _ \/ ___/ __ \ / __ `__ \/ / ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ \ |
| / /_/ __/ / / /_/ / / / / / / / (__ |__ ) / /_/ / / / / |
| /___/\___/_/ \____/ /_/ /_/ /_/_/____/____/_/\____/_/ /_/ |
| __ ____ |
| ________ _____________ / /______ / __/___ _____ _ |
| / ___/ _ \/ ___/ ___/ _ \/ __/ ___/ / /_/ __ `/ __ `/ |
| (__ ) __/ /__/ / / __/ /_(__ ) / __/ /_/ / /_/ / |
| /____/\___/\___/_/ \___/\__/____/ /_/ \__,_/\__, / |
| /_/ |
| |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
ASCII Art Courtesy: http://www.network-science.de/ascii/

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Table of Contents
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1. Version Updates

2. Intro

3. Submit and Contact

------------------+
4. Secrets [ST01] |
------------------+

Unlock
Hard Mode
Original Metroid
Sound Test
Endings
Fusion Gallery
Stats and Time Check
Time Attack Mode
Other
Soft Reset
100% Final Boss
Passwords
Yellow Completion

------------------+
5. Endings [ED01] |
------------------+

Basics
Ending #1
Ending #2
Ending #3
Ending #4
Ending #5
Ending #6
Ending #7
Ending #8

6. Legal Disclaimer

7. Thanks/Links

If you're looking for something specific from the Table of Contents, hit
CTRL+F on your keyboard and copy in what you're looking for. An example:
searching for "ED01" (without the quotation marks), would bring you directly
to the endings section.

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1. Version Updates
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.1; February 5th, 2005. Added a note about two separate times being saved
in Time Attack Mode.

1.0; February 3rd, 2005. FAQ completed. Bumped up to version 1.0 because I
believe everything's been included.

0.1; February 1st, 2005. FAQ first made.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Intro
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've decided to write this FAQ because of a lack of information, and
incorrect information, that I saw while searching for unlockables for
Metroid: Zero Mission. This FAQ includes everything possible that's
unlockable, and goes into detail about each ending that you can earn.

I love this game simply because of it's depth. Each ending was progressively
harder to get, and it's certainly rewarding once you complete each one. At
times, I admit, it can be frustrating, but it makes it all the more sweet
when you get that hard-to-get item. I've beaten the game countless times
now, and now spend my time playing through, trying to improve my any% speed
run record. My current record is 43:26, which is pretty crappy compared to
the world record of 29:54 set by GameCube04. I wanted to make sure that I
unlocked all the endings before I wrote this FAQ, so I could share tips that
might help others.

Keep in mind that this FAQ is just about unlockables, and related things.
All in-game secrets such as hidden passages aren't listed here.

Lastly, as you read the FAQ I'm assuming you're playing this on the actual
Gameboy Advance, as you should be. I have no respect for anything unlocked
on roms, because save states simply kill the challenge of the game.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Submit and Contact
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you'd like to get in contact with me, email me at [email protected].

Please use proper spelling and grammar when writing an email. If I can't
read it, I can't respond to it.

Be sure to include a username, so I can credit you appropriately. If you
don't leave a username, I'll just use the one in your email.

The subject of your email must contain the word Metroid in it, or it will be
overlooked/forgotten/buried in my inbox.

Keep in mind that your submissions may be reworded to properly fit the
context it's being put in.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Secrets [ST01]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

--- [Unlock] ---

--- [Original Metroid] ---

Requirements: Beat the game
Found under: Options > Original Metroid
Description: This unlocks the game "Metroid", that is for the Nintendo
Entertainment System (NES). The game is the exact same as the
one on the NES, except that it saves your last password in the
game (so you don't have to write it down yourself).

--- [Hard Mode] ---

Requirements: Beat the game on normal
Found under: Start Game > New > Hard
Description: To start it, you need to start a new game over your last save
file. Save files that have been completed will have a green
Samus symbol next to them, so you know which to use. If you
don't want to overwrite the old file, just copy it over into a
blank space, and then use either one for the hard mode.

--- [Sound Test] ---

Requirements: Unlocked hard mode, beat the game on hard
Found under: Options > Original Metroid
Description: Once you've unlocked it, you can scroll through the songs with
left and right on the d-pad. The songs will continue to play
as you go through the options menu, or while browsing through
the gallery. Here's a list of the choices you have. In game
however, you can only see the song name by the number.

+-----+-----------------------+--------+
| Num | Title of Song | Length |
|-----+-----------------------+--------|
| 01 | Menu Theme | 1:37 |
| 02 | Brinstar | 2:49 |
| 03 | Title Theme | 3:21 |
| 04 | VS Deorem Mua | 0:58 |
| 05 | Norfair | 4:01 |
| 06 | Chozo Ruins 1 | 3:51 |
| 07 | Chozo Ruins 2 | 2:27 |
| 08 | Kraid | 3:36 |
| 09 | VS Kraid | 1:25 |
| 10 | Gold Statue Chamber | 1:41 |
| 11 | VS Kiru Giru | 0:36 |
| 12 | VS Ensnared Kiru Giru | 1:15 |
| 13 | Ridley | 3:39 |
| 14 | VS Imago | 0:22 |
| 15 | VS Ridley | 1:33 |
| 16 | Tourian | 1:10 |
| 17 | Escape Theme | 1:31 |
| 18 | Infiltration | 3:31 |
| 19 | Save Room | 0:41 |
| 20 | Space Pirates Appear | 2:31 |
| 21 | VS Mirror Samus | 1:43 |
| 22 | VS Robot Ridley | 1:52 |
| 23 | Ending | 2:19 |
+-----+-----------------------+--------+

--- [Endings] ---

Requirements: Beat the game once, on any mode, multiple times
Found under: Options > Gallery
Description: Beating the game once will automatically give you an ending.
There are a total of eight endings, each with a different
requirement. This is explained in detail in the next section.

--- [Fusion Gallery] ---

Requirements: Connect Metroid Fusion to your Metroid Zero: Mission game
Found under: Options > Gallery
Description: By connecting the two games, you automatically get the endings
from Metroid Fusion, as well as some bonus ones from the
Japanese release. It doesn't matter if you've completed the
endings in Fusion, all of them are automatically added to the
Zero Mission gallery. From then on, the images are saved in
there.

--- [Stats and Time Check] ---

Requirements: Beat the game once
Found under: Menu screen, once paused during gameplay
Description: If you start a new game over an old, completed save file, at
any time during that new game you can check your completion by
simply pausing the game. In the bottom-left corner, you can
see your current time. At the top-left corner, there's a list
of the total number you have out of the total possible items
in that area. Each item listing includes number of energy
tanks, missiles, super missiles, and power bombs. This makes
getting 100% much, much easier. It's also a plus if you're
trying to do a speed run through the game.

--- [Time Attack Mode] ---

Requirements: Beat the game once
Found under: Start Game
Description: Make sure you have a file completed. Now, select it, and at
the "Start Game" option, enter Up, Left, Right, Down. The New
screen will appear with a new option of "New Time Attack" at
the bottom. This mode gives your completion time, an ID, and
a special password at the end. The game's mode is
automatically set to normal; you don't have a choice.

After some digging up, it looks like the password was for a
contest held in Japan, for your fastest 100% run. The winner
took home a GBA SP with a red, orange, and yellow Samus logo
on it.

The benefit? Not having to keep your own fastest time. At
the end, it checks to see if you're best time was completed
(even if you don't get 100%). It'll say "NEW RECORD" if you
did manage to beat your old time.

Also, the colour of your completion time on the Samus data
screen changes to yellow. The mode says "Time Attack" instead
of Easy, Normal, or Hard. After beating the game once on
Time Attack Mode, you'll get a popup saying "Time Attack
Records have been addded to the Options screen". If you go to
the options screen, you can view your time attack record by
selecting the new option "Time Attack Records". In a box at
the bottom, your ID will be listed as a 8 digit number. Your
password is listed as a 2 line code, which includes letters,
numbers, and symbols. Just above that box, is another one
that says "Best Time", with the completion time below. Useful
for proving to your friends you really did beat it in "xx:xx"
time :P

If you try and copy a Time Attack game to another slot... for
some strange reason it won't let you. However, you can either
replay in the same file, or start in another slot, a new game
and go for 100%. Once you get the 100%, this will also be
added to the Time Attack Records in the Options menu. When
you select it, now your best time (non 100%) is shown first.
Hit right to scroll to the next time, listed as "Best Time
(100%)". Your I.D. will remain the same for both times, but
the password changes. Now you'll have two records of your own
to beat.

--- [Other] ---

--- [Soft Reset] ---

Requirements: None
Found under: Perform anytime
Description: This trick is very useful when you're having to retry a
certain area, repeatedly. Instead of switching off the GBA
and turning it back on, save some battery life and just press
B + A + START + SELECT to instantly restart the system.

--- [100% Final Boss] ---

Requirements: 100% item completion
Found under: Gameplay
Description: This actually makes the game harder for you, whether you like
it or not. If you have 100% completion in any mode, the final
boss, Mecha Ridley, is made 3x harder for you. For example:
on normal, it takes 25 missiles to kill him (or 5 supers).
With 100%, it'll take 75 missiles to take him down. Also, the
damage is increased by 50%. This means that a normal swipe of
the claw that takes off 1 tank, will now take off 1 and a
half.

--- [Passwords] ---

Requirements: Unlocked original Metroid
Found under: Options > Original Metroid > Continue > Enter Password
Description: Apart from the password you earned from your last save in the
original Metroid, there are some odd ones that can put you
ahead in the game. Passwords are listed on the left,
description on the right.

--- [Special Listings] ---

--------------- -----------------------------------------
| BOMBS_ MISSLE |--| Debug mode. |
| SCREW_ ATACK_ |--| |
--------------- -----------------------------------------
--------------- -----------------------------------------
| 999999 999999 |--| Hard mode with no Varia, or Mother |
| KKKKKK KKKKKK |--| Brain. |
--------------- -----------------------------------------
--------------- -----------------------------------------
| 333333 333333 |--| Takes you to title screen. |
| KKKKKK KKKKKK |--| |
--------------- -----------------------------------------
--------------- -----------------------------------------
| XXXXXX XXXXXX |--| Suitless Samus, no upgrades, stuck in |
| KKKKKK KKKKKK |--| Tourian. |
--------------- -----------------------------------------
--------------- -----------------------------------------
| NARPAS SWORD0 |--| All upgrades. |
| 000000 000000 |--| Infinite: health, missiles |
--------------- -----------------------------------------
--------------- -----------------------------------------
| NARPAS SWORD0 |--| All upgrades, Ridley dead. |
| 000000 086073 |--| Infinite: health, missiles. |
--------------- -----------------------------------------
--------------- -----------------------------------------
| NARPAS SWORD0 |--| All upgrades, Ridley and Kraid dead. |
| 000003 037251 |--| Infinite: health, missiles. |
--------------- -----------------------------------------
--------------- -----------------------------------------
| JUSTIN BAILEY |--| Suitless Samus. |
| ------ ------ |--| |
--------------- -----------------------------------------
--------------- -----------------------------------------
| JUSTIN BAILEY |--| Location: Kraid's Lair. |
| ~~~~~~ |--| Items: 255 missiles, all suit upgrades. |
--------------- -----------------------------------------
--------------- -----------------------------------------
| JUSTIN BAILEY |--| Location: Norfair |
| 000000 |--| Items: All upgrades except wave beam. |
--------------- -----------------------------------------
--------------- -----------------------------------------
| SAMUS_ BEATS_ |--| If you make it to the end, no deaths, |
| Mother Brain_ |--| Mother Brain isn't there. |
--------------- -----------------------------------------
--------------- -----------------------------------------
| ITs-JU ST-YOU |--| Location: Norfair. |
| ZIPO-- ----Ci |--| 212 missiles, Mother Brain dead. |
--------------- -----------------------------------------
--------------- -----------------------------------------
| SAMUS8 RIDLEY |--| Suitless Samus in Norfair, hair now |
| 444444 444444 |--| blonde, infinite missiles, no items. |
--------------- -----------------------------------------

--- [Yellow Completion] ---

Requirements: Complete something
Found under: Options
Description: Some things will turn yellow once they've been completed. For
example, starting a new game over an old save file will leave
that last completed mode being coloured yellow. Also, once
you unlock all 8 endings, the Gallery option in the Options
menu turns yellow. These are the only items that do end up
turning yellow.

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5. Endings [ED01]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

--- [Basics] ---

Endings are special images that you unlock when you beat the game under some
sort of criteria.

In total, there are eight separate endings you can earn which are stored and
saved in your gallery. Of course, if you'd like to fast-track the endings,
you could, for example: Get a 99% save at the 1:45 mark before the final
boss. Then you could complete the game under two hours to get one ending,
get the last item (on the same save afterwards) and beat under 2 hours to get
yet another ending. You could then let the time go up a bit, wait until it
passes the two hour mark, to grab two more separate endings. However, I
suggest just playing through each one, one at a time. You'll then know where
things are, and be able to do it in time, for the final endings. It'll make
things much easier. Plus, going through the game doesn't take too long, so
don't get discouraged by playing through 8 times.

Here's a chart of the endings. Each one will be explained in-detail further
on in this chapter. Endings are listed in the order the game ranks them in
difficulty. This is how it's broken down:

Requirements: What you need to do.
Preceding Pic: What Samus is doing before you're shown the final ending pic.
Picture: A description of what the ending image is.
Details: Additional information.

--- [Ending #1] ---

Requirements: Difficulty: Easy
Completion: Any %
Final Time: Any time

-or-

Difficulty: Normal or Hard
Completion: Any %
Final Time: Over 4 hours

Preceding Pic: Samus in full suit.

Picture: Samus in her full suit, sitting on a rock with her gun pointed
up into the air.

Details: This is the only ending you can achieve in easy, no matter
what you do. Nothing special about it, seeing as it is the
worst ending you can get.

Picture URL: http://www.vgmuseum.com/end/gba/d/metzero-49.png

--- [Ending #2] ---

Requirements: Difficulty: Normal or Hard
Completion: 16%-99%
Final Time: Over 2 hours, Under 4 hours

Preceding Pic: Samus in full suit, with helmet off.

Picture: Samus in her full suit, with her helmet off, and looking to
the side into the distance.

Details: Getting under 4 hours shouldn't be a difficult task. Grab
whatever items you feel you need, and just play at a
comfortable speed. If you feel you've been stuck for too
long, consult a FAQ/Walkthrough before moving on, instead of
wasting time.

Picture URL: http://www.vgmuseum.com/end/gba/d/metzero-43.png

--- [Ending #3] ---

Requirements: Difficulty: Normal or Hard
Completion: 16%-99%
Final Time: Under 2 hours

Preceding Pic: Samus in her blue suit.

Picture: Samus in her blue, skintight jumpsuit, facing to the back of
the screen but looking to the front.

Details: Under two hours can be tough if you haven't played through the
game enough before. However, if you focus on just running
through, you should be fine. Ignore small enemies if you're
playing on normal, in most occasions it's faster to run
through them than try to kill them first.

Picture URL: http://www.vgmuseum.com/end/gba/d/metzero-47.png

--- [Ending #4] ---

Requirements: Difficulty: Normal or Hard
Completion: 100%
Final Time: Over 2 hours

Preceding Pic: Samus in her blue suit.

Picture: Samus in orange bikini shorts and top, walking in a street
setting.

Details: Because there's no time limit, this is definitely not a hard
ending to get. I suggest using a map rather than a
walkthrough, because this way you'll learn some of the items
yourself, which helps in future runs.

Picture URL: http://www.vgmuseum.com/end/gba/d/metzero-51.png

--- [Ending #5] ---

Requirements: Difficulty: Normal
Completion: 100%
Final Time: Under 2 hours

Preceding Pic: Samus in her blue suit.

Picture: Samus in orange bikini shorts and top, sitting at a table at a
bar. Some sort of clothed thing is serving her drinks.

Details: Compared to that last run, things get a lot harder now. If
you've taken my advice and are going through the runs one a
time, you should at least know how to get each item now.
However, this type of run means that there can be little to
no errors. The safest thing to do is save often, and if you
miss an item, let's say because of a bad shinespark, simply
reset. There are times when another try won't cost you too
much time, but use your discretion. Superdynamo wrote a
guide on the 100% speed runs, which I followed closely and
ended up with a 1:46 time. Use a guide, or odds are you
won't make it in time!

Picture URL: http://www.vgmuseum.com/end/gba/d/metzero-52.png

--- [Ending #6] ---

Requirements: Difficulty: Hard
Completion: 100%
Final Time: Under 2 hours

Preceding Pic: Samus in her blue suit.

Picture: Samus in orange bikini shorts and top, looking out over a
city with the moon shining down on her.

Details: Although you're now on hard mode now, there's not much
difference from the last run. You'll be stacked with so many
items that the harder bosses shouldn't be a problem. The only
thing now is that early on, you have to watch out for the
small enemies instead of running through them. Three hits
from one of them can kill you if you don't have any energy
tanks, so avoid or kill them as fast as possible.

Picture URL: http://www.vgmuseum.com/end/gba/d/metzero-50.png

--- [Ending #7] ---

Requirements: Difficulty: Normal
Completion: 15% or less
Final Time: Any time

Preceding Pic: Samus in her blue suit.

Picture: Samus in orange bikini shorts and top, sitting on a windowsill
with one leg on it as well.

Details: For the two 15% runs, you'll have some choices to make.
In a regular 100% completion, each item counts as 1%. This
makes your job choosing items a lot easier. There are nine
required items you have to get, which are:

Maru Mari (Morph Ball)
Missiles
Bombs
Unknown Item #1
Power Grip
Ice Beam
Unknown Item #2
Unknown Item #3
Varia Suit

Now you have six choices left. It's really up to you, but
here's some suggestions and their benefits.
1) High jump. It'll make the escape from Mother Brain easier.
2) Speed Booster. It will also help with the Mother Brain
escape, as well as some shortcuts along the way.
3) Screw Attack. One of your best options, by far. It makes
pretty much the rest of the game easy once you get it.
4) Energy Tanks. Grab as many as you think you'll need. Two
extras should be more than enough.
5) Missiles/Super Missiles. These should be your space filler
choices at the end, once you have everything you need. One
super missile is equivalent to 5 normal shots, but normal
missiles drop much, much more often.
Some choices you shouldn't be making:
1) Long Beam. It just isn't that useful when compared to the
other choices.
2) Wave Beam. Definitely not needed.
3) Power Bombs. The only actual use of them in the game seems
to be to gather more power bombs. Just jump up through the
secret tunnel before Metal Ridley, where the power bomb
block normally stops you.

Overall, normal shouldn't be too bad. Just wait until you try
it on hard!

Picture URL: http://www.vgmuseum.com/end/gba/d/metzero-54.png

--- [Ending #8] ---

Requirements: Difficulty: Hard
Completion: 15% or less
Final Time: Any time

Preceding Pic: Samus in her blue suit.

Picture: Samus in her full suit, with a picture of Samus' head posing
with a gun in the background. There are also some flames
coming up from the bottom.

Details: See the above ending for more information on required items.
Here's my suggestions of what to get:

1-9) 9 Required.
2) Energy Tank. Keep in mind on hard, this will only give you
an extra 49 hit points. However, this will prove
invaluable, especially when doing the escape run from the
space pirates at the end. They will take exactly 1 full
energy tank from you, so the extra 49 will give you a
buffer zone.
3) Screw Attack. Makes the fight vs the Mother Brain insanely
easier, as well as giving you a good defense against the
missiles Metal Ridley shoots.
4) High jump. The escape run is 1:00 after killing the Mother
Brain. Without it, you'll have to have a near perfect run.
That also means making the bomb jump up at the end in
minimal time, assuming you don't grab the speed booster.

That's what I'd say you pretty much should be choosing. You
have 3 choices left now, so either grab super missiles or
regular missiles. Keep in mind that regular missiles may be
more handy because they drop a lot.

Picture URL: http://www.vgmuseum.com/end/gba/d/metzero-53.png

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. Legal Disclaimer
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

This FAQ cannot be used on any site other than the ones listed:

http://gamefaqs.com
http://gamespot.com
http://ign.com
http://neoseeker.com

If you'd like to use this FAQ on your site, you can ask permission from me
first. Odds are you'll be declined, though.

If you've found a site that is illegally posting this guide, please email me.

Any site that posts this FAQ without permission will have the appropriate
legal actions taken against them.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. Thanks/Links
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks to...
Red Scarlet - info on the Japanese Time Attack Mode, and the actual
discovery of it.
BigCow - info on damage increase from Mecha Ridley with 100%.
GameFAQs Metroid NES and Metroid: Zero Mission pages for the passwords
for the original Metroid (ChromeTower, BioBoy19, XxThunderxX, ReyVGM,
Invader TAK, Jaffar7, Lhunthangion).
superdynamo - Wrote a great 100% speed guide which helped a lot for me
to get the two sub 2 hour 100% runs on normal and hard.
Arlando909 - Wrote a great 15% completion guide which helped me to get
the two endings on normal and hard.
Zeric - Who made an incredibly sexy and professional map for this game,
as well as the two other great Metroids.
Gamecube04 - For setting an incredible sub-30 minute speed run, which
set a near impossible goal for me to get.

Some links...
http://www.metroid2002.com/0/ - Short clips of many tricks, tips, and
glitches for this game. Very handy.
http://www.vgmuseum.com/end/gba/d/mzm.htm - Ending screenshots for all 8
endings, same as the ones linked to in this FAQ.
vgmaps.com/Other/OtherStuff/Metroid-ZeroMission-Collage-Endings.png -
Great collage of all 8 endings, all clean and without any text.
http://www.classicgaming.com/mdb/mzm/music.htm - All songs available to
download in MP3 format, as well as cutscene MP3s. Info for the song
length in Sound Test mode as well.

Thanks goes out to sites like GameFAQs, IGN, and Neoseeker for hosting my
guide and spreading the word about the secrets in Metroid: Zero Mission.

To view my other works, take the time to visit my contributor page at
http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/16572.html