Of all the series under Nintendo’s belt, Metroid is one of the most popular. Even when it first appeared on the NES, it stunned players with its complexity and statement on who can be a hero. Since then, it has continued to thrive with a reputation as a challenging platformer and exciting FPS.
Metroid has had entries that have appeared on all of Nintendo’s consoles and one of its most recognized arcs is the Metroid Prime story. A staple of the series as a whole is its colorful and at times very difficult boss fights. Super Metroid is the only Metroid game to appear on the SNES but, like its peers, it includes a roster of bosses with various challenge ratings.
11 Crocomire
One of the places you’ll go in Super Metroid is an area called Norfair. It’s defined by its reddish palette and pools of burning liquid. You’ll encounter this boss about midway through the game and it’ll be blocking your way in a flat corridor.
In order to get past Crocomire, you’ll need to hit its mouth with missiles to push it back into a burning pool. Its only form of attack is to move towards you and deal contact damage. Be sure to stock up on missiles and you’ll get through this fight quickly.
10 Phantoon
Ghosts aren’t a common occurrence in the Metroid universe, but that doesn’t stop enemies from having ghost-like powers. This is the case for Phantoon, a boss who appears during the Wrecked Ship level. In this mechanical structure, you’ll find yourself locked in a room with this jellyfish-like creature.
It spends most of the fight flying around in an incorporeal form that makes it immune to harm, though it can’t hurt you either. Its defining attack is scattering blue flames around the arena which can be destroyed with the ice beam. You’ll need to wait for its eye to open and then hit it with a missile.
9 Spore Spawn
Plant-like enemies and bosses are common in games and they’ve made a fair number of appearances in the Metroid series. While exploring the jungles of the Brinstar area, you’ll run into the large plant entity Spore Spawn. It hangs from the ceiling in a spiked shell moving back and forth towards the top of the room.
It attacks by dropping spores that drift down and by contact damage, although it doesn’t charge at you. The spores can be destroyed and the boss becomes vulnerable when it opens its shell. At this moment, bombard it with missiles and you’ll be out of there in no time.
8 Torizo
A recurring Metroid theme is the Chozo, a race of bird-like creatures who built Samus’s suit. While exploring Super Metroid, you’ll see statues of these creatures and some may even have a power-up for you. The one that gives you the bomb power soon comes to life and begins to attack you.
Despite its size, it’s not that threatening and you can roll right under its legs. It has several attacks which are slow and easy to avoid as long as you keep your distance. It may look frightening but will go down easy with some well-placed shots.
7 Botwoon
Dragons and snakes bosses are commonly known to strike quickly and move around in difficult or hard-to-follow patterns. You’ll encounter one of these while running around the aquatic level of Maridia. Botwoon’s arena has four holes and will move sporadically between them.
While moving, the boss will make zig and circular motions but contact damage can be avoided if you stay back. Occasionally, Botwoon will pop its head out of one to shoot a small spread of projectiles. All you need to do is focus fire at its head and you can put this snake to bed.
6 Kraid
Metroid is known for having distinct creatures and Kraid is one of them. Like Ridley, Kraid is a Space Pirate and definitely one of the largest foes Samus ever fights. He appears in several games and even cameos in the Super Smash Bros. series.
In Super Metroid, Kraid is fought in Brinstar and takes up a large chunk of the room. Samus will need to move between platforms in order to fight him. He shoots boomerang-like projectiles from his stomach spikes which can be easily avoided. He also shoots larger projectiles that move faster and in a straight line. In order to defeat this beast, go for the eyes.
5 Golden Torizo
Another of the statues that Samus encounters, this one is far less generous than its gray counterpart. During your exploration of Lower Norfair, you’ll fall into a large and somewhat long room where the statue will fall in at the end. This version is much more mobile and has faster attacks with a much greater range.
You can alternate between jumping and rolling in order to stay out of danger. It also has several quick attacks that it will use if Samus gets too close. Still, with all the room the arena offers, you have a lot to work with.
4 Ridley
Every hero needs a nemesis, and Samus has Ridley. A leader of the Space Pirates, Ridley appears as a combination of dragon and pterodactyl with a spikey and angular body. Despite being the first boss fight, new players can be caught off guard by his movement and attacks.
Ridley flies around the arena with the baby Metroid in hand. He moves awkwardly while taking stabs at Samus with his tail and spitting fireballs that spread across a certain area. Since you only have the blaster at this point, you’re almost defenseless against him.
3 Draygon
Maridia is a level full of water and interesting aquatic life which includes Draygon. Appearing in a large room, Draygon at first takes the form of a small school of medium-sized reptilian-like creatures. After which, the school combines to form a much larger creature that swims around and can charge at Samus from off-screen.
It also will slowly approach Samus spitting a barrage of mucus-like material. On top of that, there are turrets on the side that will periodically shoot green projectiles at you. Luckily, his stomach is quite large making him an easy target to hit despite his speed.
2 Mother Brain
The goal of Super Metroid is to infiltrate the Space Pirates’ base and destroy their defenses. However, their defenses are controlled by a powerful bio-mechanical creature called Mother Brain. First, you need to traverse a short gauntlet then blast its holding tank with missiles. Once destroyed, it rises up in a large body and attacks Samus.
The arena quite small and Mother Brain has various attacks that range from slow to fast. You need to be careful how you jump since Mother Brain can target you while you’re in the air.
1 Ridley Round Two
One aspect of Ridley that makes him Samus’s nemesis is that he continuously comes back. He appears twice in Super Metroid, with his second encounter being towards the end of the game on Zebes.
In this fight, the arena is narrower but higher giving Ridley much more space to fly around. You’ll need to jump high in order to pursue Ridley when he flies high though he’ll swing and stab at you with his tail. He’ll also shoot fireballs that still have their spread and will sometimes fly low in order to sweep the platform with his jackhammer attack. This is a battle where’ll you’ll need to master Samus’s movement and attacks.
NEXT: Reasons Why Castlevania SOTN Is The Best Metroidvania (& Reasons Why It’s Super Metroid)
