Your journey to the top of the ruins begins in the . This room is encountered near the top of Chozodia and acts as a pathway to the highest point of the ruins.
Metroid: Zero Mission Top Skills, Upgrades, and Ranking the Ultimate Abilities
| Region | Primary Objectives | | :--- | :--- | | | Obtain Morph Ball, Missiles, Bombs, and perform Early Cleanup. | | Kraid | Defeat Kraid, obtain the Speed Booster. | | Crateria | Obtain the Power Grip. | | Norfair | Collect Hi-Jump Boots, Screw Attack, Wave Beam, and (Early) Ice Beam. | | Ridley | Navigate the area, defeat Imago, and defeat Ridley. | | Norfair (Return) | Collect Late Ice Beam and climb out to Brinstar. | | Brinstar (Cleanup) | Clear Lower Brinstar, collect Late Long Beam, then head to Tourian. | | Tourian | Defeat Mother Brain and begin the escape sequence. | | Chozodia | Complete the Suitless section, reclaim the Power Suit, and get Power Bombs. | | Final Cleanup | A complex series of sweeps to collect any remaining items and complete the escape. |
The most literal interpretation of "top" in Zero Mission is the top of the ruins , a location near the very peak of the Chozodia region, which serves as the setting for the game's most iconic sequence. After Samus loses her Power Suit in a crash, she must navigate as the vulnerable Zero Suit Samus through a gauntlet of Space Pirates to reach this legendary chamber and reclaim her destiny. metroid zero mission top
| Publication | Score | Notable Quote | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | 91/100 | "Universal acclaim" | | GameSpot | 9.1/10 | "The definitive version of Samus's first adventure." | | IGN | 9.0/10 | "A textbook example of how to remake a classic." | | Nintendo Power | 9.5/10 | "A masterpiece of level design and atmosphere." |
A standard playthrough clocks in at a lean three to four hours. There is absolutely zero fat on this game. Every room serves a purpose, every upgrade feels impactful, and the momentum never grinds to a halt. The game teaches players how to use new items organically through environmental design, allowing them to master Samus Aran’s toolkit in real time. It is a masterclass in economy of design, proving that a game does not need to be 40 hours long to be a masterpiece. 3. The Ultimate Sandbox for Sequence Breaking
The maps are loaded with hidden passages. If a room looks too small, it's likely hiding a missile tank or energy tank behind a bombable wall or floor. Your journey to the top of the ruins begins in the
Throughout the game, Samus encounters various characters, including the Chozo, a technologically advanced alien species, and Ridley, a recurring antagonist in the Metroid series. The game's story is told through a series of cutscenes, item descriptions, and in-game dialogue.
The "Zeroth Mission" (beating the game with 15% items or less) is the ultimate flex. To achieve this, you may only pick up 10 Missiles, the Long Beam, Morph Ball, Bombs, Power Grip, Varia Suit, Ice Beam, Wave Beam, Plasma Beam, Gravity Suit, and Space Jump. Nothing else.
. Released originally for the Game Boy Advance, it serves as a modern reimagining of the 1986 NES original, blending classic layouts with refined mechanics from Metroid Fusion Why It Tops the Lists Modernized Gameplay : It introduces essential features like ledge grabbing (Power Grip) and the Shinespark | | Kraid | Defeat Kraid, obtain the Speed Booster
In the room before Ridley’s chamber, there is a sloping corridor. You must charge the Speed Booster from the previous room, store the Shinespark, then drop down and blast through three rows of speed-boost blocks to reach a hidden Missile expansion.
The top-down segments do more than change combat—they change reading . In a side-scroller, Zebes feels organic: uneven terrain, hidden passages, living rock. In the top-down mother ship, everything is geometric. Right angles. Straight lines. Security doors. It feels less like a planet and more like a hostile architecture designed to process intruders.
It introduced upgrades that weren't in the original, such as the Power Grip and Speed Booster, creating a much smoother gameplay flow. Speedrunning Gold:
The developers intentionally designed the map to allow "sequence breaking"—the act of collecting items out of their intended order. Players can bypass major bosses, collect late-game weapons early, and find hidden pathways.
The Zero Suit stealth sequence is Zero Mission ’s crowning achievement, and its power comes entirely from its abrupt shift to a top-down, almost Metal Gear -esque perspective. This isn't a gimmick. It’s a surgical recalibration of player psychology.