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The Super Metroid Promotional Preview is a advertisement reel that played in video game stores in Japan during the release of Super Metroid. It features gameplay clips in four segments - "Invasion", "Battle", "Alone" and "Mother" - over which Samus Aran (voiced by Keiko Toda) narrates. In-game audio and music, such as the Norfair Hot Lava Area theme, can be heard against Samus's voiceover.
The preview was never officially released in English. On March 19, 2014 (the 20th anniversary of Super Metroid), the Metroid Database uploaded a version of the reel with English subtitles to their YouTube channel.
Summary[]
This article, section, or file contains text that is unofficially translated by Metroid fans. Some information (such as proper English names of characters or items) may not be accurate. If an official translation becomes available, the fan translation(s) may be replaced.
| “ | Samus: Cosmic Calendar 20X7. Research on the Baby Metroid, the mysterious life-form I brought back from Planet SR-388... was going smoothly. However...
Narrator: The Baby Metroid has been stolen! Get it back immediately! Samus: My name is Samus Aran. My deadly battle with the Metroids has begun again. Narrator: The Space Pirates have rebuilt their fortress on Planet Zebes! It's hidden underground! We're counting on you! |
„ |
—Introduction | ||
As the preview begins, "NINTENDO PRESENTS" appears onscreen, followed by COSMO. 20X7. As Samus begins speaking, her face appears onscreen (as it does in the game's introduction sequence), with a poorly translated English summary of the backstory:
| “ | THE BABY METROID WHO WAS CARRIED BACK FROM SR-388 WERE BROUGHT IN S.S.A. AND IT IS STUDIED THE SPECIAL ECOLOGY MODE. |
„ |
—Introduction text | ||
Footage filmed for, but not included in the live-action Super Metroid commercial, ensues. It shows the baby under study at the Space Science Academy. Suddenly, "EMERGENCY" flashes onscreen with an alarm, along with more clips of the scientists - one of them falling to the floor - Ridley's silhouette, an overhead shot of his talon reaching for the baby's capsule, and an explosion. As Samus resumes speaking, she exits a chamber in her Varia Suit (as depicted in the commercial) before flying to Planet Zebes. The English and Japanese names of Zebes, and each segment heading, are displayed.
Invasion[]
| “ | Landing in a downpour of acid rain, I made my way alone to the underground fortress. Why is it so quiet here...? I was tense, when suddenly... an enormous Chozo Statue appeared before me! An item! Now if I can just get out of this eerie place... Gasp! Enemies! I kept firing relentlessly. Don't mess with me! |
„ |
—Samus | ||
Samus lands in Crateria, exiting her Gunship. She questions why the nearby environments are so quiet, which puts her on edge. Soon after, she enters the "Missile chamber" and is surprised to see a Chozo Statue in front of her. After collecting its Missile Tank, she resolves to leave. Upon returning to the ruined Zebesian Command Center, she is surprised by Zebesians, and warns them not to mess with her.
Battle[]
| “ | My daily struggle with life and death continued. The ferocity of my battle grew daily. They... just keep jumping at me! What is this place? Something's coming! What IS that thing? It looks like this creature is the boss of this area! Eat this! |
„ |
—Samus | ||
Samus is shown dropping down in the "Green Brinstar Fireflea Room", and shooting a Sidehopper and Geega in the "jungle slope". After this, she is seen in Kraid's room, reacting in shock as Kraid emerges from the floor. She notes that it appears to be the boss of the area, apparently not recognizing him from her previous mission on Zebes. She fires at his eyes.
Alone[]
| “ | Further ahead lay the dark underground fortress. Argh! This infernal labyrinth! There's no way out! Ugh! If this keeps up, I'll be trapped here! I can't go even one step further! My days of agony and frustration continued, until finally... A way through! Now I can move forward a little. |
„ |
—Samus | ||
Samus navigates a corridor in Norfair, before Bombing her way into a maze in "Bubble Mountain". As she does so, she curses the "infernal labyrinth" and the lack of obvious exits. She is then shown in the "Interior Lake" attempting to jump out of the water from the bottom of the lake, without success since she lacks the Gravity Suit. Next, she is stopped by a solid wall in the Dachora's room, which seems impenetrable until she lays a Power Bomb. Once the wall is destroyed, Samus runs past. This segment demonstrates use of the Morphing Ball and Power Bomb abilities, with their English and Japanese names displayed onscreen.
Mother[]
| “ | I don't know how much time has passed since I infiltrated Zebes. My powers grow with each battle. The Baby Metroid! I definitely heard it just now! The Baby Metroid is calling for me! I was the first thing it saw when it was born, so the Baby Metroid thinks I'm its mother. I am the only one who can get it out of here! I will never forgive them! Ugh! No! I was struck by the intense heat of the lava. Power Suit: Danger! Danger! Remaining Energy: 10, 9, 8... If I can't get out of here, I'm done for! Narrator: It's an intense science fiction action game! Super Metroid for the Super Famicom! We hope you'll succeed in your mission as quickly as possible. Coming March 19 |
„ |
—Samus | ||
Samus descends the "Wrecked Ship Main Shaft", dispatching a Covern, and kills a Kihunter in the top corridor. Back in the Dachora's room, the baby is heard chirping, which Samus says she hears as a call for her, its imprinted "mother". Samus's face appears over her in-game sprite, which is crouching. Declaring that she must rescue it, she demonstrates the Speed Booster to escape the Dachora's shaft. She uses the Screw Attack in the "Fast Ripper Room", the X-Ray Scope in its room, and the Grappling Beam in the "spike death tunnel". Samus hangs too low and is captured by a Yapping Maw, which drags her into the lava. She manages to escape its grasp, and desperately attempts to run along the spike-lined floor, but loses much of her energy, with her Power Suit voice saying as much. The Yapping Maw grabs her again, and Samus declares that she will die if she cannot escape.
The gameplay ends after this, and the Ceres siren is displayed while a male narrator announces that Super Metroid is only on the Super Famicom, and wishes players good luck on their mission. The logo, with the Screw Attack symbol, is displayed along with the release date, March 19, 1994.
At the end of the preview, the live-action commercial for Super Metroid plays.
Later influence[]
Keiko Toda provided the first speaking voice of Samus in any form of media in this preview. It was not until a 2022 investigation by Shinesparkers identified her as the actress.[1] Alésia Glidewell would later become the first actress to provide a spoken voice for Samus in a game (Super Smash Bros. Brawl), and Samus would speak more extensively in Metroid: Other M (voiced by Jessica Martin in English and Ai Kobayashi in Japanese).
The commercials reveal that Super Metroid is set in Cosmic Calendar year 20X7, which would be two years after Metroid/Metroid: Zero Mission (in 20X5). This may have been retconned by the Metroid Prime Trilogy art booklet, which depicts Metroid Prime (a prequel to Super Metroid) taking place three years after Zero Mission, or the SR388 Data File, which states that Metroid: Samus Returns (itself set right before Super Metroid) takes place less than a year after Zero Mission.
External links[]
References[]
- ^ Shinesparkers. "Top Facts You Didn't Know About Metroid". December 16, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2022.