Metroid Dread trailers continue to roll out as the game approaches release, and with those trailers comes new information. Samus Aran is back and better than ever, with plenty of new tools to help her navigate the unexplored Planet ZDR. A new missile targeting system in Dread's latest trailer combined with Samus' upgraded melee counter brings her combat abilities to the next level, and a new slide combined with an air dash called "Phase Shift" has given her a whole new lease on exploration. She'll need all the help she can get, as her foes seem to hail from a mysterious ancient race that raises major questions about Metroid's backstory.
However, amid all the pre-release excitement, many older fans are wondering how far they can push the new mechanics. Metroid, especially Super Metroid and Metroid Prime, have very dedicated speedrunning scenes that have been around since before speedrunning became widespread. As Dread is a 2D Metroid game, Super Metroid fans are looking at it with particular interest. Metroid Dread's mixture of fan-favorite power-ups and new abilities seem to advertise many opportunities to build up speed, and that could make for an awesome new speedrun once the game is out.
Metroid’s Speedrunning Lineage
Generally speaking, more options means more chances to move quickly. In a speedrun context, it also means more potential ways to skip sections of the game or develop unorthodox movement techniques. Metroid's long and storied speedrunning history is often credited with starting at Super Metroid in earnest, though swift completion had always been encouraged by the games' multiple endings. That entry has become a staple at speedrun marathons like Awesome Games Done Quick thanks to its open nature and various exploits. From pumping Samus' arm cannon up and down to move forward slightly faster to using ceiling spikes to hurtle across rooms backward, there are plenty of small tricks that save time.
There are plenty of staple Metroid abilities that can speed Samus up to ludicrous degrees. The Speed Booster is the obvious candidate, but many consider it to be the prelude to the even faster Shinespark. By storing energy from Samus' top speed, Samus can blast off in any direction in a blaze of light. This can be used to travel in angles Samus would normally not be able to, and is potentially more useful than the infinite Space Jump if used correctly. While 3D Metroid comes with its own bag of tricks, including Metroid Prime's invaluable scan dash jumps, Super Metroid is the speed game that sticks out in everyone's minds.
Metroid Dread Looks Primed for Speedruns
By the look of it, Metroid Dread takes all the fast-paced platforming action Metroid is known for and makes it the most fluid it has ever been. With melee strikes no longer slowing players down and a new slide to make even normal navigation faster, Dread seems committed to being the smoothest Metroid to date. This can only benefit speedruns, especially when one remembers the prevalence of alternative movement options in other games. Sliding and dashing in Mega Man, whenever it’s available, is paramount to decreasing run times, and mastering Metroid Dread’s slide (along with the returning Speed Booster) could make for a world of difference during runs.
That won’t be the only new trick Dread runs could use. It’s currently unclear whether or not Super Metroid’s infinite wall jumps have made a return, but there is now another technique speedrunners can use to go where they aren’t supposed to: Phase Shift. This functions as a quick airdash similar to the Mothwing Cloak from Hollow Knight, and aside from serving as another alternative movement option to speed up basic navigation, it will almost certainly be the source of some skips. Even a seemingly small new movement mechanic can be used to great effect in speedruns. It will be fun to see what routes Metroid Dread runners develop once the game is in their hands.
Metroid Dread releases October 8, 2021 for Nintendo Switch.