Metroid: Samus Returns is a great game, and being the return to classic formats that it is, a hidden ability has been stashed away from the tutorials – much like Shinesparking and Wall Jumping in Super Metroid before it. This new ability is none other than the Power Bomb Jump or as the fan community is quickly adopting “Spidersparking.”
Spidersparking — as the name suggests — sends Samus flying horizontally or vertically across the map until she hits a wall, much like Shinesparking does. However, unlike Shinesparking, Spidersparking can be activated in a wider assortment of scenarios, and allows for movement through narrower areas than Samus would be able to reach while standing.
So, how do you do this exactly? Well if the non-fan community name wasn’t enough to give you the hint, here is how to do it:
First, activate the Spider Ball with the L button while in Morph Ball mode. Then, place a Power Bomb on the spot you want to be launched perpendicular from. Stand over the Power Bomb until it explodes, keeping the Spider Ball active throughout the countdown. Once it explodes, you will be launched to the other side of the room post-haste.
And that’s it! The ability makes so much sense if you think about it, but it has never seen use in a Metroid title prior to this (at least as memory serves) so it might ironically be more obvious to new players as opposed to long time fans. Be sure to use this abilities in areas with horizontal or vertical red spikes since there isn’t really a way to get past them, even with the Grapple Beam equipped in some instances.
That’s all for now!
This new ability — albeit simple in design — is just an attestment to how great of a job MercurySteam did remaking this classic Metroid title. There’s all sorts of hidden items that need this ability, and it can make traveling easier too, so be sure to test it out everywhere you haven’t been able to access before!
