Paralyzer

The , formerly known as the emergency pistol, just Pistol, or Hand GunWhen playing Metroid: Zero Mission in Japanese Adult Mode (KATAKANA)), is a weak, but still useful emergency backup weapon. It is chiefly used to stun enemies, and is equipped by Samus Aran in instances where she is unable to use her Power Suit.
==Metroid: Zero Mission==
When Samus Aran's Starship crashes on planet Zebes, her Power Suit is left unusable, and Samus is thus left with only her (then unnamed) "rather useless emergency pistol" and Zero Suit. It is listed just as "Pistol" in the Samus Screen.
Single non-charged shots will destroy Shot Blocks and Bomb Blocks as well as open Blue Doors, but will have zero effect on the Space Pirates. It will automatically charge itself when not being fired, and fully charged shots will stun the Space Pirates long enough for Samus to run and hopefully escape or hide. It is also used to defeat the Ruins Test. This last-resort weapon becomes her only defense and lifeline in her raid of the Space Pirate Mother Ship, until she defeats the Ruins Test and gains the fully powered suit.
It takes 2 seconds to be fully charged.
==Super Smash Bros. series==
Zero Suit Samus uses the pistol as her main weapon in the Super Smash Bros. series, which is given the name "Paralyzer" in her first appearance in Brawl. It can be used to stun enemies in a similar fashion to how it is used in Zero Mission. However, unlike Zero Mission, Samus can charge (for a short time) the Paralyzer and fire uncharged shots, which slightly increases the damage and the length of time which the opponent is stunned. The Paralyzer is Zero Suit Samus's Standard Special Move, and is also used in her Down Smash Attack.
A new feature is the ability to transform it into a Plasma Whip to attack enemies and set them up for combos. It can also be used to tether onto ledges, acting as a replacement for the Grapple Beam that Samus would use when she wears her Power Suit. The Plasma Whip is used as Zero Suit Samus's Grab, Side Special Move, Up Smash Attack, and Standard Air Attack; in Brawl, it was also used as her Up Special Move and Side Smash Attack.
It returns in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U along with Zero Suit Samus. This time it has a new sound effect, and two variants for the Standard Special Move: Blast Shot and Electromagnetic Net.
;Description:"Fires an energy blast that stuns enemies. Can be charged."
It does 4% uncharged, and 6% charged.
The Paralyzer is also used in Zero Suit Samus's up taunt. She tosses her weapon into the air, spins, catches it and asks "Is that all?"
The Paralyzer's whip function was seen in Diddy Kong's 3DS Classic Mode ending, where Samus used it to humorously knock Diddy's hat off.
==Metroid: Other M==
The Metroid: Other M Art Folio, a GameStop preorder bonus for Metroid: Other M contains the first use of the name "Paralyzer" outside of the context of Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Ingame, it is usable in the final Countdown sequence. However, unlike Zero Mission, Samus can charge the Paralyzer manually, similar to its function in Brawl. It is kept in a black holster on her right thigh, which was not present in Zero Mission. The Paralyzer can also stun Zebesians longer and with uncharged shots, unlike Zero Mission (though charged shots are still more effective) and open closing gates if Samus fails to slide under them.
==Official data==
===Zero Mission Samus Screen data===
"An auto-charging pistol. Stun enemies with charged shots."
===Art Folio===
====Zero Suit Samus====
"When my Power Suit is deactivated, my Zero Suit is the outfit of choice. In the rare moments when my equipment malfunctions, this is all I have to rely on-fortunately, the streamlined design enables acrobatic movement and the Paralyzer is all that I need to get me out of tight spots."
===Other M Samus Screen data===
"Effect: Renders enemies immobile for a while.Controls: Shoot with [1]."
===Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U: Prima Official Game Guide===
Damage 4% Charged 6%"Fires out a paralyzing energy blast that stuns your opponent. You can charge this up to extend its range and increase the stun duration, but the projectile travels slower then."
===Smash Tips (Super Smash Bros. for Wii U)===
"Attack with this to paralyze foes for just a moment. When they can't move, that's your chance to strike!"
===Tips (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate)===
;Paralyzer:"Samus uses this in Metroid: Zero Mission when she's not wearing her Power Suit. In that game, she uses her handgun to temporarily paralyze enemies."
;Paralyzer (Neutral Special):"Attack with this to paralyze foes for just a moment. When they can't move, that's your chance to strike!"
==Development notes==
In Adult Mode of Metroid: Zero Mission, the Paralyzer is named Hand Gun. It is unknown if the name change in International releases was to remove firearm references, as Zero Mission was rated E for Everyone. Despite this change, the name "Handgun" (without the space) is used in one of the Paralyzer's tips from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, though that game is a T rated game.
Concept art from Other M states that the Paralyzer has a laser sight and had changed from a concave shape to a convex shape.Gallery Mode, as translated by Metroid Database
==Other appearances==
Samus carries a handgun in a holster in her suitless appearance at the end of Metroid EX, but she never uses it. Whether or not it is the Paralyzer is unknown.
The Zero Suit costume in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate has the Paralyzer and holster from Other M, but it is unusable.
The Paralyzer makes an appearance in the best ending of Metroid: Samus Returns when playing on Normal Mode. Samus will jump above the screen and land in her Zero Suit, before cocking her Paralyzer and assuming her Max Factory statue pose.
==Trivia==
*While Samus would normally be wearing the Paralyzer holster on her thigh in Other M, it is absent in the pre-Ridley battle and Sector Zero Entrance cutscenes where Samus briefly loses her Power Suit. It is possible that the developers overlooked this detail, as Samus will wear the holster if she dies before and after either cutscene. In the final (not pre-rendered) cutscene where Samus retrieves Adam's helmet, however, she does have the holster.
*Because she is holding Adam's helmet in one hand and she needs to have a free hand for wall jumping and grabbing ledges, Samus will always keep the Paralyzer holstered in Metroid: Other M unless she is firing it, and will holster it when not using it. For this reason, she is unable to fire from ledges.
*Any Accel Charges Samus has acquired during her mission have no effect on the charging time of the Paralyzer, indicating that the Charges are only compatible with the Power Suit's Arm Cannon.
*In Zero Mission, the Paralyzer is described by Samus as "rather useless". However, in the Other M Art Folio, she states that it is "all that I need to get me out of tight spots." This may imply that the differences in the Paralyzer are canonical and that Samus has upgraded the weapon capabilities.
*In both Zero Mission and Other M, the Paralyzer (as well as the accompanying Zero Suit) can be hacked to use outside its intended areas.
**In Metroid Zero Mission, normal shots are useless on many if not all enemies and fully charged shots inflict minimal damage to some non-Zebesian enemies (Red Zebesians are the only enemy to be frozen by the Paralyzer). Because the Paralyzer auto-charges, Atomics will follow Samus when the Paralyzer charge is close to full or is full. Non-charged shots will be unable to open Item Spheres, making the Paralyzer the only projectile based weapon incapable of doing so.
**In Metroid: Other M, the power of the Paralyzer differs between enemy; varying from flinching, minimal damage, deflecting off of or having no effect at all. Curiously, the Paralyzer's status is not shown in the Status Screen when hacked outside its intended area (the text is completely blank and the item's title does not appear in the status window as if locked).
*In Zero Mission, a visual glitch can occur where if a Red Zebesian is hit by a charged Pralyzer shot then immediately is hit with a non-charged shot, its palette will swap to blue as if frozen by the Ice Beam. This glitch may occur due to the Paralyzer possibly using the freezing properties of the Ice Beam against Red Zebesian's (but not the Ice Beam's damage properties). This palette glitch is only seen for a brief second, as the original pink/red palette will return once the freezing begins wearing off/flashing.
==Gallery==
===Metroid: Zero Mission===
First-Zero-suit.jpg|Possible early basis in Nintendo Comics System
ZS Samus.png|In-game sprite.
ZSS.png|Samus holding the Paralyzer in a cutscene
Samus's Paralyzer.png|Samus stunning a Zebesian with the Paralyzer
Zero Mission Zero Suit Status Screen Hand Gun Obtain (Japanese Adult Mode).gif|Text from Adult Mode in the Status Screen.
Metroidzero09.png|Ending image.
Zero Suit Samus MZM.png
MZM art Zero Suit.png
Zss hallway.jpg
Zss hanging.jpg
Zss crawl.jpg
Untitled.PNG|Original Japanese Zero Mission commercial prop.
MZMad.PNG|Chisato Morishita
MZMstandee.PNG|Chisato Morishita standee.
Horizontal 02 12.jpg|First 4 Figures Zero Suit statue
===Metroid: Other M===
Zero Suit in MOM action.png|The Paralyzer being used.
Zero_Screen.png|Samus Screen
Max Factory Zamus figure.png|Max Factory statue
Zamus Figma Paralyzer pose.png|Zero Suit Samus Figma
Paralyzer Figma prop.png|The individual Figma prop.
===Super Smash Bros.===
Zero Suit Samus.jpg|Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Zero Suit Samus SSBB4.jpg|Samus displays her Plasma Whip.
BrawlTrophy3.jpg|Zero Suit Samus holding the Paralyzer on her Brawl trophy
Zerosuit samus 071008c-l.jpg
Basic04 070705d-l.jpg
Ryu art.png|Ryu illustration (Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U)
ru:Парализатор
Category:Armaments
Category:Super Smash Bros.
Category:Electric weaponry
Category:Recurring Items
Category:Close-quarters weaponry
Category:Zero Suit Samus
Category:Special Actions