Wave Beam

The , named so for the oscillating "wave energy" it fires,Metroid: Zero Mission Instruction Booklet, p. 25 is a beam that Samus acquires in most games, with the exceptions of Metroid Prime Hunters, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (though she gains the Annihilator Beam in Echoes, the Volt Driver in Hunters, and both the Grapple Voltage and the Nova Beam in Corruption, which all share a few similar properties with the Wave Beam). It fires wave energy (often in the shape of a sine curve) that can usually go through walls.
==2D Metroid series==
In Metroid and Metroid II: Return of Samus, the Wave Beam generated a single bolt that moved forward in a helical manner and passed through walls. It also acted as such in Super Metroid, but simultaneously using the Wave Beam with either the Charge Beam, the Spazer Beam, or the Plasma Beam shoots multiple bolts that move in a helix. It was one of the more powerful beam weapons.
In Metroid: Zero Mission and Metroid Fusion, the Wave Beam was a beam that could go through walls. In these games, it stacked on to the beams that Samus had acquired thus far. In Super Metroid, it could be added to any other combination of beams to make them go through walls and give them a helical trajectory, or be used alone, making a purple waving ball. In Metroid Fusion, it adds a wall penetrating effect to the already-acquired Charge, Wide, and Plasma Beams. In Zero Mission, it added a widening effect and a wall passing effect to whatever beams Samus has by that point (Samus could actually obtain the item without any other beams, but she could have the Ice, Charge, Long, and even Plasma beams by then, due to the game's non-linear nature). On its own, it has a white colour with a slight purple hue.
In Metroid Fusion, this upgrade was possessed by the haywire robot B.O.X., during its second appearance. This is the second to last beam achieved by Samus on BSL Station, before the Ice Beam. It is also implied that the SA-X also had this beam in its' possession in addition to the Ice Beam due to its beam shots penetrating walls similar to the Wave Beam. If acquired first through debug, the beam will actually take the other beam functions due to it being the last beam in the intended sequence. As the sequence is hard-coded alongside events, it is not accessible without the other beams.
In Metroid: Other M, the beam fires three purple undulating shots at once, similar to in Prime. Other M's Wave Beam also has similar properties in the 2D games; bypassing walls. However, it is only limited to "transparent and semitransparent" objects, such as glass.
It is authorized by Adam in the Cryosphere, when Samus is trapped in a "box" made of glass walls while being attacked by several Super Zebesians. The Super Zebesians seem to have their own variant of the Wave Beam as their energy beams can penetrate the glass, but not Samus's shots until the Wave Beam is authorized.
In Metroid: Samus Returns, a remake of Metroid II, the Wave Beam can now stack with all Beams, with the exception of the Ice Beam, which is a separately selectable weapon. The Wave Beam is required to destroy the Taramarga, a door-blocking creature equipped with a sturdy rock. Notably, it lacks any undulating firing pattern, instead resembling Other M's straight firing Wave Beam.
In Metroid Dread, the Wave Beam is in possession of E.M.M.I.-06WB, which is using the powerup to enhance its field of vision and shoot stunning projectiles that can penetrate through walls. Like Fusion, it is the second to last beam upgrade in the game, the last being the Hyper Beam. It can destroy Wave Beam Covers.
==Metroid Prime==
In Metroid Prime, the Wave Beam takes on a different role. Here, it is one of the three "elemental" beams, representing the element of electricity. It is the first beam Samus acquires on her mission to Tallon IV (excluding the Charge Beam). The Wave Beam does not go through walls, though if fired above water, it will pass through a water's surface and continue travel underwater. If the player is locked on to an enemy, the beam has a homing feature that can follow an enemy around until it hits. The Wave Beam is acquired after defeating an Adult Sheegoth in the Chapel of the Elders, located in Phendrana Drifts. When fired normally, it launches three separate rounds that undulate inwards and outwards continuously with impressive homing capabilities. When charged, it fires a slower-moving single round that, when used on a few certain enemies, can cause a stunning effect. Its uses outside of battle include energizing Power Conduits and opening Purple Doors. It is the only weapon that can destroy the Pulse Bombu and the Scatter Bombu. On a related note, the Wave Beam can be used on certain machine based enemies to cause them to ultimately malfunction. If the Wave Beam is used to destroy an Auto Defense Turret or a Mega Turret, the turret will swivel and constantly fire out of control before exploding. If used on a Sentry Drone, it will come crashing down instantly to the floor when defeated instead of performing its usual explosion.
Also in Metroid Prime, the Wave Beam can be upgraded with a Charge Combo called the Wavebuster. This allows Samus to fire a perpetual wave of electrical energy at an enemy, and like the normal beam it has a limited homing feature, but doesn't require a lock-on. However, its range is somewhat low. This attack uses up ten Missiles to activate and uses five Missiles per second when holding the fire button. Although it has an extreme ammunition cost with less damage-per-missile than the Super Missile, it deals damage at an incredible rate, making it valuable for quickly defeating enemies in a pinch.
==Behind the scenes==
===2D Metroid series===
Most forms of destructive energy in the universe are carried by electromagnetic waves, making the concept of a "wave beam" somewhat redundant. However, its abilities seem to stem specifically from this wave-based nature in particular, drastically increasing the wavelength of an energy beam to within the VHF radio range would expand the area it covered and allow it to pass through most solid obstacles. This technique is well-known to terrestrial science and is commonly used to prevent solid objects from obstructing music and television broadcasts.
===Metroid Prime series===
Like the Volt Driver, this version of the Wave Beam appears to fire some form of artificial ball lightning, a self-sustaining globe of electrical energy that is occasionally reported to "follow" living creatures and very rarely detonates with explosive force when touched. Although reliable eye-witness accounts confirm ball lightning's existence and similar phenomena have been produced using a wide variety of technological methods, its exact nature and cause remain unknown. Ironically, most explanations of ball lightning do not relate the phenomenon to electromagnetic waves in any way.
===Metroid: Other M===
The version of the Wave Beam seen in Metroid: Other M is very similar to the two-dimensional version, but its lower radius and ability to pass only though transparant materials suggests the beam now operates in the visible spectrum, as opposed to radio.
==Trivia==
*In the original Metroid, the Wave Beam was the only way Samus could attack low-to-the-ground enemies such as Zoomers with projectile-type weapons due to the fact that she was unable to crouch or aim downward. Both of these capabilities were added in the game's direct sequel, Metroid II: Return of Samus.
*The Wave Beam was the only beam weapon able to penetrate armored enemies' plating in Metroid II: Return of Samus. In subsequent games, only the Plasma Beam is.
*In Metroid and Super Metroid, the Wave Beam has a similar sprite to the Energy Capsules.
*Normally, getting the Wave Beam in Super Metroid requires using the Grappling Beam to traverse the Grapple Crossing. However, a Wall Jump can be used to get the beam early.
*Super Metroid was the first game in the series to utilize the beam's wall piercing capability as a means of progression.
*The Wave Beam has appeared in every main series Metroid game to date.
*In Metroid Prime, the Wavebuster combo is especially useful for destroying the Cloaked Drone in the Phazon Mines, as Samus is unable to lock on to invisible enemies and getting a direct hit can be difficult otherwise.
*The Wave Beam Arm Cannon configuration is also used for the Light Beam in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, and the Nova Beam in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.
*In the New Play Control! and Metroid Prime Trilogy versions of Prime, sparks of electricity no longer appear on the Arm Cannon when charging. This was due to technical issues with implementation of Wii controls.
*The Wave Beam was slated to appear in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance along with Samus herself and many of her other abilities, though they were removed due to Nintendo not giving consent for her inclusion. The Wave Beam in Ultimate Alliance appears to be based off of the Prime iteration.
*In the first Metroid Prime, the symbol for the Wave Beam is a hand print with all of its fingers spread apart. Using the X-Ray Visor reveals that this is the configuration Samus uses to activate the Beam.
*In Metroid: Other M, it is stated that the Wave Beam can pass through any fully or semi-permeable object. However, this is not entirely true, as the Bottle Ship Residential Area contains glass railings that the Wave Beam cannot shoot through.
*Up until Metroid Dread, all games that featured the Wave Beam also featured the Ice Beam, and vice versa.
*The word "Wave Beam" is probably a weapon code, as simple physic "beams" are usually straight.
*The Wave Beam in Metroid Prime has a unique effect when charging it, like all other beams. When charging, electric bolts spread across the Arm Cannon. However, the effect is not present in the New Play Control! and Metroid Prime Trilogy versions of the game. This was due to implementation issues when applying the particle effects to the free-moving Arm Cannon, however all subsequent effects beams have on the Arm Cannon remain in the Prime Trilogy versions of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.
==Audio==
Sound	Game
 	Metroid (NES)
 	Metroid II: Return of Samus
 	Super Metroid
 	Metroid Fusion
 	Metroid Prime
 	Metroid: Zero Mission
 	Metroid: Other M
 	Metroid: Samus Returns
 	Metroid Dread
==Gallery==
Wavebeam-m1.gif|In Metroid.
Metroid-II-Wave-Beam.gif|In Metroid II
Wavebeam-m3.gif|Super Metroid
Wavebeam-m4.gif|Metroid Fusion (combined with Charge, Wide and Plasma Beams)
MZM Wave Beam.gif|Metroid: Zero Mission (combined with Ice Beam)
WaveSkree.PNG|The Wave Beam in Metroid artwork.
Zomcard5.PNG|Metroid artwork.
Wave Beam M1.png|Wave Beam item artwork in Metroid.
Wave Beam M2.png|Wave Beam item artwork in Metroid II: Return of Samus.
MSR RoS Gallery 032.png
Wave Beam Upgrade.JPG|Wave Beam item artwork in Super Metroid.
MetroidPrime WaveBeam Item render.jpg|Wave Beam item render in Metroid Prime.
Wave Beam Symbol.png|Wave Beam symbol in Prime.
Wave Beam Item Prime Remastered.png|The Wave Beam in item form from Metroid Prime Remastered.
Wave Beam Charging Remastered.png|Charging the Wave Beam in Prime Remastered.
Wave Beam initial fire Remastered.png|Charged Wave Beam shot in Prime Remastered.
Core-X Wave Beam.gif|B.O.X. Robot's Core-X, which contains the Wave Beam.
Fusion chozo.png|Unused item sprites in Metroid Fusion, suggesting Beams may have been obtained from a Chozo Statue instead of a Core-X in early versions.
Wave Beam MOM.jpg|Metroid: Other M
WaveBeamSamusReturns.png|Metroid: Samus Returns
MSR Wave Beam Item Form.png|Samus Returns item form.
WaveBeamMetroidDread.png|Metroid Dread
Wave Beam.png|The Wave Beam as it would have appeared in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
==References==
ru:Волновой Луч
Category:Beams
Category:Norfair
Category:Phendrana Drifts
Category:Area 2
Category:Area 5
Category:Cryosphere
Category:Sector 6
Category:Ferenia
Category:Electric weaponry
Category:Gene Kohler
Category:Chozo technology
Category:Recurring Items
Category:Unused Items
Category:Final Items