Charge Beam

The (occasionally referred to as the Charge Shot) is a power-up that allows Samus to charge up her Arm Cannon and release a more potent version of the current Beam. The Charge Beam first appeared in Super Metroid and has appeared in all games since (save for Metroid Prime Pinball). In some games, Samus acquires it, and in others she has it by default and never loses it, or does lose it and recovers it later.
==Description==
The Charge Beam is compatible with mostThe beams that cannot be charged are the Grapple Beam, Phazon Beam, Battlehammer, Shock Coil, Imperialist, Omega Cannon in Metroid Prime Hunters, Beam Burst, Hyper Beam in Super Metroid, and Hyper Beam in Metroid Dread. beam weapons. After acquiring the Charge Beam, Samus can focus energy into her Arm Cannon and later release it at any time. This process can be seen in Metroid: Other M. The resulting charged shot is many times more powerful than firing a normal beam (though the exact power varies between games) and is capable of damaging certain enemies that a standard beam cannot. In fact, some enemies can only be damaged by charged shots. The Charge Beam's appearance is reminiscent of the beam(s) currently in use and usually takes the form of a concentrated ball of energy.
Strength-wise, the Charge Beam's damage varies between games; it can be slightly weaker, equal or stronger than a standard Missile. Even so, there are still some things that only Missiles can damage, so obtaining the Charge Beam does not render Samus's Missiles completely useless. Also, the Charge Beam can be used as a backup weapon when Missile ammunition runs out during boss battles. However, the Charge Beam is slower to use compared to Missiles.
In Metroid Fusion, after Samus regains Charge Beam capabilities, both the normal shot and the charged shot are actually made up of two smaller shots which form a crescent shape and deal slightly more damage. Fusion is the only game where obtaining the Charge Beam alters the normal beam shots. When firing a charged shot, the flare near the Arm Cannon can also deal damage; firing at point-blank range delivers much more damage than normal.
In Metroid: Other M, the Charge Beam is used during Overblast and Lethal Strike, dealing a heavy blow to the enemy. In addition, when SenseMove is performed, Samus can instantly charge her beam to maximum, resulting in a possible counterattack. The Charge Beam is more important than in previous games, as it is often needed to trigger switches to progress. As Missiles can only be used in Search View in Other M, the Charge Beam is also needed when Samus needs to move around the area or face multiple enemies at once. Additionally, since Missiles can only be restored by Concentration, the Charge Beam becomes more important for preserving Missile ammunition or acting as a backup weapon when Samus cannot use Concentration due to battle circumstances.
Metroid: Other M also provides a Charge Beam enhancement in the form of Accel Charge pickups, increasing the rate at which the Charge Meter increases.
The Diffusion Beam found in Metroid: Other M and Metroid Dread is a Charge Beam upgrade that explodes violently upon impact.
The Charge Beam plays a larger role in Metroid: Samus Returns, where Charge Doors require a charged shot to open. Additionally, charging the Ice Beam greatly increases the time taken for enemies to defrost in Samus Returns, as it would normally take only around 2-8 seconds, depending on the enemy. After successful Counter Hits on regular enemies in Samus Returns and Metroid Dread, Samus uses a charged shot to quickly kill the enemy even if she does not have the Charge Beam upgrade.
At the end of their first battle, Raven Beak prepares to use the Charge Beam on Samus after placing the latter into a neck lift, but decides to spare her after her still-undeveloped Metroid powers suddenly flare up. His Robot Chozo Soldiers also have a variant of the Charge Beam that shoots a longer and more powerful projectile than the robots' standard shots.
==Prime series==
In the Prime trilogy, the Charge Beam works mostly the same as its 2D counterpart. Charging the Beam in use increases its power and the size of the shot, but also makes the shots of most Beams noticeably slower. Some enemies, especially Hunter Ing, are able to dodge charged Beams because of this. When in use, the Charge Beam causes a graphical effect to affect the Arm Cannon which differs depending on the Beam (although associated particle effects are removed in the Wii versions of Metroid Prime for technical reasons). For example, a charged Wave Beam causes electricity to surge around the Arm Cannon, and a charged Magmaul has smoke rise from it. Samus starts out with the Charge Beam in Metroid Prime, but it is damaged and malfunctions along with some other power-ups (the Varia Suit, Morph Ball, Missile Launcher, and Grapple Beam) due to an explosion and electrical surge during Samus's escape from the Frigate Orpheon. She finds a new Charge Beam in the Watery Hall in the Chozo Ruins. In all other Metroid Prime games, she has the Charge Beam from the start and never loses it. The Charge Beam is not referred to by name in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption but is instead referred to as a "charge module" to the Power Beam in the Inventory. This may suggest the Charge Beam became integrated with the Arm Cannon, much like the Long Beam.
A factor in the Prime series is the well-hidden Charge Combo abilities, found as separate items. These special add-ons to the particular beams add many special effects and can be highly damaging, although they consume Missile ammo when used.
In Metroid Prime 2: Echoes the Dark Beam, Light Beam, and Annihilator Beam have different effects compared to their normal shots, which may be the reason why Echoes is the only Metroid game to date that gives separate names to charged Beams. The Dark Beam's charged shot is called the Entangler and creates a compact blob of dark matter that, on contact with an enemy, entangles it with dark energy. The energy hardens to a physical crystal structure, preventing movement and making it vulnerable to a Missile, similar to the Ice Beam from Prime. The Light Beam's charged shot is named the Lightblast and fires a volley of fast, mildly-homing spherical projectiles that can set enemies on fire (much like the Prime Plasma Beam); when used at close range it can be highly damaging, similar to a shotgun. The Annihilator Beam's charged shot enables it to stun some creatures such as Space Pirates and is appropriately named the Disruptor. It has a tendency to kill Dark Pirate Troopers in a single hit.
In Metroid Prime Hunters, certain Affinity Weapons differ in effect when charged. The charged Volt Driver fires a large shot that travels considerably more slowly than other charged Beams; when used by Kanden, it tracks enemies and will disrupt the visor of whomever it hits. The charged Judicator fires three shots that travel in different directions, unless used by Noxus, in which case it creates a field around him where any enemy caught inside is temporarily frozen. In Echoes as well as Hunters, charged Beams consume more Beam Ammo and Universal Ammunition respectively than uncharged shots do.
The Prime variants of the Charge Beam have a tractor beam effect on pick-ups: as long as Samus holds the charge, it drags the pick-ups to her, allowing her to collect them from hard-to-reach areas. This feature is also present in Metroid: Samus Returns and Metroid Dread, though it is less noticeable in those games as pickups are automatically attracted to Samus. The Charge Beam also has the capability of gathering particles of Phazon to fire a Phazon-concentrated shot, as seen in the final battle with Dark Samus in Echoes.
The Charge Beam in the Prime trilogy is capable of destroying some objects which are said in scans to require "explosive damage" to destroy (referring to Missiles).
In addition to these capabilities, the Charge Beam can be fired in short bursts, unlike the 2D versions. This means that Samus is less vulnerable when charging. The damage with the minor shots is weaker than the full charge but stronger than the standard shots, and travel slightly faster than fully-charged shots. This feature is absent from Metroid Prime Hunters, where releasing an incomplete charge will simply result in a standard shot like in the 2D series.
Its appearance varies between the Prime games, unlike the 2D games, where the only difference is the spark pattern. In Prime, the fully charged Power Beam looks like a ball and is both yellow and purple. In Echoes, it again looks like a ball, but pulses when fully charged and is only shades of yellow. In Corruption, the Power Beam's fully charged shot has a blue tinge in addition to the yellow, and it is slightly more disk-shaped than spherical.
Federation Marines in Metroid Prime: Federation Force carry weapons that have charging functions similar to the Charge Beam. The only differences are that it takes longer to charge compared to Samus's, that their Mechs move very slowly with a fully charged beam, and that strong breakable objects cannot be destroyed unless the beam is fully charged. The Super Charger MOD increases the damage output of uncharged and charged shots by 20, 30 or 50%. Only one copy of it can be equipped at a time.
:"Increase Power Shot and Charge Shot damage by 20/30/50%."
==Super Smash Bros. series==
In the Super Smash Bros. series of games, the Charge Beam is Samus' standard B attack, known as Charge Shot. When performing the move, Samus drops to one knee as she charges a spherical blast of white/light-blue energy (as opposed to the yellow colored energy from her home series). If disrupted during the process, the charging stops. When charging is finished, the energy of the beam charge disappears and is replaced with sparks at the Arm Cannon barrel, that flash until Samus fires the blast. This is the only instance where Samus is able to keep her charge, since she can't do so in her own games. If Samus performs her dodge while charging, progress on the charging is recorded, and she can continue. She cannot charge the beam while in midair, also unlike her games; instead, she will simply fire a normal shot. If Kirby swallows Samus and copies her ability, he will possess the Charge Beam and her helmet, though amusingly not the arm cannon.
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the Charge Shot can now be charged or canceled in midair. However, doing so can leave Samus vulnerable to attack. As with all of her moves, Dark Samus shares Charge Shot with Samus as her standard B attack, though her charging and firing animations feature Phazon effects.
In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, the move can be customized. There are three variations, with the other two being Dense and Melee Charge Shot.
==Techniques==
Super Metroid has two hidden Charge Beam features. The first takes place when Samus holds a charge and enters the Morph Ball form, resulting in the Five-Bomb Drop. The second technique activates when Samus holds a charge while only one other beam (besides the Charge Beam) is equipped and while highlighting the Power Bomb. This allows her to unleash a Special Charge Beam Attack at the cost of Power Bombs. In all 2-D games from Super Metroid onward, Samus can perform the Spin Jump Attack by using a fully charged shot and a Spin Jump. However, this ability is eventually rendered redundant by the Screw Attack.
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes has special enhancements for charging the Beams found on Aether. The Dark Beam produces an Entangler, the Light Beam creates the Lightblast, and the Annihilator Beam fires a Disruptor. When Samus runs out of Beam Ammo, she must charge to fire normal shots.
Metroid: Other M also has four related techniques. Firstly, the Five-Bomb Drop can be performed, resulting in a pentagon-shaped arrangement of bombs around Samus. Secondly, if the Charge Meter is filled or nearly filled while in Morph Ball form (similar to charging a Power Bomb in this game, although it can be done before these are authorized), then unmorphs, she will fire a charged shot instantly as she unmorphs. The Overblast and Lethal Strike can both be used with the Charge Beam to deal large amounts of close-range damage.
==Official data==
===Super Metroid manual===
;CHARGE
:"The charge item allows you to charge your beam and send out a super-powerful blast."
===Super Metroid Nintendo Player's Guide===
;CHARGE BEAM
:"After accessing and equipping this Item you can power-up any one of Samus's beams by holding down the Shot Button."
;CHARGE BEAM
:"Located in Brinstar. Allows you to power-up the intensity of your shots and any beam. Press and hold the Shot Button to activate it. Release the Shot Button to fire Charge Beam."
===Super Metroid Players' Guide===
;Charge (page 9)
:"Holding down fire when equipped with the charge will produce an [sic] more powerful energy bolt. Proves to be useful.
:Location: Brinstar."
===Super Metroid GamePro Strategy Guide===
;Charge Beam
:"This chargeable beam weapon is deadly against bosses."
===Metroid Fusion manual===
;CHARGE
:"Charge up the normal beam's energy for a more powerful shot. Press and hold the B Button. Release when energy is built up."
===Metroid Fusion website===
"The Charge upgrade allows Samus to fire a more powerful Beam. The shots may be charged up for an even stronger blast."
===Metroid Fusion in-game acquisition message===
"Charge Beam ability recovered.Press and hold [B] to charge."
===Metroid Fusion: The Official Nintendo Player's Guide===
;CHARGE BEAM
:"Not only is the Charge Beam naturally more powerful than Samus's standard Beam, but it gains power when you press and hold the A Button to charge it. You can also charge up the Plasma, Wave and Wide Beams. When Samus's beam is fully charged, you can damage most enemies by Spin-Jumping into them.The Charge Beam is more powerful and larger than Samus's standard Beam weapon.Location - Sector 1"
===Metroid Prime and Metroid Fusion: Prima's Official Strategy Guide===
;Charge Beam
:Location - Sector 1 
:Acquired By - Defeating Elephant Bird
:Controls - Hold [B], release when energy reaches maximum level (you can hear it)
:"When fully charged, a Charge Beam packs a bigger wallop than a quick burst. Although this shot requires timing, especially when battling a boss, it can save Samus's hide when she is out of missiles. Don't forget, you can charge up a beam while running or jumping, and keep it charged until you are ready to release the shot."
===Metroid Prime Official Strategy Guide===
;CHARGE BEAM
:"The Charge Beam allows you to increase the damage and effectiveness of the Arm Cannon. To charge the Arm Cannon, press and hold the A Button. The Charge Beam has a limited 'tractor beam' capacity. Use it to pull in small objects. The Charge Beam increases the performance of each Arm Cannon mode."
:Tractor Beam
:"The 'tractor beam' function of the Charge Beam is a very important ability to exploit. Often, power-ups like Missiles, or Small/Large Energy replenishment come from flying creatures like Flitters and these bonuses are out of reach. Use the 'tractor beam' aspect of the Charge Beam to grab these power-ups!"
===Metroid Prime 2: Echoes: The Official Nintendo Player's Guide===
;Charged Beams
:"Each beam weapon can be charged up, resulting in a different, more powerful shot. To charge a shot, simply press and hold the A Button. After a couple of seconds, it will be ready to go. It's not necessary to charge the shot fully before you release it, but it will be stronger if you do. While charged, your beam will also draw in pickups."
===Official Metroid Prime website===
Weapon effect: Features limited tractor beam capacity.
Weapon range: 3 - 10 m
Weapon potential: Extreme
"Chozo Technology. The Charge Beam allows Samus Aran to increase the damage and effectiveness of the Arm Cannon. After building power for a brief moment, the Charge Beam is ready to deploy. The Charge Beam is an effective weapon on its own, but it is even more useful when used in tandem with the Missile Launcher. The Charge Beam also has a limited tractor beam capacity."
===Metroid Prime Inventory data===
===Metroid Prime acquisition message===
"Charge Beam acquired!Press and hold [A] to charge. Release to fire.Additional data downloaded to Inventory Screen. Press [START]/[2] to access the Inventory Screen."
===Metroid Zero Mission manual===
;Charge
:"Obtaining this power-up allows Samus to charge beam energy into a single, powerful beam blast. Hold the B Button to charge and release to fire."
===Metroid: Zero Mission: The Official Nintendo Player's Guide===
;Charge Beam
:"A fully charged beam blast has the power (but not the red-hatch-unlocking ability) of a missile shot. It's the only upgrade that you'll earn by defeating an enemy.While your beam is charged, you can plow through creatures by somersaulting into them--a foreshadowing of the Screw Attack."
===Zero Mission Samus Screen data===
"Hold B to charge. Release to fire. Charge Attack: Jump with a full charge."
===Metroid Prime Hunters Logbook Entry===
===Metroid Prime Hunters manual===
;Charge Attack
:"Press the L Button to fire a weapon. Some weapons can be charged for more powerful attacks. To charge your weapon, hold down the L Button and then release to fire a devastating Charge Attack. Except for the Power Beam, Charge Attacks consume more ammo than regular attacks."
===Metroid Prime Hunters: The Official Nintendo Player's Guide===
;WEAPON-CHARGE ATTACKS
:"Some weapons, including Samus's Power Beam, can be charged by holding down the attack button. When you release the button, they'll fire a more powerful shot or multiple shots. In Adventure mode, Chargeable weapons will also suck dropped recovery items toward their user while they're being charged." 
===Metroid: Other M On-Screen Tutorial===
CHARGE BEAMPress and hold [1] until fully charged and then release.
===Metroid: Other M manual===
;Normal Beam/Charge Beam
:"Press the 1 Button to fire a beam. Press and hold the 1 Button until the charge gauge is full and release to fire a powerful Charge Beam."
===Metroid: Other M Premiere Edition===
;Charge Beam
:"The Charge Beam is a powered-up version of your current beam. So, for example, if you have the Ice Beam, the Charge Beam will be an enhanced version of the Ice Beam. The Charge Beam takes a few seconds to store up the charge and then unleashes it in one powerful blast. You can power up your Charge Beam while you're on the move, so keep your Charge Beam ready at all times. If you enter a sticky situation unexpectedly, you'll always have one Charge Beam blast at the ready." 
===Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U description===
"An energy blast that shoots straight. Can be charged and stored for later."
===Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U Tips===
"This is devastating when fully charged. It can be unleashed instantly if you fire it while airborne."
===Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U Official Game Guide===
Damage 3~25%
"While grounded, Samus charges up her projectile attack. Hitting Left or Right gives you an evasive roll to continue charging from where you left off. You can also Shield to stop and store your charge. Pressing the button again releases the shot. When used in the air, Charge Shot fires from whatever level you’ve charged to."
===Metroid: Samus Returns website===
"Gathers energy, which is then released all at once in a devastating blast."
===Metroid: Samus Returns Samus Screen===
"The Charge Beam gathers energy, which is then released all at once. This power can be used to open Charge Doors. Press and hold [Y] to charge, and then release [Y] to fire."
===Metroid: Samus Returns Official Guide===
;HOW TO PLAY - BASICS - COMBAT (p. 6)
:CHARGE BEAM
:"The Charge Beam is a Power Suit upgrade Samus picks up during her mission. A weapon upgrade rather than a whole new weapon, it allows you to charge up your primary beam weapon and the Ice Beam to deal more damage and release a bigger projectile. Hold the Attack button to charge up the shot; release the button to fire it."
;THE ARMORY - BEAMS (p. 11)
:CHARGE BEAM
:"The Charge Beam isn't so much a weapon as a weapon enhancer. After obtaining it, Samus is able to charge up and fire more powerful versions of all of her other beams (save for the Grapple Beam). Pretty handy!"
===Tips (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate)===
;Samus
:Charge Shot (Neutral Special) – "This is devastating when fully charged. It can be unleashed instantly, and fired repeatedly when not charging. You can also charge it in midair."
;Dark Samus
:Charge Shot (Neutral Special) – "Devastating when fully charged, it can be unleashed instantly and fired repeatedly. You can also charge it in midair."
===Metroid Dread Samus Screen===
===Metroid.nintendo.com===
"Focuses beam energy to unleash a powerful shot. Charged shots can damage some enemies immune to normal Power Beam shots, such as certain robots and bosses."
===Metroid Dread loading screen tip===
==Development notes==
The distortion ("pinch") effect that occurs when the Charge Beam is fired in Metroid Prime was created by Jack Mathews.
The Charge Beam's charge and release sound effects were created by Joey Kuras of Tommy Tallarico Studios, and later included in Tallarico's SFX Kit sound effects library.SynaMax. "Who created Metroid Prime's first sound effects?" YouTube. December 12, 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ6GxBWHogI The sounds were reused in Other M, making them the only recycled sound clip in that game from the Prime series. These sounds have also appeared in other games such as The Conduit, Call of Duty: Black Ops – Zombies and Injustice: Gods Among Us, and episode 6 of the anime series Bokurano.SynaMax. "Who created Metroid Prime's first sound effects?" YouTube. December 12, 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ6GxBWHogI
In Fusion, there is an unused sprite for a charged Power Beam shot, which resembles an uncharged shot. A demonstration of a mod that restores this trait can be seen here.
==Trivia==
*In Metroid: Zero Mission and Super Metroid, the Charge Beam can be skipped entirely, as it is not required to advance through the game. In the former, one merely has to defeat the Charge Beam Beast and leave the upgrade floating in the air. It never disappears, so it can be recovered at any time.
**It is neither revealed nor explained how and why the beast possessed the Charge Beam. It is possible the Charge Beam Beast unintentionally obtained it while digging through the tunnels of Brinstar.
*In Metroid Prime, a beam shot will be fired when charging up a blast, whereas in subsequent Prime games, charged shots can be fired consecutively, though a shot will still be fired in Echoes when exiting Morph Ball (aside from instant unmorphs).
*The charged Power Beam in Metroid Prime Hunters has a limited homing capability, closing in on doors and enemies. It is mostly overlooked because it requires some distance for the homing effect to be noticeable. This is the only game in which the charged Power Beam does this. This homing feature may have been added since lock-on is not present in this game.
*The Prime render of the Charge Beam item shows it with two barred circles with inner lenses, but in-game, there is only one of these circles.
*In Corruption, the Nova Beam's charged shot travels much faster than the standard shot, unlike the other beams'. This increased speed makes it the fastest traveling weapon in the game.
*Acquiring the Charge Beam in Prime contains a debatable "sequence break" as it can be acquired before the Morph Ball Bombs. However, the Hint System does not detect it until Super Missiles are obtained.
*In Metroid Dread, the charged Power, Plasma and Wave Beams have different particle and sound effects.Looygi Bros. "14 Cool Details in Metroid Dread (Part 4)". YouTube. December 22, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
==Notes==
==References==
==Gallery==
===Metroid===
Chargebeam-m4.gif|Metroid Fusion
Chargebeam-m0.gif|Zero Mission (with Long Beam)
Charge Beam Upgrade.JPG|Artwork of the Charge Beam item in Super Metroid.
Supercharge.gif|The Charge Beam in item form in Super Metroid.
MetroidPrime ChargeBeam Item render.jpg|Charge Beam item render in Metroid Prime.
Prime Charge Beam item model.png|Prime model.
Metroid Prime beta charge beam.jpg|The Charge Beam in the Metroid Prime beta.
Metroid prime 1.jpg|A more finalized but still beta version of the Prime charge.
Watery Hall Charge Beam Item Form Dolphin HD.jpg|The Charge Beam in its item form in Metroid Prime.
Core-X Charge Beam.gif|Elephant Bird's Core-X, which contains the Charge Beam in Metroid Fusion.
MSR Charge Beam Item Form.png|The Charge Beam item in Samus Returns.
Samus destroys Diggernaut.gif|Samus uses a charged Plasma Beam to put the Diggernaut out of commission in Metroid: Samus Returns.
Odin-fernandez-moreno-power-beams-low.jpg|Odín Fernández render
Odin-fernandez-moreno-power-beams.jpg|Untextured model.
Metroid Dread Charge Beam.png|Metroid Dread (E3 2021)
Metroid Dread Charge beam.png|Dread (final release)
Metroid Dread Charge Shot.jpg|Samus firing a Charge Shot in Dread.
Beyond Charge Beam.jpg|Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
===Super Smash Bros.===
Ssb07.jpg|Super Smash Bros.
Chargebeam.jpg|Super Smash Bros. Melee
Samus SSBB4.jpg|Samus keeping the Charge Shot stored in Brawl.
SSB3DS Samus Charge Shot 1.jpeg|Samus firing a Charge Shot in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
SSB3DS Samus Charge Shot 2.jpeg|Samus firing a midair Charge Shot in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
(SSB4) Slow Beam custom.jpg|Samus firing a slow Charge Shot with use of a custom move in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
(SSB4) Shotgun Beam custom.jpg|Samus firing a Shot Gun beam with use of a custom in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
SSB Ultimate Samus charge beam.jpg|Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
==See also==
*Charge Combo
*Spin Jump Attack
*Five-Bomb Drop
*Special Charge Beam Attacks
*Overblast
*Diffusion Beam
ru: Заряженный Луч
es: Rayo Recarga
Category:Beams
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Category:Sector 1
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