- Primary route: Search green-door branches after collecting the Super Missile upgrade.
- Best timing: Complete the main story first, then revisit Norfair, Ridley, and Chozodia.
- Required tools: Super Missiles are essential; Speed Booster, Power Bombs, and late-game movement help with cleanup.
- Map method: Mark every unopened green door and return after unlocking the required movement abilities.
- Completion tip: Check Super Missile rooms alongside Missile, Energy Tank, and Power Bomb routes.
Metroid Zero Mission Super Missile Locations by Region
Metroid Zero Mission super missile locations are concentrated around green-door side rooms, hidden passages, and late-game branches that become easier to reach after Samus gains stronger movement abilities. The most efficient strategy is to follow the main route until Super Missiles are available, then revisit earlier regions instead of stopping to force every difficult pickup immediately.
The exact approach varies by room. Some expansions are simple green-door rewards, while others combine a green door with bomb blocks, vertical shafts, Speed Booster corridors, or Power Bomb barriers. Use the regional guide below to plan your sweep.
| Region | Main location pattern | Useful requirements | Recommended timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brinstar | Green-door side rooms and concealed passages | Super Missiles, Morph Ball, Bombs | First cleanup visit |
| Kraid area | Vertical rooms and blocked branches | Super Missiles, Hi-Jump Boots, Speed Booster | Mid-to-late game |
| Norfair | Heated rooms, shafts, and long corridors | Varia Suit, Super Missiles, movement upgrades | After major Norfair progression |
| Ridley’s Lair | Deep side rooms and advanced traversal routes | Speed Booster, Shinespark, Power Bombs | Late game |
| Chozodia | Isolated Chozo and spacecraft passages | Super Missiles, Power Bombs, late-game abilities | Post-game cleanup |
Do not treat every unopened green door as immediately collectible. Mark its room, continue the main route, and return when Samus has better mobility and more ammunition.
Early Sweep
Check Brinstar and the Kraid area after the Super Missile upgrade. Prioritize rooms already connected to explored map routes.
Heat Region Sweep
Revisit Norfair with the Varia Suit and stronger movement. Search vertical chambers, heated side rooms, and long corridors.
Late-Game Sweep
Finish Ridley’s Lair and Chozodia after collecting Power Bombs, Speed Booster tools, and other late-game upgrades.
The most reliable visual clue is the green missile door. Once a room is opened, inspect the surrounding blocks before leaving. A Super Missile Tank may sit behind a short Morph Ball passage, above a platform, or beyond a destructible section that is not obvious from the doorway.
Step-by-Step Super Missile Route
Use this route to reduce backtracking. It does not require collecting every expansion during the first visit, and it keeps difficult movement checks for a later cleanup pass.
Record Every Green Door
During the main story, note green doors in Brinstar, Kraid, Norfair, Ridley’s Lair, and Chozodia. If the map is not available, remember the nearest save room, recharge room, or major landmark.
Collect the Super Missile Upgrade
Continue the intended progression until Super Missiles become part of Samus’s arsenal. The upgrade changes which doors and blocks can be cleared, so begin the location sweep only afterward.
Clear Brinstar and Kraid Branches
Start with the oldest marked green doors. These routes are usually easier to evaluate and may contain short side rooms, vertical platforming, or bombable connections to nearby chambers.
Search Norfair Methodically
Use the Varia Suit to travel through heated rooms, then inspect green-door branches near tall shafts and long corridors. If a pickup remains blocked by a speed or height check, leave it marked for later.
Finish Ridley and Chozodia Cleanup
Complete the deeper areas after acquiring advanced movement tools and Power Bombs. These regions contain more demanding routes and are best handled during a dedicated 100% sweep.
| Route phase | What to inspect | Stop and return later when |
|---|---|---|
| First pass | Green doors connected to cleared rooms | A ledge, speed block, or hidden passage blocks progress |
| Brinstar cleanup | Morph Ball tunnels, bomb blocks, elevated platforms | The route needs stronger movement |
| Norfair cleanup | Heated side rooms, shafts, long corridors | The room requires Shinespark timing |
| Ridley cleanup | Deep branches and special-block rooms | Power Bombs or late-game suit access is missing |
| Chozodia cleanup | Chozo ruins and spacecraft passages | The area is not yet fully unlocked |
Spending too long searching one blocked room can make the map feel confusing. If the route requires an ability not listed in your current inventory, mark it and continue the regional circuit.
A good sweep follows a loop rather than a straight line:
- Start at the nearest save room.
- Open every reachable green door.
- Check the map for unexplored squares around each opened branch.
- Refill Missiles before entering a long or hazardous room.
- Return to the save room before moving to the next region.
This approach also supports boss preparation. Extra Super Missile Tanks increase ammunition capacity, while the same cleanup route often reveals Energy Tanks and standard Missile Tanks that make later encounters more forgiving.
Requirements, Blockers, and Backtracking
Super Missile locations are easier to manage when you separate weapon requirements from movement requirements. The green door may be the first lock, but the actual item room can contain several additional checks.
| Blocker | What it usually indicates | Recommended response |
|---|---|---|
| Green door | Super Missile access | Enter and inspect the full room |
| Bomb block | Morph Ball Bombs or Power Bombs | Check floor, ceiling, and nearby walls |
| High ledge | Hi-Jump Boots or another movement upgrade | Return after improving vertical reach |
| Long straight corridor | Speed Booster or Shinespark route | Look for enough runway to build speed |
| Special destructible blocks | Power Bomb requirement | Return after Power Bombs are available |
| Liquid or hazardous section | Suit or environmental protection | Revisit with the appropriate suit |
The best time to collect most Super Missile expansions is after the main story route opens late-game movement options, not immediately after every new weapon upgrade.
Super Missiles
Open green doors and damage targets that resist the regular Arm Cannon. Keep ammunition available before boss routes.
Speed Booster
Reaches long corridors, speed blocks, and Shinespark routes that can hide expansions beyond ordinary platforming.
Power Bombs
Destroy special blocks and expose larger hidden areas. They are especially valuable during late-game collection.
Suit Upgrades
Improve survivability and access in dangerous environments, particularly around Norfair and later exploration zones.
When a Super Missile Tank remains inaccessible, use this decision process:
- Can the green door open? If not, return after obtaining Super Missiles.
- Is the item visible but too high? Check for Hi-Jump Boots, Space Jump, or another movement solution.
- Is there a long corridor nearby? Look for a Speed Booster or Shinespark setup.
- Are unusual blocks covering the route? Test Power Bomb access later.
- Does the room connect to a late-game region? Leave it for the final cleanup circuit.
The regional item guide for Metroid: Zero Mission on GameSpot is useful for cross-checking broader progression. For weapon behavior, door colors, saving, and ability fundamentals, consult the official Nintendo instruction manual.
100% Super Missile Checklist
Use this checklist during the final collection pass. The goal is not merely to open green doors, but to confirm that every accessible branch has been searched and that no Super Missile room was skipped because of a secondary movement requirement.
Regional Super Missile Goals:
- Revisit every marked green door in Brinstar
- Search Kraid-area vertical rooms and side branches
- Check Norfair green doors after obtaining the required heat protection
- Inspect Ridley’s Lair for advanced movement and Power Bomb routes
- Complete Chozodia green-door cleanup after the main story
| Cleanup check | Why it matters | Completion signal |
|---|---|---|
| Green-door audit | Finds rooms skipped during the main route | Every marked door has been opened |
| Map-square audit | Reveals unexplored branches near known items | No suspicious unexplored room remains |
| Ability audit | Prevents revisiting rooms without the correct tool | Speed, Power Bomb, suit, and jump checks are covered |
| Ammo audit | Confirms the pickup was actually collected | Expansion marker is cleared from the map |
| Regional audit | Prevents finishing one area while missing another | Brinstar, Kraid, Norfair, Ridley, and Chozodia are checked |
A practical order for a 100% file is:
- Finish the main story route.
- Collect the major beam, suit, and movement upgrades.
- Clear Chozodia and other post-game areas.
- Return to Brinstar and the Kraid complex.
- Sweep Norfair and Ridley’s Lair.
- Recheck every green-door marker and unexplored map square.
Super Missile expansions are only one part of full completion. Pair this route with Missile Tanks, Energy Tanks, Reserve Tanks, and Power Bomb Tanks so the same backtracking trip serves multiple goals.
Q: Where should I start looking for Super Missile locations?
Start with green-door branches in Brinstar and the Kraid area after obtaining the Super Missile upgrade. These regions are generally easier to revisit before the deeper late-game cleanup.
Q: Do I need Power Bombs for every Super Missile Tank?
No. Some expansions are reached through ordinary green doors or short Morph Ball routes. Others may require Power Bombs, Speed Booster movement, Shinespark timing, or additional late-game abilities.
Q: When should I search Norfair for Super Missile expansions?
Return after major Norfair progression and bring the Varia Suit. A later visit is more efficient because heated rooms, vertical shafts, and long corridors may require movement upgrades.
Q: What should I do if a green-door room appears empty?
Inspect the entire room, including floors, ceilings, side walls, and nearby Morph Ball passages. If a block or movement section prevents access, mark the room and return during the final 100% sweep.