Any%
 World Record Holder:
Zoast
WORLD RECORD RECORDING
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Category Details
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Any% is the most popular category for Super Metroid. As indicated above, this category involves defeating all major bosses as fast as possible without the use of Out of Bounds, the Golden Torizo code, or the Space Time Beam.
This description of the category was written by Garrison, as quoted by Zoast on SpeedDemosArchive:
Definition for Traditional style Super Metroid any%: -Defeats the main four bosses depicted in the statues blocking entrance to Tourian (Kraid, Phantoon, Draygon, Ridley) and goes on to defeat Mother Brain as well and go through the escape sequence. -Stays within the boundaries of the map and limits the use of clips to entirely in boundary use (Wrecked Ship ceiling clip, Zebetite Skip) -Does not use the GT Code -No Abuse of Space/Time Beam or its variants The heart and soul of the traditional any% category is to encapsulate the feeling it was to go through the game after first play and try to go through it as fast as possible. All exploits are done with the intention of working around the general design of the game, not the programming and/or its oversights.
All any% runs should start by using a 0:00 file that has skipped the intro. You can create such a file by letting the intro play, then resetting once Samus has landed in Ceres Station. See the Timing page for information about when the run starts and ends.
Routes
The main differentiating factor in routing Any% is the boss order, notated by the first letter of each boss. The two primary routes runners use are KPDR (Kraid, Phantoon, Draygon, Ridley), and PRKD (Phantoon, Ridley, Kraid, Draygon).
The KPDR route is highly recommended for beginners, since it is considered a much easier route to survive in.
The PRKD route is faster than the KPDR route by roughly two minutes in real time (and equal Real Time runs are slower by a similar amount in game time in comparison); however, it is similar in difficulty to 14%, and is not recommended to begin with. Many experienced players would not recommend that you use the PRKD route until you have at least achieved a time below 50 minutes in the category with the KPDR route. In order to realize the route's timesave, runners must have sufficient mastery of the techniques required for the route. Much of the timesave comes from completing all of Norfair in a single pass, but this is offset by many of the individual rooms being slower due to the equipment loadout, such as navigating Wrecked Ship without Speed Booster, and Lower Norfair without Plasma Beam and Space Jump.
A PKRD (Phantoon, Kraid, Ridley, Draygon) route is considered a slightly safer alternative to PRKD that is only roughly 12 seconds slower. With the PRKD route, the purpose of visiting Kraid's Lair after Lower Norfair is not only because it is faster to take care of with Speed Booster equipped than without, but because it (in particular, Mini-Kraid) serves as a great way to refill Super Missiles. For these reasons, in the PKRD route, compared to the PRKD route, about six seconds are lost due to the lack of Speed Booster for Kraid's Lair, and another six seconds are lost (potentially more or less due to the variability of drops) due to having to find some other means to acquire Super Missiles after Ridley. The obvious benefit of defeating Kraid before Ridley is that you will have Varia Suit, which will significantly reduce the amount of energy required to Gravity Jump into Lower Norfair. You will also consistently have more Super Missiles entering Norfair, which will make drops less of an issue on the path to Ridley, and will have the option to acquire Kraid's Energy Tank, which will allow you to have three Energy Tanks for Lower Norfair, and potentially skip later Energy Tanks such as Ridley's and Botwoon's.
The PDKR/PKDR/PDRK routes, known as "hybrid" routes, visit Wrecked Ship early, then do a two-pass run through Norfair as seen in KPDR. This eliminates the backtracking to go back up Red Tower, but because Wrecked Ship itself is slower without Speed Booster, it's unknown what, if any, timesave these routes provide over KPDR.
Every possible permutation of boss orders is technically possible (RDPK has its own category called Reverse Boss Order), but the rest are more difficult and slower than those listed above.
The information below includes a basic outline of how to progress through each route, and as such, is likely missing many details. If you are interested in learning this category, it is recommended that you instead watch one of the tutorials listed at the bottom of the page, as well as observe plenty of speedruns to get an idea of how you should move through rooms.
KPDR
Safeties
Below is a list of extra items you can pick up for additional safeties and advice for when to skip it.
| Item | Time to get (seconds, approx) | When to skip it |
| Early Ice | 5 | When you can climb the red tower and xfactor phantoon, botwoon, and draygon |
| Spazer | 27 | When you can xfactor phantoon, botwoon, and draygon |
| Kraid etank | 15 | You probably won't pb without Kraid etank until you're well into sub 50 territory |
| Ridley etank | 12.5 | When you feel comfortable with lower health |
| Fireflea etank (before Ridley) | 26 | When you feel comfortable with lower health |
| Crab Supers | 22 | When you can xfactor botwoon, draygon |
| Aqueduct missiles + supers | 31 | When you can zeb skip (slightly faster than crab supers if you can consistently skip missiles) |
| Wrecked Ship right supers | 35 | When you can zeb skip (crab supers are faster) |
| Moat missiles | 6.5 | When you feel confident with ammo at Mother Brain 1 |
| High-Jump missiles | 3-5 | Time-save dependent on drops from Kraid, Bat Cave and Tourian |
Complete Ceres Station.
Crateria & Blue Brinstar
From the landing area, head left into the next room, then travel down into the shaft. In the shaft, fall down the right side. Go through the door, and past that room into the next one. Go into the next room and take the elevator down to Brinstar.
From the elevator, go left and collect the Morphing Ball. Then head right through the door and down through the blocks. Go left through the door and collect Missile (Awakening). Return to the elevator and go up. Don't use any missiles until you encounter the first red door of the route.
Go left through the door and through the next door. Climb up the shaft and go up the door. Climb up and go right, rolling into a ball to get into the small passage. Fall down and go right through the door. Open the next door with missiles, then go through and collect the Bomb. Fight the Bomb Torizo. Leave that room and go through the next door. Climb up, preferably by doing the Alcatraz escape, then head left through the bombable wall. Go through the next door. Run down this room and collect Energy Tank (Terminator). Go through the next door and go down and left through the door. Go through the next door and down the elevator to Brinstar.
Green/Pink/Red Brinstar & Kraid's Lair
Fall down and open the first door on the right, but don't go through. Do a running jump into that room, perform a Mockball and collect the Early Super Missile. Head down from the Super Missile and leave the room. Fall down and open the next door on the right. Continue through that room into the next one. Head down and Bomb the block. While the Bomb is going off, head left and collect Missile (Charge Beam). Then go through where the block was and collect the Charge Beam. Head up from the Charge Beam and right through the green door. Head down through this room and straight through the next one. When you get to red Brinstar, head down and go right through the door. Go through the next door.
From here you can continue forward, or climb up and collect Spazer. Collecting the Spazer will make the run easier in general, as you will require fewer shots to defeat many enemies. Either way, continue to the right until you get to the elevator room, but don't go down it. Instead use a Super Missile on the wall to the right and use the morph ball to get through it. Perform a Walljump to get up into Kraid's lair. Proceed through the lair until you get to Kraid. Defeat him, and collect the Varia Suit. Collect Energy Tank (Kraid) on the way back to the elevator. Go down the elevator to Norfair.
Norfair & Red Brinstar
Head down and open the third door on the left. In this room, collect Energy Tank (Hi-Jump Boots) and kill the Sova before it goes off screen. Open the flashing door, but go left and down to collect the Hi-Jump Boots. Climb back up and collect the Missile (Hi-Jump Boots) on the way out of the room. Climb up the next room and go through the second door on the right. Continue to the right until you get to a large bubble room. Perform a Walljump to get to the top of the room on the right side, and enter the top right door. Go up here and right through the door. You can collect Missile (Speed Booster) here to help with Tourian later in the game, but it is optional. Go through the door and collect the Speed Booster.
From the Speed Booster, head back into the large bubble room and take the second door down on the right. Go down this room and go in the first door on the right. Jump across the platforms shoot the gate, then collect the Missile (Wave Beam) on the way to the right. Perform a Walljump to get to the door and go through it to collect the Wave Beam. Return to the large bubble room, then head down through the morph ball maze and through the door to the left. Continue left until you get back to the room with the elevator.
At this point you can collect the Ice Beam. Collecting it later will save about ten seconds of real-time, but make the run harder. For a newer player, it is recommended to get it at this point. If you are delaying Ice Beam, simply go up the elevator. If not, climb up and go through the third room on the left. Continue through the next two door, then climb up and pass through the morph ball tunnel and go through the door to get the Ice Beam. Return to the elevator and go up it.
Head left through six doors. If you have less than 300 health, take the energy refill to the left. Climb up the shaft and go through the door on the right at the very top. Go right through the next door, then go down through the floor and open the green door on the left. Collect the Power Bomb (Alpha) and go back through the door on the right. Climb back up the room. The door on the right contains a Save Station. Go up the elevator.
Crateria & Wrecked Ship
Use a Power Bomb and exit the elevator room and use another one to open it from the other side. Go up, destroy the blocks above and then place another Power Bomb so that you open the door to the right. Run to the left, turn around, then charge a Shinespark and use it to go through the right door. In the next room you will get Missile (Moat) unless you went too high with the Shinespark. If you missed it you can collect it on your way back later.
Now you can either go through the next room by using another Shinespark or by jumping/walljumping to conserve some health. If you decide to jump through it, consider un-equipping Hi-Jump Boots so you won't have to time your jumps and walljumps. When you reach the right side shoot a Super Missile and continue into the Wrecked Ship. Make your way to the bottom, morph and Bomb the block in the narrow passage to the right. Kill the eye guarding the entrance to Phantoon. Defeat him and then go back up until you reach a morph ball maze, open the door to the left and collect Super Missile (Wrecked Ship West). Exit through the door you came.
Continue upwards and go through the door at the top. Kill all enemies in the next room and take the exit to the left. Now head left until you find another morph ball maze. Shoot the part that's blocking your way into the tunnel, then follow it and go right until you reach a room full of spikes. Here you will run and jump as far as you can, land in the spikes and repeat until you reach the Chozo Statue. Morph into his hand and wait for it to take you down through the spikes. Go through the door to the left when you regain control of Samus. Collect the Gravity Suit and then continue through the door on the left. Keep going left and make it back to the elevator room that you previously opened with a Power Bomb. Use the elevator to go back down to Brinstar.
Red Brinstar & Maridia
Take the second door to the left (that you also previously opened with a Power Bomb) and keep going to the left until you reach a shaft. Go all the way down and then progress to the right. You will eventually reach a room that looks like a glass tube surrounded by water, place a Power Bomb to break it. Downwards you will find another Save Station. Use the door above to reach Maridia.
Use a Walljump to reach the second door to the right. In the next room head straight up through another door using more walljumps. If you then Walljump on the wall to the left you will be able to see an enemy enter a secret morph ball maze. In there you can collect the optional Super Missile (Main Street). It helps with Draygon and Tourian consistency but is not recommended if you can/will Shinespark Draygon. If you collect the Super Missile, then go back out of the morph ball maze.
Now you will charge a Shinespark and use it to go diagonally to the right. Open the door to the right. Shoot the destructible blocks on the floor, go down and through the green door to the right. In the next room you place a Power Bomb to go down and then make use of walljumps to reach the upper left door and enter it. Shoot at destructible walls to the right and keep going right until you get "stuck". You then want to run along the floor from left to right so that the Speed Booster kicks in and let's you through the rest of the walls. Then shoot and exit through the door leading to Botwoon. After Botwoon is defeated, go right.
In the next room you can collect an optional Energy Tank (Botwoon) by going through the morph ball maze above the first pool of quicksand. It helps with surviving Draygon, Ridley and Mother Brain. If you collect the Energy Tank go back out of to the left of the maze. Either way, speed boost your way to the right until you reach the last pool of quicksand stand in it and shoot to restock on ammo and health. When you are done with that, continue through the door on the right. Walljump on the right wall and exit the top right door.
Make your way through this room by jumping and walljumping. When you reach it's end you can take the upper red door to a Save Station to make a safety save. Go down the lower green door, jump down through the spikes, kill the eye guarding the left door and enter it. Prepare to face Draygon and some measly turrets. The turrets can each be destroyed with three regular missiles before Draygon appears. After you defeat Draygon, go through the door to the left and collect Space Jump.
Head back to the long room next to the Save Station, go through the door on the left side. Take the first door to the left (it was grey before and could not be opened). Keep on going until you reach another door at the top left of this room. Use space jumping and/or walljumping to reach the door. Go down and left to exit the next room. Then through another door to the left.
Go left and then upwards until you reach a Y-section, take the right path and continue upwards to another Y-section, pick the left path. Space Jump and/or Walljump to go upwards and head through the door to the right. Make your way up and exit through the door to the right. Exit another door to the right. The pirates in this room cannot be destroyed until you have collected the Plasma Beam, so go down and right until you've found it. After that dispatch of all enemies to unlock the door and go back up to the big room you came from.
Now jump up to the top. Go left and then down and left until you reach a green door leading downwards. Go through it and enjoy the ride. When you reach the other end of the pipe use a Power Bomb and take the left exit. Keep heading left until you find a room with another broken glass pipe. Use Morph ball to go down below the platform in the middle of that room. Go through the door to the left and keep heading left until you reach a gate with a green box. Use a Super Missile to open it and head down through the second to last pit and then go right and take the elevator back down to Norfair.
Norfair & Lower Norfair
If you delayed Ice Beam, get it as described earlier and return to the shaft. Take the door at the bottom right. Go through three additional doors to the right then take one downwards. Go all the way down and take the second door to the right and exit that room through the door to the right. Go down and place a Power Bomb to open the door to the left and travel into a room with a lava pit. Space Jump up to the door in the upper left corner of this room and exit the room. The next door contains a Save Station. Take the elevator down to Lower Norfair.
First go right and exit this room, then place a Power Bomb and go down and take the door on the right. The Pillars to the right can be destroyed with power bombs, try to place them so that they take out as many Pillars as possible and exit the door on the other side as quickly as you can. In the next room make use of walljumps/space jumps and place a Power Bomb next to the ceiling, go up through it and spinjump into the upper right door. In this massive room you would want to go down and forwards until you pass the big stalactite and then Space Jump straight up through the room. When you reach the top, take the door to the right.
Optionally you can continue to the right, go through the wall to the right and then head down to grab the Energy Tank (Lower Norfair Fireflea Room) to help survive Ridley and Mother Brain. This is a pretty big time waster so it's not recommended unless you can't finish without it.
Either way head down by shooting the blocks on the floor and drop down to the next room. Midway on the way down to the right there is another Save Station. Go all the way down the shaft and bomb your way into the morph ball passage. Go through it until you reach it's end, use a Power Bomb to open the door and clear the last block at the same time. After that you go through another morph ball passage to the left. If you are out of power bombs at this point you can bomb the block in the down left corner and collect Power Bomb of shame, but only if you are completely empty on them. Use a Power Bomb to clear the blocks between the two statues, make your way to the bottom and go through the door to the left.
Defeat the steel pirates, then pass through three more doors to the left. Defeat Ridley, open the door on your left. In this room shoot the block under the door you came through and collect Energy Tank (Ridley). Now head all the way back up to the vertical room next to the last Save Station and go back to the top, this time take the door to the right. In the next room make it to the top and go through the left wall, open the hidden door behind it. Now go through the door to the upper left and follow this path until you reach a room with green bubble tiles on the ceiling.
Go to the left to reach Bubble Mountain and head for the lower left door but don't go through it. Instead place a Power Bomb, go down and take the left door. Go left until you reach the room after the Save Station, head up and take the Elevator to Brinstar.
Brinstar, Maridia & Crateria (to G4)
Go into the room with the broken tube and go back up into Maridia. Take the same way as you did the first time but when you reach the big room where you used Shinespark to get to the upper right, Space Jump and Wall Jump up through the room and take the door at the top middle. Now go up to the top, take the morph ball passage to the left, open the door, open the green gate and go into red Brinstar through another morph ball passage. Take the elevator up to Crateria.
Go up through the door and take the door to the top left. Now go all the way to the left through three doors. Go down and take two doors to the right. Wait for all the statues to turn grey, then go down and take the elevator down to Tourian.
Tourian & The Escape
The door to the right leads to a Save Station. Take the other door to continue. In the next couple of rooms, kill all the Metroids to progress until you reach an area cover in sand. Head left until you reach the now grown Metroid from the beginning of the game. When it has drained all your health, continue left and head down left to replenish your health. Go back out and then through the door to the right. At the end of this room, kill the eye and exit through the door. The next room to the left contains another Save Station. Take the second door to the left and use the Zebetite Glitch, go all the way to the left and then defeat Mother Brain.
Exit through the opening to the left, go down through the door, take the next door to the right. Now run along the bottom floor and use a Shine Spark to reach the door in the upper right. In the next room, go all the way up, then follow the path taking you back down again. Wall Jump to the top using the left wall. Run to the right until you reach the shaft and make it up to the top (you can use a Shinespark to reach it quickly), exit the room. Then go up to the top, take the door to the right, then run and jump into your ship. THE END.
PRKD
Complete Ceres Station.
Crateria & Blue Brinstar
From the landing area, head left into the next room, then travel down into the shaft. In the shaft, fall down the right side. Go through the door, and past that room into the next one. Go into the next room and take the elevator down to Brinstar.
From the elevator, go left and collect the Morphing Ball. Then head right through the door and down through the blocks. Go left through the door and collect Missile (Awakening). Return to the elevator and go up. Don't use any missiles until you encounter the first red door of the route.
Go left through the door and through the next door. Climb up the shaft and go up the door. Climb up and go right, rolling into a ball to get into the small passage. Fall down and go right through the door. Open the next door with missiles, then go through and collect the Bomb. Fight the Bomb Torizo. Leave that room and go through the next door. Climb up, preferably by doing the Alcatraz escape, then head left through the bombable wall. Go through the next door. Run down this room and collect Energy Tank (Terminator). Go through the next door and go down and left through the door. Go through the next door and down the elevator to Brinstar.
Green/Pink/Red Brinstar
Fall down and open the first door on the right, but don't go through. Do a running jump into that room, perform a Mockball and collect the Early Super Missile. Head down from the Super Missile and leave the room. Fall down and open the next door on the right. Continue through that room into the next one. Head down and Bomb the block. While the Bomb is going off, head left and collect Missile (Charge Beam). Then go through where the block was and collect the Charge Beam. Head up from the Charge Beam and right through the green door. Head down through this room and straight through the next one. When you get to red Brinstar, wall jump up the shaft and go right through the door. Go through the next door. Head down then go left to collect the Power Bomb. Go back right and head all the way up the next room and ride the elevator up (using Power Bomb to open the left-hand door on the way up).
Crateria & Wrecked Ship
Use a Power Bomb and exit the elevator room and use another one to open it from the other side. Go up, destroy the blocks above and then place another Power Bomb so that you open the door to the right. Go to the right, performing a continuous walljump to cross the moat, collection the Missile in the process. Continue to the right, with proper jumping you can make it to the Super Missile door and continue into the wrecked ship.
Make your way to the bottom, morph and Bomb the block in the narrow passage to the right. Kill the eye guarding the entrance to Phantoon. Defeat him and then go back up until you reach a morph ball maze, open the door to the left and collect Super Missile (Wrecked Ship West). Exit through the door you came.
Continue upwards and go through the door at the top. Kill all enemies in the next room and take the exit to the left. Now head left until you find another morph ball maze. Shoot the part that's blocking your way into the tunnel, then follow it and go right until you reach a room full of spikes. Here you will run and jump as far as you can, land in the spikes and repeat until you reach the Chozo Statue. Morph into his hand and wait for it to take you down through the spikes. Go through the door to the left when you regain control of Samus. Collect the Gravity Suit and then continue through the door on the left. Keep going left and make it back to the elevator room that you previously opened with a Power Bomb. Use the elevator to go back down to Brinstar.
Red Brinstar & Norfair
Go down and go through the second door on the left (same room previously opened with a Power Bomb on the way up). Continue left through this room, and then make your way all the way down the red shaft, running and jumping through the right door at the bottom. Continue through this room, and then immediately head up and right through the Super Missile door in order to collect Spazer (allows for faster Ridley and Mother Brain fights).
Note: Alternate path to getting Spazer. It is possible to skip Spazer, but for it to be a viable time-saving strat, extensive X-Factors must be used on Ridley and Mother Brain, and is highly advised-against.
Exit Spazer room, and go down and to the right. Continue right through straight corridor, destroying the Maridia Tube with a Power Bomb on the way. Continue right, and go down the elevator into Norfair.
Head down and open the third door on the left. In this room, collect Energy Tank (Hi-Jump Boots), then go left and down to collect the Hi-Jump Boots. Exit room, going immediately down, and walljump up the narrow shaft, laying a Power Bomb near the top. This kills the Sova and destroys the bomb blocks, allowing you to escape through the flashing door. Go up and open the Super Missile door on the top-left. Do a mockball to get under the gates, then go up and right to get Ice Beam. Leave ice room, then go back down to right. Continue through room, and freeze the green platforms in order to get enough distance to mockball through the next room and beat the closing gate.
Note: The order that Ice Beam and Hi-Jump Boots are collected is up to personal preference. If done ideally, however, going to Hi-Jump Boots first is thought to be the fastest route.
Entering from the top right door in the Business Center, continue to the right until you get to a large bubble room. Perform a Walljump to get to the top of the room on the right side, and enter the top right door. Go up here and right through the door. Go through the door and collect the Speed Booster. From the Speed Booster, head back into the large bubble room and take the second door down on the right. Go down this room and go in the first door on the right. Jump across the platforms shoot the gate, then collect the Missile (Wave Beam) on the way to the right. Perform a Walljump to get to the door and go through it to collect the Wave Beam. Enter the lower-left blue door from the room before Wave Beam, and continue down to the lower right door.
Keep following this path until it diverges, and take the lower route, opening the Power Bomb door towards Lower Norfair. One can either do a Shinespark (known here as "Lava Spark") or a Gravity Jump to get past the lava into Lower Norfair. Take the elevator to descend into Lower Norfair.
Lower Norfair
Under Construction
Kraid's Lair
Under Construction
Maridia
Under Construction
Crateria (to G4)
Under Construction
Tourian and The Escape
The door to the right leads to a Save Station. Take the other door to continue. In the next couple of rooms, kill all the Metroids to progress until you reach an area cover in sand. Head left until you reach the now grown Metroid from the beginning of the game. When it has drained all your health, continue left and head down left to replenish your health. Go back out and then through the door to the right. At the end of this room, kill the eye and exit through the door. The next room to the left contains another Save Station. Take the second door to the left and use the Zebetite Glitch, go all the way to the left and then defeat Mother Brain.
Exit through the opening to the left, go down through the door, take the next door to the right. Now run along the bottom floor and use a Shine Spark to reach the door in the upper right. In the next room, go all the way up, then follow the path taking you back down again. Wall Jump to the top using the left wall. Run to the right until you reach the shaft and make it up to the top (you can use a Shinespark to reach it quickly), exit the room. Then go up to the top, take the door to the right, then run and jump into your ship. THE END.
Tutorials
KPDR
UNHchabo - Not a tutorial, but a route designed for a first run, only using techniques learned during a casual run. No mockballs, Zeb Skip, or horizontal shinesparks.
Golden - Tailored for green Super Metroid players, teaching basic techniques and safer strategies.
Melonax - A set of tutorials and route demonstrations designed to guide a runner from brand new, to sub-hour and beyond.
Mishrak - Focuses less on bosses and advanced strategies in favor of compact and essential information for anybody to complete an any% run.
Scott Falco/"Shaving Seconds" - Very similar to Mishrak's route, but edited down to be a very compact and concise description of the route.
Zoast - Attempts to explain most possible strategies for all rooms, primarily focusing on what's optimal. Timestamps to sections of the tutorial can be found here.
Sweetnumb & Oatsngoats - Similar to the above, with both players combining their knowledge to explain it all.
ShinyZeni - Covers modern strats for KPDR in depth.
PRKD
Oatsngoats - Part 1 covers up to Ridley and Part 2 covers everything after Ridley.
ShinyZeni - Covers modern strats for PRKD in depth.
Other
Overfiendvip - Game time route outline. (PDKR/PRKD)
Overfiendvip - Draygon Underflow route concept. (PDKR)
