Timeline of Discoveries
Summary: The TL;DR version is that basically, almost entirely everything has been discovered by Sniq, EternisedDragon, and Kejardon.
Contents
2002
Kraid Quick Kill - July 2002 (unclear)
Earliest reference found, attributed to player *mie*.
Adopted for runs in February 2003 by Red Scarlet and Smokey.
2003
Zebetite Skip - July 9, 2003
Player Pogo708 unknowingly skips the Zebetites. That event triggers further exploration of the glitch by deskjockey_, Ultima4701 and Kejardon.
At first, deskjockey_ stucks Samus in the Zebetite with a diagonal shinespark and Ultima4701 manages to finish the skip with Grapple (Speed+Grapple Zeb skip);
later, Ultima4701 finds a way to jump through the Zebetite without the need of Grapple (Speed Zeb skip);
at last, by understanding the mechanics of this Zeb skip, Kejardon develops the method of freezing a Rinka with Ice Beam and uses i-frames to get stuck inside the Zebetite (Ice Zeb skip).
Green Gate Glitch - September 24, 2003
Ultima4701 posts about MathOnNapkins discovering the green gate glitch:
"9/24/03 - All hail MathOnNapkins! A way beyond crucial green gates has been found! The ZMV is uploaded to the appropriate section."
2004
Phantoon First Route - 25 July 2004
Taser Frenom proposes and demonstrates that going to Wrecked Ship right after early game items collection is faster than going to Kraid's Lair. This becomes known as the "TAS route".
2005
March 6, 2005
Kejardon posts about discovering Spacetime-like effects from using X-Ray Scope in certain places Out of Bounds.
May 26, 2005
Kejardon posts about Illy discovering X-Ray Climbing.
2007
April 1, 2007
Kejardon (under a pseudonym, see page 2 of the thread) posts an SMV showing completing the game with 13% by X-Ray Climbing in Golden Four, then X-Ray Climbing in Mother Brain's Room to bypass the Mother Brain fight.
This run also came with this comment about another discovery in the game:
Finally, the trigger that makes Zebes explode is simply entering the room behind Mother Brain - all Mother Brain does is set the timer that kills you. It's a random tidbit of trivia I've only now had the chance to put to use.
2008
May 9, 2008
Hotarubi posts this video showing the springball strat used in Lower Norfair Spring Ball Maze Room for 100%.
2010
November 4, 2010
JAM discovers the GT Code: http://forum.metroidconstruction.com/index.php/topic,562.msg14259.html#msg14259
JAM talks about the discovery of the GT Code here, in "Part 7": http://forum.metroidconstruction.com/index.php/topic,2319.msg28930.html?PHPSESSID=7692891baede64b1d76ead1656039c49#msg28930
The article that ensued: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/196769/why_super_metroids_hacking_.php
2013
April 21, 2013
Cardweaver posts this video showing it's possible to do the Hi-Jumpless Lava Dive.
2014
March 5, 2014
Total posts on TASvideos about the investigations he's done into how Spacetime Beam works on a technical level, and posts that to the wiki.
March 7, 2014
Total and Lioran post this video showing a Spacetime Beam setup to trigger the escape sequence in the Pre-Moat Room (Crateria Kihunter Room). The next day they post this video, which is one of the most common setups used now for Any% GT Code.
March 10, 2014
amaurea posts a proof of concept TAS for Arbitrary Code Execution using Spacetime Beam.
2015
August 17, 2015
AxlSR discovers a variant of the shinespark strat that's currently used in Red Kihunter Shaft in modern runs of Any% PRKD.
September 11, 2015
Total and Taco discover that slopesparks are possible.
September 14, 2015
SUPERMETROIDFTP posts this video showing the application of a Superjump to get Plasma Beam before defeating Draygon.
2016
March 5, 2016
WildAnaconda debuts a TAS given to him by sniq which introduces the 14% Chargeless category, and the underflow glitch that makes it possible.
June 4, 2016
sniq discovers that firing a charged beam shot delays the shinespark timer by one frame each time.
2017
June 6, 2017
sniq reveals the Moonfall technique used to uncap falling speed.
2019
January 12, 2019
sniq releases this video, showing that Frog Speedway can be traversed right-to-left with Wave Beam and Spazer, without Speed Booster.
February 8, 2019
BFrobber releases this video, showing a 0-etank Lava Dive is possible. This method ended up being human-viable (though extremely difficult), allowing for Max% GT Code to use the optimal KRDP boss order.
2021
July 27, 2021
During this race dueDillyQueen notices in chat that the rain in Landing Site is moving opposite directions for the two runners. PJBoy investigated this and found it depends on RNG: the rain's X speed is randomly set to -6, -4, or 6.
August 6, 2021
Susreime releases this video, showing that the Zebes Escape timer is disabled by killing Draygon.
deskjockey_'s "m3 notes", maintained by Kejardon
In here ( https://jathys.zophar.net/supermetroid/kejardon/index.html ), Kejardon lists a file containing various (in some cases basic and other cases obscure) mechanics and glitches together with references on who found them:
/* MOVES */
"Crystal Flash" &
--- "Crystal Flash makes Samus ultra-vulnerable" by Kejardon
--- "Hold X-ray after Crystal Flash to stand in mid-air" by Kejardon
--- "Move and Return to Exact Same Position for a 'mobile' Crystal Flash" by ???
"Beam Shields" &
"Bomb Spread" &
"Pseudo Screw Attack" &
"Wall Jump" (two wall, one wall, falling wall jump, etc) &
"Underwater Wall Jumps" &
"Pseudo Screw Attack Wall Jump" &
"Bomb Jump" (air start, different timings, etc) &
"Horizontal Bomb Jump"
"Diagonal Bomb Jump"
"Super Jump" (diagonal, horizontal, mid-air, diags wall ride, pass halftile) &
"Breakblock Jumping" &
"Fly Back When Damaged"
"One Shot Items" &
"Grapple As A Weapon" &
/* Gameplay Glitches And Tricks */
"Chainsaw Beam enhances Power Bombs" by kilojoules (m2k2)
"Metroids run away from Samus" by Kejardon
"'Stumble' to reach first speed boost increment in less space" discovered simultaneously by Saturn and Laney on M2K2
"Botwoon respawns if you exit the room fast enough" by Saturn and JXQ
"Diagonal aim down + Rapid turning makes Samus never land"
"Fast Spring Ball by de-equipping Spring Ball" by Kejardon
"Standing Up from Screw Attack/PSA/Blue Suit hurts enemies but does not affect Blocks" by Kejardon
"Super Jump ends faster when shot array is full" by Kejardon
"X-ray allows multiple Plasma beam hits" by some e-mailer to nate.
"Maridia Yapping Maw leaves Samus inside block after room transition" by LifeMega on M2K2
"LN Chozo prefers Spring Ball" by Kejardon
"Item Screen: Skip Screw Attack w/o Spring Ball" by darthmalak1983 on GameFAQs
"Wall-Jump Check a Door and Land Inside Door"
"Escape Crocamire's Room Through Spike Wall" by Kejardon
"Platforms Can Drag You Through Walls"
"Space/Time X-ray When Vertically Far Offscreen" by Kejardon
"Grapple Jump On Top Of Scroll PLMs" by Simon Elmir on Metroid Database Message Board
"Use Sloped Ceiling and Door Tiles to Skip Door" by LCC on GameFAQs
"Run Through Damaged Enemies"
"Bomb Grapple" by Sarcose
"Permastuck in Bomb Blocks" by Kejardon
"Temporarily Disable Crocamire's Invisible Wall" by Red Scarlet
"Travel Through Hidden Items at High Speeds" by Kejardon
"X-Ray Force-Stand" by Kejardon
"Draygon Slowmotion" by (GameFAQs member)
"Escape Draygon's Room Without Killing Draygon" by Kejardon
"Standing Grapple" by Kejardon
"Flying Grapple" by Kejardon
"Remote Grapple Shot" by Kejardon
"Extended Blue Suit" by Kejardon
"Platform Hovering" by Kejardon
"Platform Bombing" by Kejardon
"Speedball" by Mike Z
--- "Speedball Bounce: Best Gauntlet Entrance in 100% Speed" by vv
"Mockball" at least named by Saviour V &
--- "Skip Spore Spawn" by... Brickroad19(Skip Spore Spawn Without Mockball) &
Hotshot or hpsolo (use of Mockball to skip SS) &
--- "Early Ice Beam" by who knows, maybe me. It was a real no-brainer.
"Kago Ball" by MEGAMUR &
--- "Slip Past The Work Robot" by Kejardon
--- "Slip Past Spike Platforms On Way To Ridley" by deskjockey_
"Avoid Getting Knocked Up By Your Own Bombs" by Kejardon, fredrik, others?
"Hellakill Kraid" by mie &
"Glass Pipe Gravity Jump" by Kejardon
"Gravity Jump" by Kejardon
--- "Lower Norfair without Space Jump(the easy way)" by Kejardon
"Short Charge The Speed Booster" by Kejardon
--- "Slow Charge The Speed Booster" by Terimakasih
"Blue Suit" by michealangelo
"Exit the Map Using Grapple at Mt. Dammit" by michealangelo &
"Exit the Map Using Frozen Mochtroid + Grapple at Oum's Room" by deskjockey_, Kejardon
"Remote Recharge" by David Wonn /* wonn */
"Crystal Flash Forces Kneeling" by deskjockey_ and Kejardon(inspiration, at v. least)
--- "Steal Spore Spawn's Supers" by deskjockey_
--- "Get Out Of Secret Super Missile Screen In Unpowered WS" by deskjockey_
"Jump Through A One-Tile Thick Ceiling" by deskjockey_ and Kejardon &
--- "Frozen Enemy Stand" by Kejardon
--- "Frozen Enemy Jump" by Kejardon
--- "X-Ray Stand/Jump" by Kejardon
--- "Ice Beam in low%" by deskjockey_ and Kejardon &
"Skip The Zeebetite..." by Pogo708 (1st to skip it, but didnt know how he did.
he used the Ice Beam method, but he inspired
the others)
--- "...using Speed Booster and Grapple" by... deskjockey_(get stuck in pillar
with super jump)
Ultima4701(use of grapple to
get up and thru)
--- "...using Speed Booster" by... deskjockey_(get stuck in pillar w/ super jump) &
Ultima4701(getting through) &
Kejardon(figured out how Ultima got thru) &
--- "...using Ice Beam" by... Kejardon &
"Bomb Spring Glitch" by Kejardon
"Free Super Jump from Draygon" by deskjockey_
--- "Escape Draygon's Room, no gravity"
----- "via Diagonal Super Jump" by Kejardon
----- "via Straight Super Jump, kill Draygon from ledge while Crystal Flashing" by Ultima4701
----- "Catch Lift from Draygon" by Unknown
"Draygon No-grab using Grapple Rapid-Fire" by deskjockey_
"Hit blue/green gates from the wrong side" by MathOnNapkins &
"Ammo Rollover if hit by Hyper Ray while Crystal Flashing" by Boct1584
"Grapple + Ridley Grab Glitch" by Ultima4701
"Jump After Ridley Grabs You" by Ultima4701, Kejardon
"Fall Through Glass Tube without Breaking It" by deskjockey_
"Shoot out Magic Ceiling Blocks in Croc's Room, then get Stuck in Invisiwall" by deskjockey, Kejardon
"Use Menus to Get into Air Pockets in Maridia; use Glass Tube clipping trick to get out" by deskjockey/Kejardon (?)
"Destroy A Projectile Without Taking Damage Using X-Ray" by Kejardon
"Metroids Can Hurt Without Latching On"
/* Graphical Glitches */
"Charge beam sparks' color depends on direction Samus faces"
"Super jumping from a running spinjump produces no echoes" by Kejardon
"Mis-aligned X-ray results from entering door strangely" by Kejardon
"Leftover Grapple Shot During MB's Attack" by Kejardon
"Glitched Scrolled-Tiles Near Kraid" by Kejardon
"Too Much Time Means No Speed Echoes"
"Overlap Paradox" by Kejardon
"Rape the Screen Renderer" by dvdmth
"Mixed Special Beam Attacks" by mie, everyone really
"Free The Dachola" by mie, others
"Speed Booster Echoes Catch Up To Samus" by mie &
"Swinging Echoes" by Susan Carriere, A.R.C.T.
"Samus Stands In Midair" by Susan Carriere, A.R.C.T. (Not in Glitch FAQ)
"Walljumped Frozen Enemies Shake" by mie
"Leftover KiHunter Wings" by Kejardon
"Blackout Glitch" by Kejardon &
"Lights On Glitch" by Ultima4701 &
"Leaves Layering Glitch 1" by mie &
"Leaves Layering Glitch 2" by hpsolo &
"Arm Cannon Glitch" by mie
"Speed Echos X-Ray Glitch" by Mike Z &
"Screw Attack Underwater Without Gravity" by Mike Z &
"Lamest Shit Ever: Crocomire Sprite Overload"
"Lower Norfair BG CTT Error" by deskjockey_
"Grapple MB during Hyper Ray" by deskjockey_
"Black Shapes in Draygon's Room" by deskjockey_
"Super Jump spawns Samus Echoes against Elite Pirates" by Kejardon
"Super Jumping out of Water causes Two Splashes" by DariusTriplet
"Speed Booster + Heat Room GFX glitch" by Lord Xela, everyone, and their mother's mother
"Grapple Miscolors Special Beam Attacks" by deskjockey, everyone..
"Pause Just Before Getting on Elevator" by Da Metroid
"CAUTION: Standing (Frozen) Pirates Taller Than They Appear" by Ultima4701
"Scrolling Clouds BG Doesn't Update Quick Enough for Speedy Samus" by deskjockey_ &
"Crocomire's Invisiwall Placer Overwrites Original Background Data" by deskjockey_
"Grayout Glitch" by Kejardon
--- "Power Bomb Bubble" by Kejardon /* Gameplay */
--- "Fast X-ray scope" by Kejardon /* Gameplay... kinda */
--- "X-ray shield" by Kejardon
--- "Messed up layers" by Kejardon
"Make The Background Disappear While You Pick Up An Item" by deskjockey_
"Dimmed Screen Glitch" by Evilchen
"Misplace MB's Body with Super Missiles" by Kejardon
"Energy Reserve Lighting"
/* Sound Glitches */
"Infinite Recharge" by madMonkey
"Charge Beam Through Doors"
/* Tourian/Mother Brain Glitches */
"Red Metroids" by mie /* can't get working */
"Escape The Metroid" by Kejardon
"Slow-Motion Glitch/Escape Libby's Room with Libby" by Kejardon
"Stand Up During The Wave" by everyone and their uncle
"MB Hyper Ray pauses because of Power Bomb" by Kejardon
"MB AI hesitates if shot just before laying a bomb" by Kejardon
/* Space-Time Glitches And Related Oddities*/
"Space-time Beam" by... michealangelo(figuring out how to mix spazer and plasma) &
deskjockey_(emu reset, emu blow up Zebes) &
Kejardon(emu blow up Zebes also)
dvdmth(console reset)
"X-Ray through Ceres Door" by horseguy
"Chozo That Scans You" by deskjockey_, likely
"Murder Beam" by multiple people
--- "Random Murder Beam Movement in Ridley's Room" by deskjockey_
--- "Hellakill Mother Brain" by Kejardon
"Save and Start Over At Ceres With All Your Kit" by ???
"Power Bomb Ceres Doors" by deskjockey_, likely
"Kill The Layer Switch Actor In The Ceres Ridley Fight" by deskjockey_
"Grapple Crocomire" by some MDb poster
--- "Get Outside the Room Map by Grappling Crocomire" by ???
"Kill Crocomire's Tongue" by Kejardon
"Escape MB fight with Hyper" by deskjockey_
"Torizo Interacts with Bomb Item"
--- "Stands on Bomb" by deskjockey_, everyone
--- "Dances behind Bomb" by crollo
"Get Outside the Room Map with Space/Time Magic Room Transitions" by ???
"Get Outside the Room Map with Multiple CFs and a Gate in a Heat Room" by deskjockey_
"Make Samus' Beam Lose the Trails" by deskjockey_ /* NEEDS CONSOLE CONFIRMATION */
/* Freezes */
"Various Spazer+Plasma Combos Freeze The Game" by michealangelo, others
"Yapping Maw Freeze" by Kejardon
"Hyper Beam Freeze" by Mike Z /* br from MDb */
"Break Draygon's Death Sequence" by deskjockey_
"Save Game while Dying" by GODALMIGHTY
"Get Eaten by Dying Spore Spawn" by StylishXin /* GARBAGE */
"Lockup by Causing Room Transition just as Glass Tube breaks" by Morgasaurus
/* Misc Oddities and Quirks */
"Unfreeze Sharks And Ghosts With Grapple" by Kejardon
"Aim Around To Move Faster On Ground" by Michael Flatley (?)
"Acid Doesn't Hurt While Ridley Carries Samus"
"Kill Pirates Guarding Plasma Beam Without Plasma" by ???
"Kill An Enemy With PSA & Fire Charged Shot" by Kejardon
"Bomb Spread With Hyper" by deskjockey_, others
"Namihe Glitch" by mie
"Underwater Bomb Jump Slow Fall" by Kejardon
"Samus Stops Breathing" by Jesse D
"Rio Glitch" by mie
"Kraid Fight Leftover" by mie
"Space Pirate Jumps Through Some Blocks" by mie
"Bomb Spread Clipping Issues" by mie &
"Gate Glitch" by mie
"Autojump" by Kejardon
"X-Ray Reveals Ridley" by ???
"Double Doors" by ???
"8x1 Ceiling Issues" by ???
"Wrecked Ship Rear Entry" by deskjockey_, as far as I know
"Power Bomb's Effect on Ridley" by Kejardon
"Tatori Easter Egg" by deskjockey_, others maybe
"HZOOMER" by everyone and noone
"Space-Jump Checkin' Chozo" by... Kejardon(discovery)
deskjockey_(explaination/theory)
"Save During the Intro" by deskjockey_
"Jump higher from kneeling position" by BlackMaurader
"Crateria-Tourian Anchor Discrepancy" by deskjockey_
"(Hella)Kill Elite Pirates While Silver" by deskjockey_
"Metaree AI glitch" by deskjockey_
"Pass Crocomire's (Left) Invisiwall when he's dying" by ???
"Unequiping Ice Beam Causes Enemies to Instantly Unfreeze" by ???
"Autojump When You Turn" by Kejardon
"Reflected Shots Can Be Absorbed using Screw Attack/X-ray for No Damage" by Kejardon
"Super Jump + Suit Item Glitch" by ??? (gfaqs board?)
"Gamets Between the Grave" by deskjockey_
"Ceiling Jump-Turn Glitch" by Kejardon
/* Noteworthy Non-Glitches */
"Yard Glitch" by Killer Metroid /* mie */
"Wall Jump into Lower Norfair" by deskjockey_ &
"Wall Jump Door Blocks, Land in Door" by many
"Crystal Flashes open Blue Doors/Gates" by Kejardon
"Unusually Small Mid-Air Aim-Down Sprite"
--- "Aim-Down Hop"
--- "Aim-Down Dodge"
--- "Aim-Down to Reach Higher Ledges"
"Higher Jump from Crouching"
"Unlimited Bomb Spread Charge Time Without Bombs" by SonicandTails218 (?)
"Ice+Plasma has unusually low cool down time"
/* PAL discrepancies/problems */
"Fast Rolling" by Muldoon
"Higher Underwater Jumps" by Ultima4701
"Shorter Short-Charge" by Muldoon
"Super Jump Up Escape Shaft Skips Both Ledges" by ???
"Fucked Up (Speed?) Lava Rising" by Muldoon /* ASK OR CHECK FOR DETAILS */
"Get stuck in Torizo's Door and Probably Escape" by 'Destroyer F'
Further sources for information about SM's history
Various guides on GameFAQs: https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/snes/588741-super-metroid/faqs
