Tips to get a strong start in the free Metroid Dread demo

Something sinister is brewing on planet ZDR. What lurks in the darkness? Suit up as intergalactic bounty hunter Samus Aran and find out for yourself with a free demo of the Metroid™ Dread game!

You may know Samus as one of the fighters from the Super Smash Bros.™ series of games. Even if you’ve never played a game of hers in the Metroid series before, Metroid Dread is a great spot to jump in and get to know Samus in her action-exploration element.

Here are some tips to help you make the most of your play time.

Helpful hints

Check out this video for a quick overview of five handy tips that’ll enhance your experience and combat readiness.

Get to know your basic abilities

Samus can pull off these maneuvers without any additional upgrades. When in doubt, try one out.

• Slide: You may notice there are tight spaces close to the ground with an open area on the other side. If you run towards these narrow passages and press the ZL Button, you might be able to slide right through.
• Melee Counter: Enemies are justyarn itching to get a piece of you, but as Samus, you can stop your enemies in their tracks with a Melee Counter. When an enemy is about to attack, you’ll see it quickly flash a light. Then, it’s your time to shine! When you see this, press the X Button to Melee Counter. You can follow it up with a powerful blast from your Arm Cannon.
• Dash Melee: A Melee Counter becomes a powerful Dash Melee when running. This can instantly close the gap between you and the enemy so you can land an aggressive counter. Plus, this can damage enemies, unlike other Melee Counters. Full speed ahead!
• Wall Jump: You might spot a ledge that looks a little too high to reach. Try to jump at an angle against a vertical surface, causing Samus to kick off the wall. You can use Wall Jumps to propel yourself upward, bouncing from one surface to the next. Just make sure that you can reach whatever you’re planning to kick off from.

Reading the map

Planet ZDR is a sprawling world with lots of areas to discover. You can open the full map by pressing the + Button or extend your mini map by pressing the Left Button on the directional pad . Being familiar with the map features may be crucial to your exploration.

• Highlight Icons: There may be times when you spot an icon on the map and realize you’ve seen it before; somewhere out of reach. But where was that, again? By selecting the icon and pressing the Y Button, you can turn on Icon Highlight. This handy feature will highlight similar icons across the map!
• Place Marker: Once on the map, you may want to make a note of where you’re going or points of interest that you’d like to come back to later. By pressing the A Button, you can set up to six markers across the map.
• Breakable walls: The planet holds all kinds of secrets. If you ever hit a dead end, remember that a seemingly normal wall may open a new path. So, if something looks a little fishy (or you’re not sure where to go next), try to fire Samus’ Arm Cannon or a Missile at the wall. It might sound crazy…but it could be crazy enough to work!