Slight Detour

First off, you'll want to drop down on either side of the elevator. Toss a couple of bombs down there, then drop through the floor. Head through the doors below, and take the right one – it leads to a save room. Get yourself squared away here.

Now, head left into that long room. Enemies are going to pop out of the pipes, so be ready to take them down. If you need any supplies, they might drop some. Keep pushing left, jumping across platforms, and dealing with some flaming enemies.

You should eventually see a missile tank floating in the air. You *can* try to get it now with some tricky maneuvering, or you can make a note to come back later when you have items that make it way easier.

Optional: Getting the Missile Tank Now
If you're feeling brave and want that missile tank right away, you'll need to learn the bomb jump. This is a bit of a pain to get the hang of, but super useful. Basically, you roll into a ball and set bombs rapidly. If you time it right, one bomb will launch you up, and the next one you set will boost you even higher, letting you reach that tank. It's annoying, but worth it if you can nail it.

If the bomb jump sounds like too much hassle, don't sweat it. Just make a mental note to come back here once you've got the Power Grip – it makes grabbing this much simpler.

Keep heading left. You'll run into a couple more flying enemies, so take them out. Then, use two bombs to blast through the wall blocking your path.

Hop onto the ledge nearby and roll into a ball to go through the tunnel. You'll pop out onto another ledge. Keep shooting enemies as you make your way to the door ahead.

Head through that door and jump up the shaft. At the very top, you'll find an elevator. Ride it up, and you'll arrive in Crateria.