== 8. Speedrun Overview:

The game is timed using Real Time Attack (RTA) standards, where a timer starts at the beginning of gameplay and ends upon completion. This differs from In-Game Timer (IGT) standards used in games like Metroid Prime. The timer begins when you first land on Ceres Colony.

The guide is divided into two sections: 100% and Any%.

100% Route: This walkthrough provides directions for collecting all 100 items, following ShinyZeni's record route. It begins at Ceres Colony and uses the KPDR boss order (Kraid, Phantoon, Draygon, Ridley), focusing on bosses first, then Brinstar cleanup, before heading to Tourian. Speedrunning tricks are detailed in Section 7: Speedrunning Tricks. Practice tricks using emulator save states, console save stations, or Switch Online rewind. Arm Pumping is assumed for ground movement.

Any% Route: This section covers two generally accepted routes: KPDR (Kraid, Phantoon, Draygon, Ridley) and the faster PRKD (Phantoon, Ridley, Kraid, Draygon). KPDR is for beginners, while PRKD is for advanced players as it skips safety items and doesn't collect Spazer or Plasma. Any% is defined as collecting the minimum items needed to beat the game. The KPDR route is approximately 24%, and the PRKD route is approximately 20%. A minimum of 15 Missiles and 10 Super Missiles are needed to destroy Mother Brain's glass case, and 3 Energy Tanks are required to survive the Hyper Beam. Both listed routes include provisions for extra Missiles.

Other Categories: This guide does not currently include a Low% walkthrough due to lack of practice. The Super Metroid speedrunning wiki has information on Low% categories, including the commonly run 14% category. Future updates may include information on the 14% Ice category.

Item Tracking: For item tracking, all items are labeled in capital letters with the item type, the number collected against the total in the game (when applicable), followed by a percentage, e.g., [MISSILE TANK (005/230) – 2%]. Percentages are not used for Any% routes but are provided for reference.

Space Colony (Start): Position yourself on the right side of the elevator pad, moonwalk backward, and spin jump off to Moonfall to the bottom of the room. Colony doors open automatically upon approach. Proceed through the rooms to the Ridley encounter.

Boss Battle: Ridley: HP: 2000. Attacks: Collision (5 dmg), Fireball (3 dmg), Tail Whip (15 dmg). Your objective is to reduce your HP to less than 30 by being hit by his tail to force him to fly away. This initiates a one-minute escape sequence, which can typically be completed in under 20 seconds.