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8. Shinespark
Notable games: Super Metroid, Metroid Fusion
To me, Metroid’s Shinespark is the most interesting mechanic on this list. A Shinespark is performed by storing a Speed Boost by crouching in the middle of it, then jumping and pressing a direction. This will send Samus speeding in that direction at a high speed, draining her health until she runs out or hits a wall. Like the Crystal Flash and the Charge Combos, the Shinespark is a hidden mechanic in Super Metroid that is completely unnecessary for completing the game. It is used to achieve 100% completion, but for the most part seems to be a convenience tool challenging players to push Super Metroid to its limits. And that’s just what they did. Watch any speed run of Super Metroid (as well as Metroid Fusion and Metroid: Zero Mission) and you will see what kind of insanity is possible with the Shinespark. The developers acknowledged the game breaking power of this skill in Metroid Fusion by inserting a special text conversation that can only be accessed by sequencing breaking a large portion of the game by Shinesparking. It is techniques like this that fuel the imagination of the gamer, imploring us to be curious and leave no stone unturned, and no area un-Sparked.
