Ridley Elevator

In both games, this is a small room containing an elevator and a large statue resembling a monstrous creature with two heads to the right. In Metroid, this room appears to be mostly of artificial construction, while in Zero Mission it is set in a cave. The elevator leads to Ridley's Lair. In Zero Mission, the room can only be accessed once Samus has defeated the ensnared Kiru Giru in the previous room. Foreboding music plays in it in Zero Mission, and the Silence theme in the original Metroid.

The statue in Metroid has two heads, both featuring open maws with two front teeth and a red color scheme. Unlike a similar statue in the Kraid transport room, the monster does not have an arm built in for support. Its body protrudes from the wall. In Zero Mission, the statue only appears as a purple two headed reptilian creature embedded into the cave wall, with a closed mouth, red eyes and nostrils. The bottom bust resembles the same bust above the elevator to Kraid.

As Samus is descending the elevator for the first time (in Zero Mission), a cutscene plays in which the Space Pirate Mother Ship lands on Zebes. Shortly after this, Ridley takes flight, making haste to his lair where he will later confront Samus. After triggering the elevator cutscene, Samus has the option to immediately use the elevator again to return up to this room and backtrack to the Kiru Giru's room, where a hole will now be present. Samus can choose to follow inside where she will battle the Imago and exit into Ridley's Lair via an alternate route. Regardless whether Samus entered Ridley's Lair via the elevator or not, she will ultimately have to return to Norfair in this room, as this elevator provides the only means of exiting the lair.

After Ridley is defeated and Samus re-ascends the elevator into this room, the statue collapses and crumbles, revealing a hidden back chamber. This part features rocky terrain and a fissure in the floor, out of which Gamets infinitely spawn. A Red Hatch located here leads into a chamber with a wrecked Chozo Statue.

In Super Metroid, this room is no longer accessible. A different room serves a similar purpose, taking Samus to a lower area of Norfair where Ridley has taken up residence.

• "Kiru Giru's room" (via Blue Door)
• Eerie Cave (via Elevator)
• "Broken Statue room" (Zero Mission, via Red Hatch)
• "Norfair transporter" (Zero Mission, via tunnel)

In Zero Mission, the chamber behind the statue (once crumbled) features a fissure in the floor that infinitely spawns Gamets, three at a time.

Within the Event Viewer of Metroid: Zero Mission exists a flag known as 38 RIDLEYELZO, which is translated as Ridley Elevator. This flag is activated upon entering this room with 37 RIDLEYSI active (when Ridley is defeated). RIDLEYELZO, when active, destroys the two wall busts and prevents their unbroken state from respawning.