The Power Bomb is the strongest of all the weapons and items in Metroid Dread, allowing Samus to completely clear the screen of enemies and blocks. When you first earn this power, you’ll only be able to deploy a small number of them, which to be fair, makes sense – infinite ammo for the ultimate weapon would be a bit much.
However, you can find a good number of Power Bomb Tanks (or Expansions) across Planet ZDR. Just as Missile Expansions and Energy Tanks increase their respective stats, these raise the number of Power Bombs Samus can carry. Here’s where to find them all.
Artaria Power Bomb Tank | Requirements: Morph Ball, Spider Magnet, Grapple Beam
This is found in the rafters high above the big room in the middle of the EMMI Zone. While it’s a breeze to reach it with the Space Jump, you can get it earlier in the game if you wish. Using the Spider Magnet on the blue wall on the right side of the room, you can shimmy up and over, swinging to the ceiling with the Grapple Beam. From there, you can tuck into the small opening in Morph Ball form to grab the Power Bomb Tank.
Cataris Power Bomb Tank #1 | Requirements: Spider Magnet, Morph Ball, Grapple Beam, Bombs, Varia Suit, Space Jump
Head to the tall room in the northeast with the Spider Magnet lifts – at the top of this chamber is a set of Beam Blocks in front of a Grapple Beam Door. Head through and Space Jump up to find a tricky set of blocks and another magnetic platform. Shoot the Beam Block, hop up into its space, and drop a Bomb. Now you need to quickly drop down and shoot the Missile Blocks, completely clearing the path for the magnetic platform. Then you can jump to it and pull it down, giving you access to the Tank above. This may take a few tries since the timing is tricky.
Cataris Power Bomb Tank #2 | Requirements: Morph Ball, Grapple Beam, Bombs, Gravity Suit
There’s a hidden tunnel in the lava in the Kraid boss room. Once you have the Gravity Suit, you can safely hop in and roll through. In the next chamber is a Morph Ball maze with Bomb and Pitfall Blocks. You can get through with simple trial and error or drop a Power Bomb to reveal all the blocks at once. Either way, you’ll find an upgrade at the top of the chamber on the other side of Grapple Beam Block.
Cataris Power Bomb Tank #3 | Requirements: Morph Ball, Speed Booster, Power Bomb
There’s a lone Power Bomb Block in the Morph Ball tunnels in the center-left of the EMMI Zone. Blow through to open the path to the Power Bomb Tank below, then head back out the top of the tunnel – this is now a Speed Booster puzzle. You want to start running in the chamber north of here, hit your Shinespark, and quickly slide to the right. Now quickly slide to the left to get back into the tunnels, drop down onto the Beam Block, and launch right to reach the Expansion.
Dairon Power Bomb Tank #1 | Requirements: Morph Ball, Spider Magnet, Grapple Beam, Varia Suit
This is right by the elevator to Artaria – shoot the hidden Beam Blocks on the left to open the passage. It’s hot in there, so don’t step inside without the Varia Suit. Once you have that, you can Grapple Beam up to the magnetic part of the ceiling, destroy the Missile Blocks, and roll over to the Power Bomb Tank.
Dairon Power Bomb Tank #2 | Requirements: Morph Ball, Grapple Beam, Storm Missile, Space Jump, Cross Bomb
Head to the small non-EMMI Zone section that connects to the EMMI Zone itself, and you’ll find a Storm Missile Box. Shoot all the targets around you – you’ll need to hop and target the last one in the air then quickly release your Missiles – to open the way forward. Space Jump up and over the water to the Morph Ball tunnel. Tuck inside and drop a Cross Bomb, then roll out onto the Beam Blocks and quickly yank out the Grapple Beam Block before they reappear. Now you can roll down the tunnel and Bomb into the passage it was blocking. You’ll find the Power Bomb Tank around the bend from there.
Dairon Power Bomb Tank #3 | Requirements: Morph Ball, Power Bomb
This Power Bomb is in plain sight in the upper EMMI Zone. Drop a Power Bomb and roll through the opening to grab it.
Burenia Power Bomb Tank | Requirements: Morph Ball, Speed Booster, Gravity Suit, Power Bomb
In the lowest part of the map is a small tunnel gated by a Power Bomb Block. Destroy that and roll through to reach a tunnel that’s also blocked – this time by a Speed Booster Block. Backtrack to the big chamber and clear the enemies to give yourself a runway, then sprint forward (the Gravity Suit lets you run full speed underwater), sliding through into the smaller chamber. Hit your Shinespark before you reach the next tunnel, then slide through that too. Once you round the corner by the Speed Booster Blocks, launch right into them to rocket your way to a Power Bomb Tank.
Ferenia Power Bomb Tank #1 | Requirements: Space Jump, Power Bomb
This Power Bomb Tank is in the ceiling in the lower part of the EMMI Zone. Drop a Power Bomb from below (it’ll still clear the block up here), then Space Jump up to reach the Tank.
Ferenia Power Bomb Tank #2 | Requirements: Morph Ball, Space Jump, Power Bomb
There’s another Power Bomb Tank in the large central chamber. Drop a Power Bomb from the platform above it to clear the blocks, then Space Jump into the small gap from below to grab it.
Ghavoran Power Bomb Tank | Requirements: Ice Missile, Space Jump
This Power Bomb Expansion is at the tippy-top of the tall chamber in the center of Ghavoran. Once you clear the fiery Enky with an Ice Missile, you can reach the room. Then Space Jump all the way up and around the passage to find the Tank tucked in a corner.
Elun Power Bomb Tank | Requirements: Morph Ball, Bombs
This is found in the elaborate vent system above the room where you fight the Chozo Soldier in Elun. Once you’re up there, roll through and destroy any Bomb Blocks in your way, and the path will wrap around to this upgrade.
Hanubia Power Bomb Tank | Requirements: Morph Ball, Bombs, Speed Booster
Dread’s penultimate zone has its own Power Bomb Tank to find, and it’s locked behind one of the game’s Speed Booster puzzles. There’s a group of blocks in an upper room, but you need to start in the next room to the right. Sprint from the ledge, shoot through the door, and you’ll be able to store a Shinespark just as you hit the edge of the platform. Now quickly drop a Bomb to get through the first set of blocks, then launch straight down to blow open the passage to the Expansion.
Published: Oct 15, 2021 12:35 pm