The size of the Morph Ball has never been explicitly stated. The original description of the Maru Mari described the item as “small and round like a ball” and no game since has ventured beyond this nebulous claim. In fact, the only frame of reference for Morph Ball size is the 1 meter given by scans in the Prime trilogy describing Ball-compatible tunnels, and this, unfortunately, has been misconstrued to mean that the Morph Ball itself has a diameter of 1 meter. This, of course, is ridiculous, as the Morph Ball would have to be less than a meter to boost through a one-meter tunnel with ease.

Ruling this out altogether, there is one tool left to determine the actual diameter of the Morph Ball: pixel ratios. If one fixed height in a two-dimensional game is given, and that object is in the foreground, the approximate height of any other object in the foreground can be ascertained using the ratio of the number of pixels of both objects.

The point of reference for each of the five two-dimensional Metroids is Samus’s height within her Power Suit, 1.9 meters, given by Metroid II’s instruction manual. This can be represented by a well-known sprite common to each game: Samus facing the screen, standing properly straight, but not erect. The Morph Ball, in turn, remains at a constant height within each game itself, so any one of the sprites can be used. With this in mind:

Another issue arises from this, however: these pixel values are integral, and their corresponding height values could very well be non-integers. A number of pixels equal to x represents a height range from x – 0.5 to x + 0.4999…, or, as we can rewrite the limit for this purpose, x + 0.5 (this is simple: if an object is 10 pixels, it can have a height anywhere from 9.5 to 10.4999… pixels, because there is no such thing as half a pixel: it’s a basic matter of rounding). Now, if x equals Samus’s standing height in pixels, and y equals the Morph Ball height in pixels, the minimum Ball diameter would use the ratio (x + 0.5) : (y – 0.5), and the maximum Ball diameter would use the ratio (x – 0.5) : (y + 0.5). With this in mind:

The reference point, 1.9 meters, divided by each of the above ratios gives the minimum and maximum diameter values, in meters, for the Morph Ball:

The absolute range is 589/970 m (~60.72 cm) to 589/670 m (~87.91 cm); unfortunately, within these bounds, the five individual ranges do not cooperate, and only those of Metroid II and Zero Mission coincide. So, to obtain the optimal diameter using this data, there are two options:

1. Take the mean of the five ranges. This produces a diameter of ~75.85 cm.

2. Create an optimized range of values in which the maximum number of games fits. If the diameter is given a range of 589/790 m (~74.56 cm) to 627/790 m (~79.37 cm), three games—Metroid II, Metroid Fusion, and Zero Mission—fit within, while a fourth, Metroid, sits just outside with its minimum of 551/690 m (~79.86 cm). A similar range of 551/690 m (~79.86 cm) to 57/70 m (~81.43 cm)—containing Metroid, Metroid II, and Zero Mission, with Metroid Fusion on the fringe—could be used, but the first is closer to the mean and by consequence closer to the outlier Super Metroid.

Fortunately, both of these options correspond with each other, and though both leave Metroid and Super Metroid on the outside, they appeal to the two most recent Metroid games—Fusion and Zero—in which direction Nintendo will most likely move with its subsequent two-dimensional Metroid features.

In short, the diameter of the Morph Ball is within a range of ~74.56 to ~79.37 cm, and on average is ~75.85 cm.

“Our sanctuary grows by the day. We Chozo know much of technology, but we have chosen to leave it behind on this journey. Our home here on Tallon IV will be a place of simplicity: structures hewn from the stone, bridges woven with branches, hallways caressed by pure waters. We build around the ancient and noble trees, drawing from their strength and giving them our own in return. All that is wild will flow around us here: our race will be just one more group of creatures in the knit of nature. It is our hope that such a state will bring with it greater wisdom, a greater understanding of the nature of the universe. Once our city here is complete, we will peer inward and discover the truth.”

Tallon IV was the Chozo’s favorite colony, and arguably their greatest colony. Before reaching Tallon IV the Chozo had created the most marvelous of technologies. They crafted the Metroid, the ultimate biological weapon and a creature with insane abilities. They created the power suit with capabilities that none but the Chozo could understand. They built hundreds and hundreds of weapons, elevators, statues, each with a powerful ability. So why when they came to Tallon IV did they choose to leave it all behind?

Let’s look at the consequences of the Chozo technology for a moment. On SR-388 the Chozo encountered the X-Parasite, and crafted the Metroid, their ultimate warrior, to destroy it. But what happened? The X-Parasite lived, and Metroids themselves would live on to become predators to all forms of life. The Chozo in all their wisdom still caused a world of damage when they made the Metroid.

The Chozo had learned seemingly everything they could with science. They had attained great wisdom, power, and knowledge. But they knew there was still more to learn, so they looked to nature. At Tallon IV the Chozo stayed in harmony with nature and let their minds wander and reflect on nature and their place in it. And with this, not science or technology, they did the impossible and became more than physical beings.

But this brings up serious questions. Just how close to nature were the Chozo? Did they give up all of their technology? Did they give up all civilization and behave like animals? Obviously not. There is evidence for this all over the ruins. They kept bits of technology in the elevators, the doors, the machines which monitored the water, and most likely the temple itself. The lore itself is evidence of civilization. The Chozo kept their intelligence and wisdom, and we can safely assume their civilization.

To further see this balance, we need to look at another story, the tale of the science lords of Byyro. Like the Chozo, the science lords forged ahead with amazing new technologies. They built up an empire and rejoiced in their abilities. But they didn’t heed the Chozo’s advice to balance the old with the new and disregarded their ancient ways, the way they lived without technology. Many of the race turned to the old ways and war broke out between the Primals and the Science Lords. It was war between nature and technology. In the end with greater numbers the Primals defeated the Science Lords and returned to nature.

But this nature was not like the harmony the Chozo’s found on Tallon IV. The Primals became savage animals, barbarians with no thought toward civilization. With their great technology the Science Lords laid the planet to waste during the war, and after that the Primals destroyed what was left of their great empire.

In all of this we see the horrors of the extremes. With technology a race wields too much power and becomes dangerous and often corrupt. Without technology a race becomes barbaric and animalistic. The key is in the balance. Apparently on Tallon IV the Chozo found the perfect balance between technology and nature, the balance where the Chozo kept their power, their wisdom, their intelligence, and their civilization while still staying in perfect harmony with nature.

Maybe the Chozo is an anomaly, a race without fault which can do no wrong or even just a race with amazing self restraint, but they did the impossible in finding this balance. And maybe this balance is just imagination, a fleeting and ridiculous thought which can accomplish nothing, but it gives us something to think on, something to consider, and maybe even something to strive for. The perfect balance.