Close-cropped screenshot of PaulyU's original Miiverse post 'y cant metroid crawl?'

Y Cant Metroid Crawl

2013Catchphrase / screenshotclassic

Published March 30, 2026

Also known as: "Y Cant Metroid Crawl" · "Why Can't Metroid Crawl"

"Y Can't Metroid Crawl" is a gaming catchphrase meme originating from a Miiverse post by user PaulyU on May 16, 2013, while playing Super Metroid on the Wii U Virtual Console. The post became an instant joke across gaming communities because PaulyU both failed to discover the Morph Ball ability and referred to protagonist Samus Aran as "Metroid." Nintendo later acknowledged the phrase directly, and it was referenced in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.

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Overview

"Y Can't Metroid Crawl?" is a screenshot of a Miiverse comment posted alongside a still from Super Metroid showing Samus standing in front of a low passageway. The joke works on two levels: PaulyU skipped the Morph Ball power-up (which lets Samus roll into a ball to fit through tight spaces) and then called the character "Metroid" instead of Samus, a classic marker of someone unfamiliar with the franchise1. The phrase became shorthand in gaming circles for clueless newcomers struggling with basic game mechanics.

Origin & Background

Platform
Miiverse (original post), NeoGAF / Reddit (viral spread)
Creator
PaulyU
Date
2013

On May 16, 2013, Miiverse user PaulyU posted the comment "Y Can't Metroid Crawl?" with a screenshot of Samus standing before a narrow passage in Super Metroid3. The game had recently been released on the Wii U Virtual Console, bringing it to a new generation of players who had never experienced the 1994 SNES classic. PaulyU had missed the Morph Ball power-up early in the game and couldn't figure out how to get through the corridor. His phrasing, which mistakenly called Samus "Metroid," was pitch-perfect for internet mockery1.

How It Spread

The post went viral almost immediately. By May 17, 2013, threads appeared on NeoGAF and Reddit collecting PaulyU's comment alongside screenshots of other first-time players struggling with Super Metroid on Miiverse2. The NeoGAF thread compiled a collage of confused newcomers, with PaulyU's post as the crown jewel3.

On May 28, 2013, Kotaku reported that PaulyU had actually finished Super Metroid, documenting the journey through his other Miiverse comments. One standout moment came near the end of the game when an actual Metroid creature appears, prompting PaulyU to write "Jellyfish is helping yes"3.

The original Miiverse post picked up over 3,000 "Yeahs" (Miiverse's equivalent of likes) by September 20153. On April 28, 2014, Nintendo's official Twitter account acknowledged the phrase with a joke referencing it3. Then on October 3, 2014, Twitter user @Electivirus spotted what appeared to be a direct reference to the meme inside Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, where a tip screen seemed to address the question of why Samus can't crawl1. The implied answer: because she doesn't need to, she has the Morph Ball1.

The Miiverse service was shut down by Nintendo in November 2017, and PaulyU's original post was lost along with it. But screenshots had been saved and shared widely enough that the phrase lived on well beyond the platform's closure.

How to Use This Meme

"Y Can't Metroid Crawl" is typically deployed in a few ways:

- Calling out gaming inexperience: When someone struggles with a basic mechanic or calls a character by the wrong name, dropping the phrase signals they're pulling a PaulyU. - Metroid community in-joke: Fans use it as a greeting or rallying cry, often paired with other PaulyU quotes like "Jellyfish is helping yes." - Format template: Some users post similar confused questions about other games in PaulyU's style, like "Y can't Zelda use sword" or "Y can't Halo shoot."

The humor works best when the question reveals both ignorance of the game and a fundamental misunderstanding of the character, mirroring the double punch of PaulyU's original post.

Cultural Impact

Nintendo's direct acknowledgment of the meme in both an official tweet and an apparent in-game reference in Super Smash Bros. gave "Y Can't Metroid Crawl" unusual legitimacy for a meme born from making fun of a player1. It's one of the few cases where a game company leaned into fan mockery of its own audience. The phrase also became a touchstone for discussions about retro game difficulty and the gap between classic game design (where the game expects you to explore and figure things out) and modern hand-holding tutorials2.

Engadget covered the Smash Bros. reference, noting that the original phrasing "was pretty much perfect" for instant meme status1. The meme also fed into broader conversations about the Miiverse as a goldmine for unintentional comedy, a reputation that only grew before the service's shutdown.

Fun Facts

PaulyU actually beat Super Metroid despite his rocky start, with Kotaku documenting his full playthrough via Miiverse comments3.

The Miiverse post got over 3,000 "Yeahs" before the service shut down in November 20173.

Calling Samus "Metroid" is one of gaming's oldest pet peeves, similar to calling Link "Zelda," which made PaulyU's phrasing hit even harder.

Nintendo's Smash Bros. reference was spotted by @Electivirus on Twitter on October 3, 2014, roughly 17 months after the original post1.

Derivatives & Variations

"Jellyfish is helping yes"

— PaulyU's comment about the Metroid creature near the end of Super Metroid became a secondary meme within the same community[3].

Miiverse confusion compilations

— The original NeoGAF thread compiled multiple confused Miiverse posts about Super Metroid, creating a mini-genre of "first-timers vs. classic games" content[2].

Wrong-name format jokes

— Inspired posts where people deliberately call game protagonists by the game's title ("Why can't Zelda jump higher?"), following PaulyU's template[3].

Frequently Asked Questions