Topic: Finished Super Metroid for my first time

[Bloodreign]

Super Metroid IMO didn't feel nearly as dark and dreadful as Metroid II, be it the lack of colors, the dark corridors, no map, Metroids lying in wait to hatch and attack, very little music in game, all kinds of factors. In that one you truly are alone, but at that time, you didn't know what lied in wait for you at the end of the game. And when you did, it had a bittersweet ending that fed directly into the story of Super Metroid. Super Metroid was epic though, at that time we had seen nothing quite like it. Sure it played like the original game, but this time the games backgrounds were filled with life and beauty.

Zero Mission expanded on the original games story, and unlike the first game, you didn't have to use a password, and you had a map. Great game, it along with Fusion, SM, Metroid II, and the original, I am glad to own in my collection.


As for classic gaming, other than a brief week with GTA V, classics are all I play. From NES, to golden age arcade, to PS2 arcade compilations, to the 32 bit PS1 and Saturn, to Wii VC and PSN PS1 classics and Capcom arcade compilations, tons of games owned, but always a difficult decision what to play.

[PFG9000]

I know what you mean, Bloodreign.  I play a lot of modern-ish games, but I'll always love my oldschool stuff.  Right now I'm at a great place.  I'm intentionally putting off upgrading to PS4.  I'm mostly "caught up" with the modern games I've bought recently, so I've been going back and finishing older games that I always meant to play, and re-playing classics like Super Metroid.  It's a great chance to fire up all those great PS2 compilations like the Capcom Classics 1 & 2, Taito Legends 1 & 2, Midway Arcade Classics series, Metal Slug Anthology, Atari Anthology...so much good old stuff.

On topic, I watched a video review recently that said the original NES Metroid is not a good game, and that Zero Mission was necessary to bring it to the current generation.  How do ya'll feel about that?  I didn't play much of the original Metroid until around 1998 or so, at which point it had already aged considerably, but I still had a blast mapping out all the areas by hand and figuring out where to go on my own.  I think that's a great element of gameplay that's lost once you add a mapping system, even moreso when there are hints on the map as to which rooms hold secrets.  On a similar note, I had to turn off the hint system in Prime to really make it feel like a Metroid game.

[zangetsu468]

There's nothing wrong with Metroid 1, but ZM is a much better game. I dare say it's better than SM. Even though there's a mapping system not everything is explained to the player. The feeling of isolation still abounds imo and bosses (Kraid, Ridley) are more believable in scale.

[Neobelmont]

As for classic gaming, other than a brief week with GTA V, classics are all I play. From NES, to golden age arcade, to PS2 arcade compilations, to the 32 bit PS1 and Saturn, to Wii VC and PSN PS1 classics and Capcom arcade compilations, tons of games owned, but always a difficult decision what to play.

You're not the only one Bloodreign then again why is it that you, PFG9000, and I all have the retro badge. I was just playing fire emblem genealogy of the holy war last week.

[JR]

Hmm how do all of you do it? I've must have tried SM like ten times already but I get so uninterested in it, yet I will pour hours and I mean hours into fusion and Zero mission(this is my favorite in the series) and I would even play other m ( and yes I do actually enjoy this game) over SM. Yet thinking about why I don't enjoy SM over the gba titles is for me, the control. I really don't like Samus's movement in SM and when compared to fusion or ZM it does not feel as fluid and to me having a good moving character is important to me and I do not like the feeling of controlling her. This is not the first time that I have not been to keen on popular games I have the same feelings toward Chrono trigger in the sense that I don't feel it. I'm not trying to be negative but I do have a hard time enjoying this game as much as I should. 

I probably like SM the most because it was my first proper introduction into the Metroid series for me (and it's my favorite SNES game, period). I liked Fusion and Zero Mission too, but I had the best experience with Super. Probably because I didn't quite know what I was getting into straight away.



Question for the Prime fans: I remember liking the first one, but I honestly kind of hated Prime 2. I think it had to do with the environments themselves (and the backtracking), and constantly switching ammo. What can I expect from Prime 3? I'm kind of hesitant to jump into it.

On topic, I watched a video review recently that said the original NES Metroid is not a good game, and that Zero Mission was necessary to bring it to the current generation.  How do ya'll feel about that?  I didn't play much of the original Metroid until around 1998 or so, at which point it had already aged considerably, but I still had a blast mapping out all the areas by hand and figuring out where to go on my own.  I think that's a great element of gameplay that's lost once you add a mapping system, even moreso when there are hints on the map as to which rooms hold secrets.  On a similar note, I had to turn off the hint system in Prime to really make it feel like a Metroid game.

I played it several months ago, and I think it still holds up well. This was my first full playthrough of the game, and I used this for the maps:



It helped take the guesswork out of where I needed to go next, which helped me beat it fairly quickly. I agree that it probably takes the sense of discovery out of the game, but I have so much less time than I used to.

The atmosphere of Tourian was awesome...it makes me want to play it again. It still astonishes me that something as great as Tourian (and the game as a whole, really) existed so early in the NES' lifespan. It's something I would've enjoyed as a kid, but Contra/CV/Ninja Gaiden etc. appealed to me more, so I never even tried to play Metroid back then.

[Bloodreign]

I know what you mean, Bloodreign.  I play a lot of modern-ish games, but I'll always love my oldschool stuff.  Right now I'm at a great place.  I'm intentionally putting off upgrading to PS4.  I'm mostly "caught up" with the modern games I've bought recently, so I've been going back and finishing older games that I always meant to play, and re-playing classics like Super Metroid.  It's a great chance to fire up all those great PS2 compilations like the Capcom Classics 1 & 2, Taito Legends 1 & 2, Midway Arcade Classics series, Metal Slug Anthology, Atari Anthology...so much good old stuff.

On topic, I watched a video review recently that said the original NES Metroid is not a good game, and that Zero Mission was necessary to bring it to the current generation.  How do ya'll feel about that?  I didn't play much of the original Metroid until around 1998 or so, at which point it had already aged considerably, but I still had a blast mapping out all the areas by hand and figuring out where to go on my own.  I think that's a great element of gameplay that's lost once you add a mapping system, even moreso when there are hints on the map as to which rooms hold secrets.  On a similar note, I had to turn off the hint system in Prime to really make it feel like a Metroid game.

While I appreciated the map system ZM brought along, the atmosphere felt totally different to me. The original was desolate, lonely, confusing, like how a search through an unknown planet would be to someone unfamiliar with the territory. The one big thing I'll give ZM  a nod for was expanding upon the original story with what would be considered an afterstory to the original, the chase and infiltration on the Space Pirates ship. The original game was likely built with Nintendo's tips line at the time (Nintendo Power wasn't out yet, Nintendo Fun Club was though), and what better way to make money than have kids literally lost and at wits end if they didn't explore the game. Or perhaps memory limitations didn't allow for a map, and that repeating rooms saved a lot of memory.

[theANdROId]

As for classic gaming, other than a brief week with GTA V, classics are all I play. From NES, to golden age arcade, to PS2 arcade compilations, to the 32 bit PS1 and Saturn, to Wii VC and PSN PS1 classics and Capcom arcade compilations, tons of games owned, but always a difficult decision what to play.

You're not the only one Bloodreign then again why is it that you, PFG9000, and I all have the retro badge. I was just playing fire emblem genealogy of the holy war last week.

If that's the case, I might argue I'm worthy of the retro badge as well.  While there are tons of new games I enjoy, I love the 8 and 16 bit classics I grew up with the most.  I think what I like best about the WiiU and 3DS (and the eStore) is the the fact/idea of buying those classics I grew up with, and other NES/SNES titles I may have missed.  And when new games represent that retro style, I don't find it tiring at all.  Instead, it grabs my attention in the hopes that it brings back the feelings and memories I have of the old NES/SNES days.  Is that Retro-loving enough?! :-)


At least with the original Metroid, I didn't need a map.  Navigating Kraid's Lair was a little rough, but still doable.  Once the games got larger though a map was very handy.  I have mixed feelings about the map giving away where things are though.  On the one hand, it does take away from the, "lost in a completely unknown place, no knowledge of where anything is, find your stuff and your way on your own" feeling.  However, on the other hand, it keeps you from having to run through every room shooting wildly in all directions to see if there's something hidden somewhere.  And I guess it (maybe) makes sense that Samus' suit can detect...I dunno...traces of some power source that, "Oh look!  It's the super missle!"

[PFG9000]

Question for the Prime fans: I remember liking the first one, but I honestly kind of hated Prime 2. I think it had to do with the environments themselves (and the backtracking), and constantly switching ammo. What can I expect from Prime 3? I'm kind of hesitant to jump into it.

I've only played through Prime 3 once.  I don't remember a ton of backtracking, but I really didn't like the game much overall.  It's easily my least favorite of the Prime games...I actually enjoy Hunters more than Prime 3.  Some of the environments are a little bland, and some are just not interesting to me.  And I thought there was too much dialogue for a Metroid game.  For me I'd rate the Primes like this:   

Prime >>> Echoes >>>>>>>>>> Hunters >>> Corruption.

But Prime 3 does have plenty of fans.  My opinion probably isn't the common one.

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

For me it's:
Prime >>> Corruption >>> Pinball >>> Echoes

(Pinball is a great version of Prime, pretty decent Pinball game)
Haven't played Hunters, because I can't find my DS cart! I suppose I could put it on the ol' flashcart, but haven't been compelled to do so.

[Belmont legacy]

Super Metriod is amazing.

Something was in the air at that time.

Scv4 and Super Metriod are both impossibly beautiful masterpieces. It just doesn't get any better than those 2 games. Within there own franchises and beyond.

These games get into your head in a way I can't express in words.

That's the biggest reason no Metriod or Castlevania since has been able to live up to them for me. There's something deeper that these two games offer the player. I'm not sure that I'll ever be able to pin down what it is either.

YES! These 2 games and the dkc series (imo) are phenomenal! I mean these games are all just PERFECT in length, game play, sound, challenge, everything!!!

[Belmont legacy]

I love SM.
SM is my favorite game.
The best to me.
But I also love Zero Mission.
Zero Mission is close to taking SM's spot, so I need to play SM again to see if it holds up.

STILL wanna play 0 mission