Game Du Jour: Metroid!!

[Kalisiin Kumaki]

Let's talk a little Metroid here today.

I admit to having only played thru th original Metroid. I personally did not care for the many sequels or remakes...none of them seemed, in my mind, to measure up for the original.

I just really liked the original, and it felt to me like the others were just anticlimactic.

[Warlock]

I've played the first three games in the series plus Metroid Fusion... I've tried and failed on several occasions to get into the Metroid Prime games.

Super Metroid is probably me favorite of the lot, though the first was fun, too. I would have liked to see some 'accessibility' stuff built into the first (like a faster way to refill your energy tanks after you continued than killing those respawning bugs for 20 minutes), but it was still a good game... It kind of interested me how oldschool and weird everythig was. In a modern game, Samus would have some sort of super-powerful beam weapon by the end of the game. In Metroid, your 'über weapon' is freezing shit and dropping bombs on it, or-better yet- just walking past before it thaws. Discovering that the bosses are mostly helpless after you freeze all their projectiles was fun, too.

I remember Metroid 2 being fun, but not much else about it. The linearity of the game would probably be a turnoff today as well- its certainly more of a 'clear area 1 then move on to clear area 2' sort of game than the others in the series. I'd almost compare it to Blaster Master.

Super Metroid was, as I said, my favorite game of the series. It was more playable than the original in many ways- the automap alone was a much appreciated addition- and did a decent job of balancing out the exploration aspects of the original with more guidance.

I remember liking Metroid Fusion, but I don't remember much else about it. It was definitely more linear and story-based than I'm used to for a Metroid game. It was the first I'd played in a while and the game I bought a GBA for, but wasn't that memorable in the long run.

Never played Zero Mission. I've tried to get into the Metroid Prime games a couple times without success- my 16-bit-era brain just isn't up to platform jumping in first-person. I've never liked the 3D Zelda games either- of course, I'm the only person on Earth who seems to feel this way about the Zeldas or the Metroid Primes, so I assume it's just me being weird.

- HC

(edit: some errors fixed. Damn you autocorrect!)

[Kalisiin Kumaki]

That's true about the mapping in Super Metroid...a nice addition...wish the original had mapping.

As to the bosses in the original....I had more fun just using the Spin Attack on them. You really want to be at full power to try this, but it does work and it saves your Missiles.

As to recharging...well, if you knew where ALL EIGHT powerboxes were...once you got to six...you could not get any more, but getting a powerbox even after you had all six was an instant full recharge.

Also, Spin Attack was useful here. If you spun thru a few enemies, and were lucky enough to get +20 power capsules dropped by them, you could recharge in short order...ESPECIALLY if you did it in the right place...like in the area near the REALLY TALL COLUMN where you had to freeze the guys jumping and then hop on their back...and bomb them to get up and over that column. This is down in the area near the first boss.

You could recharge very quickly in that area, just spinning thru enemies, and then collecting and walking far enough away to cause a re-spawn of the enemies...wash rinse and repeat.

Without a doubt, the best items to get in that game were

Freeze Ray
Long Shot
Spin Attack
Varia
Bombs
High-Jump Boots

Those six items are all you need for an awesome game.

The Wave Beam is a bit of a disappointment in the original game.
Once I got Spin attack, I hardly ever used any other form of attack, except for freeze and missile on the Metroids, because you had to...and of course missiles on the Mother Brain.

[shokushuko]

This is offtopic, but:
If you didn't like the 3D Zelda games, what's you opinion on Oracles of Seasons/Ages, Minish Cap, Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks?
Because if you never enjoyed Ocarina of Time at least, that just seems off.

And in my opinion, even though the newer Metroid games aren't as great as the side scroller games. They still provide a great disposable fun factor.

I definitely like the Super Metroid most of all, but I'm not a big enough platformer fan to have played all the way through. You're free to shame me on that.

[Kalisiin Kumaki]

To be honest, I never played the ones you mention...nor the 3D Zeldas. I am very much old-school. So, many of the newer games, I never played. Generally speaking...if it was not made (or part of a series originating in) the 80's I probably have not played it. Notable exception being The Dark Spire...which I was turned on to by our own Strider here - and VERY glad he did....he has the pulse on what kind of games I like...this was a real 80's feeling good old fashioned dungeon-crawler...you could even set the game to play in a wireframe mode, giving it an even more 80's feel.

I never managed to finish Super Metroid myself, so no chastising from me!! I really should go back and finish that one. It was one of those situations where I had been playing it and got distracted by something shiny...and then never got back to it.

[Kalisiin Kumaki]

I moved a few posts from this topic since they were on a different topic than Metroid, specifically...and I felt the question raised truly deserved it's own topic.

The moved posts deal with the pros and cons of buying NEW versus USED carts.

I moved them to their own topic in the General Board.
Let's keep this topic Metroid....and discuss the other issue in the new thread, as I feel it is a question worthy of it's own thread...as there are valid arguments for both sides of the issue.

[shokushuko]

What's your appeal in old school? And what's the parameters of it? I can't really bring myself to play NES. I've played GBC remakes of some NES games, but generally 8-bit games are annoying to play and don't have enough substance to be rewarding. Games did get better with 16-bit though. I love SNES games. That said, I don't see why you'd be apprehensive about 3D games. There are gems among them too.

[Kalisiin Kumaki]

Dec 26, 2011 7:27:25 GMT -5 @shokushuko said:

What's your appeal in old school? And what's the parameters of it? I can't really bring myself to play NES. I've played GBC remakes of some NES games, but generally 8-bit games are annoying to play and don't have enough substance to be rewarding. Games did get better with 16-bit though. I love SNES games. That said, I don't see why you'd be apprehensive about 3D games. There are gems among them too.

To be honest, first, the controls are usually complicated.
Second...I am 40 years old. Thus, I like the games of my youth.
When you reach 40, you'll understand. It's called nostalgia.

[shokushuko]

Nostalgia I get. But that shouldn't stop you from playing and accepting something new. I mean, while there is enjoyment in reliving the past, there are so many new things to experience. Mix it up a little. We're talking about games. In a game you can become someone else and live a different life.

Complicated controls really just depends on what you're talking about. Most games have pretty simple controls, and any menu-based RPG has simple selection controls anyways. There have been a LOT of menu-based RPGs or at least a lot of RPGs that are near enough to menu-based anyway. In the case of Zelda, the controls were actually pretty easy and fluid. You could just go up and LOCK ON to your enemy targets. Platform jumping consisted of RUNNING OFF THE EDGE in the right direction. Problems with controls is one reason why I have an aversion to 8-bit games. For example: Megaman lacked crouching, diagonal/upwards targetting. The jumping was awkward. 8-Bit RPGs lack dialogue. And it's hard to decipher what people say, what your quest items are supposed to be what your more obscure spells are supposed to do. As I said, I like SNES. I'm surprised there isn't enough SNES or GBA games you liked. For that matter, most PSX RPGs were menu-based isometric games too. But I guess we were talking about 3D. If we're talking about action titles, then yes, there seems to be combinations to perform certain moves, but a good game makes them intuitive enough and since you're an RPG fan, your real target is the RPGs. Games like Elder Scrolls are pretty simple control wise. They're just really big and require an investment of time. I suppose you probably like games that are more fixed. I can't see why you wouldn't like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic though, it's just like a menu based RPG pretending to be action. It's turn based and you just choose the skills you want to use in advance. You can pause and change target or next move at any time and cycle between your three active characters. You can probably say Fable has a few "complicated controls" but it's a forgiving game. You can probably criticise it for being too easy. Newer games are actually easier than older games. Super Hard games are more like a niche market now.

[Kalisiin Kumaki]

I'm just plain not very open to new games. Just not. Old and set in my ways and my likes, I guess.

You'll understand when you reach my age. You'll be less willing to try new things, too.

[shokushuko]

And what's the justification for that statement? There are plenty of older people who like to try new things. And when you're talking about what you watch, read, or play, there isn't even risks involved. You're just being stubborn and avoiding anything new. 40 isn't even that old. Don't blame your age, it's just your attitude. I mean, it's your choice, but it does seem sad to miss out on newer gems due to prejudices.

[Kalisiin Kumaki]

I just plain like the older games. Period. I don't care for the newer games. They're complicated, and they don't bring me back to a place I want to be.

Seriously, the point of an RPG is to take you to a different reality, right? I am just plain stuck in the 80's and I'm not about to change. The Eighties just plain were a better time.

[shokushuko]

Does that mean your sole reason for playing video games is to help pretend that you're still in the 80s? Trying to recapture the past?
Do you not play games for their story and experience?

[Kalisiin Kumaki]

Is it a crime to like the familiar?

[shokushuko]

You're not answering my questions. I'm not trying to persecute you. It's not a crime to like stuff that you're familiar with, but if you're stuck dwelling on what you know and refuse to try anything new, you're only missing out on a lot of great things through your own volition.

I only questioned you in the previous post because I'm curious. I can't see why you reject so many titles when you should be able to enjoy any SNES/PSX/GBA/DS RPG at least. If you just play games to pretend it's the 80s rather than a being a lover of RPGs and their stories, it makes more sense. Likes and preferences is one thing, but you just don't give things a chance.