digibutter.nerr

[Fancy Wario]

So, in anticipation of Metroid Prime 3 coming out in exactly one month, I've decided to play through all the Metroid games again and review them. Yay?

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Metroid...this series is widely considered to be ranked among Nintendo's greatest, among the likes of Mario and Zelda. Like Zelda (and, arguably, Mario), Metroid got its start on the NES. The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros. have stood the test of time, though...Metroid has not.

While the game may have pioneered the non-linear action genre, that doesn't mean that it executed it particularly well. We'll start off on the graphics, which, while normally not an important factor, are extremely important in an atmospheric game such as Metroid. Each area in the game uses a monotone palette for the floor, ceiling, and platforms, all situated against a black background. While this isn't very impressive technologically, it does set the mood for a feeling of isolation, a feeling which the Metroid series is known for. Enemy sprites are rather detailed, especially considering the hardware that the game is running on. The graphics are nothing to brag about, but they do work well enough. It can get somewhat monotonous, however, and many of the rooms look the same, a complaint which I'll address later.

The music is a high point of the game, and many of this game's tracks are some of the greatest of all time, in my humble opinion. From the adventurous mood of Brinstar's theme to the somewhat sinister feeling that Kraid's lair gives off, each track has its own personality, something which I really like in music.

Acceptable graphics and phenomenal music are all well and good, but, in the end, it's the gameplay that matters, and that is where Metroid falters. I am a huge fan of exploration in gameplay, but Metroid does it all wrong. As I mentioned earlier, almost every room looks the same, so it's difficult to figure out exactly where you are, a problem further amplified by the lack of a map. In addition, much of the shooting is, like the exploration aspects, tedious. There are some who enjoy mindless shooting, but I'm personally not one of them. While avoiding attacks does break it up, the lack of a real weak point in any enemies to aim for doesn't make you feel like you've really accomplished anything upon defeating either of the two bosses in the game.

Despite the frustrating monotony of the rooms and the mindless shooting, Metroid does do some gameplay aspects correctly. You'll have to explore every nook and cranny in every room, and even solve a few simple puzzles here and there. I can't really explain why this appeals to me, since it's the same as the tedious exploration in this game but on a smaller scale. Perhaps it's the feeling of accomplishment once you've finally gotten that missile expansion or energy tank, but I love it.

The save system, if you can call it that, sucks, to put it bluntly. When you die, you're given a somewhat lengthy password to write down and enter for next time. Considering that The Legend of Zelda, which debuted before this, had a real save system, in addition to the fact that Metroid had a save system in Japan, this is extremely disappointing. Nevertheless, at least you don't have to start over every time.

And speaking of time, Metroid is a game which requires careful balance of both exploration and speediness. Those who take their time to get everything will get one of the bad endings, and so will the ones who rush through the game. If you want to get one of the good endings, you'll have to carefully maintain both your item percentage and your total play time. If you want to get the best ending, you'll have to play through the game multiple times, as it's extremely difficult to get 100% in a short amount of time on your first playthrough.

Metroid was one of the first games to have a female protagonist, and for that, I commend it. Prior to this, almost every female main character had been a damsel in distress or a princess who sat on her throne and did nothing for the whole game. It's refreshing to see a female character who actually does something, especially in that point in time.

Metroid is not a good game, but it's certainly not the worst game there is. If there was an actual in-game map, perhaps the game wouldn't feel as tedious. As it stands, though, the original Metroid has not stood the test of time.

Final verdict: 66/100 (D-)

[Piccolo the Pixl]

You consider 66 a D-?

Anyways, good review


(Yeah, I read fast)

[Fancy Wario]

[Popple]

Original Metroid sucked see? You could never figure out where to go or where you been. I'd hate to be stuck like that when I steal from Lord Bowsers castle. The layout of that place is almost and confusing as he is.